"Why so few!?"
Zeroy's eyes widened, disbelief on her face.
From her perspective, Patchouli's magic was so impressive that it made her envious. Even without infinite mana and stamina like hers, the kill count shouldn't be this low.
Maybe not as much as herself… but at least close, right?
"That's what I should be asking." Patchouli frowned. "Why could you kill so many?"
She had pushed herself to the limit.
She had calculated every optimal solution with precision: how to clear Gastrea most efficiently, how to ration her mana, how to balance stamina during battle.
She had even accounted for every casting time, every output of mana. Not once had she stopped.
When tired, she recovered immediately, then returned to combat. Every link had been measured, every drop of mana maximized.
And yet, she had achieved only a fifth of Zeroy's kills.
She knew Zeroy was stronger, and she knew her own stamina and illness held her back; So fewer kills made sense.
Even so, such a gulf? Far beyond her expectations.
The ever-proud witch felt, for the first time, deep confusion.
"No... never mind. Forget I asked."
Before Zeroy could respond, Patchouli raised her hand to stop her.
The reason was obvious enough—Zeroy was far beyond her, or possessed some unique ability.
Such things were personal. As an outsider, she shouldn't pry.
"Patchouli..." Zeroy's voice softened, tinged with worry. "Was it your illness again?"
"If that's the case, you don't have to push yourself. I'll leave some Gastrea for you to clear slowly."
Zeroy thought her own pace was already slow.
Even with the Fire Blade and Hercules Base, she had only managed to clear two cities' worth—200,000 to 300,000 Gastrea.
So why had Patchouli's numbers been so underwhelming? Zeroy could only assume her illness had flared up again.
"..."
Patchouli lifted her gaze wordlessly, only to meet the concern in Zeroy's eyes.
No pity, no mockery—only the pure care of one friend for another.
"...As you wish."
...
While Zeroy cleared Gastrea, the Holy Child had not been idle.
She was pushing forward the New Gastrea Law to grant the children basic rights, showing unprecedented resolve.
Even though her chief aide, Tendō Kikunojo, once again opposed her from the shadows, she tried to force the bill through.
Regardless, sheer resolve wasn't enough.
Her authority was too limited. No one listened. Her commands went unheeded.
"Has Her Holiness retired?"
Tendō Kikunojo stood with his back turned, hands folded behind him, overlooking the lights of Tokyo.
His white hair and severe expression only deepened his age.
Head of the Tendō family, aide to the Holy Child, holder of most real power in Tokyo.
Though he revered her, his hatred for Gastrea and the Cursed Children was carved into him—his wife had died in the war. That hatred made him her greatest obstacle, always undermining her efforts.
"Yes, my lord."
Takuto Yasuwaki bowed deeply, voice cautious. "Her Holiness's lights are out. She must be asleep."
Captain of her guard, Yasuwaki, feigned loyalty but was ambitious. He longed for her favor to rise, yet also obeyed Kikunojo, spying on her every move.
"This world... was once beautiful."
Kikunojo's voice softened as he looked at the city. "Countless lives and sacrifices forged this brilliance. Human glory once lit the earth."
"Yes, it should have shone forever..."
"Until those beasts—" His voice turned cold as ice. "—took it all away!"
"Ha..." He sighed, weary.
"Takuto, look at the city lights. Don't they resemble Ginza's Christmas Eve, before the war?"
"All thanks to your guidance, my lord."
Takuto lowered his head further, cold sweat dripping.
"Those beasts already stole this world's beauty. And now they seek the last of it." His tone was low, oppressive.
"I will never allow it."
"The New Gastrea Law?"
Kikunojo sneered, teeth grinding. "Let the Cursed Children attend school? Grant them rights? Build welfare for them? Monsters with a virus in their veins deserve only to be crushed like cockroaches."
"..."
Takuto shuddered. He agreed with the words, but before his elder's fury, dared not breathe a word.
He knew—clearly, today's meeting with the Holy Child had angered him again.
Couldn't that woman behave for once?
"Takuto, has Her Holiness met with anyone recently?"
Kikunojo turned, his voice suddenly calm.
"She's stayed in the Sanctuary. No visitors."
"I see... From tomorrow, triple-check every outing. And if she tries to meet anyone suspicious—lock her inside the Sanctuary, for her own protection."
"But..."
"Say it was my order."
"Yes, my lord!"
...
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