"How did you injure your leg?"
Damien looked at the new girl, her leg severed below the knee. 'It looks like a wound from a blade or sword.'
Sure enough, her story confirmed it.
She had gone into the city to scavenge from trash bins but was surrounded by a group.
They hurled vicious insults, ignoring her cries and pleas, beating her with sticks.
Finally, they cut off her leg.
"Monsters..."
Touching her severed limb, Damien's mind conjured the memory of that day.
A child under ten, dragging a bleeding stump, crawling from the city back to the outer district.
Along the way, no one showed sympathy... instead, they threw garbage and stones at her in disgust.
"That's too much!"
"How could humans do such a thing?"
Artoria and Treyni were livid, their judgment fueled by righteous anger.
What had the Cursed Children done to deserve this world's cruelty?
Even Justeaze's All the World's Evil stirred, restless.
No doubt, if All the World's Evil descended here, it would amass unimaginable negative energy.
"Ugh..."
As if triggered by painful memories, phantom pain flared at the girl's stump, her delicate brows knitting together.
"Don't be afraid. It won't hurt soon."
Damien gently caressed the severed limb with utmost care.
Then, under everyone's gaze, a miracle unfolded.
Glimmering light emanated from the girl's knee.
Slowly, the light extended and stretched.
When it faded, a new, smooth, pale leg appeared before their eyes.
"It's healed!"
"Amazing..."
"It's like magic!"
"Is this the power of Kami-sama?"
"Onii-san's so cool! Kami-nii's awesome!"
Before they knew it, nearly a hundred little girls had gathered around Damien.
Their hair colors varied, some even sporting beast ears or tails.
The only commonality was their delicate appearances and surprisingly pure, simple natures.
"Thank you, Onii-san!"
The healed girl threw herself into Damien's arms. "Thank you..."
"Good, good."
Damien comforted her, wiping her tears. "From now on, Kami-nii will protect you. No one will hurt you again."
Hearing this, the innocent girls couldn't hold back.
The next moment, a swarm of tiny figures, barely reaching Damien's waist, surrounded him.
Some Cursed Children even bore inhuman traits.
Beast ears, tails, and more.
Damien decided adopting these Cursed Children was one of his best decisions.
Soon after the interaction, he turned to Hiyori with a serious question. "Have all the nearby Cursed Children come?"
"Mostly, except for a few who wandered off. Most are here."
Hiyori acted as the group's leader. She added, "Oh, there are still some children with Elder Matsuzaki. Should we call them over?"
"No need."
Damien thought of Elder Matsuzaki. "For now, let those children stay with him."
"I'll explain things to him personally later."
Elder Matsuzaki was a rare beacon of kindness in Black Bullet.
A human, his title of "Elder" was an affectionate nickname from the children.
Matsuzaki believed Cursed Children were no different from human children, deserving love.
He left the city to live with them in the outer district, working to suppress their genes to prevent rampages.
Despite his timid nature... fainting at the slightest explosion... he stayed by their side, teaching them to read and write.
Still, Damien planned to take the Cursed Children away.
Matsuzaki was a true good man.
But he was too old, lacking the energy to protect them further.
Rather than just fixing their genetic issues and leaving them in this world with uncertainties, it was better to take them to a new world for a fresh start.
As for how to gather all the Cursed Children worldwide...
'Since I've called myself a god, performing some miracles isn't too much, right?'
With that, Damien sent a message to every Cursed Child in the world.
The message was simple, just a few lines.
[My children, I have heard your prayers.]
[If you hear my voice and yearn for salvation, pray in your heart.]
Damien's voice, carried by magic, reached every Cursed Child's ears.
Japan, Russia, United States...
Cursed Children of different nations and races looked up, baffled by the message in their minds.
"What is this?"
Hiyori tilted her head, her companions equally confused.
It wasn't a sound, yet the words were etched deeply in every Cursed Child's heart.
'When in danger, pray to the god, and he will grant you salvation.'
'If you're hungry or cold, pray, and the god will provide food and shelter.'
'...'
"Kami-nii, I hear your voice."
"It's in my head, but not really."
Damien's magic was soul-based, not interfering with their actions.
It wasn't a repetitive chant nagging at their ears.
Its purpose was to respond the moment a Cursed Child felt a desire for help or salvation, instantly hearing Damien's aid.
A simple plea like "Please" Or "Help me" would activate the magic left in them.
Then, they'd be teleported to Damien's side!
Of course, if a Cursed Child faced mortal danger, Violet would send them to Damien even without a plea.
***
If you like the Classroom of the Elite and Danganronpa series, don't hesitate to check out the new project I'm currently working on:
[COTE: The True Perfect Human]
Synopsis:
Since the era when humanity was still focused on steam and coal, people have already been questioning what the Perfect Human truly looks like.
Some say the Perfect Human possesses overwhelming physical strength… others claim the Perfect Human has unparalleled intelligence.
Of course, there are also those who believe the Perfect Human possesses both... strength and intellect.
Like Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
That's why when people ask who the most perfect human in all of fiction is, they often point to the Masterpiece of the White Room as the Perfect Human.
But… only the OGs know that the only Perfect Human who has ever walked this earth is...
The Ultimate Hope…
Izuru Kamukura.
...
This is the story of Izuru Kamukura as he challenges Classroom of the Elite searching for whether there is anything in this world capable of dispelling his boredom.