Seeing Rentaro spill out a stream of words, both Kikunojou and Kisara wore expressions of disbelief.
"I didn't think you had an aptitude for politics."
"Just a little deduction."
Rentaro shook his head.
"Initially, you wanted to announce the terrorism of Hiruko Kagetane and Hiruko Kohina. The goal was to push the fear and resentment of the people toward the Cursed Children to the highest level. It's a pity that the information about those two was classified. That's why you had to resort to the last resort of summoning a Rank Five Gastrea."
Rentaro felt a headache talking about this.
Of the leaders of this new world, perhaps only Kikunojou genuinely hated the Gastrea to the bone, while others merely wanted to use the Gastrea to manipulate society and solidify their status. That's why Kikunojou went further and further down the wrong path. To the point that, eventually, Seitenshi also had to abandon him.
Even without the Silver King, Kikunojou would not be allowed to exist by the other factions. There was no exception for someone who intended to disrupt the order of humanity, even if that order was more rotten than ever.
"I... cannot forgive Seitenshi."
Kikunojou opened his mouth, his entire body slightly hunched. The head of the lion that once dominated the political battlefield... was truly old now.
"Can you two imagine it? The scene where they are accepted as human beings?"
"They possess power beyond human comprehension. If they can walk freely on the streets, we can only pray! Pray that they don't swell up and tear everyone to pieces!"
"Rentaro! Kisara! You two should understand this most of all! The accident ten years ago is the center of everything today."
The bloody scene from that day caused Kisara's pupils to involuntarily contract, and an uncontrollable killing intent leaked out. But a gentle hand was placed on the hilt of the sword at her hip.
It was Rentaro.
Kisara looked down and saw that his arm was also trembling continuously. Not out of fear, but from extreme restraint.
"Could you leave first, Kisara? Just leave this to me this time."
"Rentaro... he definitely won't listen to anything..."
"I'm begging you."
Kisara finally softened. She quietly turned and walked away.
And Kikunojou continued his relentless lecture.
"Thanks to technology, we have been able to contain the virus. But in the end, they will still transform into Gastrea and threaten the lives of innocent people."
"Seitenshi is just... too kind."
"You're wrong."
Rentaro retorted.
"She is a very important person to me. I have seen so much—her sadness, her joy, her hope, her despair. Even when surrounded by this cursed world, she is still ready to gift it a smile."
"And I don't think there's anything more human than that."
His eyes seemed to ignite, surprising Kikunojou. Since adopting him until now, Rentaro had always carried a despair hidden beneath his air of apathy.
No, the world shouldn't have eyes like that!
Seitenshi is like that, and you are like that too...
He turned his body, trying to hide his own loss of composure. He had to admit that, for an instant, his hatred had wavered.
"It seems you are both living in a world of your own."
"Perhaps so, but from now on, I will always strive to move forward."
"You keep calling Kisara the demon of hatred. But aren't you the same? A demon, a man imprisoned by hatred who can never move forward—isn't that you?"
"..."
"Thank you... and goodbye, Father."
The sound of footsteps appeared, and then grew more and more distant, leaving Kikunojou standing alone in the original spot, his eyes slightly vacant.
At the end of the corridor, Rentaro met Kisara again. Both unconsciously smiled.
Two people walked past each other, and two people met again.
...
"Oh, you finally came to see me?"
Sumire laughed, but her smile was somewhat unsettling due to how pale she was from staying too long in a basement full of corpses.
Asahi also felt helpless.
"I'll take you."
"Although I'm very curious how you'll do it, perhaps I should cover my eyes?"
Asahi nodded. After covering Sumire's eyes, he activated his teleportation device, bringing both of them down into the Silver King's Area.
When Sumire opened her eyes, she saw a large research center with all sorts of modern equipment and machinery, some of which she had never even seen before.
"Wow!!! Where did you get all this high-tech stuff!?"
"Quiet down, others are watching."
Asahi was helpless a second time.
Indeed, they weren't the only ones in the area; countless research staff were focused on their work. Seeing someone pointing and gesturing wildly, they curiously looked over, but upon seeing the Silver King next to her, they quickly bowed their heads, daring not to make any mistake.
Most of these people were "compensated" by the IISO; their loyalty was almost zero. Asahi was simply taking full advantage of their value.
The two of them walked into an observation room with a large glass panel overlooking a large chamber where a living Gastrea was fixed into a frame, unable to escape no matter how much it struggled.
"Activate it."
Asahi commanded.
Following his order, mechanical arms emerged from the wall, carrying a strange, octagonal device. Under the manipulation of the mechanical arms, the device was attached to the center of the Gastrea.
Sumire no longer appeared flippant, focusing her attention on the monitor.
As time passed, she saw the Gastrea gradually... calming down? No, more accurately, it was being weakened.
"What is this, some kind of new anti-Gastrea weapon?"
"Almost."
Asahi handed Sumire the detailed data sheet. Only upon seeing this did her expression change.
"This... how is this possible!?"
She saw the report before and after the device's installation: the concentration of the Gastrea Virus had decreased. That was why the Gastrea was showing such weakness, as the Gastrea Virus was the very root of its power.
"I see. This is the secret weapon you intend to use to save the children."
Asahi nodded, not denying it.
His idea was simple: because he saw the Gastrea Virus as very similar to a form of primal energy, was it possible to extract it and release it externally?
The Grim Reaper's scythe that claims the lives of the Cursed Children is the virus's erosion percentage. So, if he could ensure this rate never surpassed 50%, wouldn't that be the same as a cure?
Fortunately, he had finally succeeded.
"But this entire project is not yet complete."
"There must be a reason why the children can perfectly adapt to the existence of the Gastrea Virus without undergoing malicious transformation. That is the true antidote."
"What else do you plan to do?"
"I have a hypothesis, only a hypothesis. There is a root entity of the Gastrea, and that is the only missing attribute—the thing that makes the children different from those commonly infected with the Gastrea Virus."
"I call it... Genesis."