After sharing some simple packaged food with the children, Altair quickly bonded with them. The Somersault Cloud, in particular, helped him connect effortlessly, becoming a playful tool for the girls despite its original purpose as a swift means of travel.
Having earned the trust of the children and Matsuzaki, Altair collected samples from them. He needed to develop a targeted suppressant for the Gastrea virus, not to eradicate it, but to control it, harnessing its power for the girls' benefit.
Though he'd grown closer to them, the children weren't yet ready to form a contract with him. After gathering the samples, Altair left the sewer.
He summoned his Somersault Cloud and flew toward the outer Monolith area.
The Gastrea virus in Cursed Children was mutated, carrying various animal genes but with weaker erosive effects compared to wild strains. This allowed the children to carry the virus without immediately transforming into Gastrea. Wild viruses, however, were primal and more potent.
Reaching the outer area, Altair found a Gastrea in the forest. Taking it by surprise, he killed it with a single strike and collected some of its limbs for research.
Though Tokyo had endured the Gastrea War, it retained relatively intact infrastructure, including medical laboratories. These facilities were perfect for Altair's needs.
While Altair studied the Gastrea virus, Tokyo's elite gathered for an internal discussion.
Upon arriving at the Holy Residence, Kikunojō Tendō immediately took over security. Seeing the white sheets neatly covering the bodies in the courtyard, he maintained a calm facade, but rage simmered within.
"These useless fools."
"Sir, what should we do with the bodies?"
Tendō's subordinate, sensing his anger, spoke cautiously.
"Throw them all out to feed the Gastrea. Burying them would be a waste of land."
"Yes, sir."
After ordering the bodies disposed of in the outer area, Kikunojō Tendō entered the Holy Residence.
Inside, Tokyo's elite stood with heads bowed, none daring to speak.
Tendō entered the hall, his expression cold as he surveyed the silent group.
"Have you identified the man?"
"We extracted his appearance from the footage provided by the Shiba family's bodyguards and cross-referenced it with our database, but found no matches. He's likely not a registered Civil Security agent."
"We suspect he's a professional assassin, not involved in Civil Security work."
"Any leads on who's behind him?"
"We're terribly sorry, sir. With so little information and no identity, we…"
The subordinate's words trailed off, as they had no information on the blonde man wielding a massive blade.
"What about surveillance? Where did he come from? How did he enter Tokyo? You're telling me you have nothing?"
Kikunojō Tendō's anger flared. He couldn't believe his subordinates were this incompetent. The roads around the Holy Residence were lined with cameras, checking them should reveal something unless every single one was broken.
According to the Shiba family, the assassin hadn't bothered hiding, brazenly attacking the main gate without caring about being recorded. Such a person wouldn't bother with cameras.
Yet, the scolded subordinate felt unjustly blamed.
"Sir, we checked, but there's nothing. No matter how we looked, we saw nothing. The cameras show this man suddenly appearing from the sky, landing outside the gate, and then attacking."
"From the sky?"
Tendō stared at the speaker, suspecting he was being mocked.
"Yes, sir, truly from the sky. After he escaped, he moved through a camera blind spot. We checked other angles, and he just vanished."
The subordinate felt aggrieved, facing such an inexplicable situation.
Tendō glanced at the others, who nodded in confirmation, verifying the account.
This puzzled Kikunojō Tendō. He knew his subordinates were largely incompetent, propped up by connections rather than skill, but they wouldn't dare lie to him. So, the man really fell from the sky?
"Where's the footage?"
"It's here, sir."
Another subordinate quickly brought a laptop.
"Please, take a look."
The laptop played two video segments: one of Altair cutting down the guards, the other from an external camera showing him descending from the sky to the gate.
"This…"
Seeing Altair appear out of nowhere, Kikunojō Tendō was baffled.
"Were there any aircraft over Tokyo today?"
No tall buildings were allowed near the Holy Residence, ruling out someone gliding from a nearby structure. An aircraft seemed the only explanation.
"None, sir. After discovering he came from the sky, we checked radar records. There were no aircraft, and skyward cameras showed nothing. It's as if he appeared out of thin air and dropped."
Even the seasoned Kikunojō Tendō was stumped. What did this mean? Where did this man come from?
"Issue a bounty. Alert all Civil Security companies. We want him alive. He may possess technology we don't know about."
"Yes, sir!"
The subordinates breathed a sigh of relief, glad to avoid further blame.
"Assign a new guard team for the Holy Residence. This time, ensure proper defenses."
"Yes, sir!"
With his orders given, Kikunojō Tendō ascended the stairs to check on Seitenshi.
Yet, he remained deeply puzzled about the supposed assassin targeting her.
Who would want to kill Seitenshi? The world knew Tokyo was under his control. Her death would change nothing. So, who was behind this?
***
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