Zeroy's purpose, why she appeared here, and her relationship with those three connected to the former Red Dragon Emperor—Rias had many doubts, and all of them were important, not to be ignored.
"I understand you must have a lot of questions, and I have nothing to hide, so let me think where to begin…"
"Mm… let's start with purpose and reason. We're collecting Sacred Gears and challenging strong opponents everywhere. We only came here because we sensed the group that attacked you earlier."
"They come from the same place as us and share the same goals, only their methods differ."
"They are far more unrestrained, willing to use any means to achieve their ends, and they are pests."
"Right, pests can simply be understood as bad people, evil ones—those who persecute the innocent, break laws, disrupt order, and act against virtue. Anyone who does such things counts as a pest."
"For example, a simple scenario—if a pest needs money, they will casually kill an innocent person at random and take their money."
"A normal person, however, will choose a way to get money without harming others, or by harming a pest to obtain money. Some might say this is still a crime, but pests don't count as people; they have no rights, so it's fine."
"We and they are in absolute opposition. When they find us, they attack immediately to cut down competitors."
"When we find them, we're glad to draw blades and cut them down, purging such pests."
"I see…"
Rias thought for a moment, then asked:
"What do you think of devils?"
In her view, Zeroy's definition of pests was essentially the common measure of good and evil.
Nonetheless, if one spoke of common views, then in the eyes of the masses, devils were unquestionably evil beings.
"Generally speaking, I have no problem with them. Blind prejudice doesn't affect my judgment. Wrongdoing is wrongdoing, lawlessness is lawlessness—no words will change that."
"Most devils aren't a problem. As for the small number of scum, you yourselves punish them, don't you? Maybe just a bit too lightly."
Devils made contracts with humans and could reincarnate humans into devils as their followers. Anyway, these were with consent, or after death.
That wasn't an issue, so long as no deception or coercion was involved.
On that point, there was no need to worry. The devils of this world weren't as simple as those of some slice-of-life anime, but they were much more honest.
Most devils Zeroy had met weren't pests. The ones who were, she cut down without hesitation.
The real problem was with degenerates like that stray devil she had encountered earlier.
The devil race also punished such degenerates. But if the scum was a pureblood devil, or even the sole heir of a house, then if they were killed, the lineage would end.
So, for the sake of the devils' overall strength and continuity, punishment was often reduced.
In non-extreme cases, they might not even be killed.
That was very bad.
Once she had the power to carry out a purge, Zeroy would deal with such ones.
"I see… I understand."
Rias truly did feel relieved.
Those who wielded Longinus often left their mark on history, since they almost always grew to great strength.
Especially the one before her—already standing at a great height, and wielding the Boosted Gear. Though not the highest-ranked Longinus, it was often one to leave a bold mark in history.
Her future would surely be extraordinary. Even her words and actions could influence many things, entangle her in great events, shift the balance.
To be targeted by her was no small matter for the devils.
Indeed, the entire devil race might suffer a grave impact.
And then…
"Pests… since you use that word, Miss Zeroy, could it be that you're the Blond Killer?"
"The Blond Killer?"
Rias briefly explained the recent rumors.
"That was me."
Zeroy nodded in admission, but then puffed her cheeks slightly in dissatisfaction.
"Though Blond Killer… that nickname is awful. Couldn't they come up with something nicer? It makes me sound like some small fry."
Still, despite her grumbling, Zeroy did feel a thought stir in her heart.
Perhaps she needed to be more discreet…
She wanted to kill pests, would love nothing more than to pilot a Gundam and begin a grand purge.
However, her strength wasn't enough yet. If she forced it, not only might she die midway, but then there'd never be another chance to wipe out the pests.
Lack of strength meant resistance grew, meant things could go awry.
The less control she had over events, the greater the risk.
If successful, fine. But if she failed, the consequences could outweigh the pests' harm.
Scheming endlessly was less effective than a heaven-sent inspiration.
At that point, would it be saving innocents, or amplifying their suffering?
A war could rescue countless in misery.
Albeit if both sides were evenly matched, or worse, if they were weaker, a prolonged war would devastate the people.
A sharp blade could swiftly excise rotting flesh.
That said, a rusted, dull knife would not only cause unbearable agony but might kill the patient on the table.
Of course, specifics depended on circumstances. Sometimes a dull knife had to be used—because there was no other choice, and to do nothing was death.
In general, unless it was a special case, Zeroy leaned toward patience and growth.
If ability was lacking, strengthen it first. Don't force what you can't do.
As the saying goes—if you don't have the right tools, don't take the job.
Grow quietly, then suddenly crush all pests—that was the right way.
So yes, she'd restrain herself somewhat. Anyhow, only somewhat. For her not to kill pests at all was impossible and unnecessary.
"To think Miss Zeroy really is the one from the rumors…"
Rias finally spoke again, her expression complicated.
...
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