Half a year had passed since then, and Mika, now visiting Warehouse No. 4 roughly once a week, had encountered demons of all shapes and sizes with each visit. She had been genuinely terrified when a flickering fireball floated toward her. Spraying insecticide at it turned the can into a makeshift flamethrower, and even the unflappable 38-year-old housewife, Takana Mika, had been slightly flustered.

When a demon resembling a bipedal Chihuahua appeared, she almost squealed, “So cute!” and lunged at it—but upon closer inspection, the creature was wearing strange armor and carrying a sword. Realizing it was still a demon, she drove it off with a broom and insecticide.

“Judging by the pattern so far, I feel like something big might show up today.”

Swinging the heavy rake effortlessly, Mika ventured deeper inside. Half a year ago, she could barely lift it, but lately—perhaps because she was in better shape—the whooshing sound it made when she swung it felt satisfying.

Checking the hollows along the wall, she spotted several items different from last week’s.

“I wonder who keeps replacing these. Well, thanks to that, I don’t have to go all the way to the back, so I’m grateful.”

Humming to herself, she moved forward when—from behind some crates—a massive lizard, easily over a meter long, reared up on its hind legs and lunged at her.

“Here it comes!”

“Eeek!”

By now, a mere lizard-person wasn’t enough to rattle Mika. She smacked it across the snout with her rake, sending it reeling before it collapsed on the spot.

Then, from behind, another lizard-person appeared.

“Gya! Gya!”

It let out short, prayer-like cries. As Mika watched curiously, a faint white light enveloped the fallen lizard-person. The light seeped into its body, and a moment later—snap—its eyes flew open.

“Oh, you’re awake. Still wanna fight?”

When Mika spoke, the revived lizard-person shook its head, still going “Gya! Gya!” before retreating deeper into the warehouse with the second one.

“I hope they give up now.”

Well, if they come back, I’ll just drive them off again. With that lighthearted thought, she picked up the sword the lizard-person had dropped and tossed it into the garbage chute.

According to Mika, dropped lizard belongings didn’t count as store merchandise.