"You have arrived, as expected, young man."
Led by the elderly butler, Yotsuba Mahiro arrived at the secluded courtyard deep within the Tendo compound. There, in a room with its paper shoji doors fully opened to the garden, sat Kikunojo Tendo, meditating with his eyes closed.
Though an old man with hair as white as snow, he was undeniably robust, a monument of aged power. His nearly 180-centimeter frame was held perfectly upright in a formal seiza kneeling position on the tatami. His sturdy physique, difficult to conceal even within the loose folds of his kimono, exuded the formidable aura of a man who had commanded a nation from the shadows.
Upon entering, it became clear the old fox had anticipated his arrival. A single cup of tea was already placed on the cushion opposite him, thin wisps of steam still curling from its rim, having been poured mere moments ago.
"Sit."
At Kikunojo Tendo's terse invitation, Mahiro took his seat. However, when the old patriarch opened his eyes and looked at him, his brow furrowed in clear displeasure.
"You have no proper sitting posture. Has no one in your family ever taught you basic etiquette?"
"Ha. They really haven't," Mahiro replied with an indifferent smirk, not bothering to adjust his casual slouch. "But I don't think it's necessary to observe such formalities when facing a dead man. Not to mention, it's imported dross. Only an old fossil like you would cling to such outdated customs like a priceless treasure."
"..."
Kikunojo Tendo remained silent, but the gaze from his piercing, hawk-like eyes remained sharp enough to cut glass. He picked up his own teacup, took a deliberate, slow sip, and finally spoke. "This should be the first time we have sat face-to-face, is it not?"
He spoke as if musing to himself. "Indeed, a young man of great promise. You are more… exceptional than Rentaro. The Seitenshi-sama often speaks of you, regarding you as the hope of the Tokyo Area." He paused, his gaze intensifying. "I presume the marked changes in our Seitenshi's demeanor and policies these past few months are also your doing, correct?"
Mahiro did not deny it. "It was me, that's right. But the Seitenshi herself also wished to change. Being held captive by an old man like you for so long, treated as little more than a decorative vase by your side… I imagine she didn't feel very good about it."
"Alas…" Kikunojo Tendo let out a soft, weary sigh and shook his head. "This old man merely wishes to assist her and guide the populace onto the correct path."
In this, Kikunojo Tendo was speaking the truth; his loyalty to the stability and continuity of the Tokyo Area, as embodied by the Seitenshi, was indeed unquestionable.
However—
"There is no place for those children on your so-called 'correct path,'" Mahiro stated, his voice flat.
"Of course not!" Kikunojo Tendo's head snapped up, his tiger-like eyes suddenly blazing with a deep-seated, venomous hatred. "They are nothing but monsters! Creatures that could turn into Gastrea at any moment! Why should I make room in my world for the very kinds of monsters that killed my wife?!"
As expected, revenge was an inherited trait of the Tendo Family. Tendo Kisara hoped to avenge her parents, thus drawing her sword and breaking with the family, transforming into a vengeful spirit. And Kikunojo Tendo, seeking retribution for his wife's murder, had chosen to retaliate against all Cursed Children, becoming a specter forever clinging to the hatred of a decade past.
But the fundamental problem was—
"If you truly hate those children so much," Mahiro countered, his tone analytical, "then why didn't you eradicate them completely? Why not drive every last one of them out of the Tokyo Area? Instead, you corralled them into the Outer Districts, right next to the Monoliths." He leaned forward slightly. "Ultimately, this 'revenge for your wife' is nothing but a convenient excuse you've crafted for yourself. Your true, fundamental purpose is to use those children as living tools. You keep them in the Outer Districts so they form a disposable, natural buffer zone—a first line of defense—when the Gastrea inevitably invade."
"..."
Kikunojo Tendo did not answer. His silence was an implicit acknowledgment. But his fierce gaze remained locked on Yotsuba Mahiro, as if trying to dissect his very soul.
"Did I hit a nerve? Expose your truest thoughts?" Mahiro taunted. "And now you want to kill me with your gaze alone?"
"You are… dangerously perceptive," Kikunojo Tendo finally said, withdrawing his glare. He chose to sidestep the direct accusation. "You are correct, I have entertained such strategic thoughts. But so what? Before they become Gastrea, they are still citizens of the Tokyo Area. They have the responsibility and obligation to protect this nation."
What a hypocrite. The mental gymnastics were astounding. When they were useful, he called them citizens; when they were not, he decried them as monsters. It was a performance more spectacular than a debate between a man's own conscience and his ambition!
It was so spectacular that Mahiro couldn't help but let out a low, derisive laugh.
"And what of Kisara's parents, then? As the saying goes, 'Even a tiger does not eat its cubs.' Yet you were truly heartless. You, as the mastermind, instructed Kisara's own siblings to kill her parents, correct?"
Facing this direct accusation, Kikunojo Tendo slowly closed his eyes, a flicker of something—remorse? shame?—crossing his stony features. "That… was the only mistake I have ever made. But it was also the only way to preserve the Tendo Family."
At the time, Kisara's parents had possessed evidence of corruption sufficient to destroy the entire Tendo dynasty. The family was in its ascendancy and could not afford any scandals. Thus, he had orchestrated a "Gastrea incident" that led to the death of his own son and daughter-in-law. But he never expected the plan to spiral out of control, resulting in Kisara's diabetic kidney failure and Rentaro losing half his body.
Even…
"Your wife also died around that time, didn't she?" Mahiro picked up the untouched teacup in front of him, rolling it idly in his hand. "So, in the end, this is all karma you brought upon yourself. What right do you have to resent anyone? Everything is just… retribution."
He paused, his eyes glinting as he looked at the steam rising from the cup. "Also, by the way… poisoning the tea was a good idea. Classic, even. But the premise is that you need to know exactly who you're dealing with."
Yotsuba Mahiro slowly raised his eyelids, a dangerous light flashing in his dark pupils. The moment he picked up the cup, his unique perception had already analyzed its contents. The neurotoxin within was potent enough to kill a herd of elephants!
"Just who do you think you are facing? Did you genuinely believe a cheap trick like this would work on me?!"
Upon hearing this, Kikunojo Tendo's eyes snapped wide open. With a speed belying his age, he pulled a wakizashi short sword from within his kimono. All pretense of civility vanished; his murderous intent was now fully unveiled!
"Tendo-ryu Battoujutsu, First Form, Sixth Stance—!"
Clang—!
The blade left its scabbard in a flash of blinding white light.
"'Amida's Eternal Descending Sword'!"
Ding—!
"NANI?!"
For the first time, a look of genuine, unadulterated astonishment appeared in Kikunojo Tendo's steadfast eyes.
Yotsuba Mahiro had, from seemingly nowhere, produced a stark black combat knife, holding it in a reverse grip, point vertical, and with an effortless ping, he perfectly parried the lightning-fast draw-cut.
Mahiro's lips curved into a slight, cold smile.
"Your turn is over," he whispered. "Now… it's my turn."
"Scattering Mist"—Activate!
"Ugh…!"
As the words left Mahiro's lips, Kikunojo Tendo let out a choked, pained groan. Just like Hiruko Kagetane before him, the old man felt an invisible flame ignite within his body. His very cells, his organs, everything that made him him, began to rapidly dissolve and disintegrate from the inside out.
"The Seitenshi… Kisara… and everything in the Tokyo Area… I entrust it to you… Yotsuba Mahiro…" Kikunojo Tendo uttered, his voice a ragged whisper, what he surely intended to be his magnanimous, dying words.
"How utterly hypocritical, Kikunojo Tendo," Mahiro spat, his disgust completely unconcealed. "Even at the very end, you still insist on playing the role of the great philanthropist, the selfless guardian of the people? It's truly nauseating. Go to hell, and take the rabble of the Tokyo Area with you!"
Whether Kikunojo Tendo heard this final rebuke, or what his feelings might have been, Mahiro would never know. All he knew was that in the span of a few heartbeats, the old patriarch turned to fine, grey ash before his eyes, his form scattering into the air and vanishing without a trace.
...
After dealing with Kikunojo Tendo, Mahiro made his way back to the room where the confrontation with Kisara's siblings had taken place. But long before he reached it, a piercing, hysterical scream tore through the compound's serene atmosphere.
The secretary, Shiina Kazumi, who had accompanied Kazumitsu Tendo earlier, came stumbling out of the room, her professional composure utterly shattered. She ran wildly down the wooden corridor, shrieking incoherently. Even when she tripped and fell, she immediately scrambled forward on her hands and knees, her movements those of a mind broken by pure terror. Her body was drenched in blood, as if she had just crawled out of a slaughterhouse. A long, gruesome trail of crimson smeared the polished floor behind her, and unidentifiable bits of flesh and viscera still clung to her clothes.
Mahiro calmly stepped over the gibbering woman and arrived at the doorway, where he was immediately assaulted by the thick, coppery stench of fresh blood.
The room inside was unrecognizable. It looked as if it had been washed in gore and then given a hellish renovation. The tatami mats underfoot were shredded into pulp and splinters. Chunks of unidentifiable flesh and internal organs were splattered across every surface, and viscous blood dripped slowly from the ceiling in a macabre rain. At his feet, he saw half a face lying placidly on the floor. A single, high-tech prosthetic eye, its mechanisms not yet fully powered down, rolled uselessly in its socket.
He didn't need to guess; he knew these were the final remains of the one formerly known as Rentaro Satomi. He felt no urge to collect them. Instead, his gaze swept the spacious room and found that among all who had been present, the only one still standing—the only one still identifiable as a complete human being—was Tendo Kisara.
Her sailor uniform was torn, revealing fair skin beneath. On her exposed abdomen, a deep fist print was visible, the bruised mark slowly fading under the influence of her powerful, AGV-enhanced regenerative abilities. It was the only wound Rentaro had managed to inflict upon her.
But Kisara seemed utterly oblivious to it. She was clutching her stomach, her head thrown back as she laughed—a loud, wild, unrestrained howl that seemed to tear itself from the depths of her soul.
"Hahahahaha! Hey, Mom, Dad! Do you see?! I've defeated your enemies! I finally did it! I succeeded!"
Her delicate face, spattered with droplets of crimson, took on a terrifying, demonic charm. She stomped on the pulpy remains of a corpse—the one that had once been the arrogant Kikunojo Tendo—and murmured in a morbid, singsong voice, "Hey, my dear Grandfather... Weren't you so fond of calling me 'the commoner's brat' in private? Why are you so quiet now?"
(i know, don't ask)
Everyone who had died here was a blood relative of Tendo Kisara, half-siblings sharing the same father. Unfortunately, these older brothers and sisters had never considered her their sister. Because Kisara's mother was a commoner, they had always treated her as little more than a servant. But what they never realized was that it was this very woman, whom they looked down upon the most, who had truly captured their father's heart and changed him.
"Ah! Mahiro-kun!!!"
Kisara spotted Yotsuba Mahiro standing in the doorway. She immediately dropped the blood-soaked "Snow Shadow" and flew towards him like a swallow returning to its nest, throwing her arms around his neck.
And then, without hesitation, she pressed her lips to his.
A sweet, metallic taste of blood mixed with the girl's own fresh scent filled his mouth. Mahiro didn't refuse her. He wrapped his arms around Kisara's slender waist, holding her close, accepting the passionate kiss from this beautiful, blood-stained sword demon.
A long while later, their lips finally parted.
"Hey, Mahiro-kun, you see! I finally avenged my parents! Isn't that wonderful?!"
"Yes, yes, it was a splendid performance. Congratulations, President," Mahiro replied, not minding the blood covering her, and gently patted her back.
That incredibly beautiful face was close to his, her sweet breath tickling his nostrils. A morbid blush colored Kisara's cheeks, accompanied by a smile of genuine, heart-deep joy she hadn't felt in a decade. It was only as that wave of madness receded that Kisara realized just how bold she had been. She squirmed slightly, trying to escape his embrace.
"N-No, wait, Mahiro-kun... where are you touching—"
"I won't wait."
Mahiro's arm tightened, making escape impossible. He captured her lips once more, swallowing her shy protests. The hoarse cries of cicadas buzzed in their ears, a stark contrast to the scene around them. Kisara gradually relaxed, her initial tension melting away. Her hands, as if of their own accord, found their way back around his neck, and she closed her eyes, surrendering to the intoxicating moment.
She had yielded completely, falling into this thrilling, new sensation.
Kisara's breathing grew hurried and fragmented. Their footsteps shifted constantly across the blood-slicked floor until they stumbled out into the relative cleanliness of the wooden corridor, tumbling down together. Her long, raven-black hair fanned out around her head like a silken halo.
They gazed into each other's eyes. Kisara's jet-black pupils, like flawless black pearls, were now veiled with a moist sheen, appearing hazy and incredibly alluring.
"...Hey, Mahiro-kun," she whispered, her voice husky. "My revenge is complete... so now... will you give me a new reason to live?"
"...."
"Ugh...!"
Tendo Kisara bit her lip gently, her brows furrowing slightly as a hint of pain flashed across her features. A soft, shaky breath escaped her nostrils. It was a long moment before that tension released, though she still bit her lip—what she needed to endure now was no longer pain, but an overwhelming, unfamiliar pleasure.
"....."
"...Ah..."
...
.....
....
The Devil's mark was deeply imprinted upon the girl's body and soul. And the Asura girl, as if passing through a final purgatory, offered him everything she had and was.
It was dusk by the time their passion subsided.
Tendo Kisara, her hands trembling slightly, changed into a fresh set of clothes. Her slender, well-proportioned legs, once covered by over-the-knee socks, were now sheathed in thin, comfortable black pantyhose. Leaning on Mahiro for support, her steps were slightly unsteady as she rose to her feet. It seemed this particular "battle" had taken a significant toll on her.
But when their eyes met, Kisara couldn't help but shyly avert her gaze, a deep blush returning to her cheeks.
"Let's go."
"Mm..." Kisara nodded obediently, falling into step beside him as they finally left the Tendo Family estate behind.
However, the moment they stepped through the main gate, Mahiro suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
"It's starting already," he murmured, his gaze distant. "The timing is a bit early."
"What's starting early?" Kisara didn't understand, but seeing him look off into the distance, she followed his gaze.
The next second, a shock like an electric current shot from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, making her scalp prickle!
In the distance, the petrified, bleached-white Monolith had already begun to collapse. A massive rectangular chunk first broke away from the top, triggering a catastrophic chain reaction. The giant, critically weakened structure, as if finally succumbing to the corrosive fluid eating away at its core, let out a groaning roar audible even from this distance. It finally gave way, toppling in a series of thunderous, earth-shaking segments.
While they couldn't hear the full roar of the collapse from their location, the panicked, mournful screams echoing from the city streets reached them clearly, carried on the wind. A faint, persistent tremor ran through the ground beneath their feet, like a continuous, low-grade earthquake.
Immediately after, a colossal cloud of dust, large enough to blot out the setting sun, began to rise over the skyline, a grim shroud marking the end of an era.
"The Third Kanto War has begun," Mahiro stated flatly.
"...How could it be so much earlier than predicted?" Kisara whispered, her voice tight.
"Who knows?" Mahiro shrugged, his expression unconcerned. "Perhaps the forecasters didn't account for the weather. A strong gust of wind against a structure that brittle... it wouldn't take much. However," he turned to look at her, "it's none of our business anymore."
"Mm."
Kisara just nodded. No further words were needed.
She then got into his Aston Martin, and with a powerful roar from the engine, they sped straight towards the sanctuary of Arcadia.
However, the moment they passed through Arcadia's main gate, they found Senju Kayo waiting for him, a contingent of children assembled behind her. Tina and her sisters, Asaka, Enju, Hotaru Kogure, and even Kohina were all present, and they were all fully armed for combat, their expressions a mixture of tension and grim determination.
Seeing him step out of the car, Senju Kayo walked over, her expression as blank and serious as ever.
"...Mahiro-sama," she reported tonelessly. "The Monolith collapsed half an hour ago."
"Yes, I know. I saw it on the way here."
"So," Kayo continued, her voice unwavering, "do you require us to take any action?" Her question seemed to represent the unspoken query of every child in Arcadia. They were ready to fight for their home.
Mahiro shook his head calmly. "Don't do anything. Just continue living your lives as usual. Aren't the supplies Shiba Miori-san provided sufficient for Arcadia to last for years?"
"Yes, that is correct," Kayo confirmed with mechanical precision. "Given Arcadia's current population, our stockpiled resources can sustain us for three years, nine months, and twenty-three days." Despite reciting the exact figures, a flicker of worry crossed her usually impassive face. "But... what about the Gastrea? The horde..."
The monolith had fallen. According to her strategic calculations, the JSDF and the rag-tag IFA auxiliary units would be utterly incapable of withstanding the initial Gastrea assault. They would likely be completely overrun in a matter of days. The enemy numbers, starting at two thousand, could easily skyrocket into the tens of thousands as more creatures poured through the breach. Even with Arcadia's formidable super-holmium walls as a barrier, how long could they truly hold out against such an endless tide?
"Don't worry," Mahiro reassured her, reaching out to gently rub her head. "I have everything under control. You have my word."
Having received this direct order and reassurance, the little commander who oversaw Arcadia's daily logistics naturally wouldn't press further. She would simply obey. But then, she remembered one more piece of business.
"There is one more thing," she stated. "The Seitenshi-sama has awakened."
"Oh?" A hint of genuine surprise colored Mahiro's tone. "I didn't expect her to wake up at such an... opportune time."
He had assumed she would remain unconscious until after the Tokyo Area was completely scoured, a sleeping princess until the storm passed. That she was awake now was an interesting development.
...
Inside the guest room, the atmosphere was heavy with the weight of a dying world.
The Seitenshi, who had been awake for some time, sat silently on the edge of the bed, allowing the fading light of the setting sun to wash over her. Her pale, beautiful face was etched with profound sorrow, her eyes flowing with a grief as deep and poignant as a saintess at dusk. But this saintess's heart was filled with the ashes of disappointment, especially when she recalled the scenes that had led her here.
Thump, thump—
A soft knock sounded at the door.
"Please, come in, Mahiro-sama." Her voice was soft, recognizing the visitor without hesitation.
Yotsuba Mahiro pushed the door open and looked at the Seitenshi with a raised eyebrow. "How did you know it was me? Did you awaken some kind of special sensory ability while you were napping?"
"...How could that be?" she replied, forcing a weak, miserable-looking smile onto her lips as he entered. "I just... had a feeling."
"How was your rest?" he asked, his tone conversational.
"Very good, it seems..." she murmured, her gaze drifting back to the window. "I haven't had such a... deep and untroubled sleep in a very long time." Her words were filled with a quiet, heartbreaking sentiment.
There was a pause before she spoke again, her voice barely a whisper. "Hey, Mahiro-sama... is Kikunojo Tendo... already dead?"
"Huh?" He was genuinely taken aback by her sudden, direct question. "How did you know? Did Senju Kayo tell you?" Only Kayo knew his full itinerary; even Asaka and Tina shouldn't have been aware of the details, and Kayo wasn't the type to gossip.
"...No." The Seitenshi gently shook her head. Her jade-like hands clasped lightly over her chest as she explained, "It's just... a feeling I have."
The heavy, oppressive presence that had always weighed on her heart, a constant pressure no matter where she was or what she did, had vanished. So, she had made this bold, intuitive guess.
But now, having her suspicion confirmed, she found she couldn't feel any sense of victory or relief. Instead, her heart grew even heavier. So heavy that she unconsciously lowered her head, her shoulders beginning to tremble as soft, quiet sobs escaped her. Crystal tears welled in her eyes, slowly tracing paths down her cheeks before dripping onto the back of her hands and shattering like fragile gems.
"Don't cry."
At his soft words and the gentle hand patting her back, the Seitenshi immediately crumbled, throwing herself into his embrace. Her shoulders shook even more violently, her quiet whimpers becoming distinct, heart-wrenching sobs. With tears streaming down her face, she clutched the fabric of his jacket as if it were a lifeline.
"...Mahiro-sama," she choked out between sobs, "as a ruler... am I a complete failure?"
"In the months when I had no contact with you... I would place my hand on the Bible every single night, asking myself what I should do, what I could do. But no matter how hard I tried, even when I pushed for change, even when they slandered me and called me a dictator... I didn't care. I truly wanted the Tokyo Area to become better... but in the end, I was just a decoration! A meaningless figurehead!" Her words were saturated with a profound, soul-crushing despair.
"Everyone said... as long as Kikunojo Tendo was there, it was enough... that someone like me was completely unnecessary...!"
"It's so painful. I just wanted to live by believing in the good in people... but everyone is just swept away by this tide of hatred. Mahiro-sama... what should I do...?" By the end, she was a weeping mess, her tears steadily soaking a dark patch into his shirt.
Mahiro continued to gently pat her back, then leaned closer, his voice a soft whisper by her ear. "Since they have made it clear they don't need you... wouldn't it be better to just leave them behind?"
"..."
The Seitenshi looked up, her eyes red-rimmed and swimming with tears, meeting his calm gaze.
"You think you're a failure, but I've never seen you that way. Perhaps others view you as just a pretty face, a symbol. But in my eyes, at the very least, you did something right and meaningful at the final hour."
She had overcome all opposition to forcefully enact the Gastrea New Law, granting the Initiators their basic rights. Although it had ultimately proven futile in the face of the coming annihilation, it had shown her determination to change things, a final, defiant act of her will.
"Furthermore," he continued, "I once said that you were simply born at the wrong time. Your methods, Seitenshi-sama, are too gentle, too idealistic. They are not suited for an apocalyptic era that requires ruthless pragmatism to survive."
"Then what should I do…?" she whispered, her voice fragile.
"I've already told you: Leave them. Those people don't need you anymore." He paused, letting the words hang in the air before delivering the final blow. "I need you."
"Ah…!"
The Seitenshi let out a small, startled gasp, a vivid blush gradually spreading across her pale cheeks.
"...Mahiro-sama, can I... can I take that as a confession?"
"Of course you can," he replied with a slight, reassuring smile. "Beyond being a confession, it is also my genuine intention. I believe you are an excellent leader. So, if you're willing... would you come to Arcadia? Would you help me? Help me manage this sanctuary, and together with these children, help me build a new nation from the ashes of the old."
"I…"
The Seitenshi felt a fresh wave of emotion choke her. Looking at Yotsuba Mahiro's sincere expression, she felt an incredible warmth spread through her chest, thawing the ice of her despair. She hadn't dared to hope that anyone would still be willing to trust her, to see value in her. That trust was like the first ray of dawn piercing a long, hopeless night, illuminating the shattered pieces of her heart. It made her feel, for the first time in so long, like a normal young girl. She blushed deeply and buried her face in his chest once more, her voice a muffled, shy murmur.
"...Mahiro-sama, you are truly a despicable person."
"Hmm, I'll admit to that. So, Seitenshi-sama... are you willing? Will you join Arcadia and help a despicable man like me manage this land? Will you stand with me and watch these children grow up in a world we build for them?"
"Yes... I promise you…"
Upon hearing her soft, resolute reply, Yotsuba Mahiro felt no surprise whatsoever. After all, when a person's heart and spirit have been utterly shattered, they are at their most fragile and malleable in the moment they are pieced back together. And the Seitenshi was precisely in that state—despised by the citizens she tried to save, manipulated for years by Kikunojo Tendo, and subjected to countless overt and covert pressures. All of it had long since overwhelmed her, leaving her gasping for air in a sea of futility. He had simply thrown her the lifeline she so desperately needed.
....
As night fell, a deceptive peace settled over Arcadia. The children, shielded from the horrors beyond the walls, were already sound asleep. Yotsuba Mahiro stood atop the towering city wall, his gaze fixed on the distant, beleaguered Tokyo Area and the war-torn ruins of the Thirty-ninth District that lay between them.
The scene unfolded exactly as he had predicted. The JSDF was in a full, chaotic retreat under the relentless onslaught of the Gastrea horde. In their desperation, they had even turned on and sacrificed the IFA auxiliary forces, using them as disposable pawns to cover their withdrawal. Countless injured Initiators and Promoters now fled in a disorganized, panicked mob, completely incapable of forming any effective defensive line.
Soon, the creeping tide of Gastrea had already spilled into the heart of the Tokyo Area itself. Even from this distance, the night wind seemed to carry the faint, mournful wails of the dying to their ears.
And at this moment, he was not alone. Tina, Senju Kayo, and Asaka Mibu stood beside him on the wall. Even the Seitenshi was present. He hadn't wanted her to witness this, but she had insisted, saying she needed to see it—to bid a final, proper farewell to the world she had once tried to rule.
"Then, I'll begin," Mahiro stated, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Mm." The Seitenshi nodded heavily. Her jade-like hands, sheathed in white silk, clenched tightly together where they rested on her lower abdomen, but her gaze, fixed on the horizon, was resolute. It was time. She was completely, utterly disillusioned with the Tokyo Area and the humanity that festered within it.
"Multiple Observation"—Activated!
"Sharingan"—Activated!
"Matter Conversion: Mercury Antimony Oxide"—Activated!
"Red Mercury Nuclear Explosion"—Initiate!
Deep within the heart of the darkened Tokyo Area, inside the pure white halls of the Holy Residence itself—a single cubic centimeter of red mercury materialized out of thin air in the Seitenshi's former bedchamber. In the next instant, it transformed into a perfect sphere and began to burn with an unholy, sun-bright intensity. The escaping energy, growing exponentially with the flames, rapidly devoured everything in its path. The nuclear fusion of the red mercury erupted with temperatures of tens of millions of degrees Celsius, melting and vaporizing metal, stone, and flesh alike, annihilating all matter in a blinding, purifying fire!
In a single, brief instant, the entire Tokyo Area was transformed into a roiling sea of fire. The people hiding in their shelters, the Gastrea rampaging on the surface, the corrupt and the innocent—all were purged in the extreme, indiscriminate heat. A scorching blast wave radiated outwards like a biblical plague!
Just as the wave was about to consume the outer districts, a powerful tremor suddenly erupted from the ground. The vast Thirty-ninth District, the location of Arcadia, instantly vanished from the map of Japan, safely teleported away at the last possible second.
The great extinction of the Tokyo Area was merely the opening act.
Next came the Sendai Area, then the Osaka Area, and the Hakata Area, each disappearing one after another under the strategic-level annihilation of "Material Burst."
However, during this global cleansing, he discovered an interesting fact. One of the Zodiac Gastrea, Libra, the "Plague King," had appeared! Tracing back the information, he understood. It seemed that upon sensing its sibling Scorpio's demise, Libra, acting as the vengeful older sister, had come to Japan to exact retribution upon humanity.
Since it had come all this way, he naturally decided to return the favor. He launched his assault on Libra.
"Cocytus"—Activated!
Strategic-level magic "Glaciation"—Activated!
"Fourth Phase Transition"—Activated!
And so, he repeated the process he had used on Scorpio, using his ultimate ice magic to forcibly revert the Zodiac Gastrea back into its original human form, subduing it completely. Moreover, just as he had suspected, Libra's human form had short pink hair, uncannily reminiscent of a certain blue-haired maid's sister from another world. The coincidence was almost enough to make him sigh.
With Japan's demise complete, it was the turn of other nations. First, Russia was transformed into an eternal frozen wasteland, permanently locked under the absolute zero embrace of "Glaciation." Then came the rest of Asia, followed by Europe. The process took nearly a year. While systematically dismantling the last vestiges of human civilization, he also gathered the remaining Cursed Children—the Initiators—scattered across the globe. In total, he saved four hundred thousand, placing them all within the sanctuary of his dimensional ring.
It was a laughable, heartbreaking statistic. The entire world population had numbered over a hundred million, yet these innocent children had been hunted and massacred to the point where fewer than half a million remained. The sheer, senseless cruelty of it was staggering.
"Forget it," he murmured to the void. "Let all this evil and filth be obliterated under the final, glorious light of the stars."
Floing high in the stratosphere, Yotsuba Mahiro gazed down upon the Earth with eyes of absolute, chilling coldness. He raised his peculiar pistol, "Night Demon," high into the air, aiming it not at the planet, but at the heavens themselves, and pulled the trigger.
"Starfall"—Activated!
Under his indifferent, emotionless gaze, countless meteorites were violently wrenched from their orbits in Earth's exosphere. They began their descent, a heavenly torrent, a divine judgment in the form of a meteor shower that blotted out the sky itself. Under the cataclysmic impact of countless celestial bodies, mountains shattered and the very oceans boiled. The surface of the planet was completely and utterly engulfed in an all-consuming sea of fire, scoured clean of any remaining trace of the civilization that had so thoroughly failed it..
...
PS: Black Bullet Arc - Complete!