"Ahem! Natsuki-san."
Noticing Natsuki raising her fan again, Shizuka quickly straightened up and got to the point."Natsuki, has anything strange happened with Yukinoshita Yukino lately?"
"Yukino?"
Natsuki furrowed her brows for a moment, then relaxed.
"You mean the Service Club president?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka's eye twitched.
Every time she heard that name, she couldn't help but feel awkward.
"If we're talking about something unusual"
"Would experiencing a supernatural event count?"
"Supernatural event?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka's expression turned serious.
Coming from a wealthy family, she had some knowledge of such matters.
But as an ordinary person, she rarely had the chance to encounter them firsthand.
StillIf it really involved the supernatural, things could get troublesome.
How was she supposed to explain this to Yukinoshita Haruno? She had already promised to figure out her little sister's problem.
"Hmm maybe you should ask the president of the Supernatural Research Club?" Natsuki didn't feel like explaining, so she simply threw the problem onto Lynn.
"The president of the Supernatural Research Club, huh"
Hiratsuka Shizuka's face turned solemn. "Got it!"
Leaving behind a quick word of thanks, she hurried out of Natsuki's office.
"Hmph. Seems like more and more people are looking for that kid lately."
Natsuki muttered under her breath.
She already knew That the school board was investigating the Old School Building incident.
They had probably traced it back to the Supernatural Research Club by now.
ButLynn was a Devil.
No matter how powerful a human was in the mortal world, when faced with the supernaturalThey were nothing.
"Shinomiya Unyo, you'd better not mess with a Devil."
Shuchiin Academy Board of Directors
Shinomiya Unyo stared at the documents in his hand, his brows furrowing.
"Are we certain this wasn't Minamiya Natsuki's doing?"
As a director of Shuchiin, he was well aware of Natsuki's true identity.
With the Shinomiya family's influence, he had long known that this world was not as simple as it seemed.
But there was a sayingThe more you know, the more you fear.
The more he learned about the truth of the world, the more uneasy he became.
He, too, wanted a supernatural power! But the money and influence that had always worked in the human world were utterly useless when it came to even approaching that realm.
All he had managed to obtain were some basic knowledge and worthless techniques.
He had no talent, nor did he have the time to study them.
So, he decided to take a shortcut.
Wouldn't it be easier to raise a loyal Cursed Spirit instead?
WellThat plan had clearly backfired.
He had managed to nurture one, but he couldn't control it at all.
If it weren't for the expensive sealing array, it would have caused a disaster long ago.
Yet, he didn't dare to report any of this.
After all, he was the one responsible. And it would have affected his position as the Shinomiya heir greatly.
So, with the array breaking down, he could only sit on edge, hoping that the human Magic Instructor, Minamiya Natsuki, wouldn't just stand by and watch as Shuchiin turned into a living hell.
AndHis gamble had paid off.
But it wasn't Natsuki who had taken action.
"The Supernatural Research Club?"
His eyes flickered.
A mere school club... actually had this kind of power?
A burning desire ignited in his heart.
Resting his chin on his hand, he fell into deep thought.
A student's identity often made things much easier.
"Kaguya."
"It's time for you to contribute to the Shinomiya family."
In a Caf
Yukinoshita Haruno absentmindedly stirred her coffee, her gaze fixed outside the window.
She had finally found time in her schedule, so she rushed over as soon as she could.
For the past few days, Yukino's situation had been weighing on her mind.
"...Ugh! I hope to get some good news!"
After a while, she spotted Hiratsuka Shizuka's figure and immediately brightened up.
"Shizuka! Over here!"
Once Shizuka sat down, Haruno leaned forward eagerly. "So? Did you find anything?"
Shizuka rolled her eyes.
She hadn't even had a sip of water yet.
But since this was about Yukino, she let it slide.
After a moment of hesitation, Shizuka spoke. "Haruno have you ever heard of supernatural events?"
"Huh?"
Haruno was dumbfounded.
The Yukinoshita family was a prestigious household in Chiba, but in Tokyo, their influence was hardly significant.
In Tokyo social circles, people often mocked them as mere countryside elites.
Her father was a politician, but just a council member. So to her, the supernatural was nothing more than fantasy.
"..."
"Shizuka, you're not messing with me, are you?" Haruno said unsurely.
Shizuka smiled bitterly. "Knew you'd say that."
Haruno fell silent.
She could tellShizuka wasn't lying.
So the world she thought she knew wasn't complete? Were the rumors true?
A dazed look crossed Haruno's face as she muttered, "So... Yukino really did encounter something supernatural?"
"I don't know all the details, but Yukino was probably just shaken. She might just need time to process it." Shizuka nodded.
Then why did she suddenly need five million yen?
Haruno suddenly recalled that detail.
However, she chose not to mention it to Shizuka.
Shizuka continued. "Before coming here, I did some digging. Someone suggested I check with Shuchiin Academy's Supernatural Research Club. There might be a connection."
"Supernatural Research Club?"
Just from the name, it was obviously related to supernatural events.
But...It was just a club run by students, right?
Haruno didn't think much of it.
"Mm... if I remember correctly, the club president's name was"
"...Lynn, wasn't it?" Shizuka said all she knew.
Haruno's eyes widened.
Lynn
That was the name on the account Yukino transferred money to!
It hadn't been long since the transaction, and Haruno had already used her connections to investigate the recipient's identity.
She never expected...
It would turn out to be the president of the Supernatural Research Club.
Her brows furrowed.
Looks like I need to pay a visit to that club.
.
.
.
You Are Safe
Black Bullet World
Late at night.
Inside a single house, a group of young girls were chattering non-stop, their voices filled with excitement.
Clearly, they were still hyped up and overjoyed.
"Lord Lynn must be an angel!"
"No, he's a Devil! A Devil!"
"That's right! Angels never came to save us!"
"Then he must be a god!"
"I told you, he's a Devil! A Devil!"
"Uh the Devil of kindness?"
"Ah! He should be treated like a god!"
"It's decided! When I grow up, I'm going to become Lord Lynn's shrine maiden!"
"W-What?! Only I can be Lord Lynn's shrine maiden!"
"Hey! Stop arguing! We're all Lord Lynn's"
"Yay!!"
After their heated debate, their excitement finally settled, and one by one, they drifted off to sleep.
The Next Morning
At dawn, the Cursed Children woke up early.
Even though they were only around ten years old, their harsh lives had forced them to mature quickly.
Lynn had not only taken them in but had also turned them into Devils, completely removing the curse of the Gastrea virus.
To them, Lynn was their god!
They had made up their mindsthey would repay Lynn!
So, they eagerly waited for him to give them something to do.
Seeing their anticipation, Lynn chuckled.
He didn't reject them.
They needed a sense of purpose, a way to prove their worth.
Only then would they feel truly needed.
"Alright, then. I'll leave the mission of bringing back your fellow Cursed Children to you."
"Yes!!" x13
Outer Area
Tamako Nishida arrived at an abandoned sewer entrance.
She crouched down and knocked rhythmically on the manhole cover.
A moment later, a small head cautiously peeked out.
A worn-out hat sat atop her head, her white hair messy and dirt-streaked.
Her thin eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her purple eyes carried a hint of nervousness.
When she saw it was Tamako Nishida, she finally let out a breath of relief.
Her voice was weak.
"Ta-Tamako you're back"
"Midori-chan! I brought good news!"
"Huh? R-Really?"
Fuse Midori quickly stepped aside. "Come in, quick!"
Tamako nodded and slipped into the sewer entrance with practiced ease.
She sighed inwardlyher new clothes were going to pick up the smell again.
After steadying herself, she looked around at her companions inside the underground hideout.
This was just a small shelter. Including herself, there were only
They all turned to her with eyes full of hope.
Tamako didn't disappoint them.
"Everyone, listen up!"
"Our savior has arrived!!"
—
Meanwhile
Similar scenes were unfolding at twelve other hideouts.
After a short while
Thanks to the efforts of the first group of Cursed Children, the restthough hesitant, anxious, and skeptical
Ultimately chose to trust their companions who had shared their struggles.
One by one, they prepared to leave their wet, suffocating underground homesAnd head toward the shelter created by the so-called "god" their friends spoke of.
In the central zone, where all the hideouts connected, two military-green trucks were parked.
Busujima Saeko leaned against one of them, keeping a sharp eye on her surroundings.
The Outer Area wasn't safe.
Gastrea creatures roamed the area, often attacking the Cursed Children.
According to the first group's reports, they would be transporting a total of 113 children this time.
A migration of this scaleif they ran into Gastreacould easily cause panic.
As long as they didn't encounter anything too high-level, Saeko could handle it.
Yeah as long as it wasn't a Stage IV Gastrea, she could kill it while ensuring the children's safety.
"They're here."
Suddenly, Saeko spoke up, her gaze locking on Tamako Nishida, who was waving at her from a distance.
She smiled slightly.
"They've arrived?"
On the other truck, Marikawa Shizuka jumped down and started scanning the area.
"Mhm."
Actually, Lynn assigned this mission to Busujima Saeko and Marikawa Shizuka because they were the only two in his Familia who could drive.
When Lynn found this out, he was speechless.
Without hesitation, he urged the others to practice their driving skills.
Of courseIf they could master teleportation via Magic Circles, that would be a different story.
Not to mentionIf they could actually learn it, it would make transporting the Cursed Children way easier.
In the end, he still decided to leave the mission to his Familia and not take action himself. After all, if he had to do everything, what was the point of having a Familia?
—
"Saeko-neesan! Shizuka-neesan!"
Tamako led thirteen little girls in an energetic march toward them.
Saeko greeted them with a gentle smile and said, "Go wait in the truck first. You're the first group to arrive."
The Cursed Children behind Tamako exchanged uneasy glances.
They were nervous, their eyes darting around as they avoided looking at Saeko directly.
One of them even shrank back, as if trying to make herself invisible.
After a brief pauseWith Tamako's reassurance and guidanceThey finally climbed into the truck.
Before longThe second, third, and fourth waves of children arrived without issue.
Everything was going smoothly.
Until the fifth group showed up.
"Huh? What's going on?"
Leading a group of Cursed Children, Moriko Noda suddenly cried out in alarm.
Crack
A faint tremor spread beneath their feet.
It felt like something was moving underground.
The next second!
A massive monster burst out from the ground behind the children!
"Ahhh!"
The sudden attack sent the last girl in line tumbling to the ground.
When this girl turned back, her face frozen in terror.
What she sawWas a monstrous creature that looked like a hybrid of a centipede and a spider.
It had no visible facial featuresOnly a massive, vertical mouth lined with three rows of zigzagged fangs.
Sssshhh
A faint, poisonous mist seeped from its abdomen.
"This is bad!!"
—
Inside the truck
The children who had already boarded screamed at the scene unfolding before them.
Their hearts sank.
"We're We're going to die!"
"What do we do?! What do we do?!"
"We need to help her!"
All the Cursed Children were overwhelmed by fearAnd the pain of knowing one of their own was in danger.
But just as despair crept in
Saeko drew her sword.
She raised the bladeAnd swung in the direction of the Gastrea creature!
SHZZZ!
A brilliant white slash cut through the airSlicing toward the monster at an incredible speed!
The Gastrea had no time to react.
The blade cleaved through its tough exoskeleton like paper. The sound of flesh tearing filled the air.
BOOM!
The creature's upper body was severed clean in half
And crashed onto the ground!
"Huh?"
The Cursed Children stared in shock.
A stunned silence filled the truck.
Then
"That That was so cool!!"
A small voice whispered in awe.
Noda Moriko blinked in surpriseBefore quickly snapping back to reality.
"What are you all standing around for?! Move!"
The others snapped out of it, immediately grabbing the fallen girl and sprinting forward.
"It's not dead yet!"
Moriko, well aware of Gastrea biology, shouted out a warning.
Saeko's eyes narrowed.
Sure enoughdespite having its upper body severedthe creature's lower half remained standing.
From the exposed wound, dark, writhing masses of flesh squirmed, desperately attempting to regenerate.
"The core, huh?"
Saeko's sharp gaze scanned the creature's bodyBut she couldn't immediately spot the core.
"Oh well"
"If I can't find it"
"I'll just keep slicing until I do."
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
Saeko's sword flashed through the air several more times.
The spider-like Gastrea was dismemberedIts body parts scattering across the ground.
"Oh There it is."
After reducing the monster to minced meat, Saeko finally spotted its core.
She wasted no wordsAnd destroyed it instantly.
Then, she sheathed her swordAnd turned to the children with a gentle smile.
"No need to worry, you're safe."
.
