After Nia Honjo left, Kikunojou Tendo did not leave.
Originally, his plan had been to have Nia Honjo ask for help from the mysterious organization behind her, use some channel to find the whereabouts of the Holy Emperor, and then lead the special forces team in the army to rescue the person he served.
But what was unexpected was that the woman had simply scribbled a few strokes in a book, conjured up an outfit that was far from childlike, and then left like the wind.
Perhaps she had gone to save the Holy Emperor alone?
Nia Honjo had left in such a hurry that he hadn't had time to ask.
He could only hope nothing went wrong.
Kikunojou Tendo had some understanding of her fighting ability.
After all, the mechanical warrior he had hired to assassinate Nia Honjo had never returned.
But he had no idea how strong she truly was or whether she was capable of rescuing hostages from the Wuxiang Society.
Therefore, he could only wait here and hope for good news.
"Tea, please."
Kayo Senju, the housekeeper of the shelter, brought a cup of freshly brewed tea and placed it in front of the old man, who was sitting cross-legged in the church like a monk in meditation.
Although she had joined the shelter later, she had also heard the story between Nia Honjo and Kikunojou Tendo.
She also knew that Kikunojou Tendo hated the Cursed Children.
But it didn't matter.
Since he was here, he was a guest.
And as long as he was a guest, he would be treated with hospitality.
This was one of the tasks Nia Honjo had assigned to her.
Kikunojou Tendo glanced at the girl beside him, frowned slightly, and couldn't help but feel a bit of disgust in his heart.
This was a reaction engraved in his instincts.
When the first war between the Gastrea and humans had broken out, and his wife and children had been killed by the Gastrea, he had developed the purest disgust for all Gastrea creatures.
This was true even for the Cursed Children, who only carried the Gastrea factor.
In his eyes, the so-called Cursed Children were nothing more than Gastrea creatures in human skin.
Once their erosion rate reached 50%, the true face hidden beneath that human skin would emerge and kill everyone mercilessly including their parents and relatives during the transition period.
He raised his hand, about to knock over the tea on the table and yell at the girl to stay away from him.
But the hand that had been raised into the air slowly lowered again.
"...Thank you."
The rebuke that had been on the tip of his tongue was never spoken, replaced instead by a stiff "thank you."
Because times had changed.
After Nia Honjo had developed the erosion rate blocker, the curse of the Cursed Children was no longer a curse.
It had even become a blessing.
In the future, humans would rely on them to defeat the Gastrea.
When their erosion rate approached 50%, as long as they were injected with the erosion rate blocker, they would no longer become mindless monsters but would instead have an unlimited future, just like any other normal child.
Their status would change from disposable tools to heroes admired by everyone.
The fate of becoming a Gastrea was no longer predetermined, and their identity naturally shifted from Gastrea back to human.
Kikunojou Tendo no longer had any reason to hate them.
"Well..."
The countless complex emotions in his heart turned into a sigh.
After letting go of his hatred, his old body seemed to feel much lighter, and even his mood was no longer so heavy.
"What is your name?"
After a long silence, Kikunojou Tendo finally spoke.
Kayo Senju was momentarily stunned, not expecting the other party to ask such a casual question.
But she quickly adjusted her mindset and replied, "My name is Kayo Senju."
"Kayo Senju... Well, it's a good name," Kikunojou Tendo said thoughtfully. "If you're lucky, you may indeed live a long life."
"This is all thanks to Miss Honjo," Kayo Senju said, her lips curling into a slight smile. "Originally, it was a name full of irony, but now it actually carries some blessing."
"So, Kayo."
Without using the tone of a superior but rather like an ordinary grandfather, Kikunojou Tendo asked, "Can you please ask that girl over there not to look at me with such hostility?"
Kayo Senju glanced at the Cursed Child hiding in the corner, her eyes bloodshot.
Then, a hint of helplessness appeared in her expression.
"Hiruko, Lord Tendo is Miss Honjo guest. Don't be rude to guests."
"But..."
"Put away your weapons, or Miss Honjo will definitely blame you when she returns."
"All right."
Knowing that Kayo Senju status in the shelter was second only to Nia Honjo, Hiruko Kohina, who had been hiding in the darkness, reluctantly emerged.
Seeing this girl appear, Kikunojou Tendo expression changed slightly.
The daughter of Kagetane Hiruko?
Nia Honjo didn't kill her?
Even kept her by her side?
Kikunojou Tendo didn't know how to comment on this decision.
"I'm sorry, Master Tendo. Hiruko is a guard at the shelter and is responsible for safety here," Kayo Senju explained. "She's just doing her job. Please forgive her."
"I don't mind."
Kikunojou Tendo shook his head slightly, then looked at Hiruko Kohina.
After a pause, he asked, "Was your father killed by Nia Honjo?"
Given the relationship between Kikunojou Tendo and Nia Honjo, such a question might seem provocative.
But there was only pure curiosity in his words, with no ill intent.
Therefore, Kayo Senju didn't intervene and simply listened silently.
"Almost, but it was Nibelcole who did it," Hiruko Kohina replied.
As if recalling the scene at the time, a hint of sadness flickered in her red eyes.
"She killed your father. Do you hate her?"
"There was a little at first, but not anymore."
"Why?"
Hearing this simple yet complex question, Hiruko Kohina scratched her head.
She wasn't good with words.
Because The Legacy of the Seven Stars had never taught her how to communicate with others only how to chop off people's heads.
But during her time in the shelter, she had gradually learned how to interact with others, transforming from a wild, feral child into someone much more normal.
"Because all Dad wanted was to fight. He should be happy to die at the hands of someone stronger than him."
The sadness only lasted for a moment.
The painful memories were replaced by her life in the shelter.
Recalling her time there, Hiruko Kohina seemed relieved and continued, "Besides, Mom... ahem, Honjo-san has been very kind to me. Not only did she accept me, but she also taught me to read and write. She's even been better to me than Dad was, so I don't hate her anymore."
Looking at this girl, who now seemed almost like a normal child, Kikunojou Tendo felt surprised.
He knew what kind of child Hiruko Kohina had been in the past.
It was precisely because of this that her transformation astonished him.
Could even this girl, who was once like a walking monster, be re-educated into a functioning human being?
Unconsciously, his impression of Hiruko Kohina began to shift.
BOOM !
He seemed about to say something else.
But a deafening roar sounded in the distance, causing his expression to turn grave.
Having experienced war, he immediately recognized the sound.
It was the explosion of a military-grade, large-tonnage bomb.
Without hesitation, he hurried outside.
"This !"
When he saw the Monolith collapsing, his face grew even grimmer.
He stood frozen in place, as if struck by lightning.
"The Monolith... The Monolith has collapsed..."
"What should we do?"
"The monsters will kill us all..."
All around, the cries of Cursed Children, shocked and terrified, could be heard.
The sobbing of the children snapped Kikunojou Tendo back to reality.
He was still the representative of the Tokyo region and the assistant to the Holy Emperor.
There was only one thing he needed to do.
"Gather everyone here! Don't panic, and organize a defensive action immediately!"
His years of experience in war and leadership allowed him to issue orders to Kayo Senju without hesitation.
Although Kayo Senju had the dolphin gene, granting her higher intelligence and maturity than her peers, she was still a child at heart and had been frightened.
Hearing Kikunojou Tendo order, she didn't dwell on the relationship between him and Nia Honjo and immediately sought out Elder Matsuzaki, another adult in the shelter, to help gather the Cursed Children.
"Are all the Cursed Children here capable of fighting?"
With a glimmer of hope, Kikunojou Tendo asked Hiruko Kohina beside him.
But her answer made his heart sink.
"No," she shook her head. "The only ones who can fight are me and Kayo Senju."
The Cursed Children here were the ones left behind by the International Initiator Supervisory Agency those deemed unfit for battle.
The only ones who could fight were Hiruko Kohina and Kayo Senju.
Facing the impending tide of Gastrea, the strength of these two Cursed Children was like two pebbles thrown into the sea incapable of making any waves.
"Don't forget, I'm still here!"
Just as Kikunojou Tendo was sinking into despair, a voice full of vitality came from behind him.
When he turned, he froze.
"You..." Kikunojou Tendo eyes widened slightly. "Why are you here?"
At this critical moment, the people who had arrived were members of the Tendo Police Security Company: Tendo Kisara, Satomi Rentaro, and Enju Aihara.
"Originally, we came here to see Nia," Kisara Tendo said, her hand resting on the hilt of the demon sword at her waist. "But now, I want to kill you first."
Her eyes were dangerous as she looked Kikunojou Tendo up and down one of the murderers who had killed her parents.
Of the five responsible, four had already paid the price: Tendo Hinata, Kikunojou Tendo, Tendo Ximin, and Kazumitsu Tendo, who had committed suicide that morning.
Only one remained on her path to complete revenge.
"But now doesn't seem like the right time to kill you," Kisara Tendo said, glancing at the collapsed Monolith in the distance. She took a deep breath and dissipated her brewing murderous intent. "I won't waste my energy on someone like you. I'll kill you after I've dealt with all the Gastrea."
"It was Nia who asked us to come," Satomi Rentaro explained more reasonably. "Before she went to rescue the Holy Emperor, she asked us to come to the shelter, saying we could discuss the Wuxiang Society matter after she rescued her."
Then, he smiled bitterly and looked at the collapsed Monolith in the distance. "But now it seems the discussion will have to wait."
Looking at his granddaughter and stepson, who wanted to kill him, Kikunojou Tendo expression remained unchanged.
He was well aware of their strength.
One was a swordsman who had mastered the Menkyo Kaiden of the Tendo-ryu, and the other was a mechanical warrior proficient in Tendo-ryu martial arts.
With these two here, the shelter's chances of surviving the first wave of Gastrea would increase significantly.
Soon, all the Cursed Children in the shelter were gathered together.
Along with Elder Matsuzaki, they hid in the building at the center of the shelter.
Those capable of fighting surrounded the building, ready to support one another.
Kisara Tendo gripped the hilt of her demon sword, Snow Shadow, in silence.
Satomi Rentaro held two guns, ready to activate the 21-style Blackstone prosthetic eye embedded in his left eye at any moment.
Enju Aihara looked unusually serious. She put on her special combat boots and jumped around to warm up.
Hiruko Kohina twirled the two swords in her hands, allowing her body, which hadn't fought in a long time, to recall the memories of combat.
Kayo Senju held a large-caliber sniper rifle, checking its attachments and magazines one last time.
"Give me your knife, little girl."
After ensuring everyone was in a safe place, Kikunojou Tendo didn't join them. Instead, he approached Hiruko Kohina and extended his hand, asking for a weapon.
"You?"
Hiruko Kohina looked suspiciously at Kikunojou Tendo, whose face was beginning to show age spots. She not only refused to hand over her weapon but took a step back.
Clearly, she didn't want to give her weapon to an old man who might die at any moment.
"Kikunosuke, you should come inside with us," Satomi Rentaro said, stepping forward to persuade him. "Although our relationship isn't great, we can't let you wait to die alone out here..."
Kikunojou Tendo narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at his stepson.
The next moment, he raised his arm.
Satomi Rentaro suddenly felt a sense of alarm.
But before he could react, he felt dizzy.
For some reason, he was knocked to the ground.
"Brat, don't forget who taught you Tendo-ryu combat techniques," Kikunojou Tendo said indifferently, dusting off his hands as if he had just knocked down a child.
Seeing this, Kisara Tendo snorted coldly and turned her head away.
Satomi Rentaro quickly stood up, looking embarrassed but no longer trying to persuade him.
Hiruko Kohina obediently handed over a knife.
It was only then that they remembered Kikunojou Tendo other identity.
Perhaps it was because he had left military service and entered politics for so many years, and his title as the Holy Emperor assistant was so prominent, that everyone had forgotten his other, long-unheard title.
He had once fought on the front lines, using his flesh and blood to defend Tokyo against countless Gastrea creatures.
A martial arts genius who had mastered the Tendo Sword Style, spearmanship, and combat techniques.
"I didn't expect this old man would still have a chance to hold a blade."
Looking at the Gastrea creatures surging in from the distance, filling the sky and the earth, Kikunojou Tendo face was calm.
He had seen such scenes too many times.
Before the invention of the Monolith, this was what he had witnessed every day.
He held the knife in one hand, facing the hideous and terrifying Gastrea creatures without fear.
Just as he had done countless times before.
He didn't retreat.
Because standing behind him, what he was protecting, were not Gastrea creatures but the people of Tokyo.
The future of Tokyo.
So, as the guardian of the Tokyo area, there was only one thing he needed to do.
The old man exuded a sharp, sword-like aura.
"Defend our country!"
Facing the monsters before him the true objects of his hatred Tendo Wusheng roared.
"Defend our country!"