The Strongest Eriri in History

One day later, humanity's population had dwindled to just over 200 million, while the number of Gastrea remained above six billion.

Two days later, humanity's population was reduced to just over 100 million, with Gastrea numbers dropping to just under six billion.

By the third day, fewer than 100 million humans remained, while Gastrea numbers fell to over 5 billion.

On the fourth day, the human population dropped to just over 50 million, and Gastrea numbers to under 5 billion.

By the fifth day, humanity had only 40 million survivors, while Gastrea numbers stood at over 4 billion.

On the sixth day…

Inside a luxurious conference room at the IISO base in the Tokyo area, Eriri and her group sat together, looking amusedly at three individuals across from them: the ruler of the Tokyo area, Seitenshi; Kisara Tendo; and Rentaro Satomi.

Eriri had adjusted the time flow within the cube world to run at 100 times the speed of the outside world. What was supposed to be a survival game lasting 100 days in the cube world was equivalent to just one day in the real world.

Shortly after the game began, Eriri projected the events occurring inside the cube world for everyone to watch. However, after observing the chaos for a while, she and the group members lost interest and dismissed the projection altogether—after all, the outcome of this game was already predetermined.

Even if the last 100 survivors managed to grow to their full potential, they would only reach the peak of Stage II in terms of strength. Yet Eriri's custom-made Stage VI Gastrea possessed the power equivalent to the peak of Stage IV. Even if all 100 survivors banded together, they would stand no chance and would be effortlessly annihilated.

Not long after the game began, Seitenshi, having located Eriri and her group via satellite surveillance, came to visit them, accompanied by Kisara Tendo and Rentaro Satomi. This was the situation unfolding now.

"Miss Gokou, it seems we meet again," Seitenshi greeted Ruri Goko politely before turning her gaze to the central figure seated at the table, Eriri. Bowing respectfully, she asked, "May I inquire as to how I should address you?"

Eriri was now a household name in the world of Black Bullet, her explanation of the survival game rules in front of everyone having left a deep impression. The world was also acutely aware that she was the leader of the so-called Endbringer Witches.

"My name is Eriri Spencer Sawamura. As for how to address me, that's up to you," Eriri replied casually.

"In that case, I shall respectfully address you as Lady Eriri," Seitenshi said as she rose and offered a polite bow. She then introduced herself and the two individuals accompanying her. "I am Seitenshi, leader of the Tokyo Area. These two are Kisara Tendo and Rentaro Satomi. It is an honor to meet you."

Seitenshi had adopted a notably deferential attitude towards Eriri, something entirely unprecedented for her. As the ruler of the Tokyo Area, Seitenshi was accustomed to others treating her with utmost respect. However, Eriri's overwhelming display of power had left a profound impact on her—it was as if an earthly ruler were standing before an omnipotent goddess. The disparity in their statuses was immense, and coupled with the fact that Seitenshi had a favor to ask, she had no choice but to lower her posture.

"Oh, the leader of the Tokyo Area? So, does that mean you're the one responsible for sending pursuit squads to the Outer Districts to hunt us down, and later firing missiles at our location?" Eriri asked with an amused smile, her eyes fixed on the visibly uneasy Seitenshi.

Although Eriri was well aware that Seitenshi was not directly responsible for these actions, it didn't stop her from teasing Seitenshi just to see her flustered.

"Huh? Eriri, someone tried to bomb you with missiles?" Chika Fujiwara's interest was instantly piqued. Leaning closer to Eriri, she asked, "So, what happened? What did you do to the missiles?"

"Oh, it wasn't bad at all. Eriri merged those missiles into one giant firework and then set it off for half an hour. It was quite a beautiful display," Gokou Ruri said proudly from the side.

"Ah! I wish I'd been there to see it. If I'd known, I'd have come to find you sooner," Chika exclaimed, her face showing a twinge of regret.

"Hmph, how dare someone fire missiles at Lady Eriri? Such disrespect—clearly, they were tired of living," said Kaguya Shinomiya, who was seated beside Chika. As one of Eriri's staunchest devotees, Kaguya deeply disliked anyone who dared show disrespect towards her idol.

Hearing Eriri and Kaguya's remarks, Seitenshi became visibly more nervous.

"My sincerest apologies," Seitenshi said, her voice tinged with unease. "Although this was a decision made without my consent, as the leader, I bear responsibility for failing to stop it. If you wish to punish me, I am willing to accept."

"Seitenshi-sama!"

Kisara Tendo, who had been silently standing behind Seitenshi, suddenly spoke up. Her long, sleek black hair shimmered under the light, and her alabaster skin appeared flawless. Dressed in her signature black sailor uniform, Kisara stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Eriri.

"Lady Eriri, this must have been the work of Kikunojou Tendo. Seitenshi-sama would never do something like this. I beg you not to blame her for it."

As a leader widely admired by her people, Seitenshi naturally enjoyed Kisara's support as well.

"Kisara…" Seitenshi's expression grew complicated as she looked at Kisara, moved by her defense.

"Hahaha…" Eriri suddenly broke into laughter, unable to hold back anymore. Her laughter was so infectious that even Arifureta and the others couldn't help but smile knowingly.

Watching Seitenshi and Kisara's bewildered faces, Gokou Ruri chuckled softly and explained, "Seitenshi, you don't have to worry so much. Eriri was just joking with you. We know perfectly well who was responsible, and Eriri doesn't hold you accountable. If she did, you wouldn't be sitting here right now; you'd be up there in the cube."

Hearing Ruri's reassurance, Seitenshi and Kisara both let out a sigh of relief. However, Seitenshi couldn't help but cast a slightly resentful glance at Eriri.

"Alright, that's enough joking around," Eriri said after composing herself. Leaning forward slightly and resting her chin on her hands, she asked with a playful smile, "So, Seitenshi, why have you come to see us? If it's to plead for those thrown into the cube world, you might as well save your breath."

Eriri's words caused the expressions of the three visitors to stiffen. Summoning her courage, Seitenshi said with evident reluctance, "Lady Sawamura, there are so few humans left in this world. I beg you to show mercy and spare us just this once. We will make amends to the cursed children."

Instead of responding to Seitenshi's plea, Eriri flashed her a dazzling smile. "Seitenshi, I actually have a pretty good impression of you. You've been advocating for the Gastrea Law to protect the cursed children, and I find that admirable. Plus, your appearance aligns nicely with my aesthetic preferences, so I hold you in high regard."

Seitenshi's eyes lit up with hope, and she hurriedly said, "In that case, could you—"

But before she could finish, Eriri interrupted her with a sweet but firm tone. "No. While I do have a favorable impression of you, it's not enough to change my resolve. Besides, those people brought this upon themselves. They have no one to blame but themselves."

At that moment, Rentaro Satomi, who had been silently standing behind Seitenshi, could no longer hold back. He stepped forward and slammed his hands on the conference table, his voice rising with indignation.

"But this is too much! What you're doing is monstrous!"

"Satomi-kun…" Kisara Tendo glanced at him with a mix of worry and admiration. Compared to Seitenshi and Satomi, Kisara actually found herself a little excited by Eriri's actions.

Although she was the eldest daughter of the Tendo family and Kikunojou Tendo's granddaughter, Kisara Tendo harbored an intense hatred for every member of the Tendo family.

Her hatred stemmed from an incident during her childhood when her parents, who sought to expose the Tendo family's corruption, were targeted by the other family members. In retaliation, they deliberately lured Gastrea into her home.

This act of revenge led to her parents being killed by the Gastrea, while Kisara herself lost her kidney function due to the attack.

Having discovered that the Gastrea incident was orchestrated by members of her own family, Kisara had recently left the Tendo household with Rentaro Satomi.

Her greatest wish was to kill those responsible for her parents' deaths and avenge them.

Now, with every member of the Tendo family trapped inside the ominous cube world, this was a gratifying turn of events for her.

Even if she couldn't personally exact revenge, the fact that the Tendo family members would all die was enough to satisfy her.

"Mr. Satomi, you're being far too rude. Please stand down," Seitenshi said, her brows furrowing in concern. She worried that Eriri and her group might be angered by Rentaro's outburst.

Seitenshi had brought Kisara Tendo and Rentaro along because, just as she was preparing to visit Eriri, they had arrived at her palace.

Though this was her first time meeting Kisara Tendo in person, Seitenshi had heard of her before, partly due to her advisor Kikunojou Tendo and partly because the two women were alumni of the Miwa Girls' Academy.

With nearly all the guards in the Tokyo Area now trapped inside the cube world, Seitenshi was practically a leader in name only.

As Kisara and Rentaro's goals aligned with hers, she had agreed to let them accompany her.

"Seitenshi-sama…" Rentaro hesitated but didn't step back. After glancing at Seitenshi, he turned his sharp gaze back to Eriri.

Even Kisara couldn't stay silent anymore. She reached out to tug at his arm. "Rentaro, calm down! Stop causing trouble and step back."

"It's fine, Seitenshi, Tendo-san. Let him continue," Eriri said with a disdainful glance at Rentaro. Though she could already guess what he would say, she didn't mind watching his naive performance. "I'm curious to hear what he has to say."

"They shouldn't be treated like this," Rentaro began, his tone fervent. "The reason they discriminated against the cursed children was that they lost their loved ones in the Gastrea War nine years ago. It's understandable."

"But now the Gastrea have been eradicated, and the cursed children have been cured. Surely they won't behave as they did before."

"You're so powerful. Why stoop to their level? Once the Gastrea problem is resolved, everything will fall into place. Why go to such unnecessary extremes?"

"I believe they would even regard you as saviors."

"They've only ever targeted the Gastrea virus, not the little girls."

"Those people are vital to our world. With over 90% of the remaining population consisting of little girls, the world has no future like this."

"That's why I ask you to release those trapped in the cube. Please!"

When he finished, Rentaro bent at a full ninety-degree angle, his attitude seemingly sincere. But to Eriri, his words were revolting.

His speech practically exuded the stench of self-righteous sanctimony. Rentaro had not yet experienced the incident where the cursed children he cared for were killed by bombs. As a result, his "white knight" tendencies were even more nauseating than in the original story.

Especially in the original narrative, when he persuaded Kisara Tendo to abandon her quest for vengeance against the Tendo family—it was truly disgusting.

The members of the group who were aware of Rentaro's sanctimonious tendencies through memory images were utterly dumbfounded after hearing his speech. To carry self-righteousness to this level was, in a way, impressive.

"That's it? Nothing else to say?" Eriri asked expressionlessly.

"Uh… no," Rentaro replied, straightening up with a hint of confusion. He hadn't expected such a lackluster reaction to his impassioned plea.

"Let me get this straight: you brought Seitenshi-sama here to plead for this?"

"Yes… I mean, we hoped you'd reconsider," Rentaro stammered.

"Well then, since you care so much about those people, I'll do you a favor and send you to the cube world to save them." Eriri smiled coldly. "I'm sure they could really use your help right now. Good luck, young man."

Before Rentaro could react, Eriri teleported him into the cube world, which had already experienced ten days of its accelerated time.

"Rentaro!" Kisara cried out in alarm as he vanished.

Though her feelings for Rentaro hadn't yet blossomed into love due to their shorter time together compared to the original story, she still harbored a deep fondness for him as her childhood friend. After all, he had saved her life as a child at the cost of his left eye, right arm, and right leg.

"Lady Eriri, please spare Rentaro!" Kisara pleaded, her eyes filled with desperation.

Seitenshi also implored on his behalf. "Lady Eriri, I too beg for Rentaro's life. While his thoughts may be naive, he has committed no real crime."

"Oh dear, you're too late. I regret to inform you that Rentaro Satomi has already been killed," Eriri said, feigning a look of sympathy.

"That's impossible! It's only been a few seconds!" Kisara exclaimed.

"It's true. Here, I'll show you the proof."

Eriri pointed to a nearby wall, which transformed into a massive screen displaying scenes from the cube world.

On the screen, Rentaro had just appeared a short distance from Kikunojou Tendo. Spotting the familiar figure, Rentaro rushed toward him, only for the reunion to take a shocking turn.

Having already slaughtered nearly a thousand people, Kikunojou Tendo was consumed by bloodlust. Even when faced with his former ward, he showed no hesitation. Bolstered by the power he had accumulated from countless human and Gastrea kills, Kikunojou struck Rentaro down with a single, devastating blow—one with the force of a rocket-propelled grenade blast. The explosion of raw power obliterated Rentaro, scattering his limbs and flesh like shrapnel.

"See? I wasn't lying. And don't forget, time in the cube world moves a hundred times faster than here," Eriri said, withdrawing the projection and turning to Kisara, who now stood frozen in shock.

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