After the excitement faded, Seitenshi, as the ruler of Tokyo, instinctively wanted to promote magic throughout the city and use it to strengthen their overall power.
However, facing the anticipation in her eyes, Gojo shook his head.
"It isn't that simple. The most important factor in learning magic is whether you have the talent for it."
"For example, Miss Seitenshi, you have a talent for the Yang Attribute, but not everyone possesses magical talent."
"Most people are ordinary. They don't have any talent at all."
"Even those who do have talent need time to accumulate Mana and practice magic."
"I won't deny that there are geniuses who can quickly master magic in a short period of time, but people like that are only a minority."
"So, Miss Seitenshi, if you want to spread magic throughout Tokyo and turn it into an actual increase in combat power, something that can give people confidence when facing Gastrea, then it isn't something that can be accomplished in a short amount of time."
Gojo did not hide anything from her. Instead, he honestly explained all the advantages and disadvantages.
Hearing his words, Seitenshi's excitement from successfully learning magic was greatly suppressed.
He was right.
Things like this required learning and practice.
A completely new system of power could not simply be taken and immediately used.
Turning this so-called magic into a force that belonged to them was definitely not an easy task.
Until noon, Gojo and Seitenshi continued discussing magic.
Although Seitenshi's attribute was different from his own, the process of cultivating Mana was still the same. That was something he could teach her.
Of course, when it came to future Yang Attribute spells, there was nothing he could do.
Back when he stayed in the Forbidden Library, he had indeed read many magic books.
But reading them and memorizing every spell inside were two completely different things.
Especially when it came to magic unrelated to his own attributes.
The Yang Attribute was as rare as the Yin Attribute, and naturally, it was something he had never paid much attention to.
If Seitenshi wanted to continue learning in the future, she would have to rely on Betty's guidance, or have Betty write down the cultivation methods so she could study on her own.
After lunch, Gojo and Betty, whose identities had already been arranged, returned to their apartment by car with their new identification documents, phones, and a bank card.
"Finally finished. I'm exhausted."
The moment he arrived home, Gojo collapsed onto the bed with a satisfied sigh.
"If you think it's such a hassle, why did you bother cooperating with those people?"
"That's not really how it works. The trouble only lasts for a while, but it makes things much more convenient for us here and saves us a lot of effort."
"Besides, today's gains were pretty good, weren't they? We even got a bank card with no spending limit."
"Oh."
"I'm going to sleep. Are you coming?"
"I woke up way too early today."
"Seriously. Didn't you say you were going to find me a teacher so I could learn their writing?"
Betty complained verbally, but her actions betrayed her. She climbed onto the bed and comfortably curled up in Gojo's arms, letting him pull the blanket over them.
"We'll talk about that later. I'm so tired I can barely keep my eyes open."
Gojo's voice became increasingly drowsy. Before long, the room was filled only with the sound of their peaceful breathing.
Meanwhile, while Gojo and the others were asleep, Holy Residence was holding a meeting.
Kikunojou Tendo and several members of Tokyo's Higher-ups had gathered inside a conference room, watching the projection in front of them.
The video showed Seitenshi successfully releasing magic under Gojo's guidance.
"I have personally experienced magic, and after seeing its effects, I believe this cooperation is extremely necessary. It may even change the choices we make about the future."
Sitting in the main seat, Seitenshi looked at the Higher-ups in front of her and spoke seriously.
"Seitenshi-sama, I am not questioning you. However, none of us understand magic. Is it possible that everything shown in this footage is merely a trick performed by the other party?"
"Could he have simply used your hands to create the illusion that you released the magic yourself?"
After watching the video, one of the officials voiced his concerns.
"I don't think there is any need to worry about that."
As she spoke, Seitenshi raised her hand in front of everyone.
Without Gojo's assistance, releasing even the most basic Yang Attribute spell would still be extremely difficult for her.
However, gathering Mana in her hand was not impossible.
Everyone followed her movement and looked toward her palm.
Under the watchful eyes of the entire room, Seitenshi concentrated for a long time before finally producing a faint but bright light at her fingertip.
Seeing the glow appear, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
"The magic I released earlier consumed too much of my Mana, and I haven't recovered yet. This is the limit of what I can do right now, and I'm still far from being proficient."
"But I can guarantee that this is not an illusion. This is truly a power that belongs to me."
Seitenshi spoke with absolute confidence.
The Higher-ups who had still held doubts were visibly less suspicious after witnessing her demonstration.
"For now..."
Tendo Kikunojou's deep voice echoed through the room.
"Based on the power displayed by Seitenshi-sama's magic, if it can be mastered on a large scale, then it would naturally be beneficial."
"Furthermore, according to what the other party said, not everyone possesses the talent required to learn magic, and training requires time before it can become a true combat force."
"I suggest that we begin large-scale distribution immediately and allow as many people as possible to learn it."
"Only then can we break free from our current situation, escape our dependence on Cursed Children, and completely drive them out of the place we call home."
Tendo spoke in a heavy voice, his aged eyes filled with authority.
"Drive them out of our home?"
"Vice Minister Tendo, I cannot agree with your opinion."
Hearing his words, Seitenshi immediately frowned.
The way people treated Cursed Children had always been something she had seen clearly.
Ever since taking her position, Seitenshi had constantly considered one question: how could she change the living conditions of Cursed Children and eliminate the prejudice that existed within society?
The seemingly stable life everyone enjoyed now was maintained because of these young girls.
Yet because they might eventually become Gastrea, people hated them, discriminated against them, and even abused them.
But...
They had done nothing wrong.
They were nothing more than innocent children who should never have been forced to bear such hatred.
"The identity of Cursed Children is not a sin. It is a social issue that deserves our attention and care."
"After using them, are we really going to abandon them and leave them to die?"
"I cannot accept such behavior."
"We should not discriminate against them. Instead, we should give them the protection and respect they deserve, and provide them with an environment where they can live like ordinary people."
Seitenshi looked at everyone present and spoke firmly.
"Seitenshi-sama, please abandon this unrealistic ideal of yours."
"Do you know how the Gastrea inside Tokyo actually appear?"
"Ninety percent of the Gastrea within the city do not come from outside. With the Monolith blocking them, only an extremely small number of Gastrea are able to enter the city."
"The majority of Gastrea are born because Cursed Children exceed the warning limit of their corrosion rate."
"Every Cursed Child is an unstable time bomb."
"Those registered as Civil Security members can survive longer because they receive Suppressant injections and continue fighting."
"But those weaker Cursed Children without sufficient combat ability..."
"As time passes, they will eventually become Gastrea."
"Every year, the number of citizens killed by these Gastrea reaches tens of thousands according to official statistics. The actual number is even higher."
"By protecting these Cursed Children, you are ignoring the safety of countless other citizens."
Tendo Kikunojou stared at Seitenshi, his aged face filled with anger and disappointment.
His words were forceful, trying to make her reconsider.
"Even so, we cannot do what you suggest and drive them away."
"The outside world is filled with Gastrea. If we abandon them there, we are forcing them to die."
"If they don't die, then more innocent people will die because of them."
Neither Tendo nor Seitenshi backed down.
They stood facing each other, refusing to yield.
The other Higher-ups remained silent as they watched the confrontation.
At a time like this, openly supporting either Seitenshi, the official ruler, or Tendo Kikunojou, the true wielder of power, was not a wise choice.
However, from the perspective of personal interest, the majority of them naturally leaned toward Tendo.
After all, as he said, the existence of Cursed Children truly was an enormous threat.
Although their strength was indispensable...
In some ways, the existence of Cursed Children also existed to deal with those same Cursed Children who eventually became Gastrea.
"Vice Minister Tendo, my decision is final. I will never agree to sending these innocent children to their deaths."
"I will draft the New Gastrea Law to protect these children's legal rights."
"Isn't the purpose of our transaction with Mr. Gojo to gain stronger power, allowing us to better protect people's safety while no longer forcing those children to fight Gastrea?"
"Our purpose is to allow people to live better and safer lives, not to turn against our own people before achieving that goal."
Seitenshi spoke in one breath, every word carrying unwavering determination.
It was difficult to imagine that a girl who always appeared gentle and spoke softly could possess such resolve.
"Hmph."
"Naive."
Tendo Kikunojou abruptly stood up and let out a cold snort.
Without caring that the meeting was still ongoing, he turned and walked away.
Watching his departing figure and the various expressions of the remaining Higher-ups, Seitenshi understood that things would not be simple.
Many people would not support her.
However, today she had finally used this opportunity to express the thoughts she had kept hidden in her heart.
She did not regret it.
This was something she had always wanted to do.
As for why she chose today...
Even Seitenshi herself did not know.
Truthfully, she had always understood her own situation.
A girl barely in her teens sitting on Tokyo's highest position of authority.
Anyone could guess how many people truly supported her sincerely.
But today, when she saw the light bloom from her own body...
The hesitation and uncertainty she had carried disappeared, and she finally made her decision.
Nothing had truly changed for her today.
Even regarding magic itself, it was not necessarily more useful than a handgun.
After all, she could barely release a single spell right now, while anyone could pick up a handgun and use it immediately.
But...
That small ray of light gave her strength in her heart.
Because of that, she finally took this step forward.
"Meeting dismissed."
Yet after finding the courage to take that step, facing a room where no one was willing to stand beside her, she still felt disappointed.
With those words, the Higher-ups left one after another, each carrying their own thoughts.
Eventually, only Seitenshi remained alone in the conference room.
Her already slender figure looked even more lonely and isolated.
Three in the afternoon.
After sleeping for such a long time, Gojo finally recovered the sleep he had been missing.
He stretched comfortably, and the movement woke Betty in his arms.
"How did you only sleep for this long?"
"If you sleep any longer, you won't be able to sleep tonight."
Gojo got up and walked to the window, pulling open the curtains.
Bright sunlight poured into the room.
The moment he finished opening the curtains, a set of footsteps sounded from outside.
"Clack, clack, clack."
The crisp sound immediately allowed Gojo to recognize who it belonged to.
It was Enju Aihara.
As a Cursed Child, the shoes Enju wore were made from Varanium, allowing them to effectively injure Gastrea.
For Enju, who possessed rabbit cells and relied mainly on kicks during combat, they were extremely suitable.
However, it seemed that Enju had encountered something confusing at the moment. Her voice sounded puzzled.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"We were sent by Seitenshi-sama's order to deliver items to Mr. Gojo."
Gojo walked to the entrance and opened the door.
Standing in the hallway were two workers wearing uniforms, each carrying a foam box in their arms.