The Strongest Eriri in History

Although Tina had fallen into a deep sleep, the voices of Eriri and the others stirred her from her dreams. However, even as she woke, she remained in a groggy, half-conscious state.

Rubbing her closed eyes slowly, she sat up on the bed. As she opened her eyes and saw Eriri and the group, she immediately became much more alert. She quickly stood up, assuming a defensive stance. Her blue eyes turned crimson, and her previously dazed expression was replaced by a sharp and serious one.

As the acting leader, Eriri stepped forward and greeted Tina on behalf of everyone, "Good morning, Tina-chan."

"Good morning! Ah... wait! Who are you people?" Tina instinctively replied before quickly realizing it wasn't the time for greetings.

"Tina-chan, take a look at the new addition in your mind, and you'll understand who we are," Eriri said, tapping her temple as she spoke.

Hearing this, Tina frowned slightly. Her body had been modified by Ayn Rand, including the implantation of a chip in her brain to control small unmanned drones. This same chip was also a means of controlling her. However, she could tell that Eriri wasn't referring to that. Tina suddenly recalled the announcement of a martial arts tournament that had appeared in her mind earlier. She hadn't paid attention to it due to her drowsiness, but it seemed it wasn't a hallucination after all.

Focusing her thoughts, Tina soon noticed the mysterious chat group interface in her mind. Reading through the chat logs, she quickly understood the identities and origins of Eriri and the others.

"You're all from another world?" she asked curiously, tilting her head.

She didn't doubt the authenticity of the chat group; after all, the group members were standing right in front of her. What could be more convincing than that?

"Exactly! And you, Tina-chan, are now one of us in the chat group. We came here to meet our new little sister and to tidy up this decayed world while we're at it," Eriri said with a warm smile.

Eriri's words visibly shook Tina.

Her life had been nothing short of tragic. After losing her parents, she had fallen under the control of Ayn Rand, the former head of the American branch of the Mechanized Soldier Program, codenamed "NEXT." Subjected to mechanized soldier surgery, Tina was turned into a tool for assassination missions against various political figures.

None of this was by choice, but she had no way to escape Ayn Rand's control.

"Can you really change this world?" Tina asked with hope-filled eyes.

She had only skimmed through the chat logs and hadn't yet read the group's full introduction or announcements. As a result, she wasn't aware of Eriri and the others' exact abilities. However, their clear understanding of her world's situation convinced her they weren't bluffing.

"Of course! It's just a small task for us. By the end of today, this world will have a whole new face," Eriri said confidently as she gently patted Tina's head.

Tina's blue eyes brightened as she nodded earnestly, her face breaking into a joyful smile.

However, her sudden yawn and shaky posture betrayed her lingering fatigue.

"Sorry, Onee-san, I'm getting sleepy again..." Tina mumbled groggily.

Her relaxation had allowed the overwhelming drowsiness to return. She looked ready to collapse into sleep at any moment.

With Eriri present, though, solving this issue was child's play.

Eriri lightly tapped Tina's head, and the transformation was instantaneous. Her body radiated newfound vitality, and the gastrea virus within her was eradicated entirely.

Additionally, Tina's modified body was restored to its original state, with all implanted chips removed. However, Eriri preserved her owl-based abilities while eliminating the associated drawbacks, such as her nocturnal tendencies.

Feeling her rejuvenated and energetic body, Tina stared at Eriri in awe and asked, "Onee-san, what just happened?"

"Alright, Tina-chan, your body no longer contains the gastrea virus. From now on, you won't need to worry about your corrosion rate," Eriri explained.

The unexpected revelation widened Tina's eyes in disbelief. "The virus… gone? Just like that?"

Though she had heard Eriri's earlier reassurances, she hadn't anticipated the virus could be eliminated so effortlessly.

"As I said, it's a small matter, something I can handle with just a snap of my fingers."

"Thank you so much!" Tina exclaimed gratefully.

Afterward, the rest of the group took turns introducing themselves to Tina. In turn, Tina made an effort to memorize everyone's names. Although they hadn't spent much time together yet, she felt an unfamiliar warmth and care from them.

Gradually, Tina began to trust the group, viewing them as reliable older sisters. Naturally, the person she felt closest to was Eriri. From her initial approach to solving Tina's virus problem, Eriri had left a lasting impression on her.

Just as the introductions were wrapping up, a series of messages popped up in the chat group as other members finished watching the newly uploaded memory projections.

[Fumino Furuhashi (Stage 1, Level 2): So, that's what happens in the future...]

Fumino Furuhashi's expression was complicated as she lay on her bed, processing the memory projections. Now, she understood the path her original timeline would have taken.

Having seen the resolution of her strained relationship with her father in the projections, she was filled with a sudden urge to confront him and explain her feelings. She also planned to locate the video left by her late mother to help her father understand her perspective.

However, her father wasn't home at the moment, so she decided to wait for his return before taking action. As for her feelings toward the protagonist and the other two girls in the memory projections, she could only sigh in contemplation. Although she felt grateful to Nariyuki Yuiga for his role in reconciling her with her father, her feelings remained purely platonic.

[Ais (Level 2, Stage 7): …]

[Milim (Level 6, Stage 9 ~ Level 7, Stage 1): Eriri, are you all going to Tina's world to play? I want to go too!]

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 7): Sure! Fumino, Ais, do you want to come along?]

[Fumino Furuhashi (Level 1, Stage 2): No, no, I'm just an ordinary person. I wouldn't be much help, and I might even drag you down.]

[Ais (Level 2, Stage 7): Yes, I'll go.]

Ais had free time since the Loki Familia had just completed an expedition and was in a period of rest and recovery. Normally, she would have spent this time honing her swordsmanship. However, visiting another world seemed like a better use of her time, especially since she was deeply moved by the plight of the children in Black Bullet. She wanted to do something to help them.

[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 7): Alright then. Milim, Ais, I'll have Little Skirt open a portal for you both. Just step through it.]

[Milim (Level 6, Stage 9 ~ Level 7, Stage 1): Got it!]

Milim and Ais didn't ask who "Little Skirt" was, as the chat group announcements had already explained its role as the group's system. Before long, two more figures appeared in Tina's room: Milim, dressed in her signature revealing outfit, and Ais, clad in her lightweight armor.

Both Milim and Ais boasted impressive beauty, though it was slightly below the level of Eriri, Arifureta, and Shinobu Oshino. Nonetheless, they fit seamlessly into the group, and their arrival sparked lively chatter.

Time Skip: Noon, 12:00 PM

Suddenly, Eriri addressed the group. "Alright, everyone. You can head off now to do whatever you want. If there's anything urgent, contact me through the chat group."

"Understood," the others replied, bidding farewells before heading in different directions.

Each group member had come to this world with the goal of punishing those who abused the "Cursed Children." None of them planned to idle around in Tina's room.

With their individual abilities, they could dominate this world with ease. Even Ais, the weakest among them at Level 2, Stage 7, had enough strength to handle Level V Gastrea without any trouble. Safety wasn't a concern.

However, Ais was the only one in the group who couldn't fly, making travel a bit of a challenge. As a result, she didn't venture far from the base area.

Before long, only Eriri, Akame, Ophis, Liliana, and Tina were left in the room.

"Tina-chan," Eriri began, "Arifureta and the others have left. Now, let's deal with Ayn Rand, shall we?"

"Mm! I'll take you there," Tina said eagerly.

Eriri had already located Ayn Rand using her extraordinary perception but chose not to mention it. Seeing Tina's excitement, she decided to let her lead the way instead.

Arrival at Ayn Rand's Laboratory

Tina's room wasn't far from Ayn Rand's laboratory. After a brief walk of only a few minutes, they arrived. Although Ayn Rand controlled six initiators ranked in the top 100 IP list—one of them ranked as high as 21—he himself had no combat ability. He acted purely as a command tower.

Speaking of the IP rankings, it's worth noting the "International Initiator Supervising Organization" (IISO), an international body responsible for pairing initiators with promoters, managing IP rankings, and overseeing initiators.

Initiators like Tina were girls infected with the Gastrea virus from birth, while promoters were their partners tasked with fighting Gastrea. However, most promoters were violent delinquents or criminals who saw initiators as mere tools.

These infected girls risked their lives battling Gastrea to protect humanity, only to be despised and persecuted by the very people they protected. Many found joy in cruelly torturing these girls—vile acts committed by society's scum.

This sickening reality was why Eriri and the others deemed most of this world's humans unworthy of survival. Only so-called "righteous saints" would justify exploiting these pitiful children to safeguard such filthy humanity.

IP rankings reflected an initiator's combat achievements, determined by the number of Gastrea defeated and contributions made. It served as a de facto measure of strength.

As for the IISO, it wasn't a benevolent organization either. While it distributed Gastrea virus suppression drugs to initiators, it treated them merely as expendable weapons. Maintaining their longevity was a matter of practicality, not compassion.

If a promoter died or lost their qualifications, the initiator would be immediately reclaimed and reassigned as a "weapon" to someone else.

The arrival of Eriri's group naturally caught Ayn Rand's attention. However, his expression was far from welcoming.

"Tina, who are these people? Why have they barged into my lab without permission?" Ayn Rand demanded.

He appeared to be a middle-aged man in his fifties or sixties, the quintessential image of an American scientist with an insidious aura. At the moment, his gaze scanned Eriri and the others like they were merchandise.