"We were supposed to bring back some hounds, right? Why are we here? These monsters are too tough for us!" Catherine complained as we arrived at yet another usurpation zone. Unlike the phantasmal one, this zone seemed newer and thus smaller in scale. Several horned hellspawn roamed the area, which was located in a small village. Wooden houses and cars were engulfed by slimy black ichor reminiscent of Anathema's fluid.

The abandoned farm reminded me of what I'd read in my textbooks. I'd never seen it in person, but it was said that, long ago, people planted trees and cultivated vegetables to eat. It was similar to our vertical hydroponic farms, but far more traditional. Plants were grown in soil, not in test tubes connected to nitrogen fluid.

"I'm not sure why we're here. Those beasts are definitely out of our league. Elder July specifically asked for a horned beast. Lily, do you think you can handle them?" Jim asked, his voice tinged with concern.

"Yes, I think I can capture one or two," I replied. Though my voice wavered slightly, I was brimming with confidence. With my harpoon gun, I could tie and bind them. It shouldn't be an issue. I could face four or even ten of these creatures alone with my signature.

"Very well. We'll leave it in your capable hands. The usurpation zone is right there."

"Eh? We're not going?" Catherine looked surprised.

"We would only be a hindrance against such monsters." Given that they were used to fighting Fomorian hounds, which are usually under level ten, they surely couldn't handle horned hellspawn.

This usurpation zone seemed smaller compared to the phantasmic one. A horned hellspawn was present, but among them was a unique Anathema. Like the horned hellspawn, it sported two horns. However, it also had the body of a horse. The horse's front torso had a massive mouth filled with serrated teeth that exuded a sense of dread.

Its lower jaw yawned wide, revealing even more serrated teeth inside, similar to a shark's maw inside nightmares. The large mouth made me wonder if I could fit inside. A sense of foreboding washed over me. This will be the Anathema I bring to the Elder. If I use my signature, I think I could also capture two or three of its henchmen, the regular horned ones.

"Felicia, do you think our jeep could carry that?"

"No, but you could buy a trailer for 50 points. It's compatible with the jeep you have and will handle rough terrain without any problems."

"Okay, I'll buy it later. Do you think I can take that Centaur down?"

"It'll be a little risky, but considering there are only five horned hellspawn, you could certainly take down the Centaur if you use your signature. But capturing it is another matter. Most researchers only aim for Anathema below level 20."

"Let's buy another harpoon gun."

"Roger, nyaa!"

[-100 Points]

[Purchased: Hermes Harpoon-gun]

[Remaining Points: 7855 (7955 - 100)]

"Let's start with ten clones today." I summoned ten clones, nearly depleting all of my mana, and then activated Legion.

"Legion! Activate!"

"We are Legion! Because we are many!" My clones chanted, and more clones appeared beside them. Including me, there were now twenty-one Magical Girls. After they took out their weapons, we charged toward the Anathema group.

I had three harpoon guns and one regular harpoon. Since I needed more power, I assigned two of my clones to each firearm. The rest took my remaining weapons: two naginata (normal and Darkeater), two javelins, two war scythes (flamethrower and Darkeater), a sniper, and a shotgun. To compensate for my remaining four unarmed clones, I bought two more sniper rifles, a shotgun, and a flamethrower naginata. I wasn't holding anything back.

[Purchased: Hecate Sniper Rifle x2]

[-200 Points]

[Purchased: Hecate Shotgun Rifle]

[-100 Points]

[Purchased: Flamethrower Naginata]

[-300 Points]

[Remaining Points: 7255 (7855 - 600)]

"Formation!" I shouted. Two snipers immediately fired, and two horned hellspawns died on the spot. Sensing the attack, the remaining Anathema charged at us. It might have seemed like overkill to have 21 Magical Girls face off against five regular Anathema and one boss, but this was an usurpation zone. Reinforcements were bound to come.

"Remember! We're capturing the big one and one of the smaller ones!"

A roar echoed through the area as five more minotaurs and dozens of low-level goblins came barreling out from nearby homes. I quickly dispatched two of my warscythe-wielding clones and two snipers to handle them. The naginata were perfect for taking out the small fry, while I relied on the snipers to swiftly eliminate the larger threats.

One of the minotaurs charged at my clone with its bull-like head, but my clone deftly dodged to the right. A swift strike from the naginata decapitated the beast. Meanwhile, I reached the Centaur, who was poised like a knight, wielding a lance. Its powerful horse legs stomped the ground as it galloped toward me. I parried the strike with my naginata, but the sheer force of the charge sent me rolling back, reducing my shield by ten percent.

Like an experienced cavalryman, the Centaur quickly pulled back for another charge. Its four-meter lance had a longer reach than my naginata. If my goal had been to kill it, I could have easily distracted it with a sniper shot, disrupted its balance with a harpoon gun, and then finished it off with my naginata, with my clones assisting in the takedown. But today, our objective was to capture it.

"Harpoons! Target the big one first!"

"Roger! Naginata squad, hold off the two hellspawn! Snipers, eliminate the rest!"

We worked together seamlessly. Despite our occasional arguments during downtime, when it counted, we operated like a well-oiled machine. We all shared the same goal, and I knew I could trust my clones to do their part. My job was to hold off the Centaur. It would be tough, maybe even impossible, but I wasn't alone. My clones were with me, and together, we could do this.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

As I braced for another charge from the Centaur, a harpoon gun fired, entangling its legs and causing it to fall spectacularly. I, along with the other javelin-wielding clone, rushed toward it. But before we could close in, the Centaur materialized two axes in its hands, and its skin darkened, resembling armor made for knights in a medieval movie.

The Centaur thrashed wildly, swinging its axes like a maniac, forcing us to back off.

"One is bagged and ready for transfer! Let's help the main Yuri! The extra might be done in two minutes. We level up twice!" announced a sniper clone, giving a quick battlefield report. Although I could access their view, just as they could access mine, it required concentration, and summoning those windows could block my vision, so I usually avoided it. It was thoughtful of her to announce the update. Even though I'm the main Yuri, I don't always have to lead the Yuris here.

"Yuri! I'm buying two more har—wait, you can buy ammunition for the harpoon gun? You should've told me sooner. Let's buy it!" another clone spoke. But her speech was interrupted, likely by Felicia, who informed her about the harpoon.

[Purchased: Hermes Harpoon Gun ammunition x2!]

[-50 Points]

I blinked the window away without even reading it. The Centaur was coming at me with its axe. I parried one of its swings with my naginata, creating a shockwave that sent an outburst of air. Even using both hands, I was still pushed back while it wielded an axe in just its left hand. As another axe came barreling down at me, a clone intervened, parrying it back.

"Got it! Now off with your arm!" Another clone swung her naginata with full force, severing one of the Centaur's arms.

"Harpoon! Now!" The harpoon squad fired their guns. The spears embedded themselves in the Centaur's flesh, and they started to circle the monster. The wires on the harpoons began to entangle the Centaur. After another swing from the Naginata team, the other arm was lopped off.

"We've got this in the bag! With 10 minutes to spare! We are awesome!" one clone shouted happily.

"Don't get lax yet. We need to tie the legs, too. The arms and weapons could regenerate. What should we do?" another clone asked Felicia.

[You have defeated a horde of Anathema! This is the summary of points received. Consult Familiars for more info]

[Reward: 560 Points]

[You have leveled up to level 30]

"Let's buy the trailer."

[Purchased: Trailer add-on for Desert Strider Jeep]

[-50 Points]

[Remaining Points: 7765 (7255 - 50 + 560)]

"Hm… we probably can't use these harpoon lines anymore. They're too tangled," Felicia commented, observing the messy capture of the Anathema. "Next time, I would suggest buying the [Trap Vault Rare]and getting an Anathema Net Medium or Anathema Cage Medium."

"I see. A rare vault, huh?" I sighed, knowing that would cost at least a thousand points.

"A common vault would work, but it can only capture Anathema up to level 20. The rare vault can handle up to level 50." She muttered. After loading the Anathema, I deactivated my signature, seeing a three-hour cooldown before I could use it again. I then summoned another clone to drive the jeep. The vehicle plowed through the streets at a much slower speed than usual.

"Wow… Amazing! You actually caught it!" Catherine looked at our haul with amazement.

"Will this do?" I asked them.

"Yes! Even just one of these horned beasts would have been enough. But not only did you catch one, you even captured their boss! The Elder will be overjoyed. We'll finally have a chance to go against higher-level Anathema!"

"Catherine…" Jim chided her. She got too excited.

*Creak.*

The Anathema struggled, trying to break free from the harpoon line. The fishing line the harpoon was equipped with came from Zenith. Felicia had mentioned that the Centaur could break a single line, but with how thoroughly we tied and entangled the thread around its body, it shouldn't be able to move now. I stood up and further tightened the loose thread around the Centaur.

However, Felicia also warned that I needed to keep an eye on the Centaur and the horned hellspawn. These harpoon lines weren't meant to be used this way, and since I tied them improperly, there was a chance they could break free.

"Will you help me watch the anathema, or will you help another me to watch the road?" I asked Catherine and Jim.

"I'll watch the road."

"I'll watch the anathema!" Catherine volunteered.

We arrived back at nightfall. The small village gathered in awe, gazing at the imposing figure of the bound Anathema.

"You certainly outdid yourself, Black Lily," the Elder smiled.

"I did my best. Was it unnecessary?"

"No, this is exactly what I wanted. Now, all my regrets will finally be resolved…" Elder July stroked the massive Anathema before her.

"Elder… if we use this anathema, your life…"

"Look at me, young boy. Do you think I have much time left?" Elder July said with a touch of self-mockery. Her regret and despair were evident in her frail body, yet there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Sorry, Elder."

"We will perform the ritual tonight. Let us prepare. Little girl, will you help this old and frail woman fulfill her last wish?"

"Last wish?" I asked. That was a bit different than what we agreed on.

"Yes…" Elder July smiled gently.

"Ah… by the way, Lily, let me introduce you to Jane. She will be my successor. I have taught her everything I know. I hope she will help you and humanity in the fight against Anathema."

"Elder July, I heard the ritual is dangerous. Jim mentioned it. I mean, you don't have to do this." I replied.

"Lily, you are a human, right? There are things more important than life or money in this world. You are still young. I hope you will understand one day." Elder July continued her soliloquy.

"Despite my aching body, somehow it refuses to give in. I'm sure even your talking cat is surprised I'm still alive today. I… I want to make amends. I want to repent for my son's mistakes."

"Your son's mistakes and sins are his own, Elder July. You don't need to feel guilty about them," Felicia replied. Her answer was correct but cold and neutral.

"Yes, but I am his mother. This is what family is. I want to ask for forgiveness on behalf of my son, who caused such a disaster. Will you grant my wish?"

"That will depend on the UNH council. Besides, your son is already dead, isn't he? What good will it do to ask for forgiveness now?" Felicia tilted her head.

"Do you believe in heaven? I've heard that if one's sins are forgiven, they are released from their punishment in hell. This place… where nothing lives and every being suffers, is tantamount to hell. I want my son's soul to be relieved. Do you know how cruel it is to banish someone to this place?

"You spend all your waking hours searching for food, ransacking the remnants of our old world. At night, nightmares haunt you. The sounds of those beasts engulf your mind. Whispers of the dead curse your very being as you sleep. The world turns dark. The light of the sun cruelly gives us hope, only for us to wake up the next day to suffer again."

"That will be the fate of all if we lose to Anathema, Elder July," Felicia nodded.

"Yes, you are right. Before my son lost to his demons, after he was banished to these dark lands, he always muttered, 'If only we knew how to craft mana,' 'If only we could enchant these tools with mana, our goods would match that of Zenith.' But his words turned to despair, for we can't even feel what mana is. We couldn't perceive it."

"Why not just buy tools from Zenith?" I asked Felicia. This has also been troubling Shirayuki as a whole. We've dedicated a lot of our resources to researching mana, but I haven't heard of any success.

"The nature of mana is very profound. We know it's there, but interacting with it is another matter. Humanity has tried to buy tools to make enchantments, but these tools, most, if not all, are race-specific. Different races interact with mana in different ways. The best humanity has been able to do is to craft a single common vault weapon after gathering ten A-rank Guardians and absorbing their mana using magical tools."

"I see. That is unsustainable."

"So, even after twenty years, we still can't wield mana properly… It's such a wretched feeling, but I'm glad. I'm glad I was able to show you something. Hope for humanity," Elder July smiled. Her self-mocking smile made her already disfigured face more eerie, but sadness and sorrow permeated her every word. It was warm. "Fate is a cruel mistress. My son, the genius scientist with research teams and billions of dollars in funding, failed. And yet, I, who was merely a housewife with cave tools, succeeded."

Elder July then looked at the Centaur, the boss anathema I had captured. Even through her wrinkled body, I could feel her unwavering conviction. "With this, I will make amends for my son. I will remake the barrier he broke... He can now be forgiven..."

"Elder, the site for the ritual has been prepared."

"Let's go."