Morning sunlight spilled across the empty concrete jungle of Takumi's world as his chat window buzzed in steady rhythm. Everyone had now tested or analyzed the healing ability's functions, and the conclusion was unanimous:
It was broken. Utterly broken.
After all the chatter, Takumi leaned back in his floating chair, lazily kicking himself into a slow spin.
Takumi:
「So, healing is universal, scalable, and targetable. Good.
If we manage this properly, we won't just build a civilization…
We'll build a healthy one.」
A paradoxical blend of seriousness and casual godhood colored his voice.
Zhongli's Quiet Resolve
Zhongli, still in his quiet Liyue pavilion, placed a hand over his chest.
The erosion—the constant dull ache of millennia—had significantly weakened.
One treatment.
Just one.
He clenched his fist.
Zhongli:
「…With enough points, it seems I could restore not only myself…
but the remaining Yakshas as well.
And the old immortals.
Those who sacrificed too much.」
His eyes softened—vintage sorrow warmed by newfound hope.
The system's functions… were almost sacred.
Zhongli:
「To heal karmic scars… This is something even Celestia once thought impossible.」
He turned his gaze to the horizon.
Zhongli:
「Takumi… this group may very well change every world's fate.」
Group Chat: Post-Analysis Discussion
Everyone had reached the same conclusion:
Healing = universal.
Enhancement = multiplicative.
Points = the ultimate currency.
But now, the mood turned to anticipation.
Because they all knew what Takumi was about to do next.
Akeno:
「Takumi-kun, are you leaving now?
For the cursed children?」
Bronya:
「Record data. For scientific documentation.」
Sagiri:
「Take me with you! …Wait no I'll die.
Okay nvm good luck!!」
Fujiwara Chika:
「Save the kids!!
And kick all the awful people!!」
Yu (Silent Princess):
「…Thank you again, Takumi-san.
If you can help those children… I'll support anything you do.」
The mood was warm.
Supportive.
Even reverent.
Takumi stretched, cracked his neck, and stood up.
Takumi:
「Alright. Time to go.
I'll save every cursed child.
Every single one.」
His voice held no hesitation.
His abilities, emotions, and plans were aligned for once.
This was the task he wanted to do—not to gain power, not to build leverage, but because it needed doing.
But before departing, one last message caught his eye.
Miori Shiba: A Warning
Her message arrived direct, urgent, and measured.
Miori Shiba:
「@Takumi
Be cautious.
The Gastrea are not mindless.
Their source—the mother organism—has some form of conceptual awareness.
It may react to your arrival.」
Takumi frowned slightly.
Takumi:
「Conceptual awareness, huh…
That's fine. Concepts break when I push hard enough.」
In the Black Bullet world, the Gastrea's origin, the "Abyssal Sludge"—a corruption concept—was the ultimate plague of humanity.
But Takumi wasn't human.
He smirked.
Takumi:
「Worst-case scenario?
I delete its existence manually.
With Reason or Void, take your pick.」
Miori:
「…
Takumi, thank you.」
Her short sentence held sincerity.
It was enough.
Takumi's Preparation: Authority Activation
The skyscraper balcony groaned under Takumi's step as he walked forward, standing over the ruined city—his adopted home. With a thought, his Authorities activated in silent symphony.
Herrscher of Reason
Metal cubes, satellite schematics, AI cores—all spun around him invisibly.
Herrscher of Void
Imaginary nodes connected, forming long, infinite threads between worlds.
Herrscher of Corrosion
He probed the Black Bullet coordinate gate, reading its laws, pathogens, metaphysical resistance.
Herrscher of Knowledge (nascent)
Logic fractals pulsed behind his eyes.
He prepared everything in a single sweep:
quarantine protocols
dimensional anchor
return beacon
mass teleportation nodes
environmental filters
support drones (tiny, spherical, glowing blue—with tails because Sagiri said they looked cute)
Even the drones floated before him, blinking like tiny metal pets.
Takumi:
「Okay. You little guys: safe escort mode. No explosions unless I say so.」
The drones chirped compliantly.
He floated a few meters upward.
A hollow earth awaited his return.
But this time, he'd return with people.
Opening the World Key
Takumi raised his hand.
Reality folded.
A translucent key appeared, geometric and shifting, its edges constantly rewriting like living math.
[DING—World Key Activated]
The air cracked.
A spiral of Imaginary energy twisted into a golden-blue portal, stabilizing into a massive doorway carved from conceptual space itself.
Through it—
A world in the midst of collapse.
Crimson sky.
Quarantine walls.
Gastrea shadows writhing beneath neon city lights.
Sirens blaring.
Takumi exhaled.
His voice dropped to a quiet murmur:
Takumi:
「Alright, Black Bullet…
Your suffering ends today.」
He stepped into the portal.
Takumi Arrives in the Black Bullet World
The stench hit first.
Rot. Metal. Smoke. The sharp tang of corrosive Gastrea particles.
Takumi descended from the sky, hovering casually above a decaying city block where ruins mingled with flickering holographic ads and crumbling barriers.
Alarms wailed.
People screamed.
A Gastrea—giant, insectoid, pulsating—charged down the street.
Takumi blinked.
He snapped his fingers.
Herrscher of Reason: Instant Construction
A railgun cannon manifested mid-air above him, spinning once before firing a silent beam.
BOOM—!
The Gastrea disintegrated into ash.
All civilians froze.
All soldiers stared.
A man nearby choked out:
"Wh–who… who is he?!"
Another whispered:
"Is he a Stage V Initiator?!"
A child peeked from behind rubble, hopeful eyes trembling.
Takumi didn't answer.
He lowered himself to the ground.
A small cursed child—orange hair, big eyes, entire body bruised—stood right in front of him.
Enju.
Takumi's heart clenched.
It wasn't pity.
It was anger.
Pure, cold, quiet anger.
At a world that abandoned its own children.
He knelt down slowly.
Takumi:
「Hey.
Sorry for being late.」
Enju froze.
"Who… who are you?"
Takumi smiled faintly.
Takumi:
「Someone who's going to take you home.」
Chat Group – Live Reactions
The group chat exploded.
Sagiri:
「ENJU!!! Brother, protect her!!!」
Chika:
「Take her with you!! NOW!!」
Bronya:
「Gastrea collapse rate increasing. Proceed with caution.」
Akeno:
「Takumi-kun… you're glowing.」
Megumi:
「…You look so gentle when talking to children.」
Himeko:
「Broadcast is stable. Proceed.」
Everyone was watching him through the livestream window he opened upon arrival.
Takumi ruffled Enju's hair gently.
Takumi:
「Let's get the others.
All of them.」
Enju's eyes widened.
"All… all the other children…?"
Takumi:
「Yep. Every single one.
Your friends, your sisters… all of you.
I'm taking you somewhere safe.」
She covered her mouth with trembling hands.
"...You're saving everyone…?"
Takumi:
「Of course.
That's what adults are supposed to do.」
A shadow fell across them.
More Gastrea surged in.
Takumi stood.
His eyes turned cross-shaped—cold, luminous, filled with omnidirectional thought.
Takumi:
「Let's clear the area.」
He raised his hand.
Herrscher of Void: Spatial Disassembly
The space around the Gastrea folded inward.
And then—
Shhk.
They vanished.
No bodies.
No battle.
No sound.
Just gone.
People screamed in confusion.
"What—"
"Where did they go?"
"He erased them…"
Takumi didn't look back.
Takumi:
「Enju, which direction leads to the nearest child settlement?」
She pointed with a shaky hand.
"That way… 10 minutes east."
Takumi held out his hand.
Takumi:
「Come.
Let's go save your family.」
Enju took it.
And Takumi stepped forward—
his drones forming a halo around him, scanning threats, recording data.
A god walking into a collapsing world with a child's hand in his own.