After seeing Miori Shiba off, Seitenshi returned to her room. The Holy Residence's security was temporarily handled by the Shiba family's bodyguards, with police surrounding the area and Kikunojō Tendō on his way with reinforcements.
Altair, meanwhile, was waiting for her in her room.
"Mr. Altair."
"Come here and see the evidence against Takuto Yasuwaki. I must say, this guy was truly depraved. He recorded himself killing Cursed Children, keeping the videos as trophies. Was he planning to relive those moments?"
Leaning casually against the balcony wall, as was his habit, Altair pointed with his right index finger at a laptop on the table. The screen played footage of Yasuwaki brutally murdering Cursed Children.
Seitenshi glanced at it and instinctively reached to shut the laptop, unable to stomach the images. The cruelty was too much for her.
"Don't close it."
Altair's stern voice froze her hand mid-motion.
"If you can't even face this, you'll be overwhelmed by countless things you won't be able to face later."
As her guide, his role was to provide strict instruction, not coddling comfort.
"Look closely. This world is twisted because of scum like him, and these are the targets you must eliminate!"
Seitenshi didn't want to watch, but Altair's words compelled her. As he said, the video showed Yasuwaki as scum, yet this monster had been by her side all along, and she'd never known. Worse, there were many more like him.
"The Cursed Children have done nothing wrong. The fault lies with this world, its twisted nature. If you want to make it better, remember this: the trash distorting this world must be eradicated!"
"Yes."
Seitenshi clenched her teeth, forcing herself to endure the discomfort of the footage.
"I understand."
Her light blue eyes focused on the video, taking in the pain and hatred on the abused child's face and the madness on Yasuwaki's. The images seared into her mind.
"Remember, as the head of state, every decision you make affects these poor children's fates. One wrong step, and countless innocents could die. So, think carefully before you act."
With that, Altair walked over and closed the laptop. Kikunojō Tendō's convoy had arrived downstairs, meaning there was no need for him to stay.
"That's the end of today's first lesson. Kikunojō Tendō is here, so just act as you normally would."
"What about you, Mr. Altair?"
"I'm heading to District 39. There are some children there I need to take care of first."
Altair stepped onto the balcony.
"Somersault Cloud."
With a soft call, a Somersault Cloud appeared outside the balcony. Altair leaped onto it, leaving Seitenshi wide-eyed.
"What's that…?"
She rushed to the window, staring in disbelief at the cloud hovering outside.
"My mode of transport. Now, go deal with Kikunojō Tendō. I'll come back for you tomorrow."
With that, under Seitenshi's gaze, Altair accelerated the Somersault Cloud, shooting into the sky and heading out of the city.
Seitenshi watched the receding cloud, her mouth slightly agape. It took her a moment to process. The cloud had dwindled to a tiny white speck in the sky. Recalling how Altair had appeared and vanished so suddenly before, pulling a massive blade and a giant gemstone from nowhere, and now summoning a cloud to fly away, none of this seemed possible for an ordinary person.
"Mr. Altair… could he be a god?"
…
District 39, on the outskirts of Tokyo, was a no-man's-land, though not entirely deserted. Many Cursed Children lived here, separated by a river from the bustling District 38. District 39 served as a buffer zone, isolating the city from the Monolith area.
Though protected by holmium Monoliths, the gaps between them weren't fully sealed like a wall. Occasionally, Gastrea breached the magnetic field formed by the Monoliths, entering Tokyo. Dealing with these intruders fell to the Civil Security Corporation.
Unlike traditional police, these were mercenaries, not officially employed. Affiliated with the International Initiator Supervisory Organization (IISO), they were specialized combatants. In name, they sounded official, but they were still mercenaries, working for pay.
The organization's original purpose was to pair ordinary Promoters with Cursed Children Initiators, leveraging the enhanced abilities from the Gastrea virus within the children to fight Gastrea.
Over time, however, Civil Security agents had become bodyguards, assassins, couriers, even detectives, whatever paid.
The Initiators were Cursed Children captured and trained by the IISO. Untrained Cursed Children mostly lived in District 39, though many also hid in Tokyo's alleys or sewers. District 39 had the highest concentration.
Altair's mission was to gather these children.
Piloting his Somersault Cloud to the ruined District 39, Altair lowered his presence and began searching for the children hiding within.
He recalled that many children hid in a sewer, accessible through a manhole cover.
Jumping from the cloud to the ground, Altair began searching for the manhole. After ten minutes of wandering, he found a worn cover.
Though damaged, the edges weren't caked with dirt, suggesting frequent use. This had to be the place.
Altair knocked on the cover. Soon, faint sounds came from below. As a Godslayer, he could hear them clearly despite their softness.
The children below were likely cautious, given their constant abuse and ostracism.
The manhole cover lifted slightly, and a pair of small eyes peered through the gap, warily studying Altair.
His handsome face worked its charm again. After a moment, the eyes softened, and a sweet voice spoke.
"Onii-chan, who are you looking for?"
Altair crouched down, meeting the gaze with a gentle smile, and replied softly.
"I'm looking for your Matsuzaki-san."
***
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