"Eve... died?" Tsugumi blinked. "Then did the will of the Apocalypse Virus die with her?"
Maybe their strategist, Shibungi, knew these details, but Gai had never told the others.
"Of course not. The virus's will didn't die. Mana Ouma's body may have vanished, but her soul still exists, and the virus is entangled with it.
Later, under the Gravekeeper's orders, Shuichiro Keido used Mana's genes to create a clone body that could connect to her soul, intending to resurrect her and restart the Apocalypse. That clone... is Inori."
Souta glanced at Inori, then continued:
"Before Mana's soul could transfer into Inori, you guys from Funeral Parlor rescued her from the lab. She gradually developed her own consciousness, that's the real story."
"So that's... Inori's identity..."
Ayase finally understood how it all connected.
"Wait a second," Tsugumi interjected. "I know Shuichiro Keido, the director of the Antibodies. But who the hell is the 'Gravekeeper'? Never heard of them."
"The Gravekeeper isn't a person," Souta explained. "It's the mechanism that governs human will—Divine Will, the will of natural selection."
"...That made zero sense." Tsugumi frowned. "Can you explain that in plain language?"
"If you don't get it, just remember this: the Gravekeeper is your enemy."
Souta didn't bother explaining further.
Hell, he didn't really understand it either. How was he supposed to explain it?
The Gravekeeper sounded like Fate/Stay Night's Alaya, but without any of Alaya's power.
Its only real feature was its immortality and possible infinite lifespan.
In terms of strength? If it could be beaten by Shu Ouma, it couldn't be that tough.
Souta figured he could probably obliterate it with a flick of his finger.
"So your goal is to free Mana from the virus's control?" Ayase asked, looking at the silent Gai.
Gai was quietly comparing Souta's version of events to what he already knew.
Undeniably, Souta's intel was more complete.
That explanation had cleared up a lot of lingering questions.
When Ayase asked him that, Gai nodded without hesitation:
"Yes. That wish has carried me forward all these years."
A shadow passed over his eyes as he recalled the past:
"Mana... she was terrified. Before the Lost Christmas incident ten years ago, she begged Shu and me for help. That was the real her—still herself, still scared of the virus consuming her, desperate to escape its control. But Shu called her a monster and pushed her away. And I... I had no power back then. I couldn't do anything. I could only stand and watch..."
Gai turned to Souta and bowed his head deeply.
"O divine one... I have only one wish: to save Mana, to free her mind from the virus. I'll pay any price. Even if it means giving you my soul."
"Keep your soul," Souta replied nonchalantly. "Just do your job with the cult. I'll not only free Mana, I'll bring her back to life."
"But no rush. I'll need the Apocalypse Virus later anyway. Saving Mana will just be a bonus along the way."
Gai finally relaxed at that.
Compared to his own shaky rescue plan, Souta's promise—backed by divine power—felt far more reliable.
"Oh, right, one more thing."
Souta added casually:
"Eve chooses Adam... by kissing."
"Uh... so Mana kissed her little brother and Gai?"
Ayase asked, stunned.
Kissing her blood-related little brother... this was seriously messed up.
And Gai? Was he some kind of... side piece?
"That's right. She kissed both." Souta glanced at Gai. "Also, Mana was twelve when she died. Your fearless leader has been obsessing over a twelve-year-old girl for a decade—calling her his woman, dreaming of holding her in his arms."
Tsugumi took a step away from Gai, wary.
She was only fourteen—not far off from twelve. Dangerous territory.
Ayase's face grew a little... conflicted.
She never expected the man she admired to have this kind of... taste. Wasn't this just a lolicon?
Even Inori gave Gai a few extra looks.
Even with all his thick skin, he still felt a bit awkward.
What the hell was with Souta's phrasing?!
Wasn't this the sort of thing you just don't say out loud!?
Next came the others' turns to make their wishes.
Considering what happened with Tsugumi, and knowing that asking for too much might get them enslaved forever as Souta's tools... everyone treaded carefully.
Ayase's legs were already healed, so she didn't know what to wish for.
After some group discussion with Shibungi and the others, they decided to combine their wishes into one:
They asked Souta to help them achieve Funeral Parlor's ultimate goal, freeing Japan from GHQ's oppression and ending the mass slaughter of civilians.
"No problem. Once the cult is properly established, I'll give you a satisfying conclusion."
"To unify Roppongi and convert the population into believers, having a vaccine on hand would really help."
"So, while eliminating the Antibody forces here, we're also planning a raid on GHQ's vaccine storage. But we may need your help with that."
"Vaccine? GHQ's vaccine is garbage."
Souta shook his head.
"Give me a few days. I'll make one myself, perfectly neutralizes the virus's side effects. Until then, hold off on your plans."
"..." Gai was a little stunned. "You... can make vaccines?"
Souta didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked:
"Inori's blood suppresses the virus, right?"
"Get me a room. Bring Inori."
He didn't explain why.
Gai didn't ask. He just did it.
Soon, everyone else left—except Inori, who stood quietly, staring at Souta.
He turned to look at her and noticed the unease in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" He stepped closer.
"Mana... the virus... Am I really me?"
Inori looked into his eyes, searching for the truth.
Souta paused, then realized: his talk about her being a "clone" earlier must've triggered something.
She was likely terrified, afraid of being nothing more than a vessel, a replacement.
"You're Inori. Your consciousness is unique."
Souta gently patted her shoulder, his voice calm and reassuring:
"Don't be scared. The system chose you, you're my friend. With my help, you'll always be you. Neither Mana nor the virus can change that."
"Friend...?" Inori repeated.
"Yeah. A friend." Souta smiled. "You don't need to worry about Mana. You're your own person. That's something I, as a god, can promise you."
Inori gave a soft nod.
It wasn't much but the tension in her face seemed to ease.
Souta felt like a tightly wound thread inside her had finally relaxed.