In the dark forest, dozens of Promoter and Initiator pairs were in action.
They were both collaborators, jointly preventing Hiruko Kagetane's plan to summon a Stage Five, and simultaneously competitors, because ultimately only one person would receive the reward.
Perhaps this was the deep-seated problem of this nation: its leaders began researching how to invade other countries even before the Gastrea problem was resolved, and those below them started infighting, trying to eliminate other competitors, disregarding the danger, even before Hiruko Kagetane could be stopped.
"You others can do as you please, but at least don't drag the children to their deaths with you."
Such problems can only be attributed to educational issues in a region, coupled with the fact that many of these Promoters are reckless individuals. Anyone capable of fighting can become a Promoter, leading to a generally low quality among people in this profession.
Takatsuki walked through the forest, carrying a child held by paused time in each hand, bringing them to a safe place.
If he didn't intervene, these children would die from their peers' varanium weapons, or be attacked by Gastrea due to severe injuries, injecting the virus and turning them into new Gastrea.
However...
"This child..."
Looking at the people frozen in time, Takatsuki dodged the bullets suspended in the air and walked in front of a girl.
Senju Kayo.
A named character in the original work, and also the person who left a deep scar in Rentaro's memories.
Unlike the other children, she was not the one being attacked, but rather played the role of actively assaulting others.
This was due to the command of her Promoter, Ikuma Shogen.
"Forget it, I'll take her with me."
Takatsuki thought for a moment and chose to take Senju Kayo away from here. In the original timeline, this child would also die here. Because she had dolphin genes, she had high intelligence, which made her lack the innocence of other children, making her appear more mature and more aware of how to protect herself.
All her actions had always been to protect herself, whether it was obeying her Promoter or attacking and killing other groups.
As for the remaining people, he let them fight it out themselves.
After taking the children to a safe place, Takatsuki lifted the time pause. Whether they were still fighting or had been attacked, the children immediately realized their location had changed the moment they resumed activity.
"Where is this?"
"Where is Mr. Inoue?"
"You're the one who attacked us earlier!"
Most of the Cursed Children didn't react to the sudden change in scenery, as the people around them were also strangers, and they didn't even notice Takatsuki's uniqueness. Only Senju Kayo briefly clenched her hand, confirmed her weapon wasn't there, and lowered her hand, ignoring the hostility of the other children and instead looking in Takatsuki's direction.
"Alright, children, quiet down."
Takatsuki's words instantly silenced all the children present.
Or rather, they had no choice but to be quiet, because the moment Takatsuki spoke, a majestic aura instantly appeared, intimidating everyone present.
After infinitely lowering the intensity of the Supreme King Haki, although there was no longer a shock that could make people faint, its presence was still extremely strong.
And this powerful aura also suppressed these children, making them afraid to speak.
"I know you might be very confused as to why you are here. I can tell you very clearly that I brought you here."
"You should all know what you were just doing. If I hadn't brought you here, at least half of the children here would have been injured or even died in the recent battle, right?"
Takatsuki scanned the children in front of him. Because of the aura emanating from him, no one dared to speak.
"Because of your regional leaders, you might not have heard of the organization I founded. Simply put, it's an organization established outside of Tokyo that fights Gastrea and protects Cursed Children. I know that those of you here now already have partners, so while I won't force you, if you want to leave your current Promoters, you can enter here."
Although Takatsuki's statement was suspicious, he didn't care, as it was merely an act of convenience.
With a wave of his hand, a portal leading to the base appeared by Takatsuki's hand.
However, what he didn't expect was that as soon as the portal on the other side opened, several people poked their heads out from it.
"Takatsuki!"
"?"
"Why are you here? Weren't you supposed to take Sumire to her room?"
The people who appeared on the other side of the portal were Sumire, Hotaru Kouro, and a few children.
"I asked Hotaru to show me around your base. You wouldn't forbid it, would you?"
"Allow it, of course I allow it."
Takatsuki naturally had no objection. He didn't continue speaking to Sumire but instead looked at the children he had brought back.
"How about it? If you want to leave, you can leave now. I haven't brought you very far. If you walk south for about two or three hundred meters, you'll find the place where you were fighting earlier."
"Takatsuki, are they your new companions?"
Hotaru Kouro suddenly asked, listening to Takatsuki and the children.
"Yes, why?"
"Takatsuki, leave it to me. I'll persuade them."
Hotaru Kouro walked through the portal from the other side: "Takatsuki, you are too careless. It's better to leave such matters to others."
"..."
As Hotaru Kouro said, Takatsuki was indeed not as good as others at comforting children.
Originally, his persuasion tactics had convinced virtually no one.
But after others appeared, they quickly persuaded these Initiators, who had already become partners with others, to betray and join the Fire Seed.
"It seems that even a god has things they aren't good at. In this regard, you're even worse than a few children."
Watching Sumire speak sharply to him, Takatsuki rolled his eyes: "You know I'm a god, and you still dare to talk to me like that. Aren't you afraid I'll hit you?"
"If god wishes to unleash divine punishment upon this humble woman, then let it be so."
"Alright, alright, stop talking like that. I have work to do too."
Seeing Sumire suddenly acting strange, Takatsuki shivered.
"So that's your work."
Sumire understood what Takatsuki's so-called work was when she heard his words.
Because she had already heard the long howl coming from afar.
"The Stage Five of the Zodiac... can you deal with it?"