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{Lynn's Familia Chat Group}
[The Traditional Woman of the Busujima Family: [Image].jpg ]
Busujima Saeko... took down a Gastrea for the first time so she sent a photo.
After all, Gastrea was harder to kill than Zombies.
[Kasumi Utako: "Ew, that's so gross!"]
[Seitenshi: "Um, everyone, please be careful. If you don't destroy the core, Gastrea won't die completely."]
[Seitenshi: "Only weapons made from Varanium can effectively suppress their regeneration and deal real damage."]
[Seitenshi: "I'll make sure to get Varanium weapons for our Familia as soon as possible!"]
---
Saeko calmly waited for the rest of the Cursed Children to arrive, sharing her experience in the group chat on how to kill a Gastrea.
Thankfully, no further incidents occurred along the way.
Once the final group of Cursed Children had boarded the trucks, both military vehicles roared to life and set off.
---
The sound of heavy engines echoed as the trucks pulled into the Lynn Shelter.
The newly rescued Cursed Children anxiously peeked out, their eyes filled with uncertainty and apprehension as they took in the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Phew!"
Marikawa Shizuka jumped down from the driver's seat, her massive melons bouncing dramatically as she landed.
Hands on her hips, she proudly declared, "Safe arrival!"
Seeing that Saeko and Shizuka had returned, Shiina Mahiru and the others quickly gathered around.
Lynn glanced at the two trucks filled with Cursed Children and nodded in satisfaction.
"Now, this is efficiency."
"As expected, letting little girls help other little girls was the right approach."
Cursed Children might not trust adults much, but when it came to their fellow Cursed Children, their guard was significantly lower.
With their peers leading the way, gaining their trust hardly required any extra effort.
Hovering in mid-air, Kanoe Yuuko gasped, "Whoa! So many lolis!"
She then looked at Lynn with a solemn expression. "At this rate, you're definitely going to become the God of Lolis someday."
The Cursed Children stared wide-eyed at the floating big sister before them.
"A... A floating lady?!"
They exclaimed in shock, their eyes filled with amazement.
"Heh heh."
Yuuko smirked, thoroughly enjoying their reactions.
She had even gone out of her way to activate her Ultimate Ghost Mode, making sure she was fully visible to them.
---
Under the guidance of Nishida Tamako and the first group of rescued children, the 113 new Cursed Children disembarked in an orderly manner.
Tamako and the others stood before Lynn, tilting their heads up to look at him, their eyes shining with anticipation.
"You all did a great job."
Lynn praised them without hesitation.
"Hehe!"
He rewarded each of them with a gentle head pat before instructing Shizuka and the others to take the new arrivals to get cleaned up.
Once they were bathed and dressed in fresh clothes, Lynn would begin their Reincarnation into Devils.
"113 of them, huh? That's no small task…"
Lynn mused to himself.
But then he thought about his long-term goal—a million—and suddenly, 113 didn't seem like much at all.
---
"..."
"Eh? W-We have to take off our clothes?!"
The newly arrived Cursed Children reacted with shock, their faces turning red with embarrassment.
Even though they were only around ten years old, they still had a vague understanding of what it meant.
However, out of trust for Nishida Tamako and the others who had brought them here, they suppressed their embarrassment and obediently exposed their backs.
Then, they lined up for the Reincarnation Ceremony.
"Um… Will we really turn into Devils?"
One of the girls murmured anxiously.
But once the first girl successfully transformed, all doubts disappeared.
"It's real! We're really Devils now!"
The devilish wings sprouting from the first girl's back served as undeniable proof.
Hiding within the group, a small girl named Fuse Midori cautiously observed the newly transformed Devils.
"If they become Devils… does that mean the Gastrea Virus will disappear?"
"I... I hope everyone can be saved…"
Finally, it was her turn.
She wrapped her arms around herself, her back hunched, holding the front of her clothes tightly to her chest.
Her face flushed red with embarrassment, and she avoided eye contact with Lynn entirely.
A wide hat cast a shadow over her face, hiding most of her expression.
Lynn glanced at her, feeling a sense of familiarity. A memory suddenly surfaced in his mind. 'Wait, isn't she that cat-like loli?'
Curious, he asked in a gentle tone, "What's your name?"
Midori flinched at the sound of his voice, lowering her head even further.
In a voice barely above a whisper, she mumbled, "…F-Fuse Midori…"
Lynn's eyes flickered in realization.
'So it really is her.'
Smiling slightly, he gently asked, "Can I see what's under that hat?"
Midori's entire body stiffened, her breathing suddenly uneven.
'It's happening…'
Her eyes widened with anxiety. Her small hands clenched into fists.
Underneath that hat—was a pair of cat ears.
It was because of those ears that her mother abandoned her.
Ever since then, she had always been alone. No one had ever accepted her.
'Because of these ears…'
Her pupils trembled as a deep sadness took over her eyes.
Would she… be abandoned again?
No, she couldn't hide it.
If she wanted to stay, she had to be honest.
Even if it meant being cast aside again…
Her vision blurred with unshed tears.
Her voice shook. "I… I can…"
With trembling fingers, she reached up and hesitantly pulled down her hat.
A pair of cat ears—once squashed under the hat—popped up, springing back into place.
Now fully exposed, her cat ears twitched slightly.
Midori bit her lip, anxiety gripping her heart.
Would she… be separated from everyone now?
She didn't want that…
She didn't want to leave…
But it couldn't be helped, right?
A girl with ears like these… would always be rejected.
She started to resign herself to it.
No one would want someone like her…
Just as she sank into despair—
A large hand suddenly rested atop her head.
"Huh?"
A warm sensation spread from her right ear.
It felt like… she was being gently petted?
Midori's entire body shuddered, and her face instantly turned bright red.
'W-What is he doing?!'
The unexpected touch yanked her out of her spiral of self-loathing.
Her purple eyes trembled in panic.
"Just as I thought—you're adorable."
Lynn's eyes lit up like he had just found a rare treasure.
'A-Adorable?!'
'Ah! Is… he talking about me?!'
Her head spun, her thoughts a jumbled mess.
This… This wasn't how things were supposed to go!
"Midori. Can I call you that?"
Lynn's voice came from behind her.
Midori instinctively straightened her back, clutching her hat to her chest as if it were a lifeline.
"Y-Y-Yes!!"
She stammered, completely flustered.
Lynn's hand continued stroking her head, his fingers brushing over her soft hair and twitching cat ears.
The sensation… was amazing.
The texture of her ears and hair was so good that he didn't want to stop.
"Midori." He smiled.
"Be my exclusive kitty."
"W-WHAT?!?!"
Midori's eyes widened in shock, completely filled with disbelief.
The other Cursed Children gasped.
"Whoa! That's so bold!"
"Midori-chan is so lucky! She got Lord Lynn's special affection!"
'S-Special affection?!'
'M-Me?!'
Midori's face turned an even deeper shade of red, like a fully ripened apple. Her brain short-circuited on the spot.
"B-But… why?"
She stammered, struggling to find her voice.
"My ears… they're because of the Gastrea Virus…"
She had always believed they were a curse.
But Lynn simply tilted his head and said— "Aren't they cute?"
In that instant, Midori felt as if she had been shot through the heart.
Everything she had ever believed… was completely shattered.
Her ears… weren't disgusting?
They weren't something to be ashamed of?
Someone thought… they were cute?
A warmth she had never felt before began to spread through her chest.
Her vision blurred again as she wanted to cry—but this time, it wasn't because of sadness.
It was something else entirely.
Something she had never felt before.
.
.
.