It was infuriating listening to the maddened spiels of a man who had long since been released from his sanity.


    "What the hell are ya'' on about…?! What''s yer'' game here, huh?! Why''re you attacking us–?!" Myung-Hee shouted out at the man.


    As he was holding himself in a sad embrace, he suddenly stopped, seizing his tears as his expression shifted back to almostplete apathy as he stared dead center at the brte-haired woman.


    "What''s the purpose of this? Need you ask? Is it not obvious? Is our work not clear? Is it fogged? Is it hazed? Is it that unclear? Is? It?" The man spoke quickly before stopping, adjusting himself as he tugged on the leash of the hound-man, pulling him back, "...Forgive me, I let go of my emotions for a moment there."


    "--"


    "..."The Last Bastion of God''s Will"...the truth is in the name, maidens. When Armageddon befell our world, Heaven''s gates opened–though…I questioned: why? If we, humanity, were all deemed unfit to continue on, why were we given this grace by God?...I found my answer: he is simply too just. Too kind. Too forgiving. I could not stand such a thought. Heaven, the true, one paradise in existence, upied by sinners? It must be reserved only for those who truly love God and appreciate his will. That''s our mission; we will purge those who wish to ascend to Heaven, and allow them only reprieve in the depths of Hell."


    Maddening.


    That''s all it was; they expected some semnce of a reason, but in truth, it was delusion, insanity, and without logic.


    "...Yer'' just a psycho–in and simple," Myung-Hee muttered, gripping her weapon, "I knew there were people like ya'', but…it still disgusts me–Hyun and Ara were good people…ya'' had no right!"


    "I had every right!" Cah-In contested her words, spreading his arms as he yanked the chain leash he held in his hand before letting it go, "--With that right, I will continue my mission: Yu-Jin, bring me their heads!"


    Without hesitation, the red-haired man on all fours began to rapidly rush towards the two, lunging towards the silver-haired girl in the back before being stopped by the ymore-wielding warrior.


    "--No ya'' don''t, you freak!"


    Though she swung her lengthy de towards the abhorrent man, he evaded it with a nimble leap utilizing his limbs, twisting his body as he held a sharp-toothed smile.


    "...Dark Edge…"


    Yu-Jin''s low, gravelly voice sounded out before his lengthened fingers and sharpened nails became enveloped in a dark energy, carving into the stone beneath his step before he rushed towards the woman again.


    –He used a weapon-enhancing spell without a weapon? Myung-Hee thought.


    Before they shed, Kamou gathered herself through her chattering teeth and trembling fingers, pointing her staff towards herpanion:


    "Cast: Haste–"


    "I don''t think so."


    –The interruption came from Cah-In, who remained at the back of his side still as if spectating the battle, raising a single palm as the young woman attempted to cast magic.


    "Cancel: Magic."


    "Huh…?!"


    Nothing came from her invocation besides a few dud particles of mana, resulting in no spell being cast, leaving herpanion unsupported.


    It…didn''t work? He canceled my magic…? Isn''t this like–that person from before? She thought.


    "Kamou! What''s wrong!"


    Myung-Hee yelled out without looking back, being forced to sh with the red-haired dog-man who rapidly swiped at her, forcing her to hide behind her ymore like a shield.


    Her anxiety spiked tenfold as she looked forward to see her brte-hairedpanion being forced back by the aggressive, repeated shes from Yu-Jin, who slobbered and howled as he continued his barrage of attacks.


    "Ngh…!" Myung-Hee gritted her teeth.


    shes began to pierce through her guard, cutting at her skin andcerating it with ease as the blindfolded man used his lengthened, enhanced ws.


    "...Cast: Haste!"


    This time as she used it, she specifically watched the pale-haired man who stood still, watching as he simply held a vague smile, this time not attempting to interrupt her.<novelnext></novelnext>


    –But again, nothing came out but a slight fizzle of mana.


    "What…?"


    "Kamou, a little help would be great–!" Myung-Hee called out.


    "...I''m trying, but nothing is working…!" Kamou yelled back as tears crept on her eyes whilst the sense of powerlessness flooded through her body.


    What''s wrong with me…? Why can''t I use any magic? I thought "Cancel: Magic" only stopped one instance of magic. Could it be…itpletely negates my magic for a certain amount of time…? Is something like that even possible? This is a different system we''re talking about…it''s not out of the question…She thought frantically.


    As she theorized this in her mind with a trembling bottom lip, it felt all but confirmed by the pleased smile she saw stretched across Cah-In''s lips.


    Myung-Hee finally managed to repel the quadrupedal man, forcing him back by swinging him away with her ymore and stomping her boot against the ground.


    She momentarily nced back at her silver-hairedpanion, already drenched in sweat and bleeding from a dozencerations.


    "What''s going on, Kamou?!"


    "...I don''t know…I think he canceled my ability to use magic…?" Kamou answered with a quivering voice.


    Myung-Hee''s eyes widened at this information, but was forced to turn her attention back to the battle as she witnessed the jarring, harrowing shift in Kamou''s expression.


    As the woman back to turn back, she started an invocation, "Cast: Grand Re–"


    "Cast: Greater Haste."


    –The invocation came from the lips of the long-haired, pale-skinned cultist, invoking his magecraft as Myung-Hee''s was stifled in her throat.


    The agility-enhancing magic shrouded Yu-Jin, amplifying the dog-like man''s speed greatly as he bounced from wall-to-wall, throwing off Myung-Hee''s senses.


    "Myung-Hee…!" Kamou yelled out.


    –It was toote to have any effect.


    SQUELCH.


    mped onto her jugr, the jaws of the red-haired, animalistic man squeezed.


    "Gyuh…!" Myung-Hee cried out.


    It was a horrific, blood-chilling sight; the deformed, inhuman man''s teeth sunk deep into the woman''s throat. Before she could make any effort to retaliate, he reared his red hair-covered head back, using his powerful jaws to rip out a chunk of her throat in one go.


    "M-myun…"


    Kamou couldn''t even properly release the name from her lips as she fell to her knees, simply looking out with tear-streaming eyes as a fountain of blood spurted from the torn neck of her friend.


    "Good job, Yu-Jin!" Cah-In praised the dog-man.


    The man howled out, drenched in the abundantly-spilling arterial fluid of his foe as he spat out the chunk of flesh from his mouth.


    Myung-Hee was left gasping and choking, immediately falling to one knee as she used one hand to cover her bleeding neck.


    Out of the corner of her eyes, Kamou could see the health points of herpanion drop down in one fell swoop, and continuing to rapidly plummet as blood fell to the ground.


    "Myun…"


    Kamou managed to bring herself over to herpanion, crawling over to her side with eyes trembling and wide, as if unable to perceive the reality she so fervently wished to reject.