Quickly filtering out the innocents in the city, Zeroy worked with Patchouli to move them aside.
The next instant, a crimson meteor slammed into the city.
From the falling star emerged a demon of flame. Wherever it passed, the souls of sinners ignited, burning away in Hellfire until nothing remained but black ash.
"Interesting."
After purging a city, Zeroy noticed no corpses or blood remained. Hellfire burned everything of the pests, even the blood that had spilled from their bodies. When it finished, all that was left was a faint layer of ash—souls consumed as well.
That gave Zeroy an idea.
At the next city, after evacuating innocents, she didn't rush inside. Instead, she unleashed her Hellfire across the sky above. Fire rained down. Yet, under her control, it burned only pests, leaving buildings untouched. In half an hour, the city was cleansed.
Unlike her past cleanings, which left cities half-ruined despite her care, this time the city stood whole—an empty shell, however, intact. Only pest ash remained, easily cleared away with magic winds. It was far superior to using Kagari's flame. Hellfire was now her best tool.
It made her task much easier. She could now choose any city to house survivors: rain fire, purge pests, or leave a pristine city behind. And with each use, she raised her Hellfire's proficiency—perhaps it would level up once she returned to the Main God Space.
However, she wasn't only using Hellfire.
At the horizon, it appeared—
A steel colossus descended from the heavens, towering outside the holy city. Its obsidian frame glowed with red-black radiance, blotting out the sun, casting infinite shadow. Not a god; instead, the incarnation of apocalypse, the hammer of judgment, a Revelation's herald of the end.
Black-red beams lanced from its eyes, spears of divine punishment, tearing through the city in an instant. Mountains crumbled, walls fell to dust, church bells silenced before they rang. Screams and prayers alike dissolved into ash and sulfurous haze, as if Satan himself had swept the holy city.
"God…" An old man clutched a broken cross in the rubble, tears streaking through blood and grime. "Why… why have You abandoned Your lambs?"
The beam swept again. Weapons melted into slag, prayers drowned beneath cries of despair. Silver coins and parchment scriptures were scattered in pools of blood. The holy light dimmed, replaced by crimson.
Kneeling believers recited hymns in desperation, while ignoring them, the colossus gazed coldly, without mercy, without salvation. Its silence was more terrifying than wrath. It was no judgment—only termination.
Every swing shattered hope. People burned, bodies charred or torn apart, crosses reduced to dust. True fear was not death, but the giant's silence—no ritual, no anger, only mechanical annihilation.
They realized then—this was not a divine trial, but divine absence. The gates of heaven had shut when the colossus descended. "God… how long will You forget Your people?" Perhaps this was punishment itself.
"Behold, I come quickly; My reward is with Me, to render to each as his work shall be."
"..."
"..."
"Phew…" In the ruins, Zeroy exhaled inside H.A.M.P.'s cockpit, utterly satisfied.
'Heehee, so fun! Giant robots are the best!'
The cockpit opened, Patchouli floating outside.
"You seem especially delighted this time. Did something happen?"
"Of course! How could piloting such a magnificent machine not be exhilarating?"
"..." Patchouli glanced at the hulking metal giant, wary. She didn't share Zeroy's excitement—only felt its menace.
As she studied it, she was suddenly pulled—Zeroy grabbed her hand and yanked her into the cockpit, into her arms.
"—!? Wh-what are you doing?!"
Caught off guard, Patchouli nearly cried out, pressed against Zeroy's chest.
"Come on, let's pilot a Gundam together! You'll love it! Who in this world doesn't love giant robots? No one, never!"
"No, I don't care for machines—" Patchouli was about to agree to try, curiosity overcoming her reluctance, though—too close!
"Just try, for me! I'll teach you~" Zeroy held her hand, clearly intending to guide her directly.
"It's single-pilot, but we're both slim. We can squeeze in. Worst case—you sit on my lap!"
...
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