Chapter 409: Sacred Purification Ineffective?

The reason the Heaven's Ladder fired made Broly realize this world could pose a threat to his colossal wife, Scorpio, while humanity's fear and hostility toward Gastrea gave Broly some anxiety.

Fortunately, there was still nearly a month before leaving this world, and Aqua Master would soon arrive in this world; her imminent arrival made Broly temporarily shelve the idea of eliminating all threats in this world.

After the Heaven's Ladder fired and was destroyed, various rumors spread: some said the Holy Son of Heaven attempted to drive off Scorpio and failed, and Tokyo Safe Zone's only countermeasure was now destroyed; others said before long, Scorpio would invade Tokyo Safe Zone from the Old Port District...

And Tokyo Safe Zone could no longer be called a safe zone, but a precarious zone; with other Japanese safe zones willing to open immigration unconditionally, some citizens capable of leaving Tokyo to live elsewhere, just like the Saiyan boy, simultaneously developed anxiety about the safety of their survival environment amid all sorts of unfounded rumors in society.

Unlike Broly, who knew the status quo might be changed and therefore did not act to change the environment, these citizens could not pin their survival hopes on Scorpio simply never entering Tokyo Safe Zone; anyone with the means wanted to leave Tokyo Safe Zone.

The impending mass exodus of middle- and upper-class personnel left the Young Holy Emperor, who had just extended her tentacles of authority into the army, at her wits' end.

The Young Holy Emperor tried to assure the public of Scorpio's safety, but could not stop spies from other safe zones — especially the Osaka Region — lurking in Tokyo District from stirring up public opinion.

The official departments controlling Tokyo's public opinion found it hard to rein in these people's behavior, because they could not distinguish whether these people were malicious actors or ordinary citizens merely worried about their living environment's safety; using force would likely turn into official conspiracy theories.

Moreover, the officials themselves were somewhat panicked, so the Young Holy Emperor did not issue a mandatory order to strictly control public opinion, but instead dispatched her own External PR Department to guarantee Tokyo Safe Zone's safety in the court of public opinion.

But privately, the Young Holy Emperor, like Broly, was waiting for Aqua's arrival; she likewise pinned her hopes of changing the status quo on the otherworldly goddess about to arrive.

Thus, when the holiday arrived, after Broly entered the Crystal Palace to help pay the cross-world fee, Aqua made a dazzling entrance before a group of capture targets — potential wives.

Today, Aqua's attire leaned toward goddess business style; her dignified and elegant bearing, surrounded by intentional specks of divine radiance, fully displayed the bearing of a Main God.

The people who saw the boy suddenly vanish, then suddenly reappear, and then a noble-looking woman appear beside him couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

"Welcome, the great Water Goddess, Aqua-sama, gracing our world~"

Fortunately, Satomi Rentaro had not forgotten his mission; the moment Aqua appeared, he immediately unfurled the banner in his hands with Aihara Enju. Though there was no drum-and-gong welcome ceremony, they still made the scene look the part.

"My deepest apologies; since we are in the wild, we cannot prepare more formal welcome proceedings. When Aqua-sama returns to the city, I will surely make up the proper etiquette."

The Young Holy Emperor apologized to the goddess-sama across the tablet, while Aqua, who had been ready to give this world's clueless bumpkins a show of force, instead found herself somewhat embarrassed.

Look at how grandly the people here treat her, a lower-world visitor — completely different from when she went to Axel before and faced all kinds of difficulties.

"Cough cough, you lot have heart, but I did not come to this world merely to accept you mortals' flattery and fawning."

Aqua threw her head back and thrust out her chest, putting on a not-so-easy-to-get-along-with air.

"Yes, I understand; I will order the welcome banquet toned down a bit, not made too grand."

The Young Holy Emperor hurriedly nodded, truly believing Aqua was that kind of cool, lofty goddess-sama.

【Eh, there's still a welcome banquet? Damn it, a banquet welcoming me, how can it not be a little grand?】

Aqua forcibly suppressed her inner desire for a lively banquet; her expression remained indifferent, and with a slight nod she acknowledged the Young Holy Emperor's utmost reverence displayed on the tablet screen.

"Aqua Master, hurry over here and look at Scorpio's condition."

Broly ignored his own goddess master's inner desire to intimidate the capture targets on first meeting, and hastily beckoned Aqua to come check Scorpio's condition.

"Although I saw the photos, it still feels somewhat inconceivable, but since this is the result of some curse virus, it absolutely cannot stump me."

Aqua produced her staff; Muroto Sumire watched her back with blazing eyes, and the others also looked on with bated breath.

Everyone present actually knew Broly invited his goddess master to this world to help Scorpio regain reason and intellect and turn human again, but could such a thing really be done?

【You otherworld bumpkins, widen your dog eyes and watch closely — the divine power possessed by me, Broly's most most most beloved goddess master!】

Thinking thus, Aqua began chanting a divine art: "All my kin in this world, heed the command of me, Aqua, the Water God; answer my disciple Broly's request, follow my disciple Broly's wish, and manifest your power upon this world~"

A fierce wind rose from flat ground; a gorgeous divine art magic circle unfolded, covering the sky above the vicinity; dark clouds quickly gathered in the nearby sky.

"Changing the natural environment itself — is this the power of a Kami-sama?!"

Tenkō Kisara and the others were utterly shocked.

【I so want to draw a tube of her blood for research!】

Muroto Sumire's eyes sparkled; she said nothing, but her thoughts were not hard to guess.

"What happens next?"

Aihara Enju widened her eyes, then saw the dark clouds disperse — and nothing happened.

"Uh, I forgot, I have no believers in this world."

Meeting her cute disciple's puzzled gaze, Aqua stuck out her pink tongue, made a playful face, and tried to play it off with cuteness.

"Aqua Master, please be serious."

The crowd behind, waiting to witness a miracle, swayed and nearly stumbled; they suddenly felt this supposedly cool goddess-sama might not be so cool after all.

Aqua's divine power has two parts: one is her own, the other is provided by believers' fanatical faith; the stronger the faith, the stronger the power she can exert, and using believers' faith often produces a grand spectacle.

However, Aqua, preparing a grand spectacle, subconsciously forgot that Black Bullet is a completely unfamiliar world.

With zero believers, trying to borrow believers' power to perform a great miracle is naturally impossible.

"Mhm mhm mhm, one more time."

Aqua raised her staff again; this time she used her own divine power.

Light belonging to the Sacred Purification divine art magic covered Scorpio from heaven to earth.

However, the scene of Scorpio turning human again did not occur.

Only her skin, somewhat dry after days ashore sleeping on land, suddenly became glossy and dewy.

"Mm~"

Scorpio was awakened by the purification art; she had never felt her big head so clear; countless tentacles reached out around her, like a highly nearsighted person suddenly cured, she excitedly felt the surrounding land world with some delight, emitting ethereal cries.

Some tentacles explored onto Broly's body; the familiar touch made Scorpio's tentacles become careful.

But when a tentacle coiled around Aqua's foot, and from this goddess-sama's body sensed a comfortable breath.

"Ah, don't wrap around me!"

The noble goddess posture Aqua had put on was directly broken physically.

"Broly, save me!"

Aqua directly pleaded for help from her cute disciple; she didn't want tentacle play.

"So this is the goddess-sama?!"

Tenkō Kisara had already run far away, and watching the goddess-sama bound and caressed by Scorpio's many tentacles, the corners of her eyes couldn't stop twitching.

Scorpio seemed to treat Aqua as something important; even after Broly rescued Aqua from the pile of tentacles, those split little tentacles kept at it tirelessly, still wanting to wrap around Aqua, until they withdrew after putting some distance between them.

"Although I don't mind touching aquatic creatures, isn't this child being too enthusiastic? Ah, I'm all sticky now!"

Aqua complained, but fortunately she could use Purification on herself; after one Purification, the slime on her body was completely cleaned off.

"Aqua Master, did your Purification fail? Why didn't Scorpio turn into a human?"

Broly asked at this time.

"Of course it didn't fail. The only possibility for them not turning human is that they originally looked like this."

Aqua denied the possibility that her divine art had failed.

"Huh?!"

Broly was stunned, and quickly brought over Muroto Sumire, who was similarly wrapped by Scorpio's tentacles on that side, and brought along with her was another person also wrapped by Scorpio's tentacles.

Kimono-clad girl Sima Wei Zhi looked flushed and out of breath; you know, when wearing a kimono one usually doesn't wear underwear, and just now Scorpio's tentacles had probed in from below her.

If not for being willing to believe Broly was there and wouldn't let her have an accident, Sima Wei Zhi might have drawn her gun and shot at the tentacles wrapped around herself.

"Impossible. Scorpio's original form should be human."

Muroto Sumire insisted on this point.

"May I ask, how does your Purification divine art operate in principle?"

Aqua gave an answer about divine power operation, but for people without mana factor worlds, it's very hard to understand something that doesn't exist.

"And its specific function?"

Muroto Sumire thought for a moment, then asked again.

"Clear all abnormal states on the affected individual, including but not limited to poison, burn, paralysis, curse, and other abnormal states."

Aqua answered honestly; this time she didn't continue putting on the aloof goddess act, she could feel her cute disciple's expectation of turning Scorpio back into a human.

"Abnormal states?"

Muroto Sumire had some guesses, but still needed to verify them.

"Enju, come here."

She waved to Aihara Enju, who ran fast and hadn't been wrapped by tentacles.

"What is it, Doctor?"

Aihara Enju was on a building on the other side, and after being called, she hopped over.

"Aqua-sama, could you please use your Purification divine art just now on this child?"

Muroto Sumire asked.

"I can, but what do you want to do?"

Aqua asked with a frown.

"I want to see if your power can have an effect on children infected with the Gastrea Virus."

Doctor Muroto Sumire explained.

"Sacred Purification~"

This time without fancy chanting, Aqua directly threw a Purification magic onto Aihara Enju's body.

"Enju, how do you feel?"

Doctor Muroto Sumire asked after Sacred Purification ended.

"I feel my body is a bit more relaxed."

Aihara Enju thought for a moment, then answered.

"Don't control your pupil color changes; return to an unrestrained state."

Doctor Muroto Sumire said again.

Aihara Enju was confused, but did as told.

"As expected..."

The female doctor checked the girl's pupils.

"What's wrong?"

Satomi Rentaro hurriedly asked.

"For Cursed Children, the redder the pupil color, the higher the Gastrea Virus erosion rate in the body."

"And Cursed Children can change their own pupil color by controlling the magic vitality of the Gastrea Virus within their body."

"But without control, if the bright red pupil color fades, it proves the Gastrea Virus erosion rate within her body has decreased..."

Doctor Muroto Sumire explained.

"The divine art is effective?!"

Satomi Rentaro was somewhat surprised and delighted; the erosion rate had always been the death line for Cursed Children.

Once it exceeds 50%, it equals turning into a Gastrea at any time.

"Aqua-sama, may I ask, does your divine art that removes abnormal states remove all abnormal states on the target of the divine art?"

"Of course it does. Who do you think I am? I am the Water Goddess Aqua; with my power, Sacred Purification can remove any abnormal state."

Aqua thrust out her chest and raised her head; in her field of expertise, she was full of confidence.

"Can it change things that are innate?"

Muroto Sumire asked again.

"Uh, Sacred Purification can only remove abnormal states; innate things aren't abnormal, they're normal, right?"

"I understand now. Enju, I need to draw a little of your blood right now."

Aihara Enju didn't object, and after Muroto Sumire drew a small tube of blood, she asked Aqua to cast Purification on the girl again, then drew a little more blood.

After using a portable instrument capable of detecting erosion rates to check the erosion rate of the two blood samples, and comparing them, Muroto Sumire came to a conclusion.

Goddess Aqua's Purification Divine Art is effective, but it can only take effect on the Gastrea Virus Erosion Rate that changes postnatally; for the congenital Erosion Rate, there is no way.

"Aqua-sama, if you use Purification Art on a butterfly, can you turn it into a caterpillar?"

"Hah, how is that possible?"

"Then I understand."

"What did you understand?"

Aqua was a bit dazed; she herself didn't understand the matter, so why did this guy in front of her, with his decadent appearance, have the look of someone who had figured out the status quo?

"I understood the limitation of your Purification Divine Art; although some verification experiments still need to be done, there shouldn't be too big an error."

"Hoho, you this otherworldly country bumpkin are quite brazen; then go ahead and say, what exactly is the limitation of this Goddess-sama's Purification Divine Art."

Aqua crossed her arms, looking somewhat displeased at the female doctor in front of her.

"You can only remove abnormal states formed non-congenitally, but for abnormal states formed congenitally, there is completely no way.

And for individuals whose life form has already completely changed, your power also cannot identify the original form of the individual whose life form has changed, and then conduct abnormal recovery."

"What nonsense, you this guy think I only know Purification Art? Watch closely, even congenital illnesses, I can also use my Healing Divine Art to recover well."

Aqua got a bit angry, and threw Healing Magic at Aihara Enju's body; the Healing Magic from Goddess-sama quickly made Aihara Enju's eyes turn red.

"Eh?"

The Gastrea Virus Erosion Rate, however, rose under the effect of the Healing Magic.

"Stop, stop quickly!"

Seeing this, Satomi Rentaro hurriedly shouted.

"I didn't do anything wrong."

Aqua was scared by the mortal boy's roar, and instantly shrank behind Broly, then poked her head out from behind the boy; she had always been able to observe the atmosphere, Aqua felt she should have done something wrong, but stubbornly argued back.

Less than ten minutes after cross-world travel to the Black Bullet World, Aqua's Goddess face was about to be gone; truly worthy of a Wisdom Goddess.

(Chapter End)