Chapter 417

"Don't miss it, passersby — tonight at eight, the Scorpion Cult will hold a grand Mass Ritual at Yoyogi Gymnasium."

"All who convert may enter Yoyogi Gymnasium free of charge with their believer status to attend the Mass and receive the Scorpion God's blessing."

"Also, Tokyo's Holy Son of Heaven will attend this Mass Ritual, witnessing the Scorpion Cult's first grand ceremony; those who haven't converted yet and don't want to miss this opportunity can come convert right now."

"Warm reminder: converting is currently not only free, but you can also receive daily necessities like rice, flour, oil, and eggs."

"The Scorpion Cult has already established business relations with major chain supermarkets across Tokyo — all gifts come with quality assurance~"

Three days have passed since the Scorpion Cult was founded; from Broly and the others personally handing out flyers on the streets at the start, to now forming business partnerships with major chain supermarkets across Tokyo through the Holy Son of Heaven and Sima Wei Zhi's connections.

Major supermarkets have already put up promotional posters; city residents willing to join the Scorpion Cult can claim the Cult's conversion benefits at these supermarkets.

Of course, the street flyer distribution hasn't stopped either — Sima Wei Zhi invested 200 million into publicity.

And the unemployed Sennju Kayo is currently wearing the vest clothes Sima Heavy Industry prepared for the Scorpion Cult, handing out conversion propaganda flyers on the street.

After Promoter Ibuki Shoukan died, Sennju Kayo became a marginalized person within the Mishima Royal Security Company; if not for the invitation she received a few days ago from the Holy Residence to attend the Holy Son of Heaven's private banquet at the Office of Directors, she would likely have already been driven to the Outer District.

However, things are much better now, because the day before yesterday she was transferred from under the Mishima Security Company to the Tenkō Agency.

Although no new Promoter has been assigned to her yet, the Tenkō Agency gave her a new job: handing out flyers for the Scorpion Cult.

And handing out flyers together with her are some other Starting Girls — children who received Aqua's personally cast Healing and thereby achieved Perfect Gastrea Transformation.

However, compared to ordinary people handing out flyers, the location where a group of red-eyed girls with heteromorphic limbs distributed flyers caused many passersby to keep their distance in awe.

Although the Gastrea New Law is being implemented, the public's acceptance of Cursed Children remains low; the girls all feel a sense of frustration to varying degrees.

"Aqua-sama took us in, yet we can't help Aqua-sama do anything."

"How about we put on mascot suits? As long as they can't see our eyes, can't see the heteromorphic parts on our bodies, others won't be afraid of us anymore."

"No good — if even we lack confidence and don't dare show our faces, wouldn't the Scorpion Cult's doctrine of not discriminating against Cursed Children become a sham?"

"Then what do you say we should do?"

"Kayo, your brain works best — you tell us what to do."

Sennju Kayo fell into thought; just as she was thinking of a good way to improve the poor flyer distribution results, she suddenly heard a nervous apology.

"Sorry, my board accidentally bumped into you."

"Hah, what good's an apology? My clothes got dirty because of you."

Not far away, on the pedestrian overpass, a delinquent-looking yellow-haired youth stood before a girl, loudly berating the girl in front of him.

"So, how are you going to take responsibility?"

"I can help you wash the clothes clean."

"Wash them clean — with those filthy hands of yours?"

The youth sneered, then spoke loudly again.

"But I'm not one to make things hard on a kid; here's the deal — give me the money in your hand, and we'll call it the dry-cleaning fee for the clothes you dirtied."

"Ah, this……"

The girl, wearing only a filthy patched piece of clothing, showed a troubled expression.

"What, can't do it?"

Passersby who noticed the situation, though some disdained the yellow-haired youth for actually trying to squeeze money from a begging girl, no one stepped forward to stop his behavior.

"Then can you leave me a little? If I don't beg any money today and go home, my younger sister and I will both have no rice to eat."

"Fine, I'll find you some change then."

The yellow-haired youth said this, snapped the pull-tab off the drink can in his hand, casually tossed it into the begging bowl in front of the girl — the pull-tab made a crisp sound in the bowl — then reached out to snatch the thousand-yen bill the girl was clutching.

"Stop!"

At this moment, someone called a halt to him.

"A bunch of little monsters, advise you not to meddle in other people's business!"

The yellow-haired youth was startled; when he turned and saw it was just a group of red-eyed girls, he directly started scolding them.

"Let go fast, give me the money."

Then he urged the girl in front of him again.

"Don't give it to him — he didn't give you change; this person only threw a can pull-tab in your bowl."

"So what? Who told her to dirty my clothes?"

"Her cardboard board is placed horizontally in front of her — how could it possibly hit you? Clearly you deliberately crashed into her!"

Sennju Kayo pointed it out; they had already seen the girl busking on the overpass yesterday when they were handing out flyers here.

Only they hadn't interacted with her; seeing her being harassed by a street punk now, they came over to help.

"Damn it~"

The commotion began to grow; pedestrians passing over the overpass turned their gazes over.

The yellow-haired youth grew angry from embarrassment.

He raised his hand, preparing to slap the blind girl who was clutching the money and refusing to let go.

But, the next moment……

"Smack—"

This person's face took a slap first; the one who struck was a Starting Girl with heteromorphic organs.

"You dare hit me?"

Clutching his swollen face, the yellow-haired youth seemed incredulous, as if he couldn't believe a stray dog by the roadside would dare actively attack a human.

"You want to rob money — what's wrong with me hitting you?"

"You red-eyed monsters, believe it or not I'll call the police right now and have them arrest you?!"

"We're so scared, but sorry — we have proof."

Sennju Kayo produced the Starting Girl ID in her hand, along with the Scorpion Cult's publicity permit documents.

Yesterday when we were handing out flyers, there were passersby who called the police, but the officers who came were all persuaded to leave in the end.

It was just a street punk's threat lacking bottom, fundamentally impossible to scare them.

The Gastrea New Law is being implemented, the Scorpion Cult has appeared, the future era is destined to be different, Sennju Kayo has already realized this point.

"You still want to get beaten?"

That girl who acted raised her hand, Yellow Hair was scared, the danger of Cursed Children lies not only in the Gastrea Virus on their bodies, but also their physical quality exceeding ordinary people.

"Remember this for me!"

But backing down would be too shameful, so this person only fled in a sorry state after putting down harsh words.

"Are you okay?"

Sennju Kayo looked at the girl.

"I'm fine, thank you very much."

The girl bowed and apologized in thanks.

"Your eyes can't see?"

Starting Girls, seeing the bandages on the other's face, someone asked.

"Mm, my mother didn't like the color of my eyes, so I injected some lead inside them."

The girl who removed the bandages from her face revealed a pair of somewhat gray-white pupils.

"You... are also a Cursed Child?"

"I'm sorry, did my eyes scare you?"

The blind girl hurriedly apologized.

"Not at all, just, aren't you an Outer District kid?"

Sennju Kayo asked.

"Not really, but I do live in a place close to the Outer District."

Compared to other Cursed Children who fundamentally don't know who their parents are, the blind girl is undoubtedly comparatively lucky, because she was not abandoned by her biological mother.

But she is also somewhat unfortunate, because her mother pushes all the misfortune she herself experienced onto this girl, so she isn't very good to her.

"Although my mother is usually strict with me and Younger Sister, as long as I can beg for money outside, she will treat us a bit better."

The blind girl narrated her story, she was very fortunate to have obtained Sennju Kayo and the others' help today.

And a situation like her family's is nothing more than a microcosm of the slum areas near the Outer District inside the Tokyo Safe Zone.

People residing in those places usually don't have that many particulars; pregnant women accidentally eating food or water carrying the Gastrea Virus, and then giving birth to Cursed Children, happens from time to time.

Even worse, some people just want to reasonably abandon the infants they give birth to, therefore they intentionally eat food carrying the Gastrea Virus.

These people are mostly certain special Professionals/Job Class, selling their bodies for a living, and to save money on contraception, they make this choice.

Of course, there are also some families in that place unwilling to give up their own children; although the quantity is not many, they indeed exist.

It's just that mostly they don't live very well, and the blind girl's mother is a woman who was initially unwilling to give up her child.

But time, pressure from the environment, changed many things.

"Do you need me to hum a song for you?"

The blind girl asked, this is the only thing she can repay with.

"If possible, I want to recommend the Scorpion Cult to you."

"What is that?"

"A religion, a religion that does not discriminate against Cursed Children."

Sennju Kayo emphasized.

"Sorry, I don't quite understand what a religion is."

The blind girl's forest elf's surface showed a blank expression.

"Alright, simply put, as long as you are willing to join the Scorpion Cult, then you can obtain some eggs, rice, or other food from us."

"Uh, I've already received your help, I can't demand more things."

"This isn't demanding, this is a transaction, you only need to offer your faith to the Scorpion God, which can also be called gratitude, to obtain these things, and these things aren't ours either, they belong to the Scorpion Cult, we are just proselytizing for the Scorpion God."

"Just gratitude is enough?"

"Yes."

"Can also help you all, right?"

"No mistake."

"Okay, then I'm willing to join."

The blind girl touched the Scorpion Sect Application Sennju Kayo handed over, and signed her name right there, and before she poured lead into her own eyes, she was taught to write by her own mother.

Although she can't see now, her handwriting is still very graceful.

"These are eggs."

"This is rice."

"This is candy."

"We'll get a bag to pack them for you."

Starting Girls were very enthusiastic, their side finally opened for business.

"Ah, thank you, but there's too many things, I might not be able to carry them away."

The blind girl thanked, somewhat surprised.

"No problem, where is your home, we'll send you back, and bring along helping deliver these things to you."

Starting Girls sent the blind girl home, but her mother just happened to be doing piecework inside the house.

The creaking sounds and panting noises coming from the shabby house made the Starting Girls who arrived here and heard the sounds blush red to the ears.

"Is your mother in this line of work?"

"Mom works hard; she has to support herself, as well as me and my younger sister."

After the customer came out, seeing a group of red-eyed girls with missing limbs outside the door, some were startled.

"Damn it!"

The customer cursed, and the woman inside, hearing the commotion, came out and was likewise startled.

"We're here to deliver conversion benefits."

Before the woman could scold her daughter, Sennju Kayo spoke first.

"Benefits?"

The woman looked somewhat puzzled.

"Rice, flour, grain, oil, eggs—these are the benefits your daughter receives after joining the Scorpion Cult. I wonder if you'd be willing to learn about our sect?"

"Scorpion Cult? I've never heard of it. My home does not welcome cultists."

The woman, whose complexion was not good but who clearly had some beauty, said so.

"We're not some cult; we're a legitimate sect officially recognized by the authorities."

Sennju Kayo took out a copy of the religious registration approval and showed it to the woman.

"If you're also willing to join, you can receive another share of rice, flour, grain, oil, and eggs."

She added.

The woman, living in utter poverty and barely scraping by by selling her body, lit a cigarette and said, "My family has no money."

"No money needed. As long as you're willing to join, there's something for you."

"I have another daughter. If she joins too, you'll give something for her as well, right?"

The woman pointed at her younger daughter and asked.

"Of course."

Sennju Kayo nodded.

After the blind girl's mother brought her other daughter to join, she told them about the Scorpion Cult Mass at Yoyogi Gymnasium tonight.

"It's not some cult ritual, is it? Like, bleeding people to death or something?"

The woman asked warily.

"I said, our Scorpion Cult is not a cult."

The Origin Girl immediately retorted, but they were still too naive, overestimating Aqua's bottom line.

The Gastrea Virus Serum—Aqua had already prepared a whole box full.

"So is there any benefit to attending that Mass?"

"Yes."

The woman pondered for a moment, then asked: "If I help you recruit people, will your sect give me money?"

"I'll have to ask about that."

Sennju Kayo took out her phone and made a call.

Soon, she got a reply.

"We pay: one thousand yen per head, and if you get someone to attend the Mass, an extra five hundred yen per person."

Religion spreads more easily in suffering regions, and if there are benefits to joining a religion and money to be made recruiting people into a religion, this kind of spread would become truly terrifying.

Holy Residence, Office of Directors, hotline customer service staff.

"Sigh, most of these calls either don't go through, or the person answering isn't the account holder."

The man holding the conversion list complained.

"Who says otherwise? They're all just here to fleece us."

The person on the other side sighed.

"I don't know if fewer than two hundred people show up tonight, will we be punished?"

"Probably not, after all, this was never our responsibility to begin with."

"Not necessarily. I heard this Scorpion Cult is actually a move by the Holy Son of Heaven. If things don't go smoothly, they might not blame us."

"So tonight, we'll bring our families to show support for the Holy Son of Heaven's Scorpion Cult?"

"I guess we have no choice."

"Do you have to be so exaggerated?"

The young person in the seat to the right said somewhat surprised.

"For big shots, they might not know who showed up to show support, but if someone didn't show up and gets found out, they'll be in trouble."

Just as the hotline customer service staff were discussing going to show support, suddenly some calls came in.

"What, is the Mass at Yoyogi Gymnasium tonight real? Ah, yes, it's real, no mistake, the sect's name is Scorpion Cult."

"Is there something to get? Uh, this should be yes, but as for what exactly it is, we don't know; that's the Scorpion Cult's own arrangement."

"What's going on? Why are so many people suddenly calling to ask about the Mass?"

"Uh, the areas calling are all living districts near the Outer District."

"I see. The Scorpion Cult has already preached to the places that most want to take advantage and fleece us."

Hearing this, a group of hotline operators looked at each other.

"Report it upward. If the number of people exceeds the expected attendance..."

Large religious ceremonies require advance planning and arrangements. Aqua made the decision to demonstrate a divine miracle on a whim, but behind it, many people had to act on her decision.

"Holy Son of Heaven, the number of people willing to attend the Mass has already exceeded two thousand. For your personal safety, should we cancel this audience ceremony?"

Now serving as a personal guard by the Holy Son of Heaven's side, Tenkō Kisara asked, and the day before yesterday they had received intelligence from the Osaka Region side.

Osaka Region President Qi Wu Zongxuan proposed visiting the Tokyo Safe Zone, but there seemed to be some ill intent behind his coming.

"News that someone wants to assassinate me is ultimately baseless, and even if true, with Broly and Aqua-sama here, do you think they'd let anything happen to me?"

Tenkō Kisara thought for a moment, then nodded, acknowledging this point.

Tonight, the Holy Son of Heaven's schedule remains unchanged, and he will go to Yoyogi Gymnasium for the witness ceremony.

"I've arrived in Tokyo, where should I go to find you?"

In the afternoon, Tina arrived in Tokyo, holding a bag of activity funds, and sent a message via her phone.

"Come to Yoyogi Gymnasium, I'm on this side."

"Yoyogi Gymnasium?"

Tina quickly hailed a taxi and gave the destination.

"To Yoyogi Gymnasium."

"Are you also going to attend the Mass?"

"What Mass?"

"The Scorpion Cult's Mass. This religion suddenly appeared in recent days, and there's propaganda from this sect everywhere in the city."

"Eh, is the Scorpion Cult that famous?"

"Famous it is, but not for a good reputation. I heard this religion advocates the theory that the Gastrea Virus is harmless."

"The Gastrea Virus is harmless?"

Tina was a bit stunned, not understanding how the words Gastrea Virus and harmless came together.

"Yeah, nowadays there are many rumors among the people, saying this is a religious organization that the Holy Son of Heaven specially propped up in order to push the Gastrea New Law."

"Eh, Holy Son of Heaven, Gastrea New Law?"

"What, little Customer, you don't know the Gastrea New Law?"

"I've heard of it, but don't understand it well."

"Let me tell you, the Gastrea New Law is..."

The driver was quite talkative and recounted how, more than half a year ago, the Holy Son of Heaven proposed the Gastrea New Law.

"Before it was just small-scale, but this time it's a big move. I heard they're preparing to use the influence from resolving Scorpio to fully implement the Gastrea New Law, and the Scorpion Cult is the first wave of pathfinders..."

Tina got out of the car, her mood somewhat complex. She hadn't expected that the target she was to assassinate was actually still working to secure human rights for the Cursed Children.

She shook her head. A mission is a mission. Tina decided not to think about it, took out her phone, and edited another message to send: "I'm already at the front door of Yoyogi Gymnasium. Where are you?"

"I'm here. You're Nightingale?"

A voice suddenly sounded behind her, startling Tina.

Turning her head, Tina saw a boy approaching her.

"Kid bro?"

"I'm not a kid bro. My name is Broly."

"Nightingale is just my online name. I am..."

"Tina Sprout, right?"

"How do you know?"

Tina widened her eyes.

"Crystal Palace told me."

Broly had originally come to welcome a netizen, but after seeing the girl at the gymnasium entrance, Crystal Palace popped up a prompt.

【New Capture Target discovered: Tina Sprout. Current Happiness Value: 35】

(Chapter End)