The appearance of Yuki quickly caught the attention of the group members.
They greeted him one after another, and Yuki responded warmly.
Then, Seitenshi spoke up.
Seitenshi: "You're right,Yuki-kun. It really is like that... Thinking about it now just makes me sad. Things shouldn't have turned out this way, and yet..."
As she typed this message, her hands trembled slightly.
She had never imagined that humanity's current suffering was entirely self-inflicted.
Her heart ached for the children who had been used as experiments—and especially for the Cursed Children.
In the past, during a bioweapon research project, scientists had accidentally created the Gastrea Virus. From that virus emerged monstrous creatures known as Gastrea.
As for the Cursed Children, they were born from mothers who had been infected with the Gastrea Virus during pregnancy. The virus accumulated in the fetuses, granting them some of the abilities of the Gastrea.
Normally, a fetus's gender couldn't be chosen—but due to some effect of the Gastrea Virus, every single infected child born was a girl.
The Seitenshi had once believed the curse these children bore came from the Gastrea themselves.
But she was wrong.
The true source of the curse… was humanity itself.
When she uncovered this truth, she was overwhelmed with disgust and sorrow.
And now, every time she faced Tendo Kikunojou—a man who had once participated in those horrific experiments—she felt like she was standing beside a demon. The thought alone made her skin crawl.
Seitenshi: "No wonder Kikunojou always opposed my proposed protection laws for the Cursed Children! So this was the hidden truth all along!!"
Seitenshi: "All my efforts… everything I fought for… was completely misguided."
Huaizhu: "Seitenshi… Please, stay strong!"
Saeko: "That's right. What's done is done—all we can do now is face it."
Yuki: "Saeko's right. Wallowing in regret won't help. We need to focus on how to fix things now."
Athena: "The guilty must be punished—severely. Death would be too merciful."
Even Athena, the Goddess of Rebellion, felt a surge of anger upon learning of these atrocities and the suffering of the Cursed Children.
Mariko: "I agree with Lady Athena!"
Artemis: "I don't have a strong opinion—I'll support whatever Rin Yuki decides."
As the Seitenshi read the messages, a sudden notification from the chat group echoed in her mind.
Seitenshi: "Everyone, I think I've just received a mission!"
She immediately shared the details:
[Mission: Now that you know the truth behind the Gastrea Virus, why not try to change the world? Help the Cursed Children, improve their lives, and ensure the guilty face severe punishment.Reward: 30,000 points + 10 intermediate lottery draws.]
Raiden: "Whoa! That's a crazy good reward!"
Saeko: "Yeah, way more than what I got from my last mission."
Artemis: "But no matter how you look at it, this seems… really difficult. Especially in your current position, Seitenshi-chan. Changing the entire world? That's impossible for you alone!"
Huaizhu: "Exactly. The world is huge, and there are so many Cursed Children. There's no way you can help all of them by yourself."
The Seitenshi understood Huaizhu's point perfectly.
After a moment of thought, her mind landed on one person—Rin Yuki.
Seitenshi: "Yuki-kun! I need your help! You can keep all the points—just give me the lottery draws, like with Saeko!"
Artemis: "Uh, hate to break it to you, but you can't transfer lottery rewards. Saeko already tried, remember?"
Yuki: "I'll do it. But fair warning—if I step in, the guilty will suffer fates worse than death."
Yuki wanted to make sure the Seitenshi was prepared. The last thing he needed was her having a sudden change of heart and begging for mercy on their behalf.
Seitenshi, seated in her office, took a deep breath. She had already steeled herself.
Seitenshi: "I understand. No matter what you do, I won't interfere."
Saeko: "Seems like she's made up her mind."
Yuki: "Good. I'll be there shortly."
Yuki was mildly impressed. He hadn't expected her to make such a firm decision so quickly.
But then again, being part of this chat group had broadened her perspective. Once you saw the bigger picture, hesitation tended to fade.
Meanwhile, in Yuki's world…
Yuki excused himself from class, feigning illness. His teacher let him go without much fuss.
Tobiichi Origami watched him leave silently, though she didn't question him.
On the other hand, Kitagawa Marin and Eriri exchanged curious glances as he slipped out.
Once outside, Yuki spent 1,000 points to activate the dimensional jump—straight to the Holy Emperor's world.
Destination: Black Bullet World.
....
Just as she ended her conversation with the group members, the familiar starry portal swirled open before her.
Yuki stepped through, his presence commanding yet effortless.
Seitenshi—dressed in her regal gown—quickly rose to greet him. She smoothed the wrinkles from her fabric, tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and approached with practiced grace.
"Yuki-kun, welcome."
Her smile was radiant, but as she drew closer, her composure wavered. Even knowing of his striking appearance from the livestreams, seeing him in person was something else entirely.
Her pulse spiked.
Up close, he was more—more vivid, more magnetic. Something fluttered wildly in her chest, a feeling she couldn't suppress. In her daze, she misstepped, nearly tripping over her own feet.
"Careful."
Yuki caught her arm, steadying her.
"Th-Thank you…"
His grip was firm, his proximity overwhelming. The scent of him—clean, faintly metallic—flooded her senses. A blush crept up her neck as she stared, momentarily lost in his gaze.
Yuki cleared his throat. "Let's get moving."
"O-Of course!"
Her mind was still foggy, filled only with the echo of his voice. She barely registered the shift in scenery until she found herself standing in a bustling shopping mall.
"Yuki-kun? Why are we…?"
"To help the Cursed Children," he said simply, striding forward.
Seitenshi hurried after him.
Whispers erupted as they walked. The citizens of Tokyo recognized their leader immediately—but her unannounced appearance, accompanied only by a mysterious young man, raised eyebrows.
Yuki ignored the stares. He led her to the second floor, where a jeering crowd had gathered. With a flick of his wrist, he activated the group's livestream.
Then, he pushed.
An invisible force parted the mob like the Red Sea, revealing a small figure at its center:
A silver-haired girl knelt on the ground, her eyes covered by a tattered cloth. Her hands trembled as they scraped against the floor, blindly searching for something—anything—she'd dropped.