"Lord Su Mo!"
Hearing Su Mo's casually promised miracle, Tendō Kisara looked at him, her eyes shimmering with a complex and brilliant light.
She had just realized her own psychological blind spot!
Right, the person before me is an existence capable of destroying worlds. In the face of such a god, what's the point of revenge? I can just solve the problem at its source and resurrect my parents!
This fantastical, logic-defying feat was something Su Mo could actually do!
Regretting that she hadn't thought of this sooner, she was completely conquered by the generosity and wisdom he displayed.
No one had ever supported her like Su Mo, had ever so completely affirmed her desire for revenge. And no one had ever been able to clear her confusion with just a few words, showing her the unvarnished reality.
Is revenge a sin? If so, what about the murderers?
Is killing a taboo? If so, why do those who break the taboo hold high positions?
Guided by Su Mo, after seeing through everything, she finally understood the hypocrisy behind Satomi Rentarō's words. It wasn't compromising with reality; it was simply compromising with those in power.
Such an approach might create a conservative politician, but it could never forge a world-changing reformer.
No wonder, according to Su Mo, humanity was destined for extinction.
Sugar-coated bullets like that might fool all the Cursed Children, but they couldn't fool the highest echelons of human power themselves. And those who couldn't be checked were the true culprits behind the apocalypse!
Of course, she didn't need to think about that now. It had nothing to do with her. The only thing that mattered was the enemy before her.
Even if her parents could be resurrected, the hatred from the pain of losing them could not be erased.
Therefore—
"Get out of the way, Satomi," Tendō Kisara said, drawing the cursed sword Yukikage. Her gaze was incredibly calm and cold as she looked at the friend with whom she had now parted ways.
"From this day forward, you are no longer an employee of the Tendō Civil Security Corporation, and I am no longer your superior or your friend. You are free to act on your own will, whether it's to stop me or to protect this old bastard. It doesn't matter to me."
"In return! If you do so, I will consider you an obstacle!"
The blood-red blade pointed at the corpse on the floor. Hozumi Takuto had already experienced the full consequences of being a stumbling block on Tendō Kisara's path of revenge.
"I—!"
Satomi Rentarō was stung by her cold tone and form of address. He had thought he could make her see reason, but he never expected things to come to this.
Thinking about it, it was only natural. As a friend, to try and stop someone from avenging their parents' deaths... the fact that she hadn't cut him down on the spot was already a testament to their years of friendship.
So, should he continue to stop her? The issue of revenge had already been explained with perfect clarity by the god. Even with all his eloquence, he couldn't refute it.
The issue of her becoming a murderer was even more moot. Under the miracle of resurrection, almost all of human society's ethics and morals no longer applied.
So, what standing did he have left to stop her?
Looking at Su Mo behind her, Satomi Rentarō ultimately chose silence, watching as she walked past him, moving further and further away.
As she approached, even though she wasn't the target, the Seitenshi couldn't help but step back again. The remaining guards didn't dare say a word, shrinking into the corners, afraid of being noticed.
Only Tendō Kikunojō, the target of her revenge, remained calm in the murderous atmosphere. Watching his granddaughter walk towards him, his gaze was as calm as water, and he didn't retreat a single step.
"I was the one who ordered the killing of your parents!" he suddenly said, as she stopped and gripped the hilt of her sword.
No excuses, no regrets, no tears. He simply admitted his crime.
"But I will not apologize."
"I don't need your apology," Tendō Kisara said, her face cold. "I only need your life."
"My life, is it?" Tendō Kikunojō confirmed, then sat down on the floor like an old monk. He took a folding fan from his robes, placed it in front of him, then opened his kimono, pulling the collar down to his chest and exposing his neck completely.
"What are you doing?" she asked. This was clearly the posture for seppuku.
"You want my life, don't you? Then take it," he said, his old face as hard as cast iron. "In front of a god, I have no room to resist. There is no need for a pointless, ugly struggle."
As he spoke, he bowed his head deeply, prostrating himself in Su Mo's direction. It was both a bow of respect and a way to make it easier for her to strike.
"..."
Tendō Kisara was silent for a moment. She had never imagined that this old schemer would have such a magnanimous side when facing death. It was surprising.
"Don't think this will make me go soft," she said, drawing Yukikage. She stood to his side, gripping the sword with both hands, ready to strike.
In the face of such a deep-seated grudge, any posturing was futile.
"I would be disappointed if you did go soft," he said, his voice calm as he remained prostrated. "Since you were chosen by a god, you shouldn't be moved by fleeting emotions... but there's no point in saying that now. However, before I die, I have one last thing to say."
"You don't really think I'll listen to your last words, do you?" she sneered.
"Listen or not, it's up to you," he said, his tone unchanged. "What I want to say is, the descent of a god will affect the future of the entire world. As someone chosen by a god, your every word and deed can affect the fate of the world. If you still have a sliver of identification with this world, do not let it fall into ruin."
At the end of his life, this hawk-like old man was still thinking about the future of humanity.
"..."
Even Kisara was silent for a moment. Remembering the future Su Mo had shown her, she let out a short, ironic laugh. "Ha!"
"Hm?" For the first time, a hint of confusion appeared on Tendō Kikunojō's face. This was not the reaction he had expected.
The Seitenshi also looked over, confused. To be honest, she was quite moved by his final words. Even with their enmity, Kisara shouldn't be laughing at him at a time like this. From her earlier observations, she didn't seem to have such a malicious personality.
Beside them, Satomi Rentarō was faintly angry. He clenched his fists and demanded, "Miss Tendō, is there anything laughable about Aide Kikunojō's words?" A dying man's words are good. To laugh at him at this moment, he felt, was going too far.
"Of course it's laughable," Tendō Kisara said, shaking her head lightly, her gaze a mixture of pity and irony. "As a founder of humanity's inevitable doom, as one of the main culprits of humanity's extinction, your goal is to ensure humanity's continuation? There is nothing more ironic than that."
In the future Su Mo had shown...
If the Five Wings Association's anti-Varanium Gastrea experiment was the final piece of the apocalyptic puzzle, then the widespread discrimination and abuse of the Cursed Children under Tendō Kikunojō's influence was the initial spark.
And this man, in his final moments, was still concerned about humanity. Wasn't that like pulling the trigger on oneself?
At this moment, Tendō Kisara gained a deeper understanding of the concept that humanity would be destroyed by humanity itself.
"What do you mean? The future is destined for destruction? I'm the main culprit?" Hearing her words, everyone was stunned.
Tendō Kikunojō was completely bewildered, not understanding how he, who had always placed humanity above all else, had come to bear such a heavy responsibility.
But she had no intention of resolving his confusion.
Swish!
Thud!
With a flash of the sword, a basketball-sized object fell to the floor tiles.
Tendō Kikunojō was beheaded. Tendō Kisara's revenge was complete!
In less than a minute, two corpses now lay in this place accessible only to the highest echelons of power.
Under the Seitenshi's cautious instructions, the guards finally dared to move, gently collecting the bodies and hastily leaving the scene.
Only the Seitenshi and Satomi Rentarō remained, looking at Su Mo with grave expressions. They couldn't ignore what Tendō Kisara had just revealed.
Humanity's end is inevitable destruction?