The battle ended much faster than I had expected, and it was nowhere near as difficult as I had feared.
The biggest reason was that the Justina Council members did not resurrect on these streets after being eliminated.
Based on our observations in the Old Cathedral, even though they were theoretically immortal, they could only revive within a fixed area.
And since these Justina Council members were under Beatrice's control, their resurrection point was, unsurprisingly, the Basilica where the ritual was taking place.
It seemed that was where the real hard battle would begin.
That reminded me. I wondered whether the chaos across Kivotos had settled down yet.
After confirming with Arona that she still hadn't received any news from the outside, I asked her to relay the intelligence I had just obtained from the defeated Arius students.
A new day had already begun, and Arius's officers had already received the latest code phrases and route map.
Of course, there was still the question of whether the information was authentic. There was also no telling when the students outside would receive the message, or when they could spare enough forces to come rescue us.
At best, it was an attempt not worth placing too much hope in. The only ones I could truly rely on now were the members of Arius Squad beside me.
After politely thanking the Arius student who had provided this valuable intelligence, I stood up and looked to the side.
"How are the preparations?"
"Our ammunition has basically been replenished."
Azusa looked both dissatisfied and nostalgic.
"I've been using Trinity standard-issue explosives lately. They don't feel as good as the ones I make myself, and they're expensive, but being industrially manufactured means they're more powerful and more reliable. I'd say they each have their own advantages and disadvantages. Still, they're much better than what these people were carrying."
To cut costs, the bombs used by Arius students were almost all handmade.
They had been taught how to make explosives since childhood. With the physical resilience of Kivotos students, even accidental mishaps usually resulted in only minor injuries.
I nodded.
"In that case, let's move."
"Wait a moment, Sensei."
Saori stopped me. After hesitating for a moment, she asked,
"Do you still have any of the fever medicine you gave me before, when I collapsed?"
"...Why are you asking all of a sudden?"
"During the battle, I realized my physical condition had improved significantly. It wasn't just my imagination. I don't think a short rest alone could have restored me this much. So I was wondering whether the medicine contained some kind of stimulant."
...She certainly had quite an imagination.
Though, thinking about it normally, it wasn't an unreasonable conclusion.
After all, I had no habit of boasting about the sacrifices I made in front of others, so I had never told Saori what the "medicine" really was.
The other girls present, however, all knew.
"U-Um, Captain, well..."
Hiyori stammered nervously, unsure how to explain. Her hesitation only drew a puzzled look from Saori, while Misaki simply closed her eyes and remained silent.
Azusa, on the other hand, had no such reservations.
"Saori, it wasn't fever medicine. It was Sensei's blood."
Upon hearing that, Saori first looked stunned, then doubtful, and finally conflicted.
"My blood really does have the power to heal others."
Seeing the uncertainty on her face, I spoke first.
"If you need it, just tell me."
This wasn't the time to be stingy.
"...Then, Sensei."
Looking at me, Saori asked quietly,
"What... is the price?"
If all of you could be won over by me right now, I'd consider the debt barely repaid.
I shook my head.
"Don't misunderstand. I just want all of you to face the coming battle in the best condition possible. That's all."
To my surprise, however, Saori shook her head as well.
"No. What I mean is... the price you have to pay."
"...Me?"
"Mhm... I know. Just like the picture books the Princess used to read to us when we were children, using... a miraculous power like this can't possibly come without limits, can it?"
Saori pressed her lips together and looked away guiltily.
"Otherwise... back then, because of me..."
I looked at her with some surprise.
"There is a price, but it's within what I can bear."
Trading a bit of my lifespan for a better chance to send Beatrice to her death was completely worth it to me.
But the moment I admitted it, Saori immediately said,
"I'm sorry. Please pretend I never asked. I... I'll do everything I can to make up for it, for everything you've sacrificed, and... everything that happened before."
At least she had a bit of a conscience.
I just hoped they weren't merely empty words.
Muttering inwardly, though feeling considerably better than before, I answered seriously,
"The way things are now, we're practically bound by fate. Helping you is also helping myself. So there's no need to be so formal with me. Like I said earlier, to kill Beatrice, I'm willing to pay any price."
As my words fell, Saori looked even more ashamed.
For some reason, her eyes gradually reddened as she murmured,
"How... how are we supposed to atone for our sins... and repay your kindness..."
I frowned slightly.
"Let's talk about that after we've defeated Beatrice and rescued Atsuko."
After a moment's thought, I added,
"Trust. If you can do that."
"Trust... I'll do my best."
After Saori made her promise, Hiyori and Misaki gave similar assurances.
I waited for a while, but felt no unusual sensation from my chest, causing me to click my tongue inwardly.
Either these aberrations still weren't grateful enough, or that lousy card was skimming off my rewards again. At this point, I was used to it.
As expected, achieving the conditions for a successful conquest wasn't going to be easy.
Even so, I inexplicably felt lighter, as though a knot inside me had finally loosened.
Perhaps Beatrice's words had affected me more than I had realized.
Excellent. That was one more reason she couldn't be allowed to remain in this world.
How dare that wretch try to shake my convictions?
Satisfied with that decision, I spent about another week's worth of lifespan to restore Saori, Misaki, and Hiyori, whose conditions were indeed quite poor.
Perhaps because the first time I had directly placed my finger into the unconscious Saori's mouth, the three of them seemed to have developed some mistaken idea that I couldn't be bothered to correct.
A little while later, I wiped three damp fingers with a handkerchief as I continued onward with the girls.
Some time later.
A pink-haired girl looked at the unconscious Arius students lying on the ground and smiled with unsettling delight.
"We're almost... caught up with them☆~"