The Strongest Eriri in History

Protected by dozens of massive monoliths made of metal, the scenery inside the Tokyo Area was indistinguishable from that of a normal, peaceful world.

However, along the border where the monoliths met, lay a unique region—the Outer Area.

The Outer Area and the central Tokyo Area were two completely different worlds. The latter was a bustling metropolis filled with skyscrapers, no different from pre-war times. In contrast, the Outer Area was a wasteland of ruins, desolation, and decay.

The Outer Area was a ruined city left unreconstructed after the Gastrea War. It had been repurposed as a site for pollution-heavy factories and served as a haven for homeless cursed children.

Almost all cursed children in the Tokyo Area lived in this zone, and IISO (International Initiator Supervising Organization) sourced its initiators from here.

If a cursed child attempted to sneak into the main city, they would face expulsion by guards—or even cruel execution.

Even initiators, despite their role in combating Gastrea, would only receive hateful stares from the citizens if their true identities were exposed.

The irony was bitter: these cursed children were humanity's last hope against the Gastrea, yet society repaid their sacrifices with nothing but violence and rejection.

Enju Aihara had lived in the Outer Area before being taken by the IISO. Life here was unimaginably harsh.

The children endured toxic waste from nearby factories, constant hunger due to food shortages, and the threat of humans entering the district to kill them for sport.

Death was commonplace in this desolate zone.

Eriri and her companions had now arrived in the Outer Area. Before heading there, she had also retrieved all the cursed children who had been hiding in the city and brought them back to the IISO building, reuniting them with the initiators already gathered there.

To ensure their safety, she set up protective barriers around the IISO building and left behind sufficient food supplies to last until her planned purge of the world began.

Around the same time, Ruri Gokou, who was still in the Tokyo Area, regrouped with Eriri and the others.

The incident at the sanctuary had not gone unnoticed by the Tokyo Area's leadership. Although Seitenshi had forbidden her guards from pursuing Ruri Gokou, her vice-regent, Kikunojou Tendou, defied her orders and launched a manhunt.

News of the so-called "Endbringer Witches" indiscriminately slaughtering humans had spread worldwide, and Kikunojou Tendou immediately associated Ruri Gokou with this group.

Captured footage of the group members in action had been uploaded to the global network, causing widespread fear.

Although the video footage did not clearly show the faces of the girls, their overwhelming attacks and devastating results were vividly recorded.

One clip showed a girl firing a so-called "magic cannon" to obliterate an entire army. Another depicted someone slicing a skyscraper in half with a single sword swing.

The most terrifying scene featured a blonde girl summoning a fireball that reduced everything within several kilometers to ash in an instant.

The world's people began fearing these girls even more than the Gastrea, labeling them all as Endbringer Witches.

Upon learning from Seitenshi about Ruri Gokou's identity, power, and objectives, Kikunojou Tendou became even more convinced of their connection to the Endbringer Witches and took action.

Believing this to be a matter of human survival, he refused to compromise—even though Seitenshi had informed him that these witches were targeting humanity because of their mistreatment of cursed children.

After much deliberation, Kikunojou Tendou dispatched nearly all of Tokyo's civilian security forces, along with a heavily armed police unit, to hunt down Ruri Gokou.

He ordered them to capture her alive if possible, reasoning that a living witch was far more valuable than a dead one. A captive could serve as leverage against the other witches or reveal the secret behind their power.

However, neither Eriri nor Ruri Gokou paid any attention to this pursuit.

The group was now in an open space within the Outer Area, surrounded by a dozen or so young girls in ragged clothing, all curiously watching them.

This location was where Enju Aihara had lived before joining the IISO—District 39 of the Tokyo Area.

The 39th District was quite expansive, housing many cursed children. Given that Enju had been gone for a long time, it wasn't surprising that none of these girls recognized her.

"Wow, so many adorable little girls!" Ruri Gokou exclaimed, looking at the group with excitement.

Eriri stepped forward, greeting the girls warmly with a gentle smile. "Hello there."

Perhaps it was the charm of her smile or the awe inspired by her beauty, but the girls showed no fear of Eriri, unlike how they usually reacted to strangers. Instead, they shyly greeted her in return.

"You're so pretty, Onee-san," a brown-haired girl said loudly, drawing the other girls' gazes toward Eriri.

"And you're all very cute too," Eriri replied, patting the girl's head with a smile.

The girl didn't shy away from Eriri's touch; instead, she nuzzled into her hand like a little kitten.

"Wahoo! So cute! Let me pat one too!" Ruri Gokou, unable to resist, rushed to Eriri's side and began stroking another adorable girl's head.

"Hmph! I'm even cuter!" Enju pouted jealously, puffing her cheeks as she stood beside Eriri.

"Of course, our little Enju is the cutest," Eriri said, using her other hand to pinch Enju's smooth, soft cheek. This instantly lifted Enju's spirits.

Even Liliana, standing behind Eriri, couldn't help but feel tempted to interact with the children. After getting a nod of approval from Eriri, she happily joined in the fun.

Only Akane and Ophis remained silently in place, observing the cursed children with quiet curiosity.

After a while, the brown-haired girl shyly asked Eriri, "Onee-san, what brings you here?"

This area was one of the most remote corners of the Outer Area. Normally, no one visited unless they had ill intentions or were IISO staff looking for potential initiators.

If not for the sudden and silent arrival of Eriri and her group, the children would have already fled to the nearby sewers.

"Of course, we're here for you adorable little ones," Eriri said with a smile.

The brown-haired girl tilted her small head slightly, her crimson eyes revealing a hint of confusion. "For us?"

"Yes. From now on, you won't have to live the way you did before. Awaiting you are warm beds, delicious food, and a free and happy life."

As Eriri gently stroked the girl's long hair, her words left the dozen or so cursed children present in a state of stunned disbelief and dreamy longing.

"Can such a life really exist?" a frail little girl asked, raising her tiny hand with a face full of hope.

"Of course it can," Eriri replied firmly with a nod. The questioning girl let out a sigh of relief, her face lighting up with excitement and anticipation.

Thanks to Eriri's warm demeanor, the simple-minded children trusted her easily. One by one, they began to imagine the wonderful lives awaiting them.

"You must be hungry now, right? I brought some delicious food. Would you like some?"

"Yes!"

Hearing there was food, the children snapped out of their dreams and stared eagerly at Eriri. Some even began to drool at the thought.

"Alright, first, let's make some tables," Eriri said, nodding.

She stretched out her right hand and pressed it lightly against the ground. Instantly, the crumbling ruins covering the area vanished, leaving the terrain flat and smooth. The nearby sewer entrances, where the children lived, were left untouched.

Then, with a casual wave of her finger, she carved patterns in the air. Immediately, dozens of massive stone tables, each ten meters long and two meters wide, appeared neatly arranged on the now-empty plain.

Though made of stone, the tables were as elegant as finely crafted marble furniture.

At either side of each table were ten soft chairs, with two additional chairs placed at either end. Each table could seat up to twenty-four people, and the dozens of tables combined could accommodate hundreds.

Witnessing the miraculous transformation, the children stared in shock, their mouths agape as they took in the completely altered scenery.

"Onee-san, are you a goddess?" one of the girls asked excitedly, her eyes sparkling.

The little ones were so overwhelmed they couldn't find the words to express themselves. In their hearts, Eriri had already become a divine, omnipotent figure.

Only a goddess could be this beautiful. Only a goddess could come to save them.

This was the most genuine thought in the minds of the children.

"I'm not a goddess," Eriri replied cheerfully. "I'm better than a goddess."

"Wow, you're amazing!"

"Alright then, go and call out all your friends. Once everyone is here, we'll begin the feast." Clapping her hands, Eriri instructed the girls, snapping them out of their daze.

"Okay!"

Being pure-hearted children, the mention of food quickly drove them into action. They eagerly ran towards the entrance to the sewer where their friends were hiding.

Even Enju followed the group of girls. After all, that sewer had once been her home, and she wanted to see it again.

Once they had left, Ruri Gokou couldn't help but ask Eriri, "Eriri, why so many tables? There are enough seats for hundreds. Isn't this overkill?"

"I'm planning to gather all the cursed children in the Outer Area here. These tables are just the right size," Eriri explained with a smile.

She then used her spatial manipulation abilities to transport every cursed child in the Outer Area to the newly cleared area.

The teleportation was seamless, causing no discomfort to the children. To them, it felt like they had merely blinked, and the scenery around them had changed.

Initially, the children were startled, but upon seeing their peers and realizing they were surrounded by others like themselves, they relaxed. Instead, they began chattering and laughing amongst themselves.

Soon, they also noticed Eriri and her group. After a brief conversation, their reactions mirrored those of the first group of children—joy and excitement.

In total, there were three to four hundred cursed children in the Outer Area—not an overwhelming number, but certainly not few.

Since the cursed children had only begun appearing nine years ago after the Gastrea War, all of them were under the age of nine.

Looking out across the area, the plain was filled with adorable little girls. If a lolicon were to stumble upon this scene, they might never want to leave.

And yes, this included Eriri. The radiant smile on her face, ever since the children began gathering, spoke volumes about her delight.

One child in particular soon caught Eriri's attention. Ruri Gokou also turned her gaze toward the same child.

The girl had long silver hair that reached her knees, with delicate features—a dainty nose, small lips, and well-defined cheeks. However, her eyes were covered by a stained white bandage.

This was the cursed child featured in one poignant moment from the original series—the girl who begged on the streets to support herself and her younger sister.

Because her eyes were blind, the city's citizens didn't realize she was a cursed child. This allowed her to gather meager donations to buy just enough food to stave off starvation for herself and her sister.

Even so, many scumbags would toss trash like bottle caps and metal scraps into her begging bowl. After accepting her heartfelt gratitude, they would shamelessly mock her.

Had her identity as a cursed child been exposed, she and her sister might have starved long ago.

Cursed children possessed extraordinary regenerative abilities and were not easily killed, even by ordinary firearms.

The reason this girl's eyes were blind was that her own mother had gouged them out in disgust at their crimson color.

In an attempt to be accepted back into her mother's arms, she poured molten lead into her eyes, permanently blinding herself.

However, her mother despised her entire being. Even without the red eyes, the girl could never return to her mother's side.

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