Under the endorsement of the Tokyo government, a large number of Cursed Children were brought to the Sports Center.
These ragged little lolis had a hint of fear and anticipation on their faces.
The fear stemmed from the fact that, living in the Outer Districts, they had always been objects of discrimination and expulsion, so they had an instinctive fear of the residents living there.
However, as children, they had no way to refuse the adults' demands.
What's more, even Saint Tianzi came out to endorse, telling them that they would receive treatment and wouldn't have to go hungry.
Treatment didn't matter to the Cursed Children.
Because they didn't understand the meaning of the virus in their bodies, but they often suffered from hunger and cold in the Outer Districts.
Low temperatures could be endured, but hunger was completely unbearable for them.
This also led to bold Cursed Children often sneaking from the Outer Districts to the city center to steal things, or rummaging through garbage for leftovers to eat.
The group members appeared at the Sports Center to maintain order.
Although Frieren and Marushiru and others wore somewhat strange clothes, no one paid too much attention, only thinking it was girls' cosplay.
"Big sister, will we really get to eat later?"
Saeko Busujima stood at the front of a line.
The Cursed Child at the very front of the line was a ragged black-haired girl.
She looked up, her eyes wide, asking innocently yet somewhat timidly.
Even she, who usually showed no emotion, found it hard to maintain her composure at this moment.
She squatted down, speaking as gently as possible: "Don't worry, little sister, not only will you get to eat now, but every day from now on you'll have delicious food. You'll never have to go hungry again."
"Really? That's great!"
The little loli didn't doubt Saeko Busujima's words.
Although they had been deceived countless times by those adults, deep down they were still children, and children of this age could only rely on adults.
Saeko Busujima's words were also heard by the girls behind the little loli.
Their faces also showed expectant smiles.
And even though they were very excited, they still lined up obediently.
After all, they really didn't want to go back to living in the cold Outer Districts.
Because most of these Cursed Children had never seen what the city center looked like, they used to think the world was just like the gloomy ruins of the Outer Districts. Therefore, after coming to the warm and bright city, they naturally didn't want to go back.
Marushiru's eyes were already red as she looked at the long line in front of her.
She only knew about the difficult lives of the Cursed Children from anime and novels.
After Transmigration, she also saw real Cursed Children at the overpass.
However, when the Sports Center was filled with tens of thousands of Cursed Children, she was once again deeply shocked by the sight before her.
Especially when she saw some girls, only eight or nine, or even six or seven years old, holding babies wrapped in tattered cotton, her tears fell like broken pearls, ceaselessly.
None of the other group members mocked Marushiru.
After all, they too could not hide their shock when they saw this scene.
Of course, besides sympathy and pity, the strongest emotions were anger and hatred.
Because the fate of these Cursed Children was entirely caused by these adults.
Watching those hideous people bring the Cursed Children in, then leave with a smile and their payout, filled her with grief and rage.
If their plan were not yet complete, they would have long since started a massacre right here.
At the same time—
In the broadcast booth of the sports center.
Rosen and Saint Tianzi stood there, taking in everything before them.
The girl averted her gaze and looked at Rosen. "My Lord, do you truly have a way to solve the problem of viral erosion?"
"At this point, do you still have any doubts?"
Rosen asked with a light chuckle.
"Actually, the Gastrozoa virus inside the Cursed Children isn't the real issue; the virus that truly endangers this world is another kind."
"Another kind?"
Saint Tianzi looked puzzled.
How could she, the head of state, not know?
"It's right there—can't you see it?"
"…"
Saint Tianzi followed Rosen's pointing finger.
Yet, apart from the long queue, she saw nothing.
The sports center was divided into two areas: on one side were the Cursed Children; on the other, the adults who had brought them to claim money from the government platform.
Saint Tianzi was first puzzled, then shocked, and finally overwhelmed with disbelief.
"…You can't mean…"
"Exactly the 'you-can't-mean' that's now crossing your mind."
With that confirmation, Saint Tianzi was stunned. "Humans… could be a virus?"
"Led by nations worldwide, scientists developed a special biological virus. But just like in those B-movies, humanity could create the virus yet lacked the means to contain it. Once it leaked, it swiftly infected the entire world and brought about its collapse. The children infected in the womb were later labeled the Cursed Children."
"Those kids were infected, abused by scum, and died in confusion. In comparison, which do you think is the real virus?"
Hearing this,
Saint Tianzi was rendered speechless.
"So what do you intend to do?"
"Since it's a virus, we must prepare for its eradication."
At those words,
Saint Tianzi already understood what Rosen planned to do.
Her body trembled uncontrollably from fear.
Countless words welled up in her throat, yet she could voice none.
She wanted to plead mercy for the "virus" Rosen spoke of, to excuse them as merely deceived or driven by fear.
Yet after a few seconds of thought, she realized those reasons were far too flimsy.
After all, nothing justifies abusing innocent Cursed Children.
"Of course, you needn't worry too much; there are still a few good people in this world. Though few, we'll gather them together."
"In the future, people like you and the Cursed Children will live in a new world we've cleansed."