Wasn’t This a Night Game

Extermination Operation

[Ah, no!! No!! I can’t die like this!….aaagh!!]

With a final burst of gunfire, the last Abomination on the surface explodes into nothingness.

Ketratrus, silent, reloads his magazine and approaches Iomene.

“There are no more demon worshippers remaining on the surface.”

“I sense nothing more either.”

Her acutely sensitive detection abilities no longer picked up any presence. The stench of the underworld still wafted from below, but that would be dealt with by Grand Master Al Madai and his squad.

Iomene gazes at the pillar of light illuminating the entire city.

Exposing those who sought to conceal themselves had made their task almost too easy.

Even in his fall, the Saint continued to protect the city’s people.

This moment of reverence was soon shattered.

Sharp noises and enraged shouts assaulted Iomene’s ears.

“Filthy, disgusting laborites!! Reactionary scum!! You repulsive, crawling insects!! Look!! Look at what your kind has done to the city!!”

Police officers, armed with pistols and submachine guns, screamed as they leveled their weapons at the citizens and workers.

“Demon worshippers were hiding among you!! You dog sons of b*tches! I knew it!! You’re trying to destroy Scrap Yard!”

The workers murmured, shrinking back, but the police didn’t seem inclined to show any leniency.

“What are you waiting for! Fire!! Shoot them all and throw these laborites in the detention camp!!”

A hair trigger situation.

“Intervene.”

At Iomene’s command, Ketratrus’ squad moves with swift precision.

The police, about to pull their triggers, freeze as the hulking figures approach with thunderous footsteps.

“The Pantheon! Just in time! Help us arrest these people!! Demon worshippers were found among them!!”

The Ketratrus troopers turned their gaze upon the workers at those words.

A chilling stare that sent shivers of fear through the laborers.

“According to the Codex Prolilium, they are all subject to arrest. We must apprehend them and investigate for taint of black magic.”

The Ketratrus troopers subtly tightened their grips on their sidearms.

“Holy One, grant us the command. We shall immediately take them into custody and aid in the investigation.”

Iomene felt a headache brewing at the sight.

Those blockheads.

Wasn’t it said the person who read only one book was the most dangerous?

And these paladin-cum-battle-priests had spent their entire lives reading but the Codex Prolilium.

In her heart, she wanted to yell at them to all go down below and beat down demon worshippers, but doing so would leave the city with insufficient forces to maintain order.

“Put your sidearms away. I will not authorize lethal force!”

At Iomene’s shout, the Ketratrus troopers looked at her with incomprehension etched on their faces.

“But that is an action that violates the Codex Prolilium. It is written that all suspicious persons must be eliminated.”

“And isn’t it also written in that Codex to obey my orders?! So listen to me! Lethal force is not authorized!”

“But Holy One, the Codex Prolilium states…”

Iomene wanted to weep.

They were experts beyond compare when it came to beating down evil things.

But they were utterly useless at maintaining civic order and mediating the interests of two conflicting groups.

Right now, the scrap yard was a bomb ticking down in real-time.

The conflict between the workers and the capitalists, already festering, had been temporarily delayed by the appearance of demon worshippers, but it was now flaring up anew.

It wouldn’t be surprising if, at this very moment, police were murdering workers or worker advocates were murdering police and capitalists somewhere in the city.

And yet, the Ketratrus, the only external organization that could prevent it, were such obstinate fools. What was she to do?

“Holy Empress! They are Labor Theorists!! They are beings who are in direct violation of Imperial law!! Why would you protect such disgusting vermin who try to shake the very foundation of society, instead of arresting them!!”

A policeman, seemingly of considerable rank, protested roughly.

“They all need to be locked up! Lend us your strength!”

At those words, a Labor Theorist, unable to restrain himself, stepped forward and shouted.

“Speaking of which, do you think those factory owners of yours are innocent? Didn’t demon worshippers come out of you too!! I saw it!! I personally saw the monsters hastily escaping your mansions!”

At those words, the Ketratrus troopers now turned their gaze toward the police.

“That is true. There were demon worshippers among the factory owners. The workers are subject to investigation, and you are as well.”

“Holy One, grant us the command. We shall apprehend and investigate these suspicious beings.”

The moment the Ketratheus soldiers telegraphed their intent, the police, faces ashen, raised their weapons halfway.

“Y-You mean to investigate us?”

“The religious zealots, finally showing their true colors!!”

The Ketratheus soldiers, too, slightly elevated their pistols.

“You would do well to consider your next actions with utmost care. One of us could readily face a hundred of you. Do you truly believe your bullets can pierce our miracles and armor?”

“Stop!! I said stop!!”

Iomene commanded, but the Ketratheus soldiers moved to shield her instead.

“They raised arms against us, Holy One. Stand behind us. You could be struck by a stray bullet.”

A hair trigger.

A powder keg primed to explode at any moment.

The police, fearing the repercussions of antagonizing the Imperial Princess and the members of the Pantheon.

The workers, afraid of being caught in the crossfire between the police and the Ketratheus.

And the Ketratheus, capable of slaughtering them all, yet held back by the Princess’s command.

But should anything misstep, this place would swiftly descend into a hellscape.

“Please. Almene. Quickly, please!……..”

The White Order was not suited for maintaining public order.

This was a moment that required another external organization to calm the situation, investigate, and uphold peace.

And then, Iomene’s face, etched with anxious prayer just moments before, suddenly brightened.

“They’ve arrived.”

She looked to the sky.

All others followed her gaze.

With a thunderous vibration, the air above the scrapyard fractured, and a colossal airship materialized within the rift.

Imprinted boldly upon the airship’s hull, the emblem of a skull clenching a blade in its jaws.

The insignia of the Black Fortress, the Empire’s intelligence apparatus and a special forces unit directly under Imperial command.

And upon its arrival, the airship commenced a rapid descent.

As the city’s citizens gawked at the extraordinary sight of a massive metal vessel slowly descending from the heavens,

“Halt! What in blazes is going on here!!”

The airship’s hatches burst open, and a contingent of figures leaped down towards the city with urgent haste.

Paladins and priests of the Solar Order, devoted to Roperus, God of Justice.

The Grace Order, with their holy knights and priests devoted to Lilia, Goddess of Grace.

The Silent Order, with their priests devoted to Rh-Neri, God of Shadows and Secrets.

Forces of the Pantheon poured forth, spreading throughout the city in an instant.

And it wasn’t only them.

“Lay down your arms in the Emperor’s name! Or face investigation for treason!”

“You dare point a weapon at the Princess Imperial! Lower it! Disarm yourselves immediately!”

“Disarm yourselves at once, unless you desire a barrage from the airships!”

Inquisitors of the Black Fortress, too, descended upon the city, hastily moving toward potential flashpoints to mediate.

Unlike the Ketratu, who had read but one book, these had read many, and were skilled at quelling conflicts of this nature.

Only then did Iomene let out a sigh of relief.

“What took you so long?”

She playfully grumbled to Almene before issuing orders to the Ketratu.

“Leaving only a minimal force for my protection, 1st and 4th Squadrons, assist Grand Master Al Madai in suppressing the demon worshippers underground. Remember! No more engagement on the surface! Let the Pantheon and the Inquisitors of the Black Fortress handle it!”

“As you command.”

The Ketratu, save for five veterans from the 1st and 4th Squadrons, thundered away, whereupon Inquisitors of the Black Fortress approached her.

“We shall escort you by airship, Princess Imperial.”

Surrounded by the Ketratu and the Inquisitors, Iomene was led to the airship.

Seeing Iomene enter the airship with a weary face, Almene approached.

“…….You know?”

“I know.”

After this exchange, where all unnecessary words were cut as befitting twins, Iomene headed toward the rear of the airship, while Almene went to the command deck.

“Disarm all constables and labourers! I want no further escalation! Members of the Silent Order, deal with the factory owners! The rest of the Inquisitors, begin interrogating the laborers. The Grace Order’s holy knights, take responsibility for guarding the Saint!”

Issuing orders in real-time through the magical communication devices distributed to the Pantheon’s holy knights and various Inquisitors, Almene fought hard to regain control of the city, while Iomene headed toward a corner of the airship.

Upon arriving, she saw a familiar witch.

“Lady Erpha.”

Erpha was not her usual pliable self.

Her expression was blank, and the way she handled her wand seemed almost hateful.

“Lady Iomene.”

“The remaining demon worshippers have fled into the underground mines. You will come with me, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s go together. I need to descend as well, to command the Ketratu.”

Erpa simply nodded in response to Iomene’s words, offering no further comment.

And it wasn’t just Erpa.

Nine battle mages, carefully selected from the Magic Tower’s temple, were hastily preparing for combat.

But that wasn’t all.

Iomene watched, a look of wonder on her face, as another group readied themselves for the fight.

The Black Fortress’s most crucial assets.

Beings she only knew of, but had never witnessed in person.

The Soulless.

Encased in peculiar black restraints and preparing for deployment, they emanated a bizarre sensation, constantly seeming to fade from view, even as she stared directly at them.

Soon, those restraints would be released, and they would be completely unleashed.

Ordinary people wouldn’t even recognize them standing right before their eyes, and even well-trained individuals like mages and paladins wouldn’t detect them unless they possessed exceptionally high detection abilities – not until they were on the verge of death, at least.

People whose very existence was faint.

And, because of that, individuals who functioned as assassins more powerfully than anyone else.

“Adjustments are complete.”

“Ready for immediate deployment.”

The mages who had been inspecting the Soulless’s restraints stepped back slowly.

The Inquisitor of the Black Fortress, who commanded the Soulless, looked towards Iomene.

“Give the order.”

Battle mages from the Magic Tower.

The Thousand-Man Brigade of the White Order.

And even the assassins of the Black Fortress.

It was no exaggeration to say that this force was more than sufficient.

“What order is there to give? They are beings who harmed the Saint and tried to obliterate Scrap Yard. There’s only one fitting end for them.”

Iomene ground her teeth as she issued the command.

“Extermination. Kill every single one of the demon worshippers in the underground tunnels. Leave not a single one alive.”