"A tool..."
Clench!
Rentaro clenched his jaw, the hand gripping the ground was almost deformed. He struggled to stand up. His eyes, burning with defiance, looked straight at the Silver King's back. At this moment, it was as if a strange power was countering the reverence he felt for the existence before him, enough for him to stand upright, and to utter every word clearly.
"You might be a very good person, a very, very good person... so much so that I feel small before you, I feel inferior to you. Because I fundamentally cannot give the girl as much as you can."
That's right, just like the memory of that genius.
The superficial part was the humiliation of being defeated in the field he was most confident in, while the opponent didn't even consider it a great achievement. But deep down, the submerged part of the iceberg was the feeling of inferiority, jealousy, and envy.
"I'm just a dirt-poor Civil Security agent. I can only give the girl a home, cheap meals. I buy very few toys for her because I don't have enough money. I also have to take her to kill monsters, watch her get hurt and be unable to do anything, watch her be hated by those around her whenever she exposes her power and be unable to do anything, because I cannot manage everything."
Rentaro shed tears.
"Enju sees me as a hero who can save everyone, but I couldn't even save a Cursed Child right in front of her..."
Every word of his confession was directed only at the Silver King, Rentaro didn't look at anyone around him. He didn't realize that among the Cursed Children watching him, a small figure was also shedding tears, trembling and covering her face.
"But, even if I am a pathetic bastard, I have never considered the girl a tool, never considered her just something entrusted by the IISO! Our memories, our laughter, our tears... Silver King, Enju is my family!"
"Is that so?"
The Silver King smiled, as if he had just witnessed something truly marvelous unfold.
"Then come."
"Stop me, overcome me, show me the extent of your determination."
Rentaro charged again, starting the second round of the match.
But he was already exhausted from before. Even though the Silver King's blows were intentionally non-damaging, the mental fatigue was hard to eliminate.
Very quickly, his strikes lost all pattern, becoming uncontrollably scattered. Nevertheless, Rentaro continued to punch, seemingly forgetting the pain that felt like tearing his body in half.
The Silver King also stopped playing the cat-and-mouse game, engaging directly, blow for blow, as a sign of respect.
Time passed, and Rentaro grew dizzy, the world before him spinning continuously.
The Silver King's fist struck Rentaro's chest, knocking him flat onto the ground.
Every ounce of energy, all the potential in his body, had been completely wrung out. But Rentaro still trembled, reaching out and grasping the Silver King's leg.
Asahi raised his fist, intending to deliver a finishing blow, then paused. As if sensing something, he quickly jumped backward.
Bang!
Enju leaped out from the crowd amid cries of shock. She pushed off the ground, raising her hands to shield Rentaro, shouting with a tear-streaked face.
"You can't... you can't hurt Rentaro!"
Although afraid, although instinct told her she couldn't win against this silver existence, the little beast still bared her claws, ready to risk death to protect her family.
"Suibara, take care of both of them and take them back. The rest of you children, we will move to another field."
He turned and led the children away while Suibara continuously bowed in gratitude. He truly didn't know how many times he had secretly sweated today.
...
"Miss Sumire, what should I do now?"
"Ah, cook this. I want to eat it tonight."
"No, not about food! It's about Enju, I should..."
"Rentaro, right now I'm only thinking about what I'll eat tonight."
"You..."
"Tch, the problem you're worried about is so normal my ears are almost forming calluses."
"..."
"Rentaro, try to think about why we fight the Gastrea?"
"..."
"What's wrong, need me to repeat the question?"
"You... you know! They eat people, and infect us with the virus."
"But some people see this as God's will, sending them down to cleanse depraved humanity."
"Humans use too much energy and destroy the environment, that's why the world sees us as a virus and let the Gastrea destroy us. Otherwise, why could something so anti-biological exist?"
"That's nonsense!"
"And the Cursed Children are messengers of the divine, appearing to supervise humanity and the Gastrea..."
"Enju is a human being!"
"She absolutely, absolutely is not anyone's messenger!"
"There, you've answered yourself. It's very simple, isn't it?"
"..."
"Rentaro, you always saw Enju as a human, but the girl might not feel that way."
"The children living in the outer districts either have no parents or were abandoned when they were very young. Their worldview and self-perception are incomplete, and they were immediately thrown into the fierce cycle of survival, fighting for a tiny bit of hope. Do you expect such beings to clearly understand what they are?"
"..."
"Sadly, Cursed Child—this title, no matter how painful, no matter how full of blood and tears it is—is the thing that confirms the children exist in this world. Compared to physical and mental pain, the nothingness of the self is the most terrifying murder weapon. Compared to pain, the inability to feel pain is hell. That's when they truly see themselves as Cursed Children."
"But..."
"You always saw the girl as a human, right? So what should you do now?"
"Live with her and show her the right path, right?"
"The two of you... aren't you a family?"
"..."
"Thank you, Miss."
"I think I'll go see Enju now."