The Blood Sheep parasitizing the people were destroyed by Erika in an instant.

 

The dominated humans collapsed on the spot, and Daichi and Kiori were also freed.

 

However, both of them were covered in wounds and gasping for breath.

 

Erika immediately tried to approach to heal them, but—

 

"Kiori!"

 

Before she could, Yoshino rushed over to her.

 

After healing her wounds with Healing, she destroyed the chains with a gunshot.

 

Then, she caught Kiori's collapsing body.

 

"Are you alive? Are you okay?!"

 

"Y-Yeah... but, Yoshino? Eh, why?"

 

"A lot of things happened and I came back to life."

 

"Came back... to life...? Eh? A-Am I dreaming...?"

 

Kiori was bewildered.

 

Meanwhile, Erika healed and freed Daichi, at the very least.

 

"Kuragane senpai, thank you so much. You really saved me."

 

"Sorry I was late. I was surrounded by a huge crowd, so I was late checking my phone."

 

After destroying the Kaigyo's fang and the rooftop collapsing—Erika and the others returned safely to their original world, protected by Rea's barrier.

 

Unlike before, when dozens of living humans appeared along with the rubble, it naturally caused a massive uproar.

 

Immediately, Erika and her group were surrounded by Self-Defense Force personnel and were initially taken to the hospital.

 

It was during that time that Erika noticed the message from Kiori.

 

Of course, Erika didn't know anyone named Ushizawa Kiori.

 

But when she read the name aloud, Ai, Hiiro, and Yoshino, who were nearby, reacted.

 

If it weren't for that, she might have checked the contents a bit later.

 

The message detailed the current situation, their location, and that Daichi was the one sending it.

 

The evil clutches of the Kaisei kyou were closing in on Kiori and Daichi—there was no way she could ignore that. Just before being put into an ambulance, Erika slipped away with a minimal number of people.

 

Since it must have been broadcasted live on TV, it's probably causing an uproar right about now.

 

"Besides, by the time we arrived at the mountain, you two had already been captured. We tailed the Kaisei kyou guys' car to get here."

 

"But we couldn't find the entrance, so we split up to search."

 

"It seems neither Inoue san nor I ended up entering through the front door in the end, though."

 

Erika had carved through the wall to enter, while Yoshino had blasted a missile through the ceiling.

 

This demonstrated the facility's excellent security, while simultaneously proving that any defense was meaningless against them.

 

As they were explaining the situation, a voice came from their feet.

 

"U-Uuuuh..."

 

"Chihiro!"

 

Kiori pulled away from Yoshino and lifted the lying Chihiro into her arms.

 

"Wh—Chihiro got caught up in this too?!"

 

"Because of me... she had something called a Blood Sheep put inside her body, and it made her go crazy."

 

"Blood Sheep..."

 

Looking at the pieces of red meat scattered on the floor, Erika placed a hand on her chin, deep in thought.

 

At that moment, Daichi also laid his fallen parents on their backs and shook their bodies.

 

"Dad, Mom, answer me!"

 

"To think the Kaisei kyou guys would drag even relatives into this...!"

 

"Whether inside the academy or outside, their stupidity remains the same, huh."

 

"Chihiro, are you okay? If you've regained consciousness, please answer me!"

 

Chihiro's eyes were open.

 

But they were unfocused, and she showed no reaction despite Kiori being right in front of her.

 

"U... ah... a, a..."

 

She merely let out meaningless sounds from her half-open mouth.

 

Kiori remembered the words Renjo had said.

 

"Blood Sheep parasitize the brain... Even if removed, a destroyed brain won't return to normal..."

 

"No way!"

 

"You mean my Dad and Mom are already..."

 

"But if they can produce a voice, they aren't dead, right? Healing should cure it."

 

Saying that, Erika crouched down in front of Chihiro and attempted to treat her with magic.

 

Light enveloped her body—since there were no external wounds, it wasn't visible, but—it restored her hole-riddled brain to its original state.

 

Then, light returned to her eyes, and her gaze locked onto Kiori.

 

"Kiori...?"

 

The moment she heard that voice, which conveyed reason, tears welled up in Kiori's eyes.

 

"Chihiro... you're alive... thank god... Chihirooooo!"

 

"W-Whoa! You're suffocating me, Kiori, I can't breathe!"

 

Kiori hugged Chihiro tightly, incredibly tightly.

 

On the other hand, the one being hugged had no idea what was going on.

 

After all, her last memory was being restrained by Renjo at the hospital and losing consciousness in front of Kiori.

 

Why was she in a space reeking of blood?

 

And why were both her clothes and Kiori's tattered and stained with blood, even though they had no injuries?

 

Something terrible had definitely happened, but—for now, seeing Kiori so happy, she judged that it must not be a bad situation.

 

"I'm never letting you go again. We're going to be together forever, forever...!"

 

"Yes, of course. Because I love you, Kiori."

 

"Yeah, yeah, I love you too! I've loved you, Chihiro, since a long, long time ago, more than anyone else in the world!"

 

Embarrassment didn't matter; right now, her heart was simply overflowing with her feelings for Chihiro.

 

However—Kiori aside, Chihiro was being hugged so tightly that her vision was blocked, so she hadn't even realized there were other people around.

 

"I'm so glad for you both."

 

So, when she heard that voice, her brain completely froze.

 

"...Just now, was that"

 

Even for Kiori, the joy of being reunited with Chihiro alive had only temporarily overshadowed it; Yoshino's existence remained a massive question mark.

 

"Yeah, it's Yoshino, but..."

 

"Haaah?! W-Wha-What do you mean! Is it really you, Yoshino?!"

 

Chihiro abruptly peeled Kiori off her and sat up.

 

And her eyes met Yoshino's.

 

"Long time no see."

 

"...Am I dreaming?"

 

"I'm starting to think maybe I am too."

 

"Sorry, but this is reality. Even I still wonder if me being alive is a dream, so you'll just have to forgive me."

 

Compared to Kiori and Chihiro's astonishment, Yoshino's reaction was far too casual.

 

Well, some time had passed since Yoshino was resurrected, and she understood the reasons and logic behind it, so a difference in reaction couldn't be helped—but because that reality was so far detached from actual reality, Kiori and Chihiro both froze in place.

 

During that time, Erika healed Shimakawa Ryo and Kumiko.

 

The awakened Shimakawa couple shed tears seeing Daichi there with all his limbs intact.

 

"Daichi, you..."

 

"Are you really okay? Are your injuries completely healed?! To think a miracle like this..."

 

"That's my line. I'm just glad you're both safe, Dad, Mom!"

 

A touching reunion for the family of three.

 

Watching them, Erika muttered, "I don't get to have anything like that."

 

In the end, it was proven that brain damage could be cured with Healing, but there were nearly a hundred victims collapsed in this place.

 

Using magic on everyone would deplete her MP.

 

So, Erika called out toward the ceiling.

 

"Gii, you tagged along, right! Help me heal them!"

 

"Gishishi..."

 

Turning into a slime state, Gii dropped down with a splat.

 

To avoid causing a bigger commotion, it was decided that only Erika and Yoshino would slip away—or so it was supposed to be, but it seems she had tagged along without permission.

 

Perhaps feeling a bit guilty, her smile looked slightly more apologetic than usual.

 

"Honestly. I'm going to have to explain this to Inuzuka san's parents later, you know."

 

"Oh right, I'm in Inuzuka's body."

 

From here on out, many people will be reuniting with their families, and naturally, Inuzuka Supika has a family too.

 

As long as Gii's appearance imitates hers, they couldn't exactly claim she was a complete stranger.

 

"What a pain..."

 

"I'll help you when the time comes, so can you please heal them for now?"

 

"Got it, I'll heal them all at once. Healing Shower!"

 

It was a wide-area healing magic she had picked up when learning skills for the decisive battle against Giraiguu.

 

A shining rain poured down from an orb of light floating overhead, healing the wounds of everyone within its range.

 

The Blood Sheep victims, who hadn't even been able to stand due to brain damage, regained consciousness one after another.

 

"Hey, Kiori."

 

"What is it, Chihiro?"

 

"I really think this is a dream."

 

"What a coincidence, I was thinking the same thing."

 

Faced with this surreal sight, Kiori and Chihiro's confusion only deepened.

 

"Ahaha... I guess we'll have to explain this somewhere calm," Yoshino scratched her head with a wry smile.

 

Meanwhile, the Shimakawa family was also stunned by the miracle they had just witnessed.

 

"To think something like this could happen..."

 

"You used strange magic when you were fighting too, but this is even more incredible."

 

"You could use it too, Daichi?"

 

"Only after Kuragane senpai shared her power with me, though. But I guess we needed this much power to fight our way through those monsters."

 

Opening his palm, a drop of light fell into it.

 

His hand didn't get wet when he touched it, but a warmth lingered—it was a mysterious sensation.

 

Eventually, the rain stopped, and the healing was complete.

 

At that moment, Erika suddenly asked Gii,

 

"Hey, can you choose the targets for this healing magic?"

 

"I can if I want to."

 

"What about just now?"

 

"I didn't think it was necessary, so I did it indiscriminately... Ah."

 

Their gazes looked up at the wall.

 

There, Setaguchi Hiroshi, impaled by Dreamer, was suffering.

 

"Gah, guooooh...!"

 

"He was alive, so he got healed."

 

"Normally, if you get stabbed in the stomach, I'd think you'd slide down and be sliced right in half."

 

"Maybe his spine or ribs are holding him up. Well, whatever. If he's alive, let's use him."

 

With a light thought from Erika, Dreamer vanished, and Hiroshi's body plummeted.

 

"U-Uwaaaaaaah! Gweh."

 

Since no one caught him, both his legs snapped the moment he landed.

 

This way he couldn't run, so it was perfect.

 

Erika crouched down in front of him, grabbed his hair, and brought her face close.

 

"Your faces don't look much alike, but you definitely inherited his greedy nature."

 

"W-Who are you..."

 

"Doesn't matter. First, some sad news: your son died. Oh, it is your son, right? Setaguchi Ataru."

 

"What... why do you know Ataru!"

 

"I knew it. Well, I guess he got punished for preying on other people's families. It was a really pathetic way to die."

 

"Y-Youuuuuu!"

 

Erika slapped Hiroshi's cheek as he tried to grab her, sending him flying.

 

"He flew really far."

 

"I accidentally used my monster-fighting strength."

 

Perhaps having broken a cheekbone, Hiroshi held the spot he was slapped, groaning, "Uuuuuh..."

 

Erika approached him once more.

 

"But I think I'm allowed to do at least this much. Just how many innocent people have you killed up to now? How many people did you sacrifice for that ridiculous 'Descent of Giraiguu' ritual?"

 

"Everything was to reach the True World..."

 

"The True World you guys talk about doesn't exist in this world."

 

"Who can prove such a thing! Only God knows that—hah."

 

Suddenly, Hiroshi's eyes changed.

 

"Could it be... that you are God?"

 

What is this guy talking about, Erika almost blurted out.

 

"What's he saying?"

 

"He must be crazy."

 

In fact, Kiori and Daichi were saying exactly that behind her.

 

Everyone thought the same thing—but suddenly, a wicked idea popped into Erika's head.

 

"Yes, you finally noticed. Indeed, I am God."

 

If he insists on believing she's God, she might as well just become God.

 

It was a ridiculous idea.

 

But every single Kaisei kyou believer had ridiculously strong delusions.

 

For example—

 

"I knew it! That rain of light just now was truly an act of God..."

 

Just like this Setaguchi Hiroshi.

 

"I'm the one who did it, though."

 

At this point, whether it was Gii or Erika who actually performed the magic didn't matter to him at all.

 

"To guide us to the True World, you have finally descended!"

 

Constructing convenient logic.

 

Swift self-justification.

 

Completing all of that in his brain in an instant, Hiroshi clung to Erika.

 

But before he could touch her, his arm was suddenly severed.

 

"Gyaaaaaaah! W-Why, why, God! Giraiguu sama!"

 

"Do not touch me with your filthy hands, human."

 

"I am deeply sorry!"

 

"Besides, I am not Giraiguu."

 

"Eh...?"

 

"She is Giraiguu."

 

Suddenly dragged into it, Gii let out an "Hm?" and looked bewildered for a second.

 

But with quick improvisation, she gloopily melted a part of her body.

 

"G-Gii. I am Giraiguu. A pitiful existence, tainted by learning the taste of humans and absorbing their hatred because of you all."

 

"What... Then, who are you, God!"

 

"First, you must recognize the facts. As you know, Giraiguu is not a God. It is merely a lifeform with a different shape that exists in a dimension different from humanity."

 

"You knew that..."

 

Setaguchi Ataru had said it.

 

Whether it was a God or not, the truth didn't matter.

 

What mattered was whether it had the power to grant his desires.

 

If his values were inherited from his father—there was a possibility that Hiroshi worshipped Giraiguu as a God while fully knowing it wasn't one.

 

"Originally, the first person in the world to observe Giraiguu wasn't a religious figure, but a scientist. He noticed the existence of a dimension different from the world we live in, and wondered if he could utilize its power for people's lives."

 

This was honestly the first time Erika was hearing this.

 

But she listened as if she already knew.

 

"However, as he interacted with the entity from the other dimension, he realized it was a lifeform far superior to humanity, and his curiosity eventually turned into faith. Exactly as you say."

 

"Indeed."

 

Gii's shoulders were shaking beside her.

 

To be honest, Erika was also holding back laughter.

 

"And I am the true God who rules over even that alternate dimension."

 

"To think there was an even higher—then it makes sense that you could cause such a miracle."

 

"Listen well, human. You all have committed a grave mistake. I have descended to correct it. I was by no means summoned by you."

 

"What kind of mistake!"

 

"Under the name of sacrifice, you have killed far too many humans. As a result of generating an unacceptable amount of sorrow and hatred in this city, you have summoned the Kaigyo, the God of Demise who governs rot."

 

This part was mostly true.

 

"The Kaigyo rots all souls, and rather than the True World—it guides humans to a world filled with suffering and pain, one that should be called a False World."

 

"A False World...!"

 

I wonder what a False World is, Erika thought inwardly, but since Setaguchi seemed convinced, she let it slide.

 

"And your souls, having fulfilled the conditions to summon the Kaigyo, are already rotting. Those 'Blood Sheep' things are also the Kaigyo's power. The humans involved in this research must be rotting even more deeply."

 

"Then... are you saying we will be guided to the False World?"

 

"Yes. As things stand now, your souls will undoubtedly become food for the Kaigyo after death, and you will continue to experience eternal suffering."

 

His face went pale.

 

He was a man who clung to incomprehensible concepts like the True World to begin with.

 

She figured if she said things like 'your soul is tainted' or 'your afterlife is doomed,' he would just believe it on his own.

 

"What should I do?! What must we do for our souls to reach the True World and be saved!"

 

"I told you, the True World does not exist. The only future waiting for you is despair filled with rot and pain. If you had just lived normally, you could have passed on to the afterlife decently."

 

"N-No way..."

 

Setaguchi crumbled.

 

Erika spoke to him in a slightly gentler tone.

 

"However, there is only one way to be saved."

 

"What is it?!"

 

Eyes sparkling with hope, Setaguchi raised his head.

 

And Erika told him with a smile.

 

"Kill and purify."

 

It was the very logic the Kaisei kyou believers had brandished to justify murder.

 

They had killed innocent people with that reasoning.

 

There's no reason they couldn't kill their fellow Kaisei kyou members.

 

"The souls of the Kaisei kyou members are completely rotten due to their false faith. You must purify them with your—with your own hands."

 

"Are you telling me to kill my comrades, my brethren?!"

 

"You have killed plenty of people up to now. The people of the Kaisei kyou are also people, and what's more, they are thoroughly rotten, tainted humans. There is no reason you cannot kill them."

 

It seemed he had some sort of camaraderie.

 

Which only made it all the uglier.

 

Then, a believer in the upper room who had been listening to their conversation called out to Setaguchi over the microphone.

 

『H-His Eminence the Archbishop! There is no way such a woman is God! You must not be deceived!』

 

"But we saw a miracle!"

 

『That must also be some kind of trick! Furthermore, the Giraiguu sama we should believe in is not such a petty existence that would imitate the form of a human—』

 

"Awaken."

 

Erika swung Dreamer right there.

 

Then, the body of the man speaking into the microphone in the distance was sliced clean in half vertically.

 

『U-Uwaaaaaaaah!』

 

His scream echoed through the room.

 

Setaguchi's eyes went wide as he witnessed the tragedy.

 

Immediately after—

 

"Healing."

 

The man's bifurcated body was restored to its original shape by magic.

 

As if turning back time.

 

Then, Erika told Setaguchi with a smile filled with killing intent:

 

"Do you still not believe in God? Will you repeat your mistakes?"

 

"A, aaah..."

 

"Did the Giraiguu you loved show you a miracle greater than this right before your eyes?"

 

The entity before him lived in a different dimension.

 

Setaguchi was convinced of it.

 

Which meant, to him, she was God.

 

"No, you are!"

 

Missing one arm, Setaguchi prostrated himself, rubbing his forehead against the floor.

 

"You alone are the God we should believe in!"

 

The moment the Archbishop acknowledged it, the other believers watching had no choice but to acknowledge it as well.

 

That this young girl was the true God.

 

Feeling that firsthand, Erika commanded them.

 

"Do not think your soul will be purified just because one person kills one other person. Your atonement will not end until you have completely erased the sinners of the Kaisei kyou."

 

"Yes, my Lord!"

 

"And... if you kill innocent people, naturally your rot will progress. If you try to deceive me, know that you will be the next target for 'purification'."

 

"We will obey the words of God! To deceive you is unthinkable! Hya!"

 

Setaguchi's other arm was severed.

 

"Why are you dawdling? Act immediately. Those thoroughly rotten souls should, by all rights, be erased from this world right this instant."

 

"Y-Yes, my Lord!"

 

Even when he tried to stand, he couldn't move as he wanted without his arms.

 

Reluctantly, Erika healed both his arms, and Hiroshi shed tears, moved by her magnificent power.

 

"You all, move! For our God, quickly!"

 

He began issuing orders to the believers in the facility.

 

To crush the Kaisei kyou with their own hands.

 

"You're letting that old man go, huh."

 

"I'll kill him at the end. After honestly telling him that I'm not God, of course."

 

"That's way more brutal than just killing him normally."

 

"That's why I'm doing it."

 

Even if he's called an Archbishop, she didn't have a clear grasp of how high that status was, but he was definitely a big shot.

 

Rather than Erika crushing them one by one with her own hands, it's more efficient to have someone like him destroy it from the inside.

 

"We don't completely know just how much influence the Kaisei kyou has, either."

 

"True, my knowledge stopped six years ago, too."

 

"The Blood Sheep seem like the Kaisei kyou's newest merch, so there's a chance the lower-ranking members don't even know they exist. Having the Archbishop self-destruct will let us round them all up at once. If he betrays us, we just have to kill him then."

 

Monsters with supernatural powers are one thing, but the Kaisei kyou on the surface are just humans.

 

The powers given to them to kill the Kaigyo hadn't vanished even after returning like this.

 

This power is far too strong to be used against humans.

 

To the point where lowering their guard wouldn't even matter.

 

"Well then, let's get out of here soon. The problem is how to transport this many people."

 

"I never thought so many people were captured here."

 

"Besides, Kiori san is being chased by the police, right?"

 

"Oh right..."

 

"Why did it come to that? All Kiori did was save Daichi kun."

 

"Apparently that's being treated as kidnapping. And they're claiming she assaulted Chihiro and the others, too."

 

Listening to Kiori and Chihiro's exchange, Erika let out a light sigh.

 

"Haa, so the police are unreliable."

 

"Erika, Erika, then why not rely on Hiyami?"

 

"Hiyami san?"

 

"She's rich, so she probably has a big car!"

 

Gii's idea was far too simple.

 

But she was also the most reliable person to ask.

 

"Come to think of it, the Hiyami Group has a tourism company, right? I wonder if they could get some buses for us."

 

If possible, she wanted to transport everyone outside the city.

 

Clearing Kiori of her charges would come after that.

 

Erika immediately contacted Ruka.

 

It seemed she had already arrived at the hospital.

 

"Hello, Hiyami san. Are you okay to talk?"

 

『I'm fine, but—it's causing a huge uproar that the survivors went missing.』

 

"Well, it'll work out somehow. It'll be an even bigger uproar when Inoue san comes back anyway."

 

『Also, Oogi senpai and Ikuna senpai are worried about you.』

 

"That's bad..."

 

『Haha, you're going to bring back at least a souvenir for them, right? So, what do you need?』

 

"Actually, there's about 100 people who were captured by the Kaisei kyou, and I'm trying to figure out how to move them."

 

『So you want me to arrange some buses? Very well, I'll try negotiating with the company immediately.』

 

"You catch on fast."

 

『There's no harm in doing a favor for my future sister-in-law. However, it seems my parents have gone missing, so the company is in a bit of a panic. It might take a little time.』

 

"I can wait that long, it's fine. Thanks, Hiyami san."

 

『Also—your parents are at the hospital too.』

 

"Ah..."

 

『Just thought I'd report that to you. See you later.』

 

When the call ended, Yoshino asked, "How did it go?"

 

"She said it might take a little time, but she'll arrange it for us."

 

"That's a relief. Then let's move to a different location in the meantime. It reeks of blood in here, it's making me sick."

 

It wasn't just the literal smell; it seemed some people felt sick watching Erika's interaction with Setaguchi.

 

Having the facility's believers guide them, they moved everyone to a safe location.

 

Meanwhile, Erika scooped up a fragment of the Blood Sheep that had fallen on the floor with Dreamer and stared at it intently.

 

Gii hugged her from behind and rested her chin on her shoulder.

 

"Erika, what's wrong?"

 

"I think this is a type of Kaigyo Gangrene, but..."

 

Erika figured they had probably recovered parts of it from the rubble and modified them in some way for use.

 

However, there was a massive contradiction there.

 

"When the floor collapsed after the boss died, Shimakawa kun survived because his brother protected him. I understand that, but I was wondering why only this Gangrene was able to make it to the outside."

 

"True, if the floor collapsed, the Gangrene should die with it."

 

"Exactly, and also—"

 

Erika narrowed her eyes, trying to remember something.

 

"I feel like I've seen this somewhere before."

 

It wasn't a connection strong enough to explicitly associate it with something.

 

However, it was connected to something in her memory.

 

Bothered by that unshakable, sickening "snag," Erika furrowed her brow.