I'm not going to be an Spirit! (Translate)

And so, the two families shared dinner together in the church. 

It wasn't until night had fully fallen that Enju Aihara, who had come to play with Nibelcole, reluctantly left the church. 

Before they left, Nia Honjo gifted them a complete set of signed Silver Bullet manga. This gesture made Rentaro Satomi, who had come empty handed, feel even more embarrassed. To make up for it, he agreed to accompany her the next day to register for her Promoter license. 

With their stomachs full and a bag of manga in hand, Rentaro and Enju finally ended their visit. 

The cool night breeze made Rentaro shiver, and his mind gradually cleared. 

"In the past year, I avoided interacting with the neighbors because of my status. I didn't expect our neighbors to be so easy to get along with," Rentaro mused aloud. "Well, as they say, a close neighbor is better than a distant relative. It'd be nice to build a good relationship with the Honjo family." 

"Yeah! I told you before, even though Sister Nia stays home all the time, she's really nice!" Enju chimed in happily. "It'd be even better if Sister Nia and Nibelcole could become Promoters and join the same company as us!" 

A year ago, Rentaro had registered for a Promoter license at the Japanese branch of the International Initiator Supervision Organization. 

The Initiator assigned to him was Enju Aihara. 

To allow her to study and play like a normal child and to avoid suspicion Rentaro had moved from their previous residence to this neighborhood. 

This area wasn't too close to the central district, and few respectable people lived here. Most of the residents had traits that made them outcasts in mainstream society, so Rentaro hadn't planned to get close to his neighbors. 

The Honjo family, however, were long time residents of the neighborhood. 

When Rentaro first encountered this family of two, he thought they were... unusual. 

A woman who looked no older than twenty lived with a girl around twelve in an abandoned church. The girl even called the woman "Mom." 

The only explanation that came to mind was a tragic story: a teenage single mother, abandoned by a scumbag, forced to raise her child alone. 

Beyond that, he knew nothing about the Honjo family. 

Though he'd spoken with Nia Honjo a few times before, it was only because Enju and Nibelcole had become friends. Those conversations were just necessary exchanges between guardians. 

But today, by chance, he'd been dragged into the church. After talking and interacting with Nia Honjo, Rentaro impression of her had done a complete 180. 

She was cheerful, outgoing, and carefree nothing like the reclusive image he'd imagined. She seemed like the type who could strike up a lively conversation with anyone. 

In a company, she'd be the kind of fun, reliable senior everyone liked the life of the party, always smiling and making others happy. 

Yet, something felt off. 

Why would someone like her live in such a remote place, locking herself away in a small church? 

"Enju, how did you and Nia get to know each other?" Rentaro asked suddenly. 

"Through Nibelcole, of course." 

"And how did you and Nibelcole meet?" 

"A year ago, not long after we moved here, I was curious about that strange building. When I was bored, I hopped into the backyard to explore," Enju recalled. "That's when I saw Nibelcole playing in the mud." 

"Wasn't she scared?" 

"No. Sister Nia didn't seem to hate Cursed Children. She wasn't surprised when she saw me jump over the fence. Instead, she invited me to play with her." 

"I see..." Rentaro thought back to what Nia had told him earlier. "Come to think of it, do you think Nibelcole is a Cursed Child like you?" 

"Huh? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?" 

"It's unusual for an ordinary girl to show no fear or surprise when a Cursed Child breaks into her home," Rentaro explained. "Also, when I was talking to Nia today, she mentioned she'd register Nibelcole as her Initiator. Even if she's clueless, she should know that only Cursed Children can be Initiators, right?" 

In this world, Cursed Children were universally despised. 

Because they carried the Gastrea virus, they weren't seen as human but as Gastrea in human skin. 

This wasn't hard to understand. Even if they didn't use their powers, the virus would eventually transform them into Gastrea. 

Most mothers who discovered their children were Cursed would secretly kill, drown, or abandon them, leaving them to be devoured by wild animals. 

Even those who chose to raise their children were forced to leave the central districts and settle in the outer or marginal areas, living under constant discrimination and hardship. 

This was especially true for the Plundered Generation those who had survived the Gastrea War and lost loved ones. Their hatred for Cursed Children was particularly intense. 

Under their influence, even the children of the new Pure Generation grew up discriminating against and bullying Cursed Children. 

If you met a child who wasn't opposed to befriending a Cursed Child, it was either a one in a million chance or a sign that the other child was also Cursed. 

And now, Nia was planning to register Nibelcole as an Initiator. 

Thinking back on the time she'd spent with Nibelcole over the past year, Enju shook her head. "I'm not sure. Nibelcole's eyes have never turned red, so she probably isn't a Cursed Child, right?" 

"Maybe she's like you a Cursed Child who's learned to hide her red eyes?" 

"That's possible, but I still don't think Nibelcole is a Cursed Child." 

"Why?" 

"Because I've never felt any hatred for the world in her." 

Enju skipped ahead, not even turning to look at Rentaro as she spoke. "Before I met you, I always hated this world. Even now, I still feel that way sometimes." 

"...Sorry." 

"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault." 

Noticing Rentaro somber expression, Enju turned and gave him a bright smile. "I just mean that Nibelcole is different from me and the other Cursed Children I know. She's more like a normal kid." 

"Maybe." 

Rentaro nodded and let the conversation drop, even though he'd been the one to bring it up. 

Enju was in a good mood today, and he didn't want to ruin it. 

At least... while she could still feel happy. 

It was rare for her to stay cheerful for an entire day. He shouldn't let his thoughts spoil it. 

As he watched the little girl skipping ahead, Rentaro expression grew melancholic. 

When he'd first met her, she'd been a wary child, distrustful of everyone and everything, like a frightened animal. 

Now, she'd become an outgoing, cheerful girl who could make friends with others. 

If only things could stay this way forever. 

But he knew that was just a wish an unattainable one. 

There was no place for Cursed Children in this society. 

Being allowed to exist at all was the last mercy society offered them. 

Soon, they arrived home. 

Since it was the weekend, Enju didn't have school and had no interest in doing homework. 

She happily went to take a bath. 

In this neighborhood, hot water was only available between 9 and 10 p.m. If you missed that window, you'd have to wait until the next day. 

Sitting on the tatami mat in their small home, Rentaro waited for Enju to finish so he could wash up. With nothing else to do, he turned on the TV. 

"The evening news brings you the latest updates. At 8:12 this morning, citizens of Tokyo once again held a protest march in front of the Ministry of Defense, vehemently opposing the implementation of the Gastrea Protection Act ." 

The sight of citizens holding signs and shouting slogans on TV instantly soured Rentaro mood. 

He flipped through several channels, but the content was almost identical. 

Frustrated, he turned off the TV. 

This kind of thing happened too often, and every time it did, a nameless anger welled up inside him. 

But what could he do? 

Nothing. Except feel angry. 

In the face of society's overwhelming power, one person's strength was too limited. Trying to stop a chariot with a mantis's arm was futile. 

The only thing he could do was pretend not to see it. 

As the annoying noise faded, his mood gradually settled. 

"By the way, didn't Nia give me some manga? Maybe I'll read a bit to pass the time." 

He pushed the unpleasant thoughts aside and reached for the bag of manga Nia had given him, hoping to distract himself. 

He pulled out the first volume of Silver Bullet and decided to give it a read. 

"How long has it been since I last read a manga? Before I was adopted by Tendo? Or before I ran away from home with Kisara? It's been so long, I can't even remember..." 

As he opened the first page, he noticed Nia autograph and a message she'd written for some reason. 

He read the words aloud: 

" To be or not to be, that is the question. "