Starting with the first doll that appeared, a bunch of them poured out from the ends of both hallways.

    Dolls… Yes, the word doll is somewhat inappropriate. Those who rushed at us were somehow insufficient to be called human.

    The dolls I’ve seen so far have at least tried to resemble living things. They have a mouth for eating, eyes for looking ahead, and parts like ears and a head.

    Dismissed, I thought, as I tore apart another incoming machine.

    There was nothing on the split face, and there was no blood or bones inside either. I wondered if it was really necessary to make it human-shaped if that was the case.

    Each and every one of them was identical, roughly made, mass-produced machines. Those machines felt quite unpleasant to Kuzunoha.

    “Ugh- Ignoring all the basic principles and just imitating like this, this is the worst.”

    “Still, thanks to that, you don’t have any resistance to killing, right?”

    “I don’t know if killing is the right expression.”

    Fortunately, the fighting power of each individual entity was not that great. The problem was only the amount of water pouring out.

    “Since we’re already here, how about just piercing it straight up?”

    Honestly, if you go up the stairs, it takes a long time. After thinking about it carefully, there is no reason to climb this tall castle floor by floor. It is not our building, so it would be fine to just destroy it.

    Yeah, if you just break the ceiling and go up vertically…

    After thinking about it for a while, I came to the conclusion that Lina’s firepower was more than enough. She nodded and gathered her magical power in her hands, as if she thought the same thing.

    “Then, can you watch over me for a moment?”

    “I will make sure that no fragments fly out.”

    I know best how great her magic is, having personally encountered it. With her specialization in firepower, she would be more than capable of breaking through the magic on the building.

    I extended my wings and blocked all the metal pieces flying towards Lina. Then, large objects like spikes were shot out from time to time, but they were within a range where I could easily deflect them with my sword.

    Compared to the training where you would get your throat cut right away if you lost focus, it’s easy. If it’s just to this extent, you can easily defend it without the help of Meihen or Kuzunoha.

    The training was harder than the actual fight, and warm liquid flowed from my eyes, but it was worth it.

    She cut the doll’s body and knocked away the flying bullets. While repeating this process, a loud explosion and a blast of hot air came from Lina’s direction.

    Thud-thud-

    When I looked back, I saw blackened stone fragments falling from the ceiling. The edges of the pieces were slightly melted and reattached, and the protective magic seemed to have been crushed by the fire.

    Instead, steam was rising from Lina’s right hand. It seemed as if her own hand had been slightly burned by the excessive heat.

    “pierced.”

    But she calmly reported her exploits. Even though she had almost blown away the ceiling between the first and second floors, her firepower was still there, and she had pierced through one, two, three, four floors. Through the holes, one could see the black night sky.

    “Then, I will go up first.”

    Mayhen said she would just tidy things up, then stepped on the falling rocks and jumped into the sky.

    It’s a move that I can do, but it might be a little difficult for Lina and Kuzunoha. They’re not physical types.

    Should I carry both and fly? It seems like it would be a bit difficult to carry two people while throwing them.

    As Hyunho was lost in thought for a moment, the pattern of the incoming attacks began to change.

    Phew-!

    “Ugh, oh! What is this?”

    In addition to the metal bullets and spikes that shoot out at high speeds, there is also a net that is difficult to cut through with a sword.

    Although I wasn’t particularly curious, Kuzunoha answered my question sincerely.

    “Oh my. Now that I look at it, they were made for learning. Looking at this, it’s definitely not that they lack skill…”

    As she said, the new dolls that appeared from behind had something new equipped on their arms. It was a device that shot out metal nets.

    Equipping a low-spec doll with new equipment doesn’t pose a threat. It just blocks the direct route, which is flight.

    I was a little worried about Mayhen, but I thought it would be better to go up slowly while protecting Lina and Kuzunoha.

    I sent the two away first, and I went to organize the dolls. With that in mind, when I picked up the sword, a soft tail wrapped around my wrist.

    “Sir? I will keep watch over this place.”

    “Are you okay?”

    It’s not that Kuzunoha has no combat ability at all, but like most yokai, she’s not a specialist. Yokai have unique abilities, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be useful in battle.

    Besides, as far as I know, there’s nothing that could help Kuzunoha in this situation…

    “Eight!”

    Seeing is believing. Instead of explaining, Kuzunoha waved his hand.

    From the tip of the hand that was swung from left to right, several thin silver threads protruded and were stuck at the nape of the doll’s neck.

    [I, I, I-I do.]

    The dolls with the teacher stuck in their necks kept repeating the same sound like a broken radio, then pointed the guns in their hands at the entity next to them.

    Tata tata tang-!

    The doll that had the bullet stuck in it aimed its gun at the doll right next to it and started shooting metal bullets like crazy. As if it didn’t care what would happen next as long as it moved right now, at this moment.

    As she waved her hand again, the silver was retracted into her fluttering sleeve. And yet, the dolls continued to unleash explosive firepower on their fellows. Unable to handle the firepower themselves, the muzzles of their guns were warped by the heat, their trajectories twisting in all directions.

    Even though he was in the middle of a fight, Hyunho looked at Kuzunoha with wide eyes. He had never heard of her having such a talent.

    “I was able to do it a while ago.”

    “Ah, ahh…”

    That’s right. Kuzunoha had dementia.

    Hyunho looked at her with a pitiful expression, then hugged Lina and prepared to fly.

    “Sir? I don’t know what you’re misunderstanding, but I…”

    -Tadadang-!

    Kuzunoha waved her hand and tried to say something to me, but it was so noisy around that I couldn’t hear her.

    “I can’t hear you very well! See you later!”

    “Ah, ahh…”

    The two disappeared with fluttering wings, and Kuzunoha, left alone, looked at the two with a vain expression and fell into thought.

    The gaze of the West that he occasionally showed. What was clearly in those eyes was sympathy.

    Why on earth?

    I understand that you sometimes look angry because of the pranks you’ve pulled, but what’s with the compassionate look?

    Although I didn’t know why, it was true that it was annoying.

    [Remove.]

    “Oh my, really! You keep coming without even noticing.”

    She clicked her tongue as she looked at the new dolls that appeared.

    Is it through a doll, or is it watching the battle through a camera somewhere? The doll that appeared this time had thick armor on its neck and head to prevent the teacher from digging in.

    Kuzunoha frowned at the sight.

    I felt anger rising up in me that I had never expressed in front of my husband before.

    It wasn’t because the situation was difficult, but because the equipment the dolls were carrying this time was quite familiar. From guns to net bullets, and even the doll’s skeleton.

    “How many years ago was it… 15 years? 20 years?”

    It’s exactly like the equipment he made and sold in the past. Although its performance is far behind, its appearance and functions are exactly the same.

    So I was a little turned on. It was somehow insulting that the Four Heavenly Kings were buying my masterpiece and making such a low-quality product.

    If you’re going to make it, you have to be careful about making it. If you just stamp it out in the same shape, what will other customers think?

    “Let’s go and see some modeling?”

    Kuzunoha somehow thought she had found the reason why there were fewer customers, so she climbed onto the doll next to her and dug her nails into its head.

    Despite her thick gloves, her nails dug into the tofu with ease.

    “Okay, let’s go to your master.”

    [Guide – time, time, start…]

    Originally, there would be no reason for monsters to interfere in the war between humans and demons. If all humans were dead, they could just drain the demons of their energy. In the end, it was obvious that the ecosystem would form a new order.

    However, the reason Kuzunoha actively helped like this was all for the sake of her husband. If there was danger along the way, she would run away with him.

    Well, now I’m kind of tempted to go see what the hell that guy who ruined his own work looks like.

    Phagecic-!

    Kuzunoha moved from doll to doll, piercing the thick gloves with her claws and burying them into her head.

    The target is the automaton, the command center of the dolls.

    I was thinking of going to see the guy who only does Guanyin in person.

    ***

    While Kuzunoha was busy manipulating and moving the puppet, another fight was taking place above.

    “Ugh…”

    Chalbak-

    A lump of black mucus that I don’t know what is being stepped on.

    As I was flying towards the sky, a giant hammer struck me from the side. I responded by hitting it, and the hammer exploded and covered the ground.

    “Lina, are you okay?”

    Was it because she was trying to leave in a hurry that she got angry? Lina was unable to react to the sudden attack and was thrown behind me.

    When I looked back with a worried heart, I saw that she was getting up, pushing herself against the ground, not seriously injured.

    “Your ankle is a little sore. It’s okay though, so keep going up.”

    “Are you okay?”

    There’s no denying that Lina is strong, but it would be difficult for her to exert her power indoors rather than outdoors.

    “Mayhen, who went first, went up without any interference. It’s good to have a matchup against him. But the reason he attacked us is because he had to.”

    Lina said that the environment was unfavorable but the compatibility was favorable, and she swept the sparks from her fingertips to burn the black jellies remaining on the floor.

    Below is Kuzunoha, here is Rina, and Meihen is still nowhere to be seen. I feel a bit uneasy inside, but they aren’t all people I need to worry about.

    “Okay, I’ll go up first.”

    As Hyunho ran upstairs, the mucus stuck to the walls and floor began to move towards somewhere on its own.

    The way the liquid moved, as if it had legs, looked like a villain from an old spider-powered movie.

    It was the same when they came together and took on a human-like form. The only difference was that this one had the appearance of a girl?

    Lina, who had been quietly watching the scene, stretched out her hand and blasted a ray of heat toward the girl’s head.

    Cheeek…

    The girl paid no attention to the fact that more than half of her head had melted away, but she continued to draw in the liquid around her.

    Seeing that, Lina took her hand away and tried to have a civilized conversation. If what Hyunho said was true, then there was a good chance that they could become colleagues.

    That was just a reply to the girl who had greeted me with a hammer, Bartholin.

    “It smells really bad. Is it because it’s a slime that grew up eating sewage?”

    Bartholin, who had drawn all the surrounding liquid into his body, cleared his throat for a moment, then formed his vocal cords and began a lively conversation.

    “Oh my- I guess my brother never told me what I ate growing up. Auntie?”

    “Well? Aren’t there things that can’t be said? So it must have appeared after Hyunho went up?”

    “Ah~ Since it’s been a while since I’ve seen you, oppa, I’m going to decorate with some red. I’m at an age where it’s good to dress up.”

    “Oh my… Can I help you with the decorations? I know exactly what you like. Maybe I can help you with waxing?”

    “”……””

    A moment of silence.

    The two swung their arms toward each other’s necks.

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