"No!"
If the Holy Child had advanced step by step, gradually changing people's views of the Cursed Children, there might have been a chance.
That was what past Holy Children had done—whether in matters of the Cursed Children, or in seizing power from him.
Regardless, now—why such extremism? It was madness, sheer recklessness.
"There is no time left..."
That was the Holy Child's answer.
"That one's target is not only the Gastrea, but also humanity..."
She could not say more.
"..."
In the end, Tendō Kikunojo left, his face dark as iron. The Holy Child had not spelled everything out, but she had revealed enough.
Her strange behavior now was tied to those two unknown beings. They had deceived her.
As for her request, Tendō Kikunojo agreed.
He could see the resolve and death wish in her eyes. He believed she would truly kill herself.
Even so, that was not why he agreed.
Though he revered her, he would not indulge her recklessness, nor abandon his hatred of the Cursed Children.
He agreed only because he was utterly disappointed in her.
Since she insisted so stubbornly, he would let her see for herself the despair that awaited at the end of her path. Even without his hand pushing from behind, she was already walking down a road to ruin.
Still, Tendō Kikunojo had no intention of swallowing this humiliation.
The Holy Child he had nurtured and supported, the wise ruler meant to succeed him as Tokyo Area's true sovereign… was suddenly gone, swayed and brainwashed by others. How could he pretend nothing had happened?
"Kagutsuchi..."
Tendō Kikunojo's gloomy face brimmed with killing intent.
Everyone had witnessed Kagutsuchi's actions these days. The nations had already voted to enact a plan of moral coercion against Kagutsuchi.
Once Kagutsuchi finished cleansing the Gastrea, they would restrain her.
Research her, exploit her, drain every drop of value left, turning her into a tool to make humanity great again!
Tokyo Area, too, had wanted to cast a vote of approval.
But because of the Holy Child's insistence, not only did they refuse, they even cast a vote of opposition.
Only weak, cowardly little nations cast opposition votes!
Now, he would recast Tokyo's vote in approval, joining the nations' plan. Not only to seize a share of the opportunity, but also for revenge.
As his heart burned with vengeance, a shrill ringtone shattered his thoughts.
"Lord Tendō, you—you must see this at once..."
His subordinate's trembling voice came through the phone. It was no ordinary fear, but the horror of one who had glimpsed the abyss.
"Kagutsuchi... Kagutsuchi has gone mad!"
···
After Tendō Kikunojo left, the Holy Child collapsed onto the floor and did not rise.
She had no real courage to die. If her death at this instant could save something, she would not have hesitated.
Nevertheless, she did not know if the task on her virtual panel could be transferred to another after her death. Her own death did not matter, but she feared that if she died, the mission would vanish forever, and the world would lose its chance.
Though she had forced Tendō Kikunojo's hand with the threat of suicide, sorrow drained all her strength.
He had pointed out the truth: the state of affairs, the people's reactions.
She had thought that if she revealed the truth, if people saw the children's real faces, their hearts would change… Yet they did not. Only a rare few shifted.
Why?
The Holy Child could not understand.
They were not monsters. They were only children… who could cry, laugh, hunger, and hurt.
They had done no wrong, yet from birth were despised, abandoned, and homeless.
Everywhere they went, they met scorn, curses, beatings, and even killings.
Many of them, even under attack, would not resist.
They feared that resistance would bring harsher hatred and violence. They feared being branded Gastrea completely.
Yet still, they stood up to protect others.
It was one thing to shun them—for indeed, they carried the Gastrea Virus.
Despite that, why such hatred?
The Holy Child truly could not understand.
Why would human hearts, human conscience allow such treatment of these children?
Her sorrow was born from the clash between her beliefs and the world's cruelty—because she felt powerless.
And time was running short.
Nations were now exchanging reports of Gastrea cleansed from their lands.
Though humanity could no longer monitor the globe, compiling reports gave an estimate of the pace.
It was fast.
In no time at all, the Gastrea would be wiped clean.
Think tanks worldwide were already meeting, plotting how to seize the two unknown beings afterward, to wring further benefit from them.
Only the Holy Child knew: once the Gastrea were gone, it would be humanity's turn.
"...I cannot relax."
She wiped away her tears, forcing down grief and heaviness, steeling herself.
After finally swaying Tendō Kikunojo, she had to prepare her speech for the New Gastrea Law.
She knew that pushing the law now would undoubtedly inflame the protesters. In their fury, even she, the Holy Child, might be overthrown.
Even so, it no longer mattered.
For there was no time. Even if riots erupted, when that one arrived, all would die.
She only wished to show those who already supported the children, those still wavering… that the government stood with them, that the law was on their side.
That official authority stood behind them, pointing the way.
"I must prepare this speech well..."
A carefully prepared, flawless speech—she hoped it might win back even one more person.
Abruptly, just as she moved to act, a message from Tendō Kikunojo reached her phone.
"All who harbor malice and harm others shall pay with their heads!"
It was an image of a city in flames, a dreadful tower of human corpses.
"..."
The Holy Child's eyes rolled back as she fainted.
...
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