Closer, just a little more closer.

My minions revere me, my strenght is nigh untouchable. Fear and obedience will pave the way.

With this final piece, ascension is on my reach.

I will be stronger, wholer. Once and for all i shall obtain my free-

XXX

"SNAP OUT OF IT DAILAH!!!"

The sudden scream caused Dailah to wake up from her stupor. As she came to, Scariot reached out to the warding tool. Looking through the window to check on the foe...

Its head was turned their way, its eyes focused on hers. A bluish flame burned within them, or so it seemed to the girl.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? SHOOT! SHOOT!!!"

Putting her free hand on Dailah's shoulder, Scariot activated the device she held on the other.

*CLANK* *CRACK* *BRAACK* *TUM*

An invisible bubble rapidly expanded with the two women at the center. It pushed everything around them while deforming to best fit the uneven shape of the house. Consequently, most of the equipement they brought got shoved and pressed onto the walls.

This ward was designed to mostly stop larger objects and monsters approaching from outside, while simultaneously allowing users inside to throw spells and shoot at will. Of course its defense wasn't perfect, but still plenty useful.

Dailah readied her rifle and took aim at the large beast. Unfortunately, right as she did, a wave of rats moving their way blocked the target.

She shot anyway.

The bullet, charged with a fireball spell, exploded on contact with the rodents avalanching their way, setting their fur and flesh on fire. The pungent smell of burnt corpses soon reached the girl's nose.

But it wasn't over, far from it.

Scariot, dropping the warding wand on the floor, pulled out two of her revolvers and also began shooting at the sea of mice. Like Dailah, her guns could charge the bullets with fireballs spells.

There was a chance of causing a fire, but neither of them was worried about such things at the moment. Besides, they came prepared for that too.

The two always prioritized hitting the giant rat. However, likely figuring out the nature of the danger, it would always hide behind the subordinates it seemed to be in control of.

And unfortunately, the two witches still weren't enough to completely stop the swarm from coming their way.

*RUMBLE* *RUMBLE*

"...Scariot... the walls are trembling."

"..."

The opening they were shooting from slowly got covered by the mass of rats, trying to penetrate the protection bubble.

"HORSETITS!"

*BUM*

Letting out an obscene scream, Scariot discharged a pulse wave using her own magic, clearing their view on the window. Unfortunately more and more rodents just kept coming, obstructing their sight once again.

Feeling the light growing dimmer, the two looked around their hideout. The filthy things were circling the house, climbing the walls, entering through the cracks, unable to get any closer solely due to their magical ward.

Dailah noticed one rat somehow managed to pass through their protection. It wasn't invincible after all, and entry could be forced from outside with enough pressure... like that coming from a sea of flesh pushing each other onward.

As the rat got closer Dailah quickly turned her rifle around on her hand, increased her force with magic, and swung its stock at the animal horizontally. The little invader went flying at a high speed, smashing against the wall, its innards spilling over the floor in a gory *splash*.

Just as she tried reading the rifle to shoot again, she noticed another rat passing through the ward. And another.

They got too close, so instead of her weapon she instead chose to use her boot. Trampling on one of them, the unpleasant feeling of crushing bones and exploding organs coursed through her leg. As she did, the other jumped on her, biting down on her thigh.

"Get OFF!"

She slapped the rat off with her hand, throwing it more or less a meter away. It got hurt but didn't die immediatly... until the girl's partner came herself and squashed the squeaker under her boot that is.

"This isn't working..." - Scariot bit her thumb, realizing how dire the situation had become. They made a lot of preparations beforehand, but this was complete and utter insanity.

A beast that size just strolling around the sewers right under them? It was bone-chilling just to imagine it.

"Dailah... hold on to me."

"Huh!? Hold how exactly?"

"I DON'T CARE! HOLD ME LIKE I'M YOUR MOTHER, THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE, THE LAST SLAB OF MEAT IN WINTER, JUST HOLD TIGHT!!!"

Scariot walked over to the warding tool and picked up while shouting to her partner "Come on!".

Dailah did as she was told and held the woman by the waist, even applying some extra force with magic figuring the mid-rank witch wouldn't mind. She noticed as more and more rats managed the pass through the ward.

Holding the wand, Scariot infused it with her mana.

"I hope you didn't bring anything valuable!" - She said holding the girl with her free hand. And then...

*BOOOOOOMM*

The protection bubble exploded. What once were pieces of the house's structure went flying in all directions, along with the equipment they left lying around, and the rats that had gathered. In the heat of the moment, her eyes caught a glimpse of a shovel having its shaft split off from the blade segment.

Briefly, a big empty circle surrounded the two. The house, the walls, the ceiling, everything was blown away.

Scariot took this chance to jump. The type of jump only witches were able to manage.

*BAM*

With another deafening sound, cracking the floor under her feet, she went high up in the air.

"AAAAAHHHHH!@@!#@"

Dailah screamed as she held the woman's waist for her dear life.

Using a magic that broke their fall, the two landed at a safe distance. The girl let go and fell on all fours, trying to compose herself.

For a moment she thought she heard the owls cheering and clapping, just for a moment. Yes, despite the chaos they were still here, watching the spectacle.

"hah... hah... ah!" - Dailah suddenly remembered. Desperately trying to stand up, legs wobbling, she asked Scariot - "D-Did you call for back-up?"

"Yes, i broke the emergency warning stone while you were dilly-dallying. Now, any plans? Preferably one that can explained quickly."

Dailah turned to the swarm of rats. The fog was starting to let off a bit so she could barely observe a black mass in the distance, throbbing in an eerily disgusting fashion.

"...shouldn't we just run?" - She proposed. Reinforcements were coming so it oughta be fine to leave them alone for a while, right?

"Rejected." - Her partner answered, making an X symbol with her arms. - "This isn't some mad witch searching for fresh ingredients, its a MOTHERDAMN demonic STRAPWHORE wearing WHISKERS! We ABSOLUTELY mustn't let it get any more contaminated than it already is, understood!?"

Dailah fell in thought, barely managing to stay up on her feet, considering the possibilities. After much thought she arrived at the only possible conclusion.

They were screwed.

"Listen" - Dailah opened her mouth - "Its fine as long that giant rat doesn't get to the stone right?"

She desperately tried thinking of a plan, and what the girl was able to come up with could hardly be called one.

"Yes." - Scariot said, looking towards the swarm in the distance.

Fortunately the mice were leaving the two of them alone, for now. Not so fortunately however, they could safely assume the demonic creature was eating through the cubicle in-between the waves of fur over there. The material was capable of standing against the teeth of very determined rats. Against a monster like that on the other hand? Difficult to say for certain. Whatever the case, the two couldn't stay idle for too long.

"Is the container flame resistant?" - The girl asked.

"Oohh, i see where your intentions are. But HOW DO WE EVEN GET CLOSE WITHOUT BECOMING MICE FOOD!?"

"...can't you jump over them like you did before?"

"Right! Right! Of course! Its so simple! Only one little problem." - She said waving a finger - "I don't know what you think mid-rank witches are, but just that last jump cost me a LOT of energy you know?

"If i did it again, even more so all the way to there, i wouldn't be able to lift a finger anymore!" - Scariot finished her case.

Dailah heard it wasn't impossible for mid-rank witches to travel around flashly, jumping from roof-to-roof like in the stories and plays. But apparently even that distance and height were too much for them. The mass of rats was really big after all.

They could protect the stone with that strategy... but it would probably come at the cost of Scariot being left behind. Neither of them wanted that of course.

The girl had thought of one last amazing plan.

"Should we just advance while shooting them?"

They were using guns. It could be a bit difficult given visibility, but it wasn't impossible to hit them from where they stood.

"...really?"

"Well... looking from here, it shouldn't be impossible to burn them all away with the ammunition we have... maybe we can find an opening to attack the leader or set the surroundings of the container ablaze..."

Ideally they needed a higher ground, but the only option was on the other side of the swarm, at the elevated terrain from where the sewer entrance came from.

"...you know they will flank us right? They did just that before."

"We... stop them..?"

Scariot pinched the bridge of her nose. Then let out a sigh.

"Fine... we don't have much alternatives anyway." - She drew out two revolvers from her hips, reloading the empty chambers - "If it gets really really bad, we scram. We can at least write we did everything we could on the report then."

They both readied their weapons and took aim at the pack of fur in front of them.

XXX

In the end, Mariane wasn't able to fight her nature.

After spending some time with Logos and putting him to sleep, she went straight back to her laboratory. The researcher truly planned to take a rest, until a sudden bout of inspiration brought her right back in. Just a few more adjustmenst, another test and she would end the night.

Unfortunately it was already morning, this underground area certainly did a number on one's senses.

She stretched whilst sitting on the chair. Hopefully her nephew wouldn't realize this little act of reverse-truancy, the boy kept nagging her about it earlier after all.

*zuuuuum* *zuuuuum*

"Hm?"

A poignant buzz lightly pierced her ears, accompanied by a trembling in her left breast.

She pulled out a small stone from the barely visible pocket. It shone in a ominous red hue.

"...oh no."

Seems the worst had come to pass.

XXX

Daniela stood on the highest floor of the Association's Complex clock tower. Weren't for the thick fog she would be getting a nice view of the entire city. Between her index finger and thumb she held a certain small rock, intently staring at it with her arm outstretched.

At that moment, scarlet light began seeping out from it, prompting the woman to let out a sigh.

"No such thing as an easy path huh..."

The witch held down her hat, putting a foot on the safety rail that separated humans from the 300 feet fall.

And she jumped, disappearing into the morning mist.

XXX

"This isn't working Dailah!"

"Just keep it up a while longer!"

The arrangement was simple. They would slowly close the distance with Dailah aiming ahead, where the "Rat Lord" as they named it stood. Her gun had a longer and more precise range after all. Meawhile Scariot would use her guns to frustrate any attempts the rodents made at encircling them.

...the problem was no matter how much she shot at the incoming swarms, a few of the rats would always slip past the fireball shots.

The only fortuitous event in all of this is that visibility was getting better now. Unsure if because nature decide to smile upon them, or all the movement, fire and heat affected the fog in some waw. It didn't matter either way, a grace was a grace.

"Dammit!" - The witch shouted as a group of five to eight rats approached the two from the sides. One of them jumped into her arm and sunk its teeth.

*BUM*

Using her magic to create a pulse wave, she sent all the rats flying, including the one on her arm. It was a tactic that worked so far, but she couldn't do such tricks continuously nor forever, especially since she had to concentrate in order to not push her partner along with the rats when she used it.

Both her and Dailah had been bitten a few times by now, though they avoided anything serious thus far.

"I'm getting exausthed here! Can't you just hit him already!?"

"There's still to many rats! And that thing is using them as a shield too!"

Noticing the fire explosions all around, the "Rat Lord" used his army to cover himself along with the container, together. Right as they spoke right now, it could be breaking through the cubicle inside the giant fur-flesh-ball.

"Just keep shooting!!! That stinker has to run out of mice sooner or later!"

"Thats what i'm doing!" - Dailah said, pulling the trigger once again.

*POW*

The fireball shot hit the meat shield in the disance, setting mother-knows-how-many of the pests on fire. But more would just come to fill the gouge she managed to form. She hoped the fire would spread through the mass, but the constant waving and movement kept quenching the flames as the animals rolled over each other.

"Did the entire city's rat population came for this congregation!?" - Scariot screamed as she let out two more shots from both of her revolvers.

*BANG* *BANG*

Followed by another pulse wave as the survivors got closer.

*BUM*

Dailah looked at the gun her partner was about to reload.

"Can you give me one of those?"

"Huh? You aren't planning to dual wield with a rifle are you?"

"No, i'll try using its explosion spell to disperse that defense."

Scariot had infused her guns with such a thing, the girl remembered.

"...are you crazy!? The spell is strong enough to destroy the container!"

"Got any better plans?"

The woman frowned while closing her eyes, but only for a second as they didn't have the time. She gave an answer while ruffling her own hair.

"....munter strapwhore bug my arse! Blimey! Take the blasted gun!"

Dailah held the unloaded revolver as Scariot pulled another one from her hip. She carried six of them after all.

The girl measured the distance with her eyes. They were still quite far, but with some strenght enhancement it should be possible for it to get to her mark.

She held the gun side-ways by the barrel, activated her magic, activated the detonation spell on the weapon, and threw it such that it would keep spinning through the air until it reached its destination.

The gun landed slightly off-target, but it was good enough.

Then it exploded.

*BOOOOOOM*

A deafening sound covered the area. Isn't this spell too strong? What is Scariot thinking carrying such a thing around? But that isn't important right now.

The meat-shield desintegrated into hundreds of rat bodies - or pieces of it - soaring through the air, exposing a disoriented rat lord and a half-destroyd cubicle.

Dailah aimed at the beast.

*POW*

It hit. Square in the eye.

*SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE*

An horrifying scream resonated in their heads, but they didn't have the luxury to cover their ears.

"It worked!" - Scariot shouted, noticing the waves of rat faltering in their movements.

Along with Dailah, she aimed her two guns at the monster, now in flames.

*BANG*   *BANG**POW*

*BANG*       *POW* *BANG* *POW*

     *BANG*   *BANG*  *BANG*

*POW*  *BANG*

They relentlessly dischaged their weapons at the agonizing beast, who screamed and screamed gruesomely, pitifully. Not all of their bullets would land as it kept rolling on the floor in pain, but the even if the shot missed, the fire of the charged rounds would still further scorch the creature.

Its instincts eventually took over.

"The prick is running!"

The rat waves weren't an issue anymore. Seems with their leader disoriented and hurt, they weren't capable of much. As such the two went after the retreating monster.

But even in flames and with multiple bullet wounds, it was still too quick for them. The mere fact it was still alive was already bizarre enough, but such was an animal with this high degree of contamination.

It went back inside the sewers, the bars completely destroyed from when it had come out earlier. Dailah was about to reinforce her speed with magic and give chase, even if such an action was a little too much for the low-rank witch. Before she could however, Scariot held her by the shoulder.

"Wait, we can't catch up to it there. Lets wait for the cavelry to arrive."

She looked at her partner, relaxing the arms holding the rifle and stopping her magic, then back at the entrance.

"...."

"...."

Now that it was all over, at least for the moment, the two had the chance to contemplate the kind of events that had just transpired.

"...tell me, Dailah."

Scariot was the first to open her mouth.

"Are you cursed?"

"..."

The girl was unable to respond.

XXX

When Daniela arrived on the scene, she could only describe the situation as... grotesque.

Hundreds, no, maybe thousands of scorched rat bodies were scattered around, even forming small heaps here and there. All the while multiple owls feasted on their roasted meat.

Dailah and Scariot were putting out small fire points, using shovels to dig the ground and cover the fire with earth, or just hitting them with it until they got extinguished.

One of the shovels, the one the younger witch was using, had its handle broken in half for some reason, much to the girl's dismay and annoyance as she muttered "should've picked scissors" under her breath.

They were still a bit far from the forest so thankfully no conflagrations were started, also something they had taken into account during preparations. The mist must've made guard duty harder for them, but now it was a blessing in disguise as the humidity should have made it more difficult for the blazes to spread.

The young witch, the crow girl, noticed her approaching, running up to the woman.

"What in Terra name's happened here Ms. Dailah."

"W-well..."

As the young witch laid out the events from last hour the best she could, Daniela's face grew more and more somber. Her senses had felt an ominous presence here as she approached, even now she could detect its traces. It was so bad the possibility of a magical creature being involved crossed her mind at a point.

However... a contaminated rat? And a case so terrible the rat grew to a colossal size? The woman, of fairly advanced age by now, rummaged through her mind, trying to remember any similar case she might have heard or read about.

None came up. They were on uncharted waters now.

The second reinforcement to appear was none other than Mariane, though that was within her expectations. The woman fussed over Dailah for half an hour like some overprotective grandmother, telling her to get treated for the bites in her legs and arms.

Eventually the Emergency Response Unity for Magical Attacks - ERUMA was their pet name - appeared. Twelve witches in total. Unfortunately they were outside of Daniela's juristiction, so she wasn't able to have them on stand-by close to the area as the possibility of a threat was considered low. But they were warned and given the signal stone if an emergency were to occur, even if they would have to come all the way from their headquarters

While all of this transpired, she checked on the scene more closely.

Aside from all the dead mice, the container they set up had been destroyed, the mana stone inside spilling fragments all over the burned grass and mud. It was a rather problematic result, albeit understandable given the circumstances. They had to keep the hungry owls away from the bodies close to it, but seems the birds were already doing that on their own. Very smart on their part.

Suspiciously so.

Alas, her intuition told her it wasn't the time to ivestigate that. Still, she shall keep this in mind.

Right now, they had bigger problems to deal with.

XXX

The situation was escalating very quickly, this wasn't just some unusual infestation anymore. From what Dailah was told, such a thing never happened in the history of Stone City. That "Rat lord", now official name, was a completely abnormal existence.

Even severe contamination cases caused by accidents and carelessness from the past didn't create something with those proportions. Meaning, this was neither one of those.

This was likely done intentionally.

Simultaneous to the subjugation task-force being assembled, a full blown investigation was also being launched. Previously missing persons or strange reports that were thought to be unrelated, are now being scrutinized to see if they can match with this case. Among those, one involving a certain low-rank witch kidnapping's case, and a bear being demonified on purpose.

Where did that leave Dailah one may ask? She wasn't sure. It was clearly beyond her hands now.

"Daniela wants you and Scariot in the task force."

"...why?"

Right now, the girl was having her mice bites treated on a tent that had been set nearby. Just a few disinfectants on the wounds and pills. The whole sewer entrance went from ominous abandoned outskirts to a war camp.

While sitting here she had been throughly inquired by those friendly witches from ERUMA. What gentle and patient ladies they were, they certainly knew how to treat someone who had just went through a life-and-death situation.

And now Mariene comes in and drops this bomb. If Dailah were to be honest, she was pretty much done with this ordeal. See this through the end? Responsibility of being a witch? Whoever said this nonsense should have a stand-off against whatever that ugly thing was, its sure to bring them a new perspective in life.

Alas, she had come too far to back out now.

"As it stands, you two are the only ones who saw the beast with your own eyes. Having you among the search teams to be sent into the sewers would be of great help.

"Don't worry, it'll still take a few hours to get everything ready. You can rest in the meantime"

"......fine."

She couldn't help but wonder if somewhere inside her lived some crazed battle junkie. Or maybe she was just weak against inertia.

Mariane left the tent to help Daniela with the preparations, seems the witch had a few tricks that could help. Dailah was left alone with her thoughts.

...

Was she cursed after all?

First she was taken hostage by some crazy band that wanted to feed her to a bear. She was trying extremely hard not to think about it and leave the event behind her, but that clearly wouldn't be possible anymore.

Her gut turned and churned as what happened last month resurfaced on her mind. It was just a month ago wasn't it?

From the pieces and bits she managed to gather and remember, the intention was to contaminate a bear for some sort of... terror attack? Assuming the same person - perhaps group - is also behind this, maybe this was a similar, more successful attempt?

But if this is a terror attack, what is even the end goal here? Normally someone would come and claim responsibility, to bring attention and fear towards whatever their cause was. No such thing has happened, at least that Dailah knew of.

She would share her thoughts later with the others, though they're probably already onto this possibility.

Laying down on the recently built impromptu bed, the girl put her mind off any potential terrorist threats. That could wait until later. Right now, there was a plague that must be taken care of.

Dailah slowly closed her eyes, trying to get some rest before the next operation.

Only to open them back again.

"Ah." - She suddenly remembered. - "I have to feed Mr. Crowley."

The girl reluctantly got off the bed.

XXX

Inside a dark humid tunnel, a putrescent smell impregnated the stale air.

*SLOSH* *SLOSH* *SLOSH*

The walls were marred by decades-old dirt, mold and somehow a few small intrusive plants.

*SLOSH* *SLOSH* *SLOSH*

The place was almost like a dungeon, truly. *Its* personal dungeon.

*SLOSH* *SLOSH*

And now, the Lord dragged its devastated body through the muddy, stinky water. Burns all over his fur and in the skin below, his left eye hanging by a thread.

The Lord's mind, once full of clarity in a form only it could understand, had been scorched by the iron and fire of its oppressors. Its neck hurt as it tried to piece together fragments of the consciousness, separated by chunks of metal lodged in its brain. So many things it tried to remember, things it wasn't even sure what they were.

But it hasn't forgotten the hatred.

The hatred for the ones who mistreated it, the ones who ignored it, the ones who attempted to murder it for the smallests of transgressions, the ones who even now dared to opose him for seeking its righteous vengeance.

Mustering power, it called forth more minions as many were lost in the last battle. Oh so treacherous the humans were. The Lord did not understand what had happened, but it understood the trickery. Vague memories of its kind having their necks smashed, blood spilling as they tried to reach a piece of food within strange glistening contraptions, surfaced in its frontal lobe. At least as much as they could in that damaged brain.

A new army slowly formed, young and inexperienced. But as long as they obeyed the greater power there would be no issues.

The Lord stretched its neck, closing his snout into one of the new arrivals.

Then it opened its mouth.

It would need sustenance for the battle to come.

XXX

In the middle of a forest, amidst the fog, there was a small cabin. Surrounded by tall trees on all sides, the vegetation was so dense it blocked the light from the sun. It had no apparent paths to led one in and out, as if that house was all that existed there. However it was possible to observe small gardens around the place, growing peculiar types of plants.

Someone was clearly living there.

A group of owls gathered around, perching on the rooftop or scattering throughout the plot of land, some would also enter their nests inside tree trunks. One such own stood by the window of the cabin, cooing as if calling for someone inside.

A pale arm stretched out, to then pet the bird.

What followed was the melodic voice of a woman.

"Did they properly receive my gift?" - It spoke out.

The owl moved its wings, letting out another coo in the end.

"Of course we must thank them. They gave all of you a feast for ages didn't they? Its only natural to pay for one's meal."

It moved its wings again, this time more agressively.

"Oh, you have much to learn my young chick. What happened to the large one?"

The bird raised a claw, clacking it along with its beak.

"No, you should not try to eat that. No matter how plentiful its meat may look. It would afflict you with much worse than a mere stomachache."

The owl rapidly moved its head from side to side, before letting out a final coo.

"Don't worry, our friends there are perfectly capable of dealing with that mockery of nature by themselves.

"Now shoo, i must take care of the oven."

The bird flew away as she hunched over the window frame, watching her precious babies.

Her slender body was adorned by a simple white gray dress, old and creased. Her head covered by disheveled silver hair that barely reached her shoulders. 

That petite face and large golden eyes gave the woman a peculiar type of alluring beauty and youthfulness. All of her beautiful visage, accompanied by the small subtle - almost seductive - smile she wore on her face, was sure to make even witches full of life experience and the most stubborn of men turn to look her way.

Two horns sprouted out of her head. Fully adorned with owl feathers.

She snaped her fingers.

In an instant, all the remnants of fog cleared out. Giving a bit more life to her domain.

"Much better."