I eliminated some of the monsters to clear the path for the Recovery Squad's convoy and escorted them back to the shelter.
Yet I could only escort them to the outer gates.
The interior of the shelter was a pristine zone devoid of darkness, whereas a Witch was a walking source of darkness, so we were only permitted to rest in the annex outside the shelter.
Though the supplies we needed were provided as much as possible, this partition remained uncomfortable.
Even while helping humanity, I was still a Witch.
To the refugees inside the shelter, I could no longer be considered one of their own.
That day, after the Great Will descended, the vast majority of Magical Girls were contaminated. Those Witches who consumed the personalities of the Magical Girls rarely showed any willingness to fight for humanity.
We could only thank our lucky stars if they maintained neutrality.
"Morning Star, you've worked hard."
The tactical officer's comforting voice came through the earpiece.
"The attack from the Masterless Herd was nothing much."
Even if the enemy was a Witch, the vast majority of Witches were no match for me.
"There is one more thing I need to tell you. She is going to another city to pioneer a new shelter. There may still be people asking for help there."
"Then I'm going too."
She was the reason I stayed here, and the person I had to protect no matter what.
"I know, that's why I'm notifying you."
"What about this shelter, then?"
"Before you return, we will minimize the frequency of the Recovery Squad's deployments. As long as it's just defense, the domain barrier is enough to fend off the herd's intrusions for us."
Obviously, it was not that simple...
The reason a herd was called a herd was