Manager, give me a membership card too!

Rentaro Satomi had no idea what had happened to them, only that in less than an hour, seven or eight strangely shaped and ugly monsters had appeared around Scorpio, guarding his side. Judging from their massive size, none of them were Gastrea below Stage 3.

At this rate, the remaining people shouldn't have been able to hold out for much longer.

But for some reason, Scorpios didn't relentlessly pursue them. Instead, they would pause every now and then to give their prey a rest. They even killed two other Gastrea that tried to attack them on their own.

However, before Rentaro Satomi and his group could catch their breath, the massive moving mountain started moving again as if it were on a timer, driving the remaining team members into an endless escape.

Chase, rest, rest, chase.

The towering Scorpio constellation is like a child holding a magnifying glass, while Rentaro Satomi and his group are like ants being roasted to death by the sunlight focused by the magnifying glass in front of that smiling child.

No matter how much grief and resentment the ant felt, it had no power to resist. Because that tiny ant could not kill a human. Even if it risked its life to bite, all it would receive was a child's slightly furrowed brow and the finger that fell.

The outcome was already predetermined the moment they collided with Scorpio.

"Damn it! Why, why did I have to encounter the Zodiac! Weren't these monsters supposed to have stopped coming near human cities a long time ago?"

It was halftime of another round of the 'game'. Rentaro Satomi was leaning against a boulder, panting heavily, and enduring the pain as he waited for the middle-aged man in front of him to help him bandage the wound on his waist that had been accidentally cut.

He stared at the enormous figure standing behind him, his eyes filled with despair. He didn't notice that the hand of my charioteer, who was bandaging his wounds, trembled, and a ripple appeared on his calm face.

Now, only I, the headmaster, and Rentaro Satomi remain in the action team. All the others were eliminated in this long game and turned into strange and terrifying creatures around Scorpio.

Even those who survived are now on their last legs.

It seems that this one-sided little game will soon come to its final round.

Using techniques honed over decades of combat, my lord helped bandage the wound on the young man's abdomen. He stood up silently, looking at the young man he had tricked into this doomed mission with a complicated expression.

For the sake of the lives of nearly ten million people in the Tokyo district, he had no choice but to participate in that person's clumsy charade. Although this action violated his family's long-standing tradition and precepts of valuing honor, he felt no regret whatsoever. Even now, in his desperate situation, even in this precarious state where death could come at any moment, he still felt he had not done anything wrong.

All for the great Holy Emperor! For the millions of ordinary people in Tokyo!

But now, looking at this young face before him, my patriarch fell silent.

For the sake of his own sense of justice and loyalty, did he really feel no remorse whatsoever for bringing such a child into his group?

"No one has the right to decide someone else's sacrifice!"

Recalling the words spoken by the figure flashing with lightning when he was defeated outside Tokyo, the middle-aged man's expression showed a moment of realization.

Silently tightening the straps securing the 'Seven Stars Legacy' to his shoulders, Ichijou slowly drew his sword from his waist. Seeing this, Satomi Rentaro also heightened his attention, his eyes scanning the surrounding dense forest with wary intent.

"What happened, Captain? Are Gastrea approaching?"

Shaking his head slightly, the middle-aged man gently stroked the sword that had been with him for ten years, his gaze filled with longing as he looked at the other man. But the next second, the middle-aged man's eyes straightened, and he raised the sword with both palms facing upward, solemnly presenting it to Satomi Rentaro.

"My captain, what...what do you mean by this?"

The boy's face was full of question marks as he looked at the gleaming samurai sword in front of him.

"My sword is forged from concentrated holmium steel, which is better than the material used in your prosthetic limb. Although it is not a famous swordsman's heirloom, it has been with me for nearly ten years and has killed countless Gastrea. It is a good sword that has been tested in actual combat."

"My captain, what...what do you mean by this?"

The same words were spoken again by Satomi Rentaro, but the young man's expression was complex and unreadable. As a native Japanese, he deeply understood what a personal sword meant to a traditional samurai like Gatō no Masaru, and what it meant to give one's sword away.

It was a heavy burden of entrusting one's life and fortune to someone else.

Without uttering any more nonsense, and seeing that the young man in front of him had no intention of taking the sword from his hand, the headmaster simply flicked his wrist to sheath the sword and then shoved it, sword and sheath together, into the hand of Satomi Rentaro.

"No, no, this is too valuable! I can't accept it!"

"You...don't you want to see your sister anymore?"

The young man paused, a clear look of hesitation appearing on his face.

My lord shoved his sword into the arms of the bewildered young man and began rummaging inside his armor. A moment later, he found something that looked like a tablet computer.

Looking at the green and red dots closely packed together, and the yellow dot that had already moved out of the red dot's attack range, the man who had been fighting bloodily for nearly a day and a night finally showed a relieved smile.

His mission as a samurai was complete. Now, he was to do what a grown man should do: do what he had always wanted to do!

"I didn't lie to you about what I told you before, that the Prime Minister promised that every member participating in the mission could make one request to him."

Rentaro Satomi's expression froze upon hearing this, wondering why the other person had brought it up. Given the current situation, neither of them would likely survive until the moon rose tonight, let alone return alive to fulfill their promise to that person.

"But based on what I know of that man, there's a 90% chance—no, a 100% chance—that he'll choose to renege on his debts or eliminate anyone who tries to raise questions with him. So..."

As my chaplain was speaking, he operated the instrument in his hand, and after a long while, he carefully handed the thing to Rentaro Satomi.

“I don’t trust that man. If Tokyo continues to be ruled by him, problems will arise sooner or later. So before I left Tokyo, I left him a little gift, a little gift that will ruin his reputation and plunge him into an abyss.”

For the first time, a sly smile appeared on the bald man's usually dignified and solemn face. He gently patted the electronic device in the boy's hand, his tone surprisingly tinged with amusement:

"His Majesty the Holy Emperor has not appeared in public for a long time. I learned through special channels that he is now living in a safe place, but that man has concealed this information in order to monopolize power in the Tokyo district."

"He thought I was just a blindly loyal fool? No, I was just doing what I was supposed to do."

"Take this communicator, young man. I have planted assassins in my secret base in Tokyo. If I don't make it back alive, they will spread rumors about our Prime Minister's ugly face throughout Tokyo. If you return to Tokyo alive, this communicator will help you contact him. He will take care of everything and clear your sister's name of her sins."

Looking at the communicator in his hand, Rentaro Satomi's eyes flickered. After a long silence, the young man suddenly sighed and said dejectedly, "Thank you for your arrangements, Captain. But as you can see from the current situation, it's hard to say how many more rounds of 'pursuit' we can hold out, let alone return to Tokyo."

Gently patting the somewhat thin shoulder of the young man in front of him, the middle-aged man smiled and said, "Now, let's talk about my next plan."

"plan?"

"Yes, it's a plan. I'm going to split up after the next 'chase' begins. I'll run west, and you'll run east. Scorpio only has one 'person,' so he can only chase one of us. As long as we're fast enough, we can buy the other one enough time to escape. And those Stage 4 fighters around him aren't much of a threat to experts like you and me, so the chances of escaping successfully are high."

"So, young man, are you interested in joining my plan? A fifty percent chance of survival—this is the most thrilling gamble of my life."

"Fifty percent...?"

Seeing the fist that my boss was extending, Rentaro Satomi's face broke into a smug smile. He also extended his fist and bumped it with the other's, saying in a passionate tone, "Although I don't like gambling, there are always exceptions in life. I, Rentaro Satomi, accept your high-stakes gamble, my boss!"

The two fists, of different sizes, tapped together twice in unison, then clenched tightly together, and a smile of great interest appeared on the middle-aged man's face.

“If I return to Tokyo alive, I will handle your sister’s matter personally. If you return to Tokyo alive, you’d better hide for a while after picking up your sister, and only come out after everything is over.”

"I understand, Captain."

Nodding in satisfaction, Ichiro patted Satomi Rentaro on the shoulder again, then turned to look at the towering, mountain-like Stage 5 Gastrea creature, Scorpio, behind him.

As if sensing the man's feelings, the enormous monster let out a long cry and began to slowly move its massive body.

Having witnessed the same scene several times before, Masaru Satomi and Rentaro Satomi knew that a new round of 'hunting' had begun.

As Scorpio moved its tentacles like a mountain gradually coming to life, Ichigo Masaru said calmly, "Although the chances are slim, I still hope to see you again in Tokyo, young man."

Rentaro Satomi paused for a moment, his expression of tension due to Scorpio's 'awakening', before revealing a knowing smile.

"Me too, my platoon leader."

"Rentaro-kun, may your martial arts prowess be great!"

The young man, who was being called by his name for the first time, also smiled and responded:

"May your military prowess be everlasting, my squad leader!"

The two men exchanged a knowing glance, then vanished in two completely different directions.

Scorpio, who was stretching its massive body, paused, seemingly puzzled as to why the tiny ants before it had split into two groups and left. Hundreds of ferocious crimson eyes hesitated for a moment before glancing at the receding figure of Rentaro Satomi, but ultimately followed the urge in their hearts and chased after the figure carrying the huge black leather suitcase.

Meanwhile, the several Gastrea beings that had been circling around Scorpio also glanced at the two who had split up. Three of them tentatively took two steps to the other side and, finding that their 'mother' had no intention of interfering, excitedly chased after Rentaro Satomi in the direction he had left.

Carrying a black leather case containing the 'Seven Stars' legacy, my lord was swiftly traversing the dense forest with the help of his exoskeleton power armor. Glancing at the huge shadow that always loomed over him on the ground, the nearly fifty-year-old man revealed a relieved smile.

I'm sorry, young man, I deceived you. The outcome of this gamble was decided from the very beginning.

As the one who started this mess, I will risk my life to buy you time.

You must survive, Rentaro Satomi...

.............

Run! Run forward! Run with all your might!

Rentaro Satomi is desperately trying to escape!

In order not to let down Captain Gadou's sacrifice, Rentaro Satomi has squeezed out all the energy in this body and is desperately fleeing straight ahead.

Gripping the heavy holmium steel knife tightly in his hand, the boy's face was covered in tears.

He knew, he knew everything.

From the moment the man handed him his sword, Rentaro Satomi knew what the man was thinking. Especially after seeing that Lord Gadgetani never unfastened the backpack on his back, he became even more certain of the man's intentions.

That was a backpack containing 'bait' to attract Gastrea. Carrying something that was inconvenient to move around in and could easily attract danger, I knew exactly what Rentaro Satomi was thinking.

It is precisely in order to reciprocate the other person's feelings that he absolutely cannot die, because now he is bearing the weight of two people on his shoulders.

Boom!

A tremendous roar resounded in front of him, and a strange creature that resembled both an insect and an animal landed heavily in front of Satomi Rentaro. Its ugly body had a full 16 blood-red eyes, which were staring at the tiny human in front of it with a hungry and greedy look.

Without the Scorpio's suppression, these terrifying monsters easily caught up with the fleeing young man.

"Damn it, I won't stop here! For my captain! For all the fallen team members! I must return to Tokyo alive!"

"Tendo-style Combat Technique, Type One, Third Form: Rokuro-shiki Fuki!!!!!"

While Rentaro Satomi was engaged in a fierce battle with the Gastrea that were arriving one after another, Gadou-cho, who was traveling in the opposite direction, was also fighting his own battle.

The latest model of exoskeleton armor propelled this strong body, which showed no signs of aging, forward. My charioteer was extremely fast. His long experience as a police officer had always allowed him to find the most suitable path for himself, and he ran at a speed as if walking on flat ground in the city ruins and dense forest.

The middle-aged man tightened the strap of his black leather suitcase behind him, a cold smile appearing on his face.

The Legacy of the Seven Stars

These are sealed items for Tokyo and even for all of Japan. They contain the heavy and sinful past of humanity, sealing away the ugliest, most despicable, and most selfish aspects of human nature.

As a member of a prestigious family with a history spanning hundreds of years in Tokyo, a stalwart of the royalist faction, and ranked 375th out of more than 700,000 registered police officers worldwide, I, the headmaster, am naturally qualified and capable of knowing what is in the box behind me and what the so-called zodiac is.

It was merely the evil that blossomed from the desire of a group of old men whose lives were nearing their end, who still held a great deal of power and wealth, to continue living.

eternal life

What beautiful words.

Unfortunately, this was not a realm that humans could tamper with. Those humans who dared to violate the authority of the gods suffered the most severe punishment and created 11 messengers that brought destruction.

Stage 5 Gastral beings, also known as the 'Zodiac', are terrifying beings named after constellations.

With a body the size of a mountain, immense strength, and molecular-level regenerative abilities, these death angels were beyond the reach of even nuclear bombs. The despair of only managing to eliminate two even with the combined power of all humanity.

The evil consequences of humankind's own actions.

The initial eleven experimental subjects.

Recalling the experimental footage he had seen using his privileges, and having estimated that he had run a sufficient distance, my esteemed leader slowly stopped and turned around to look at the creature, which was taller than the distant mountains, with a pitying gaze.

"It must have hurt so much, it must have been so painful, to be treated so inhumanely, to be subjected to such cruel and inhumane experiments. You must hate us, hate us heartless and greedy adults."

Gently unfastening the buckles on his body, the black leather suitcase, which my chaplain had been carefully guarding, slipped off his shoulder and was placed securely on a boulder.

"Although I really want to apologize to you, I know that would be a meaningless act. You probably can't understand the meaning behind my words right now, and the racial conflict between us makes it impossible for me to say such things."

The middle-aged man's expression was complex as he gently stroked the black leather suitcase in front of him.

Raising his hand and entering the pre-set password, I, the headmaster, finally saw the true form of the 'Seven Stars Legacy,' which everyone kept secret and avoided at all costs.

A small, dilapidated toy tricycle for children.

Judging by its size, the owner of this tricycle is definitely no more than five years old.

"How could they do that to a child this age? I thought those videos showed the limit. Ha, this world really is rotten. I've been trying to protect something all along..."

Silently clenching his fists, the middle-aged man stared dimly at the dilapidated children's tricycle in front of him. He, who had stood as straight as a steel blade, now felt that his back could no longer be straightened.

"Ah, I see. So the reason you've been searching for the 'Seven Stars' Legacy' is to find your tricycle?"

Glancing at the Scorpio in front of him, who seemed to sense something and was getting agitated, my chaplain forced himself not to look at the dilapidated tricycle that seemed to burn his eyes, and raised his hand to take out another oval-shaped metal object from the box.

The ultimate weapon manufactured by 'Sima Heavy Industries,' one of the major arms dealers in Tokyo, is the Fire Space Bomb, also known as the EP Bomb. Only the size of a thermos, its destructive power is equivalent to twenty times that of a regular aerial bomb.

Most importantly, the bomb's casing and contents are mixed with ultra-holmium (fluorine) steel, the only substance in the world capable of causing fatal damage to Gastrea. And my lord currently possesses a total of 23 such bombs.

After searching through all of Sima Heavy Industry's warehouses and laboratories, and adding the number rushed out, 23 units were all that was left in stock.

Even so, I, the headmaster, had not even the slightest hope that I could kill Scorpio. All I could hope for was that these bombs would cause some damage to the enormous monster before me, and then use the time consumed by its physical regeneration to buy the boy more chances of survival.

With a gentle twist of the bomb switch in his hand, a sixty-second countdown began to tick rapidly. As this EP bomb was activated, all the remaining bombs, under the control of the interlocking program, also began to count down in unison.

"With such a large quantity, we shouldn't have to worry about duds."

Casually tossing the bomb, which had already begun reading, back into the box, my chaplain carefully took out a dilapidated red children's tricycle. He glanced at the somewhat aged vehicle with an inscrutable expression and sighed softly.

"What exactly have we humans done?"