Junsei continued moving through the ruined streets of the city, his presence felt wherever animals fought humans. When resistance appeared, he intervened. Humans were cut down, infected, or scattered, and the creatures of the wild resumed their relentless advance.
The cleansing continued.
As Junsei crossed another block, a helicopter caught his attention. It was flying westward above the city, clearly trying to escape the chaos below. Junsei slowed his steps slightly and watched as a flock of birds surged upward toward the aircraft.
At first he did nothing.
The birds struck the helicopter repeatedly, slamming against the windows and rotor while others began generating a shimmering golden barrier in front of the cockpit. The helicopter lost control almost immediately. Its nose dipped and the machine began spiraling toward the ground.
Junsei watched it fall.
Then his eyes caught a glimpse of the passengers inside.
Without thinking, he moved.
Junsei shot forward like a lightning bolt, his body crossing the distance in an instant while his mind reached out to the birds attacking the aircraft.
'Stop.'
The flock obeyed immediately, breaking away.
Junsei reached the falling helicopter moments before it struck the ground. With one swift movement he tore open the side door, grabbed the passengers inside, and leapt away just as the machine smashed into the street behind him in a violent explosion.
The wreckage scattered across the pavement.
Junsei landed several meters away and lowered the three passengers gently onto the ground.
He recognized them.
Mr. Yaoyorozu. His wife. And one of the mansion guards who worked for their family.
For a moment the three survivors were simply confused, trying to understand what had happened. Then they noticed the figure standing behind them.
Six glowing eyes stared down at them.
Their faces turned pale instantly.
Mrs. Yaoyorozu's eyes filled with tears as her hands began trembling uncontrollably. The guard lowered his head immediately, surrendering without a word.
Mr. Yaoyorozu reacted differently.
At first there was fear. Then confusion. And finally a strange calm.
"You saved us," he said slowly. "Do we not qualify for the extermination you started?"
Junsei replied in a cold and inhuman voice "You do."
Mr. Yaoyorozu studied him carefully. "Then why did you save us?"
Junsei paused for a moment.
"I didn't think," he answered. "I just moved."
Mr. Yaoyorozu nodded faintly. "I see."
He took a slow breath.
"I won't beg for my life at this point. But I have one last request."
His eyes hardened slightly.
"Please don't hurt Momo. Spare her from this madness."
Beside him, Mrs. Yaoyorozu had been shaking uncontrollably, but hearing her daughter's name seemed to steady her slightly. She lowered her head deeply toward Junsei.
"I beg you… spare my daughter."
Junsei stared at them silently.
Then his gaze shifted westward.
That was where UA was located. The helicopter had clearly been heading there.
"She is safe in UA," Junsei said. "I am keeping attacking that place to the end."
The three humans looked up in surprise.
"You can go there," Junsei continued. "Nothing will attack you on your way."
Mr. Yaoyorozu remained silent for a moment before speaking again.
"I wish I could understand what is happening inside your mind."
Junsei looked at him without expression.
"Even I don't understand why I am letting you humans go. I should kill you all."
Mr. Yaoyorozu slowly stood up. "Sai once said you didn't have malice in you."
His voice softened slightly.
"He hoped you would remain like that."
He shook his head faintly.
"It's sad to see how things turned out."
Junsei's six eyes narrowed.
"This is long overdue," he said coldly. "I should have ended humanity thousands of lives ago."
Mr. Yaoyorozu did not argue. Instead he looked at his frightened wife and the guard still kneeling beside her.
"Not everyone is as greedy or as bad as you believe," he said quietly. "You've seen that yourself."
He gently helped his wife to her feet.
"Let's go to UA"
The guard rose as well, clearly stunned that they were still alive.
The three began walking away toward the west.
After a few steps, Mr. Yaoyorozu stopped and looked back.
"Thank you for sparing us."
His voice carried a trace of sadness.
"I hope you change your mind before it's too late."
Junsei answered without delay "It is already too late. There is no stopping this now. End will come to all of you eventually."
Mr. Yaoyorozu sighed softly and turned away.
They continued walking toward the distant safety of UA.
Junsei remained where he stood, watching them disappear into the ruined streets.
He knew what he should do. He should kill them. He should go to UA and kill the refugees gathering there.
Yet he could not bring himself to do it. And hearing Sai's name made him feel a little heavier.
Junsei turned away, his fist clenching. He would not stop. A brief moment of peace between him and a few humans could not erase the countless lives of suffering that humanity had inflicted across his existence, it won't erase humans actions toward Life, this was bigger than himself.
Junsei lifted his head toward the sky. UA would last a little longer. But only a little.
When the cleansing of the world was finished, he would come for them as well.
And then it would finally end.
——————
In a single week, Japan ceased to resemble a nation.
Cities fell silent. Highways were filled with abandoned vehicles, their doors left open as people fled in panic. Entire districts were emptied of life except for the movement of animals and the occasional wandering puppet created by Junsei's blood.
The numbers were beyond comprehension.
Half the population was gone.
Tens of millions had died in just seven days.
Those who survived either fled toward the only place still standing, UA or attempted to escape the country entirely. Boats packed with desperate refugees left from coastal towns. Others gathered on small southern islands, hoping distance and the ocean would buy them time.
Their desperation slowed Junsei because he refused to leave an area unfinished. His war was methodical. Each city, each district, each street was purged completely before he moved on.
Humans were not allowed to remain behind him.
After a week of extermination, Junsei finally reached Akita Prefecture.
More precisely, the region where he had been born in this life.
Near the Nagi Noshiro Orphanage.
The sight was no different from the rest of Japan. Police barricades had failed, and the local heroes had long since fallen. Survivors had attempted to fortify certain buildings, but their efforts were temporary at best. It was only a matter of time before Junsei or the animals found them.
This region would soon be silent as well.
As Junsei walked through the ruined streets, a memory surfaced unexpectedly.
Kimi.
She lived here.
At an animal shelter.
At first Junsei ignored the thought. Whatever fate that human had met was no longer his concern. Humans were the enemy now.
But the idea lingered.
After some time, he found himself turning toward the shelter.
If she was dead, then that would be the end of it.
If she was alive… he would allow her to leave for UA. She was not a bad human. Letting her live a little longer would not change anything.
Eventually Junsei reached the shelter.
Before even stepping inside, he felt the animals inside.
Some dogs, cats and rabbits remained inside the building. They seemed to be moving freely but did not attempt to leave.
Junsei reached out to them to understand what had happened. He quickly learned the answer.
Kimi was still here.
Alive.
And the animals had protected her.
When the waves of creatures began attacking humans, this small group had defended Kimi when other animals attempted to harm her. Even after the shelter was surrounded several times, these animals had asked the attackers to leave.
They continued guarding her. Their reasoning was simple. Kimi had cared for them for years. She had saved many of them.
To them, she was not an evil human.
Junsei accepted the explanation without question. If he himself could allow certain humans to live, then the animals had the same right to choose who deserved protection. And Kimi was indeed a good human.
Inside the shelter, Kimi had slowly gained confidence and a sense of safety because of them. The animals protected her, and she continued feeding and caring for them.
They had formed their own fragile sanctuary.
After thinking for a moment, Junsei stepped forward.
The front door was not even barricaded.
It seemed Kimi believed her protectors were enough.
Junsei walked inside quietly.
"Ms. Kimi," he called.
His voice echoed faintly through the shelter halls.
A moment later footsteps approached.
Kimi appeared from the back rooms, confusion on her face as she searched for whoever had called her. Her clothes were wrinkled and dirty, her hair disheveled, and her eyes were red from crying.
Then she saw him.
Her face turned completely pale.
Tears immediately filled her eyes.
Junsei stood still.
"I am not here to harm you."
Kimi stared at him in disbelief. Her voice trembled as she spoke.
"Why are you doing this? How could you do this?"
Her eyes filled with pain.
Junsei answered calmly.
"Humans deserve it. They brought this upon themselves through their very nature. This is the fate they deserve."
Kimi's breathing became uneven.
"Then why are you here?" she asked weakly. "If not to kill me?"
Junsei looked at her quietly.
"I came to see if you were alive. If you have survived, I planned to allow you to go to UA school. There is a refuge there. I am not attacking it for now."
He paused.
"You are not a bad human."
Kimi bit her lip, anger and fear mixing in her expression.
"Years ago," she said slowly, "when I first saw you in the orphanage… I wanted to help you."
Her voice shook.
"I wanted to get close to you. Even back then I understood you saw the world differently from the rest of us."
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
"And when I realized that… I told you something to answer your confusion about people."
Junsei remained silent.
Kimi clenched her fists.
"I told you humans act out of fear and ignorance."
Her voice grew louder.
"And now look at you!"
"You're calling people you don't even know evil and trying to kill them! You are acting out of ignorance just like the rest of people"
Her eyes burned with grief.
"How is that right? How are you any different from the humans you claim to hate? You are killing harmless innocents who just want to live. Does having strength now make it right to crush them like that spider years ago?"
Junsei's six eyes watched her calmly before saying. "You are the one who doesn't understand. I am not acting out of ignorance, but of the history of your kind and how it came to be."
Kimi said angrily "Then explain it to me! What justifies your madness!!"