“W-What are those numbers?!”

“Request support, now!!!”

After I shouted, it seemed the black things charging in our direction were recognized by the surrounding heroes as something more than just mere shadows, and frantic shouts erupted from them.

Voices devoid of calmness quickly filled the area.

And it was no wonder.

How could anyone maintain their composure upon witnessing those black figures surging as if to consume the entire horizon?

The same went for the other heroes who had rushed here upon hearing the request for assistance.

Martina, who had just arrived, confirmed the massive swarm of Lesser Demonic Beasts approaching us, her expression turning grave as she muttered,

“…What the hell, how many are there?”

[U-… Unmeasurable.]

“Damn, I can tell just by looking that it’s too many to count…”

The observation team, who had been monitoring the communications, assumed it was a question and responded that it was impossible to measure how many there were, to which Martina cussed back in a voice of despair.

Who would be unaware of the sheer number of Lesser Demonic Beasts converging on us?

In any case, it was a staggering quantity, enough to rattle even the chief Martina.

How many could that possibly be?

I wasn’t sure, but it surely seemed to exceed a hundred thousand…

While I contemplated this, Martina muttered in disbelief.

“Well, that number just doesn’t make sense… Did they suddenly unite to raid the city? They’re always fighting each other to eat one another…”

Martina’s reaction was, in some ways, entirely expected.

Wild Lesser Demonic Beasts typically act based on instinct, making such large-scale invasions very rare.

When I lost my arm to a Lesser Demonic Beast while defending the gym, I heard it was an unprecedented occurrence that had not happened in over a hundred years.

And now, not long after that incident, it would be strange to think such a thing could happen again.

But I knew the cause of this large-scale invasion, so I pointed to the legion of Lesser Demonic Beasts gathering in the distance and said to Martina,

“The reason the demonic beasts are coming in such numbers is because of a witch. There’s a witch behind that swarm of beasts.”

“A witch… You mean to say a witch is the one leading those Lesser Demonic Beasts?”

Just after Martina spoke, her expression hardened as if she realized something.

She must have realized, too.

There was only one being capable of commanding such wild Lesser Demonic Beasts with military precision.

And as if to affirm that thought, a dark, mist-like cloud began to obscure the dimming night sky.

But we knew.

What was covering the sky was by no means mere fog.

“Those insect-like demonic beasts… That’s definitely…”

That was, ‘insects.’

An overwhelming number of small flying insects covered the sky, making it appear as fog.

And the witch who commanded such beasts was—

“Yes. It’s the Witch of Lust. The only one capable of leading that many demonic beasts at once is her.”

As far as I knew, it could only be the Witch of Lust.

If the energy we were sensing was indeed hers, it was certainly not surprising for such a quantity of demonic beasts to march towards the city.

We had already learned well from our previous encounters how the insect-like beasts of Lust had unleashed significant chaos in the city.

The ability possessed by Lust’s demonic beasts is to control living beings.

Just like how that many people had been manipulated in the city, the reason all those demonic beasts were advancing in unison was undoubtedly that they were being controlled by the Witch of Lust.

And to confirm that thought, a thunderous voice echoed from the army that had suddenly stopped as they flowed toward us.

[Ahahaha! Hello, humans! Were you surprised by the sudden invasion of my army?]

That voice, filled with gleeful tone, had a truly unsettling resonance.

Just listening to it made my whole body crawl with discomfort.

[I’ll give you a compliment! I thought all of you would be taken by the Gluttony Witch! But you’re really lucky to have survived, aren’t you? Since you survived, it gives me a chance to turn you into my puppets!]

As I continued to listen, it became apparent.

What I initially thought to be a single voice was actually a mix of high and low voices, thick and thin, all coming together to form that one unsettling sound.

Hearing it as a single voice was an illusion created by numerous vocal cords, perfectly synchronized to produce that phrase simultaneously, making it sound like one massive voice.

For a collection to become one, harmony and consideration among all were required; thus, a unified voice like that in a choir usually moves listeners in some way.

But the voice gave off a sense of discomfort instead of any emotion, clearly because it lacked that element.

There was no harmony or consideration created by the many entities present.

Only the coercion that forcibly bound many identities into one.

And that repugnant voice spoke to us.

[We’ll be invading from now on, so don’t get hurt by resisting for no reason.]

In a voice excessively sweet, warning not to get hurt by resisting.

[After all, soon you’ll all be my puppets, and I’d rather not have my puppets with any scratches on them.]

Your efforts will ultimately be in vain; I advise you to accept your fate smoothly.

With that declaration, the momentary pause in their advance resumed.

“Everyone, attack to prevent the demonic beasts from getting close!”

“Stop them! Do whatever it takes to hold them back!! Use wide-range attacks to clear them out!”

As the swarming tide of black surged toward the city like cockroaches, everyone unleashed area attacks against the demonic beasts.

It was a simple mass assault devoid of strategy.

The clustered demonic beasts were wiped out with each area attack, each easily claiming several dozen lives.

Moreover, the two of us standing here—myself and Martina—could be considered specialists in area attacks.

“Damn it, take that!”

Martina’s magic obliterated hundreds of demonic beasts in a single strike.

“Haap!”

The flames I conjured surged forward, instantly roasting all the oncoming foes to char.

Together, we effortlessly swept away thousands.

However—

“The sheer numbers are just too much!”

Against such overwhelming mass tactics, strategy held no value from the very start.

“Damn these guys…!”

Would a drop in the ocean make a difference?

Of course not.

What about a tub? A large water tank?

No matter how much you could pour out, you couldn’t dry up the ocean.

That was how we felt facing the incoming demonic beasts.

If we killed ten, a hundred followed right after.

If we killed a hundred, a thousand rushed in, and if we burned a thousand, ten thousand would take their place.

Yet, it made no difference.

We thought we had just killed quite a few, but the horde of demonic beasts filling the horizon showed no signs of receding.

Yet the truly frightening aspect was not the grotesque number itself.

What really terrified us was—

“These things don’t flinch even if one of their own gets killed…!”

The fact that these demonic beasts felt no fear.

While demonic beasts, being living creatures, would typically freeze in fear or try to flee when they sensed the risk of death, those being controlled by the witch felt no fear of death.

Even if a neighboring beast burst apart, or flames engulfed them.

They dashed forward with relentless ferocity, utterly unphased.

At this rate, it was only a matter of time before the beasts neared the defenses.

“We’ll create a forward line of defense!”

“Those unable to attack from a distance, move forward and hold them back!”

As the enemy approached our defenses, making area attacks increasingly difficult, a few heroes and I decided to leap beyond the barriers.

We aimed to form a defensive line upfront, seeking to hold back the hordes while receiving back-up fire.

However, just as we made our move, a problem arose.

“G-Get these things off me!”

“Ahh, aaagh!”

While holding back the controlled demonic beasts, the flying insect-like demonic beasts that had been lurking above suddenly launched attacks on the heroes.

In the instant someone looked away, insects would swoop down from above or behind, trying to infiltrate their bodies.

The backline, responsible for heavy fire, attempted to eliminate the insect-like beasts, but they were so quick and small that it wasn’t easy to take them all down.

Despite my ability to fend off the insects around me with flames, the quantity was merely too extensive and the front line was stretched too thin.

Ultimately, in areas I couldn’t cover, a few heroes were overwhelmed by the swarming insects.

And, of course, the outcome was disastrous.

“Ugh, that one’s being controlled!”

“Damn it, what should we do about this…”

Those consumed by the insects began attacking their fellow heroes.

Suddenly facing attacks from their friends on either side, the heroes in front fell into disarray.

If there were no chance of reclaiming their bodies, they might as well take their last breath with tearful eyes, but knowing that it was possible to get them back would lead them to paralysis, unable to act decisively.

Moreover, a comrade suddenly attacking them beside was enough to instill fear in the remaining ones.

While the fear of dying in battle could be overcome, what about the dread of possibly killing your own teammate?

If you might end up doing that, all of your morale could whittle down to nothing. Just as I was feeling this gnawing fear,

“Ghh… What did I just do…”

“Hey! Are you back to your senses?!”

From somewhere, a burst of light flew in, returning the controlled heroes to their original state.

Looking up, I saw shimmering lights darting across the battlefield, casting light upon the heroes who had been seized.

It was Sylvia who had arrived.

“You no longer need to worry about being controlled! I will ensure nothing like that happens!”

In the face of Sylvia’s bold declaration, the wavering morale began to perk up once again.

With the dread of losing control lifted, they reignited their fighting spirit.

Yet, perhaps sensing the change in atmosphere—

“Mmm, you’re fighting quite well? Then how about this?”

The movements of the insect-like demonic beasts shifted.

“Those beasts, they’re suddenly ignoring us and heading toward the back…”

The demonic beasts that had been attacking the heroes suddenly rose into the air, changing direction toward the barriers.

And a few people realized their intentions, bewildered, and shouted.

“Th-They’re aiming for the people in the city! We must stop them!”

“Not on my watch!”

Noticing the movements of the demonic beasts as they took advantage of the vanishing barrier, Sylvia quickly conjured a barrier of light around the defenses.

Although it wouldn’t be as sturdy as the true barrier, it would serve as a fine net to keep out the insect-like demonic beasts.

However, I saw it.

As Sylvia executed her large-scale spell, she slightly swayed in the air.

Though she feigned composure, she hadn’t fully recovered.

It was only natural that she wouldn’t be able to pay attention to the other heroes while casting such a spell.

“Damn it, retreat! Fall back! Push the defense back!”

And perhaps recognizing that uncertainty, Martina called the heroes holding the line back inside the defenses.

We couldn’t risk endangering the townsfolk, so we reluctantly fell back behind Sylvia’s magic to try and fend off the demonic beasts.

But I sensed it instinctively.

If this continued, Sylvia, still dealing with the aftereffects of the previous battle, wouldn’t last long against this horde of beasts.

And someone was needed to draw the attention of those beasts away from her.

Realizing that, when everyone turned their back to retreat, I stepped forward.

“Scarlet?!”

“What are you doing?!”

From behind, I heard the others shout in surprise, but I continued forward, aiming at the horde of demonic beasts.

I intended to divert their attention to us.

As I made my move, I felt some of the demonic beasts’ gazes shift in my direction.

Embracing that attention, I amplified the flames flickering around me.

Ensuring their gaze stayed locked on me.

So, if you want to sneak around back, I’ll go right for your leader.

So don’t look elsewhere.

“Look at me!!”