Looking at the content of the chat, March 7th couldn't help but show a look of sympathy.
Although she had been reciting from the databank for a while, it wasn't until this moment, until she personally came into contact with a world mostly destroyed by an apocalyptic disaster, that she could finally appreciate the amount of sorrow, joy, blood, and tears recorded in those few short lines.
The clumsy-tongued girl wanted to offer a few words of comfort to Tendō Kisara, but she was afraid she would end up like Jibril and just make things worse.
Just as she was wracking her brain, she suddenly noticed a keyword Tendō Kisara had mentioned.
A post-apocalyptic world... Apocalypse?
March 7th: "Speaking of which, didn't Lord Su Mo say earlier that he was willing to lend a hand to worlds facing an apocalypse?"
This was a perfect coincidence! Tendō Kisara's world was in the middle of an apocalypse!
Rin Tohsaka: "?!"
Rin Tohsaka: "Oh, right! I didn't even think of that! March 7th, did you get smarter?"
March 7th: "Of course!"
March 7th: "Hey, wait, what do you mean, 'get smarter'? This young lady has always been clever, witty, and super intelligent!"
Rin Tohsaka: "Let's just go with that!"
March 7th: "What's with that tone? It's like you think I'm an idiot but don't want to argue, so you're just nodding along against your conscience! Don't look down on adults, you little girl!"
Tendō Kisara ignored the playful bickering that had erupted in the group.
At this moment, her attention was completely captivated by March 7th's initial sentence.
Tendō Kisara: "Is Lord Su Mo really willing to help?" the long, black-haired girl asked, a hint of pleasant surprise in her voice.
She hadn't laid out her world's situation without a glimmer of hope for help.
After all, she had seen from the live broadcast that Su Mo had helped that Kanae girl, and compared to man-eating demons, the Gastrea disaster was on a whole other level.
However, she hadn't been sure if Su Mo would be willing to help. Powerful beings often acted on a whim, with no obligation to help anyone. It was only when March 7th spoke up that she learned Su Mo had previously expressed interest in worlds facing an apocalypse.
March 7th: "He did say that! But Lord Su Mo has his own goals, something about needing to use the Eschatology to perfect something... I don't really get it!"
March 7th: "But no matter what Lord Su Mo wants to do, I don't think it'll be a bad thing. Among us, there's more than one or two cases where we or our worlds have been saved by him!"
Although Su Mo had called it an "experiment," the group members weren't too worried.
Firstly, Su Mo had already saved several of their worlds, so his character was beyond doubt.
Secondly, the purpose of studying cosmologies was to overcome the apocalypse, which was in line with everyone's own desires.
Under these circumstances, no one had any unnecessary worries.
Of course, March 7th could also understand the newcomer's apprehension.
She had just joined the group and wasn't yet familiar with Lord Su Mo's style. No matter how trusting a person was, it was unreasonable to entrust the fate of their world to someone so easily.
So, she would probably choose to observe, just like before. Only when she had built up enough trust, like herself, or when faced with a sufficiently dangerous situation where she had no choice but to call for help, would she agree to the condition of her world becoming a testing ground.
Just as March 7th was thinking this and preparing a corresponding speech in her mind to solidify the newcomer's trust in Su Mo, the newcomer spoke again.
Her words rendered all of March 7th's preparations moot.
Tendō Kisara: "If that's the case, that's great! My world can be entrusted to Lord Su Mo. Whether it's salvation or an experiment, it's all fine!"
March 7th: "?"
Madoka Kaname: "?"
Rin Tohsaka: "You've made up your mind that quickly?"
The girls were all stunned by Tendō Kisara's swift decision. It seemed this newcomer was a decisive, strong-willed woman!
March 7th: "Uh! Wait, um... I'm not trying to stop you, or persuade you. I think your decision is fine, just a little bold. Lord Su Mo is definitely someone you can entrust things to."
March 7th: "But, aren't you being a little too hasty? Are you sure you don't need to think about it more? This concerns the safety of an entire world. You should at least think it over for three days and three nights before making a decision, right?"
March 7th was at a loss. She had thought her own trust in Su Mo was solid enough, but the newcomer was even more daring. Whose general is this?
Facing March 7th's concern, Tendō Kisara blinked, gaining a deeper understanding of the pure-hearted girl's personality. After a moment of thought, she spoke seriously.
Tendō Kisara: "There's no need for that. I've already made my decision to entrust everything to Lord Su Mo."
Tendō Kisara: "As for the safety of the entire world, the collective will of everyone else, or whether we can truly overcome the apocalypse... those aren't really issues."
March 7th: "Eh? Why not?" the pink-haired girl asked, confused. Wasn't this something that required consulting others?
Rin Tohsaka: "Don't tell me you're actually the leader or queen of post-apocalyptic humanity?" the twin-tailed girl guessed boldly.
If she were a leader, she would indeed have the standing to bear the fate of the world and the right to make choices for her people. Her guess was very reasonable. However—
Tendō Kisara: "Neither. I'm just the president of an ordinary, near-bankrupt company. At most, you can add the identity of a high school girl."
March 7th: "Eh? Then why can you be so certain..."
March 7th: "Huh?"
Rin Tohsaka: "?"
Tendō Kisara: "I don't really care about the safety of the world, or the human apocalypse. As for other people's opinions, that has nothing to do with me. Lord Su Mo will only ask for my opinion, right?" the girl said calmly, her words shocking.
The chat fell silent for over ten seconds before Shiroyasha finally spoke.
Shiroyasha: "If you don't care, then why did you say so much before?"
Tendō Kisara: "I just wanted to introduce the basic situation of my world!"
Tendō Kisara: "I didn't expect Lord Su Mo to be interested in a world as weak as mine. This is for the best!"
Tendō Kisara: "I have no desire to save the world, nor can I bear that responsibility. If Lord Su Mo is willing to step in, I don't really care what he does."
As she said this, Tendō Kisara's expression was calm. Only someone who knew her extremely well would have noticed the flames burning deep within her dark eyes.
Tendō Kisara: "Compared to something as unrelated to me as saving the world, I actually have a wish that is more important to me personally... I just don't know if Lord Su Mo would be willing to grant me this favor."
Her words were direct, and the group members finally understood the newcomer's personality. She truly didn't care about the safety of the world or the apocalypse. From the looks of it, she was even willing to sell out her own world to achieve her wish.
To say such a thing, one must either be an extreme personality or harbor a deep-seated hatred that had trampled their entire life.
March 7th: "Umm... if I may ask, what is your wish?" the pink-haired girl asked cautiously.
Tendō Kisara: "Revenge."
The simple, two-word answer left no room for doubt.
There might be saints in the group, but there were definitely no holier-than-thou hypocrites who would lecture others on their own pain.
Before knowing the full story, even the youngest, Madoka, was only shocked by the intensity of this hatred and had no intention of stopping Tendō Kisara.
After a few dozen seconds of silence, the group members gradually began to speak.
Rin Tohsaka: "That's something you'll have to ask Lord Su Mo."
Rin Tohsaka: "Although Lord Su Mo is easy to talk to, he won't agree to just anything."
Jibril: "Of course! Master is absolutely free!"
Jibril: "But speaking of which, why hasn't Master shown up? This topic should be interesting to him!" the Flügel girl wondered.
Erica suddenly thought of something.
Erica Blandelli: "Wait! Ever since the live broadcast ended, Kanae, who usually loves to chat with us, has also been quiet."
Erica Blandelli: "Kanae and Master are in the same world, and they both disappeared at the same time. There shouldn't be anything in Kanae's world that would interest Lord Su Mo's research!"
Jibril: "Come to think of it, I remember she was taking her two sisters to see Master right before the broadcast ended..."
As the conversation reached this point, the atmosphere in the chat froze. Many of them realized something.
Rin Tohsaka: "Damn it! It can't be?!" The twin-tailed girl's eyes widened in anger.
Shiroyasha: "Damn it! Someone's getting a head start!"
March 7th: "What are you all talking about? I don't get it."
Rin Tohsaka: "Shut up, you idiot! Waaaah, Lord Su Mo finally has some free time, and I missed my chance!"
Jibril: "Is this a chance that a little girl like you can even grasp? I'm the one who should be sad!"
Jibril: "Kanae, open the door! Bold enough to snatch the Master, but not bold enough to open the door?"
---||---
A few minutes earlier, while the group was engrossed in their discussion with the newcomer.
In the Demon Slayer world, at the Sengen Taisha, only Su Mo and the Kocho sisters remained, with Kanzaki Aoi and Mitsuri Kanroji standing guard outside.
At the back of the Sengen Shrine, in a cold pond where only Su Mo and the moonlight could see everything, three graceful butterflies removed their last remaining haori.
White jade reflected the crystalline moonlight. Having finished their Kagura dance, the three little ones prostrated themselves on the ground.
"Lord Su Mo, please forgive the foolishness of us mortals. We are powerless to repay your kindness. The only thing we can do is to continue to seek your favor... Other than that, we do not know how to please you," Kanae said with utmost sincerity.
She did not have Rin's intelligence, Jibril's directness, or Shiroyasha's power. The only thing she could do was, upon sensing that Su Mo was no longer busy and wished to rest, take the initiative to offer him a moment of pleasure.
If this were the Star Rail world, this level of devotion would be enough to set one on a Path.
And in the Demon Slayer world, this devotion was indeed worthy of a certain grace. For example, permission from Su Mo.
And so, the moonlight descended like a veil of gauze.
The gentle lapping of water began to sound from the edge of the cold pond, accompanied by soft, hoarse cries, forming small, irrepressible waves.