"Alright, let's go."
Damien extended a hand to Hiyori, gesturing for the other children to follow. "I'll take you to a warm place."
That warm place, naturally, was inside the Void Ark.
"Mm!"
"Everyone, hurry up!"
"Let's go, let's go..."
The children followed Damien without hesitation.
But when they left the dilapidated ruins and looked up, they were met with a scene beyond their wildest imaginations.
Peach blossoms bloomed vibrantly, like clouds of radiant color. Petals drifted gently in the warm spring breeze, carpeting the ground in a pink pathway.
Birds sang cheerfully in the branches, their crisp, melodious calls like nature's finest symphony.
Clear streams sparkled, bordered by graceful willows whose slender branches brushed the water, stirring gentle ripples.
In the distance, rolling mountains were shrouded in mist, lending an air of mystery to this idyllic paradise.
"So... so beautiful..."
"Is this real?"
A girl in a thin hospital gown stood amidst the sea of flowers.
Her lifeless eyes now sparkled with unprecedented light.
She pressed her feet into the ground, feeling the soft, moist soil and grass, a tingling sensation spreading through her.
"I... I escaped..."
"I really escaped from that place."
The girl, Enju Aihara, could no longer hold back her tears, sobbing loudly in the flower sea.
Not long ago, she was confined in a human laboratory, observed and imprisoned by researchers.
Her tattered hospital gown and the tag around her neck told the story.
But just moments ago, a voice had appeared in her ears.
It told her that if she prayed, she could escape her suffering.
'If there's really a god, get me out of this hellhole!!'
Enju hadn't believed or doubted... she simply roared the thought in her mind.
Gods? Salvation?
She didn't buy it!
To her, this was a hateful world.
Everything, everyone... they all deserved to be destroyed!
Yet, this jaded girl had been saved by an unknown god.
"Argh..."
Her cathartic moment didn't last long.
An untimely voice interrupted her crying.
"Who?!"
Startled, Enju adopted a fierce expression, glaring at the source.
Not far away stood a blonde girl her age, looking bewildered, as if unsure why she was here.
Her name was Tina Sprout.
A Cursed Child and a modified soldier of the NEXT organization under scientist Ayn Rand.
"Did you bring me here?!"
Enju's eyes glowed red, and Tina's listless face showed a flicker of alertness.
"Huh? You too?"
Ignoring Enju, Tina scanned her surroundings with half-lidded eyes.
Due to her owl factor, she was lethargic during the day, sometimes needing stimulants to stay awake.
Her situation wasn't much better than Enju's.
After completing a mission and preparing to rest, a strange voice had appeared in her mind.
She thought it was a hallucination.
Wanting only to sleep, she'd thought, 'Fine, I get it, let me rest.'
And then, she appeared here.
'A new experiment?'
'Another plan?'
Tina didn't believe in gods... she assumed this was another of NEXT's tests.
"Hey!"
"Are you even listening?!"
"Spill it! Did you do this?!"
Enju, ignored, grew irritated.
She just wanted to know where she was.
Was this really the 'paradise' the voice promised?
"Remarkable..."
Ignoring Enju's shouts, Tina crouched, touching the flowers and grass.
"It's real. This soil hasn't a trace of pollution."
"I've never smelled flowers this sweet..."
The blue sky, the breeze carrying fresh air... these were things absent from her memories.
"Are you a new kid?"
"Sorry I'm late."
A woman in an elegant white dress appeared in the flower sea, her silver hair flowing in the wind. It was Irisviel, recently joined under Damien's command.
This was the Void Ark, home to the Einzbern family's castle.
Due to the unique nature of this journey, Damien could only park the Void Ark outside the world.
In simple terms, he could bring things here but couldn't take anything out.
This applied to both the Cardinal World and the Black Bullet world.
Once inside the Void Ark, the Cursed Children were already free from their original world.
Returning would require waiting for the Void Ark's cooldown to end for a proper crossing.
"Who are you?!"
Enju eyed the silver-haired woman warily.
"Your eyes... how are they..."
But upon seeing Irisviel's red eyes, her caution turned to shock.
Tina was equally stunned. "Are you cursed too?"
How could a Cursed Child grow so old?
The Cursed Children's history spanned only ten years.
No Cursed Child should be older than ten.
Yet this woman looked far older.
"I'm not infected with the G-Virus."
Irisviel gave a wry smile, stepping forward to explain. "As for who I am..."
"In terms you can understand, I'm an angel sent by Kami-sama to guide you."
To care for the Cursed Children, Damien had brought all the Einzbern homunculi, now evolved into the Fallen Angels to assist.
***
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.