The girls froze, then surprise flashed across their faces.
"She can actually change back?"
When Gabriel had first captured Scorpio, they'd gone to see it as a group.
But no matter the angle, they couldn't find even the slightest human trait.
"I just gave it a shot. The real reason she could revert is that her consciousness still lingered inside Scorpio's instincts; otherwise she wouldn't have reacted to that toy car."
Rosen said.
"Unfortunately, she's the only one I could save."
"Lord Rosen, you've already done wonders!"
Marushiru spoke up.
Then she knelt and patted the little girl's head.
At first the small loli was shy, but she was quickly drawn to Marushiru's non-human ears.
"Though those scumbags are dead, it still feels too easy! I even wanted to suggest you let them taste the torture I dreamed up."
Esdeath sighed as she spoke.
"Who told you I only swept the surface? Every dead Soul has been drafted into the main army of my divine kingdom; from death through eternity they'll serve only me."
"Perfect! Scum like that deserve nothing less!"
Most group members knew what the so-called main army really was.
Rather than an army, it was an eternal prison, their Souls for Rosen to command at will.
The vengeful spirits of those Soul-Snatchers had been locked inside it.
Afterward Rosen took her to meet Saint Tianzi.
"Arrange something for this child."
"All right, but who is—"
Saint Tianzi nodded, about to ask, then noticed the toy car clutched tightly in the girl's hand.
"I'll look after her myself."
Though Saint Tianzi didn't know the child, she was sensitive to the Seven-Star Relic; the loli's identity was obvious.
She felt guilty for the suffering these little ones had endured and wanted to make amends in whatever time remained.
Rosen, however, had no intention of limiting her service to a mortal lifespan.
Several days later.
With most members gone, Rosen signed Familia contracts with Tendou Mokore, Sima Miori, and Saint Tianzi, turning them into eternal Low-level Divine Messengers.
Though this world had no leveling system, there was little need for greater power.
"Tokisaki Kurumi will deliver a batch of Manifestation Devices later. Familiarize yourselves first; if you lack anything, let me know."
Rosen finished the briefing.
"I'll be leaving soon—any last questions?"
The voices that answered weren't Saint Tianzi's but those of several little girls.
Among them were many faces Rosen knew well.
Satomi Kayo, Aihara Enju, Tina Sprout, and the rabbit-eared Cursed Child from the original story.
"Big brother, are you leaving right now?"
"Why can't you stay and live with us?"
"I don't want you to go."
"Big brother… will we see you again?"
The children all tried to make him stay; some brimmed with tears, unwilling to let Rosen go.
Objectively, a crying loli squad is devastatingly effective.
Were his Dao Heart any less firm, Rosen might have softened and stayed longer.
But that would have been pointless.
He gave a soft, wry laugh. "Why the long faces? I'm not leaving forever, and besides me, the big sisters you met will drop by to see you."
"Huh? Really?!"
"I thought you'd never come back!"
"That's great!"
Children's emotions are simple—like or dislike, nothing more.
Reassured, the little lolis brightened and the mood lifted again.
Rosen stayed a few more hours, then stepped through a portal back to his original world.
"Whew… finally home!"
As soon as she returned, Honjo Tokiya flopped onto the couch like a lazy salted fish.
"You've really worked hard these days."
Rosen said.
Hearing this, Honjo Tokiya sat up at once and shook her head. "That's not it. I actually enjoy looking for kids—what I can't stand is the atmosphere over there. It's too oppressive. Even after you wiped out those scum and the Gastrozoa, that feeling still lingers."
"Oh, God, can I visit those children later?"
"You may, but only if I take you there."
"With your word I'm relieved. I dislike that world, but those kids are hard not to miss."
"The seven- or eight-year-olds are fine; the babies who can't even talk are the ones that worry me."
"They don't have enough carers over there—I can't help but be anxious."
"No matter. Once Tokisaki Kurumi delivers the Manifestation Devices, the Cursed Children's lives will improve greatly."
Rosen wasn't worried in the least; he'd already arranged everything.
He had even mapped out their future after they settled in.
For now, let them recover and receive a proper general education; when they come of age they can choose further schooling or be assigned suitable jobs.
The virus inside them hadn't been removed, yet the erosion rate was fully suppressed, so they wouldn't turn into monsters or infect others again.
"Huh? God, you're already back?"
Hōzuki Eiko's delighted voice rang out.
"Yes, I'm back. Where is everyone else—only you at home?"
Rosen asked.
"Mm... God, did you forget the weekend's over? Miko and Mai are at school, and Princess Latifa went back to the amusement park to handle some matters, but she should return soon."
As she spoke, Hōzuki Eiko walked over.
She was a university student; her schedule was far freer than Yotsuya Miko's.