Seitenshi stood with a calm expression.
Her trust in Nanashi was now absolute. She no longer questioned him.
Saiki's eyes flickered. His telepathy had already picked up Kurusu Konochi's inner voice.
"I have to pretend! It's the only way to survive! From now on… I am Kurusu Konochi!"
"Oh," Nanashi thought, amused.
He didn't need telepathy to read the man's thoughts.
Clever guy, he mused. But unfortunately, he'd chosen the wrong people to fool.
Without exposing him, Nanashi folded his arms, a glint of playfulness in his eyes, and quietly observed the performance about to unfold.
The evil cultivator—still in the form of Kurusu—hadn't noticed that Ayame was trembling behind him.
Sword drawn, he stepped forward, shouting,
"Who are you people? Why have you kidnapped Ayame-sama? And what kind of witchcraft have you cast here!?"
Nanashi remained silent.
No one else spoke either.
Seeing no response, Kurusu turned to Ayame, voice forceful:
"Ayame-sama, we must return to the Iron Fortress immediately!"
Just as he reached out to pull her back—
Ayame recoiled in panic.
She stumbled backward, only finding comfort once her back touched Nanashi's chest.
Kurusu's heart sank.
He forced a smile.
"Ayame-sama, what are you doing? We need to get back to Koutetsujou—it's the only safe place left!"
Tears welled in Ayame's eyes.
She pointed a trembling finger at him.
"You're not Kurusu… Who are you?"
Panic surged across Kurusu's face.
"I am Kurusu Konochi, your personal guard! Look at me carefully!" he pleaded.
"If you don't believe me, test me—ask me anything! I'll answer it all!"
But his desperation only deepened Ayame's sorrow.
She had already seen everything.
Nanashi had shown her the memories stored within Kurusu.
What stood before her now was no longer Kurusu.
It was merely a monster wearing his face.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Nanashi applauded with a wide grin.
"Brilliant acting," he said.
Then, he gently placed his hands on Ayame's shoulders and leaned in.
His voice was low, warm, and reassuring.
"Miss Ayame, how would you like us to handle him?"
She trembled, feeling the breath on her cheek, and whispered in a shaky voice:
"Sir… Can you let him rest in peace…?"
"No problem."
Nanashi gave her a soft smile, then casually pointed at Kurusu Konochi.
"I'll let him die naturally—and peacefully."
Kurusu Konochi's face twisted in horror.
"No! Ayame-sama, it's me—Kurusu Konochi!"
He braced himself, expecting his body to explode like Biba Amatori had.
But nothing happened.
"Huh? I'm... fine?"
He looked down at himself—no wounds, no pain, no signs of change.
He exhaled, almost relieved.
But then—
"Wait! My body…!"
His skin was turning dull and yellow.
Wrinkles crept across his flesh like vines overtaking a crumbling wall.
"This shouldn't be happening! My body—it's young!"
His mind raced, but his flesh betrayed him.
Before he could react further, his body began to rapidly age.
Before everyone's eyes—
Within mere seconds—
Kurusu Konochi transformed from a healthy young man
to a frail old husk.
His hair thinned and turned gray.
Teeth fell from his mouth.
His skin sagged and dried, spotted with age.
Bones cracked.
He hunched over, leaning heavily on his sword for support.
His breath grew shallow.
He looked moments from death.
"I…"
He managed only a single word before his eyes rolled back,
and he collapsed lifeless to the ground.
"Hiss!"
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
The scene was nothing short of horrifying.
Even the Doomsday Chat Group members watching remotely were in shock.
March 7th:"What just happened?! That guy aged in seconds!"
White Blood Cell:"That's biologically impossible!"
Chito:"He was young—and turned into a grandpa in an instant!"
Silver Wolf:"Time manipulation… that is the power of time."
Momonga:"No doubt—it was the boss! All hail the boss!"
Esdeath:"This is true time control. Time halted. Time accelerated. It's a terrifying force."
Even her trump card Mahāpadma—which could freeze molecular motion—paled in comparison to true time manipulation.
Nanashi clapped again, genuinely pleased.
"It worked beautifully."
He had simply accelerated time for Kurusu Konochi—
forcing him to live out the remainder of his life in mere seconds.
Nanashi turned to Ayame with a gentle tone.
"How is it? Would you say he's finally at peace?"
A gentle death.
Like fallen leaves returning to their roots.
"…"
Ayame stared at him, eyes wide with awe.
"Are you… a god?"
Nanashi chuckled softly.
"Unfortunately, no."
He then turned to Saiki and the others.
When Kurusu Konochi died, no notification from the Doomsday Chat Group appeared.
There were still Kabane roaming the world.
Nanashi said calmly:
"Next, I'll slow down time across the world. Take your time racking up points—kill Kabane, earn more."
He glanced specifically at Saiki.
"If you want perfect control over your powers, the group's features will help you get there. But you'll need points."
"With your abilities, you can wipe out hordes. The only question is—
Do you have the will?"
Because in the end, Saiki Kusuo was still just a psychic
with the heart of a normal teenager.
"Um."
Saiki gave a slight nod, then vanished, teleporting away.
"Seitenshi, Mikasa, and Vivi," Nanashi instructed, his voice calm, "you three will act independently in this area."
"Okay." The three nodded in unison before setting off.
It was clear there wouldn't be a simple, one-time solution to the situation.
There were two reasons for that.
First, Nanashi had deliberately left some opportunities behind for the task force. After all, he had already taken down the two major threats himself.
But more importantly, he had an experiment in mind.
The journey to the doomsday world would take two days.
If he continued slowing time, how should those two days be calculated?
Would it follow the time flow of this planet—the world Nanashi knew?
Or would it align with the time of the greater universe, which lay far beyond Nanashi's understanding?
What was the true difference between two days here and two days out there, in the vast cosmos?
Those were the questions he wanted answered.
Once the others departed, only Mumei, Horobi, and Ayame remained.
Biba Amatori was already dead. Nanashi lowered his hand, extinguishing the flames, and asked coldly,
"Do you intend to seek revenge?"
His voice carried no warmth. The moment he sensed even a trace of hatred within her, he would end her life without hesitation.
Nanashi never allowed enemies to linger.
Not even if that enemy was a beautiful woman.
Mumei's dark eyes lingered on the Soul Refining Banner lying on the ground. After a long silence, she finally shook her head with a faint, bitter smile.
"No. What my lord did… was right."
"Mm."
Her answer was sincere—no hatred, no anger.
And with that, she escaped death.
Still, Nanashi narrowed his eyes, turning his gaze toward Horobi.
Even if they were allies, he was not inclined to show mercy.
"And you?"
Horobi merely shook her head, silent.
Anger? Hatred?
Such emotions had no place in her.
What lingered instead was only confusion, and hesitation.
As for Ayame, she spoke up before Nanashi could even pose the question.
"Thank you, Lord God, for granting Kurusu peace. I would like to bury him myself. May I ask your permission?"
"Of course. Burial is simple."
Nanashi tapped the ground lightly.
The earth shuddered.
At the spot where Kurusu's body had fallen, the ground split open as if a great maw had swallowed him whole. Then, just as quickly, the land smoothed over again, leaving no trace.
"…"
Ayame stood silent, her expression clouded by conflict.
But in the end, she had no choice but to accept that Kurusu would be laid to rest beneath the soil of Aragane.
"Thank you for your kindness, Lord God."
She bowed deeply.
After witnessing the possessed Kurusu's vile and horrifying schemes, she could imagine all too clearly the purgatory the world would have descended into had Nanashi not intervened.
"Don't call me Lord God," Nanashi corrected. "Address me as Lord Nanashi."
With that, he lifted his gaze skyward, toward the restless evil spirits drifting in the heavens.
The golden Wings of Salvation unfurled behind him.
A light of redemption spread outward.
Golden radiance washed over the land, purifying both the Kabane that still roamed and the wronged souls above.
Its brilliance was much like Aqua's sacred light.
And as the souls and Kabane were purified, Nanashi could feel his Wings of Salvation absorbing vast amounts of faith power.
Ayame witnessed it all.
The sight only deepened her conviction that Nanashi was no mere man—he was a god.
And so, though she obeyed his request to call him Lord Nanashi, in her heart she had already made her judgment.
"Youre friend…"
Horobi's voice trembled with confusion as her gaze shifted toward Nanashi.
Mumei's friend possessed a power that defied reason—a power that could only be described as divine.
"…"
But Mumei remained silent.
She had only just joined the Doomsday Chat Group. She couldn't say she only met them today right?