Before The Pyakko Domain

"Yo, Ratatoskr, the Calamities are on sight near the Pyakko Domain," Woez says, poking the dead yet alive moose.

With a deadpan that says 'I'm tired of this shit', the leader casually replies, "Ready the ballista to snipe the Megiddo Carmlan, there will be the other Calamities joining the parade so we need to isolate it with a flank separating the thousands wave of beast with the SS-rank beast, make sure there are no more than 5 people emitting their killing intent to the Carmlan, or else we're toast."

"The ballista is ready, the sun marble was used as a catalyst and we might be able to take it down in 20 shots unless a mistake is made," says the reindeer girl.

"Pick me up, I want to see our new member."

Woez picks up the leader by the armpits and showcases her to both of you. Her expression becomes more confident yet leans more to snarky, or it was because of the smirk and the sweats she got, together with the pale forehead after both of you appear in the field of her vision.

"Firstly and foremost, welcome to the Moose Squad! Again! We only have 5 minutes left so to make it quick, both of you have been dispatched officially as my detachment. Courtesy from Madam Dyaus, she named your team, Zenon Squad! Again, welcome to the Moose Battalion!"

""Please give us your guidance,"" says both of you, one is genuine with a bowing and the other is sarcastic.

"So! We have an estimated amount of 10,000 Calamities from the west, the rest 9,998 is not threatening personally for me, but there are two that you need to be wary about." Ratatoskr smiled suspiciously. "The first is an SS-rank Calamity with the name of Megiddo Carmlan, that beast is sentient and will be more powerful and aggressive the more it feels threatened by killing intent, hence why the west frontline is absent from personnel unlike the other frontline."

"What about the other one?" Lues ask.

"Laum, an S-rank Calamity, this will be your target. Its appearance is humanoid so you can find it rather easily. The task is to separate Megiddo Carmlan from the other waves and let it go alone into the Pyakko Domain to assassinate Laum as fast as possible before it spreads its consciousness to control the other Calamities. Defend the line, don't let any single monstrosity pass the edge of the Domain except the Carmlan, understand!?"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"Aaah, don't call me ma'am, I'm not that old, just refer to me as my codename, okay? So! Do you have any questions you wanted to ask?"

You begin to speak out your mind, "Pyakko Domain, is it the whole area of the shrines and tower you summoned?"

"Yup! Only a few people have the certification to use it, I'm one of them, and you clearly don't want to use it." The way Ratatoskr throws the artifact and goes limp instantly is an obvious sign of why you don't want to put your hand on that artifact. "The shrines will constantly cripple the designated Calamity, the towers are there for support as they can deal a large damage to those pesky scum-monstrosity! Their only weakness is that they are fragile, one sweep from A-rank Calamity is enough to destroy them."

'That information feels unrelated considering that you've summoned hundreds of them!'

Dealing with the headache still, you clear your throat before asking, "Anything else?"

"Nope, just don't emit any killing intent to Megiddo Carmlan and you'll be fine, Woez and Blast will be dealing with it."

It is still unbelievable for a mere A rank Tactician to have their hand upon one of the strongest artifacts at that degree and even planning their own way of battle against thousands of Calamity with just one squad whilst the other frontline are packed with hundreds of personnel.

"Is this just me," you speak to Lues through the telepathic channel. "Or the department forgot to put one more rank on Ratatoskr's squad, if a squad led by an A rank is like this, then can S rank personnel amass thousands of troops or something!?"

"I didn't meddle with the Vagant much when I was still alive."

"Aren't you alive right now?"

"You already stab through my heart that I've 'fallen' for you."

"Your escalating cheesiness disgust me."

Both of you throw a salute to your leader and rush to the edge of Pyakko Domain. Zenon Squad sounds Greek and cool at the same time, it saves you the effort to come up with a name for the detachment squad. Then again, aren't you supposed to be the one who should name your own squad? When you request to be in a detachment, does that mean the right to name the squad goes to the leader instead?

Ratatoskr also mentioned Dyaus in her speech, it seems like the higher up watches your every movement, which is both uncomfortable and assuring at the same time. You only need to watch what you say and what your partner's doing, social credit increases without needing to prove it all! That sounds wrong, you're hoping that they didn't check the hospital record.

'Thuljas might've already purged every document about me, then again I haven't made it sure what kind of person she is.'

Both of you land on top of one of the towers.

Your thoughts switch as your eyes are fixated to the rising tidal wave of sands 40 meters into the air. One of them is a humongous black entity with folded numerous legs like those of a root, hundreds of eyes on its building sized head, creepy jaw with beard. You can see some blood drip from the edge of its teeth.

That Calamity is marching at the utmost front, your instinct told you that this gigantic Calamity is the infamous Megiddo Carmlan.

'It was bigger than the titans and that giant centipede!'

"Is that the Carmlan!?" you say as you share your eeriness to your partner.

"It is, now it's time for us to be the jackal and hunt that Laum."

This might be the hardest event you've encountered so far. Despite the edging stings on your cranium, your excitement is rising contagiously like uranium.