Rentaro Satomi suddenly realized the situation in the room was taking a bad turn. He instantly grew vigilant, his muscles tensing as he entered a combat-ready state.
"To be honest, it's surprising you've managed to survive this long. After all, this is an apocalyptic world. As the saying goes, 'in the apocalypse, kill the bleeding-heart hypocrites first.' Someone like you should have been the very first to get wiped out, right?" Ren Isana was practically dying of laughter.
*I knew this guy was a naive hypocrite, but I didn't expect him to be this bad. Where does this misplaced sense of pity even come from? Does he think acting like this makes him look cool?*
"I apologize, I shouldn't have brought him!" Kisara Tendo hurriedly bowed her head. She knew this idiot had ruined things. This was such a perfect opportunity, yet this bastard actually had the nerve to spout such nonsense?
"Asagi, come here. Show this bleeding-heart saint the evidence of their crimes!" Ren Isana glanced at Kisara before calling out to Asagi Aiba.
Hearing Ren's request, Asagi clicked her tongue impatiently. "Ugh, why do we even need to bother with a guy like this? To keep him from causing trouble, we should just break his legs. Let's finish dealing with our business first."
Despite her complaints, she still pulled up the files detailing the atrocities committed by the higher-ups and turned her laptop screen outward. To make it easier for them to read, she even set the document to auto-scroll.
Ren was amused by Asagi's ruthless suggestion. However, simply breaking his legs would be letting him off too easily. Ren wasn't going to let him go that simply. To prevent the guy from interfering, Ren felt it was necessary to take certain measures.
Rentaro's expression darkened when he heard Asagi's threat, but his eyes were inevitably drawn to the evidence of corruption scrolling across her screen.
After reading the contents, his face turned ugly, and he immediately retorted, "Who knows if this is even real? It's entirely possible you fabricated this information just to achieve your own goals."
He stubbornly clung to his own beliefs. If these people were casually talking about massacring everyone, what was stopping them from making all this up? He couldn't trust a word of it!
In his eyes, there was no way the adults in charge would commit such heinous acts. It had to be fake—a complete fabrication by the people standing in front of him. It was simply impossible, especially when it came to Kikunojo Tendo, a man he respected beyond measure!
Hearing his declaration, several people in the room chuckled. Kisara's face, however, turned terrifyingly dark. Sitting beside her, Miori Shiba's mouth twitched. *What kind of idiot is this? How can he actually say something so stupid?*
Even Seitenshi wanted to say something, but she didn't know where to start. *Who is this person? Why would they bring someone like him here?* The young ruler felt deeply exasperated.
"Right, right, it's all fake. Whatever you want to believe is the truth. After all, in the eyes of a self-righteous saint, whatever they cling to is always right," Ren said, mockingly validating the boy's delusion before his tone turned ice-cold. "Since that's the case... you've learned our secrets, which means we can't let you leave."
"Should I eliminate him?" Ais spoke up at that moment. She had already drawn her weapon; with a single word from Ren, she would cut the boy down without hesitation.
Seeing this, Rentaro immediately sensed the lethal danger. He hurriedly shouted toward Kisara, "Kisa—"
"Don't call my name. I don't know you!" Before he could even finish, Kisara's voice cut him off. She stood up from the sofa, turning to glare at Rentaro with a chillingly dark expression.
Rentaro froze when he saw the absolute apathy in her eyes. Kisara had never looked at him like that before. He was completely stunned.
"Rentaro, are you trying to stop me from getting my revenge?" Kisara asked flatly, her face devoid of warmth.
"Even so, you can't just slaughter innocent people! Lord Kikunojo would never do such things! These people are definitely framing him!!" Rentaro stubbornly doubled down, clinging to his naive ideals.
Hearing that answer, Kisara finally understood. So this was the kind of person he had always been. Today, she saw him for what he truly was. Even if this current situation hadn't happened, the moment she finally found a chance to take her revenge, he probably would have stepped in to stop her anyway, wouldn't he?
At that thought, Kisara's expression turned completely frigid. She looked at him as if he were a total stranger. Her voice was like ice. "Are you saying that these people conspired with Seitenshi just to frame him? Are you saying that despite all the damning things they've done, they are somehow innocent? Are you saying that him murdering my parents is also a fabrication?"
Kisara had seen it clearly just moments ago. The data Asagi displayed explicitly detailed how her parents had planned to expose the Tendo family's embezzlement, which led to them being targeted and ultimately murdered by an orchestrated Gastrea attack.
The files even outlined exactly how the incident was engineered. And Rentaro was saying it was all fake? At that moment, Kisara laughed. When a person is pushed past the point of speechlessness, all they can do is laugh.
Hearing her words, Rentaro opened his mouth, but the only thing he could manage to spit out was, "There might be some misunderstanding here. Shouldn't we investigate this thoroughly first?"
"Why are you even wasting your breath on him, Class Rep? Let's just off this hypocrite and be done with it," Sora snapped, her temper flaring. Standing nearby, she lunged forward and delivered a vicious flying kick. Before Rentaro could even react, he was sent flying across the room.
Rentaro never expected these people to attack so decisively, nor did he anticipate such terrifying speed. His entire body was launched through the air. However, Sora felt that something was off.
"Pretty tough, huh? There's something weird about this guy!" *The impact felt wrong. Instead of hitting flesh, it felt like I just kicked a slab of solid steel!*
The airborne Rentaro was sent hurtling straight toward Ais. Facing the incoming boy, Ais simply drew her sword and slashed.
Suddenly launched into the air, Rentaro's pupils shrank as he saw the blonde girl draw her blade to cut him down without a shred of hesitation. His prosthetic eye began calculating frantically. Twisting his body mid-air, he raised his right arm, attempting to use his prosthetic limb to block the girl's strike.
It was the optimal defensive maneuver he could calculate in that split second. However, the moment he raised his arm to block, his prosthetic limb proved as fragile as paper. Ais's sword cleanly severed the arm, completely ignoring the specialized materials it was forged from.
The blade then bit mercilessly into his shoulder, sending blood spraying into the air. Rentaro couldn't comprehend how his state-of-the-art prosthetic had been sliced through like wet tissue paper.
*Clang! Thud!* First came the sound of the severed mechanical arm hitting the floor, followed immediately by the heavy thud of Rentaro crashing hard against the ground. Blood instantly dyed the villa's floor red.
Seitenshi, Miori Shiba, and the others were dumbfounded by the brutal scene. Seitenshi, in particular, had never witnessed such raw violence before; she jumped to her feet in sheer terror.
Before Kisara could even process what was happening, Rentaro was already bleeding out on the floor. Sora and Ais had moved far too fast. From the flying kick to Ais drawing her sword and slashing, the entire exchange had taken less than two seconds.
"Hiss... Ais, wasn't that a bit too fast?" Sora winced at the sight. *Good lord, Ais's movements are way too clean and ruthless, aren't they?*
Hearing Sora's comment, Ais replied with a completely calm expression, "He's not dead. Don't worry, I held back."
If she had wanted to, Ais could have easily sliced him perfectly in half the moment he flew toward her. The gap in their strength was simply too massive.
Looking down at Rentaro lying on the floor, Ren's eyes showed no emotion whatsoever. He snapped his fingers. The next second, a [Magic Circle] materialized beneath Rentaro, instantly teleporting him away.
The spilled blood vanished along with him. Witnessing this firsthand, Kisara's pupils contracted. *What was that? Magic? The kind of thing that only exists in anime?*
"Who exactly are you people?" Kisara no longer had the mental capacity to care about Rentaro. The moment he tried to stop her revenge, they became strangers.
The murder of one's parents was an irreconcilable blood feud. To achieve her vengeance, she was willing to sacrifice everything. A boy whose true colors she had finally seen meant nothing to her anymore; whether he lived or died was no longer her concern.
Right now, she was far more curious about Ren and his group. What kind of existence were these people? Judging from how casually they had just attacked, it was obvious their origins were anything but ordinary.
Faced with Kisara's question, Ren didn't feel like explaining everything a second time. He looked over at Miori and said, "Explain it to her properly. We're going to need her help moving forward."
With that, Ren went back to playing on his phone. Seeing this, Miori had no choice but to explain Ren's origins to Kisara, detailing how this group hailed from another world and outlining their upcoming plans.
As for Rentaro, Ren had dumped him straight into the slums. Whatever happened to him next was none of Ren's business. If he was lucky, some kind soul might take him to a hospital. If he was unlucky...
It wouldn't be surprising if a soft, pampered kid like him ran into some serious trouble. Add in his high-tech prosthetic limbs and eye, which were likely worth a fortune, and he was basically a massive gift package dropped from the sky for the starving denizens of the slums.
No one in the room cared about Rentaro's fate. A bleeding-heart hypocrite like him wasn't worth their time. After all, Ren and his classmates shared the same core values—they absolutely despised self-righteous saints.
After listening to Miori's thorough explanation, Kisara finally understood the full scope of the situation. She stared at Ren and the others in sheer disbelief. She truly hadn't expected this.
These people were actually from another world, and they were preparing to execute a massive coup. Tonight, all the higher-ups—including the Tendo family—would be purged.
Taking a deep breath, Kisara realized exactly what Ren needed her to do. Without a second of hesitation, she stood up and bowed deeply. "I am willing to serve you!"
*As long as you help me get my revenge, I will do absolutely anything—even if it means plunging into the abyss!!*
Kisara's desire for vengeance had been burning since she was a child. As she grew older, that hatred only grew stronger. No matter the price, she would have her revenge!!
She had witnessed her parents' deaths with her own eyes, and she had also lost her left eye, right arm, and right leg. This deep-seated hatred made her want to slaughter every last one of them.
Ren looked at Kisara and slowly said, "That's just a bonus. What I want is for you to take over everything the Tendo family owns. After all, your last name is Tendo. When the time comes, you'll be the logical successor to inherit it all, won't you?"
Once she inherited the Tendo family's assets, she could use them to assist Ren's group. Even though many of the people associated with the Tendo family would be purged, the remaining resources would still be highly useful.
The Tendo family was deeply rooted in this city. Sometimes, a prestigious name was more effective than anything else. When the new head of the Tendo family publicly supported Seitenshi's administrative policies, the subordinates wouldn't dare utter a word of complaint.
"Understood!" Kisara agreed without any objections. Her eyes filled with a chilling frost. *Kikunojo Tendo, Kazumitsu Tendo... your time is up!*
Seeing her agree, Ren nodded. He glanced at Kisara, thought for a moment, and then called out to Mahiru Shiina. "Mahiru, come here. See if you can do anything about her physical condition."
She was a partner now, so it was only right to give her some benefits. Healing her body was a good start, and it would also serve as a perfect opportunity to test the limits of Mahiru's talent.
Ren was quite curious about this. Didn't he just find a perfect test subject? After all, Kisara looked perfectly fine on the outside, but her body was already riddled with severe internal damage.
Especially her kidneys—she was only surviving through regular dialysis. Her condition was absolutely terrible. Since she was going to be useful in the future, he couldn't just let her die so easily.
Hearing Ren's call, Mahiru put down the book she was reading and walked over. She had seen everything that just happened, but she could only conclude that the boy had brought it upon himself.
Even someone as kind-hearted as her had no sympathy for a guy like Rentaro. Especially when he kept opening his mouth to preach about not killing the innocent—it was an absolute joke.
If they were talking about innocence, who could possibly be more innocent than those Cursed Children? Yet, what had those people done to them? She had read the list of crimes. Even if every single one of those corrupt officials died, she wouldn't feel a shred of pity.
The boy seemed kind and well-meaning, but that was only in his own delusional mind. He was completely blind to reality, genuinely believing that everyone else was wrong and only he was right!
Mahiru arrived at Ren's side. She took one look at Kisara and couldn't help but frown. "Miss... your body is in terrible shape. I really don't know how you've managed to hold on. Doesn't it hurt?"
With just a single glance, she could see the severity of Kisara's condition. She must be in constant, agonizing pain. It was a miracle she was still standing.
Hearing Mahiru's words, Kisara replied in a low, raspy voice, "Only the pain keeps me from forgetting my hatred. It's the only thing that reminds me that I must get my revenge!!"
If the pain disappeared, what if she forgot her hatred? This physical agony was nothing compared to the burning need for vengeance.
Mahiru fell silent at her response. She didn't press the issue any further and simply said, "Please lie back. As for your condition... I'll do my best. I don't know if I can completely heal your body."
Hearing this, Kisara immediately refused. "There's no need. I'm already used to it. Besides, I'm about to get my revenge, so I don't care about my body anymore!"
To Kisara, none of it mattered anymore. As long as she could get her revenge, she didn't care if she didn't live to see tomorrow. As long as she could watch her enemies die with her own eyes, so what if she died right after them?
"That won't do, Miss Tendo. If you die, it'll interfere with our plans. So, follow orders!" Ren immediately voiced his displeasure. *Are you kidding me? You're actually thinking about dying?*
Ren wasn't going to allow that. This was the workhorse he had personally selected. If she died, who was going to manage the Cursed Children relocation project? How were they going to gather the children and send them off?
Therefore, nothing could happen to Kisara right now. Even after Ren and the others left this world, she had to stay alive. After all, people from their world would definitely be coming over in the future, and they would need a reliable local contact to assist them!
"Excuse me." Kisara was still looking bewildered by Ren's words when Mahiru's voice suddenly rang out. The next moment, Kisara felt a gentle push and instinctively lay back against the sofa.
Then, she saw it—a green [Magic Circle] lit up in the delicate girl's hands and descended onto her body. As the [Magic Circle] took effect, Kisara instantly felt a warm, soothing sensation spread through her. The chronic pain in her kidneys was slowly fading away?
Feeling the change, Kisara's pupils shrank in shock. *Is the effect really this good? Or is magic from another world just this absurdly powerful?*
In addition to that, Kisara also felt an itching sensation in her eye, right arm, and right leg, as if something was squirming beneath the surface. The bizarre feeling left her completely stunned.
Unable to hold back his curiosity, Ren stood up and walked over to observe. The others also turned their attention to Kisara, their sharp eyes quickly noticing the changes happening to her body.
Her internal organs were currently restructuring and healing. Her severely overdrawn body was slowly returning to a healthy state. Watching this, Ren stroked his chin. Mahiru's power was even greater than he had imagined.
And this was just Mahiru using an Intermediate Magic spell—the [Healing Magic] she had learned from Miach's grimoire. Yet it was already capable of achieving this level of restoration?
If Mahiru learned Advanced [Healing Magic], just how far could she go? It was a shame they hadn't managed to learn resurrection magic back in DanMachi. It seemed he would definitely need to look into acquiring it in the future!