— — — — — —
"What's this guy even talking about? Enju is Enju. Why does she have to change into something she's not?"
"Yeah. Our red eyes are pretty. Why should we have to hide them?"
"He makes it sound reasonable, but all he wants is for us to 'fit into human society.' That's not acceptance, that's submission."
"I don't like him. He sounds like he's trying to help, but something about him just feels wrong."
The little lolis took one quiet step back… and then tossed their grenades. Lowering their weapons wasn't an apology. They just needed a free hand to pull the pins.
The explosion hit hard. In an instant, the few people still standing were torn apart. Rentaro Satomi, being a cyborg, somehow still clung to life with one last breath.
"You think you're some kind of good guy? You're not. You're just an idiot who believes he is one."
"You pity these kids. You think you're the only one who treats them 'fairly.'"
"But pity was never equality. And you've never actually done anything meaningful for them."
"You say the Cursed Children Law will pass, that they'll have human rights… but only if they follow your rules."
"And under the old rules, Cursed Children were beings you could kill on a whim."
"You want to make them 'normal humans.' But that idea alone means you're already looking at them differently."
"Did you ever consider that they're just themselves?"
"All I know is they are who they are. Their names are Kayano, Enju, Sanae, Tina, Rita, Louise, and Kayo—"
Kazuma recited every name, one by one.
When the girls heard their names spoken from Kazuma's mouth, tears immediately welled up and spilled over.
They had never imagined he remembered every single one of them so clearly.
To others, a name was nothing. To them, it was priceless.
Because it meant someone truly acknowledged them—not as humans, not as Gastrea, not as cursed beings—but as themselves.
"You… you win," Rentaro gasped. "You can criticize me all you want. But you'll fall one day too. And when that time comes—"
"When that comes," Kazuma cut him off, "I won't waste breath like you. It'll be simple. Live or die. No third option."
"I'm not trash."
Then he finished Rentaro off completely. If one day he was the one who fell, then so be it.
He would never argue when that time came. Winners write history, losers are villains, and morality is whatever the living say it is.
But to make sure that day never arrived, he would keep growing stronger. Strong enough that no one could threaten him again.
"Girls, I know you still don't trust me. That's fine. You can take your time getting used to your new lives."
"From the moment you were born, you were abandoned. You felt the world's malice. You heard its insults."
"It makes you think your existence has no meaning. Makes you insecure. Makes you wonder if you really are monsters."
"But the first thing I want to tell you is this: if you treat yourselves like treasure, then… who cares what anyone else says?"
"Alright. Time to introduce myself. I'm Kazuma, Guild Master of Fairy Tail."
For a long while, no one said a word. The new girls were silent, afraid to talk.
Finally, Kayano stepped forward. "I'm Kayano of the Fairy Tail Guild!"
"I'm Fairy Tail's Enju! And I like Anime!"
"I'm Sanae. I, um… that's it."
One by one, the children stepped up, introducing themselves. The murderous edge in their red eyes slowly faded.
And when the others looked into those crimson eyes, they felt something warm—a strange sense of kinship.
In this world, their only real kindred spirits might be other cursed children.
They spoke their names, one after another, trying so hard to be part of something for the first time.
When everyone finished, Kazuma led them back. They still needed time to adjust.
But his work wasn't done yet.
"Kayano, I'm leaving the girls in your care. I've got something to take care of. I'll be back soon."
"Onii-Chan, I can fight too—"
"Not this time. I told you I won't coddle you like babies, but when real danger shows up…"
"As your Onii-Chan and your guild master, I'm the one who should stand in front."
Kazuma ruffled Kayano's hair, giving her a reassuring smile before turning to go.
"… I'm sorry," Kayano whispered, grabbing his hand. "I said everyone getting hurt was your fault. I was wrong."
"And we all prepared something for you, so you have to come back. We'll be waiting."
Kayano clutched his hand tightly, eyes shimmering with reluctance.
"Guild Master… people are going to hate you for what you're doing. They'll despise you. Even fear you. But we'll always believe in you. We'll never waver."
"You'll always be the best guild master… and the brother we love most."
Kayo walked over and held his other hand.
She knew people already hated Cursed Children—so naturally, the man who helped and protected them would be hated too.
She knew Kazuma didn't need comforting, but she still wanted to say it: Even if the whole world stood against him…they would stand with him to the very end.
"Guild Master… Guild Master… I have something to tell you!"
Tina tugged his sleeve, motioning for him to bend down. He did—and she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek.
"Hehe~"
"When I grow up, I'm gonna be Onii-chan's wife!"
Tina said it with a bright smile.
"Tina, that's cheating! I want to do it too!"
Enju puffed her cheeks and ran over, jumped up, and kissed Kazuma as well.
"The wife should obviously be me!"
"Tina is better!"
"Enju, do you even know what 'wife' means?" Kayo asked.
"No clue. But it sounded like something good!"
She had just heard it on TV.
"Idiot Enju…"
Kayano flicked Enju's forehead, then shyly tiptoed up to give Kazuma a quick kiss as well, blushing bright red.
"Kayano is cheating!!"
"Guild Master, we want kisses!"
The lolis swarmed him, each one planting a kiss on his cheek.The newly joined girls watched the chaos, feeling warmth bloom in their chests.
"This guy… doesn't seem as scary as he looked. Maybe he really wasn't lying to us."
One of the braver new girls stepped forward. "M-may I… join too?"
A second later she was dragged straight into the group hug.
"I'm going to kill people in a minute. You girls messing with me like this is washing all the killing intent off."
"Alright, enough kisses. I have to go."
Kazuma patted heads one by one. It took half an hour. There were simply too many lolis. A weaker guy would've collapsed halfway through.
Once the kids were soothed, he followed the shadow soldiers and slipped into the darkness. Also, Moto was with him.
Shadow Travel took them quickly into the shelter.
Kazuma didn't bother with interrogations. He had a list. Anyone tied to the ones who attacked the girls was tortured to death. Everyone else would get a quick death.
...
After some bloody time, it was the turn of Moto's wife and child.
"Please! Don't hurt my family! I know I was wrong! I'll kill myself to atone, just spare them! They did nothing!"
Moto, barely clinging to life, collapsed to his knees, bowing over and over. Gone was the cruelty he'd shown before.
"You don't regret anything. You're just scared that you and your family are about to die. But listen well. Those girls are my family. And what you did hurt them."
"That's why my killing intent toward you is the strongest."
Right in front of him, Kazuma shot Moto's wife, shattering her limbs.
"No!"
"Sanae is terrified of pain. But under that explosion, her body was ripped apart and she didn't even cry."
"Compared to her, this pain is nothing."
Kazuma wasn't a good person. He repaid every grudge. He followed no rules, and he showed no unnecessary mercy.
But he had a small place in his heart for kindness—small enough to hold only himself and his companions. Nothing more.
After finishing off Moto and his family, Kazuma went to find Seitenshi. It was their first time meeting face-to-face.
"Guild Master Kazuma of Fairy Tail… correct? This is our first real meeting. Unfortunately, it'll also be our last."
"I know I'm going to die. But before I do… may I ask you one question?"
She looked at the man who had appeared before her. She was in a secret room in the shelter, but she was still found.
"I don't usually waste words with people. But today, you get one chance. You'll be the last to die."
Shadow soldiers appeared behind him and began sweeping the shelter for anyone hiding. Kazuma sat down on a nearby stool, curious what her final question would be.
"Mr. Kazuma… I truly am sorry. I approved the attack against you. I apologize."
"But… if you were in my position, what would you have done?"
"????"
"That's what you want to ask? How childish."
"If I were in your place, I'd order everyone to fight to the death without hesitation."
"If you sacrifice some today to survive, what happens tomorrow? Or the next day? Once people retreat, their will to fight is gone."
"In the future, when danger strikes again, they won't be able to stand. Retreat once, twice, but eventually there will be nowhere left to run."
"It's better to fight and die now than die later without dignity."
He spoke without the slightest hesitation.
Seitenshi's voice trembled with reluctance. "B-But they might all die! If they escape, at least some will survive!"
"If they die, then they die." His gaze didn't waver. Not even a little.
"But that's countless lives!" She almost shouted.
"A merciful heart is not fit to command soldiers. Ordinary people can hesitate and grieve. But a ruler cannot."
"I don't need their gratitude or their affection. I don't even need to share their hardships."
"I only need to lead them forward without doubt."
"I once gave the children a test. I asked what they would do if an enemy they couldn't defeat attacked them."
"I gave them four options. Which one would you choose?"
He listed the four answers.
"They're all correct," Seitenshi said after thinking. "Different circumstances call for different choices. I would choose them all."
"Good answer. But wrong."
"You should choose your own answer. Create a new one if you can."
"Life isn't an exam. There are no right choices or wrong choices. What matters is making your own decision."
"As long as you choose without wavering and without regret, then your choice is right."
"Your greatest flaw is that you never choose for yourself. You only pick from what others give you."
"If I were you, I'd never apologize. Your actions were to survive. That's all."
"If the ruler hesitates, the ones below her will hesitate even more."
Seitenshi finally understood. She wasn't a qualified leader. Her so-called kindness only caused more suffering.
"You're not a bad person. If you were just a normal rich girl… you'd probably be cute and kind. We might've even had tea together."
"But unfortunately, you are Seitenshi. The ruler of this region."
Kazuma looked at the shadow soldiers returning. He raised his gun.
The play was ending. The curtain was closing.
"But after I die, Tokyo will have a new Seitenshi. She'll do better than I did."
"Pffft... A new Seitenshi? Bwahaha~"
"Girl. You are the first Seitenshi I've killed, and you'll be the last. Tokyo will collapse entirely. Humans don't deserve my mercy in this world."
"No please. You… you can't do that! Do you understand the sin you're committing? Just how many will die—"
She stopped mid-sentence as realization struck. Tokyo would cease to exist.
The government would be wiped out. Kazuma didn't have enough people to rule, and he didn't want to rule. He would leave this place in chaos so he and the children could live freely.
Seitenshi panicked, her composure breaking at last. She struggled to say something more, but it was too late.
"If this is sin, then let me carry it all."
Kazuma pulled the trigger. Seitenshi fell.
Next, he traveled through the shadows back to the outer area, and finally returned to the guild.
At the door, countless lolis were waiting.
"I'm back."
Kazuma smiled at them.
"Welcome home!"
The girls leaped at him, clinging all over him in excitement.
.
.
.