Hearing this, one by one, the Cursed Child also said their names, introducing themselves in soft and clumsy voices, while looking at El and Kayo with pent-up curiosity.
These simple introductions broke the ice, creating a bit of warmth amidst the rain pouring down on them, bringing them together for a moment in a small space that felt meaningful.
After a brief introduction, the Cursed Child resumed their delayed activities, singing together.
Their voices were soft yet energetic, breaking the silence with notes that sounded carefree, as if challenging the harshness of the lives they lived.
The old man smiled faintly, seeing the children's joy in the midst of this decaying world, a world where violence and oppression were daily food for the innocent.
El sat on the cold floor, leaning against the wall with his eyes glued to a lock of fine hair that he pulled out of his pocket.
The hair belonged to his sister, the only momento left from his home world. He stared at the strands silently, remembering the warmth of a past that felt increasingly distant.
Beside her, Kayo sat huddled silently while watching El, still wearing the trench coat that was oversized for her petite body. Because that trench coat was El's.
Her gaze fell on the strand of hair in El's hand. Curiosity nagged at her mind until she finally asked in a low voice, "Whose hair is that?" Kayo looked at El, wanting to know more about her. "Why would you keep something like that?"
El was silent for a moment, then answered in a barely audible tone. "My litte sister's hair," he said, briefly but meaningfully, without taking his eyes off the hair in his hand.
El turned to Kayo, raising his eyebrows slightly. "Aren't you singing along with them?" he asked in a tone that was flat but full of implied concern.
Kayo shook her head softly, lowering her face with an awkward expression. "It's awkward chatting with them," she replied in a low voice, as if embarrassed to admit her feelings.
All around them, the laughter and singing of the Cursed Child continued to echo, creating a warm atmosphere that contrasted with the cold and damp atmosphere of the sewers.
However, Kayo still felt that there was a distance that was difficult to bridge, even though they shared the same fate as a Cursed Child.
El looked at her for a moment, taking in the awkwardness that radiated from Kayo. He then nodded slowly, as if understanding without the need for more words.
"Achi!" Kayo sneezed suddenly, the sound small and rather comical. It was clearly heard in the midst of the cheerful singing, causing the other Cursed Child to stop and turn around, watching Kayo with curious gazes.
El sighed softly, then shifted the focus of his thoughts. Instantly, the digital features on his costume were deactivated. In an instant, his hair became a long white color, furry ears that resembled animals, sharp golden sliced eyes, and nine tails that swayed gracefully behind her.
Shock instantly enveloped the atmosphere. The Cursed Child fell silent, looking at El with widened eyes. The old man, who had been standing straight, was jolted backward with a dumbfounded expression.
Kayo himself immediately stepped back, surprised at El's unexpectedly changed form. "Adrian-san, what happened to your body?" she said in panic.
El was silent for a moment without saying anything, letting everyone process what they saw. His nine tails that danced gently around him added to the mysterious aura, bringing out a thick silence among them.
A moment later, El cleared his throat softly, trying to calm the atmosphere. "You guys shouldn't be afraid. I'm not Gastrea, nor am I a strange anomaly or anything like that." he said, calmly yet confidently, reassuring the doubting hearts of the children.
El then turned to Kayo who looked panicked, as well as the Cursed Child who looked at his with a curious and wary gaze.
In a softer voice, he continued, "Aren't you still cold? Come, use my tail as a blanket and a warm bed."
Then, El turned to several curious-looking Cursed children. "Mai, Hana, Haruka, Shiori... you can use it too."
The Cursed Children looked at each other, some still hesitant, but the temptation of the warmth El offered made them slowly step closer, stretching out their small and fragile hands towards those soft and warm tails.
Under the faint light, their fear slowly faded away, replaced by a sense of comfort they rarely felt in this harsh world.
The old man finally stood up, sighing heavily as he said, "Adrian, you really are full of surprises!"
El just shrugged, giving a faint smile without giving an answer. He didn't say much, but his presence seemed to warm the space in the middle of the quiet atmosphere.
Suddenly, the sound of soft snoring was heard, making them gasp softly, the Cursed Child had fallen asleep, even Kayo was also asleep among them, still covered, cushioned and padded with El's warm and soft tail.
"Oh, it's so rare to see these children fast asleep," the old man said with a warm smile, as if the sight brought peace to his weary mind.
He then turned around slowly, stepping to a slightly separate place to rest, giving El some time alone with the soundly sleeping children. Silently, El looked at the children one by one, noticing their innocent and peaceful faces.
When the old man had completely left, El muttered in his mind, 'Should I take their blood samples now? I still have 20 syringes from the Kimetsu no Yaiba World.'
After looking at the faces of the sleeping Cursed Child one by one, noticing their calm breathing under the peace that was hard to come by in a world like this.
The thought of his original goal of collecting blood samples flashed back, but a slight sense of doubt slipped into his heart.
'Better later,' he thought sharply, 'Don't be too hasty in making a decision.'
Ding!
[The Beyonder with the serial number 120,000 has managed to get many loli characters from various other Worlds, even including the home World interested. The system gives you the title -Loli Killer-]
'Huh!?' El was surprised with a frozen expression on her face, when she received a sudden system notification. Moreover, it wasn't a notification of a side mission award, but a title.
"I have a bad feeling," El muttered under his breath, immediately seeing the effects of the new title.
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Loli Killer
Description:
STR: +25
VIT: +25
AGI: +25
INT: +10
Special Effects: Can increase your charm on a Loli character, so that the character sees you as extremely special.
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El was extremely dumbfounded with an increasingly frozen expression on her face at the description and special effects of Title. 'What the heck!? For some reason, this time the System is making fun of me. What's with the even more amazing upgrade of the Demon Slayer Title? Ugh..."
Suddenly, there was the sound of laughter in El's mind, filling his thoughts. That very familiar laughter sounded even louder, almost cracking, "What the hell, Loli Killer? What an authoritative title!"
El sighed inwardly with annoyance, 'Stop laughing,' he muttered. With a heavy sigh, he continued in thought, 'Yuri, have you finished cultivating to restore your realm?'