"You're finally back!"
After a day, Zeroy returned to the Black Bullet world with Patchouli. The Holy Child's worries vanished at the sight of them, replaced by joy.
Not only because the hope of the Gastrea Virus Serum rested with Zeroy, yet because by now, she sincerely believed that, though Zeroy's methods were extreme, only she could save this broken world.
"Holy Child… maybe you should rest?" Zeroy frowned at her condition. Already fragile with her melancholic, sickly beauty, a day of laboring to restore order and morale had nearly broken her. Now, she seemed ready to collapse with just a breeze.
"Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine. These are exceptional times; I must do my part."
The Holy Child smiled faintly. It was true joy.
Though Zeroy's purge had collapsed the Tokyo Area's government, she now held real power to achieve her ideals. Most survivors were those who supported her and the Cursed Children, and with Zeroy at her side, even dissenters obeyed out of fear.
Her ideals could now be realized, and that joy drove her, banishing fatigue. And truly, she couldn't rest—without order, chaos would spread and innocents suffer, forcing Zeroy to purge again.
"Hmm…" Zeroy studied her, then extended her senses, Mana veiling her eyes. She saw the truth: the Holy Child was on the verge of sudden death. Had she come half a day later, the girl would not have lived another twelve hours.
"You push too hard. I admire your effort; however, moderation matters. If you collapse, everything you want will be meaningless."
Rest might bring disorder; that said, sudden death would bring far worse.
"This was my fault too—I didn't think it through when I left. Here, drink this." Zeroy bought a red healing potion from the system and handed it over. The Holy Child, trusting her, drank it without hesitation. A sweet taste spread, and her fatigue vanished, her complexion blooming with life. Next, Zeroy gave her eight more potions.
"When you feel tired, drink one. It's a magic potion. It wipes away fatigue and most negative states, without the crash of coffee."
"Th… thank you!" She wavered, feeling it was too precious; regardless, she couldn't refuse—not while the survivors still needed her. She accepted the potions.
"No need to thank me. If anything, I should thank you. You're handling this world's aftermath for me—that's a huge help."
"This is my duty." The Holy Child was glad for Zeroy's recognition, though ashamed. As ruler, she bore blame for the collapse; if she'd done better, Zeroy's purge wouldn't have been needed.
"Come on, cheer up."
"—!" Lost in thought, she felt a gentle pat on her head. Then a soft caress.
"What's past is past. You've done well. I need you, the children need you, the innocents need you. So hold your head high and keep going."
For the first time, she was treated so tenderly. She locked up until Zeroy's words shone like sunlight through her heart.
Her lips quivered, "...Thank you."
Zeroy withdrew her hand, giving her shoulder an encouraging pat. "Stay strong. I'll finish off the pests."
"..."
'Ah… my light… gone already?'
···
After checking Tokyo's state, Zeroy rushed to other cities still uncleansed. She was eager to test her new power on the pests. In the Main God Space, she hadn't felt much difference.
Albeit in real combat, she noticed the change immediately. Like her probe into the Holy Child's condition—before, she couldn't. Before, her grasp of power was shallow, relying on Patchouli. Now, it came to her instinctively.
It was the difference between using a learned skill with fixed moves and freely recombining skills at will.
And her encouragement to the Holy Child hadn't been just pretty words. At her return, she had checked the survivors' situation.
The Holy Child had managed admirably: calming people, gathering them, and recruiting Cursed Children. With their help, her reputation, and Zeroy's deterrence, she had rapidly assembled a provisional government. It maintained order, suppressed chaos, and stabilized Tokyo.
In just one day, despite fear, doing most of the work, her contribution in soothing hearts was critical. Without that, fear alone would have paralyzed people or driven them mad.
...
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