"It's all the Tokyo Area's fault! Why are we the ones being dragged into this?!"

"Go kill those people in the Tokyo Area! Wipe them out—we're innocent!"

"Damn it! Damn it! Those Tokyo bastards should all die! Just nuke Tokyo already!"

"Yeah! Flatten Tokyo—maybe that monster will die too! Level it all!"

"Bomb Tokyo! Even if that creature survives, maybe if everyone there is dead, that man will calm down!"

"We need to show that man that we're different from the beasts in Tokyo! What are our leaders doing? Bomb them now!"

Screams echoed endlessly.

Outside the Tokyo Area—

Nearly everyone turned their blame toward Tokyo.

And they all came to the same solution:

Destroy the Tokyo Area.

They believed it was all Tokyo's fault. That it was the people of Tokyo who voted for such an irrational outcome.

And yet, none of them ever stopped to consider—

If the exact same vote—

Had happened in their own districts—

Would it have passed?

...Heh.

What a joke.

In those other districts, no one had even dared propose the New Gastrea Law in the first place.

These people still didn't understand—What Haruto meant when he said they were expelled from humanity.

They had no concept of self-reflection.

And inside the Tokyo Area?

It wasn't much better.

The blame simply shifted to the government officials of Tokyo.

The Tokyo residents believed—

Everything was the fault of those politicians. They were the ones who forced them to hate the Cursed Children.

Forced them to vote against the law.

Everyone wanted to come out of this clean.

But it didn't matter.

Haruto never intended to find out whose fault it was.

He had already made up his mind:

All of you will die.

Tokyo Area, Crystal Palace, front courtyard.

Haruto patted the Gastrea beside him, now nearly fully infected by the Blacklight virus. It was done. Time to move on to the next location.

One outbreak was simply too slow.

Haruto didn't want to wait.

And just then, Rentaro Satomi came charging in again.

Who knew how he managed to crawl out of the wall?

Ah, right—

The Gastrea serum.

A prototype gifted by that doctor.

It gave a 90% chance of turning into a Gastrea. If it didn't, the subject would temporarily gain a Gastrea's healing ability—

And enhanced physical strength.

No wonder. That's a protagonist for you.

A 10% survival chance? He gambled it without hesitation.

"Mr. Haruto! Please stop! There are still good people in this world!"

Rentaro shouted.

Hearing that, Haruto nearly burst out laughing.

Good people?

Perhaps.

"Rentaro Satomi, what exactly are you fighting for now? For yourself? Or for the world?"

Haruto stopped walking.

He turned to look at Rentaro, who had passed through his phased body.

That question gave Rentaro pause.

But soon, he answered:

"For what I cherish…"

Haruto immediately cut him off.

"Who? Kisara Tendo? Then why didn't you go with her when she left Tokyo? Miori Shiba? Then why are you still here? Shouldn't you be rushing to her side? Tokyo isn't safe anymore. The Saint? No offense, but you're not qualified. You can't help her. Accept that.

Family? You have none. Loved ones? None. Then what's left? This bleak world?

By the way, all three of them will survive this destruction. So spare me your fake sentiment."

Every word was like a dagger to the heart.

Rentaro had never figured out what he truly wanted to protect.

Kisara Tendo was a dark avenger.

He couldn't walk into the darkness with her.

Nor could he stand in the light and pull her back.

Miori Shiba was a noble lady of brilliance.

He was just an unknown, low-ranking character.

Even with strength, he never tried to climb higher.

There would always be a gulf between them.

As for the Saintess…

There was nothing to say.

As Haruto's words hit him—Rentaro felt his world collapse.

These questions had always existed.

But no one had ever voiced them aloud.

Now they were laid out, bare and merciless.

Like a blade through the heart—

Twisting and grinding inside.

Even though his body had just healed—

Rentaro suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Seeing his state, Haruto could only shake his head with pity.

"Alright, Mr. Rentaro Satomi. It's time to face the truth: You're just a child who wants to be a hero. You lack the resolve and strength to match that dream. Yet you can't abandon it either. And so, tragedy will always surround you—While you… will never be able to do anything."

With that final statement—

Haruto turned around and walked toward a twisting space.

"Oh, by the way—if, after hearing all that, you still haven't given up—Then try to stop me."

And with that—

Haruto fully vanished into Kamui Space.

Rentaro stared at the spot where Haruto disappeared.

His chest was filled with pain—

His mouth tasted of iron and blood.

Why had it come to this?

He had never asked himself that before.

But now—

There was no time to think.

Center of the courtyard.

The Gastrea infected by the Blacklight Virus—

Had completed its evolution.

Its body didn't grow larger.

On the contrary—

It had become smaller.

But its body was already so twisted, it was no longer recognizable. It had almost become an unnameable entity.

Rising from the ground—This creature could no longer even be called a Gastrea.

It began walking toward the crowd nearby.

"Run!!"

Rentaro Satomi screamed.

And tried to move his body to stop the creature.

But then, something bizarre happened.

These people didn't run—they just stood there, frozen. Their faces were filled with terror. Some even lost control of their bladders.

And yet, despite such overwhelming fear—Not a single one of them moved. It was as if their bodies had been taken over. Some even began walking toward the monster.

That… was the Tomie trait.

The Blacklight Virus Haruto used this time was the full version—Containing all genetic traits Haruto had stored through his Blacklight Virus.

Among them—

Tomie's trait.

However, these people's cognition had already been distorted too deeply. Tomie's charm couldn't completely overwrite their thoughts.

So, here comes a bit of good news—

And an even better one.

The good news: Tomie's ability couldn't completely control their minds.

The even better news: While their minds remained conscious—Their nervous systems could still be overridden.

Which meant:

They retained full awareness—As they were torn apart alive.

They would fully experience the pain of dying—Rather than becoming zealots obsessed only with loving Tomie.

Finally—The first person was shredded.

Ironically, it was the same real estate executive who had backstabbed others at the Tokyo Tower.

His stomach was ripped open.

Blood splattered everywhere.

Gastrea, at their core, killed to consume humans.

But this Blacklight-infected creature?

Didn't eat.

It had inherited Titan genes—

And could absorb energy from sunlight—

A form of photosynthesis.

Its only purpose—

Was pure, unrestrained slaughter.

So, with no time wasted eating—Its kills became all the more efficient.

Rentaro forced his body to move again.

Charging at the monster.

"Tendou Style Martial Arts – Seventh Form!!"

This was Rentaro's strongest technique.

And yet, when it struck the monster—All it did was push it back slightly.

Its skin dented a little—Only for that dent to instantly regenerate.

Seeing this—

Rentaro fell into despair.

This monster—

Was on a completely different level than any enemy he'd ever faced.

He was certain…

He would die here.

That's what he thought—But then, the monster didn't even look at him. It continued slaughtering the others present.

As if Rentaro didn't even exist.

As if he were just air.

Logically—

A creature should first attack the threat that hurt it. But this monster didn't follow that instinct. Rentaro couldn't understand what he was seeing.

But one thing became clear to him:

He likely wasn't going to die.

Instead—

He would have to watch—

As the world fell,

As civilization was destroyed,

Until the very end.

And he would be powerless to stop it.