Junius 7~

February 14th!

PLANT and the Earth Alliance fleet faced off in space.

Inside July Colony~

"Aunt Lenoya, is this enough?"

Having just finished recording the video, Anna shut off the communicator and turned to look at Lenoya Sala behind her.

Because the Earth Alliance had declared war, PLANT was now on high alert, making it difficult to send letters. That was why Anna was recording a video to send instead.

"That's enough. Noer will definitely be happy when he receives it!" Lenoya Sala smiled and reassured Anna at the hopeful look in her eyes.

"Really? Will Brother Noer not want to see me?" Anna sat on the stool, lowering her head dejectedly.

"Of course not. Don't you know what Noer is like? He'll definitely be happy to see your recording!"

Asya, who had long known the truth, could not help stepping forward to comfort her.

Although he was also worried about Noer, there was no choice now but to hide the news.

According to the reliable information received yesterday, Noer was still in critical condition.

"Is that so..."

Inside the research institute on PLANT's April Colony, Noer had actually been transferred here on the second day after being sent to January because of his special identity.

Noel Cassia was lying on a hospital bed covered in all manner of instruments.

Countless researchers in white uniforms surrounded him.

Beep~

Whoosh~

The door to the observation room beyond the glass suddenly opened, and a man in a long purple coat walked in.

"Councilor Sala!" The researcher studying the data from the various instruments hurriedly turned around.

"How is he?" Patrick Zala walked up to the glass wall and silently watched the man covered in instruments inside.

"His brain activity is normal, and all of his bodily functions have stabilized," the researcher replied.

"What about the experiment?" Patrick Zala continued.

"The experimental results are all normal. However, due to Gene Potion No. 4, his body's cells have still undergone varying degrees of mutation, leaving certain aftereffects," the researcher replied after consulting the files.

"Can it be used on other people?" Patrick Zala looked at the researcher.

The researcher's gaze tightened. He opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

"Is there a problem?" Patrick Zala looked puzzled. The purpose of moving Noer here this time was to test whether Gene Potion No. 4 could be used normally.

"Whoosh~"

Just as the researcher was about to say something, the laboratory door suddenly opened, and a man wearing an eyepatch slowly walked in.

After nodding and smiling at the researcher, he said, "Councilor Sala, it's getting late. The council meeting is about to begin."

Patrick Zala gave the newcomer an indifferent glance and continued, "Answer my question."

"Hm?" The man looked puzzled and turned toward the researcher.

"Because... because his genes were never modified to begin with, the results of this experiment have no reference value," the researcher explained, glancing back and forth between the two men.

"You're saying his genes were never modified?" Patrick Zala's gaze narrowed. Could a Coordinator whose genes had not been modified still be called a Coordinator?

"Yes. Strictly speaking, he is merely a test-tube baby—and a completely ordinary one at that. He falls under the category of Naturals!" the researcher replied with a nod.

"A test-tube baby? A Natural?"

Patrick Zala looked at Noer through the transparent glass, momentarily unsure what to say. A Natural test-tube baby had somehow been branded a Coordinator and hunted down.

"Yes. According to our investigation, we discovered that his parents never intended for him to undergo genetic modification. They simply wanted a child," the researcher continued.

"A child..."

Muttering to himself, Patrick Zala said to the researcher, "Compile all the information into a report and send it to me. At the same time, do everything possible to resolve his aftereffects."

Without waiting for the researcher's reply, he turned and left the laboratory.

The eyepatch-wearing man chuckled as he watched Patrick Zala's departing back. He then took the researcher's experimental materials and began reading them. "This report... is very well written."

The researcher remained standing there without answering.

"Cruze." Patrick Zala's voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"Yes!" The man named Cruze put down the report in his hand and turned to leave the laboratory.

Whoosh~

The door closed.

"Phew~"

Once the two had left, the researcher collapsed back into his chair and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Outside the laboratory~

"You seem very interested in that child?" Patrick Zala slowly asked from the car heading to the council, looking out at the bustling city beyond the window.

"I simply find it somewhat tragic," Cruze replied from the seat opposite Patrick Zala.

"Tragic?" Patrick Zala withdrew his gaze from the window and looked at Cruze.

Cruze chuckled. "A family that should have belonged to Earth was massacred simply because they took part in something as ordinary as having a test-tube baby. They didn't die at the hands of their enemies, but at the hands of their own people. Isn't that tragic?"

Test-tube babies were not uncommon in this world. As long as one could prove that both parents truly could not reproduce normally, virtually no country would prevent them from having one.

Patrick Zala merely gave Cruze an indifferent look and said nothing.

Woooo~

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Beep! Beep! Beep!

At that moment, air-raid sirens suddenly blared across all of PLANT.

The emergency communicator in the car let out a piercing alarm.

Beep~

Patrick Zala hurriedly answered it. "What happened?"

Why had the air-raid alarm been sounded without him receiving any news at all?!

"Councilor Patrick Zala, Junius... has suffered a nuclear explosion!" a man's voice came through the communicator.

"What did you say?!"

Patrick Zala roared in disbelief. A nuclear bomb?!

"Agricultural satellite Junius 7 has been struck by a nuclear weapon!"

"Junius 7?!"

"Yes!"

Listening to the news coming through the communicator, Patrick Zala felt as though something had exploded inside his mind.

Lenoya Sala--

At the same time, every PLANT satellite broadcast footage reporting that the agricultural satellite Junius 7 had been struck by a nuclear weapon.

"No!"

"Mom!"

"Why?!"

"No! This can't be real!"

On the streets, countless people stared blankly at the light of destruction flaring across the giant screens.

Then came the furious cries and mournful wails of countless people, because their relatives and friends were there.

And among the crowd, a young man stood frozen in place...