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“Eeek!”

Watching the swarm of cats pouring in, Elena hurriedly untied the rope.

‘She can untie it by herself?’

I was about to climb onto the car to free her hands, but there was no need—I shouted instead.

“Elena! Don’t run too far—just circle around inside this plaza!”

“Brother, just die already!!!!”

Even as she said that, Elena was earnestly running circles around the plaza.

As expected, she listens well.

The countless cats following behind her began to form a long circle.

Lina muttered blankly.

They were cats numbering well over hundreds.

It’s no surprise they’re densely packed.

— Meowww!

— Meow!

All of them, with crazed eyes, chased after Elena.

The catnip scent calmly applied all over Elena.

The monster-attracting items tucked into both of her pockets.

Above all, Elena’s unique trait—a broad and shining forehead.

Elena, leading over a thousand cats as she ran, seemed quite an extraordinary person.

In a peculiar sense, that is.

Lina, who had been staring blankly at the scene, asked,

“How are we supposed to find Danya here?”

The most reliable method is, as expected, Silvia’s search magic.

As soon as I turned to look at her, she nodded immediately.

It’s really comforting to have a teammate who’s in sync at times like this.

An incantation flowed from Silvia’s lips.

“Please, illuminate the path for us.”

It’s been quite a while since I’ve heard her chant.

Given the wide-open space and the need to target multiple subjects, silent casting would have its limits.

Soon, with a bright flash, light spread out in all directions.

Brilliant beams of light filled the expansive plaza.

“Wow. Each one of these beams is a search spell…”

Considering that a typical search spell consists of a single beam of light, Silvia’s skill right now is undoubtedly overwhelming.

Silvia, adjusting the beams with her eyes closed, murmured.

“It seems she’s among them. I’ll focus a bit more.”

Swish!

Her beams of light moved as if scanning the cats.

At that moment.

“Ahhh!”

Elena, who was running around, was body-slammed by a cat and fell over.

— Meowww!

— Meow!

Simultaneously, the cats began to swarm over her fallen body.

A mountain of cats began to pile up.

“…”

Silvia’s brow twitched as she adjusted the beams.

If the targets overlap too much, the search magic becomes meaningless.

However.

— Meow!

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Elena was gradually getting buried.

Her figure grew faint.

Though I had prepared an oxygen mask for her, so she should be okay.

“… Phew.”

Silvia’s search magic was lifted.

It means further magic is meaningless.

Half-exhausted, Silvia asked.

“I’m sorry. What should we do…?”

“No, you did well. Take a rest.”

Since we’ve realized that Danya is here, we can’t say it’s fruitless.

But how to find Danya among them—that’s another problem.

While I was lost in thought for a moment.

Something pressed repeatedly against my cheek.

— Meow

“Blackie, hold on a moment. Let me think.”

— Meow

Poke, poke.

This time, a slightly stronger cat punch.

“Ow! Why all of a sudden…”

He’s not usually like this.

I looked back at Blackie.

Raising his head arrogantly, he poked downward with his paw.

“What’s there?”

Following his gesture, I lowered my head.

There was a cat rubbing its head against my leg.

An orange tabby cat—the only one not following Elena.

The little one looked up at me and purred softly.

Its tail, with pink fur tinged with yellow, swayed gently.

Even its light green eyes, like a forest just beginning to sprout.

“Danya?”

I had found her.

◆

“… Is that really Danya?”

Lina lightly bit her lip and looked up at me and the cat.

It was more concern than doubt.

“I thought Danya would be a bit more pink…”

That’s understandable.

After all, that’s the image of Danya.

It’s hard to be certain just because her tail is longer, fluffier, and closer to pink than other cats.

But I know.

I have proof that this little one is Danya.

Not just a few physical characteristics.

The way she rubs her face against me, her ears fluttering as if pleased.

Her tail wrapping around my waist.

And moreover.

“Even the raspy movement of her tongue—this is Danya.”

Glare.

For some reason, sharp gazes pierced me from around.

“Why don’t you just go ahead and put her tongue in?”

Even in her exhaustion, Silvia shot me a scornful look.

Avoiding her gaze and swallowing hard, I picked up Danya.

Danya, in her happily purring polymorphed cat version.

‘How do I turn her back?’

Swish, Swish.

Danya was batting at my swaying bangs with her paws as if they were foxtails.

At a glance, she was closer to being a cat in her current state.

The fact that she came to me instead of following the other cats chasing after Elena might be the only part where Danya remains herself.

‘If that’s the case, her condition is more serious than I thought.’

Polymorph magic has side effects.

The transformation of the body also affects the mind.

Normally, since the caster casts the spell on themselves, it’s typical to minimize side effects with proper preparation.

‘But Danya was forcibly transformed.’

That means it’s hard to even guess what Danya’s current state is.

She must be under significant mental influence, and in severe cases, she might remain in a cat-like state and not be able to return.

Perhaps the only consolation is that Danya isn’t being dragged along in the procession toward Elena.

“…”

I have to find a way to return Danya to normal as soon as possible.

I lifted Danya to examine her.

Fortunately, she didn’t seem injured.

But then.

“… Wait a minute.”

What is this mark?

On Danya’s back, black fur in the shape of a crow had grown, like a tattoo.

“Oh, I saw a cat with this kind of mark while searching.”

“Me too. Only a very few cats had similar patterns.”

Silvia and Lina, who approached me, chimed in.

Suspicious.

This definitely smells fishy.

The symbol of a crow.

Because I know what this means.

‘…The executives of the Bloodstone Cult.’

Those who have achieved the so-called ranks of ‘dignity’.

They have a crow symbol somewhere on their bodies.

If they are related to this incident.

‘This situation itself is the main scenario.’

The main scenario, 【Witch Hunt】

It means I’m right in the middle of it.

Along with the hostage, Danya.

… Think.

【Witch Hunt】 is an episode that unfolds starting with the academy terror incident.

There’s no way the higher-ups of the Bloodstone Cult randomly inscribed crow symbols on the cats’ backs.

Surely, these cats are related to some kind of terror plot.

Especially those with the crow symbol.

In the end, it means they plan to use them somewhere…

‘The disposal notice.’

The recent notice about disposing of the cats.

That was distinctly different from the usual Academy notices.

If we assume that the main villains of this scenario issued that notice?

Why would they bother engraving a crow symbol on the cats, only to dispose of them later..

“Ah.”

An unrestrained sigh escaped my lips.

“Are you okay, Ian?”

Lina asked beside me, and Silvia watched me with concern.

With my mind blank from the shock, I instinctively spoke.

“It’s a sacrifice.”

“Huh?”

“What?”

They looked puzzled. I murmured as if talking to myself.

“A sacrifice. They’re planning to offer these cats as sacrifices to summon something. No, maybe the goal isn’t summoning but absorption.”

“What on earth are you talking about—”

Ah, they won’t understand if I explain it like this.

I gathered my scattered thoughts.

“Suppose these cats with crow symbols were originally all cadets who were forcibly polymorphed.”

Lina widened her eyes as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Only Silvia frowned and spoke.

“… And if the sudden notice to dispose of the cats was intended by someone.”

“Right. They turned humans into cats and planned to gather them in one place to dispose of them.”

“But there’s still a question. Wouldn’t it be better to catch and polymorph them one by one, processing and gathering them individually? Why go through the trouble of capturing them all at once to do something?” 𐍂

“Exactly. Why indeed?”

At my words, both fell silent for a moment.

Then they spoke simultaneously.

“”Sacrifice.”

“That’s right.”

Answering, I moved my steps.

“A sacrifice requires the location, the targets, and the timing to all align.”

“Us gathering the cats like this might have disrupted their plan.”

“Exactly.”

In urgency, my feet moved on their own.

Looking for something like nets to capture all the cats, I gave orders.

“We have to confine all the cats. Catch every single one without exception.”

Over a thousand cats.

“How are we supposed to confine them…?”

Lina was flustered.

Even Silvia looked at a loss.

Think.

How can we confine them…

“Build a wall.”

“A wall? In a plaza this huge?”

It’s understandable to be surprised.

This place is a gigantic plaza, as big as four soccer fields combined.

But.

With my current mana.

With my skill, it might be possible.

I immediately knelt on one knee on the ground.

I visualized it.

An earthen wall high enough that the cats couldn’t easily jump over it.

— Rumble Rumble Rumble!

A vibration felt from deep underground.

I pulled it up as is.

If I confine the cats in one place as I wish, the scenario won’t progress.

If I can build the wall while Elena monopolizes the cats’ attention…!

At that moment.

— Cawww!

An ominous crow’s cry was heard.

In the blue sky, a crow was flying in circles.

— Cawww!

The ominous cry sounded once more.

At the same time.

— Whoosh!

All the cats jumped up at once.