The half moon had begun to shine in the western sky, and the remnants of daylight were quietly swallowed by the creeping darkness.

  The presence of beasts rode the wind, and it felt as though the domain of humans was being steadily overwritten.

  So far, there had been no sightings of Eizerg on the plains.

  Ragebeasts appeared overwhelmingly more often in human settlements than in forests or mountains.

  That was because pets and livestock were the ones turning into Ragebeasts.

  The reason remained unknown, but their purpose was clear: murder and destruction.

  The three Guardian Beasts of the Order accompanied the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Squads respectively, to support the inexperienced members.

  Grache had gone with the Fourth Squad.

  Because that squad included arrogant fighters, I couldn’t help but worry.

  The Zero Squad was headed to a town far from the Order’s headquarters.

  As I gazed at the sky from the swaying carriage, a single beam of light rose beyond the hazy clouds.

  Upon seeing it, Sierra gave a sharp command to the driver.

  The carriage jolted violently as it turned around and accelerated toward the town where the signal flare had risen.

  The red light glowing at its peak reminded me ominously of a cursed star.

  As soon as we arrived, the town’s uproar reached our ears.

  Sierra’s only instruction to me at that moment was: “Do not engage under any circumstances.”

  I understood why.

  She probably hadn’t wanted to bring me here in the first place.

  But with the Zero Squad holding the subjugation force’s greatest strength, we couldn’t ignore a signal flare indicating Eizerg’s appearance.

  The other squads would arrive soon.

  To ensure my safety, the best course was to remain still under their protection.

  That was likely Sierra’s judgment.

  From all over the town, the dark presence of Ragebeasts drifted through the air.

  Until now, only one or two had ever appeared at a time, but today there were surely more than ten.

  If this was Eizerg’s “gift” to celebrate the expansion of the subjugation squads, it was irony taken too far.

  Judging by the direction from which they had departed the church, the Fourth Squad was likely the one responding.

  If so, Grache should be somewhere nearby.

  Even if I couldn’t join the battle, I at least wanted to reunite with Grache.

  The deeper we went into the town, the more chaos the Ragebeasts caused.

  But one area was clearly louder than the rest.

  There might have been multiple beasts there.

  Torchlight flickered at the end of an alley.

  That was the center of the commotion.

  Half of Sierra’s squad rushed toward it.

  By the time I arrived slightly behind them, they were already in the thick of battle.

  “This is…”

  The Fourth Squad was fighting more than ten Ragebeasts.

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  Two of their members had already fallen.

  Whether they were alive or dead, I couldn’t tell.

  “Rije, Luna, Randal—don’t leave Amsaria’s side!”

  Leaving those three as my guards, the other shrine maidens joined the battle.

  Even in a large town, the alleys were narrow.

  Some of the Ragebeasts were agile enough to run along the walls.

  In a chaotic fight in such a place, neither individual strength nor coordination could be properly utilized.

  If someone tried to use Arcane Art, it would inevitably cause collateral damage.

  And yet… someone did exactly that.

  It was them.

  What I had feared had come true.

  “Ex Storm Javelin.”

  A spear of wind, conjured by a high?level Arcane Art, pierced two Ragebeasts and caught one of the shrine maidens in its blast.

  The shockwave whipped our hair violently.

  “That one!”

  To wield a triple?layered invocation formula—that took considerable skill.

  He had the power to make a name for himself in the subjugation squads, but his trust among comrades would surely plummet.

  The trio had formed a formation with him at the center.

  In a narrow street, that made tactical sense.

  But the way he swung his blade showed no regard for allies.

  He was ready to cut down anything that entered his range.

  Because of that, the other members had become even more hesitant.

  “Do they only care about themselves?!”

  Reacting to my anger, a Ragebeast charged toward us.

  Just as I reached for my hilt, Randal’s Arcane Sword severed its limbs, and Rije’s Arcane Art struck its chest.

  “Calm yourself, Clusilk.”

  As I was being soothed by the senior shrine maiden, Luna called out from behind me.

  “Captain Sierra! If you turn left at the end of that path, there’s a wide crossroad!”

  Having grown up in this town, Luna had its layout etched into her mind.

  Information is a weapon.

  That’s a strength Ragebeasts can never possess.

  Sierra immediately gave the order, and the battlefield shifted to the location Luna had indicated.

  “Amsaria, let’s treat the wounded while we have the chance.”

  By the time we returned to the battlefield after finishing treatment, only two Ragebeasts remained.

  Sierra took down one, and the Valiant of the Fourth Squad finished the other.

  Thus, the battle came to an end.

  The prolonged battle had left everyone exhausted.

  Even so, not a single person collapsed.

  As expected of those who aspired to join the subjugation squads.

  In the distance, it seemed other squads were still fighting.

  But here, the night’s veil muffled all sound, and silence settled over us.

  Breaking that silence was Sierra’s voice.

  “Erideus.”

  “What?”

  “That maneuver—what were you thinking?!”

  Sierra’s voice rose with anger at Erideus’s indifferent reply.

  “Impressive, wasn’t it?

  We probably took down more than anyone else.

  Right? Am I wrong?”

  One of his comrades nodded in agreement, which only deepened Sierra’s irritation.

  She stepped in close to him.

  “Two Warmaidens were injured by your Arcane Art.”

  “We took out five, maybe six.

  The shrine maidens were still standing at the end, weren’t they?

  A few scratches—what’s the big deal?

  Call it even.”

  He cut off the conversation and turned his back.

  Just as Sierra reached out to grab his shoulder, Erideus vanished without a trace.

  A moment later came the sound of destruction.

  Then a cold gust of wind.

  A creeping, suffocating malice gripped my chest.

  Standing with its back to a crumbled wall was none other than Eizerg.

  That stretched?thin instant—

  In the brief moment before the gust?blown torchlight flared back to life—

  What did everyone think?

  What flashed through my mind was the smile of Rudy, who had been killed by that monster.

  Rudy’s face, stained with red blood, ignited a fire of rage in my heart.

  Driven by impulse, I reached for my Arcane Sword—

  But Rije grabbed my arm.

  When I glared back at her, burning with fury, her eyes were calm, like the surface of a quiet lake.

  That sight wrapped around the blaze rising in my chest and held back the scream that had been welling up in my throat.

  What shattered the silence was a howl of ruin that would not forgive the living.

  Then came the screams of those who shouted the name of the beast.

  It was the signal that the second act of battle had begun.

  In contrast to the shrine maidens, who showed no sign of fatigue as they dashed about, the men were being overwhelmed by the beast’s presence.

  Once a thread snaps, it cannot be tied again.

  The fighters had become the ones needing protection, turning into a burden on the battle.

  Only those who bore the title of Valiant still stood as a fighting force.

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