"Byakuya, are you okay? Why is your head bleeding? What did they do to you?!"
When Byakuya returned to the prison-like room, Sirin and the others immediately gathered around him.
When they saw the thick bandage on the young man's head and the bloodstains on his clothes, they were startled and anxious, yet didn't know what to do.
"It's fine, I'm okay." Byakuya immediately reassured them, saying there was no need to worry.
But he also knew that even if he said the injury was self-inflicted, Sirin and the others wouldn't believe him. So he simply stated that those bastard scientists did it.
This caused the girls to become incredibly angry.
After repeatedly confirming he was not seriously hurt, Sirin, Avrora, Galina, and Agatha finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But soon these girls started crying.
"Byakuya, I, I want to go home."
"I miss my mom too, boo hoo hoo."
"It's so cold here, will we be killed?"
"They said the experiments hurt so much, I don't want to be cut by erosion anymore, I don't want to be injected with strange medicine anymore,"
The four little ones huddled together, trembling, tears continuously welling up in their eyes. They were still just children, tricked into this horrific human experimentation base.
In this gloomy, cold environment filled with death and pain, it would be strange if they weren't scared.
Byakuya felt a pang of heartache. They were all innocent girls who should have been living under the sun, experiencing all the beauty of this world and having a bright future.
But now they were confined in this cursed place, enduring these inhumane human experiments. This was undoubtedly wrong, utterly wrong!
"Yes, we will definitely escape, Sirin, and you all won't have to do experiments anymore."
"Rea-really?"
"Of course, I never lie. No matter what happens, I will definitely make sure you survive."
Byakuya gently rubbed each of their heads and wiped away the girls' tears, comforting their frightened hearts. At this moment, he already had a plan.
"Although we can only stay here for now, you no longer have to do experiments, so… let's hold on together until the day we leave this place."
"Mhm!" x3
"..."
Hearing him say that, Aurora, Agata, and Jialina immediately felt a little more at ease.
Feeling the warmth of Byakuya's hand on their cheeks, they instinctively leaned closer to him.
Only Sirin frowned, still worried. She recalled the adults who had tied her to the experimental table.
The ugly expressions on their faces, their indifferent gazes when they looked at her, made Sirin feel as if she wasn't human, but a small mouse.
Would such bad people really let them go? If so, how did Byakuya manage it?
"Byakuya, what exactly did you do?"
"...It's very late already. Go to rest, Sirin. Everyone must be tired too."
Byakuya raised his hand again and stroked Sirin's head.
The two sides of her hair always stuck up, no matter how much he tried to press them down, like two purple folded cat ears.
Byakuya didn't answer Sirin's question, but instead told them to go to sleep. Although he knew that the girls would soon find out whether he told them or not, still...
Some things really didn't need to be said.
...When the next day arrived...
"Subject X1, come out for the experiment."
"...Tsk, got it."
Sirin and the others stared blankly at Byakuya being led away by the guards. At this moment, they all understood the price the young man had paid.
To keep them from doing experiments.
He fed himself to those demons.
For a moment, the girls' eyes welled up.
"...Don't."
Sirin ran over, wanting to grab Byakuya's hand, but he shook his head, stopping her.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Then, as the iron door of the cell closed, only Byakuya's smile remained in their minds.
.........
"Prepare five soft beds for me, and five thick, warm quilts. This ghostly place of yours is so cold at night; I'll freeze awake in the middle of the night."
After easily getting through today's experiment, Byakuya said to the people next to him without looking back.
"???" xN
Babylon Laboratory was Built in Siberia, a place of perpetual ice and snow, and the conditions in those prison-like rooms were terribly poor.
There were only two hard, cold iron slab beds, not even a single quilt. Last night, Byakuya and Sirin had to huddle together to sleep, and they both froze awake in the middle of the night.
"I want them before tonight."
He specifically added a reminder.
Those four Little White Mice were still little girls. As an older brother with a mental age of 18, Byakuya felt he couldn't let them catch a cold.
After all, if they got sick after coming to this cursed place, it would be worse than death. He didn't think these beasts in human clothing would treat sick children.
"What? Who do you think you are?"
The boy's request stunned the scientists. This was the first experimental subject since Babylon Laboratory was Built who dared to make demands of them twice.
"If you don't give them to me, I'll die for you to see."
Byakuya patted the wall expressionlessly.
The meaning was clear: if they didn't agree, he would bang his head against the wall. Anyway, if he died, the ones who would suffer the most were these bastards.
The researchers' eyes twitched.
Thinking of yesterday's medical examination report and Byakuya's still bandaged forehead, they knew this brat truly dared to do it. In the end, they could only agree to his request.
Although they were a group of beasts, their efficiency was quick. Soon, four soft beds and thick cotton quilts were sent into the five-person cell, and Sirin and the others were stunned.
Byakuya: "Tsk, I forgot about myself."
So that night, he could only make do with Sirin again.
However, this was just the beginning.
After that, every time an experiment ended, Byakuya would make small wishes to these people.
"Starting tomorrow, prepare nutritious meals for us. Is the garbage you give us even fit for human consumption? Remember, it must taste good and be hot."
"......"
"Prepare a few sets of warm clothes for us. Hmm, two sets for everyone. No, three sets would be better."
"......"
"Help buy a nightlight. Galina is afraid of the dark when she goes to the bathroom at night; she almost sprained her ankle yesterday."
"......"
"Sirin seemed to have a Nightmare last night. Buy me a few storybooks, in Shenzhou script."
"......"
Although each time it was just a small request, satisfying Byakuya was not difficult at all.
But being treated like a servant by such a child, an experimental subject in their eyes, these arrogant fellows finally exploded with unbearable rage.
It's worth noting that today, Bishop Otto even sent a message asking, "Why has your Babylon Laboratory suddenly become 'humane'? Your recent procurement list doesn't match your usual style at all."
Indeed.
In the past, it was always scalpels, prohibited drugs, Honkai Energy reagents, or simply more 'Little White Mice'.
Recently, it's been fairy tale books, nightlights, children's cotton padded jackets, and thick fleece quilts.
The change in style was so drastic that even Otto couldn't help but wonder if the mad scientists in Babylon Laboratory, who had no connection to humanity, were planning to turn over a new leaf and become decent people.
Regardless, these people could not accept being played for fools by what they considered their experimental subjects.
Therefore, when Byakuya made another demand, it was rejected very firmly.
"You're just an experimental subject, no matter how rare you are, don't even think about defying us. death? Don't even think about it! If you've got the guts, go bang your head against the wall again!"
"...A bunch of idiots."
Byakuya was speechless.
He looked at his restrained limbs and couldn't help but wonder where Otto had found this group of fools. Could such low intelligence really delve into the mysteries of the stigmata?
"Do you think that by holding my head down and tying my hands and feet, you can control my life? If so, you're truly foolish."
"Any power in this world can be stripped away, but only the power to seek death is beyond the control of any outsider."
"I can bite off my own tongue, twist my own neck. Even if my whole body can't move, I can hold my breath and suffocate myself to death."
death has always been free; if you have the courage to pursue it, it will surely answer you.
The next second, Byakuya almost bit off a small part of his tongue. When they saw blood flowing from his mouth, these inhumane beasts could only relent again.
So Byakuya took the opportunity to make more demands.
However, in the end, these beasts finally found a way to 'retaliate against Byakuya'—by increasing the intensity of the experiments.
Without harming Byakuya's life, they no longer restricted any means, brutally conducting various human experiments on the boy's body, sometimes even no longer administering any anesthetic.
"Tsk, these beasts."
Even with 'Pain Dullness' and 'Extreme Pain Dullness', Byakuya felt what pain was, but fortunately, it was still within his tolerance.
In fact, if it weren't for those two attributes, he was one thousand percent certain that his personality would have collapsed.
But as the Honkai Energy in his body gradually increased, Byakuya also had a vague feeling that he was about to touch something; his plan was proceeding smoothly.
And because of the deal he made, Sirin, Aurora, Agata, and Jialina were all alive and well, unlike in the original plot; none of them had died.
This day, after the experiment, they returned to the cell.
"Agata, help me put the beds together."
"Aurora, you take care of Jialina."
"Sirin, you're holding my hand like this, I can't move."
After this period of getting along, the four Little White Mice had completely warmed up to Byakuya, and Bai knew each of their personalities.
Agata was an enthusiastic red-haired girl.
Aurora was a gentle girl like the wind.
Jialina was the most timid little crybaby.
And Sirin, she was the strongest, cutest, and most perceptive of the four.
Byakuya's right arm was the area that the researchers focused on today.
Although the pain he endured was nothing to him, even so, the right arm itself was pretty much ruined. Byakuya felt as if he couldn't feel the existence of this arm, making movement difficult.
"Don't worry, I'm really fine."
"...You're lying, how could you be fine?"
"...I'm sorry."
"Byakuya, don't apologize! It's clearly those bad people who did bad things, it's all their fault, they're the ones who harmed you, who harmed us... we can't go home."
Sirin said angrily and sadly.
She hated those who experimented on Byakuya. She wanted to go home, back to the land where everyone used to live together.
Sirin was very worried about her mother. When she was brought here, her mother was very ill, and she didn't know how she was doing now.
"Don't worry, we'll be able to go back soon." Byakuya estimated the Honkai Energy stored in his body and soothingly stroked the girl's purple hair.
"...Mm."
It was mid-January in Siberia. Although the winter cold was blocked by quilts and clothes, the mental pressure of being in such a place was even greater.
So they pushed the five soft beds together side by side, and the five of them curled up together, feeling more secure.
Byakuya didn't think too much; anyway, everyone was still a child, and in this cursed place, who cared about gender differences? Babylon Laboratory was originally a hellish tower without laws or ethics.
The result was that every morning upon waking up, Byakuya would find himself hugged tightly by the four Little White Mice.
Each time, Sirin would tightly hug his neck, her small face pressed against his chest, while Aurora and Agata held onto his arms. As for the most timid Jialina, she could only hug his calves.
Initially, it was a bit awkward, but Byakuya quickly gave up and adapted. Firstly, there was nothing wrong with cuddling with the little darlings, and secondly, it was a form of healing for him.
However, when the next day arrived, he would be taken away for experiments early in the morning. Those beasts were becoming increasingly inhumane, only releasing him in the evening.
......
Every time the boy was taken away, Sirin and the others would feel a sense of powerlessness.
"Byakuya has been taken away again."
"What exactly are these people planning to do?"
"It seems someone next door died again."
"No, I don't want him to do any more experiments!"
Although they were still girls, it didn't mean they were ignorant fools.
Sirin and the others knew very well that the only reason they could still live well here was because of Byakuya's silent sacrifices.
The environment of their small prison was very good. New things were brought in every day: first a bed, then a quilt, then clothes, and finally even storybooks and some novel trinkets.
They had not suffered any harm.
They had not endured any hardships.
But…
"Ahhhhhh! It hurts so much! No! Kill me! Please kill me! Ahhhhhh—!!"
"I want to go home, let me go home, please, I don't want to do any more experiments!"
"Wuwu, Mom and Dad, someone save me, it hurts so much, please let me go, please."
Only they were unharmed.
Similar screams and wails often came from the surrounding cells. Those heart-wrenching shouts constantly reminded Sirin and the others what kind of hell this was.
And how lucky they were.
And whenever they were too scared to sleep by these screams, Byakuya would tell them stories.
The stories the boy told before bedtime, such as "Snow White," "Cinderella," and "The Little Prince," always managed to distract Sirin and the others.
Making them forget the fear brought by those screams.
However, compared to these stories, Sirin and the others preferred the boy's singing. It was a voice they could listen to endlessly, a voice that could comfort their hearts.
Even the most timid Jialina would genuinely smile every time she heard him sing.
Byakuya's composure and reliability made them dependent on him, coupled with the smile that seemed to be perpetually on his face, which made Sirin and the others genuinely believe for a while that Byakuya hadn't been treated too badly.
Until…
One day they occasionally saw Byakuya's body under his clothes… a body that was almost completely covered in horrible experimental marks, with hardly a single piece of intact skin.
It was at that moment that they fully understood.
All the safety they had enjoyed and all the good things they possessed until now were exchanged for Byakuya's self-sacrifice.
Sirin: "How could I be so useless, only able to watch Byakuya being taken away every time? Why, why… I can't do anything!!"
Sirin
Galina
Avrora
Agata