— — — — — — —
Tokyo – Tendo Residence
Inside the newly rebuilt Tendo estate, Tendo Kikunojo sat in silence, his sharp gaze locked onto Tendo Kisara.
After a long pause, he finally spoke in a deep voice.
"…I never expected you to come back."
Kisara grinned, but there was something terrifying in her eyes.
Her fingers rested on the hilt of her cursed blade.
"You old bastard. Bet you never saw this day coming, did you?"
Kikunojo remained seated, his tone calm and unwavering.
"You've grown bolder in the time you've been away from the Tendo family."
Truthfully, Kisara's return had caught him off guard.
But did she concern him?
Not in the slightest.
At the end of the day, she was still just a foolish little girl.
"Hmph. Still as arrogant as ever, I see."
Shing—
The cursed blade was drawn.
A chilling glint reflected off the polished steel, mirroring Kisara's twisted expression.
"Die."
Kikunojo's aged hands grasped the katana before him, and for a brief moment, his clouded eyes shone with clarity.
His voice was sharp as a blade.
"Kisara… You may have earned the full inheritance of the Tendo sword style."
"But—"
With a swift motion, Kikunojo rose to his feet, unsheathing his sword in an instant.
"Never forget—the techniques you use bear the name 'Tendo'!"
Kisara let out a cold laugh.
Then—
Black flames erupted around her body.
She didn't even bother making a dramatic declaration of vengeance.
She didn't need to.
—Asura state: "Activated."
Her pupils gleamed with bloodlust.
Vengeance Mark: Mortal Enemy.
—Skill Activation: "Queen of Vengeance."
—Special Effect: Enhanced Damage Against Marked Hated Targets.
Boom!
The very air trembled.
In a blink, Kisara vanished—moving at an inhuman speed.
By the time Kikunojo's pupils dilated in shock—
Shing!
A single slash.
His sword—shattered.
A thin, nearly imperceptible line sliced through the air behind him.
Kisara had already reappeared at his back, her eyes gleaming as she admired the fresh droplets of blood on her blade.
Kikunojo stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief. His lips trembled.
"H-How… How could this be…?"
Splurt!
A fountain of blood sprayed from his body, staining the walls.
His face was frozen in shock as his body collapsed.
Even in death, his eyes remained open—unable to accept his fate.
Kisara smirked.
Pure. Absolute. Satisfaction.
But—
"…Not enough."
"Still not enough."
Slash!
With her blade still dripping with blood, Kisara strode forward—heading deeper into the Tendo estate.
Whoever she encountered—she cut down without mercy.
Screams filled the halls.
"Kisara! It's me—your brother!"
"I was wrong! I know I was wrong!"
"Please—please, spare me!"
"Have mercy—"
Splurt!
Another head rolled.
Another corpse fell.
Stepping out of the blood-drenched mansion, Kisara took a deep breath.
The Tendo clan… was gone.
Well—Almost.
There was still one person left.
Herself.
The name Tendo held no meaning anymore.
She murmured to herself.
"…I wonder… What is Lynn-sama's surname?"
Perhaps—
It was time for her to take a new name.
Thud!
Suddenly—A young man dressed in black rushed onto the scene.
His expression was fierce, but the moment he laid eyes on Kisara—he froze.
"…Kisara?"
Then—his gaze dropped to the bloodied sword in her hand.
His face went pale.
A terrible realization dawned on him.
"Wait… No… Don't tell me—"
Without another word, Satomi Rentaro dashed past her and ran into the Tendo estate to make sure.
Moments later—He returned.
His expression was dark, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
His bloodshot eyes locked onto Kisara.
And then—
He growled, voice trembling with rage.
"TENDO KISARA!"
He gritted his teeth, his fists trembling.
"WHY?!"
"Why did you do this?!"
Tendo Kisara gave him a cold, indifferent glance.
"…Isn't revenge normal?"
Satomi Rentaro let out a bitter laugh, his rage boiling over.
"This… This isn't justice!"
"I won't allow it!"
Kisara scoffed, looking at him as if he were an absolute fool.
"Allow it?"
"Who the hell needs your permission?"
With an expressionless face, she sighed, clearly unimpressed.
"You know… the thing I hate most?"
"People who won't shut up about 'justice' this, 'justice' that."
Boom!
Her long black hair whipped around wildly as a dark aura surged from her body.
The whites of her eyes were gradually swallowed by inky blackness.
She raised her sword—pointing it directly at Rentaro.
"If you're standing on their side…"
"Then that makes you an enemy too."
Rentaro marked as a vengeance target.
—Skill Activation: "Queen of Vengeance."
Special Effect: Increased damage against sworn enemies.
—Devilization: Final Form – "Sinful Rebirth."
—All physical attributes enhanced.
—"Sinful" state activated: The greater the malice, the faster the damage.
A sharp whoosh cut through the air.
Kisara disappeared before Rentaro's very eyes.
His pupils contracted—
His artificial eye activated at full power, scanning for her shape.
But—
Nothing.
Just nothing.
BANG!
His instincts kicked in, and he barely managed to raise his arm—
CLANG!
A sharp metallic ring echoed as his cybernetic limb deflected the incoming strike.
His sleeve was sliced open, revealing the glowing blue glow of his cybernetic arm.
"…Oh?"
Kisara arched an eyebrow, momentarily surprised.
She hadn't expected him to have a trump card like this.
Nor had she expected his cybernetic enhancements to be this good.
But—She had no intention of clashing with him head-on.
Her form twisted.
In a flash, she vanished from his sight—reappearing behind him.
Schlick!
Rentaro gasped, blood trickling from his lips.
His eyes flickered with disbelief.
A blade had pierced straight through his chest.
"H-How—!"
He never imagined…That Kisara could be this strong.
Kisara whispered in his ear, her voice laced with cold amusement.
"Satomi Rentaro…"
"Take your fake righteousness and go join that old bastard, Tendo Kikunojo, in hell."
"I'm sure he'll be needing you down there."
— — —
Tokyo
The entire city shuddered with fear.
People locked themselves inside their homes, their voices trembling with terror.
Days Later
The chaos finally began to settle.
Some of the braver survivors ventured out to check the state of the city.
The streets were emptier than before, eerily silent.
But…There was something missing.
The Cursed Children were nowhere to be found.
The survivors let out sighs of relief.
"Hah… Good riddance!"
"Those damn monsters should just stay gone forever!"
"Damn it, what the hell was the government doing these past few days?! And the police—where the hell were they?!"
As they continued their bitter complaints—
---
Seitenshi stood before the Legacy of the Seven Stars, her gaze unwavering.
Then—She issued her final command.
"The Gastrea are about to invade Tokyo. All citizens are to report to the frontlines for battle."
When the decree spread, the survivors… froze.
"…What?"
"Us?" On the frontlines?!"
"You've gotta be kidding me!"
"Why the hell should we be the ones fighting?!"
"What the hell is the government doing?! Isn't this their job?!"
"What about the Cursed Children?! Send those freaks to fight instead!"
"Yeah! Only the Cursed Children can handle the Gastrea!"
"Send the Cursed Children!"
A new wave of protests erupted.
People took to the streets, shouting and demanding answers.
But soon—They realized something terrifying.
All the Cursed Children were gone.
Just like they had always wished for.
So now?
.
.
.