"Zeroy, you're beheading people again. Why not take a break?"
Patchouli wanted to say that, but she didn't.
Because she had grown numb.
She had followed Zeroy for ten days now, watching her kill without pause for ten days and nights straight.
Never stopping. Didn't her hands ache? Didn't her eyes burn?
Before sleeping, Zeroy was beheading. After waking, Zeroy was still beheading.
Patchouli had gone completely numb. How many had Zeroy killed this week? She'd lost count. The number was unimaginable.
She only remembered that this was the thirteenth city.
By the way, Patchouli herself had become little more than a portable power bank these days.
Almost every day, she had to provide Zeroy with a pseudo–Philosopher's Stone.
"..."
The sun had just risen above the horizon, casting a faint golden glow over everything.
Zeroy stepped through dewdrops, her golden hair stirring in the morning breeze—if not for the blood-soaked dress, the sight would have been like a painting.
"Another city piled with trash."
She clicked her tongue, her displeasure plain. Blood still clung to her lashes.
Patchouli sat under a tree, reading, and looked up at the sound. In her eyes was Zeroy's blood-drenched figure, making her frown.
"Hm? You're awake, Patchi. Good morning!"
Zeroy's eyes lit up at the sight of her, the frown instantly vanishing.
"Stay back." Patchouli closed her book, speaking flatly. "Clean yourself first."
"Ah, sorry, sorry."
Zeroy looked down and realized her dress was drenched in blood.
She stuck out her tongue sheepishly and activated her cleaning function. The blood vanished like mist, leaving her as pristine as ever.
Then she skipped over and sat beside Patchouli, carrying only the fresh scent of a young girl.
"How many this time?" Patchouli asked casually.
"Five million!"
Zeroy waved her hand before Patchouli's eyes. "Drug cartels, organ markets, human traffickers... tycoons, killers, lunatics, zealots—not one escaped!"
She puffed out her chest proudly, as if showing off some great accomplishment.
"Oh."
Patchouli's response was cold as water, her violet eyes calm.
Such a horrifying number might once have shocked her, but she had grown used to Zeroy's "achievements."
She didn't even twitch an eyebrow. She could now discuss five million deaths as lightly as breakfast.
'Ah... how terrifying…'
Patchouli lowered her gaze to the book in her lap and sighed inwardly.
Not that Zeroy was frightening—what scared her was herself. That she accepted it all so easily, that it had become normal to her.
"Want some candy, Patchi?"
Lost in thought, she was startled as a candy was pressed to her lips. Zeroy's fingertip nudged, pushing it into her mouth.
"What are you doing?"
Patchouli frowned, still tasting the strange sweetness.
"Candy. Don't you like it, Patchi?"
Zeroy seemed oblivious to how intimate her gesture had been, only looking puzzled at Patchouli's reaction.
"...It's fine."
"Hehe~ A group of children gave it to me. They weren't scared of me, calmed down quickly, understood what I was doing, and gave me these candies."
Zeroy was delighted. It was the first gift she had received since coming to this world.
"Congratulations."
"Thanks, Patchi. Since you've helped me so much, these candies are yours too."
She poured them into her hands, offering them.
"Go on, take whichever you like."
"..."
Patchouli wasn't interested in candy or gratitude. Though seeing Zeroy so eager, she relented and took a handful.
"For the mission ahead, it doesn't really matter anymore. The Points from purging Gastrea far exceed anything else. But... a reminder: it's already the twenty-seventh day. Time is almost up. Will you keep killing for the last three days?"
"Ah... I haven't forgotten. I've been keeping track."
Zeroy's smile faded, troubled.
"So far, I've only purged fifty million pests. Still far from one hundred million, let alone seven hundred million..."
She sighed, clearly dissatisfied with her speed and efficiency.
"This time, I can't wipe them all out."
"..."
"When this mission ends, I'll just come back myself and finish the job."
"..."
'…Really?' Patchouli nearly groaned outwardly.
Even being forcibly sent away, she still thought of returning, just to keep killing. What kind of devil was she? Maybe Satan should give up his throne.
"For now, I'll slow down the cleansing."
"?"
That piqued Patchouli's interest. What could make this slaughterer say that?
Seeing her curiosity, Zeroy smiled.
"Killing isn't the goal. The goal is to make this world better, so people can live the peace they deserve. To kill for love."
Kill for love? That was far too extreme!
"So killing pests isn't enough. We need aftermath, too—like cleaning the corpses from the streets."
"And what do you plan to do?"
"Hmm..." Zeroy thought.
"First, find a proper ruler. They don't need to be strong, but their morals must be sound. They must calm the people and lead them to a new life."
"I already have someone in mind, but I've never met them, so I don't know if they qualify. I'll check. Hopefully, I won't be disappointed."
...
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