— — — — — —
"I'm Yuria!"
A tiny blonde girl, her hair fading into pink at the tips, piped up. Well, technically not that tiny—she was about the same age as Miko Yotsuya.
"Yuria… who?"
Miko blinked, confused. She didn't seem to have any idea who this "Yuria" was supposed to be.
"Miko, she's our classmate—Yuria Niguredou," whispered Hana, trying to jog her memory.
"Ohhh. Right. But, uh, Yuria-san, why are you with us?"
Miko tilted her head, still drawing a blank.
"I'm the one who brought her," Enju declared proudly, standing tall. "We ran into each other at the arcade earlier. She looked kinda lonely, so I dragged her along."
She shot Yuria a look that said, "no need to thank me."
"I was just playing games by myself," Yuria muttered, still looking a little bewildered. "Then this girl suddenly started talking to me and pulled me all over the place! I wanted to refuse, but—she's way too strong! I couldn't even fight back!"
She honestly still didn't know what had happened. One moment she was playing alone, and the next, she was being whisked around by a hyperactive stranger. It had been fun… but confusing as hell.
"So you've been with us since the arcade, huh?"
Miko nodded slowly. "I don't go there often, but… playing games all alone like that sounds kinda sad."
"Mind your own business! I like playing alone!"
Yuria fluffed up instantly, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, glaring with puffed-up cheeks.
Before the conversation could get any more awkward, a calm male voice cut in.
"What are you all up to here?"
Miko turned and brightened. "Ah, Guildmaster! You're back!"
"Yeah. Brought you guys some souvenirs from overseas," Kazuma said casually, holding up a few paper bags. "Thought I'd get something for everyone."
He'd been traveling abroad recently—technically under the escort of his shadow soldiers—and returned with a lot of gifts.
His eyes landed on the unfamiliar blonde girl. "And you are…?"
"Uh—Yuria Niguredou," she replied awkwardly.
"Ah, I see. Well, nice to meet you. Here, have one too."
He handed her a box wrapped in gold foil.
Yuria accepted it out of reflex. "Th—thank you."
She stared down at the chocolate set in her hands… and only then realized she'd just accepted something from a complete stranger.
"Oh, uh—thanks, big brother," she added quickly.
"Wow! A magical girl wand! And it's a limited edition one!"
"I love you, Onii-chan!"
The younger girls squealed, circling around him with sparkling eyes.
"You're finally back, Guildmaster!" Miko said, grinning as she took her gift. "What did you get me?"
She tore open the wrapping eagerly—only for her smile to freeze.
Inside was… a book.
A thick one titled {The Complete Guide to Haunted Locations.}
"Guildmaster… what is this supposed to be?" she asked flatly.
"Your next set of job leads," Kazuma said matter-of-factly. "Plenty of haunted places listed there. Easy to find work."
He crossed his arms, satisfied. "I even put up ads on supernatural forums and blogs. Our commission count should go up soon. You're the Fairy Tail's exorcist, Miko—do your best."
He gave her a firm pat on the head, smiling like a proud teacher.
"I don't want this kind of gift!" she wailed, bursting into tears.
It felt like someone had gifted her an entire summer's worth of homework. Pure despair filled her little heart, and tears flowed freely.
"Alright, alright, stop crying. I was joking," Kazuma said with a laugh. "Here, this is your real present."
He pulled a pendant from his pocket—a purple gem on a silver chain—and tossed it lightly to her.
"I found it while traveling. Thought it'd suit you."
Miko wiped her eyes and clutched the necklace. "You're awful! I actually believed you for a second!"
He shrugged. "I wasn't lying. You just got two gifts instead of one—the pendant, and the book. The book's still your work reference."
Miko's smile froze mid-recovery.
Great. She'd celebrated too soon.
"Wait, Guildmaster," Yuria suddenly piped up, eyes wide. "You're the Head of that exorcist club everyone's been talking about at school, aren't you?"
"Yeah," he said, raising a brow. "Why?"
"I—I want to join!" she blurted. "I can see things too! The stuff normal people can't!"
Her words tumbled out fast. She'd remembered all the rumors spreading around lately about a mysterious exorcism club—and now that she'd met the guy in person, she wasn't missing her chance.
"Oh? That girl really kept her promise, huh," Kazuma murmured, surprised. "Didn't think she'd actually advertise the club for me back at school."
He chuckled softly. "Guess not everyone forgets."
"Well then, Yuria Niguredou—welcome to Fairy Tail. You're officially one of us."
He reached into his bag and handed her several items.
"This one's a spirit gun for attacking ghosts. This talisman is for defense. And this lens lets people who can't see spirits… see them."
He fired a quick shot at a lingering ghost nearby, blasting it apart in one clean hit.
Yuria's jaw dropped. "O-ohhhh! That's it! That's exactly what I want to learn!"
Her eyes were shining like stars.
"So Miko can see them too, right? And Hana? And you, Guildmaster?!"
Her voice trembled with excitement. For the first time, she felt like she'd found her people—people who wouldn't laugh at her, or call her a liar.
"Yeah, Miko and I can see them," Kazuma explained. "But Hana can't—she's just here to help out. She's more like our babysitter."
"Ah… I see…" Yuria's brow furrowed. "Then why does she have such a strong life aura?"
Her eyes worked differently from Miko's—she couldn't see the really dangerous things, but she could see life energy. If Miko's vision was pure "spirit sight," then Yuria's was closer to an aura eye.
Kazuma rubbed his chin. "She's just naturally cheerful and full of energy. That kind of optimism radiates power."
"Exactly!" Hana chimed in with a big smile, raising a thumbs-up. "Eat well, exercise lots, and you can be full of energy too, Yuria!"
She didn't really understand what everyone was talking about, but judging by the tone, it sounded like they were praising her.
As she lifted her hand, she accidentally brushed against her own chest. The soft bounce that followed drew every pair of eyes in the room.
"So big."
"So bouncy."
"We're the same age… why is mine…"
"Hana… can't you share a little?"
"What are you eating?"
Even Miko couldn't help glancing down at herself with quiet despair. Why did this feel so unfair?
After a bit of awkward laughter—and a whole lot of nonsense explanations—Yuria was officially accepted into the Exorcist Club of Fairy Tail.
"All this equipment totals five hundred and five million yen," Kazuma explained. "But as a member, you can borrow it for free in missions."
"Of course, if you buy it outright, it's yours to keep."
"Assignments can be accepted through the guild's site on your phone. Tomorrow I'll walk you through how it all works."
After clearing everything up, Yuria hurried home—her family had a strict curfew.
Hana said her goodbyes and left too.
"Finally…" Miko groaned, stretching her back. "It's over. I need a break."
Only now did she truly understand how exhausting babysitting could be. She just wanted one quiet evening to herself.
"Hey, Miko! Let's go out!"
Tina tugged at her skirt, her eyes sparkling. "I want to try that thing called a cream waffle!"
Miko froze. "Ahhh… Guildmaster, help me!"
From the couch, Kazuma yawned. "Sorry, I'm turning in. Gotta get up early to train the newbie."
"Don't worry, they'll probably be back in a few hours. You should be in bed by midnight."
He flopped onto the sofa and shut his eyes, completely ignoring Miko's desperate pleas for help.
"Miko, don't you want to go out with us?" Tina's small voice wavered, her big eyes welling up. "It's okay, really… you can rest. We'll go by ourselves."
Her shoulders drooped sadly as she turned away.
Miko's heart twisted. "W-wait! I'm fine! Let's go! Whatever you want to do—let's do it!"
Her guilt hit like a ton of bricks. How could she even hesitate to make a kid happy?
"Yay! Let's go!" Tina beamed, instantly perking up. The sadness vanished like it had never been there at all.
And so, Miko was dragged outside once again—caught between exhaustion and reluctant happiness.
"Ugh… so tired… but they're so cute…" she mumbled.
---
The next day
The little girls returned to the world of Black Bullet, while Kazuma stayed behind to take Yuria on her first mission.
...
Back in the Black Bullet world—
"Everyone, I have an important announcement to make," Kayano shouted.
As soon as she heard the words important announcement, Midori instinctively covered her ears. Last time, those same words had ended with everyone teasing her and pulling her ears.
"It's… something really sad," Kayano declared dramatically. "Guildmaster Onii-chan is leaving us."
"Guildmaster Onii-chan is gonna die! Nooo! I'll miss you so much!" Enju burst into tears without even stopping to think.
"No one is dying!" Kayano said quickly. "He's just going to another world for a mission. We'll have to take care of ourselves for a bit, that's all."
"Oh." Enju blinked, sniffing. "I thought he caught some deadly illness or something… How long's he gonna be gone?"
"He's leaving this morning," Kayano explained. "He might be back tonight. Maybe tomorrow."
She looked around the room, trying to reassure them. "I know it's sudden, but don't worry. I'll stay with everyone. If you ever feel sad, you can come talk to me anytime, okay?"
It was a sweet speech—but the other girls looked… unconcerned.
"Honestly, it doesn't change much, right?" Sanae said after a pause. "Aside from lessons, we barely see him anyway."
"Yeah," Tina added. "We're always out doing missions, watching TV, or playing. It's not like we hang out every day."
"So… are we supposed to cry now?" Rita whispered.
"I think so? That's what happens in anime, right?"
"But nobody's crying…"
"Then should we… not cry?"
They stood there awkwardly, caught between confusion and social obligation.
Even though they were sad in theory, none of them could actually muster the tears.
Kayano chuckled awkwardly. "You guys sure adapt fast."
She clapped her hands. "Alright, then let's prepare a farewell gift for Guildmaster Onii-chan! Something handmade from everyone!"
The girls' faces lit up.
"Yeah! Let's make the best present ever!" they shouted in unison, and immediately started planning.
— — —
Meanwhile, in Tokyo — inside the Governor Residence.
"Your Excellency, we've detected a massive swarm of Gastrea," a soldier reported grimly. "Among them, we've confirmed the presence of Beta Taurus Five. Based on our readings, there must be Zodiac-class Gastrea commanding them."
(Zodiac Gastrea is a Stage V Gastrea that has near-unmatched power.)
"The Varanium Monoliths are also being eroded," another added. "They're close to collapse. Once they fall, the Gastrea will pour in and wipe us out."
Seitenshi's expression darkened. "How long before the Monolith collapses?"
"One day, Your Excellency. Maybe less."
"Can we defeat them in that time?"
"With all due respect… no," the officer said bitterly. "Even if we mobilize every soldier and civil officer, our firepower won't be enough. The Gastrea numbers keep growing by the minute."
"And... Cursed Children aren't available as before."
The room fell silent.
"…Then open the shelters, we are leaving Tokyo," Seitenshi said quietly.
"Your Excellency," the man replied, lowering his head, "our shelters can only hold thirty percent of the population."
"And the other seventy percent?"
He hesitated. "We'll have to… abandon them."
Seitenshi exhaled slowly. "Then draw lots. Let fate decide who lives."
It sounded merciful. Fair, even. But everyone in the room knew there was no such thing as fairness.
That thirty percent had already been chosen—government officials, their families, the wealthy, the powerful. By the time they entered the shelters, there would be no room left for anyone else.
Seitenshi's voice softened. "And what about the Cursed Children in the city?"
"They don't count as human," the man said flatly. "They have no rights, no place in the lottery—and certainly no entry to the shelters."
"I see."
Seitenshi turned to the window, gazing out at the distant Monoliths trembling under the Gastrea assault.
The decision was made.
To preserve humanity's spark, she had to do that
It was cruel. But in a world already crumbling into darkness… cruelty was the only thing left that could keep the fire alive.
.
.
.