The group's confused gazes first fell on Percher.
"Why are you all looking at me? I have no idea! I don't even know Miss Canary, so why would she apologize to me?"
Percher looked completely baffled.
Seeing that her expression wasn't feigned, everyone turned their sights to Black Rabbit.
"I'm not entirely sure either, but it might be because the era Percher comes from is related to Lady Canary!"
Little Black Rabbit scratched her head and replied.
"The era I'm from?? Do you mean the Middle Ages, or the Black Death?"
Percher blinked, still not quite understanding.
"It's probably the Black Death... Ahem, I think I see what's happening now."
Izayoi fell into thought for a moment before his eyes lit up with understanding.
"When Homura had an audience with Lord Su Mo, Teacher Canary mentioned that their actions this time were to correct a past mistake."
"If our greatest contribution was defeating the Dystopia Demon Lord the 'correct' way, then that means Canary's method of defeating him in the past wasn't quite right."
"Maybe our greatest contribution this time was patching up that flaw."
"But I still don't get it. What's the difference between defeating the Dystopia Demon Lord the right way and a not-so-right way?"
"Why go to all this trouble, using us to re-enact this event? Does it actually help in the fight against the End Emptiness?"
Izayoi understood part of it, but he still couldn't grasp the key point.
Is defeating the Dystopia Demon Lord the "right" way really so important? Important enough to decide the entire campaign against the End Emptiness?
"..."
Little Black Rabbit was completely clueless about this. Swirls appeared in her eyes, a clear sign she couldn't answer.
At Izayoi's words, Saigō Homura, who was standing nearby, widened his eyes as if he'd just realized something.
"Speaking of what we gained from defeating the Dystopia Demon Lord... Brother Izayoi, would the Life Factor Library count?"
"The Life Factor Library?"
Hearing this, Kudou Asuka blinked, looking puzzled.
It was the first time she had heard this term.
"What's that?"
"It's our prize!"
Saigō Homura said with a matter-of-fact expression.
"After we defeated the Bull of Heaven, we got the research data for Weather Weapon A. After defeating the Dystopia Demon Lord, we got the research data for the Life Factor Library."
"Unlike the Bull of Heaven project, the Dystopia Demon Lord's research was based on Life Factors and the Third Stellar Particle. Milady, wasn't the evil dragon Satan you summoned a product of genetic engineering combined with the Third Stellar Particle?"
As someone who once became the Demon Lord of Absolute Evil, he had accepted the research data of the former supreme rulers as a way to combat evil.
"Oh, right! That data. I have seen it, I just don't remember it well."
At Saigō Homura's mention, Kudou Asuka recalled something.
Saigō Homura was not surprised by this.
"After all, Milady, you only need to use your Authority to control the finished products, the Dystopia Demon Lord and the Bull of Heaven. It's normal for you not to pay close attention to the details."
"Miss Yō and Miss Percher, on the other hand, remember it well. The Life Factor data from the Dystopia project is very useful for them."
Hearing this, Kasukabe Yō and Percher both nodded.
"I can use all the data inside directly. Although the improvement isn't huge, it helped me fill in some of the missing substrates in my Genome Tree."
Kasukabe Yō gave her deadpan approval, though her expression gave no hint as to how pleased she was.
"For me, the improvement was huge!"
Percher's expression was much more animated.
"With so much data and so many samples, after absorption and expression through my Gastrea genes, I feel my strength has increased by at least ten times!"
"If I can fully digest these results, maybe I could even catch up to Miss Yō!"
At this thought, her eyes sparkled with aspiration.
For Kasukabe Yō, this data only solidified her foundation. For Percher, however, it was like an all-powerful tonic that needed to be digested and absorbed before it could be used freely.
If she could master this Life Factor Library, Percher felt that even without using the Third Stellar Particle, she could reach the Stage 5 that Aihara Enju once spoke of.
If she included the power of the Third Stellar Particle, she could combine and generate the life factors of Phantasmal Beasts, or even Divine Beasts, and unleash considerable combat power.
However...
"Catch up to Yō..."
Hearing Percher's words, Izayoi and Saigō Homura exchanged a glance.
No offense to her, but Kasukabe Yō's strength wasn't exactly top-tier among the current Saviors.
An increase of that level was, frankly, better than nothing.
"So, if the key to defeating the Dystopia Demon Lord the 'right' way is whether or not we can inherit the spoils—the Life Factor Library... doesn't that mean the Life Factor Library is crucial to fighting the End Emptiness?"
"But how can we draw out the true power of these spoils?"
The group exchanged bewildered glances.
Even by the time Black Rabbit said her goodbyes and left, no one had found an answer.