The city was literally a battlefield.
During the time she remained hidden, Mother Goose, a monster capable of single-handedly destroying a small or medium-sized nation, created countless familiars.
Mother Goose didn't stop there. As if the familiars weren't enough, she also joined hands with other external forces, witches that the world couldn't accept. Not the innocent witches commonly subjected to witch hunts, but dangerous elements truly vicious enough to have international warrants issued against them.
The force completed in this way, Wilde Jagd, attacked Tirna.
This was the military strength Mother Goose had prepared over many years solely to bring down Tirna. Although that surprise attack was reduced to less than half due to Tirna's measures, and preparations meant it didn't achieve even half of half of the originally expected effect.
That alone was more than enough to plunge the city into chaos.
Emergency Joint Operations Department adjusted for wartime conditions. Reports of the battle situation were coming in real-time, and orders were being issued while formulating operations. Damage reports came in, operations were handed down, and information was shared.
Reason and emotion, which cannot mix like water and oil, swirled together, blurring even their boundaries.
"Support request here!"
"7th Artillery Brigade, retreat!"
Everyone present was an elite. However, having limited real combat experience, they were feeling considerable dismay at the situation itself.
The bizarre sorcery-like powers of witchcraft played a role in making things even more difficult for them. But that didn't mean they could just take it lying down.
Flames of resistance rose throughout the city, and in some places, there were occasional reports of good news that Mother Goose's familiars had been repelled.
They just needed to send citizens who hadn't been able to evacuate yet through the security gaps created this way, and deploy emergency forces to provide additional support where needed.
At that moment, a report rang throughout the entire operations department.
"Moving Candy Castle, shot down!"
At the mention of the moving candy castle, the attention of the command staff focused there.
What was the candy castle? It was an all-weather mobile fortress controlled by those infamous familiars, the Hansel and Gretel siblings.
A living aggregate of destruction that, just by appearing, caused massive damage to the surroundings. The candy castle didn't only have Hansel and Gretel. Just from what was observed, there were other familiars besides Mother Goose's familiars accompanying it.
How devastating was the damage caused to District 34 when the candy castle appeared? Considering that the damage from that time still hadn't been fully repaired, one could easily imagine the terror of the candy castle.
That candy castle was shot down? By whom exactly?
"Enforcer Alensia Hair is at the scene!"
"What? Don't tell me she shot it down alone?"
"Report! This is a report from Enforcer Alensia Hair! Code name Knight Osian, he shot down the candy castle!"
The news that followed left everyone in the field command staff in shock.
"Candy castle severely damaged! Hansel and Gretel siblings confirmed dead! Solomon Grundy dead! Nutcracker also confirmed dead!"
They had heard that the candy castle was shot down. In fact, that too was still hard to believe. Wasn't the candy castle something that wouldn't budge even if a decent artillery unit deliberately bombarded it?
It was hard to believe that the candy castle had not only been shot down but severely damaged, and it was also surprising that the vicious Hansel and Gretel siblings had died.
Overshadowed by the candy castle, the Hansel and Gretel siblings were also monsters with superhuman combat abilities. Monster siblings who could annihilate an average platoon with pure combat ability alone.
On top of that, Solomon Grundy, considered the most dangerous among the familiars in terms of solo force, and the Nutcracker, which was like an army, were also dead?
Given the circumstances, it was clear that Osian had done it.
The Tirna City Government tended to assign code names to certain persons of interest and closely monitor their movements. The code name assigned to Osian was Knight, meaning a knight.
And now he had stepped forward in earnest in this incident.
"Where is Knight now? Tell Enforcer Alensia Hair! She needs to go support another location right now!"
"Th-that is...!"
"What! Don't beat around the bush and speak clearly! Every minute and second is urgent right now!"
"H-he's already departed!"
"What?"
The operations department was dumbfounded. Already departed? Hadn't the report just come up that the candy castle was shot down? And where had he departed to anyway?
[This is Enforcer Alensia Hair.]
Alensia’s voice was transmitted to the command staff through the radio.
[As I reported earlier, the candy castle has been dealt with. Confirmed deaths of the Hansel and Gretel siblings. Same for Solomon Grundy and the Nutcracker.]
"Enforcer Alensia Hair. Right now, where did Knight go?"
Alensia caught her breath for a moment. The sound of intense wind could be heard around her. She was currently running at tremendous speed.
[Currently, Osian is riding a horse and running toward the direction of City Hall.]
"What? Horse? No, more than that, can you see him now?"
[Yes. I'm continuing to chase him. Huff. But, the distance won't close. Even...]
As soon as Alensia’s words trailed off ominously, a new report came up from another area.
"Reporting! Enemy in District 32, Peter the Pumpkin Eater, confirmed repelled!"
Peter, the Pumpkin Eater. A vicious familiar who creates countless special pumpkins around him using witchcraft, then traps people inside them to kill them.
He himself wore a pumpkin head, reminiscent of Halloween's Jack O'Lantern.
His pumpkins were impossible to destroy by ordinary methods, and those trapped inside would be decomposed alive by the pumpkin's acidic fluids and die in agony.
Moreover, he created countless large and small pumpkins on the streets to block movement and prevent support. The process of removing pumpkins from the outside to eliminate him was drawn out and tedious, making him quite an annoying foe.
And such a guy was suddenly repelled?
The person giving the report also seemed to doubt if this was correct. But like a professional handling his assigned work, he added a detailed explanation.
"According to the field commander's report, a pure white beam of light suddenly appeared. Like a meteor racing across the ground, it just easily penetrated the giant pumpkin blocking the way as if it were melted cheese..."
Considering that the strength of those pumpkins couldn't be penetrated even by a decent excavator, this didn't make sense. It wasn't just one giant pumpkin on the outskirts that was penetrated. The starlight racing across the ground went beyond piercing through everything blocking its way to directly beheading Peter the Pumpkin Eater, who had been holding position at the center.
[Haah. Haah. This is Alensia Hair. Currently, I've arrived at District 32.]
Alensia’s voice was quite strained.
As an enforcer of Tirna, she was currently chasing Osian at tremendous speed, even using hand signs. Even so, her stamina was being depleted rapidly.
What Alensia saw at the scene upon arriving at District 32 was a passage extending in a straight line. Along the trajectory presumed to be where Osian had passed, the road was melting and flowing down. Huge holes were drilled through the giant pumpkins blocking the way as if a tunnel had been opened.
Beyond that, a pure white beam of light could be seen disappearing into the distance.
And when about 1 minute had passed, Reports began ringing out in succession at the operations command center.
"District 31's Jack and Jill! Repulsion confirmed! Same as before! A pure white flash just pierced straight through..."
"What? No, wait a minute. Only 1 minute and 20 seconds have passed since going from District 32 to District 31!"
Although they were adjacent districts, the gap between those districts was quite huge. Even traveling by ordinary train, it would take at least 30 minutes to cover that distance.
"Report from District 29! Three Blind Mice repulsion confirmed! According to the report, a blazing white light swept through the scene! It's definitely code name Knight!"
"Ha, crazy. Am I dreaming right now?"
They knew that issuing orders must never stop under any circumstances, but hearing the successive reports, such thoughts didn't even occur.
This was clearly good news for Tirna, but the overwhelmingly spectacular scene unfolding made it feel unreal. It was as if some poor-quality witchcraft was showing them hallucinations.
But this was reality, and they had to do their assigned work.
"Everyone, don't stop reporting. Prioritize evacuating citizens, and where there's room, give orders to send support to other districts! This is our city's matter! Are you thinking of having the glory stolen?"
Although they had assigned him a code name, Osian was just a fixer. They acknowledged that he was strong. But they too had their pride.
Protecting the city was their role.
"Truly an unbelievable sight even after seeing the reports."
Alensia, chasing after Osian, muttered helplessly while looking at the scene he created.
Osian's figure was already out of sight. She was just running along the trajectory he had left. Despite desperately chasing, not even a trace of his back could be seen.
In that short time, Osian had eliminated all enemies he encountered while passing by. It made her, desperately chasing, feel like a fool. How much composure must he have to do such a thing?
But even so, she couldn't just stay still here. She was an enforcer of Tirna. She had willingly shouldered the role of guardian to protect the city.
At that moment, welcome news was delivered to Alensia Hair.
-Enforcer Alensia Hair. As of this moment, the opening of [Arc Parts] is authorized.
‘Finally.‘
Alensia immediately answered that she understood and stopped in place. She needed to concentrate for a moment.
Chiiiiik. Click. Clack. The sleek metal boots covering up to her thighs activated. White steam burst out from between the seams while a red light gently spread.
The energy of the Arc Parts spread throughout Alensia’s body. Her pure white hair rippled as if fluttering in the wind. Her senses, already sharpened through hand signs, became even sharper as if breaking through a wall. It felt as if even the microscopic particles in the air were being transmitted through her skin.
Alensia lowered her upper body and took a stance. Sssss. Fuuu. She breathed in and exhaled. White steam flowed out between her lips.
Alensia’s pupils became even more deeply red. The opening of Arc Parts grants tremendous power to the user, breaking through limits. At the same time, this power could only be handled by authorized people. Those who couldn't would die with their bodies exploding.
The qualification to become an enforcer was determined by whether or not one could handle the power of these Arc Parts. In that sense, Alensia Hair had more than enough qualifications as an enforcer.
Her figure disappeared. After a slight delay, the air exploded in succession, creating sonic booms.
Alensia Hair, having become one with the wind, raced along the path Osian had created in order to protect the city.
Deliphiros regained consciousness.
-Cough. Cough.
As soon as he got up, the dust that had risen thickly stabbed at his lungs. Deliphiros, coughing out, looked around.
The space that had been made of all kinds of complex circuits was in ruins. Debris from City Hall was falling in real-time through the ceiling, which was blown open to the ground.
"Have you awakened?"
Enforcer Sestain, who had come to help him, spoke from the side.
"Enforcer Sestain. What happened?"
"Well. That's what I'd like to ask. The old man down in the basement suddenly took out a mirror shard, and it ended up like this."
The two people's gazes turned toward the giant bean stalk standing tall. It was a tree so enormous that one wondered if this was what the World Tree that elves worshipped in the distant past looked like.
"What about the others?"
"Unfortunately, all the people who followed in are dead."
The troops called in to arrest the Sage King Solenon were annihilated. Only Sestain remained. Sestain's appearance wasn't very good either. His well-groomed hair was disheveled and his body was covered in dust. Cuts were engraved here and there on his clothes.
It was the result of fighting alone to protect the unconscious Deliphiros.
"You've finally opened your eyes."
Along with an old and shabby voice, Solenon appeared. He was being assisted by mechanical spider-like legs behind his back.
"It would have been better if you had just kept your eyes closed, then you wouldn't have seen such a terrible sight."
"Ha. A person who claims to be for humanity, is the thing you ultimately chose to join hands with Mother Goose and betray Tirna?"
Deliphiros sneered, but Solenon didn't even bother to respond. Sestain asked from the side.
"So, what exactly is that old man?"
"Wise King Solenon. The one called the wisest king in human history."
"Isn't that someone who only appears in old storybooks?"
"Surprisingly, he's a real person. And he's still alive until now. Even while becoming such an ugly form. And now, he's an enemy of humanity who has betrayed the city."
"Tsk. I see. An enemy of humanity."
That explanation was enough, and Sestain stepped forward.
"It seems we'll need a lot of time until reinforcements arrive."
"Can you hold out?"
"There are those eating away at the city, so even if we can't, we have to, don't we?"
The enemy wasn't just Solenon. There were more annoying presences around. They were probably Mother Goose's familiars who crossed over through the mirror Solenon possessed.
And the intense presence presumed to be the real Mother Goose was being felt above ground, climbing the bean stalk. As an enforcer, he couldn't just stay still.
"Let's do our best. I wonder what kind of hardship this is in my later years, but I have to work as much as I'm paid."