The formation shattered. Screams replaced orders. Several Nagawira dropped their weapons and fled.
"HOLD THE LINE!" Shiki roared. "RAISE YOUR SHIELDS! DO NOT RETREAT!"
However, fear had paralyzed most of the force. Only a handful of Nagawira were calm enough to form a new line, but the death toll continued to rise.
The Mutant Rat's horn had now impaled two bodies at once, blood flowing profusely, making its face look even more ghastly. Its claws tore apart the unfortunate Nagawira who were too close, while its mouth, filled with jagged teeth, chewed incessantly. Its tail—flexible yet sharp as a spear—swept mercilessly, shredding bodies that were not sufficiently protected by shields.
Blood soaked the floor. The smell of iron and carrion mingled with the stench of the sewer. Panic spread like fire. The sounds of agonized roars and desperate screams filled the entire room.
Several Nagawira ran toward the door—
And stopped.
Through the gap of the door that hadn't been fully closed, hundreds of Giant Rats were already crowding, their snouts raised, teeth gnashing, their eyes alight with the scent of fresh blood. With wild brutality, the rats began to attack the incomplete barricade.
There was no way out. They were trapped inside this chamber, surrounded by death.
Shiki watched the scene with a hardened jaw.
"DAMMIT!" Shiki hissed. Fury burned in her chest.
The lines had collapsed. Discipline had vanished. They weren't dying because the monster was too strong. They were dying because they were cowards.
"HOLD YOUR POSITIONS, YOU FOOLS!" she screamed. "RAISE YOUR SHIELDS! DON'T RUN!"
Her voice echoed amidst the chaos, but the shout was drowned out by the screams of pain and the roars of panic. Shiki gritted her teeth.
It wasn't the Mutant Rat that was the most dangerous. What would kill them all was the swarm behind them. Once the barricade broke, this room would turn into a mass grave.
Shiki growled like a wild beast, searching for a solution to turn the tide. But her shouts and commands were in vain. In chaos like this, no one was listening. Shiki cursed her fate and her old power, which was now nothing more than a memory. If only she still possessed the strength from her previous life, this Mutant Rat would be nothing more than a minor nuisance. But now, with her weak body, she could only witness her troops being slaughtered one by one.
Fury burned deeper within her. She blamed her foolish subordinates for panicking so easily. She cursed the Heads of the Four Seasons, whom she deemed to have failed in training their troops properly. The ranks that were supposed to be disciplined were now no different from a flock of headless chickens.
"DAMN YOU ALL! DO YOU NOT HEAR MY COMMANDS, HUH?!" Shiki roared. "FORMATION! FORMATION! ARE YOUR BRAINS DEAD?! YOU ARE ALL TRASH! AFTER THIS, I—"
A shadow blurred past her. Shiki fell silent.
"Rose?!" she barked. "GET BACK! I COMMAND YOU—"
Too late. Rose was already running.
Her body was low, her shield covering her neck and chest, her footsteps zigzagging through the gaps between the panicked Nagawira. Her breath was short, her eyes sharp, her focus locked onto the monster in the center of the room. The Mutant Rat spun around, its instincts catching the danger behind it—
But Rose was faster. One step. One swing.
Slash!
The massive tail was severed from its base. Blood sprayed violently, drenching Rose, who stood not far from the point of the strike. The giant monster roared in agony, leaping away, now stripped of its balance. Its roar shook the room, echoing into every corner.
The chamber suddenly fell silent. All the Nagawira who had been panicking just moments ago now froze, staring at the figure of Rose standing in the center of the room. Fresh blood flowed from her body, coating her face and the leather armor she wore. In her hand, she gripped the monster's tail, which still throbbed weakly.
The sight mesmerized them all. Rose raised it high. She let out a thunderous roar that echoed throughout the chamber.
"STOP PANICKING!" she screamed. "RAISE YOUR SHIELDS! CLOSE THE RANKS! WE CAN KILL IT!" Every eye was fixed on the giant tail in her hand. "THE ENEMY IS NOT AN UNBEATABLE MONSTER! THE ENEMY CAN BE DEFEATED!"
Her voice hit the room harder than the monster's roar. Something shifted. The frozen fear in the Nagawira's eyes shattered. Some raised their shields. Some gripped their swords tighter.
"FORWARD!" Rose roared. "DO YOU WANT TO DIE RUNNING OR LIVE FIGHTING?!"
"OOOOH!!"
A responding roar exploded. The formation began to reshape.
Shiki watched the scene, speechless. Her fury hadn't been extinguished—but now it was mixed with something foreign. Admiration. And… irritation. Rose stood at the center of attention. The monster's blood on her body. Her voice leading. The gazes of the Nagawira were fixed on her, not on Shiki.
Shiki's chest tightened. She clenched her fists, trying to push the thought aside. "Later," she thought. "After I obtain the Essence, Rose will be nothing more than someone easily eliminated. For now, my focus is the Mutant Rat."
"ROSE!" she shouted. "GET BACK TO YOUR POSITION! EVERYONE—THREE-SIDED FORMATION! ATTACK IN TURNS!"
Several Nagawira hesitated for a moment. Then Rose's voice echoed.
"Follow Shiki's orders!"
"YES, BOSS!"
The ranks locked. Shields went up. Seeing this, Shiki's expression turned even more sour. However, she had to restrain her feelings.
When the Mutant Rat tried to lunge, the lines held firm. Shields were raised, protecting them from direct attacks, while other groups attacked from behind. Although their swords couldn't fully penetrate the thick flesh of the Mutant Rat, sharp gashes began to cover the monster's body in wounds and blood. When the Mutant Rat turned to attack, another group took over and struck from a different side. This three-sided attack pattern made the Mutant Rat look like little more than a toy surrounded by a calculated strategy.
Without its tail, its movements were crippled. Without space, it was trapped.
Shiki observed, her breathing stabilizing once more. Satisfied with the formation finally running according to plan. If they could maintain this rhythm, the Mutant Rat would soon run out of energy and become easy to kill. However, a major question still hung in her mind: Could they hold out long enough?
Her eyes occasionally glanced toward the barricade at the entrance.
She noted the barricade at the entrance maintained by 200 Nagawira under the command of Rose and Roady. They were holding out tenaciously against the onslaught of hundreds of Giant Rats trying to break through. Rose, standing at the front line, looked gallant. She swung her sword and shield with mesmerizing skill and courage, while simultaneously barking orders to her troops.
The Nagawira around her seemed more spirited, looking at Rose's back with admiration. The spirit radiating from her seemed contagious, transforming their fear into a burning resolve.
She was too prominent. Too bright.
Shiki's jaw hardened. "...Dangerous," she thought. "A person like that… easily becomes a center." And a center was something she did not like.
But for now—she turned back to the Mutant Rat.
"Finish him," she murmured coldly.