I am a female swordsman.

"District Three..."

The city is divided into multiple areas for monitoring, and the systems of multiple departments work together. Except for the complex underground areas where perfect monitoring is difficult, the Night Watch will be able to keep track of the actions of any strange people who appear in other areas.

The oddball in District 3 is an extremely unlucky oddball.

It was born in the industrial wastewater of the early Shinra Empire, and under extremely unfortunate circumstances, it was fortunate enough to escape the hunt of the Shinra warriors thanks to its own talent. Those Shinra warriors, dressed in uniforms and wielding high-powered firearms, pursued it relentlessly like mad dogs.

Their mission was to slay the monsters.

Zack stood at the helicopter's hatch, looking down at the tracking area illuminated by searchlights. With his terrifying dynamic vision, Zack was like an eagle soaring through the sky, his eyes scanning the ground. He knew that the Night's Watch's prey lurked deep within the dark steel jungle.

“Zack!” Angel’s usual reminder rang out from behind. “Don’t let your guard down.”

"Understood~~"

The energetic boy turned around and made a reassuring gesture, then fell straight backward! Outside, the height was enough to kill ten thousand witchers, but for Zack, it was just a slightly higher distance! Seeing Zack being so mischievous, Angeal couldn't help but shake his head. This guy…

"Observation, Balance, Tranquility activated! Little guy, let me see where you're hiding, hahaha!" The Solidification spell on his body was activated instantly, and the surging blue-green color of Mako energy filled Zack's eyes, as if the surging Mako energy was about to burst out of his body!

In an instant, his vision changed dramatically. Special wavelengths, infrared, night vision and other functions were activated, and he flew like a nimble swallow into the vast steel forest.

Third-class Shinra Warrior.

Zack's actual strength has already reached the second tier, but he hasn't been able to advance because of Angeal. However, given Zack's record and strength, it won't be long before he surpasses Angeal and becomes a first-tier warrior.

The battle broke out below.

Sword flashes danced, gradually suppressing the struggling monster's body. The cleansing magic of Mako repeatedly blasted the resisting monsters deeper into the dark, steel forest. In this desolate area, Zack, unleashing his full power, was like a rampaging bulldozer, tearing apart monster bodies and shredding the abandoned steel mill to shreds!

The monster's roar and Zack's excited shouts mingled together, their overly enthusiastic voices barely audible even from the roar of the helicopter. The sound soared into the sky, until the monster's roar gradually subsided into a mournful wail, while Zack's childlike voice, like a child finding a toy, grew ever more exuberant.

………………

At five minutes and twenty seconds into the battle, Zack successfully defeated the monster that appeared in the Shinra area.

"There's really no challenge at all~~"

Zack, beaming with pride, held his head high, looking like he was about to receive a good compliment. The Shinra warriors around him, busy cleaning up the mess, wore friendly smiles, as if they were used to it all.

Zack is full of energy, like a ray of sunshine, bringing joy to many people around him. Probably very few people would say they dislike him.

Even a reclusive and arrogant artistic youth like Genesis.

"Zack." Angel walked solemnly toward the energetic boy. Recalling the deep impression his instructor had left on him when he first joined Shinra, Zack's body trembled involuntarily. "Come here, I have something to tell you."

"Hi Hi!"

Feeling a little uneasy, Zack tried his best to maintain a calm expression after being called upon. But the next moment, Angel's words immediately revealed Zack's true colors.

"I intend to recommend you for first class."

"Ahhh! Angel!!!" The moment he heard those words, Zack felt like he was about to fly away, overwhelmed with happiness. He immediately flew up and hugged his instructor, shouting, "I love you so much, Angel!!"

In the distance, the Shinra warriors who witnessed this scene exchanged smiles.

This clown is back again!

On one side is the serious and earnest Angeal, and on the other is the overly lively Zack. In Shinra, probably only Zack would dare to act so silly in front of Lord Angeal. Anyone else would simply not be able to withstand the serious and imposing aura of a First-Class Lord.

"them……"

A blond Shinra warrior looked at Angeal and Zack as if seeing them for the first time, his eyes showing a hint of confusion and bewilderment. This superior-subordinate relationship was a little too good.

"Claude, you don't know this yet, do you? Angel and Zack are like this. You'll get used to it." The senior patted Claude on the shoulder, indicating that he should get used to it.

"No, it's just that this is not quite the Shinra I imagined."

Cloud, who had only recently joined the company, kept his head down and didn't talk much. This was his nature, and it hadn't changed much even after becoming a Shinra warrior. But Zack's cheerful and energetic laughter continued to echo in Cloud's heart, touching that dormant soul.

On the other side, after finally shaking off Zack who was clinging to him, Angel looked at him, who looked like a little puppy. He wanted to scold him, but swallowed the words back and just snorted angrily.

“I recommend you for first class, but you still need to be tested. In particular, the Speaker may make the final decision himself, so you should pay attention to your image recently and stop being so outrageous! Also, your little girlfriend, don’t let her affect you, do you hear me!” When Zack’s girlfriend was mentioned, Angel’s eyes gleamed with a different kind of light, which he skillfully concealed from the excited Zack.

Chapter Fifty-Nine: Conspiracy

Zack and his girlfriend Iris have a sweet and loving relationship, and they often post affectionate photos online to make others jealous.

Shinra is very concerned about the emotional well-being of its employees.

This is because it concerns whether employees can concentrate on their work and not be distracted by abnormal factors; everything is for the employees' benefit. As for Zack's girlfriend, Iris, Shinra's information department, during its observations, discovered that Iris's identity was not as simple as it appeared.

Iris Gainesbury.

Native place: A small European country. Former residence: Snowfield Village, on the outskirts of District 20, City A. Occupation: Nun. She is said to be able to hear a voice similar to the muttering of many people, but this has not been confirmed.

If she were just an ordinary flower-selling nun, she wouldn't be considered a suspect.

What makes Iris unique is that almost all information about her birthplace has disappeared. Even with Shinra's investigation, they have never been able to fully understand her background. This, coupled with her questionable identity and her relationship as the future Soldier Zack's lover, has heightened Shinra's vigilance.

Angel, due to his close relationship with Zack, was there to remind him on behalf of Shinra.

Don't do anything stupid.

Not to mention anything that might harm the company's interests. Even Shinra's soldiers, if they stand in Shinra's way, will be mercilessly wiped out! Shinra's highest-level military force, the [Shinra Chairman] and the [Angel King], once deployed, possesses unparalleled combat power that surpasses all mortal imagination!

………………

“You didn’t explain the seriousness of the situation to him.” Holding the poetry collection, the reclusive, artistic young man Genesis glanced sideways, revealing a perfect profile to Zack.

"He is a warrior with dreams in his heart, and I believe he knows what is right and wrong."

If Zack were here, he'd be ecstatic. He'd never received such high praise from his instructor before. The consistently strict Angier rarely uttered compliments about Zack, but this alone was enough to prove that Zack truly stood out in Angier's eyes.

"Ha, how foolish."

Genesis merely scoffed at this, offering a frank assessment of his close friend's choice. Once the behemoth that is Shinra Corporation gets going, it's no simple matter. It's like thunder, a hurricane, a raging fire—a vast and unstoppable force that crushes everything in its path!

"Genesis...!"

Upon hearing his close friend's assessment, Angel instinctively frowned.

"Forget it, I have no interest in getting involved in your boring affairs." Patting the hem of her red trench coat, Genesis closed her poetry book, her emerald eyes unusually cold. "However, Angel, remember this: if he really gets in the company's way, you should know what to do, right?"

"After all, his instructor personally saw him off, so that idiot probably won't have any regrets or hatred."

"You don't need to say anything more."

Angel's thick, strong arms seemed to have lost their supporting strength, and his back looked rather sluggish. Genesis's cold and indifferent gaze seemed to drop the temperature in the air; his work was not this kind of tender childish game, but a much more brutal battle.

Earth Mother Cult

The extremist organization deemed highly dangerous, inhumane, anti-social, and a threat to the human community by the Shinra Council is designated as a top priority target for elimination. We must fight them to the bitter end, within the bounds of acceptable losses! Given the highly secretive nature of the Earth Mother Cult's development methods, the elimination plan will be carried out in multiple phases!

First, the soil for the continued growth of the Earth Mother Cult must be cut off.

Based on the confessions of the two prisoners, information was analyzed to reveal that the Earth Mother Cult is currently not large in scale and does not dare to extend its influence beyond the Shinra Company's reach.

Improving the social framework and promoting the construction of Mako Reactors on a large scale—these two approaches can effectively reduce the emergence of monsters and the frequency of receiving divine pronouncements from the Earth Mother Goddess. The first method can effectively prevent certain individuals with questionable morals from joining the monster camp. Not giving them the opportunity to test human nature is absolutely necessary. As for those stubborn and unyielding individuals…

Sir, Shinra has one hundred methods of labor reform and fifty methods of humane destruction.

Interested in giving it a try?

Shinra's methods against monsters are extremely ruthless, but that doesn't mean Shinra isn't ruthless towards human traitors. No matter the era or world, a traitor is always a thorn in one's side.

Once the preparatory phase is complete, the operation to eradicate the Earth Mother Cult will commence in full force. This will involve daily helicopter patrols of the city with probes, coupled with heavy ground firepower and the violent suppression by Shinra warriors. Genesis will personally oversee the operation, aiming to completely eliminate the Earth Mother Cult's forces!

Finally comes the periodic cleaning, weeding, and pest control phase. At this stage, the victory of the Shinra can be declared, and all reactionary forces have been completely eliminated.

the other side.

The central church in a snowy village.

Since Shinra began widely deploying the Mako Reactor, the effects of extracting the River of Life have caused large areas of green vegetation to wither and die unnaturally. Now, virtually no green plants can be seen within Shinra's controlled area; this phenomenon is unavoidable.

However, in the central church of Snowfield Village, a touch of green is hidden.

In this world that appears increasingly desolate and bleak, the preciousness of this patch of green within the church is self-evident. The villagers regard it as a miracle of the snowfield and protect it as a secret. Even Shinra's information department has failed to detect these green life forms growing against the laws of nature within the radiation range of the Mako Reactor.

At this very moment, in this small, three-dimensional garden, a beautiful woman with a compassionate smile extends her hand, and a colorful butterfly is perched on her fair fingers.

Her appearance wasn't stunning, but rather had a girl-next-door feel to her.

Wearing a light red, elegant long dress, her bangs parted to the sides revealed a simple face. She was Iris Gainesbury, a nun in the Snowfield Village Church, and Zack's girlfriend.

"It must be very painful..."

With a gentle, compassionate gaze, Iris watched the butterfly flutter its wings, communicating with it. She could hear the growing weakness and weariness in the complex sounds, the tragedy of watching everything headed towards death, washing over Iris's soul day and night.

She understood that the planet was slowly heading towards death.

Humanity cannot yet foresee the impending end of death, but those who have secretly approached her are far more aware of it. Should she tell Zack the truth?

Chapter Sixty: The Truth

That was sometime more than a month ago, on a certain night.

As usual, Iris tended to the flowers and plants in the church, while also serving God. She prayed for the small flowerbed in the church, hoping that they could tenaciously survive in this increasingly painful environment. Even if the future was barren and dead, they would not forget to bloom.

Perhaps it was Iris's prayers that worked, for all the flowers and plants in the church survived healthily.

It is limited to inside the church.

A visitor suddenly knocked on the church door in the dead of night. In that instant, Iris's innate ability to hear many sounds was activated and amplified many times over. The visitor outside the door was no human being; he exuded a unique and overwhelming aura.

Knocking on the door is a matter of politeness.

After the polite exchanges, he simply pushed open the door and entered. A man in a suit, wearing a mask and hat and completely concealing his identity, strode confidently into the church. The man's demeanor exuded elegance and nobility; even though he deliberately concealed his status, one could still sense his wealthy and influential background.

Good evening, Miss Iris.

"You are……?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I should introduce myself, but please forgive my rudeness. For some reasons, I cannot reveal my name or...face." The man in the suit gestured to his heavily disguised appearance. "Please don't worry, I have absolutely no intention of harming you. I'm here seeking help as someone in distress."

Dressed so strangely at night, it's hard to believe he's not a bad person.

But the man in the suit's voice seemed to possess a magical power, compelling people to believe and obey his words without even realizing it. This deep-seated conviction, without any reason, could easily overcome a person's defenses.

But Iris is no ordinary person.

From a young age, she could hear many obscure and complex sounds, which far surpassed the mental fortitude of ordinary people; otherwise, she would have long since gone insane because of these confusing sounds. The man in the suit's highly persuasive voice did not make Iris lower her guard, but she was certain that he did not have any obvious malicious intent.

“I’m sorry, sir, I think I’m just an ordinary nun and there’s really nothing I can do to help you. If you want to repent, I’d be happy to guide you to pray before God.”