The clothes provided by the church were extremely simple. How simple? Just an old man's tank top and a pair of shorts.
Oh, right, come to think of it...
All the children he'd seen on his way through the earlier districts seemed to be wearing similar clothes.
Why? To save fabric?
Ryo, wearing the tank top, walked slowly to work with his eyes closed. Although after a full night's rest, his mana was fully restored and he could use Blue to travel quickly... who would waste mana on commuting?
The V-neck tank top exposed the black markings on his arms and neck, which stood out starkly against his snow-white skin, creating a strangely alluring and sinister contrast.
His workplace was the church in District Twelve, which was also managed by Pampas. This church was quite large and had a good number of staff. Aside from church members, all the residents here were children under eight.
A man dressed as a priest, looking around thirty years old but with a muscular build, brown hair, and brown eyes, introduced the situation in a friendly tone:
"My name is Syd, priest of District Twelve. These are children abandoned in Meteor City, most of whom were left here at birth."
"You'll understand more once you start working."
"We teach these children how to survive in Meteor City from a young age. Once they turn eight, they can no longer stay in District Twelve and must go to District Thirteen to survive."
The children of Meteor City had a variety of hair and eye colors — black, red, blonde, brown; every type of ethnicity was present.
It seemed that Meteor City wasn't only a dumping ground but also a massive shelter for abandoned children.
"Work in the church involves managing garbage, though garbage comes in many forms." When he mentioned garbage, Syd's eyes darkened, and his tone took on a hint of danger.
Clearly, handling garbage wasn't as straightforward as it sounded.
"Members of District Twelve not only teach these kids daily but also patrol the western outskirts of Meteor City, bringing back any abandoned infants who are still breathing."
"As for the children over eight outside District Twelve… they can survive on their own." Syd spoke with confidence, as if convinced that kids over eight could live independently.
The white-haired, blue-eyed boy with black tattoos on his face and body sat on the church's table, swinging his legs idly and sipping a bottle of milk.
This was part of District Twelve's special supply for the children here.
"The church actually takes care of these kids for free until they're eight…" Ryo's tone was somewhat ambiguous.
In his imagined Meteor City, even four- or five-year-olds would be cold-hearted, capable of killing for a piece of bread.
In reality, the kids in Meteor City got along quite harmoniously, playing and laughing much like kids anywhere else.
"This rule only came about a decade ago. Residents from my generation didn't have it so good," Syd spoke with a hint of envy.
"A certain group negotiated with the Council, which led to the creation of District Twelve."
"Originally, there was only one District Twelve in Meteor City. After the group's involvement, the outer part became District Thirteen, and the inner part became the current District Twelve." His tone hinted at admiration for this group.
"Well, that's quite a charitable organization," Ryo nodded indifferently, grabbing another bottle of milk.
"…That's actually meant for the children, you…" Syd's expression was complicated, his tone awkward.
Oh well, this newcomer is still a kid, so he'd let it go.
"Just don't drink too much." He finally said.
Ryo paid no attention, though he hadn't looked directly at them; his Six Eyes had already assessed the state of the children in the church.
Each child had aura leaking from their heads, showing that none of them had learned Nen, though their physical strength was impressive, with some showing muscle at such a young age.
The boys wore tank tops just like the one Ryo had on, while the girls wore tops with extra fabric for sleeves and all wore standard black shorts.
District Twelve had a large open area used as a training ground.
People were scattered throughout District Twelve, with at least a hundred priests, each leading a group of children.
Groups of kids battled intensely; those who got knocked down didn't get upset but simply got up and continued fighting.
The sheer number of children made the scene somewhat overwhelming.
Watching them, Ryo started to feel bored.
"I'm going on patrol," he said, hopping off the table, and his figure disappeared from District Twelve in an instant.
"…More like slacking off," Syd muttered with a chuckle.
The boredom on that white-haired kid's face was plain as day, with no attempt to hide it. Why did Pampas even assign someone with this personality to District Twelve?
The children in District Twelve, noticing someone close to their age, seemed curious and distracted, their focus slipping from training.
"What are you staring at? If you don't want to end up outside District Twelve on your first day and get killed by someone, get back to training!" Syd shouted at the group of kids.
Immediately, their training became visibly more intense.
Ryo didn't go straight to District Thirteen to patrol. Instead, he strolled around Meteor City.
The gate he'd blasted through yesterday had been replaced overnight, and the residents seemed unfazed, as if this were routine.
Just like when he'd been chased yesterday, the residents passed by him calmly, focused on their own business.
Meteor City had a unique atmosphere, and its residents exuded a distinctive quality.
An unwavering, cold detachment.
"Which district is the Phantom Troupe in…" Ryo mused, slowly wandering between piles of garbage in District Thirteen, watching people in protective suits sorting through trash.
Occasionally, he spotted the lifeless bodies of infants.
Some children, umbilical cords still attached, had died here in the garbage heaps.
The "cleaners" remained emotionless, clearly accustomed to such scenes.
"There's still a live one here." One of the cleaners raised a surviving infant, voice steady, as indifferent to life as they were to death.
"Take it to District Twelve," the worker handling the trash said, handing the infant to Ryo, who'd been standing idly nearby.
Unlike the others, he wasn't wearing a protective suit, nor was he sorting the trash; he was just observing, looking around, staring at the sky, the ground, and the garbage — anything but doing actual work.
Seeing the cleaner hold out the baby to him, he frowned, not reaching out, as if it were some dangerous creature.
"Handing me a baby? Am I supposed to eat it?" he asked with a smirk, licking his lips as if some sort of "appetite" had been stirred.
He looked like a beast.
Sukuna favored the bodies of children and young women; their flesh was undoubtedly of finer texture than others.
"Take it… to… District Twelve." The cleaner spoke deliberately, a sense of pressure radiating from him.
The Six Eyes observed an especially intense aura around the cleaner.
As expected, the church's cleaners were also Nen users.
Nen users born in Meteor City either served the church or worked for external mafia and noble families.
The Zoldyck family, for instance, employed servants who hailed from Meteor City.
"Tch, fine. Just this once since we're both with the church." Ryo reluctantly took the infant.
"But if you talk to me like that again…" he raised his right hand slightly.
"Blue."
The cleaner was blasted away like a cannonball, crashing through several garbage heaps before finally coming to a stop.
When he emerged from the trash, his clothes were in tatters.
"I'll kill you." The white-haired, blue-eyed boy with black markings glared, his tone low and threatening.
Although with his current cursed energy, he might not yet be able to do that easily, the others didn't know that. All they'd see was someone who seemed capable and ruthless.
And scaring people was fun.
[Congratulations, host. Your synchronization with Ryomen Sukuna has increased. Current synchronization level: 15%.]
The system notification sounded, and Ryo's expression brightened, visibly pleased.
°°°°
A/N: Gimme stonez guysss. I'll do double release tomorrow if u gimme lots