Chapter 72: Thirty-ninth District, the Cursed Children's Utopia
"Mahiru-kun, the payment has been received, and your portion has been transferred to you. Thanks to you, we successfully secured another big order! If we can find the box, we'll achieve financial freedom!
So, I, the President, have decided that once Satomi-kun returns, we'll go out for a team-building event to celebrate properly!"
"That's fine, but I suggest you, President, don't pop the champagne too early. Be careful, plans can change quickly."
"Bah, bah, bah, jinx! This commission is definitely ours!"
Over the phone, Kisara chattered away, and just by listening to her voice, one could tell how excited she was.
And understandably so.
After all, daily commissions were usually tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, and this was the first time they had secured a large order like one hundred million, not to mention the even larger commission of one billion yen later on!
Now that the threat of Hiruko Kagetane was gone, and according to intelligence, the Gastrea that swallowed the box was only Level 1, it was natural for Tendo Kisara to be so excited.
After a while,
his phone received a transfer notification for ten million.
This was his agreement with Kisara; unlike Rentaro, who earned a fixed salary, he would receive ten percent of the reward for each commission he completed.
Although it wasn't a lot of money, it didn't matter. He wasn't after the money, but Tendo Kisara herself.
Long black hair, and a high school kendo beauty—she perfectly hit his XP.
I'm after the President's body, I'm honest.
However, at this moment, he was driving like a salmon swimming upstream, against the flow of traffic, moving further and further away from the city, while the giant monolith standing in the distance grew steadily larger.
And the surrounding scenery seemed to transition from prosperity to desolation, with damaged and abandoned buildings everywhere, and strands of lush green weed sprouting from the cracked fissures on the asphalt road.
This was the dark side of the prosperous Tokyo Area—the Outer District.
"I guess this pitiful balance in my hand won't last long again~"
Thinking of a certain young lady's cunning smile, Yotsuba Mahiru couldn't help but chuckle, skillfully turning the steering wheel as the silver-grey Aston Martin kicked up a cloud of dust on the broken road.
As for why he said that, it was simply because, as he gradually approached the giant monolith, a dilapidated ruin revealed a new, dark city gradually coming into view.
However, calling it a new city was a bit of an exaggeration.
In reality, there were only a few renovated buildings and solid walls, like ancient city walls, made of ultra-hard alloy surrounding them.
There were also several lolis patrolling on top. Seeing the car speeding off in the distance, they excitedly shouted:
"It's Big Brother, open the gate!"
"Open the gate quickly!"
"Open the gate!"
...
As the shouts echoed, in front of the city wall, several children pushed with all their might, slowly opening the heavy gate, like an ancient city gate, until the car drove inside.
"Big Brother!"
"It's Big Brother~"
"Big Brother, long time no see, I've missed you so much!"
As soon as he got out of the car, a large group of girls immediately swarmed around him, chattering.
They wore different clothes and varied in age, the oldest being ten and the youngest only six.
But the one thing they all had in common was a pair of crimson eyes.
They were all pure generations who once lived in this land, abandoned by their parents, also known as the Cursed Children.
Throughout this year, whenever he had free time, he would gather these lolis from various parts of the Tokyo Area, settle them together, and spend most of his savings here.
This also included a lot of gold...
"Hehe~ Yotsuba-kun is still as popular with these children as ever~"
Just then, a clear, elegant, yet seductive laugh drifted over, with that familiar Kansai accent in every word.
Following the sound, he saw a girl in a kimono standing by a parked Mercedes-Benz not far away, walking gracefully towards him.
She had long, wavy, shiny black hair and wore a brightly colored kimono, looking like a flawless young lady. Her demeanor as a young lady was very similar to Kisara's. In the entire Tokyo Area, only Miori Sima, the daughter of Sima Heavy Industries' president, possessed such beauty and temperament.
"Long time no see, Miss Sima. What brings you here today, with such free time?"
Yotsuba Mahiru waved to the surrounding children, and they immediately scattered, returning to their respective posts.
"You're so formal~ You should just call me Miori."
Miori Sima, as usual, leaned closer after only a few words, while Yotsuba Mahiru subtly took a few steps back, dodging slightly to maintain a polite distance.
It wasn't that he was allergic to beautiful girls, but rather a lesson he had learned from his year of collaboration with this Sima Family young lady.
This woman was indeed beautiful, with outstanding looks and temperament, but her business acumen was also keen, and she especially used her advantages in negotiations, where he had suffered no small losses.
However, seeing his reaction, Miori Sima showed no awkwardness or anger. Instead, she stood still and said softly:
"I came, of course, because I missed you~"
"Is that so? Then I am truly flattered."
"Hey, hey, how about that thing I talked to you about before, Yotsuba-kun? Why don't you dump Kisara and come with me? I know Kisara gives you ten percent of the reward for each commission. If you're with me, even if it's the other way around, it's fine~"
With a 'snap!', Miori Sima opened her iron fan, covering her face and only revealing her eyes, making it difficult to discern her expression at that moment.
Incidentally, this was not the first olive branch Miori Sima had extended to him.
And his answer remained consistent.
"Miss Sima…"
"Call me Miori."
"Alright, Miss Miori…"
Stare—
"Alright, Miori." He changed his address several times, finally able to continue speaking, "You know, that's impossible."
"Mmm… Really, I just don't understand~ What's so good about that Mother Orangutan? You, and Satomi-kun too…"
Miori Sima pouted unhappily.
Although Kisara was her lifelong rival, in some aspects, she felt she always lost inexplicably.
Was it because of those massive…assets?!
Of course, it's about XP!
No choice, he just liked black-haired, kendo beauties.
Of course, Yotsuba Mahiru couldn't tell Miori Sima these things, so he changed the subject: "Miori, why don't we talk about the progress of the commission I entrusted to you?"
"It's already completed."
With a 'snap!', Miori Sima closed her folding fan and pointed to a newly constructed temporary building in the distance, surrounded by several large windmills, their three blades slowly turning with the wind.
"The wind power station you needed, Yotsuba-kun, has been built, along with the Supporting facilities transformer equipment. Although the quantity isn't large, it's enough for these children to use."
"How much in total?"
"The transformer equipment is on us. You only need to pay for the windmills, a total of ten million Japanese yen, no bargaining~"
"..."
Upon hearing that price, Yotsuba Mahiro's eye twitched involuntarily. "You're not just eyeing the small balance in my account, are you?"
"Oh my, what is Mahiru-kun saying? I don't understand~" Miori Sima feigned ignorance. "I certainly didn't hear the news that Mahiru-kun took down Hiruko Kagetane, the former IP134, two days ago and received a reward of one hundred million~"
It's hard to tell if this woman is deliberately provoking him or what…
Didn't you just blurt it out yourself?!
"Fine, ten million, right? I'll transfer it to you in a couple of days."
"Not now?" Miori Sima blinked in surprise.
However, Yotsuba Mahiro gritted his teeth and said resentfully, "…Can't I just hold onto this money for a couple of days?!"
His expression thoroughly amused Miori Sima, who laughed heartily, completely losing her composure.
But as she laughed, she gradually quieted down, a smile still lingering on her lips as she looked at the children in the distance and said:
"Speaking of which, Mahiru-kun is really good to those children."
Rarely, this time Miori Sima did not use a flirtatious tone; instead, it sounded like she was sighing with emotion.
But Yotsuba Mahiro shrugged and said, "Am I? I only remember an ancient Chinese saying—'When poor, cultivate oneself; when prosperous, benefit the world.' What I do are just things within my capabilities."
"Within capabilities…? But those generations who were plundered, they aren't even willing to do things within their capabilities."
Plundering the weaker, bullying the weaker, in order to gain that elusive sense of satisfaction.
This is what the plundered generations did to the Cursed Children.
And now, looking at the children whose faces lit up with joy because the lights were turned on, Miori Sima seemed to be infected, a happy smile also appearing on her lips.
And looking at the young man beside her, with a handsome face she had never seen before, she couldn't help but say:
"Indeed, Mahiru-kun, you are very gentle."
"Since you think I'm gentle, may I use this gentleness to get a discount?"
"No way~ Business is business, one thing at a time. Besides, the price I gave Mahiru-kun was all at cost, I didn't make any money."
Such nonsense about not making money has no credibility coming from a merchant's mouth.
Especially when it comes from Miori Sima, an expert among merchants, it's even less believable.
"By the way, Mahiru-kun, do you have any plans for collecting these children?"
"Why would you think that?" Yotsuba Mahiro looked at Miori Sima and retorted.
"Just a woman's intuition."
Perhaps Miori Sima felt it was getting late, so she gracefully walked towards the parked Mercedes. But as she opened the car door to get in, she suddenly turned around and said:
"Mahiru-kun~ If there are tickets for Noah's Ark, remember to save one for me too~"
"Noah's Ark? That's not right. This is just Arcadia in the Thirty-ninth District, the residence of these children."
It was also the utopian nation he built for these children.
However, Miori Sima gave no further response, and he didn't know if she heard him, as she got into the car.
But it must be said, this woman's intuition is truly sharp enough.
He had no intention of helping this world whatsoever.
Especially after experiencing many things, big and small, this past year, he felt… a world as terrible as this, perhaps it should just be destroyed.
...
.....
....
Soon after Miori Sima left, Yotsuba Mahiro instructed the children on how to use electricity, then departed.
Although he still had plenty of time, gathering the scattered Cursed Children was a very troublesome task.
Especially now, when they no longer harbored high trust in others.
However, just as he drove past a twisted and broken traffic light that had fallen into the middle of the road, becoming an obstacle, and not far ahead was a ruin that was clearly once a gas station, he suddenly saw a police car parked in a corner by the roadside.
Yotsuba Mahiro immediately slammed on the brakes.
That police car was nine-tenths suspicious; the exhaust pipe at the back was still emitting heat, clearly indicating it had just stopped there.
But the question was, what was a police car doing in this desolate, wild ruin?
The answer was already obvious.
As he got out of the car, Mahiro could already hear sharp screams echoing from inside the building.
"Let me go!"
"Stop yelling, you red-eyed brat thief! You're deafening me!"
Bang!
A muffled thud echoed faintly within the abandoned, unfinished building.
Two police officers dragged a young girl deep into the floor. The skinny, bespectacled officer took out new handcuffs and locked one of the girl's hands, while the other end of the handcuffs was locked to an exposed steel rebar railing.
The girl, recovering from the pain, struggled hard, and after realizing she couldn't break free, she seemed to despair.
As if her heart had died, she stopped struggling, but the unease about what would happen to her next made her face pale.
Fear lingered in her crimson eyes, which trembled slightly.
The two police officers, without a word, pulled out their sidearms, opened the chambers, and counted the bullets inside, a malicious smirk curling on their lips.
The sinister aura they emitted made them look nothing like police officers, but rather like street thugs.
Clearly, these two intended to use the girl for target practice.
"Let me go first this time."
"Whatever."
The two quickly decided on the firing order.
The flat-headed police officer, holding the pistol, walked to a spot about ten meters away, raised the dark muzzle, and aimed it at the girl.
Bang!
As the trigger was pulled, a gunshot rang out.
But strangely, there were no bullet holes or blood on the girl's body!
Even the girl herself was surprised.
"Hey, hey, are you so obsessed with women that you can't even shoot straight from this distance?" The skinny, bespectacled police officer mocked with a sneer.
"Cut it out, isn't it normal to miss the first shot?!"
The flat-headed police officer, not believing it, took a few steps forward this time, even holding the pistol with both hands and aiming carefully.
Then he pulled the trigger again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three consecutive gunshots.
But it was still just as strange; the bullets still didn't hit the girl. It felt as if…
They vanished into thin air?
The skinny, bespectacled police officer also noticed something was wrong, walked forward, and said, "Let me try."
Bang!
His shooting speed was very fast; he almost fired as soon as he raised his hand.
However, it was still the same as before—no damage.
He moved a few meters closer and fired several shots consecutively until he reached the girl's front, exasperatedly pressing the muzzle against the girl's forehead.
"Damn it, you bitch, are you playing tricks, huh? Do you think you can avoid the punishment you damn red-eye deserve like this? This time, I'll see how you dodge it!"
At the moment he pulled the trigger, the girl closed her eyes in terror.
But this time, the pistol made an empty chamber sound.
"Out of bullets?!"
The officer fumbled around his body, intending to reload, but then a voice came from behind him.
"You two officers certainly have a lot of leisure time, bullying a little girl here at this hour."
Yotsuba Mahiro slowly emerged from the shadowy corner, smiling as he said, "How about you come play with me? Mongrels."
The moment his words fell, he raised "Night Demon" and pulled the trigger, aiming at the officer close to the child. A dry ice spear appeared out of nowhere, directly pinning him to the wall.
Just as the man was about to scream, the light flashed again, and the man's head was instantly disintegrated, the cut so smooth and neat it looked as if it had been scanned by a laser.
A faint smell of blood and char filled the air.
This smell stimulated the other man.
It was then that he realized his companion had been killed!!!
"Damn it… How dare you attack an officer!"
"Too much talk."
Yotsuba Mahiro pulled the trigger again, immediately activating "Frozen Fire"—a magic that freezes the primer, or lead azide, in gun bullets, thus rendering the bullets ineffective.
However, he seemed to have misjudged the power a bit, accidentally freezing the man's gun and hand together.
"Never mind, it doesn't make much difference."
Looking at the man wailing on the ground, Mahiro said indifferently, "Target practice, actually, I quite like it too."
"Magic Bullet Shooter," activate.
A barrage of "Dry Hail Meteors" formed a curtain of bullets, striking the man like a downpour.
Thirty to forty shots each to the abdomen, chest, hands, and feet. Because he controlled the power well, he didn't pierce the man, but just smashed all the areas to a pulp.
The man's body arched back as if he had been electrocuted, heavily slammed into the ground.
And the shrill screams made the girl close her eyes tightly, not daring to open them.
Until the screams completely disappeared, until the footsteps did not sound again.
Only then did the girl slowly open one eye.
But she was surprised to find.
The two men who had brought her earlier had disappeared, leaving only dust all over the ground, and a completely different older brother standing on that dust.
Feeling the girl's gaze, Yotsuba Mahiro, bathed in the setting sun, turned his head and extended his hand to the girl, whose face was dirty but who had a pair of deep, beautiful crimson eyes.
He smiled and said:
"Hello, nice to meet you. I am Yotsuba Mahiro, the leader of Arcadia in the Thirty-ninth District. I wonder if you, little sister, are interested in joining Arcadia?"