After descending the stairs and presenting the Tendō Civil Security Corporation's identification, the two of them entered the basement unimpeded.
"This is the whole batch. Pick one you like and take them out yourself."
The man, who acted more like a wholesaler at a pet market than a public servant, gave a perfunctory, impatient blessing before leaving immediately. It seemed he didn't want to stay in a place full of Cursed Children any longer, nor did he care what outsiders might do to them.
Although his attitude towards Tendō Kisara had been relatively normal, when faced with the Cursed Children, an bone-deep disgust and even hatred uncontrollably surfaced in his eyes.
Seeing his behavior, March 7th and the others finally got a direct sense of how widespread the extreme aversion to the Cursed Children was, to the point that even professionals in related fields made no effort to hide it.
And when they stepped through the door into the hall where the Cursed Children were gathered, many of them fell silent.
Hundreds of children, all under the age of ten, were huddled on the floor in tattered clothes. With their sallow faces and emaciated bodies, they looked like refugees in a camp.
Although the Tokyo Area outside seemed little different from before the great war, with no visible signs of food shortages, the children before them clearly reflected the chaos of a troubled world.
Rin Tohsaka: "Isn't this the place to choose Initiators? If they expect these children to fight, why don't they even provide basic food?" the twin-tailed girl asked, completely baffled. At the very least, you had to be well-fed to fight, right?
To this, Tendō Kisara shook her head. "The Cursed Children have extremely strong vitality. Ordinary illnesses and hunger aren't enough to kill them... Although in theory, hunger reduces their combat effectiveness, it's still sufficient against ordinary Gastrea."
"More importantly, managing food is also a way to control the Cursed Children. Although the children themselves are obedient, food is the best means of reward and punishment for training and control... Even many Promoters will deliberately control the food supply of their Cursed Children."
As she spoke, she spread her hands. "Compared to the stray Cursed Children who have to scavenge for food in garbage cans, the treatment of these children is actually considered good. At least they won't actually starve to death."
"If they're chosen as Initiators, even with the risk of death, they'll most likely be able to eat their fill. For these children, it's the best possible outcome."
Madoka Kaname: "This... is considered good treatment?" Looking at the concentration camp-like conditions, the girl fell silent. She couldn't imagine how long she could last in such a restrictive environment.
Shiroyasha: "I see. No wonder they still hold onto hope for humanity even in this environment." The white-haired loli had a flash of understanding.
After Tendō Kisara and Su Mo entered, a slight commotion rippled through the Cursed Children. Many of them looked up, their eyes filled with anticipation. If they were chosen, even if they died, at least they would die with a full stomach.
For them, becoming an Initiator was indeed a good thing. As for the mere risk of death, a child's mind couldn't yet grasp it, and even if they could, they wouldn't be able to care. After all, if they didn't do it, there were plenty of other Cursed Children who would.
However, despite their anticipation, none of them dared to approach. It seemed they had likely been burned before, beaten for getting too close.
"Lord Su Mo, you came this time for..."
For the members of the chat group, the various phenomena of this world were shocking. But for Tendō Kisara, this was all a familiar routine. So, after answering their questions, she immediately turned to Su Mo and quickly noticed that his gaze was already locked on a figure in the corner.
It was a small figure, just as emaciated as the other Cursed Children, with a build similar to Shiroyasha and Rin. But unlike the lolis' natural slenderness, this was purely the result of starvation. If you were to remove her clothes, you would most likely see skin and bones.
However, this alone was still common among the Cursed Children. What made her stand out was her dry, red hair and the atmosphere of alienation she exuded, hiding in the corner. Even the others who weren't eager to become Initiators rarely showed this level of resistance.
"Lord Su Mo, is there something special about this child?" Tendō Kisara asked, puzzled.
"Look at her eyes," Su Mo said.
"Yes, sir!"
Tendō Kisara walked straight over. The other Cursed Children obediently cleared a path.
Seemingly noticing the movement, the red-haired girl in the corner subconsciously looked up.
Then, everyone in the group, including Tendō Kisara, was slightly taken aback.
In any other environment, that gaze would certainly be striking. It was hard to believe that such a cold, desperate, and distrustful look could appear on the face of such a young child.
And in this world, that look was equally surprising... A Cursed Child who had been educated by humans since birth shouldn't show hatred towards them!
Looking at the other children, no matter how much they were hurt, they would only think it was their own fault. A child who could express their resistance so naturally was a rare sight in this world.
"Aihara Enju," Su Mo spoke again.
The red-haired girl's head snapped up, a look of disbelief finally appearing in her eyes. This adult knew her name?
But even more surprised than her were Tendō Kisara and the others in the chat group.
Rin Tohsaka: "Lord Su Mo knows her name?"
Rin Tohsaka: "N-no, wait! It's not strange that Lord Su Mo knows her name. What's strange is why Lord Su Mo would know her name?"
Even Shiroyasha felt the same. But judging from Su Mo's precise strike on Kibutsuji Muzan, whether through the Authority of Omniscience and Omnipotence or the Authority of Erudition, Su Mo indeed possessed the ability to know everything about all of humanity.
Not just one girl; if Su Mo wanted to know, he could probably instantly learn about her ancestors from thousands of years ago.
The problem wasn't Su Mo's ability, but why he would do it. Even if this child's gaze was a little special, it shouldn't be enough to warrant Su Mo's special attention.
Recalling the vague words Su Mo had spoken earlier, someone in the group was suddenly alarmed.
Shiroyasha: "Don't tell me what you said before about the catalyst for world destruction has something to do with this child?"
When it came to Eschatology, the most sensitive person present was probably her, who came from the Little Garden.
On this issue, Su Mo had no bad habit of being cryptic and nodded on the spot. "Mm."
"What?!" Tendō Kisara was shocked. She carefully examined the girl before her, unable to see any possibility of her destroying the world.
Rin Tohsaka: "An existence capable of destroying the world... is just a small child?"
The others in the group were also very surprised.
Seeing this, Su Mo spoke calmly. "People always think they can change or even brainwash others through cognition, but they often forget that reality is the best teacher."
"And compared to saints, children are actually closer to beasts... The success of the past ten years of brainwashing seems to have made the people of this world forget the simplest thing: children, in the end, will grow up."
As Tendō Kisara took a single step closer to the girl, her hair stood on end and she entered a state of stress.
If she took another step, Aihara Enju might see her as a threat. This reaction was clearly an instinct born from being beaten by adults.
However, even if the other children had suffered similar treatment, they lacked the courage to resist.
This little girl, on the other hand, seemed to be on the verge of collapse, ready to throw caution to the wind, as if to say, "Even if resisting means death, I'll still take a bite out of you."
This was most likely the reason why this talented child had never been chosen as an Initiator.
"If the outcome of following others' rules is hunger and death, then reality will inevitably filter out those Cursed Children who don't trust humans, because by not trusting, they can survive."
"If this situation continues, as the Cursed Children grow older and stronger, they will inevitably begin to resist human control and, in turn, become the enemies of the current human civilization."
When the day comes that these children discover that resistance increases their chances of survival more than obedience, the method of cognitive brainwashing will become completely ineffective.
Any ideology must be centered on the distribution of real benefits to be realized.
March 7th: "It might be wrong to say this, but knowing that these children will eventually fight back, for some reason I feel a sense of relief, like an old mother."
Hearing Su Mo's words, the pink-haired girl unknowingly breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness, these children wouldn't be bullied to death.
Rin Tohsaka: "That makes sense! No matter what, you can't fool all the people all the time."
Shiroyasha: "So, the Cursed Children were originally humanity's last hope, the ultimate weapon against the Gastrea, but over time, due to humanity's current rejection, they will instead become humanity's enemies?"
Shiroyasha: "If things develop in this direction, since you called this child the catalyst for world destruction, she will surely play a leading role in the forces that resist humanity in the future!"
Shiroyasha: "Most likely as a leader who guides the growth of the resistance, or a symbolic figure who puts the final period on humanity's demise."
In the theory of the Little Garden, a leader possessed a position equivalent to a king, even approaching that of a god. If the world's direction was as Su Mo said, then the Aihara Enju before them would most likely appear as the leader of the resistance.
"This child... can become a king?" Hearing this, Tendō Kisara was slightly taken aback. Not only did she have the qualifications of a king, but also the potential to destroy the world.
You really couldn't tell she was so dangerous from her appearance.
Seeing her muttering to herself and not approaching further, nor showing any dissatisfaction or ferocity like other adults, Aihara Enju was a little lost, not knowing how to react.
"No!"
In response to Shiroyasha's reasonable speculation, Su Mo unexpectedly shook his head.
"You've guessed wrong. Not only will she not join the resistance, but she will, due to a certain opportunity, grow close to humans, right up until the moment her own consciousness fades."
Rin Tohsaka: "Huh?"
March 7th: "Huh?"
Shiroyasha: "Huh?"
All three of them were stunned by the sudden turn of events.
At this moment, Shiroyasha keenly noticed Su Mo's eyes. Flames seemed to burn faintly in his dark pupils, like candlelight that could illuminate fate. Considering Su Mo's confident tone, she suddenly realized something.
Shiroyasha: "Su Mo, have you observed this world's fate?"
She only now noticed that Su Mo's previous tone was more of a simple statement than a prediction.
So, Su Mo had discovered this girl's problem not because of his sensitivity to catalysts of world destruction, but because he had already traversed fate once and witnessed humanity's demise with his own eyes?
In the Little Garden, this was an impossible operation involving the unobservable domain, but in the outside world, where there was no omnipotence paradox, it seemed there was no such restriction.