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

 The next day. 

Nia Honjo opened the church door to find Rentaro Satomi standing there, dark circles under his eyes. "Ugh… ugh…" 

Seeing his exhausted state, Nia immediately guessed what he'd been up to the night before.

After a few knowing chuckles, she winked and asked, "Wasn't it amazing?" 

Rentaro pretended not to hear her. "Are you ready? If so, let's go." 

"Wasn't it amazing?" 

"..." 

"Wasn't it amazing?" 

"Ugh, fine! It was amazing. Are you happy now?" 

Rentaro couldn't help but roll his eyes, feeling an inexplicable sense of frustration. 

Seeing this, Nia's eyebrows curved into a satisfied smile. 

She clasped her hands together, adopting the demeanor of a benevolent priest, and said in a tone that deserved a slap: "Congratulations, young man. You've discovered the beauty of the 2D world and have fallen into the embrace of our Lord." 

There was no doubt about it Rentaro had stayed up all night. 

And the reason? It didn't take a genius to figure it out. 

He'd been reading the manga she'd given him yesterday, Silver Bullet, all night long. 

Judging by his reaction, he must've loved it. If not for their appointment today, he'd probably have spent the entire day reading. 

In truth, Silver Bullet was an outstanding shonen manga. Its pre war popularity was well deserved. 

The story followed a young exorcist who battles demons and grows stronger through each encounter. 

A classic underdog to hero tale. 

Young men like Rentaro wouldn't be interested in children's anime like Magical Shoujo, but Silver Bullet was a shonen manga aimed at readers his age. 

Even though Rentaro had entered society early and endured many hardships, making him more mature than his peers, that didn't mean he was immune to the appeal of shonen manga. 

Besides, shonen manga wasn't just for teenagers it had a much broader audience. 

"So, what did you think?" Nia asked curiously. 

"Can we not talk about it? It's kind of embarrassing to discuss the work in front of the author." 

"Come on, tell me! I might even get some valuable feedback from a reader like you." 

"Ugh... fine." 

Unable to withstand Nia's persistence, Rentaro reluctantly answered: "I just finished the part where Falma, the protagonist, defeats the boss in Volume 3 and realizes that hell is actually a failed experiment from humanity's Creation Project. The demons people fear are actually victims." 

"Ah, you're about to hit another major plot point. Falma and his half demon partner will soon..." 

"Wait! No spoilers! I want to experience it for myself!" 

"Fair enough. I'll let you enjoy it later, hehehe." 

Seeing the devilish grin on Nia face, Rentaro felt a pang of unease and swallowed hard. 

After a moment of hesitation, he finally asked, "Is something bad going to happen?" 

"I thought you didn't want spoilers?" 

"Can you just give me a hint? I'm kind of nervous." 

"Alright, alright. It's not a huge twist," Nia said with a smile. "The half demon girl will fully transform into a bloodthirsty demon after 496 days due to her bloodline's corruption, and the protagonist will have to defeat her."

"You monster!" 

Rentaro barely resisted the urge to grab Nia by the collar and shake her. "Nia Honjo! You have no heart!" 

"Thanks for the compliment." 

"You actually killed off the heroine? I've never met a more sadistic manga artist!" 

"Don't worry, I'm a devout follower of the Beautiful God of the 2D World. I'll give you a happy ending eventually." 

"Hmph... you'd better. I know where you live!" 

"Oops, forgot about that." 

After some friendly banter, the two were ready to set off. 

They called their respective children over, and the four of them headed toward Tokyo's central district. 

Taxis in Tokyo were prohibitively expensive. In this post war era of skyrocketing fuel prices, they were a luxury only the middle and upper classes could afford. 

As two poor souls living in a neighborhood akin to a slum, Rentaro and Nia naturally couldn't afford a taxi. 

After walking for over half an hour, the central district finally came into view. 

Walking down the bustling streets, the two children seemed excited. 

Enju Aihara spent most of her weekdays in school and her free time running around Tokyo with Rentaro, taking on small jobs that larger security companies wouldn't touch. 

As for Nibelcole, as a special entity created by the system, her fabricated life had her spending most of her time in the church with Nia. She didn't even attend school. 

It was rare for the two girls, who were around the same age, to visit Tokyo's bustling Chuo Ward, so their excitement was understandable. 

"Mom, can we go to McDonald's later?" 

Pointing to a fast food restaurant with the iconic golden arches, Nibelcole turned to Nia with pleading eyes. 

"Since when did my family produce such a spendthrift? You always want to spend money when we go out!" 

Nia raised her lifeless eyes and waved her hand dismissively. "This month's manuscript fee hasn't come in yet. I'm broke!" 

"Don't worry, Nibelcole. Once Sister Nia gets her Promoter license, I'll make you some jam bread at home," Enju chimed in, patting her chest. "I've never had a hamburger, but I'm sure jam bread is just as good!" 

"Wow, Enju chan is so thoughtful! Come here and let your big sister hug you!" 

Nia couldn't resist pulling the adorable Enju into a tight embrace. 

However, due to her lack of chest, Enju felt no softness just a painful bump to her nose. 

"Hey, Rentaro, you've never bought Enju a hamburger?" Nia shot him a glare. "It's hard enough for a kid to resist temptation. Enju's being so understanding, and you're not rewarding her? Don't you feel guilty?!" 

"I've never had a hamburger myself," Rentaro replied flatly, his expression unchanging. "Last month, I got lucky and had a slightly higher paycheck. Jam bread was already a luxury. Usually, Enju and I eat stir fried bean sprouts, stewed bean sprouts, and bean sprouts with a side of bean sprouts." 

"Ah... I feel so sorry for you..." 

As a time traveler, the girl had some understanding of Rentaro situation. 

But she hadn't expected him to be even poorer than her. 

On second thought, it made sense. 

Though Rentaro was a Promoter, the jobs he took were the low paying ones other companies didn't want. He often traveled long distances for meager pay. 

On top of that, his expenses were much higher than Nia. 

Enju's school fees, their rent, weapon maintenance... 

And, of course, the monthly cost of Enju's Gastrea virus suppressants, which took up the bulk of his income.

Most Promoters wouldn't bother buying suppressants for their Initiators. If an Initiator mutated into a Gastrea, they could simply request a replacement from the International Initiator Supervision Organization. There was no need to waste money keeping them alive for an extra year or two. 

But Rentaro treated Enju like family and spent most of his income on her. 

It would be unfair to criticize him for not spoiling her. 

"Since you've never had hamburgers before, I'll treat you today," Nia declared, puffing out her chest. "Don't worry about the cost. I've been saving up for the Magical Shoujo figurine releasing next month. I've got enough for a meal." 

"Yay!" 

"Sister Nia is the best!" 

Nibelcole and Enju cheered with delight. 

Rentaro, however, wasn't as enthusiastic. He wasn't a child anymore. For him, as long as he could fill his stomach, it didn't matter what he ate. 

"Are you sure you have enough money?" he asked skeptically. "Don't tell me you're planning to wash dishes to pay for the meal afterward." 

"Don't underestimate adults! If I say I have enough, I have enough!" 

"Alright, but just so you know, I'm broke. If you're planning to borrow money from me, don't even think about it." 

"Uh..." 

Nia pulled out her wallet and carefully counted the bills and coins inside. 

After finishing, she coughed awkwardly. "Ahem, I take it back. One burger and one fries per person, max." 

"Seriously?" 

"Hey, it's better than nothing." 

As the group continued walking, they decided on their lunch plans. 

The central district was Tokyo's busiest area. 

Shops lined both sides of the crowded streets, offering a wide variety of goods. 

Colorful neon signs caught the attention of passersby, even in the daylight. 

Fruit stands, clothing stores, restaurants, department stores, cinemas... 

At first glance, it looked no different from any other bustling city. 

In fact, if a time traveler unfamiliar with this world were to visit this lively district, they'd never guess that humanity was on the brink of extinction. 

Walking through the crowd, even Nia felt a pang of nostalgia for her days wandering the streets of Yokohama in her previous life. 

But that feeling quickly faded. 

Just as they were about to cross the commercial street and head to their destination, a commotion broke out in the crowd. 

Ahead, people had gathered unusually close, and shouts and curses could be heard. 

Rentaro expression darkened. 

The group pushed through the crowd to see what was happening. 

"Little monster, who said you could steal in our jurisdiction?" A fat officer in a police uniform tapped his baton menacingly. "I've heard about a stray rat in the central district, but I didn't expect to catch you today." 

"Lucky for us, a concerned citizen reported you. Do you know how much trouble you've caused?" Another tall officer kicked over the iron bowl the girl had been using to beg.

"Apologize now! Precious police resources are wasted on parasites like you!" 

Faced with the officers' threats, the white haired girl could only crouch on the ground, trembling. 

Her eyes were covered in bandages, rendering her blind. Even if she wanted to run, she couldn't see where to go. 

Even as her iron bowl her lifeline was kicked over, scattering coins and stones across the ground, she couldn't fight back. 

"Speak up! Are you mute?" 

The fat officer grabbed the girl's hair and yanked her to her feet. "Huh? I'm asking you a question! If you don't cooperate, you're going to jail!" 

"Everyone, disperse! Don't interfere with official business!" 

The thin officer began shooing the crowd away. "If this Cursed Child suddenly attacks and hurts someone, don't expect any compensation for your injuries!" 

At the officers words, many onlookers recoiled in disgust and fear, quickly leaving the scene. 

But a few stayed behind, watching with gleeful expressions and gossiping with their friends as if they were the ones wielding the batons. 

"I... I didn't do anything," the girl stammered, tears streaming down her face as she was held up by her hair. "I was just begging here. I didn't steal anything. Please, let me go." 

"Begging?" The fat officer sneered, pulling her higher. "The best fate for a parasite like you is to starve in the outer districts. Even the International Initiator Supervision Organization doesn't want you. What's the point of you living?" 

Normally, the International Initiator Supervision Organization would periodically take in stray Cursed Children to maintain control. 

This was how they always had new Initiators to assign to Promoters. 

However, they didn't accept just anyone. Only Cursed Children with combat type Gastrea genes or special abilities were taken in. 

As a result, most of the Cursed Children wandering outside were weak and easily bullied by even the slightest show of force from adults. 

Unable to survive on their own, they resorted to begging or stealing. 

But no one pitied them. 

Watching the scene unfold, Nia pursed her lips, her eyes darkening.