Griseo had no idea what Gudako's strange remark meant.
She walked over to Setsuna, tugged gently at the corner of his clothes, and looked up at him. Her violet eyes were filled with confusion.
"Commander... what are we... doing?"
"Well..."
Setsuna patted Griseo's head.
"There's an experimental project here that lets you freely switch between how you look now and how you'll look in the future. Interested?"
"Eh?"
Griseo looked even more confused.
"My future... appearance?"
"The grown-up version of you."
Setsuna crouched in front of her and gently pinched little Griseo's cheek.
Little Griseo wore a beret, her expression calm, her skin delicate like a porcelain doll. She was incredibly cute.
But he was curious to see what the older Griseo looked like again.
"Mm..."
Griseo glanced at Jibril and the other Flügel nearby, who were repeatedly switching between their loli forms and maiden forms while playing around. She thought about it for a moment.
"You mean I'll become an adult like Mother Aponia or Sister Elysia?"
"Uh... considering your current condition, you'd probably still be a bit younger than them."
Kayo Senju thought for a moment.
"Probably around the same age as Raiden Mei or Kiana."
"..."
Griseo looked at Setsuna, then at Jibril happily playing nearby.
After thinking for a moment, she made up her mind and nodded.
"Okay."
"I want to see... how those big sisters live."
The research lolis from the Life Sciences Division quickly guided Griseo into a hibernation pod.
"Commander, stay with me."
Little Griseo tugged on Setsuna again.
She had unpleasant memories related to hibernation pods. Whenever she lay inside one, she always had the strange feeling that when she opened her eyes again, the world might have completely changed.
"Alright."
Setsuna patted her reassuringly and sat beside the pod.
Click—
Dense white mist filled the chamber.
Complex streams of data and code appeared on the holographic interface.
"By the way, if we left things alone, Griseo would grow up naturally someday anyway, right?"
Kayo Senju said while adjusting the data.
"I remember there being records of an older Griseo in the original files..."
"A loli growing into a maiden or a mature woman isn't strange. The amazing thing is technology that lets you reverse the process or transform back and forth."
Gudako yawned.
"Actually... I kind of want to try it too."
"What, you want to turn into a kid too?!"
Setsuna knocked her lightly on the head.
Buzz—
Inside the hibernation pod, thick mist obscured the view. Only the monitoring readouts showed that everything inside was proceeding normally.
"Don't worry. She underwent super-transformation surgery before. Her physical condition is very strong."
"When Flügel transform into their loli forms they lose strength, but if Griseo grows up, she might actually become a bit stronger."
The research lolis carefully monitored every piece of data.
Two or three hours later.
Click—
The heavy transparent hatch slowly opened.
"Mm..."
"Mmm..."
Griseo's consciousness gradually returned.
Like someone who had just woken from sleep, her mind was still a little hazy.
"I..."
She held her head and slowly sat up inside the pod.
The surroundings gradually came into focus.
But almost immediately she felt something strange.
Her clothes were tight.
Looking down, she realized that the white dress that used to hang loosely on her body was now stretched tightly across her figure, almost resembling an extremely short skirt.
The fabric across her chest felt especially constricting.
"Eh?"
Griseo froze in confusion.
Before, when she looked down she could see her feet.
Now all she could see was a prominently curved chest.
The shock left her completely stunned.
"Who am I...?"
"...Am I Griseo?"
"...Is this me?"
Griseo fell into confusion. Even her voice had changed, becoming more mature, shifting from a soft childlike tone into that of a young girl.
When she turned her head, she saw Setsuna.
"Commander... what is this...?"
"Ohhhhh!!!"
The research lolis from the Life Sciences Division burst into cheers.
"Success!"
The little girl who had originally been only 1.4 meters tall had simply taken a nap inside the pod and emerged as a 1.66-meter-tall beautiful girl.
Such a miraculous transformation stunned the surrounding shipgirls and Flügel.
"What is this, some kind of technology that accelerates cell division to force rapid growth?!"
"No, no, no. This is a magnificent technology born from the fusion of biological science and magic."
Kayo Senju shook her head proudly.
"And the process is reversible! Reversible! If she doesn't like it, she can change back!!"
"..."
The now-grown Griseo stood up and tilted her head while looking at Setsuna, who was staring at her.
"Commander? Am I... pretty?"
Because of the sudden change in her body, parts of her clothes had torn open, revealing smooth, fair skin beneath.
The shock of seeing her transform from a loli into a young woman left Setsuna momentarily stunned.
"Very pretty!"
He quickly pulled out a set of clothes and handed them to Griseo.
"Here. I prepared these for you."
"Eh?"
Griseo suddenly felt that Setsuna might have anticipated this outcome long ago.
No matter how she looked at it, the outfit was clearly an upgraded version of her original clothing.
The craftsmanship was exquisite. The colors and accessories perfectly matched her aesthetic sense.
Even white stockings had been prepared in advance.
"..."
Griseo didn't quite understand, but she had the strange feeling that Setsuna had foreseen her "growing up."
Without worrying about modesty, she simply changed clothes openly.
She put on a light-blue short dress adorned with dark-gold and black starry ornaments that matched the theme of "stars" associated with her name.
She carefully rolled up the white stockings and pulled them slowly upward from her ankles, gradually covering her shapely legs.
Now that she had grown up, Griseo still felt somewhat unfamiliar with her own body.
Finally she adjusted the hem of her skirt, placed a deep-blue petal hair ornament in her hair, and—out of habit—tied her long hair into twin ponytails behind her head.
"Phew—"
She let out a small breath and looked toward Setsuna.
Graceful and elegant, she now appeared far more mature than before, like a bright and youthful girl.
"Wow..."
Having grown used to seeing little Griseo, Setsuna found the older version surprisingly novel.
"How does it feel?"
"Hmm..."
Griseo lowered her head and examined herself.
"My body feels fine... it's just that everything got bigger, so it's a little... strange."
Out of habit, she reached out and tugged gently on Setsuna's clothes, then took his hand—before, it had always been Setsuna holding hers.
...
"Mm..."
The grown Griseo was still getting used to her body.
After suddenly growing into a young maiden, everything felt unfamiliar.
She stood before a mirror, carefully examining herself.
Her figure was graceful and well-proportioned, her face pure and beautiful. The girl in the mirror looked like her—and yet not quite.
For a moment, her sense of self felt slightly misaligned.
"If you want, you can change back to your original form, just like Jibril," Kayo Senju said.
"Mm..."
Following the instructions, Griseo closed her eyes and channeled Honkai energy.
Poof—
Just like when Jibril had shrunk into little Jibril earlier, the grown Griseo transformed back into little Griseo right before their eyes, leaving Setsuna and the surrounding shipgirls utterly astonished.
This technology had originally just been a byproduct of modifying the Flügel, yet it now seemed to have developed all sorts of unexpected applications.
"Mm..."
Little Griseo tilted her head thoughtfully, glancing at the older sisters around her.
She tugged at Setsuna's sleeve and looked up at him, seeking his opinion.
"Commander... which one do you prefer?"
Hiss—
Even though little Griseo's voice remained airy and calm, Setsuna was undeniably charmed.
Who in the world would ask whether you preferred her loli form or her maiden form?
He rubbed her head.
"How about living in a different form for a while? If you're not used to it, you can always change back."
"Mm..."
Little Griseo thought for a moment.
Her daily routine in the capital—painting, eating, sleeping—had been rather unchanging. Perhaps viewing the world from a grown perspective would let her discover new "colors."
She nodded, then transformed back into the older Griseo.
"A magnificent invention," Setsuna sighed again.
"Hm? Wait!"
Kayo Senju suddenly remembered something and squeezed up beside Setsuna.
"By the way, Onii-chan, didn't you once say that when we grow up, we can marry you?"
"Huh? When did I ever—"
Setsuna froze.
Then he recalled that when he had first brought back the Cursed Children, some of the precocious little girls had constantly teased him about marrying him. At the time, he had treated it as childish nonsense, comforted them casually, and sent them off to study.
"Now we can grow up too!!!"
Before he could respond, Kayo Senju darted straight into a hibernation pod.
She rapidly tapped on the holographic interface. The cover descended, and white mist filled the chamber.
"Wah! So sneaky!!! The Director is trying to get ahead of us!!!"
A group of little girls chirped noisily and rushed over.
[Genetic Enhancement: Ready]
[Body Restructuring: 3%... 5%... 8%...]
The AI's prompt sounded.
"???"
Not long after—
Click—
[Genetic Modification Complete]
A young girl with pale golden hair slowly sat up inside the pod.
Her features were gentle yet adorable. Part of her golden hair cascaded down her back, while the rest was braided into two plaits that hung in front of her chest.
Her figure was as flawless as ever.
The Cursed Children had all undergone genetic ascension. Compared to ordinary humans, they were not only more intelligent, but also physically superior.
"Mm..."
Kayo Senju rubbed her temples.
She stood up and looked down at her own body.
"I... I really grew up, Onii-chan!!!"
"???"
"So this is what a grown Cursed Child looks like?"
Setsuna was even more astonished.
She would qualify as a top-tier beauty in any world.
Indeed, this was the gift of the Cursed Children—and a triumphant victory for genetic technology.
"Onii-chan, do you like how I look now?"
Kayo Senju stepped closer, pressing her ample chest lightly against Setsuna as she looked up at him.
"Uh..."
"You look great."
Setsuna nodded.
"Then I'll stay like this from now on. Hmm... this way, the other sisters won't treat me like a child anymore, right?"
Kayo Senju smiled slyly.
"Commander, you can treat me the same way you treat the other sisters."
"We can eat together, go on dates, and... you won't refuse, right, Onii-chan...?"
The way she called him Onii-chan over and over was dangerously disorienting.
As expected of the smartest among the Cursed Children and the head of research—Setsuna found himself unable to come up with a reason to refuse.
Her thoughts had always been more mature than the other little girls. Aside from her height, she had long behaved like a capable adult.
"Wah!"
"I want to grow up too and play with Onii-chan! I want to marry Onii-chan too!!"
The other little girls began clamoring again.
"Shoo, shoo. I'm conducting an experiment on myself. As the head of the Life Sciences Division, I must lead by example," Kayo Senju declared righteously, waving them off.
"???"
"You just want him all to yourself, don't you?!"
Enju Aihara, Midori Fuse, and several others crowded forward.
Unfortunately, strength spoke louder than words. After transforming into a maiden, Kayo Senju's physical abilities had improved slightly as well.
She crouched down and gently patted Midori Fuse and Enju Aihara on the head, her expression tender.
"Children shouldn't talk nonsense. Be good. I'll take you out to eat later. Want some lollipops?"
"!!?"
"Weren't you the same as us just a few minutes ago?! Stop acting like a big sister!"
The Life Sciences Division dissolved into chaos.
"Eh???"
"Wait... wasn't this technology developed for us?"
Jibril looked utterly baffled.
She distinctly remembered that the Life Sciences Division had summoned the Flügel for genetic modification to solve the problem of them turning into powerless lolis after casting Heavenly Smite.
So what exactly was happening now?!
...
It took Setsuna some effort to calm the turmoil within the Life Sciences Division.
Some of the research lolis, driven by curiosity and academic interest, switched into their maiden forms. Others were perfectly content with their current appearances and chose not to change.
From that day forward, the lolis of the Starsea Empire possessed a kind of duality.
They could freely switch between two forms.
Today you might see a loli. Tomorrow she might appear as a maiden. The day after, she might turn back again.
The shipgirls and others often felt as though time itself had become distorted.
"Ahem. In that case, we'll leave the remaining Flügel modifications to you."
After resolving the chaos caused by the "loli growing up" incident, Setsuna gestured for the rest of the Flügel legion to continue their procedures.
"Okaaay~"
The now-maiden Kayo Senju waved goodbye.
"Onii-chan, once we finish up, we'll come find you~"
"You've taken care of us for so long, Commander. Let us repay you properly~"
"..."
"What's this? Gratitude?"
Gudako began counting on her fingers.
"There are quite a lot of Cursed Children in the Starsea Empire, you know. Commander, if they all come to repay you, can you handle it...?"
"Who are you looking down on? I'm not even afraid of Outer Gods"