The mission parchment looked ordinary.
That was what unsettled Haruto the most.
No dramatic seals.
No warning marks.
Just a thin sheet stamped by the Church of Elements.
Subjugation Request
Target: I-Rank Monster Pack
Location: Eastern Low Forest
Estimated Threat: Moderate
Objective: Eliminate hostile monsters threatening agricultural routes
"Moderate," Kenta muttered. "They really like that word."
The priest who delivered the mission didn't look worried. That alone told them something.
This was not meant to test their strength.
It was meant to test their obedience.
Preparation and Roles
They didn't rush in.
Four months of survival had taught them better.
Haruto gathered them at the forest edge, crouching near a fallen log.
"Same formation as training," he said quietly. "No heroics."
Everyone nodded.
They had learned—sometimes painfully—that raw magic meant nothing without coordination.
Assigned Roles
Frontline
Naoki Ueda — Shield and mace, defensive anchor
Kenta Aoyama — Spear, reach control
Midline
Haruto Miyazaki — Sword, flexible responder
Takumi Sera — Gauntlets, close-quarters disruptor
Souta Nishimura — Wind-assisted mobility
Backline
Yui Hoshino — Precision attacks
Emi Kuroda — Battlefield observation & callouts
Mio Kanzaki — Terrain manipulation
Support & Control
Riku Tanabe — Lightning pressure
Akira Fujimoto — Earth reinforcement
Shun Kobayashi — Fire suppression zones
Hana Morimoto — Wind-based interference
They weren't veterans.
But they weren't amateurs anymore.
Enemy Assessment
The pack moved silently.
Lean bodies. Low stance. Coordinated.
"They're not charging," Emi whispered. "They're circling."
Haruto narrowed his eyes. "Pack hunters. They'll test us first."
Right on cue, one creature darted forward—then retreated.
A feint.
"They're probing range," Kenta said.
Naoki planted his shield. "Then we don't chase."
"Yui," Haruto whispered. "Left flank. Non-lethal shot if possible."
Yui exhaled slowly and released.
The arrow struck the ground inches before the lead monster.
It stopped.
The pack hesitated.
That was enough.
"Formation!" Haruto shouted.
The monsters attacked together.
Not wildly—precisely.
Two aimed for Naoki's shield.
One slipped low, targeting legs.
Another went wide, trying to flank Yui.
"Right side—now!" Emi called.
Souta moved instantly, wind magic pushing him sideways as he intercepted the flanker.
Takumi followed, gauntlets flashing as he struck—not to kill, but to stagger.
"Pressure, not pursuit!" Haruto ordered.
Riku discharged a controlled lightning arc—not lethal, just enough to disrupt movement.
The pack faltered.
That was the opening.
The monsters attacked together.
Not wildly—precisely.
Two aimed for Naoki's shield.
One slipped low, targeting legs.
Another went wide, trying to flank Yui.
"Right side—now!" Emi called.
Souta moved instantly, wind magic pushing him sideways as he intercepted the flanker.
Takumi followed, gauntlets flashing as he struck—not to kill, but to stagger.
"Pressure, not pursuit!" Haruto ordered.
Riku discharged a controlled lightning arc—not lethal, just enough to disrupt movement.
The pack faltered.
That was the opening.
"They're adjusting," Mio warned. "Spacing changed."
"They're learning," Hana whispered.
That scared them more than brute force.
Shun raised his staff and ignited a narrow line of fire—not a wall, just a deterrent.
The monsters redirected.
Straight into Akira's reinforced earth barrier.
Naoki stepped forward.
Shield strike.
The monster fell.
No cheers.
No celebration.
They kept moving.
The End of the Pack
The last creature stood its ground.
Wounded. Alone.
It didn't flee.
It watched them.
Haruto approached slowly.
This wasn't a beast anymore.
This was a defender.
One clean strike ended it.
Silence followed.
The Den
They found it while confirming the area.
Hidden beneath thick roots and moss-covered stone.
Inside—
Small shapes.
Curled. Blind. Breathing softly.
No threat.
No aggression.
Just life.
Hana dropped to her knees. "They're… young."
"They won't survive alone," Akira said quietly.
"And if they grow," Riku added, "they'll become exactly what we fought."
Haruto stared at them.
He remembered his own home.
The thought made his chest tighten.
"We don't kill them," he said firmly.
No one disagreed.
They carried the younglings carefully.
No restraints.
No chains.
Just silence.
The nearest village lay less than an hour away—small, agricultural, bordered by cleared land.
"We'll hand them over," Kenta said. "Let the adults decide."
It felt reasonable.
It felt right.
The Village Response
The villagers listened.
Then nodded.
Then smiled.
"You did well," the village elder said. "Leave them here."
Relief washed over the heroes.
They left before nightfall.
Nightfall
They returned later—restless, uneasy.
Something felt wrong.
No guards stood near the pen.
No sounds came from within.
Haruto reached the gate first.
It was empty.
Blood stained the ground—not fresh, not dramatic, just… final.
Tools lay nearby. Farming tools.
The elder's voice echoed behind them.
"This is necessary."
"You—" Yui's voice shook. "You said you'd take care of them."
"We did," the elder replied calmly.
"For future farming, these creatures are dangerous. Their kind destroys crops when grown."
"They were infants," Hana said. "They weren't even sapient."
The elder met her gaze.
"And that is why we kill them early."
No anger.
No hatred.
Only practicality.
"We've lost families to monsters like these," another villager said.
"We can't afford mercy."
The Silence of Heroes
No one attacked.
No one shouted.
Because nothing they said would change what had already been done.
Emi turned away.
Shun's hands trembled.
Naoki stood rigid, shield still strapped to his arm like he needed it to stay upright.
Haruto felt something crack inside him.
Not rage.
Something colder.
What the World Taught Them
On the way back, no one spoke.
This wasn't demon cruelty.
This wasn't divine manipulation.
This was ordinary people making rational choices.
And that terrified them more than any monster.
That night, Haruto wrote in his journal:
If survival demands this,
then what exactly are we protecting?
Far away, unseen by mortals, something watched.
Not with anger.
But with interest.