"Gojo, now really isn't the time to be discussing this, is it?"
Seeing the conversation drifting off topic, Rentaro Satomi hurried over. His brow was tightly furrowed, and there was an anxious look on his face.
He couldn't understand how Gojo and Sumire Muroto could still have the time to discuss researching Stage 5 Gastrea at a moment like this.
"Huh? What's wrong?"
Gojo turned around and looked at Rentaro innocently, as though he had no idea what was happening.
"We've dealt with the target, but the thing we're looking for is gone."
Rentaro didn't know the exact details concerning the relics from Nanase Village, but he knew what their most important objective had been.
His voice was heavy with concern, and his heart seemed to rise into his throat.
The briefcase containing the device capable of attracting a Stage 5 Gastrea was missing.
If that briefcase fell into Kagetane Hiruko's hands, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"Shouldn't our top priority right now be finding the missing item?"
He looked at Gojo anxiously, hoping the man would take the matter seriously.
Gojo rubbed his chin and gazed into the distance.
His eyes settled on the mountains and forests far away, as though he were thinking about something, yet that carefree smile remained on his face.
"You're right about that."
After a moment, he finally spoke in his usual calm tone.
"But the thing we're looking for doesn't have a tracking device on it. Now that the Gastrea is dead, where are we supposed to look?"
Gojo spread his hands, leaving Rentaro speechless.
He had a point.
Rentaro opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately couldn't think of anything to answer.
This wasn't Tokyo, enclosed within the Monoliths, where the search area was limited.
Tokyo had a sophisticated surveillance system. As long as the target appeared within the monitored area, it could be located quickly.
But this was the wilderness, occupied by Gastrea, with vast stretches of dense forest and abandoned buildings everywhere.
The area was enormous. No one knew where that man would run after stealing the item.
Kagetane Hiruko was meticulous and secretive. Since he had dared to steal the relic in advance, he must have prepared thoroughly and wouldn't leave behind any obvious clues.
As far as he was concerned, simply attracting a Stage 5 Gastrea was enough.
He didn't need to go anywhere specific. He could find any place, open the briefcase, and release the signal.
No matter which direction the Gastrea came from, Tokyo would be placed under an enormous threat. If they failed to deal with it properly, the result could be nothing short of destruction.
Once a Stage 5 Gastrea was drawn toward Tokyo, the entire Tokyo Area would face annihilation. Countless people would lose their lives, and humanity's last hope would disappear along with them.
"Don't think so much about it."
Gojo patted Rentaro on the shoulder, his tone light and reassuring.
His palm was broad and warm, giving Rentaro a strange sense of security.
"Since the thing is gone, let's prepare to deal with the Stage 5 Gastrea."
"It's not like no one has ever killed a Stage 5 Gastrea before. We don't need to worry about it that much, do we?"
Gojo spoke with complete ease, as though a Stage 5 Gastrea were nothing more than a slightly larger wild animal.
The Rentaro and the other Civil Security contractors standing nearby, however, didn't look nearly as relaxed.
Their expressions were grim, their eyes filled with worry and fear. None of them could face the threat of a Stage 5 Gastrea with the same casual attitude as Gojo.
Gojo wasn't worried because he possessed overwhelming strength.
He had enough confidence to deal with any danger with ease. Even a Stage 5 Gastrea posed no threat to him.
They were different.
They were ordinary Civil Security contractors with limited strength. Against a Stage 5 Gastrea, they wouldn't have the slightest chance of fighting back. All they could do was wait for death.
If what Gojo was talking about actually happened, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The entire Tokyo Area could be destroyed. Their families, their friends, everyone they cared about could lose their lives in the disaster.
"So what do we do now? Are we really going to leave just like this?"
One of the younger Civil Security contractors couldn't help asking. There was a trace of despair in his voice.
His face was filled with disappointment, his eyes helpless. He couldn't accept that after coming all the way here and working so hard, they might have to return empty-handed.
"Shouldn't we at least search the surrounding area?"
Shouma Nagisawa also hesitated before speaking.
His brow furrowed as he struggled with the decision. This concerned the survival of Tokyo, so surely they should at least search the immediate area. Otherwise, abandoning the search without even trying felt wrong.
Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance of success, they couldn't give up.
"If you want to look, then go ahead."
Gojo shrugged indifferently.
"I'll wait here for you."
As he spoke, Gojo tilted his chin toward the side.
A foul wind swept rapidly toward them, carrying the thick stench of Gastrea bodily fluids and making everyone's clothes whip violently in the breeze.
A massive figure burst from the forest and landed heavily on the ground with a dull thud.
It was Tiger Funeral, the Shikigami that had been clearing out Gastrea around the perimeter.
Its body was still covered in Gastrea bodily fluids and severed limbs. Its fur was disheveled, and its cold eyes radiated a killing intent that sent chills through everyone who saw it.
It walked over to Gojo and respectfully lowered its head, waiting for his command.
"This guy will do his best to keep you safe, as long as you don't wander too far."
Gojo pointed at Tiger Funeral as he spoke to the group.
His tone was casual, but his confidence left no room for doubt. With Tiger Funeral here, they wouldn't be in any danger as long as they didn't stray too far on their own.
Hearing that, the Civil Security contractors quickly spread out in every direction.
They divided themselves into small teams, covering one another as they cautiously searched the surrounding forest.
Every face was grim. Their eyes remained fixed on their surroundings, and they gripped their weapons tightly, ready to respond to any sudden threat.
If not for their responsibility and the importance of the mission, who would willingly search through a place this dangerous?
Gastrea were everywhere, and danger could appear at any moment. One careless mistake could cost them their lives.
But under the circumstances, they had no choice.
They were Civil Security contractors. Protecting Tokyo and protecting humanity was their responsibility and their duty. They couldn't simply give up.
Even though Gojo spoke about Stage 5 Gastrea with complete confidence, everyone knew how terrifying their strength was. A creature capable of effortlessly destroying a small country was not something anyone wanted to face.
If there was a way to prevent this disaster, that was undoubtedly the best possible outcome.
As he watched everyone disperse, Gojo turned toward the only two people who had remained behind.
One was a blond man carrying a massive sword, accompanied by his Initiator.
Shogen Ikuma leaned against a large tree with his arms crossed over his chest. His massive sword rested against his side, while a face covering concealed his expression.
Kayo Senju stood beside him, holding a tablet in her hands as her fingers moved rapidly across the screen. It was impossible to tell what she was looking at.
"Aren't you two going to search for the mission item?"
Gojo asked curiously.
Out of all the Civil Security contractors, this was the only pair that had stayed behind instead of joining the search, which naturally caught his attention.
"There's no point."
Kayo looked up at Gojo and answered calmly.
"The wounds on the Gastrea were already enough to tell us a great deal."
Her expression remained completely blank, and her eyes were as calm as still water, as though everything had already been within her expectations.
"Since the mission item has been lost, the enemy won't make it easy for us to find."
"Kagetane Hiruko is meticulous and cautious. Since he dared to make his move in advance, he must have already erased every trace. Even if we searched this entire mountain range, we wouldn't find a single clue."
"Rather than searching blindly like headless flies, it would be better to use satellites to observe the movements of the other Stage 5 Gastrea. We can use their movements to determine the general direction of the mission item."
She lightly tapped the tablet.
A world map immediately appeared on the screen, several red points marked across it. They represented the locations of the known Stage 5 Gastrea.
"If we can find it before the enemy reaches the target, then everyone wins. If we can't, we'll have no choice but to prepare for a confrontation with a Stage 5 Gastrea."
"However, based on my analysis, the latter possibility is much higher. At this point, all we can hope for is that the Stage 5 Gastrea isn't too close to Tokyo. Otherwise, we may not have enough time to respond effectively."
Kayo spoke at an unhurried pace, her reasoning clear and precise. Every sentence addressed the heart of the matter, leaving no room for argument.
Looking at the girl as she calmly laid everything out, Gojo smiled and crouched down beside her.
He moved gently, deliberately making himself appear less intimidating, and gave her a warm smile.
"That's quite a smart analysis. What's your name?"
"Kayo Senju."
Kayo answered calmly, though a trace of curiosity flickered through her eyes.
She looked Gojo up and down. For a man whose strength was absurdly overwhelming, she couldn't deny that she was a little interested in him.
"You're a smart kid. Just like my Betty."
Gojo smiled and glanced at Betty standing beside him.
"Hmph. Betty is nothing like her. If she wants to compare herself to Betty, she's still far too lacking."
Betty pouted haughtily.
She planted both hands on her hips and raised her chin slightly, looking down on Kayo as though the girl wasn't even worthy of being compared to her.
"Hey, hey, I can't pretend I didn't hear that."
Shogen immediately stepped forward to defend his Initiator.
"Sure, she's not much of a fighter, but she's a genius with an IQ over 210. A genuine genius, you know?"
He abruptly straightened and pointed toward Kayo, his voice filled with indignation.
Although he usually acted as though he didn't care much about his Initiator and often referred to them as tools or things like that, it was nothing more than a case of putting on a tough front while having a soft heart.
In truth, he valued Kayo immensely.
In his heart, Kayo was the most important person in his life, his family. He wouldn't allow anyone to belittle her.
"210?"
Sumire immediately turned her interested gaze toward Kayo.
Her eyes lit up as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose and examined Kayo from head to toe, an unusual gleam appearing in her eyes.
Known as the greatest mind in Japan, Sumire naturally had an IQ exceeding 200 herself, even higher than Kayo's 210.
That didn't stop her from appreciating the girl in front of her.
Once intelligence reached a certain level, everyone around you could, in a sense, start to seem like an idiot.
It was difficult to find someone capable of communicating on the same wavelength, and only a genuine genius could understand that kind of loneliness.
Sumire didn't interact with many people because she was something of a shut-in, and she rarely had opportunities to discuss such matters with others. Still, if someone of comparable intelligence existed, communicating with them would naturally be much easier.
Moreover, someone with an IQ this high could be brought into her research institute, which would save her a great deal of work in the future.
With Kayo's assistance, her research would certainly progress much faster. Perhaps she could even uncover the secrets of the Gastrea Virus sooner.
"Just meaningless numbers."
Betty casually waved her hand, her tone dismissive.
Faint purple light appeared in the air.
A series of purple arrows materialized out of thin air.
They appeared all around Shogen, densely surrounding him from every direction.
Cold light gleamed from the arrowheads, and faint magical energy radiated from them. With nothing more than a thought from Betty, the arrows could shoot toward Shogen in an instant.
The man who had been defending Kayo only moments ago froze.
His entire body stiffened, and he didn't dare move an inch. The expression on his face became extremely complicated.
Despite his tall, muscular frame, he was now rigid with caution, terrified that even the slightest movement might provoke the arrows into attacking him.
Cold sweat slowly trickled down his forehead.
One drop slid from his temple and fell to the ground with a faint sound that seemed unusually loud in the quiet forest.
Until now, he had assumed Betty was nothing more than an ordinary Initiator.
Who could have imagined that Gojo wasn't the only extraordinary person here? Even the girl beside him who looked like an Initiator possessed such strange and mysterious powers.
And judging by the situation, her strength was definitely not weak.
He was probably no match for her at all.