Seitenshi knew very well that if even Gojo said so, then the chances of anyone else finding the Legacy of Nanase Village were even slimmer. Perhaps the artifact truly was lost forever.
"So instead of wasting time worrying about it, we should start evacuating the residents and prepare our response strategy from now on."
Gojo leaned back against the sofa and casually picked up a bottle of cola from the table. He popped open the tab with a hiss, the bubbles rising to the surface, then took a long drink. A small trace of cola remained at the corner of his mouth as he spoke in his usual relaxed tone, though his words carried undeniable logic.
He understood that continuing to obsess over the Legacy of Nanase Village was meaningless at this point. The most important thing now was preparing for Scorpio's arrival, evacuating civilians, and minimizing casualties.
"Seitenshi, is there really no possibility of a change in the situation?"
Rentaro stared at Seitenshi, unwillingness and frustration filling his voice. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his eyes were filled with helplessness. He did not want to give up like this. He did not want to watch Tokyo be destroyed by Gastrea, nor did he want to see innocent people die.
He had always been trying to change this world. He had tried to protect the Cursed Children who were discriminated against and harmed. He had tried to preserve peace in Tokyo. Yet now, facing the threat of a Stage 5 Gastrea, he felt completely powerless.
Seitenshi silently shook her head.
If there was still any hope, she would not have been this discouraged. She raised her head, exhaustion and helplessness visible in her eyes, and spoke in a heavy voice.
"No. If even Gojo-sensei says there is no way, then there truly is no turning point left."
"A Stage 5 Gastrea..."
Rentaro let out a bitter laugh.
Those few words represented a catastrophe capable of bringing the world to its knees. He had witnessed the terror of Gastrea before. He had seen the destruction they left behind, the devastation that followed wherever they went.
The thought of Tokyo suffering the same fate filled him with despair.
Images flashed through his mind of people injured by Gastrea, of children forced to wander without homes. His frustration continued to grow, but there was nothing he could do. That feeling of helplessness nearly broke him.
"Let's stop talking about this."
Seitenshi regained her composure and forced down the sadness and powerlessness in her heart. She knew that discussing it further would accomplish nothing. Just as Gojo had said, they needed to prepare for what was coming and do everything within their ability to protect the people of Tokyo.
She took a deep breath and straightened her back. The exhaustion on her face gradually gave way to determination.
As Seitenshi, she could not collapse. She had to remain strong and lead her people through this crisis.
"I have already issued the necessary orders. The entire Higher-ups have begun preparations immediately as well. There will not be any problems."
As she spoke, Seitenshi looked toward Gojo. Her eyes carried a trace of pleading and dependence.
To her, Gojo was their only hope. He was the only person capable of helping them survive this crisis.
"However, we may still need your help when the time comes, Gojo-sensei."
Her voice was gentle and cautious, as if she was afraid of upsetting him. After all, Gojo's willingness to help was already their greatest fortune.
"That's a small matter."
Gojo snapped his fingers and spoke without concern. His voice was filled with absolute confidence, as if dealing with a Stage 5 Gastrea was nothing more than an insignificant inconvenience.
"Just call me when the time comes."
He finished the last of his cola and casually placed the empty bottle on the table. His attitude was so relaxed that it seemed like he had only agreed to handle some minor issue, yet his words gave Seitenshi and Rentaro an enormous sense of reassurance.
"Also, once this matter is settled, I'll come back and help you clean up those pests."
A trace of mockery appeared in Gojo's voice, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
The "pests" he referred to were naturally the people hiding in the shadows, those who intended to take advantage of the crisis for their own benefit. He had disliked those people for a long time, but he had never found a proper opportunity to deal with them.
Rentaro looked between the two of them in confusion when he heard the word "pests." Clearly, he had no idea what they were referring to.
He frowned, wanting to ask, but when he noticed that neither Gojo nor Seitenshi had any intention of explaining, he swallowed the question.
He understood that some things were not meant for him to know. If Gojo and Seitenshi did not want to explain, then they must have their reasons.
All he could do was focus on his own responsibilities, cooperate with them, and help everyone survive this crisis.
Neither of them showed any intention of elaborating. Seitenshi lowered her gaze and remained silent, while Gojo leaned back against the sofa with his eyes closed, resting as if his previous remark had been nothing more than an offhand comment.
"Alright, I'll follow your lead, Gojo-sensei."
Seitenshi nodded seriously. Her voice carried complete trust.
In her heart, Gojo was like a savior. As long as he was there, there was no difficulty they could not overcome.
"No, no. I'm only helping. The rest still depends on you."
Gojo waved his hand dismissively. His tone remained casual.
He had never liked interfering in other people's affairs, nor did he enjoy becoming someone others depended on. He helped because he wanted to, not because he wanted to become anyone's support.
"For example, don't ask me about things like who to appoint or how to organize people. I can't handle that kind of thing, and I'm not interested in it at all."
His voice carried a hint of impatience. Clearly, matters like administration and assigning personnel were things he had no interest in.
Gojo had always followed his own desires. The last thing he wanted was to be trapped by endless responsibilities.
"I understand. I'll do my best."
Seitenshi nodded firmly.
She understood that Gojo was only providing assistance. In the end, she was still the one responsible. She had to work harder and become stronger if she wanted to protect her country and its people.
By the time they left the Holy Residence, it was already deep into the night.
The moonlight spilled across the empty streets, covering the city in a layer of silver. The only thing breaking through the darkness was the headlights of their car as it traveled through the quiet streets.
Betty was barely staying awake. She leaned against the car window, yawning repeatedly until tears formed at the corners of her eyes. Her eyelids were heavy, and her head bobbed slightly with each passing moment.
Her usual arrogance and sharp tongue had completely disappeared, replaced only by exhaustion.
Unlike her, Sumire Muroto was completely energized because she would finally be able to return to the laboratory tomorrow. She sat in her seat with bright eyes, gesturing excitedly with her hands as she talked about the experiments she planned to conduct.
Her voice was filled with enthusiasm.
After returning home, Sumire continued talking nonstop about tomorrow's research. One moment she wanted to study the Corrosion Rate of the Cursed Children, the next she wanted to upgrade the Drones, and then she moved on to developing new weapons.
Her words flowed endlessly, as if she had an infinite amount of ideas.
Gojo had already stopped listening.
After washing up with an exhausted expression, he gave a few vague responses, collapsed onto the bed, and fell asleep almost instantly. He did not even properly pull the blanket over himself, and a faint smile remained on his face as if he was having a pleasant dream.
Betty also ignored Sumire's endless chatter. After yawning, she returned to her room and fell asleep the moment she reached her bed.
Soon, only her steady breathing could be heard.
The only person still full of energy was Sumire.
She remained seated on the living room sofa, writing and drawing in her notebook. Her pen moved rapidly across the pages, her face filled with excitement and her eyes shining brightly.
She looked as if she had endless strength and did not notice her own exhaustion at all.
The next morning, before the sun had fully risen, the sky had only begun to brighten with the first hint of dawn. Soft sunlight filtered through the window, bringing a faint warmth into the room.
Gojo was still half-asleep when Sumire shook him awake.
"悟! Gojo!"
"Wake up! Hurry, wake up!"
Sumire's voice was unusually urgent. She grabbed his arms and shook him repeatedly, her tone full of impatience.
The dark circles beneath her eyes were extremely obvious, showing that she had spent the entire night awake. Yet despite that, her gaze remained filled with excitement, without the slightest trace of tiredness.
"It's already late. Get up, we need to go to the research institute!"
Before Gojo could even open his eyes, Betty was the first one awakened by the noise.
She frowned, turned over, and spoke with deep annoyance. Looking at Sumire with a helpless expression, she said, "Do you ever sleep?"
Betty's hair was messy, and confusion from just waking up still remained in her eyes. Her face was filled with exhaustion. Being dragged awake by Sumire had completely destroyed her remaining sleepiness.
Looking at the dark circles under Sumire's eyes, Betty curled her lips in disdain.
"You look like your dark circles are about to reach your chin. If you don't go sleep soon, you'll turn into an old woman."
"I couldn't sleep when I thought about finally being able to start my research tomorrow."
Sumire completely ignored the teasing. She raised her chin proudly, without the slightest embarrassment.
To her, research was everything. If she could conduct experiments, she would gladly stay awake for several days.
"Besides, it's only been one night. This is nothing. When I was researching before, staying awake for several days was completely normal."
Her tone carried a hint of pride, as if going without sleep for days was something worth boasting about.
Her mind was filled entirely with tomorrow's experiments, leaving no room for anything else.
"Besides, don't you want me to upgrade your Drones and add some weapon systems?"
Sumire suddenly changed direction and looked at Betty with a tempting smile.
She knew that although Betty was arrogant, she was still interested in new and unusual things. As long as she offered something appealing, Betty would definitely be interested.
"They'll be even easier to use than Magic."
"And recording videos or taking pictures will become much more convenient and intelligent..."
Sumire continued speaking endlessly, her voice full of temptation as she watched Betty's reaction.
She was already certain she had succeeded.
Faced with the persuasion of this research-obsessed woman, Betty, who had lived for four hundred years, immediately turned into an accomplice.
Her previous annoyance disappeared instantly. A trace of anticipation flashed in her eyes as she grabbed Gojo's arm and started shaking him.
"Wake up, wake up! Hurry up!"
Her voice was filled with urgency, and her eyes were full of expectation.
Clearly, Sumire's words had convinced her. She wanted to see the upgraded Drones and experience weapons that were even easier to use than Magic.
"I'm awake, I'm awake. Seriously, I only wanted to sleep in a little. Is that really so difficult?"
Gojo rubbed his eyes and sat up, complaining under his breath.
His hair was messy, and his face still carried the exhaustion of someone who had just woken up. He stretched lazily, his bones cracking as his fatigue eased slightly.
However, his eyes still carried obvious sleepiness. He clearly had not gotten enough rest.
"Come on, after we move to the research institute, you can sleep as long as you want."
While urging him along, Sumire pulled Gojo out of bed. Her movements were somewhat rough but carried a strange familiarity.
She grabbed the toothbrush with toothpaste already applied, shoved it into his mouth, and pushed him toward the bathroom.
"Hurry up, stop wasting time. We still need to pick up Rentaro, then Elder Matsuzaki and the Cursed Children!"
Sumire's excitement had not decreased at all. To her, every second wasted was a loss. Right now, she only wanted to reach the research institute and begin her experiments.
After a long period of chaos, the three finally left the house.
Gojo still looked exhausted, his eyes heavy with sleep. Betty was much more energetic now, her expression filled with anticipation. Sumire was the most excited of them all, walking ahead with light steps while continuing to mutter about her experiments.
Their destination was naturally Rentaro's house nearby.
They needed to meet up with Rentaro before going together to pick up Elder Matsuzaki and the Cursed Children.
Compared to the lazy Gojo, Rentaro was far more disciplined.
By the time they arrived at his home, he was already preparing breakfast just like before. The kitchen was filled with a delicious aroma that spread throughout the room, immediately making everyone hungry.
Rentaro wore simple home clothes with an apron tied around his waist. He moved skillfully as he prepared Fried Shrimp Tempura, his expression focused.
The sunlight streamed through the window and fell on him, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere.
"Morning, Rentaro."
Gojo greeted him casually.
After changing his shoes, he walked straight into the kitchen, picked up a freshly prepared Fried Shrimp Tempura, and stuffed it into his mouth.
Chewing, he looked at Rentaro with curiosity.