Ren Isana watched the slowly activating [Magic Circle] and stood up, stepping back a little. "Don't be afraid when you get there. Someone will come to guide you and help you settle in. No one on the other side is an enemy."
Ren's words clearly reached the children's ears. They had been in a daze, but hearing his voice snapped them back to reality.
"Onii-chan, will we be able to see you again?" the little girl Ren had caught earlier hurriedly asked.
"Of course we will. But we still have things to do here. We're going to send more of your companions over, so don't worry. It won't be long before everyone sees me again," Ren explained with a warm smile.
*More companions... other Cursed Children?* The little girl leading them suddenly realized the truth. These older brothers and sisters must have been sent by heaven to save them! Thinking of this, she quickly pleaded, "Onii-chan, there are a lot more kids just like us to the east. If you can, please, you have to help them!"
A child's world was truly pure and kind. The moment they learned Ren and his classmates wanted to save more children, they immediately revealed the locations of the others, not worrying for a second that Ren's group might be bad people.
Hearing this, Ren paused for a moment before promising, "Alright. I'll send them over to join you next. Don't worry, you'll see them soon."
The little girls nodded eagerly. A moment later, their figures were teleported away, vanishing from the spot. Once they were gone, Ren stood up and said, "Let's go send those other kids over first. After all, we made a promise."
A promise to a child couldn't be broken lightly; otherwise, the little cuties would be upset for a long time. Hearing Ren's words, the rest of the group agreed.
No one had any objections. They decided to handle this matter first. With their course set, the group sprang into action, heading straight for the location the little ones had provided.
While Ren's group was busy, the little girls were teleported directly back to the massive room the class had originally departed from.
Their sudden appearance triggered the room's alarms. The girls froze in shock, but in the next second, Natsuki Minamiya abruptly appeared before them.
She frowned as she looked at the little ones. *So this is what that brat was planning.* She hadn't expected them to be sent over so quickly. Despite feeling utterly speechless internally, Natsuki spoke in a gentle tone, "Hello there. There's no need to be nervous."
Looking at the older sister who had stepped out of the [Magic Circle], the four little girls were incredibly tense. They had no idea what to do. Ren had only sent them here; he hadn't told them what to do next!
Fortunately, Natsuki was very accommodating. She personally guided the children through a series of procedures, first giving them a warm bath, followed by various thorough disinfection processes.
When the little girls reappeared, they were dressed in clean, neat clothes. Although they still looked malnourished and pale, it was a massive improvement compared to the filthy state they had arrived in.
At that moment, the girls finally let their guard down completely. The older sisters here were so kind and gentle to them, even giving them fresh clothes to wear.
Natsuki was currently giving instructions to the facility's manager. As the little girls approached, they overheard her words.
"Prepare more clothes suitable for children aged six to ten, all girls' styles. They'll be sending more kids back continuously. I want you to handle their accommodations, and once they're settled, enroll them in the nearby elementary school." Natsuki was efficiently organizing everything.
She knew Ren would definitely be sending more children back, but she didn't find it troublesome at all. In their darkest moment of despair, Ren had extended a helping hand and brought them to this world.
Eventually, these children would develop a strong sense of belonging to their new home. No matter how she looked at it, this was a highly profitable investment for their world's future. Without contrast, there is no realization of value; precisely because they had never experienced kindness, they would cherish it all the more.
After finishing her instructions, Natsuki turned her gaze to the approaching children. "Come with me. I'll take you to get the gene serum. Once you're injected with it, you'll never have to suffer from your illness again."
With that, Natsuki led the way out. Hearing her words, the children's eyes widened in shock. They knew exactly what she meant.
The Gastrea virus... Once the erosion rate reached a certain threshold, they would die. But now, this older sister was telling them that a simple injection would cure them forever?
*Something like that... is actually possible here?* That Onii-chan really was an angel! If he wasn't an angel, why else would he send them to such a miraculous place?
Natsuki led the emotionally overwhelmed children to the infirmary, instructing the doctors inside to administer the special gene serum.
The girls only felt a slight pinch on their arms, like a mosquito bite, and it was over. But as the serum flowed through their veins, they felt an incredible lightness spread throughout their bodies, as if heavy shackles had finally been shattered.
"All done. Make sure you grow up healthy and strong from now on," the doctor said with a gentle smile after finishing the injections. The medical staff here had a general idea of the situation in the other world.
Because of that, they knew exactly what these children had been through and genuinely pitied them. Hearing that the vanguard team planned to send all the Cursed Children back here? That was truly a wonderful thing.
Hearing the doctor's gentle words, the children hurriedly bowed in gratitude. "Thank you, Doctor-oneesan!!"
Fighting back the urge to cry, the little girls were overwhelmed with joy. They were finally cured! The doctor who administered the serum chuckled warmly.
Rubbing one of the girls' heads, she said, "You all have excellent aptitude. You need to study hard in school from now on, understand? Work hard and strive to become amazing mages."
The children nodded vigorously. Their hearts were now filled with hope for the future. They would never have to hide like rats in the gutter ever again.
"We'll wait a bit before leaving. Your other companions will be here shortly," Natsuki suddenly announced. She had just received a message from Ren.
That guy had already found another group of children and asked her to hold the first batch so they could all leave together.
The little girls' eyes lit up instantly. The other kids were being sent over too? That was fantastic! That big brother really hadn't broken his promise. He was bringing the others over so quickly!
Back in the apocalyptic world, however, Ren was currently facing a tiny bit of trouble. He and his classmates looked helplessly at the highly vigilant children standing before them. Several combat-oriented girls were glaring at Ren's group with intense wariness.
Their eyes were filled with distrust. Ren immediately recognized the girl leading them—wasn't that Enju Aihara? But right now, she was covered in dirt, her gaze sharp and guarded against strangers.
She looked like a cat with its fur standing on end, practically hissing at Ren's group. Ren sighed helplessly. "Seriously, we aren't bad guys. A few other kids sent us here. They told us you were hiding in this area."
Hearing this, Enju completely lost it. She instantly realized who Ren was talking about and launched herself at him, screaming, "What did you do to Mai-chan?!"
As Enju attacked, her companions followed suit, lunging at Ren and the others. Seeing this, Ren felt a headache coming on. *Looks like we'll just have to subdue them first.*
Ren's right hand shot out, effortlessly catching Enju's incoming kick by the calf. In the next instant, his left hand darted forward, grabbing her by the back of her collar. "Little one, if I meant you any harm, you wouldn't even have the ability to resist."
Dangling from Ren's grip, Enju thrashed wildly. Meanwhile, the rest of the class easily subdued the other attacking children. The gap in strength was already massive, and on top of that, these kids hadn't eaten in who knew how long. They barely had any strength left.
"Let me go, you bastard!" Enju yelled, absolutely furious. *This despicable guy! How dare he grab me like this! I won't give in so easily!*
Ren looked at the struggling girl with amusement and promptly set her down. The moment her feet touched the ground, Enju quickly backed away to put distance between them. But what happened next left her stunned.
A massive [Magic Circle] suddenly lit up beneath Ren's feet. It instantly expanded to cover the surrounding area, enveloping all the children present in a glowing purple light.
Staring at this logic-defying scene, Enju was completely dumbfounded. She could hardly believe her eyes. *Is this... real magic? This guy can use magic?!*
"Can we talk properly now?" Ren asked quietly, looking at Enju. At that moment, he exuded a dangerous aura. Possessing the rabbit Gastrea factor, Enju's instincts screamed at her, sensing a lethal threat.
She realized that if Ren truly wanted to do something to them, they wouldn't be able to fight back at all. Understanding this harsh reality, Enju pouted, looking extremely displeased.
Seeing her reaction, Ren turned to Asuna and the others, gesturing for them to release the children. He then waved at the kids standing further away, signaling them to come closer.
Ren also dispelled the barrier. Once that was done, he turned to Megumi Kato. "Megumi, could you please bring the rest of the kids up from below? We need to have a proper chat with them."
Megumi nodded. Aside from the eight children outside, there were over a dozen more little girls hiding down in the sewers. Because they didn't possess combat-oriented animal factors, they had been kept hidden away for their own safety.
Naturally, this couldn't be hidden from Ren. The moment they arrived, his group had sensed exactly how many children were present. Megumi moved quickly, and it wasn't long before the rest of the girls emerged from the sewers one by one.
The children stared at Ren and his classmates with anxious eyes. They were terrified of what fate awaited them, completely unsure of what these strangers intended to do.
Ren simply pulled out some food and water and placed them on the ground. "Eat first. Then we'll talk."
Staring at the food and water Ren had provided, the children gulped, but none of them stepped forward. Instead, they all looked toward Enju. After all, she was their leader right now.
Enju stared at the food and swallowed hard as well. After a moment of hesitation, she decided they should eat first. If these people really wanted to harm them, they wouldn't need to resort to poison.
Their sheer martial prowess was already impossible to fight against, so there was nothing to worry about. Enju immediately called her companions over to share the meal.
The group of starving children began wolfing down the food the second they got their hands on it. Seeing this, the girls in the class quickly stepped forward to gently pat their backs, as some of the kids were eating so fast they started choking.
"Can you trust us now?" Ren asked with a smile, looking at Enju. Hearing his words, Enju nodded. She swallowed the food in her mouth and looked up at him.
"What do you want us to do?!" A sudden show of extreme kindness always hid ulterior motives. For someone to offer them food and water out of nowhere, they absolutely refused to believe there were no strings attached.
"We don't need you to do anything. I promised those other kids that I would send all their companions over to join them. Let me introduce myself. My name is Ren Isana, and I come from another world," Ren said, directly revealing his origins.
*Another world...* Enju's heart was filled with shock upon hearing this. She looked up at Ren in disbelief. *Is he joking?*
"I plan to send you all to our world. Over there, no one will discriminate against you, because you'll be surrounded by people just like you. You'll be able to grow up happily and even learn all kinds of magic," Ren explained, painting a picture of what their lives could be like if they went to his world.
Listening to Ren's description, a glimmer of hope flashed in Enju's eyes. If that were really true, it would be amazing. Who among them didn't desperately crave a life like that?
"The four kids we met earlier have already been sent over. We even cured the little one who was running a fever. Right now, they're probably dressed in brand-new clothes, just waiting for you all to join them," Ren added with a smile.
Enju's eyes widened. Staring at Ren in disbelief, she stammered, "R-Really?"
Ren nodded, his tone filled with absolute certainty. "Of course it's true. I'd be a dog if I lied to you. And we're going to keep sending more kids over. If the people of this world don't want you, we do!"
Just thinking about it pissed Ren off. They were such adorable children, yet look at what they had been reduced to. If Hestia had come along, she probably would have unleashed her Divine Power and wiped out every scumbag in this world.
*Look at what you've done to these kids! Blaming your own incompetence on a bunch of children?!*
Many of the people in this world didn't even deserve to be called human anymore!
Hearing Ren's words, Enju fell into a daze. She could hear the raw sincerity in his voice. That meant he wasn't lying. Realizing this, she couldn't help but wonder: *Should I trust him?*
Just as she was pondering this, Motoki Yaze suddenly walked up to Ren. "Class Rep, there's a heavily armed convoy a few kilometers out heading this way. It looks like they're coming for these kids."
Motoki had kept his perception abilities active the entire time, so he immediately noticed the armed squad appearing a few kilometers away and promptly reported it to Ren.
Ren frowned. He glanced at Enju and said, "Looks like those people are coming for you. A lot of you kids have outstanding combat talents, and it seems you've been targeted."
Ren had also sensed those guys. Seeing the insignia on their vehicles, he instantly knew who they were: IISO, the International Initiator Supervising Organization, the global body responsible for managing, assigning, and ranking Initiators and Promoters.
*Wasn't Enju Aihara taken away this year and assigned to that bleeding-heart protagonist? Is it happening right now?*
Hearing Ren's words, Enju's heart tightened. She knew exactly what was going on—someone was coming to capture them. Her immediate instinct was to grab everyone and run.
"Then let's deal with them. Can you attack from this distance?" Ren turned to Motoki. The guy's innate talent seemed to possess that kind of range. Regardless, Ren could easily do it using the version he had copied with [Jianjigu].
He just wasn't sure if Motoki could pull it off. If he could, he'd let him handle it directly; if not, he'd send someone else over to take care of it.
"I've got it covered. Leave it to me," Motoki said, giving a thumbs-up before springing into action. Ren's permission was all he needed. He guaranteed he'd stop those guys dead in their tracks without anyone ever knowing what hit them.
Motoki closed his eyes and began channeling his innate talent to its absolute limit. Everyone felt the surrounding wind come to a dead halt for a split second before an invisible force was unleashed from his body.
Through his perception, Ren watched as the advancing convoy was suddenly struck by a terrifying sonic attack. A deafening sonic boom erupted directly over the vehicles, and in the next instant, all their bulletproof windows shattered simultaneously.
The heavily armed men inside didn't even have time to react before they were knocked unconscious. The sudden attack caused the trailing vehicles to slam into the ones in front, instantly wiping out the entire convoy!