— — — — — — —
That Night
Tokyo - Tendo Estate
Kanoe Yuuko strolled through the streets, casually lugging around a bundle of explosives.
But since she was in herGhost Mode, no one could see her—Or the things she carried.
---
Above the Tendo Estate
Yuuko floated high above, checking her position.
Then, her body shifted— Ultimate Ghost Mode!
An ability from her [Ghost Devil] skill that allowed her to switch between being visible and invisible at will.
"Hehe~!"
She playfully greeted the Tendo family members patrolling the courtyard.
The sudden voice made them freeze, looking around in confusion.
"Yo!"
"I'm up here~"
Their heads snapped up—
And their eyes widened in shock as they saw a girl floating in midair.
"W-What the hell?!"
"A human... floating?!"
Panic erupted across the Tendo estate.
A full-blown uproar broke out.
"Silence!"
An elderly man stepped out of the house.
The moment his eyes landed on Kanoe Yuuko—his pupils tightened sharply.
A Cursed Child?!
But no—her eye color was different.
A new type of Gastrea?
Impossible. Such a Gastrea weren't supposed to exist!
Had the experiments finally broken through?
Why was she here of all places?
The Tendo Elder sensed a chill run down his spine.
But he still kept his composure—barely.
Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to speak. "...Miss, may I ask what brings you here?"
Yuuko glanced around.
Not seeing her target, she asked, "Tendo Kikunojo... hmm, I think that's the name, right?"
'She's here for the head of the family?!'
The Elder's instincts screamed at him.
Before he could react—
Kanoe Yuuko pulled out the explosives from behind her back.
"W-Wait!"
He barely got the words out before—
"Returning these to their rightful owner~!"
BOOM!!!!💥💥💥
The explosion lit up the night sky, as if trying to swallow the darkness whole.
A deafening blast shook the entire estate.
Yuuko clapped her hands together, satisfied.
"Mission complete~!"
For a [Ghost Devil] like her, this was child's play.
She hovered around the ruins for a final check— ensuring not a single person survived.
Then, she floated back to the Familia's base—
— — —
Seitenshi's Bedroom
Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, Seitenshi gazed at the distant Tendo estate.
She had already guessed the outcome the moment Kanoe Yuuko asked for the address in the chat group.
She let out a silent sigh.
"You really shouldn't have messed with Devils."
But…Tendo Kikunojo had already left for Osaka.
By sheer luck, he avoided his fate.
"I wonder what expression he'll have when he returns?"
— — —
The Next Day—Tokyo's Breaking News!
"TENDO FAMILY OBLITERATED OVERNIGHT!"
"NOT A SINGLE SURVIVOR LEFT IN THE ESTATE!"
"Only Tendo Kikunojo and a few family members in Osaka escaped the tragedy!"
---
Tendo Civil Security Corporation
Tendo Kisara sat at her desk, gripping the newspaper.
Her expression twisted, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Then—
"HAHA!! HAHAHAHAHA!!"
Her laughter turned manic, her entire body shaking.
"The great Tendo Family—brought to its knees?! HAH!"
"Tendo Kikunojo, you old bastard!"
"I bet you NEVER thought this day would come!"
"Too bad… You just had to be the one to escape."
She gritted her teeth, her eyes burning with hatred.
"...But next time, it'll be me holding the blade to your throat."
Knock, knock.
A sudden knock at the door.
Tendo Kisara quickly composed herself.
"Come in."
BAM!
The door swung open forcefully.
Satomi Rentaro stormed in, his face dark and stormy.
Kisara glanced at him coldly, then smirked. "Oh, look who it is—Tokyo's great politician. What brings you here?"
The disdain in her voice was obvious.
She had never gotten along with Satomi Rentaro.
Why? Because he is Tendo Kikunojo's adopted son.
And she hated him by association.
Rentaro slammed the newspaper onto her desk.
"Kisara."
His voice was grim.
"This was no accident."
"The explosion at the Tendo estate was deliberate."
"Kikunojo-sama has personally tasked me with investigating!"
"As a member of the Tendo family—help me uncover the truth."
"I swear, I'll bring the culprit to justice!"
Rentaro's eyes were sincere.
He thought this investigation might bridge the gap between Kisara and the Tendo family.
But—
"Don't act so familiar," Kisara cut in, her voice cold.
"The truth of the incident?"
Hah…
She almost laughed.
She was thrilled about what happened.
Did he really think that just because she still carried the Tendo name, she felt any attachment to that family?
Did he forget why she left in the first place?
And now he came running to her, expecting her to help?
Disgusting.
Honestly, she was more interested in whoever did this.
Someone out there had done her a huge favor.
"Sure," Kisara smirked, her voice laced with mockery.
"Mr. Politician, make sure you investigate thoroughly. And when you find out who did it—be sure to tell me first."
She needed to thank them properly.
But…
Explosives, huh…?
Kisara's expression turned thoughtful.
She had a pretty good idea who the culprit might be.
— — —
Tokyo, Outer Area
Lynn's Familia members were on the move.
They had officially begun taking in the Cursed Children from everywhere.
Inside a newly renovated warehouse, Lynn stood in front of thirteen Cursed Children, studying them.
They were all tense, hands clenched tightly, their eyes flickering with nervousness.
Strangers + A new environment.
It was normal to make them uneasy.
"Only thirteen?" Lynn turned to Busujima Saeko.
That felt low.
Saeko lowered her head slightly. "I apologize, Master. We searched through thirteen different hideouts today, but… each group stayed hidden and only sent one child to check things out."
Lynn's eyes narrowed slightly.
So these kids were scouts.
Testing the waters.
"Smart."
In this world, there were plenty of "shelters" that were just traps—
Places that lured in Cursed Children, only to sell them off or use them for human experiments.
It was a common horror in this world.
The word "shelter" meant nothing to these kids.
If not for Seitenshi's backing, he doubted even thirteen would have come.
Just how much had these children suffered to develop this level of caution?
Lynn scanned them again.
Malnourished.
Thin.
And many of them were trembling ever so slightly.
Their eyes kept darting around—
Scared.
But still—
They came.
Were they gambling on human kindness?
Or was it simply because they had no other choice?
"No one takes this kind of risk unless they're desperate."
Lynn smiled gently and reached out—
Resting his hand on the head of the girl standing in front.
The moment he touched her—
She flinched, her eyelashes trembling, her body shaking uncontrollably.
But—
She didn't move away.
She knew that if she didn't…She might get hit.
But then again…
Even if she moved, she would get hit anyway.
So she just didn't move.
.
.
.