"Enju!"
A sharp voice rang out.
Enju turned toward Rentaro.
His head was lowered, voice hoarse and strained—almost like an order: "We're leaving."
"But… she…"
Enju tried to protest, desperation in her tone.
"I said let's go!"
He cut her off, fists clenched so tightly the veins bulged, then turned away.
"Hah."
One of the enforcers scoffed, mocking his cowardice.
Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Enju froze, eyes wide.
Blood splattered.
"Tch! Aim properly, damn it! You're getting blood all over me!"
The second enforcer wiped his sleeve with the girl's clothes in annoyance.
The one who fired let go.
The girl collapsed to the ground, breathless, her blood pooling beneath her.
And then came the words that chilled Enju to the core:
"I'll remind you… next time."
Next time…
A surge of rage—and something else—rose in Enju's mind.
Her former self had just died.
Died right in front of her.
And her present self... couldn't do a thing to save her!
"Enju, let's go."
Rentaro Satomi reached out to take her hand—but to his surprise, Enju pulled away.
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with complex emotions. Suddenly, Rentaro seemed like a stranger to her.
"Enju…"
Of course, Rentaro noticed the disappointment in her gaze. It struck him unexpectedly, a sharp ache blooming in his chest.
He had made a choice—to avoid trouble, to stay within the law.
But that choice… had deeply hurt Enju.
"Tsk. How disappointing. I should've known better than to expect anything from you."
The quiet words pierced the silence, drawing attention.
Several figures appeared suddenly in the area.
"Miss Tendō…"
Rentaro's eyes widened as he spotted Kisara among them.
"…"
Kisara stared at him, wordless. But her gaze mirrored the same disappointment as Enju's.
"Why is that cursed child with you?" one of the law enforcers demanded, shifting their aim to the newcomer.
Their eyes widened the moment they spotted the girl in Nanashi's arms.
They were certain she had died by their hands.
One of them blinked in confusion, glancing down—only to find the cursed child's body on the ground vanishing like mist.
"What?!"
An illusion?
The body was gone?
Nanashi had merely manipulated their senses. The girl had already been rescued, long before they fired.
They had killed only the illusion their eyes had been tricked into seeing.
"She…"
Enju's heart leapt, eyes wide with a mix of hope and uncertainty. She turned to Nanashi, desperate to ask about the girl's condition.
"She's fine," Nanashi said calmly.
He had healed her with primordial energy. Now, she slept peacefully in his arms.
"Thank goodness…"
Tears welled at the corners of Enju's eyes.
"Who are you? You're harboring a criminal—surrender now!" one of the enforcers snapped, enraged by the deception. He raised his gun and pointed it at Nanashi.
"Nanashi-san, may I?"
Shinobu smiled sweetly, her eyes narrowing into slits. But there was a chill behind that expression.
She'd had enough of these so-called law enforcers.
"Tsk, I was thinking of turning them into sieves myself," Lemuel said with a smirk. "Since Shinobu asked, go for it."
She aimed her gun at the two officers' heads.
Nanashi gave a small, indifferent nod.
Even Reinhardt, the self-proclaimed knight of justice, did not intervene.
He fought for righteousness—not to protect evil. And these two? They were monsters from another world.
"What are you people planning to do?" Rentaro asked, a deep unease settling over him. There was something deeply off about the people surrounding Miss Tendō.
No one answered.
Not even Kisara. She simply watched Rentaro with a furrowed brow, disappointed.
"Ara, I hope you reunite with Muzan in hell."
Shinobu gently exhaled.
Purple mist burst from her breath and engulfed the two officers.
"What the hell is this?!"
The men screamed in confusion—but within seconds, their bodies turned purple. Their eyes rolled back. Foam spilled from their mouths as they convulsed and collapsed.
A few seconds later… they were still.
Dead—beyond revival.
Rentaro stepped forward, taking a defensive stance, face grim.
"You've killed them! That's murder. It violates the law. I ask that you surrender immediately!"
To him, they were criminals—no better than murderers.
"Is killing animals considered murder?" Nanashi asked casually, a faint smile on his lips.
"Animals?" Rentaro frowned, puzzled.
Nanashi's tone darkened. "Didn't you see what they did to that little girl? The pain they took pleasure in causing?"
"Scum who torment and kill children for sport—if they aren't beasts, then what are they?"
Enju looked at Nanashi, her red eyes shining with emotion.
This man… he called us girls—not cursed children.
Rentaro clenched his fists.
"Even if they broke the law, punishment should be dealt through legal means. You had no right to execute them!"
Nanashi sneered. "Is that really what you believe?"
"What are you trying to say?" Rentaro snapped.
"What crime did that little girl commit? What justified her lynching at their hands?"
"Didn't the news today report that Seitenshi passed a decree granting cursed children the same rights as normal people?"
"…"
Rentaro froze.
His breath caught. He had no words.
After a long pause, he spoke hoarsely, "She's a thief."
Nanashi looked as if he'd just heard the world's worst joke.
"A thief, huh? And you just believed those two beasts?"
"Isn't the law based on evidence? Or do you just take the word of anyone with a badge?"
"!!!"
That question hung in the air like a thunderclap.
Everyone present suddenly saw something clearly—the man in front of them's sense of justice might be flawed.
"I…"
Rentaro opened his mouth, trying to defend himself.
But Nanashi cut him off.
He looked down at Rentaro with contempt and uttered something shocking.
"Rentaro Satomi, you're a cyborg. A product of the New Human Creation Project."
Rentaro's eyes went wide.
"How do you know that…?!"
It was supposed to be a secret!
"A plan to create a new kind of human being?"
Kisara found it increasingly difficult to believe what she was hearing.
But judging from Rentaro's reaction, it didn't seem like a lie.
In that moment, she realized something unsettling: despite all the time they had spent together, she didn't truly understand the person standing before her.
"You talk so much about wanting to protect these girls—the so-called 'Cursed Children,'" Nanashi continued, ignoring Rentaro's question. His voice was calm, but laced with scorn.
"Yes, you do have the power to protect them."
"As one of only two subjects of the New Human Creation Project, your abilities are extraordinary—equal to theirs."
"But you're wasting it."
"With that strength, you could rise to a position of influence. You could use your voice to push for change, to reshape the world."
"But you don't."
"You hide. You drift through life aimlessly, clinging to pretty ideals while chasing a lazy, so-called 'peaceful' existence."
"I despise people like you—those with power who only talk and never act."
"If you had just been honest and said you wanted to give up... I probably wouldn't hate you this much."
Nanashi didn't know if he was that kind of person himself.
But if he ever chose to give up, he would say it clearly.
And if he wanted something, he would fight for it—like he did the first time he killed an evil spirit.
He had fought to gain the strength to survive in a world falling apart.
He had danced along the edge of death countless times.
That was how he became who he was.
If, back then, he had only talked big and done nothing... he probably would've been eaten by zombies in the very first Doomsday Game.
He loathed people like that. People who could do something—should do something—but didn't.
People like Rentaro Satomi.
A man with power, yet an immature mindset. A man full of empty ideals.
Weak-willed. Indecisive. A coward.
His beliefs were fragile—like paper—easily torn, easily swayed.
And then Nanashi added, almost as an afterthought:
"You also have double standards."
"You say you want to protect these girls... but you treat them like monsters."
He glanced down at the small girl with short, vivid red hair, still sleeping in his arms.
"When I asked you earlier what she had done wrong, you told me she was a thief."
"Even if she was—what kind of person deserves to be tortured and executed for stealing a piece of bread? And why do you act like that's normal?"
Nanashi gave a cold, mocking laugh. "Or... is it because she's a 'Cursed Child'? So in your eyes, that makes her life worth less?"
"Rentaro… is that true?!"
Enju's voice trembled. The question was too terrible to ignore.
She needed to hear his answer—from his own mouth.
"No! Enju, it's not like that! I never thought of it that way!"
Rentaro's voice cracked as he desperately tried to explain.
"That's enough!"
Enju's voice rose, thick with emotion.
This wasn't the kind of response she had wanted.
She had hoped Rentaro would look her in the eyes and answer clearly, without hesitation.
But the man standing before her now—he felt like a stranger.
"Enju…"
But it was already too late.
The truth stood before her—undeniable and cold.
Enju wasn't a fool.
Rentaro was a powerful cyborg.
He had the strength to fight for change.
But instead, he spoke empty words. He never acted.
He kept saying he wanted to protect the Cursed Children.
Yet just moments ago, he had stood there and watched as one was brutalized—nearly executed—without lifting a finger.
This… this wasn't the Rentaro she thought she knew.
And she wasn't the only one who felt that way.
Even Kisara now looked at him as if seeing him for the first time.
Disappointment. A deep, aching disappointment.
She had thought he was just indecisive.
She hadn't realized he was also lazy... and a coward.
The argument stirred the girl in Nanashi's arms.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, blinking in confusion.
"So warm... Am I in heaven?"
Her vision cleared, and the first thing she saw was a kind, unfamiliar face.
Nanashi's voice was gentle. "You're awake?"
"Mmm… am I in heaven?"
"No," he said with a small smile. "You're in my arms."
"!!!"
The girl suddenly snapped to full awareness, trying to scramble out of his arms, her voice breaking as she began to cry.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I shouldn't have picked up that bread! Please forgive me! Don't hit me!"
Her panic and fear were overwhelming—gut-wrenching.
Rentaro stood frozen. The words he wanted to say caught in his throat.
This girl… she really hadn't stolen anything…
Her words tore at the heart.
Shinobu's expression darkened. She was reminded of the girl she once knew—Kanao.
Her fury reignited.
"Ah… it was too easy on them. Far too easy."
"What despicable people," Reinhardt muttered, tightening his grip on his sword. Even someone as gentle as he could feel the sting of righteous anger.
Nanashi gently hugged the girl closer, brushing a hand through her scarlet hair.
"You're safe now. It's over," he said softly. "You didn't do anything wrong. No one will ever hurt you again."
"Really…?" she asked in a small voice, still afraid.
She wanted to believe him—but fear lingered.
Her best friend had once believed kind words… only to be beaten to death.
"..."
Nanashi smiled gently. "It's true. What's your name?"
"M-My name is... Red," she said softly, her voice trembling with uncertainty.
"Red, huh? That's a lovely name," Nanashi replied warmly. "Would you like to come with me?"
"Eh?!"
Red looked at him, stunned.
"But... I'm a Cursed Child..." she murmured.
How could anyone in this world want a Cursed Child?
Nanashi crouched slightly and met her eyes.
"Cursed Child? In my eyes, you're just a cute little girl."
He lifted her with his left arm and gently ruffled her hair with his right.
"From now on, Red is my little sister. I'm Nanashi."
"I want to be her big sister!" Lemuel ran over with a bright smile. "You can call me Big Sister Lemuel!"
"…"
Red felt like she was dreaming.
Could it be true? Could someone really be willing to take in a Cursed Child?
But even if this was a dream, she wanted to keep dreaming.
"Brother Nanashi... Big Sister Lemuel..."
Tears welled in her eyes, on the verge of spilling over.
She was ready to accept even if it turned out to be nothing more than an illusion.
"Wow, what a sweet little girl," Lemuel said, gently cupping Red's face.
"She does look a lot like Kanao," Shinobu added with a soft smile.
"Come on," she said, "let's get her changed. These clothes are torn."
"Umm… these are fine, really…" Red said, shyly clutching her tattered outfit.
"Nope, I get the final say. My sister can't wear something like this—we need the best," Nanashi replied decisively.
And with that, he walked off with Red in his arms.
The others—his so-called "angels"—followed.
As they passed Rentaro Satomi, who still stood there in a daze, Kisara cast him a disappointed glance before hurrying after them.