Under the pouring rain, El and Kayo walked hand in hand through the devastated area. Debris was scattered around them, traces of the inevitable destruction after the chaos of 10 years ago.
The pouring rain made the atmosphere even more tense, and the damp ground only added to the gloomy impression that enveloped them.
Kayo, who was still shocked by the unusual experience she had just gone through, looked dazed and confused and tried to convince herself that this was all just a bad dream, but the reality was too real to deny.
Her every step was filled with tension, and her expression still portrayed a deep sense of fear. However, curiosity intrigued her, forcing her mouth to ask.
"What was that? I should have been dying and died or would have become Gastrea, right?" Kayo finally asked in a low voice, trying to express her confusion.
El walked with steady steps, her eyes remaining straight ahead. In a flat and short tone, she replied, "My power."
Kayo felt annoyed, still trying to digest what had just happened. "Ice sculpture... I know that must be your power, but... Ugh... How do I explain it!" she said with emotions starting to explode inside her.
"Simple, that's my power," El replied in a firm and concise tone, leaving no room for further debate. No complicated explanations, just facts so clear and concise.
Kayo's frustration was mounting. She wanted to scream, wanted to explode all her frustrations, 'I really want to scream,' she thought, but suddenly stopped.
A small sneeze escaped quickly, "Achi!" his voice held in the midst of unbearable anger, sounding very cute.
El took a quick glance at Kayo, seeing her confused expression, then calmly took off the trench coat and gave it to Kayo.
Little did she know, even though cursed children like Kayo were immune to diseases, they could still feel the body-piercing cold, and sneezing was something they couldn't avoid.
Kayo was startled, and her face flushed a warm red as an unexpected feeling arose. Her emotional outburst that was about to scream was canceled out, replaced by a strange feeling that began to fill her. A calmness that was inexplicable, yet very real.
Not long after, El and Kayo stopped, standing under the rain that slowly began to subside. El stopped his steps abruptly, and Kayo followed without asking first.
"Alright, we're here," El said briefly, while staring at the old sewer cover before her, with a cold and calm gaze.
Kayo looked at her with a confused look, not understanding what she meant. "What does that mean, it's just... a sewer?"
El lowered her body, preparing to open the heavy, rusty-looking sewer cover. "The rain will stop tomorrow," he said without emotion. "For tonight, we'll stay at their place."
Kayo stared at him intently, still not fully understanding. "Them? Who do you mean?"
With a calm but steady motion, El opened the sewer cover. Once open, he turned to Kayo, explaining in a flat tone. "Those damned kids. I can faintly sniff their scent, even though it's raining quite heavily."
Those words made Kayo pause, a look of shock creeping into her eyes. 'Sniff? What does that mean?' she thought to herself.
Without waiting for Kayo to come out of her shock, El immediately moved, descending the gutter stairs with steady steps. The sound of shoes clomping on the rusty stairs echoed down the narrow hallway.
"Oi, wait for me!" exclaimed Kayo as she hurried to catch up, annoyed by El's seemingly indifferent attitude. She descended quickly, stepping carefully on the slippery and dark stairs.
Once at the bottom of the sewer, in the darkness of the culvert illuminated by the oil lamp, El's gaze was immediately drawn to the figure of an old man standing firmly in front of a group of children with burning red eyes, the Cursed children who looked alert and curious.
Their eyes flashed with fear and caution, watching El keenly, as if ready to flee or defend if things got worse.
Meanwhile, the old man remained standing tall, his gaze sharp and determined, signaling that he would protect the children behind him without hesitation.
Kayo finally reached the bottom, wiped some mud off her shoes, then looked up and looked at El. "Ice sculpture, are they letting us in just like that?" she asked in an annoyed tone.
At that moment, the attention of the old man and the Cursed children who had been focused on El from the start, was suddenly diverted to Kayo. Surprised, they realized that El hadn't come alone.
Kayo stood there, her body slightly bent over in exhaustion, her wet clothes covered by El's long trench coat, which was clearly too big for her.
The trench coat hung loosely on her shoulders, almost brushing the floor, making her appear very small.
The other Cursed Children and the old man looked at her, surprised and a little confused to see a Cursed Child who came with the mysterious man.
Without further ado or giving Kayo time to protest further, El looked at the old man and said in a low but firm voice, "It's raining outside. I'd like to stay here for the night." The tone of his voice was cold, as if there was no room for refusal.
Kayo could only sigh, has annoyed expression growing clearer. "Stupid brains, that's not the right way to ask for permission!" she protested, emphasizing her words.
Kayo was annoyed at El who, as usual, remained stiff and cold, like ice that never melted. 'Argh... I want to punch his in the face... ' Kayo thought anxiously.
El turned to her, raising his eyebrows slightly. "You want to go back through the rain?" he asked, his voice still cold, but without ill will. "It's very cold outside, and I don't want to go out in the rain again. You sneezed earlier too, didn't you?"
Kayo was silent for a moment, her face reddening at the reminder. Although it sounded simple, El's words implied that he was worried that Kayo would fall ill, a concern that was actually unfounded, considering that a Cursed Child's body was immune to disease.
However, that small, unnecessary concern made Kayo feel a little warm in the midst of her annoyance at El's indifference and coldness.
Kayo realized that, while El might not truly understand their world or the special condition of a Cursed Child, there was at least a caring side hidden behind his ice-like attitude.
The old man smiled slightly at the unique familiarity between El and Kayo, despite their sometimes contradictory behavior.
With a gentle nod, he said, "You can stay the night, waiting for the rain to stop." Then, the old man apologized in a low voice, "Please forgive the inadequacy of this place... you might feel uncomfortable."
El looked around, sweeping the cramped basement room with the remnants of old furniture and thin mats for sleeping.
"No problem," El said in a flat yet firm tone, "I don't mind."
The old man breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to the Cursed Child behind him, who was watching with a wary look mixed with curiosity.
"There's no need to be afraid," said the old man gently. "I don't think they have any evil intentions."
The Cursed Child, eyes burning red with caution, slowly came out of their hiding place, approaching hesitantly, but eventually following the old man's request to say hello.
El and Kayo introduced themselves first. El, with his characteristic coldness, said his name without preamble, while Kayo tried to look more friendly, although it still left a small annoyance on her face.