The girl retied her blindfold.
She reached out, groping until her hand found the face of Enju Aihara, who was about her height.
"You're also a Cursed Child, right?"
Enju nodded blankly.
"Yes."
"We're both Cursed Children…so why are you always smiling? Don't you feel any pain?"
With that, she withdrew her hand.
"Me…without relying on others, I can't survive. So besides smiling, I don't know what other expression to wear."
As a Cursed Child, she couldn't get a job or earn money. She also had a younger sister to care for. She didn't want to steal, so begging was her only way to live.
"Sir, and the big sister I don't know, and the other Cursed Child… I can sing for you all, so please, could you spare me some coins? My little sister's about to starve…"
She spoke with a trembling voice. She was still mindful of what she was doing now. Even just a few coins, or a piece of bread, might be enough to help her sister. Whether she ate or not was unimportant to her.
Her words weighed like a hammer on Emilia and the others, stifling them with sorrow.
"I've already heard your lovely singing, and you deserve payment for that."
Rei Ao did not let her continue singing.
"Here's the food you need,"
he said, casually handing her some. But that wasn't all.
His long fingers rested lightly on her shoulder. The slab of lead embedded in the flesh around her eye sockets abruptly fell away. Blood that had begun to trickle out flowed back in. Fresh tissue took form there, and two crimson irises re-coalesced in her once-empty sockets.
"Ugh!"
Having been blind for so long, her eyes suddenly felt the piercing brightness of the world. Instinctively, she shut them against the harsh light.
The glare made them ache fiercely, but the pain vanished almost at once, replaced by a soothing, cool sensation flooding her eyes.
Sensing something, the girl fluttered her eyelashes and cautiously opened her eyes.
"!!!"
What she saw left her mouth hanging open in shock. It was a vibrant, brilliantly colored world! No longer the dull, drab gray. Dazzling hues came flooding in. She had regained her sense of color!
Looking ahead, she found that the big brother and big sisters whose voices she'd heard were nowhere to be seen, as though all she'd just heard was a dream. Yet the food in front of her and the fact her eyesight was restored told her that everything had indeed been real.
Staring into the distance with her newly regained vision, the wind ruffling her hair, the girl murmured softly:
"Thank you…"
…
The livestream froze on the girl's pure smile.
It took quite a while for everyone watching that scene to come back from their storm of emotions.
That included Sumire Muroto, Miyori Shiba, and several others who had just gathered at Seitenshi's location, as well as Cursed Children like Kayo Senju called in by Seitenshi's special summons.
Also among them was Tina, who had sneaked in through a window like some assassin.
"…"
Miyori Shiba glanced around at the group, frowning.
"So that chat group… it's actually real…"
Sumire Muroto wore a grave expression.
"This is no time to dwell on that."
She sighed in exasperation, reminding them:
"From what we've seen in the chat group, those people from other worlds aren't feeling great about ours."
"Hmph, serves them right!"
Yuzuki Katagiri spoke bluntly. As a Cursed Child, she thought the two men who died deserved it. Even before Seitenshi, she couldn't contain her frustration.
"…"
Seitenshi's expression was bitter. It was her first time personally witnessing, via the livestream, that the attitude toward Cursed Children in the Tokyo Area was even more extreme and cruel than she'd realized.
"As the Governor, I bear inescapable responsibility for the injustice suffered by Cursed Children in the Tokyo Area."
She gave a deep bow to Midori Fuse and the other girls.
"I offer you, and all Cursed Children, my apologies."
The abrupt apology startled the girls, but Kayo Senju remained calm:
"Princess, this isn't the time to get hung up on that. We need to figure out what to do next. Judging by the teleportation and invisible killing in the livestream, that 'Rei Ao' who leads the chat group has powers we can't even understand."
Her voice was composed yet rang with a warning:
"He really might be able to destroy the world."
Miyori Shiba's brow furrowed.
"In that case, what should we do? Should we rally everyone and take up arms against him?"
"Sorry, Tina can't do that."
The pink-eyed Tina spoke up, hoisting a large sniper rifle. She turned that big rifle on Miyori Shiba.
"Click!"
At the same time, a handgun slid from Miyori Shiba's billowing sleeve to point right at Tina's head.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Miyori demanded, "I've been wondering—aren't you not an Initiator?"
"…"
Seitenshi knew Tina wasn't an Initiator. Still, that weapon wasn't something an ordinary Cursed Child would be carrying.
Tina's reply was frosty:
"Who Tina is doesn't matter. But Tina will kill anyone who stands against Oniisan."
Rei Ao had demonstrated a genuine kindness to Cursed Children, going so far as to threaten the world's destruction for their sake.
Tina had never met anyone like that. From this moment on, she decided she'd stand with him, removing all obstacles.
Midori Fuse timidly added:
"S-sorry, I can't bring myself to fight that Oniisan either."
Asaka Mibu drew her katana and pointed it at Miyori Shiba:
"I, too, now have a reason that compels me to fight you."
Katagiri Yuzuki and Hotaru Kouro both flashed dangerous looks.
"Sigh."
Kayo Senju exhaled deeply, her gaze meaningful.
"Everyone… If all the Cursed Children learn there's someone willing to destroy the world for them, what choice do you think they'll make?"
Her high intelligence let her see the situation clearly. This was also her stance.
"…"
Miyori Shiba's face darkened. She didn't dare imagine the consequences if word got out.
Even ordinary people would be moved if they discovered someone ready to go that far for them.
Let alone Cursed Children, who had almost no rights in this world, subject to endless hardships.
Should Rei Ao make a rallying call, it was likely most Cursed Children worldwide would respond—multiplying humanity's enemies beyond measure.
~~~
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