The town radio blared.

The voice of the dryad, Treyni, echoed from the speakers.

"The city is under attack by a foreign nation."

"The defense team has been dispatched. Please proceed to the labyrinth for shelter."

"Repeat."

"The defense team has been dispatched. Please head to the labyrinth to take refuge."

…

The broadcast repeated through every street and alley.

"Defense team?" Knight Commander Folgen raised an eyebrow.

Even if they show up, it won't change the outcome.

"Charge with me!" he roared.

Just as the cavalry's iron hooves were about to trample through the crowd—

The warhorses suddenly neighed.

Every single one came to a dead stop.

Their eyes were wide with panic.

Folgen kicked at the reins, but no matter what he did, the horse beneath him wouldn't budge.

He turned to look back.

Same across the board. Every cavalryman sat still atop a frozen steed.

What the hell?

Folgen scowled.

Warhorses are bred for combat.

Trained relentlessly, selected with care. Fear should've been bred out of them.

So what was this?

He forgot one thing.

Fear is a biological instinct.

The reason these warhorses never feared anything... was because they'd never faced something truly terrifying.

In training, they're made to face wolves and hounds. In war, sometimes monsters.

But this—

Was different.

Folgen looked up toward the end of the street.

A figure slowly stepped into view.

"I really didn't expect you people to be this disgusting."

"You don't even spare civilians."

Chishiya said calmly.

Behind him, a dozen Oni emerged from the shadows.

Their murderous aura pressed down on the battlefield.

The warhorses froze in place, trembling.

Folgen stared in disbelief.

These Oni... they're still moving, even under the [Four-Seal Demon-Sealing Barrier]?

What kind of insane resistance is this?

But he didn't panic.

He had 20,000 elite soldiers behind him.

They weren't some ragtag militia.

Chishiya narrowed his eyes.

Originally, he wanted Falmuth to shoot themselves in the foot.

Turn a staged "rescue the civilians from monsters" act into a full-blown international incident.

That way, he'd have just cause for war.

But he underestimated just how rotten they were.

To cover their tracks, they were even willing to massacre civilians.

Chishiya turned his head. "How's Aqua? Did we make it in time?"

"Heal. Heal. Heal—!"

Behind him, Aqua had her cheeks puffed out, water spilling from her mouth as she sprayed it across the corpses on the ground.

Suddenly, white light flashed across each body.

Next second—

One by one, the corpses sat up, gasping, clutching their chests.

"I... I'm alive?"

Aqua gave a smug OK gesture.

"Just kidding, I'm a real goddess."

"Something this small? Please, child's play."

The soldiers from Falmuth stood frozen.

Huh?

Did we... hallucinate that?

The guy who got sliced clean in two just stood up?

Razen's mouth twitched.

Was that resurrection magic?

No. That was... spit. She literally spat them back to life?!

Even Demon Lords can't revive the dead that casually!

Just... spit and poof?

Seeing Aqua finish healing the wounded, Chishiya stepped forward with a calm smile.

"No need to worry. All paying guests are protected in this city."

"We never compromise customer safety."

After all, the customer is God.

You dare lay a finger on my customers? Then you've already signed your death warrant.

He turned to Razen and the others, casually cracking his knuckles.

"This is a war of aggression that you started."

"Today, none of you are getting out alive."

As his words fell,

Countless ice crystals began forming around Chishiya.

In the blink of an eye—

Razor-sharp ice rained from the sky like a storm of daggers.

They came down on the army in the streets.

Chishiya didn't use Explosion Magic.

Too destructive. It'd probably level half the buildings.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

The sound of flesh being pierced echoed across the battlefield.

Razen parried with magic.

Folgen swung his sword to block, sweat pouring down his face.

But most soldiers weren't so lucky.

The condensed ice magic pierced through armor like paper.

Blood sprayed in every direction.

The ice rain fell fast and mercilessly.

The soldiers had no time to react.

Dozens were killed or wounded in a single volley.

Razen looked at the scattered ranks around him.

Gritting his teeth.

How? Who is this man?!

How is one person putting a 20,000-strong army on the defensive?!

"Don't panic! Keep your formation tight!" Razen shouted.

"He can't cast that kind of large-scale magic forever!"

"When his mana runs out, we'll strike back!"

"Yes!"

...Damn it.

Even as he said that, Razen's gaze darted behind him.

The signal had already gone out. So where the hell was the Western Holy Church's support?

This enemy wasn't just some monster.

He was human.

And the [Four-Seal Demon-Sealing Barrier] only suppresses monsters.

They needed backup. Fast.

As he blocked another ice shard, still peeking over his shoulder—

Chishiya's voice rang out.

"Still waiting for backup?"

"Hate to disappoint. No one's coming."

"What?!"

Razen spun toward him.

Chishiya continued. "Don't you find it odd that your people never showed up after the signal went out?"

Razen froze.

An overwhelming sense of dread washed over him.

Chishiya smiled coldly. "Figured it out yet?"

"It's because I already saw through your little plan."

As soon as the words landed—

BOOM!!!

A massive explosion rang out from outside the city.

Red magic circles flashed in the sky, one after another.

A towering pillar of fire shot upward, bathing the clouds in crimson.

Then—

Crack!

The [Four-Seal Demon-Sealing Barrier] required all four corners to stay intact.

With one destroyed, the entire purple dome shattered like glass.

Razen and Folgen turned pale.

This... This was bad.

What just happened?!

---

Meanwhile, west of the city

"Megumin! Why did you attack already?!"

"We didn't even get a chance to interrogate them!"

Yunyun shouted as she caught Megumin mid-collapse.

Megumin turned her face to the side, arms crossed dramatically.

"I couldn't help it."

"When I saw that glowing crystal... I just had to explode it."

"But it was pretty cool, right? My Explosion Magic."

A smoking crater now sat where the enemy's camp and barrier crystal had once been.

The thing was absolutely obliterated.

"I've successfully completed the mission assigned by Sensei," Megumin said proudly.

"Looks like I'm the superior disciple after all."

"Ehhh?!" Yunyun cried. "You just cheated and blew it up first!"

As they bickered, Souei appeared beside them, having just finished off the remaining defenders.

"Miss Megumin. Miss Yunyun. The mission is complete. Let's head back and assist Chishiya-sama."

(To be continued.)

***

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