Su Mo acted with immense fanfare, making no attempt to conceal his actions. Of course, it was impossible to hide anyway; the news of all the Cursed Children across the globe disappearing simultaneously couldn't be suppressed.
Taking away all the Cursed Children under the watchful eyes of the public was a different concept from taking them away silently. The former would have given the various powers time to buffer and spin the narrative. The latter, because the spectacle was witnessed by all, meant that the common people had the most comprehensive information.
Most officials, living in core areas where no Cursed Children roamed, didn't witness the event firsthand. Even if they saw the pillars of light, they likely mistook them for laser weapons fired from another base. As for the urgent reports from their subordinates, most officials wouldn't believe them at first.
After all, it was just too ridiculous!
"Sir! All the Cursed Children turned into light and flew away!"
Anyone who believed that would be insane.
And Tendō Kisara's earlier declaration felt a bit too light for the actual situation.
The entire world is about to change completely?
No! The entire world had been plunged into a massive shockwave!
The descent of heaven, the appearance of a miracle, the disappearance of the Cursed Children—each of these was a major event capable of shaking the entire world order. Su Mo had acted casually, and the entire world was swept into a brand-new storm, like the passing of a hurricane.
And in the eye of the storm, as the one who had personally initiated this upheaval, Su Mo's expression remained excessively calm.
"Th-th-this!"
Satomi Rentarō had already collapsed to the ground in shock, his eyes filled with a mixture of terror and excitement as he looked at Su Mo. Having witnessed the entire event, how could he not know whose handiwork this miracle was?
At this moment, all the things he hadn't understood before suddenly clicked into place.
"God! There really is a god!"
No wonder Miss Kisara was so respectful towards Lord Su Mo, so humble it was almost unnatural. No wonder, with her intelligence, she had believed Su Mo could do something that was nearly impossible for any other power.
It turned out Miss Kisara hadn't fallen for a scam. Lord Su Mo could truly deliver on his promises. Because he was God himself!
In that instant, a myriad of thoughts surged through Satomi Rentarō's mind.
There was excitement and joy—if this world is already in its final days, can the existence of a god help us overcome the apocalypse?
There was also doubt and questioning—if a god truly exists in this world, why did he allow the apocalypse to happen? Why did he allow the Gastrea virus disaster to occur?
And there was calmness and curiosity—regardless, a god is not someone a mere human can question. That attitude must be corrected.
So, instead of questioning why all these tragedies had happened, it was better to ask Tendō Kisara how she had connected with this god. And what this god's plans were for the future of this world.
In an instant, Satomi Rentarō sorted through his thoughts, intending to ask his questions at this opportunity. As a human, he naturally had to consider the future of humanity.
So—
"Miss Kisara!" he was about to speak, using her as a breakthrough point to understand this god.
But before he could, Tendō Kisara had already asked the question he was most concerned about. "Lord Su Mo, what do we do next?"
With a single move, the entire world order had been changed. Even she couldn't predict Su Mo's next actions and could only ask.
To this, Su Mo's answer was simple. "That child's wish has been fulfilled. Now it's your turn."
Hearing this, Tendō Kisara's eyes lit up with an unparalleled joy. She gripped the scabbard at her waist tightly, then suppressed her excitement and knelt on the ground with immense emotion. "Thank you for your grace, Lord Su Mo! I am willing to offer everything I am to repay your kindness!"
Unlike a child like Aihara Enju, Tendō Kisara was already prepared to offer everything. And in a sense, offering everything to this great being was a bargain for her, a chance to latch onto a powerful patron.
"Then let's go now!"
Glancing at the fair-skinned girl who had already entered a sword demon-like state, Su Mo nodded, not refusing her offering.
As his words fell, both their figures vanished in an instant.
"Lord Su Mo! Miss Kisara!"
Satomi Rentarō wanted to say more, but there was no one left in front of him.
Perhaps the only chance to confirm the god's intentions had been missed just like that.
No, it couldn't be called missed. If the god didn't want to speak with him, it would be useless even if he went through great lengths to reach him.
Fortunately, from Su Mo's previous performance, this god seemed to be relatively easy to talk to. But the fate of the entire world might now be in his hands. If they couldn't confirm his attitude, the world would not be at ease.
So, he had to find him! But where would he go?
Satomi Rentarō clenched his fists in the empty room and began to think desperately.
Recalling Tendō Kisara's chilling expression a second before she left, the killing intent that, in his view, had completely fallen to the dark side, and her subconscious grip on the cursed sword, Yukikage...
He suddenly realized something, and his eyes widened. "Revenge! Miss Kisara's wish must be revenge!"
With the deep-seated hatred she carried, after receiving a god's permission, there was no way she would give up on this wish.
Satomi Rentarō didn't understand why the god hadn't stopped her from making such a dark wish. But he knew that Tendō Kisara's greatest enemy, Tendō Kikunojō, was in danger.
In the face of a true god, secular power and status were meaningless.
Head of the Tendō family, Aide to the Seitenshi... these titles were enough to hinder the old Tendō Kisara, but not the one who had gained the attention of a god.
"Tendō Kikunojō! I have to inform him as soon as possible... otherwise, Miss Kisara will be completely corrupted!"
With this thought, Satomi Rentarō rushed out, desperately trying to stop her revenge.
"Even with the grudge against her parents, Miss Kisara absolutely cannot fall into becoming a murderer! That's an irreversible path!"
With this belief, he burst forth with all his passion and went all out. In his view, this wasn't stopping her revenge, but helping her become a normal person! For this, he was willing to risk his own life and break into the Tendō residence.
---||---
"So, that's your reason for attacking the Tendō residence and swearing on your life that you have important information related to the miracle?"
A few minutes later, the disarmed Satomi Rentarō was brought before the ruler of the Tokyo Area, a young girl known as the Seitenshi.
His attempt to break into the Tendō residence had been successful. Unfortunately, he hadn't seen Tendō Kikunojō and had been captured by the family's guards.
If he hadn't thought quickly and said he had important information about the recent miracle to convey, he would probably have been thrown into a dungeon or shot on the spot by now.
At this time, due to the recent miracle, there was already some panic. His break-in was suspicious enough that his words were quickly passed up the chain of command to avoid responsibility. In a very short time, he was brought before the Seitenshi.
"Yes! I broke into the Tendō residence to warn Tendō Kikunojō! Miss Kisara has gained the attention of a god and might be a threat to him!" Satomi Rentarō pleaded desperately.
As soon as his words fell, a familiar, aged voice came from behind him. "...Oh? If what you say is true, this old man should be dead by now. Why am I still alive?"
A sturdy old man with white hair and a stern face walked over slowly, sizing up Rentarō with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Putting aside the joke that a god would be involved with that good-for-nothing, even if she has a god's attention, what reason do you have to worry about my safety? Rentarō, have you finally come to your senses and want to come back and inherit my power and status?"
There was a deep-seated grudge between Tendō Kikunojō and Tendō Kisara, which had led to Satomi Rentarō, who was once groomed as the heir, leaving the family. Although he knew Rentarō's character, he didn't think he would risk himself to save him.
Faced with the question, Rentarō subconsciously retorted, "Don't misunderstand! I just don't want Miss Kisara to stain her hands with blood. If the god himself wanted to inflict divine punishment on you, I wouldn't interfere."
With no intention of cozying up, he frowned at the perfectly healthy Tendō Kikunojō. "But the fact that you're unharmed is indeed something I didn't expect."
At this point, he was also a little lost. Could it be that Tendō Kisara's wish wasn't revenge?
Seeing his posture, the guard captain beside them, Hozumi Takuto, couldn't help but show a look of jealousy and malice. "This man must be lying! He's just trying to save himself. Why would a god be dissatisfied with the Aide? I think we should execute this crazy liar on the spot!"
"Silence," Tendō Kikunojō said, glancing coldly at the young man. A mere security captain had no right to interrupt him.
Ignoring Hozumi Takuto's humiliated expression, the old man looked back at Rentarō and spoke slowly. "I was just in the council hall handling political affairs and witnessed the miracle myself. While I don't believe in gods, I'm keeping an open mind."
Whether the other party was a god, a demon, or an alien, the ability to take away all the Cursed Children at once meant they indeed possessed god-level power. Power was the basis for dialogue. With that kind of power, it wasn't wrong to regard them as a god.
"However, your story has too many holes," he said, walking up to Rentarō and looking down at him. "From then until now, I haven't seen any sign of a god, nor have I seen that rebellious child. Are you going to tell me that a god who caused such a commotion couldn't find the location of a mere human like me?"
Tendō Kikunojō's doubt was perfectly normal. Even Rentarō had the same question.
As they were lost in thought, the Seitenshi, who had been listening to their conversation like a decorative vase, suddenly spoke up timidly. "Gentlemen, I'm not very familiar with Miss Kisara's personality, so I'd like to ask. If Mr. Satomi's words are true, in what order would Miss Kisara carry out her revenge? If I'm not mistaken, Miss Kisara has many enemies, correct?"
Her words made both men's heads snap up, a sudden understanding dawning on them.