When Nia Honjo brought the Holy Emperor back to the shelter, the beast tide had stopped.
The outer walls of the containment area had been completely destroyed, and 90% of the buildings inside had been reduced to ruins under the iron hooves of the Gastrea creatures.
Only the central building remained intact.
At this moment, after surviving the first wave of beasts and gaining a brief period of safety, the six people who had fought desperately were seizing the precious time to recover their strength.
"Casualties?"
As soon as she landed, Nia Honjo immediately asked Satomi Rentaro, whose half-body was covered in sticky animal blood.
Seeing that their backbone had finally returned, Satomi Rentaro's deeply furrowed brows relaxed slightly.
"No one died. That's the best news," Satomi Rentaro replied. "As for the seriously injured..."
He glanced at Kikunojou Tendo, who was sitting on the ground with his back hunched and his eyes closed.
As if sensing his stepson's gaze, the old man opened his eyes.
"It's just that I haven't had such intense exercise in a long time, so I'm a little tired," Kikunojou Tendo said, waving his hand to indicate he was fine.
Although his voice showed no weakness, there was a hint of melancholy in it.
Back in the day, he had been a warrior who could fight for hours among an army of Gastrea creatures without faltering.
But now, after killing only a few dozen Gastrea, he was too exhausted to lift his blade.
I've truly grown old.
"Mr. Tendo?"
The Holy Emperor voice rang out, filled with audible surprise. "You... protected the Cursed Children here?"
"Lord Holy Emperor, I'm so glad to see you back safely," Kikunojou Tendo said, his expression visibly relaxing. "It just so happens that I stayed here. I can't leave all the work to the young people, can I? I'm not so old that I need to be protected."
His answer shocked the Holy Emperor.
It was as if she were meeting this old man for the first time.
"Lord Holy Emperor, do you know why the Monolith suddenly collapsed?" Satomi Rentaro asked the question on everyone's mind. "Didn't you say this morning that it would take at least half a month for the Monolith to collapse?"
"I... I don't know either," the Holy Emperor replied hesitantly. "According to the calculations of the relevant departments, it should have taken at least half a month."
"Someone used a bomb," Kikunojou Tendo interjected decisively. "I've heard the sound of a strategic-level explosive detonating countless times on the battlefield. That was definitely the sound of a bomb."
"Is it really man-made?"
On the way here, Nia Honjo hadn't yet used Rasiel to check the cause of the Monolith's collapse.
But since Kikunojou Tendo said so, it aligned with a guess in her mind.
This was something the Wuxiang Society would do.
If Nia Honjo hadn't known about the existence of the Wuxiang Society, she might have thought the Monolith's collapse was the result of Kikunojou Tendo going mad and deciding to drag the Tokyo area and the Tendo family down with him.
But after learning about the Wuxiang Society and foiling their kidnapping plan, the true mastermind behind this was obvious.
After recounting everything that had happened from beginning to end, those who hadn't participated in the Holy Emperor rescue operation also understood the situation.
"Your Excellency, the Holy Emperor," Kikunojou Tendo suddenly spoke up. "If the Tokyo area can survive this disaster, please withdraw the formula for the erosion rate blocker and issue a statement saying that undesirable ingredients have been detected, making it unsuitable for use by the Cursed Children."
"Are you afraid of retaliation from the Wuxiang Society?" Nia Honjo said with a smile. "Don't worry. When I return, I'll publish the names of all the Wuxiang Society members and make them the rats everyone wants to beat."
"No, Honjo. You still don't understand," Kikunojou Tendo sighed, his eyes filled with an inexplicable emotion. "Our enemies aren't just the Wuxiang Society."
"What do you mean?"
"Today, I received several calls, three of which were the most important," Kikunojou Tendo said, his expression indifferent but his tone deeply weary.
"The first call was from a cadre of the Wuxiang Society. The second was from a manager of the International Initiator Supervisory Agency. The third was from the chairman of the world's largest Gastrea biopharmaceutical company.
During these conversations, their intentions were clear.
If I could convince the Holy Emperor to cancel the release of the erosion rate blocker, they would agree to any request I made even placing me on the throne as the highest authority in the Tokyo region."
As Kikunojou Tendo spoke, everyone felt as if a heavy stone were pressing on their hearts, making it hard to breathe.
The Wuxiang Society was a terrorist organization that secretly controlled global trends, with influence worldwide, aiming to conquer various countries.
The International Initiator Supervisory Agency was another global giant, assigning Cursed Children to 700,000 police officers.
The Gastrea Biopharmaceutical Corporation was a titan among titans, holding absolute authority in Gastrea research. The erosion rate inhibitors Satomi Rentaro injected into Enju Aihara every month came from this organization.
Compared to these three organizations, each capable of shaking the world with a single step, the Tokyo area was as insignificant as a pebble.
Yet they had united, all sharing the same goal?
"Why..." Nia Honjo voice was dry. "The erosion rate blocker is good news for all Cursed Children. Why are even the International Initiator Supervisory Agency and the Gastrea Biopharmaceutical Corporation standing on the same side as the Wuxiang Society?"
"Honjo, do you really not know the answer?"
Kikunojou Tendo gave Nia Honjo a deep look, the woman before him clenching her fists.
Then, he mercilessly revealed the cruelest side of the world.
"Once the erosion rate blocker begins to spread and the Cursed Children gain human rights, the world will change.
The International Initiator Supervisory Agency will be the first to collapse. Their entire foundation is built on exploiting the Cursed Children, distributing them as tools.
Under the impact of the erosion rate blocker, the erosion rate inhibitors developed by the Gastrea Biopharmaceutical Corporation will lose their value. The corporation, which has made no progress or innovation for years and has been leeching off the police, will see its primary source of funding cut off.
After this, the Holy Emperor reputation will reach its peak globally, earning the love and respect of Tokyo people and the world. This is something the Wuxiang Society cannot tolerate. In their plan to conquer the world, a beloved ruler is nothing but a stumbling block."
Kikunojou Tendo paused.
Amid the silence, he chuckled twice.
"Honjo, I actually admire you greatly.
Not only did you become the Holy Emperor right hand and thwart the plans of both me and the Wuxiang Society, but you also selflessly gave away something as valuable as the erosion rate blocker. If anyone in this apocalyptic world can be called a hero, it's you.
I don't hate you, because my only wish in this life is to serve the Holy Emperor and kill all Gastrea creatures.
If you're here to assist the Holy Emperor, you'll undoubtedly do a better job than I ever could. After developing the erosion rate blocker, I have no reason to hate the Cursed Children.
What you're doing is undoubtedly making the world a better place.
But you've forgotten one thing."
The old man looked down at the silent woman before him, his tone calm but tinged with pity.
"This world has lost the possibility of becoming better.
Ever since the emergence of the Gastrea, human civilization has been in a downward spiral.
Destroyed along with it are the beautiful qualities we call the light of humanity.
Those who were brave, upright, selfless, dedicated, and glorious have all died in the war against the Gastrea.
Those who remain the International Initiator Supervisory Agency, the Gastrea Biopharmaceutical Corporation, the Wuxiang Society, and even this old man are nothing more than ghouls feeding on the corpses of the past, clinging to life.
The glory you bring isn't a gospel of salvation but a death curse for these ghouls.
This world doesn't need your light, your salvation, or your gospel.
The only fate for heroes in this era is to fall and decay.
Justice in this era can only become hypocrisy or silence.
The world will change anyone who tries to change it.
Withdraw the erosion rate blocker announcement while we still have the chance."
Kikunojou Tendo tone was sincere, every word coming from the depths of his heart, summarizing his experiences and past.
Like an elder who had seen through the world, he offered his final advice to the younger generation before stepping back.
Nia Honjo recalled the scene when she first met Sumire Muroto.
When this woman, who stood at the pinnacle of wisdom and saw through the world, heard her plan to change it, a look of sarcasm had crossed her face.
At that time, Sumire Muroto must have already foreseen this situation.
She had tried to stop it.
But neither Nia Honjo nor Satomi Rentaro had listened.
Nia Honjo smiled self-deprecatingly.
The omniscient one thinks she knows everything, but in the end, she failed to see the evil in people's hearts.
Now, she finally understood what Sumire Muroto had felt at that moment.
The enemy she needed to fight wasn't Kikunojou Tendo or the Wuxiang Society.
It was the entire world.
"We'll discuss what happens next later," Kisara Tendo said, breaking the silence. She had never been interested in these matters. "Although we survived the first wave of beasts, they weren't the main force of the Gastrea. We need to retreat quickly and return to downtown Tokyo."
Kikunojou Tendo nodded and looked at the Holy Emperor.
Although the matters of the Wuxiang Society and the erosion rate blocker would need further discussion, the most urgent task was to return to the safety of the rear and reunite with everyone.
The Monolith had collapsed, and Tokyo must have been in chaos by now.
Although the government would have begun mobilizing troops and organizing the army and police for defense under the emergency plan, Kikunojou Tendo and the Holy Emperor still needed to return and take charge.
"Can Tokyo survive this disaster on its own?" Nia Honjo suddenly asked.
"I don't know," Kikunojou Tendo answered bluntly. "But at the very least, we can't just sit here and wait for death."
The beast tide they had just faced was only a small fraction of the Gastrea gathered outside the Monolith.
The sudden collapse of the Monolith hadn't been part of their plan.
The Gastrea that had poured into Tokyo weren't attacking the city so much as fleeing in panic.
"According to the latest calculations, there are at least 100,000 Gastrea outside the Monolith," the Holy Emperor said, suppressing the trembling in her voice. "Not to mention Aldebaran, which can use hormones to control the Gastrea and launch coordinated attacks. So far, Aldebaran has destroyed three cities. Although Tokyo is a major human survival point, our chances of victory are slim."
"I see."
Nia Honjo nodded.
Facing 100,000 Gastrea, she felt helpless.
Even if Yatogami Tohka were here, she probably couldn't kill all of them.
And even if they were all killed, Tokyo would be destroyed in the process.
Not to mention, even if Tokyo survived this beast tide, it would still face sieges from the Wuxiang Society and other organizations.
A tiger in front and jackals behind.
This was beyond Nia Honjo abilities.
Her main mission was to spread the gospel in Tokyo.
But if Tokyo was gone, how could she continue to spread the gospel?
Tokyo had to be defended.
If Nia Honjo couldn't do it, then someone else would have to.
Opening her space backpack, she looked at the item cards she had collected so far.
The duration of Tokisaki Kurumi experience ticket was too short only ten minutes. While her abilities were suited for team battles, this card wasn't ideal.
Kotori Itsuka experience ticket lasted thirty minutes, but as a solo fighter, her life wouldn't be in danger in the sea of beasts. Still, how many Gastrea could she kill?
Yatogami Tohka Beast Form seemed like the best choice.
Though it only lasted ten minutes, with Beast Tohka surface-level combat power, 100,000 Gastrea would be nothing.
At this moment, she had no time to consider whether using such a high-level experience ticket in this low-level world was a waste.
Completing the main mission was the top priority.
But just as she was about to take out the experience ticket, her peripheral vision caught another item card.
It was the item card she had received after perfectly completing the side quest in the Battle World.
Spirit Crystal Reversal Ticket.
She changed her mind immediately.
While Beast Tohka could solve the immediate crisis posed by the Gastrea, she couldn't deal with the Wuxiang Society.
But if she used this item card, things would be different.
Not only could it defeat the tiger in front of her, but it could also clear away the jackals behind her.
"If the nun's gospel cannot save the world..."
After taking out the Spirit Crystal Reversal Ticket, Nia Honjo gaze grew firm.
"Then, let the devil come."