The Strongest Eriri in History

Within minutes, the earlier scene of the Gastrea being lifted into the air was reenacted. This time, however, the subjects were not Gastrea but living, breathing humans.

All of these humans shared one trait—they harbored malice toward the cursed children.

Their faces were painted with confusion as if they couldn't comprehend what was happening.

But as the realization dawned on them, panic set in. The air was filled with cries, curses, and desperate pleas for mercy.

However, no one answered their cries or begged them to stop. Just like the Gastrea before them, every one of these humans was pulled into the colossal cube suspended 10,000 meters above the Earth.

In that instant, the population of Earth was reduced by over 95%. The remaining less than 5% were composed of cursed children and humans who bore no ill will toward them.

The world's territories became eerily vacant. Cities that once bustled with life now stood silent and empty, resembling scenes from a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Some regions that harbored the most extreme hatred for cursed children became literal ghost towns, devoid of any living presence.

Eriri unleashed a strand of cosmic energy, enveloping the entire Earth. In a mere moment, every cursed child's Gastrea virus was eradicated from their bodies.

Those humans who bore no ill will toward the cursed children were also blessed, becoming physically stronger and recovering from any terminal illnesses they suffered, such as late-stage cancer.

Like Rentaro Satomi and the others, these cursed children retained their Gastrea abilities despite losing the virus. With proper training, they could now push these abilities to their limits, achieving strength rivaling Stage II Gastrea.

Whenever they used their abilities, their beautiful ruby-red eyes would still manifest, signifying their power.

The Earth's environment underwent a miraculous transformation as well. All lands ravaged by Gastrea were restored to their original state.

Within the cube world, humans and Gastrea occupied separate halves of the city. A mysterious force ensured that neither side could cross into the other's territory.

The Gastrea far outnumbered the humans by more than tenfold. They gathered en masse in their designated half of the city, seemingly waiting for an opportunity to devour the humans on the other side.

Compared to the ominous Gastrea, the human side was in chaos. While they felt some relief not being in the same space as the Gastrea, the realization that they lacked the monoliths for protection, powerful weaponry, or cursed children to defend them left them paralyzed with fear.

Even under such dire circumstances, unity eluded them. People from different countries and regions gathered in separate corners of the city.

In the area where the Tokyo Region citizens congregated, Kikunojou Tendo assumed leadership in Seitenshi's absence, leading the roughly one million people from Tokyo brought into the cube.

Next to them was the Osaka contingent, led by their ruler, Sogen Saitake.

Kikunojou Tendo and Sogen Saitake were longstanding enemies, making cooperation between them an improbable prospect.

Even the nefarious organization Five Wings Syndicate, which sought global domination, was left aimless. High-ranking members like Sogen Saitake and the rulers of Hokkaido felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.

Faced with such an unfathomable power, all their carefully laid plans dissolved into meaningless illusions.

"Tendo-sama, what should we do now?" A Tokyo politician asked Kikunojou Tendo with a trembling voice.

"This must be the work of those Endbringer Witches. Although the Gastrea haven't attacked us yet, I doubt this peace will last," Kikunojou Tendo replied darkly.

Though he had abandoned plans to capture the witches, he never imagined they would retaliate so decisively.

"We must prepare for the worst. Gather every citizen capable of fighting and fortify our defenses. Our only goal now is to survive in this city."

Escape wasn't even a consideration for Kikunojou Tendo. The scenes he had observed upon entering the cube left no room for such thoughts.

The city they were in was indistinguishable from the cities of Earth, complete with towering skyscrapers, sprawling streets, and rivers coursing through the landscape.

The only difference was its sheer size—thousands of times larger than an ordinary city.

Although there were boundaries, they led only to a vast, endless void. Kikunojou Tendo couldn't fathom how ordinary humans could traverse such a space. Even if they developed spacecraft, it seemed unlikely they could escape.

A short while later, a brilliant light erupted high above the city, drawing the attention of everyone below.

When the light subsided, more than 20 figures appeared, floating hundreds of meters above the ground. Among them were Eriri, Akino, Ophis, Liliana, Ruri Goko, and the rest of the chat group members scattered across the globe.

After cleansing the Earth with cosmic energy, Eriri had reunited the hundreds of cursed children from the Outer Area of Tokyo with the Initiators she had left at the IISO facility.

The Initiators, who had originally come from the Outer Area, were able to reunite with their old friends, making their integration seamless.

Even characters like Yuzuki Katagiri, Midori Fuse, Asuka Mibu, and Kohina Hiruko—who appeared in the original work—were among them.

At this time, they were all still undergoing training at the IISO and had yet to be paired with civil officers.

Once these tasks were completed, Eriri summoned the other chat group members—like Arifureta—from across the globe.

The cursed children under their protection had now all become healthy little girls, and with no remaining humans harboring malice toward them, they no longer needed the group's guardianship.

To Eriri, the cube world was not only a stage for judgment against humanity's old generation but also a survival game.

The group's presence in the cube world served a singular purpose: to announce the commencement of this deadly survival game.

Simultaneously, a massive screen appeared in the sky above the cube world and Earth, displaying the figures of Eriri and the other group members with startling clarity.

For the first time, both the humans left on Earth and those trapped in the cube world saw their faces. Only a few visually impaired individuals were exempt from this revelation.

Until now, the group had only been known through blurry images online, their gender and hair color being the only discernible features.

Though Eriri and the others' beauty exceeded expectations, the humans in the cube world had no time for admiration. Fear gripped them as they gazed at the so-called Endbringer Witches, feeling like lambs before slaughter.

Eriri turned and took a seat on a resplendent throne that had appeared behind her, identical to the one she used in the High School DxD world. Crossing her legs, she gazed down at the 700 million humans below as if she were their queen.

"Congratulations, everyone! You've been chosen!" Eriri's crisp voice echoed across both worlds, reaching every ear.

Her words left everyone stunned, but she gave them no time to react, continuing in her sweet, melodic tone.

"In this world now, there are more than 700 million humans, while the number of Gastrea is ten times that of humans."

"Of these, Stage I Gastrea make up 70% of the total, Stage II accounts for 20%, Stage III comprises 7%, Stage IV comprises 2%, and there are exactly 100 Stage V Gastrea in total. These are the enemies you will face."

"In thirty minutes, I will release the suppression on the Gastrea. At that time, they will roam the city in search of prey."

As Eriri finished speaking, the entire city fell into a deafening silence. But soon, the silence was broken by horrified cries from the people within the city.

"You've got to be kidding! There's no way we can handle all those Gastrea! This is insane—send me back now!"

"I have a lot of money! If you let me go, I'll give you all my wealth!"

"You can't do this! There are 700 million lives at stake! Killing us all like this is pure evil! You'll go to hell for this!"

"Please, my lady, I was wrong! I was truly wrong! Please spare me—I don't want to die!"

"You wretched monsters! Who gave you the right to drag us here?! I curse you all to die horrible deaths!"

"…"

The cacophony of anger, desperation, and pleading was overwhelming as the voices of over 700 million people echoed through the air. Yet none of it fazed Eriri in the slightest.

Moments later, her voice rang out again.

"But you don't need to worry. Since I've decided to have you face off against the Gastrea, naturally, I'll grant you the means to kill them.

I will bestow upon each of you a unique trait: the ability to grow stronger by killing Gastrea.

The higher the level of the Gastrea you kill, the faster you'll grow stronger. With enough kills, you could even reach a level where you can directly take down a Stage V Gastrea.

Oh, and here's some extra good news—killing other humans will yield the same rewards as killing Gastrea. And the stronger the person you kill, the greater the boost you'll receive.

Each of you will also be provided with a dagger. I think you can figure out its purpose on your own.

However! In the end, only 100 people will be allowed to survive. Once the last 100 people have been determined, you must work together to defeat a Stage VI Gastrea that I have specially created. If you succeed, you'll be able to return to Earth alive.

Rest assured, the Stage VI Gastrea I've created is only slightly stronger than a Stage V Gastrea. I'm confident you'll be able to defeat it."

Eriri paused briefly before continuing.

"There's one more thing to keep in mind: the city you are in will gradually shrink over time. In 100 days, the city will completely disappear.

This means you have exactly 100 days. If you fail to eliminate all the Gastrea and determine the final 100 survivors within this time, you'll perish along with the city as it vanishes.

However, if you meet the requirements within the deadline, the last 100 survivors will earn the right to face the Stage VI Gastrea.

If you manage to defeat it, you'll not only survive but also gain even greater power and an extended lifespan.

At that point, the last 100 of you, with your newly acquired strength, will essentially become gods of Earth.

How does that sound? Tempting, isn't it? If you're tempted, then start taking action. This is your only chance to survive—your only chance to transcend!"

Shock! Fear! Despair! Excitement!

As Eriri's announcement echoed across the city, a wave of emotions spread through the crowd like an epidemic.

Some people trembled with fear at the thought of facing the Gastrea and the potential betrayal of their fellow humans. Others sank into despair over their seemingly doomed fate. Yet there were those whose eyes lit up with anticipation at Eriri's final promise.

Godhood.

The term carried an alluring weight—a fantastical promise.

As long as they survived to the end, they could become gods ruling over Earth, enjoying a prolonged lifespan.

Some skeptics doubted the truth of Eriri's words, but given their dire predicament, even the faintest glimmer of hope was enough to spur them into action.

At the same time, Eriri's announcement planted seeds of distrust among the people. Most began to guard against those around them, fearing a sudden attack from their peers seeking to grow stronger.

In this atmosphere of fear and anticipation, Eriri's voice rang out one last time.

"Now, I hereby declare: the Survival Game has officially begun!"

As her final declaration echoed, Eriri and the other group members vanished from the sky. The three enormous screens also disappeared without a trace.

On Earth, all that remained visible was the massive cube, rotating slowly at an altitude of 10,000 meters. No one could see the chaos erupting within the cube's confines.

"Why? Why are you doing this? I'm your brother!"

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Brother, for my sake, please rest in peace. Don't worry—I'll live on with the strength you've given me!"

Chaos reigned in the city as Eriri's survival game commenced.

A boy, around 17 or 18 years old, drew the dagger that had mysteriously appeared in his hand and plunged it into the chest of a man in his twenties—his own brother.

Though he muttered repeated apologies, his face betrayed no sorrow. Instead, a manic grin spread across his lips, and his eyes glowed with unrestrained excitement.

As the older man collapsed, lifeless, the boy felt a surge of warmth flow through his body. His strength increased severalfold, and a euphoric rush coursed through him.

But before he could fully revel in his newly attained power, a sharp whistle of air sounded behind him. Before he could react, a dagger pierced his throat, spilling a fountain of blood.

"You idiot. Killing someone and standing around to feel yourself getting stronger? That's just asking to die," sneered a middle-aged man as he watched the boy collapse, wide-eyed and lifeless.

Without wasting a second to savor his own surge of power, the man sprinted off to find his next target.

All across the city, similar scenes unfolded. Husbands turned on wives. Siblings stabbed siblings. Parents struck down their children.

In an instant, the bonds of humanity disintegrated. Social norms and morality held no sway in this hellish arena.

Within just ten minutes, the city's population of 700 million had been reduced by more than half—not due to Gastrea but by their own hands.

Yet this bloodshed yielded tangible results. Those who survived grew significantly stronger, with most doubling or tripling their original strength. The most prolific killers had become nearly ten times as powerful as they once were.

Among the remaining humans were not only ordinary individuals but also elite mechanized soldiers.

One particularly notable figure was a man dressed in a magician's tailcoat, a top hat, and a mask bearing a grinning face.

Then there was Kikunojou Tendo, a master of Tendo combat techniques, who was undoubtedly among the strongest survivors.

Having killed dozens of people already, their power continued to grow exponentially.

Half an hour later, the Gastrea on the far side of the city began their assault.

Now, the surviving humans had to contend not only with their fellow men but also with the relentless onslaught of Gastrea.

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