"Activate plan 0308. We can't let the global casualty count reach the limit, or it will all be over before it even begins." Keeping my circle of children isolated and growing behind doors is a good plan, but in times like these, I'm left with no other choice but to help; at the current rate, more than 10 million people will die, so I must do all I can to help.
Plan 0308 is a simple defense program I've automatized to use previously charged portal seals to teleport one of my children to a specific location. Moreover, we don't have the resources to fight globally, so we will only defend significant cities and towns with over one hundred thousand people or more.
The world will be fine if it loses around 10 million people, but we have all heard what the system has said. '10 million deaths mean automatic disqualification.' While I want to keep my children a secret, this situation requires drastic measures to make it out.
I myself will be heading to the significant population site, which is a place I would instead let fall if it wasn't because it holds up to three million civilians alone, making it the most prominent human settlement still intact, but who knows how much longer they will hold.
I'm, of course, referring to the papal city 'Novacrono.' Honestly, if it weren't because we can't be fighting each other right now, I would kill the pope myself. The pope is a real piece of trash, only making dumb decisions after another, and can get away with it because he commands some of the largest armies in the world, even if I would struggle to kill so many people.
Powerwise, I could wipe out the entire world's population, but it's mostly a moral stance that locks me from doing it. In contrast to that old fool, I instead try to find other means of resolving problems before I resort to violence; killing is only something I can do in the utmost circumstance when I have no other choice.
"Mother, the portals are ready to go. Everyone will head to their assigned locations, and I will protect this place with my life!" Says one of my youngest children, who is about to turn twelve in a couple of days, his name being 'Boeing.'
Of course, since this kid was still immature and not so strong, I gave him the simple task of staying here and fighting alongside the maids to keep this place from crumbling; he would most likely be only a decoration; however, I already told the maids to hide him away if he gets even slightly injured.
"Great news, Boeing! I will be heading off as well. I trust you will fight honorably like a good kid." Boeing blushes slightly when I say this, and it only brings back the point that little goblin Pan told me once. I can still remember it like it was yesterday, the day I changed from a cold, hearted, calculated mastermind into the current me.
'I don't understand you! Do you care about me, or do you hate me!? It's so hard to understand what the fuck you want with how quiet and reserved you are while using demeaning terms with all of us!' I remember those words every day, especially since not being a little less open cost me my most valuable child. I hope he will forgive me one day.
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"Mother? Are you crying?" Boeing asked as he noticed a tiny tear fall from my left eye, which I didn't even see myself. It only caused me to rush out, embarrassed of admitting to my faults as a previously cold director. I will not be so cold with them anymore; I have high hopes for them after all; with me at their side, I'm sure we will beat whatever holy heroes the other worlds throw at us.
Moments later, once I leave my office and reach the portal room, I see how everyone is nervously waiting for me to encourage them or whatever. Speeches were never my forte, so I didn't know what to tell them, so I fumbled it.
"Alright, as you know, this mission is quite dangerous, but I trust you will do your tasks and return with your heads still attached to your bodies. If things get out of control, return to base and come find me through the papal gate, and I shall assist you; everyone got that?"
Everyone looks at me and stares at me for a bit as I realize my little speech didn't come up as I wanted it. Thankfully, one of my senior children, 'Stash,' saves the day by intervening in the middle of my speech to save me from death by a cringe.
"What mother means is that we are all allowed to go kick some monster butt without limits! Let's go earn some more free levels!" Everyone soon starts cheering for 'Stash,' chanting a very cute 'level-up' chant. "Take care, Mother; I will come down to help to punish you if you die," Stash tells me as he stares right at me, and I can't even believe it.
Had I gone maybe a little too soft now? Children often use language and words they find from popular books and other mediums of their age that are only understandable to them, much like my code words and operation task, but I can't help but feel left out.
Without further ado, everyone starts departing to their assigned locations to save as many lives as possible within our power limits. I reluctantly dropped into my portal on the floor with the papal city name on it, but I had to do it to pass to the next stage of this tournament.
Stash was going to the city of Merenia, the second largest city. In contrast, everyone else went to a similar place, with Gaia going to the town of fire ruled over by those few words of god rivals that have stood their ground so far.
As for all the other cities, some went to the towns of Silvet, Macedonia, Skyn, Carthage, Engineheim, and Skyler. The other nations are simply too sparsely populated to be fought for in any realistic way without literally sending everyone there so they can help relocate everyone.
Uhm, just look at those puny papist soldiers fighting with all their will as the line slowly breaks away due to a highly dumb defense formation and the lack of good planning ahead. The line was practically all a fragile straight line all around the holy city without thinking to maybe use the damn walls instead of fighting in the ground.
Yet I do not act for the moment as I first try to spy on my children to see if anyone else is struggling, but to my surprise, they are all simply having the time of their lives. As for why I have so much stored anger toward the pope and his organization, well, let's just say they killed one of the only people I grew up with. Everybody else is too young to remember me in a weak position, but not them.
If only I could just twist that old bastard's neck. No, I must keep them around; their military strenght and ability to gather resources will be needed for the battles to come. Besides, I don't want the entire holy army of millions against me; I don't want so many human souls on me.
As I watched each of my children fight, I soon noticed something strange in one of my kid's visions. I didn't recognize who I was seeing at first, but the place they were at reminded me of Gaia and her region to protect, but something was strange; their breathing didn't sound like hers at all.
That was all confusing until I heard them speak directly to me. "Bet you thought I would sit this one out, didn't you?" Pan?