He knew that now was not the time for anger or despair. They had to react as quickly as possible, otherwise every single one of them would pay a devastating price.
The plan to eliminate Scorpio while also dealing with Satoru Gojo had completely failed, and it had failed beyond all hope of recovery.
What awaited them now was undoubtedly Gojo's most severe and ruthless retaliation. With that man's personality, there was no way he would let the masterminds behind everything escape.
The only thing that could save them now was the Cursed Children.
As long as they could seize control of those children and use them as hostages, there was still a chance to turn the situation around. Nothing was truly over yet.
With hostages in their hands, even someone as powerful as Satoru Gojo could not act recklessly. He would not be able to simply watch those children die.
At that point, they might even be able to use the Cursed Children to reverse their defeat, regain control of the situation, and perhaps even take the opportunity to eliminate Gojo, the greatest threat standing in their way.
With that thought, Kikunojou Tendo no longer hesitated. He immediately turned toward Kazumitsu Tendo and the other subordinates beside him, issuing his command in a voice that left no room for refusal.
"Quickly, mobilize every available person and head to the school where the Cursed Children are located. We must take control of all the children before Satoru Gojo returns. Move fast. There cannot be any delays."
"Yes, Chairman Tendo!"
Kazumitsu did not dare hesitate either. He immediately responded and turned around to arrange the personnel. The panic on his face had already been replaced by determination.
He knew this was their final chance.
Kikunojou's side quickly began moving into action. The entire monitoring room instantly became chaotic with activity. Everyone hurriedly prepared themselves, and the atmosphere was filled with tension and suffocating pressure.
Meanwhile, inside Seitenshi's office, the ruler of the Tokyo Area remained frozen in place as she stared at the screen. She had not recovered from the shock for a long time, sitting motionless as if she had been turned into a statue.
The mushroom cloud on the screen had already disappeared. Satoru Gojo's figure was clearly visible, still floating in the sky without the slightest injury, while Scorpio had vanished completely.
No Varanium weapons had been used.
No Heavenly Ladder had been activated.
No external force had assisted him.
Satoru Gojo had relied solely on his own overwhelming strength to completely destroy the Stage 5 Gastrea Scorpio, leaving not even a trace behind.
The shock brought by this scene was impossible to imagine. It was even greater than the explosion she had witnessed moments ago.
Seitenshi opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but she found herself unable to produce a single word. Her mind was completely blank, filled only with overwhelming disbelief.
After remaining stunned for a long while, Seitenshi finally let out a long breath.
That breath carried exhaustion, worry, and relief all at once.
The tension and anxiety that had been weighing on her heart finally disappeared. Her tightly wound nerves relaxed in an instant, and her body weakened as she collapsed back into her chair, her back pressed firmly against the seat as if all her strength had been drained away.
Cold sweat had already soaked through the back of her clothes, clinging to her skin and bringing a faint chill, yet she did not notice it at all.
She stared silently at the now-empty screen without saying anything. Her eyes gradually became red, and tears gathered in them, but they never fell.
No one knew just how much pressure she had been carrying as a powerless ruler whose authority had been stripped away.
Facing the terrifying Stage 5 Gastrea Scorpio, the ambitious and watchful Kikunojou Tendo, and the countless subordinates who ignored her orders and only served the Tendo family, she had been completely isolated and helpless.
All she could do was watch everything unfold before her.
If it had not been for Satoru Gojo, if he had not helped her, if he had not appeared here, she had no idea how she would have faced everything.
She did not know what kind of disaster Tokyo would have fallen into.
But now, everything was finally coming to an end.
Not only Scorpio, the threat that endangered the entire Tokyo Area, but also the person responsible for creating this situation, Kikunojou Tendo.
Based on what she knew about Gojo, there was no way he would let the masterminds behind this escape. He would never forgive those who had tried to harm him or scheme against him.
This time, Gojo would completely purge the higher-ups of Tokyo, eliminate every unstable factor, and remove all those ambitious people who had thrown the city into chaos.
Perhaps I should work harder as well.
Seitenshi silently encouraged herself, and her eyes gradually became more determined.
Once the higher-ups were purged, the authority she held would increase, and she would be able to control more matters. At the same time, the pressure on her shoulders would become heavier, and the responsibilities she carried would grow greater.
But all of this was something she had to bear.
It was her responsibility as the supreme ruler of the Tokyo Area.
She could not rely on Gojo forever.
She could not remain protected beneath his wings forever.
She needed to become stronger. She needed to stand on her own, protect the citizens of Tokyo, and protect those innocent children.
Seitenshi silently strengthened her resolve, telling herself that she needed to become braver and face every challenge that awaited her in the future.
However, while she filled herself with hope and determination, she was unaware that Gojo's figure had already disappeared beyond the Monolith and left the battlefield where the explosion had just occurred.
His speed was incredible. With a single movement, he vanished from his original position, leaving behind only the devastated battlefield and the lingering smell of smoke in the air.
By the time he appeared again, he was already above the school playground where the Cursed Children lived.
He stretched lazily, and the exhaustion in his body instantly disappeared. The usual carefree smile returned to his face.
After finishing his stretch, he turned around and headed toward the research facility inside the school, as if the world-shattering battle that had just happened was nothing more than a meaningless game.
In his palm floated a small piece of dark red flesh.
The fragment was still faintly twitching, releasing a weak energy fluctuation.
This was a small piece of tissue he had torn from Scorpio's body earlier.
The vitality of a Stage 5 Gastrea was truly terrifying.
Even after he had used Hollow Technique: Purple to completely erase Scorpio's vital points and almost its entire body, leaving behind not even a trace, this tiny remaining piece of flesh still maintained an astonishing amount of life.
Fine patterns could still be seen across its surface. Its movements were steady and powerful, showing no signs of losing vitality.
It looked as though, given enough time and energy, it could grow back into a complete Scorpio.
"This should be enough to satisfy her, right?"
Gojo lowered his head and looked at the piece of flesh in his palm, muttering to himself with a tone that carried both casualness and amusement.
He was planning to take this fragment to Sumire Muroto and let her study it. Perhaps by analyzing the body structure and life force of a Stage 5 Gastrea, she might discover something useful.
However, just as he was about to leave, before he could even take a step forward, he sensed something unusual.
He instinctively raised his head and looked toward the school entrance.
On the road in the distance, a convoy was rapidly approaching the school.
The scale of the convoy was considerable. The vehicles moved at incredible speed, raising clouds of dust behind them. Their aggressive appearance made it obvious that whoever was coming had no good intentions.
Gojo narrowed his eyes slightly.
His sunglasses slipped down a little, revealing the brilliant Six Eyes beneath them.
After carefully examining the convoy for a moment, he immediately spotted a familiar figure inside the black car at the front.
Kikunojou Tendo.
"Well, this is the first time I've seen someone rush over so eagerly just to die."
Looking at Kikunojou inside the vehicle, Gojo revealed a playful yet cold smile. His voice was filled with mockery.
He could already guess Kikunojou's purpose.
The old man had probably come here to seize the Cursed Children and use them as leverage against him.
After thinking for a moment, Gojo pulled out his phone and quickly dialed Seitenshi's number.
His tone remained light, but beneath it was an unmistakable killing intent.
The call was answered almost immediately.
From the other side came Seitenshi's voice, still carrying traces of exhaustion but also concern.
"Gojo-sensei."
"Kikunojou Tendo is almost at the school. Do you want to come over?"
Gojo's tone carried a hint of amusement, as if he was inviting her to watch an interesting show.
"Otherwise, you probably won't get the chance to see his final moments."
"Kikunojou Tendo?"
Hearing his words, Seitenshi was startled. Panic immediately appeared in her voice.
She had never expected Kikunojou to go to the school, much less target the Cursed Children.
"That's right. That old man probably never expected me to return this quickly."
Gojo chuckled lightly, his voice filled with disdain, as if Kikunojou's actions were nothing more than a ridiculous joke.
"As for why he's here, I think it's pretty obvious. He's probably planning to use these children to threaten me."
As he spoke, the smile on Gojo's face did not change.
He still looked as carefree as ever.
But beneath his sunglasses, his eyes gradually became colder.
That icy killing intent seemed capable of piercing through the lenses and striking directly into someone's soul.
The thing Gojo hated most was when someone targeted the people around him.
Especially these innocent children.
Kikunojou's actions had undoubtedly crossed his bottom line.
This time, he would not show mercy.
He would make Kikunojou Tendo pay the price and teach him what true despair meant.
The convoy moved quickly.
In the blink of an eye, it arrived outside the school gates.
The vehicles stopped one after another, and numerous soldiers carrying weapons stepped out, quickly surrounding the entire school.
Kikunojou Tendo walked out of the black car at the front.
His face remained pale, but his eyes were filled with determination and madness.
He looked toward the school and gritted his teeth.
"No matter what the cost, we must take control of all the Cursed Children!"
What he did not know was that Gojo was already standing in the center of the playground, quietly watching him.
A cold smile rested on his face as he waited for Kikunojou to walk straight into his own trap.
A large group of soldiers carrying rifles rushed down from the military trucks.
Their boots crushed the gravel beneath their feet, creating harsh cracking sounds as they advanced deeper into the school.
The weapons rubbing against their tactical vests produced faint but clear metallic noises.
After entering the campus, these fully armed soldiers immediately spread out without hesitation. They seized control of the school entrance, each one remaining alert with their weapons lowered slightly but still aimed toward every corner of the campus.
Soon after, the soldiers guarding the gate quickly pulled open the heavy iron doors.
The rusty hinges let out a sharp screech.
The convoy waiting outside then entered the school in an orderly manner, the sound of tires rolling over the ground growing louder and shattering the peaceful atmosphere that had existed moments before.
The commotion at the entrance naturally attracted attention.
Many children looking out from classroom windows or walking through the hallways noticed the disturbance.
However, when they saw the soldiers wearing camouflage uniforms and carrying firearms, their expressions changed.
Fear appeared in the eyes of most of them.
Some even instinctively stepped backward.
After living in this chaotic and cold society for so long, the children known as the Cursed Children had already seen the ugliness of human nature.
They had experienced rejection and hatred from ordinary people.
They had been bullied and exploited by cruel individuals countless times.
Over time, they had built thick walls around their hearts and buried deep fears within themselves.
Now, seeing these soldiers radiating a cold and dangerous presence, those buried fears immediately resurfaced.
The fear was impossible to suppress.
Even though many of these children possessed physical abilities far beyond ordinary adults because of the Gastrea Virus within their bodies, with strength and speed that normal humans could never compare to, they still could not bring themselves to resist these armed soldiers.
There was no thought of fighting back.
Only fear remained.
A fear that had nothing to do with strength.
It came from the instinctive terror created by years of being hurt and abandoned.
However, although they were afraid, many of the children were still intelligent.
They knew panic would accomplish nothing.
The only thing they could do was calm themselves and search for a chance to survive.
One example was Aii.
The timid-looking girl, after realizing something was wrong, instinctively tightened her grip around the phone hidden in her pocket.
Her fingers trembled slightly from the force.
Without wasting a moment, she immediately dialed Sumire Muroto's number.