One year later.
Chengdu Safe Area, China.
The evening sun cast a warm golden glow across the crowded streets.
Xiao Feng walked alone among the pedestrians, his hands resting inside the pockets of his black coat. Even though he had learned to suppress his murderous aura, people occasionally felt an inexplicable pressure when they passed near him.
A year had passed since he first arrived in this world.
During that time, he had crossed continents, destroyed numerous IISO facilities and rescued countless Cursed Children who had been treated as disposable weapons.
His appearance had not changed greatly. He had grown slightly taller, and his features had become more refined, but he still looked like a young boy.
Only his eyes were different. They now possessed a calmness and depth that transcended a child. However beneath that calmness lay the coldness of someone who had witnessed far too much cruelty.
The streets of Chengdu were bustling.
Vehicles moved slowly along the roads while pedestrians crowded the pavements. Merchants stood outside their shops, loudly promotingtheir goods, and the aroma of spicy food drifted through the air.
Children ran beside their parents with snacks in their hands. Elderly people sat outside teahouses, chatting or playing board games.
At first glance, Chengdu appeared peaceful and prosperous.
Unlike many governments that had collapsed during the Gastrea War, the Chinese Communist Party aka CCP had survived.
Although China had lost vast territories and a large portion of its population, the Party retained control over the remaining safe areas through its military, propaganda network and strict administrative system.
The disaster had not weakened its authority. Instead, the constant threat of the Gastrea strengthened its control over the surviving population.
Food, medicine, weapons and information were all controlled by the state.
The same was true for the Cursed Children.
Every surviving Chinese safe area operated under the same centralised system.
There were no independent Civil Security Agencies like those found in the Tokyo Area. The government possessed complete authority over every Promoter and Initiator pair.
All Cursed Children were registered, raised, trained and deployed through government-controlled Civil Security headquarters located within each safe area.
The authorities decided where the girls lived, what they studied, who became their Promoters and which missions they were required to complete.
Even their meals, medicine, sleep and daily conversations were closely monitored.
From the moment their abilities were discovered, the girls were taken into government custody and directly brainwashed.
They were repeatedly taught that their lives belonged to the nation.
They were told that they had been born for one purpose—to fight the Gastrea, protect ordinary citizens and obey every order given by the Party.
Any girl who questioned her orders or expressed a desire to live freely was punished, isolated and subjected to additional ideological education until she became obedient again..
The girls were treated like oxen and horses, expected to work until their bodies could no longer continue.
When one died in battle or approached the limit of her Gastrea infection, she was quietly replaced by another child.
Xiao Feng did not see a single Cursed Child while walking through the streets of Chengdu.
Almost all of them were gathered inside the city's Civil Security headquarters, separated from ordinary society and kept under constant supervision.
Officially, they lived there so they could receive proper training and protection.
In reality, isolating them made it easier for the government to control their thoughts and prevent them from acquiring knowledge which could possibly cause them rebel.
This time, Xiao Feng came to Chengdu to rescue the Cursed Children in Chengdu.
Before this, he had already rescued the children from all the other areas in China.
Once this is done, only a few countries with strong power such as America, Russia, Australia, India would remain.
China was also once one of these strong powers, but now, it had been brought to its knees by Xiao Feng.
Suddenly, a large electronic screen mounted on a nearby building changed.
Heroic music began playing as several Cursed Children appeared on the screen.
They wore identical military uniforms and stood in a perfectly organised formation beneath the national flag.
"The young warriors of the People's Civil Security Corps continue to defend Chengdu from the Gastrea threat,"
Images of the girls fighting outside the city walls appeared on the screen and a deep voice introduced them to the ordinary civilians.
"They are loyal shields of the people, sharp blades of the Party and proud weapons of the nation."
Xiao Feng stopped walking and stared at the screen.
The children shown in the recording could not have been older than ten.
One had a bandage wrapped around her forehead. Another was missing part of her left arm, yet she was still standing rigidly in formation.
None of them smiled, they had been all brainwashed by propaganda so thoroughly that they no longer allowed themselves to show pain, fear or hesitation.
"The Party provides every Cursed Child with food, shelter, education and the honour of serving humanity. Citizens must respect their sacrifice and trust the leadership of the Civil Security Administration."
The screen then displayed the government Civil Security headquarters located in the northern section of Chengdu.
High walls surrounded the enormous complex. Armed soldiers guarded every entrance, while surveillance equipment covered the surrounding area.
"Hehe, announcing the location so loudly. Are you impatient to die?"
Xiao Feng's eyes turned cold when he looked at the screen.
He knew very well that the control of CCP over every Safe Area was extremely strong.
Logically speaking, they should have already heard the news of his arrival. But now they are announcing their location so openly.
It was naked conspiracy. But Xiao Feng didn't mind stepping into it.
This wasn't the first time a government tried to conspire against him.
...