The news of Gensei Takanotsume's impending visit spread quickly among Tokyo's elite, sparking widespread concern about whether he would stir up trouble.
Of course, worrying was pointless, Gensei was guaranteed to cause a stir. There was no doubt about it! Deep down, they all knew it, but knowing didn't change their inability to oppose him. None of them possessed Kikunojo Tendo's skill or resolve.
So, they pushed Seitenshi to the forefront to face Gensei while they whispered behind her back. These cowards excelled at gossiping, praising your luck if you outperformed them, or gleefully mocking you if you fell short. In short, they were utterly useless, fit only to be discarded. If not for the current lack of capable personnel, every one of them could be eliminated without a single innocent among them.
Meanwhile, Altair wasn't idle. While Seitenshi's subordinates searched for the remaining hidden Cursed Children in Tokyo, Altair was on his own hunt. However, his targets weren't local Cursed Children but outsiders, the ones Gensei Takanotsume had hired to assassinate Seitenshi.
The assassins were skilled at hiding, and so far, Altair hadn't found them. There was also the possibility that they hadn't yet arrived in Tokyo. But if it was Tina Sprout, the owl-type Cursed Child, Altair was confident he could find her easily. In the original plot, she'd scout the Holy Residence, posing as a sleepy, confused little girl to gather information. All Altair had to do was wait near the Holy Residence, and if that owl dared to show up, he'd nab her on the spot.
So, for the past few days, Altair stayed at the Holy Residence, ensuring Seitenshi's safety while keeping an eye out for Tina.
As expected, the assassin turned out to be Tina. And, true to the plot, she pedaled her little tricycle right up to the Holy Residence to snoop around.
Watching from the rooftop, Altair almost felt embarrassed at how easy it was. She'd practically delivered herself to him.
After Tina was shooed away by the guards at the entrance, Altair leaped down from the rooftop and began tailing her. Thanks to his actions, the original protagonist, Rentaro Satomi, had no standout moments in this world. During Scorpio's attack, Rentaro hadn't shone, nor had he fired the railgun to defeat the Gastrea, leaving his ranking among the Civil Security agents abysmally low. Still, Enju Aihara's return gave him an edge over other agents, as he hadn't lost his Initiator.
Unfortunately for Tina, as she pedaled her tricycle home, she ran into Rentaro, who was out with Enju Aihara, grabbing discounted bean sprouts at the supermarket.
Talk about fate.
Rentaro noticed the dazed-looking litle girl weaving her tricycle aimlessly in the middle of the road. His do-gooder instincts kicked in, and he reached out to help. But before he could, a hand faster than his snatched Tina right off her tricycle.
"Hey, how'd you end up here? You sure made me look for you!" Altair's voice rang out.
Both Rentaro and Tina looked up at the source of the voice, Altair, who had been tailing her. Seeing Tina run into Rentaro, Altair wasn't about to let this bleeding heart steal the spotlight. So, he acted first, scooping Tina up right in front of Rentaro.
Tina hadn't expected anyone to approach her from behind, let alone grab her. Despite her groggy facade, she was always on high alert, yet she hadn't noticed anyone sneaking up. The situation caught her off guard.
Rentaro, on the other hand, was gripped by fear. He recognized Altair from the wanted posters circulated among the Civil Security agencies, labeled as the assassin targeting Seitenshi. Though the Holy Residence mysteriously canceled the warrant later, Rentaro hadn't forgotten him. How could he? This was the man bold enough to attempt to kill the Holy Emperor.
"Rentaro, he's…" Enju began, but unlike Rentaro, she hadn't memorized the supposed assassin. She did recognize Altair, though. Just days ago, he'd given her an injection that freed her from being a Cursed Child, restoring her to a normal human while preserving her enhanced abilities and eliminating her red eyes.
She was thrilled about it and, seeing Altair again, wanted to greet him immediately. But the situation stopped her short.
"Enju, be careful!" Rentaro pulled her back, eyeing Altair warily. He didn't know Altair could transform into the Black Dragon, but he knew he was an assassin, one capable of targeting Seitenshi. That made him dangerous, and Rentaro had to stay cautious.
"Uh… Rentaro…" Enju muttered, confused. She understood the situation now. She knew Altair wasn't a threat, but Rentaro clearly didn't. Given Altair's ability to transform, it was only natural Rentaro saw him as dangerous.
"Who… are you?" Tina asked, still playing the dazed litle girl as she looked up at Altair, who was holding her.
"Who am I?" Altair said, rubbing his chin and eyeing the owl-type girl still pretending to be clueless.
"I'm your one and only master from now on. Got it?"
"Master?" Tina echoed, bewildered.
"That's right. From this moment, I'm your master, and you'll follow my orders. Step one: call me Onii-chan."
"Onii… chan?" Tina mumbled, still confused but complying. She didn't fully grasp the situation, but one thing was clear: the man holding her knew she was a Cursed Child and an assassin.
"Good, very obedient." Altair said, nodding with satisfaction. He knew the owl was acting, but that didn't matter, she was in his grasp now.
"Now, first things first, let's head back for your injection."
Holding Tina, Altair turned to leave, but Rentaro wasn't having it.
"Wait! Put that child down, or I'll shoot!" He shouted.
***
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