Ren Isana also added everyone to a large group chat for unified coordination by Asagi Aiba.
Most of the seniors headed out to clear Gastrea, while some stayed behind to help. Now that the path was open, all they needed to do was send the children through.
Upon receiving the news, Seitenshi quickly had the area cordoned off. She never expected the passage to be opened so soon.
Seitenshi arrived in person, and when she saw the Dimensional Rift standing open on the playground, she was stunned. Could they really cross over whenever they wanted now?
Despite her curiosity, Seitenshi did not move to cross it. Who knew if she would be detained the moment she set foot on the other side? The power gap between the two sides was simply too vast.
She assumed someone would be guarding a passage like this. With that thought, she walked over to Ren Isana and asked, "Mr. Ren Isana, will this Dimensional Rift remain here permanently?"
Facing Seitenshi's inquiry, Ren Isana nodded. He looked at her and offered a warning. "That's right. However, don't go wandering off lately. Someone has their eyes on you, and many assassins are currently preparing to take your life."
This girl really had no sense of crisis. Hadn't Asagi Aiba told her? Ren Isana wondered. Upon hearing this, Seitenshi's expression changed instantly.
Seeing her reaction, Ren Isana realized that Asagi Aiba probably hadn't mentioned a word of it. He felt a bit amused by the situation. Seitenshi looked at him nervously and asked, "Is that true?"
Ren Isana nodded and said with a smile, "You should ask Asagi about the details. Rest assured, Ais and the others will protect you. As for the assassins, we've already sent people to deal with them."
Seitenshi's complexion improved slightly after hearing his words. If Ren Isana said it, then there shouldn't be much of a problem. She decided she would stay in her office and focus on her work, avoiding any unnecessary movement until the matter was resolved.
She had originally come to learn more about the Dimensional Rift, but she hadn't expected to receive such news. After discussing the situation with Ren Isana, Seitenshi took her leave.
She had found out what she needed to know and didn't want to overstay. While she was tempted to see the other side, now was not the time; she had far too much to do.
Ren Isana didn't pay much more attention to Seitenshi because new children were already being delivered. Once they arrived, he, the senior girls, and Mahiru Shiina became quite busy.
After providing basic treatment, they sent the children through the Dimensional Rift to learn magic. The children were immediately drawn to the passage, their eyes filled with curiosity.
When they learned the passage led to a place where they could learn magic, the children rushed through excitedly. Things had become much simpler. While Ren Isana was busy on his end, others were also making moves.
Asuna had found her target. Her objective this time was the NEXT Mechanized Soldier unit modified by Dr. Rand. She tracked them to a building near the Tokyo Area.
The moment Asuna appeared, she was spotted. As she stepped into the building, a hail of gunfire erupted. Asuna drew her blade, and with a movement like a gentle breeze, her speed became incredibly elegant.
She easily evaded some bullets and cut down those she couldn't dodge. Then, with an eerie burst of speed, Asuna lunged at the nearest man. A flash of white light passed, and the man's head was separated from his shoulders.
Having dealt with one, Asuna leapt high into the air. She swung her rapier rapidly, sending out a teal arc of energy from her [Sword Skills]. A man hiding behind a wall was killed instantly.
A massacre unfolded within the building. In a mere moment, the mechanized unit was annihilated. Only one golden-haired child holding a sniper rifle remained, looking at Asuna with a sleepy, dazed expression.
She was completely bewildered. Were all the adults gone just like that? Was this a joke? Who was this person? How could she be so strong? Could a human really achieve that level of speed and precision?
Asuna pointed her sword toward the child. Under Asuna's gaze, the little girl immediately dropped her weapon. "I surrender!" Recognizing that the wise know when to quit, she figured if the person before her wanted to kill her, it would be effortless. Yet, the woman didn't seem to harbor killing intent; she had been focused on the others from the start.
Hearing her surrender, Asuna walked up with her rapier and put the weapon away. "Come with me. From now on, you're mine. Tina Sprout, right?"
Tina was stunned. She looked at Asuna in confusion. "You know my name? So... were you coming for me?"
Tina felt lost. She had no memory of this young woman, yet the stranger knew who she was.
"That's right. I also know you were coming for Seitenshi. But... we have no ill will toward you children. Don't worry, please come with me now." Asuna gave her a gentle smile.
Tina froze. So all their actions had been anticipated? She couldn't help but sigh. Without another word, she silently followed behind Asuna.
Escape? The thought didn't even cross Tina's mind because she simply couldn't. This woman could wipe out her entire team alone. With that terrifying speed, even if Tina ran for kilometers, she would be caught in an instant.
Thus, Tina gave up on the idea of fleeing and followed Asuna, wondering what the woman wanted with her.
As Asuna headed back with her target, Megumi Kato's mission had also concluded. It had been quite easy for her; she had used her talent to slip into the enemy's nest undetected.
With a single strike, she had instantly killed the man named Kagetane Hiruko. He hadn't even realized what was happening before his life was extinguished. Megumi calmly withdrew her blade.
Kohina was absolutely stunned. Her idolized father had been taken out by some random girl who appeared out of nowhere? Was she having a nightmare?
How could this happen? Kohina was in a daze, but her movements were still sharp. She raised her twin blades and lunged at Megumi Kato. Faced with the aggressive little girl, Megumi easily subdued her.
"Please don't move, little one. Otherwise, my blade might hurt you." Megumi looked at Kohina calmly, her dagger resting against the girl's throat. With the slightest pressure, Kohina would fall.
"Damn you!! You killed my Papa!!" Kohina was consumed by rage. Her eyes turned crimson as she prepared to attack again without hesitation. Megumi was slightly taken aback by her intensity.
Megumi quickly disarmed her, slapped the twin blades away, and pinned her down. As Kohina continued to struggle, Megumi felt a bit of a headache.
Recalling Kohina's background, Megumi spoke softly. "Did you know? He wasn't actually your father. In fact, he was your enemy." Megumi began to recount everything she knew. Kohina's fury flared. "You're lying! That's not true!!"
"His name was Kagetane Hiruko, one of the experimental subjects of the New Humanity Creation Plan. He was formerly a member of a mechanized unit. Do you still remember your early childhood?" Megumi asked gently.
Kohina's body trembled as if she were remembering something terrifying. Seeing this, Megumi continued. "Your sisters and your mother were all snatched away by him. He used artificial insemination to have you all born, then forced you through killing training and brainwashing, making you fight each other like starving beasts in a cage until only you remained."
A flash of sorrow appeared in Megumi's eyes. "The four people you killed before were actually your sisters. They were raised by Kagetane Hiruko just like you."
Listening to Megumi, Kohina's pupils contracted. Her eyes filled with disbelief, and her entire body began to shake. Though she was somewhat unstable and aggressive, she wasn't stupid.
Megumi's words triggered numerous memories, including how she had been tortured in a basement as a child. Everything came flooding back to Kohina.
"Liar, liar... you're lying... how could it... *sob*..." Kohina broke down completely. She still didn't want to believe it, but the memories told her it was the truth.
Seeing her state, Megumi pursed her lips and let her go, though she kept the weapons. She had said what needed to be said; whether the girl believed it was up to her.
Once released, Kohina slumped to the ground, her spirit broken. Megumi knew the girl would need time to recover.
After glancing at her, Megumi simply put the weapons and Kagetane Hiruko's body into her Spatial Backpack. She then picked up the girl and left. The mission was a success.
She wondered how the others were doing. Megumi headed back toward the school where Ren Isana was. While Megumi and Asuna had succeeded, Yukino Yukinoshita naturally had no issues either. After dealing with the assassins, she began her return to the school.
However, unlike the others, she didn't bring back any children at first, as there were no Cursed Children in the group she faced—only professional mechanized soldiers.
They were no match for Yukino Yukinoshita. She finished the task easily. Though there were no children in that team, she encountered a small kitten on her way back.
A kitten in every sense of the word. When Yukino saw her, her instincts flared. White hair, cat ears, and a cat tail—Yukino's eyes practically lit up. She moved toward the child quietly.
To be honest, Yukino hadn't expected her luck to be this good. To find such a child on this trip? A little girl with cat ears... it was simply too perfect.
Currently, the little girl was rummaging through a city trash can for food like a stray cat. She was covered in dirt and wore a tattered hat on her head.
If Yukino Yukinoshita hadn't been using her [Perception Magic], she might not have noticed the child's true nature. As the girl rummaged through the trash, the ears inside her hat twitched.
In Yukino's perception, it was heart-wrenchingly cute. It made her want to adopt the girl on the spot. Yukino approached silently just as the girl pulled out a bag of discarded, expired bread.
Seeing the food she had found, a happy smile blossomed on her dirty face. She said with conviction, "The divination said today would be my lucky day. Looks like it was right, meow."
Standing behind her, Yukino went silent upon hearing this. She looked at the little thing with deep pity. Ren Isana's approach was indeed correct; the people they killed deserved to be minced into pieces!
Taking a deep breath, Yukino Yukinoshita spoke softly. "Hello. May I ask what your name is?"
The sudden voice gave the girl a fright, and her tail went straight as her fur bristled. She nimbly leapt to the side, abandoning the bag of bread.
Sharp claws grew from her small hands. Her eyes turned red as she glared warily at Yukino Yukinoshita. She hadn't expected to run into anyone at a time like this!
The little girl looked at the teenager before her and felt an urge to flee. However... her bread was still on the ground. Her gaze flickered toward the bread, her eyes filled with conflict.
Yukino Yukinoshita noticed this. She sighed inwardly and pulled some food she had prepared earlier from her Spatial Backpack.
"I mean no harm. Eat this instead. That bread is expired and shouldn't be eaten." She placed the food on the ground and stepped back.
Seeing Yukino's actions, the girl's guard lowered slightly. It seemed the stranger wasn't a bad person. However, she didn't step forward to take the food, simply staring at Yukino.
If Yukino didn't leave, she wouldn't move. But how could Yukino leave so easily? She had finally found a cat-eared girl; of course she was going to take her back.
"What's wrong? Why don't you take it?" Yukino looked at her curiously. The girl pursed her lips but didn't speak.
Seeing this, Yukino couldn't help but ask, "Can you tell me your name? Didn't Seitenshi release a broadcast about taking in homeless children? Why didn't you go?"
The little girl lowered her head. After a moment, she whispered, "My name is Midori Fuse... I was afraid it was a lie..." Her voice was tiny, but Yukino heard it. Her eyes faded from red back to their normal color and her claws disappeared, showing she was slowly letting her guard down.
Since the girl was willing to communicate, Yukino knew she had mostly succeeded. It would have been much harder if the girl refused to talk.
"That's a lovely name. I'm Yukino Yukinoshita. It isn't a lie, I can promise you that. Also... going there is actually for learning magic. Like this."
Yukino remembered how Ren Isana used... ahem, how he convinced children to trust him. She immediately cast a spell. An ice-element [Magic Circle] appeared in her hand.
This sight made Midori Fuse's eyes widen in shock. She stared in disbelief, especially when she saw the ground being frozen over. She couldn't believe her eyes.
This... this was really magic? Midori was stunned, and a glimmer of light appeared in her eyes. Legendary magic... they were being sent to learn magic?
"Do you want to learn?" Seeing her reaction, the corner of Yukino's mouth curled up. No wonder Ren Isana liked using this to convince children; they had zero resistance to such things.
Midori Fuse nodded subconsciously but then froze. She quickly covered her mouth, realizing she had spoken her thoughts aloud.
Seeing this adorable display, Yukino's smile widened. She said gently, "If you want to, just say so. Many children have already gone there. Will you come with me? You won't have to wander the streets anymore."
Yukino extended the invitation. Midori Fuse looked at the food on the ground, then at the ice beneath Yukino's feet, and finally made her decision.
"Okay... but... I have other companions. Can I bring them too?" Midori became noticeably more nervous as she spoke, her muscles tensing. If the stranger refused, she would flee without looking back.