Izumi landed softly on the scorched earth.
Avrora came hopping toward him with bright eyes full of expectation.
"Nee, nee, Izumi—what are we doing next?"
Now that the situation here had been resolved, she seemed eager for the next step.
Izumi shot her a glance.
"Obviously, we continue searching for the remaining Cursed Children."
"I said I would take all of them with me."
"And I keep my promises."
Just as he finished speaking, a woman stepped out from behind a pile of collapsed rubble.
She wore a kimono, though it was torn and scorched. A folding fan rested in her hand, and her gaze carried a sharp, composed confidence despite her disheveled state.
"If it pleases you, sir," she said, "would you allow me to guide you?"
Izumi turned toward the voice.
A beautiful woman stood a short distance away—clearly one of the survivors, given her damaged clothing.
Izumi raised an eyebrow.
"Shiba Miori?"
"So you're still alive. Interesting. Are you sure you want to help me?"
"After all, I did just destroy your home."
Miori smiled lightly, unfazed.
"It was nothing more than a nest of hypocrites and filth."
"I don't care for them."
"Compared to the world you come from, this place is filled with nothing but despair."
Izumi paused.
What she just said… implied she knew more than she should.
Miori chuckled softly at his reaction.
"I once visited your world by accident," she admitted. "Though I was thrown back almost immediately, I learned enough."
"A world of supernatural beings, incredible powers, and real gods… Ever since then, I've never been able to forget it."
This was a secret she had never revealed to anyone.
Years ago, she had slipped into Izumi's world—only for a few hours—but those few hours had left a deep impression.
She didn't know why it happened, but she understood that that place was not her world.
Similar, yet far more mystical and dangerous—but also immeasurably brighter than the despair-filled world she lived in now.
So when Izumi suddenly appeared in this world, she realized the truth:
The gateway between worlds had reopened.
And with it, her chance to return.
Thus, she had hurried toward him, eager to establish a connection.
But the moment she stepped out of the city—
Izumi had already annihilated it.
Though she felt a bit complicated about the timing, she didn't truly mind.
She had long since grown disillusioned with this world and its people.
As the heiress of Shiba Heavy Industries, the largest weapons manufacturer in the region, she knew exactly how rotten the government was.
Given a chance to leave this hopeless world—why would she stay?
Izumi listened to her speech quietly.
She was similar to Tōsaka Rin, who had also briefly entered another world by accident.
So the phenomenon of "world collisions" wasn't new.
No wonder Izumi's home world had records of foreign pathogens slipping in from parallel realms.
Miori had indeed experienced a crossing.
And now she was openly trying to earn his favor.
Her goal was obvious—escape.
Izumi nodded to himself.
Judging by her attitude, she had little to no connection to the protagonist he had slain earlier.
Which made things simpler.
He spoke decisively:
"Avrora, go with her."
"If anyone tries to stop you—kill them."
"If a child refuses to come—knock her out."
"And bring all of them into the inner world."
As he said that, Izumi placed his hand on Avrora's head and granted her partial authority over his inner world.
With this, she could send the rescued girls inside by herself.
Since Scathach and Artoria had gained full entry rights by merging their respective forces into his world, Izumi could freely grant similar permissions.
Feeling the bond link her to an entire world, Avrora's eyes sparkled.
"Ooooh… such divine power!"
"I shall retrieve the remaining children at once!"
She turned to Miori.
Miori instantly understood what to do.
She pulled out her phone and made a short call. Moments later, a helicopter flew in from the wilderness beyond the city perimeter.
Izumi blinked.
This girl came prepared.
Her family helicopter had been waiting outside the city?
Had she already set up bases in the wilderness?
That was… impressive.
She must have known something catastrophic would happen here and arranged an escape route long beforehand.
As Avrora boarded the helicopter with Miori and departed, Izumi watched thoughtfully.
Then he exhaled and dismissed the thought.
If someone competent was willing to help, things would simply move faster.
All he had to do now was wait.
As for Shiba Miori… he felt no particular attraction.
Kimono-clad beauties were nice, but he already had plenty at home, each one stunning in their own way.
Whatever the future held, he didn't particularly care.
Besides, this world had already connected to his own.
Before long, people from this dying civilization would flow into his world as well.
How many would survive that transition… only fate knew.
Once all the Cursed Children were gathered, Izumi planned to unleash his ultimate cleansing.
He felt no fondness for this world or its people.
There might be a few good individuals—but in an avalanche, no single snowflake is innocent.
Some people he knew personally would be allowed to live.
As for the rest?
He had no idea whether they were good or evil.
If they survived, they were lucky.
If they didn't, that was simply their fate.
When the forces of the DxD world entered this realm, they could rescue however many they wanted.
Izumi wouldn't bother to interfere.
For now, his priority was simple:
The Cursed Children were the only treasure worth saving.
Everyone else could die for all he cared.
Leaving the traumatized survivors to stare blankly at the burning ruins, Izumi walked to a quiet spot and sat down to wait for Avrora's return.
The survivors, meanwhile, gazed at the city—now a roaring inferno—with hollow eyes.
For them, everything had ended.
Their final refuge was gone.
Ahead lay only the endless threat of Gastrea.
Hopelessness consumed them.
Several people collapsed to their knees and committed suicide on the spot.
Death seemed kinder than what awaited them.
Izumi watched without emotion.
If they died, they died.
No one dared approach him now.
So he sat comfortably on a chunk of debris…
And quietly stroked the heads of the small rescued girls who huddled near him.