Chapter 239 Revelation
"Mr. Daimon, where are we going now?" Yagami Kyo asked curiously from inside the car.
"To a place that might change your destiny," Daimon Eitai replied with a smile, then fell silent.
Yagami Kyo looked puzzled. Were all wealthy people so mysterious and unfathomable?
After meeting the obviously rich businessman, Daimon Eitai, Yagami Kyo thought his bad luck was finally coming to an end. He even believed Daimon was the person he had been waiting for. However, after parting ways at the nightclub entrance that night, he hadn't received any calls from the wealthy man, and couldn't think of a reason to call him either. It wasn't until the fifth night when Daimon suddenly appeared and offered to take him somewhere that Yagami Kyo readily agreed.
The car drove quietly along the highway. An hour later, the car stopped near Honmachi in Bunkyo District.
"We're here, Mr. Yagami," Daimon Eitai said as he got out of the car first.
Yagami Kyo followed, examining the surroundings with curiosity.
Next, Daimon Eitai led him to a building that resembled a church. Though perplexed, Yagami Kyo continued to follow the man who might become his future boss. At that moment, he noticed countless parked cars nearby, many of which were luxury vehicles unaffordable to ordinary people.
As they approached the entrance, Daimon Eitai took out an access card and swiped it at the reader. With a click, the door opened automatically.
Upon entering, Yagami Kyo realized it was indeed a church, filled with a large crowd.
"Deacon Daimon, welcome back," a young man in a peculiar robe greeted Daimon Eitai respectfully.
"Is the Head Deacon here?" Daimon inquired.
"He returned this morning and is currently resting in the lounge. Do you have urgent business with him?"
"It's not urgent, but I came across a talented individual a few days ago and wanted to introduce him to the Head Deacon. Since he's resting, let's wait until after the ceremony."
Hearing this, the young man glanced at Yagami Kyo standing beside Daimon Eitai and said, "In that case, please follow me. We have prepared your seats."
"Thank you." Daimon Eitai expressed his gratitude and followed the young man, with the bewildered Yagami Kyo trailing behind.
As they walked, many people stood to greet Daimon Eitai, who acknowledged them in return.
Once seated in the front row, Yagami Kyo asked, "Mr. Daimon, why did you bring me here?"
Daimon Eitai responded with a question, "Mr. Yagami, do you believe in the existence of gods in this world?"
Caught off guard by the question, Yagami Kyo didn't know how to answer. After a moment, he said, "I used to when I was young, but not after becoming a mercenary. On the battlefield, even the most devout prayers are no match for a submachine gun."
Daimon Eitai nodded and said, "You have a point, but I must tell you that there truly are gods in this world. Tonight, you may witness a real miracle before your eyes."
"I don't quite understand what you mean, Mr. Daimon."
"It doesn't matter if you don't understand now; you will once the ceremony begins."
"Ceremony?"
"Yes, a ceremony you will never forget for the rest of your life." After saying this, Daimon Eitai calmly looked ahead and remained silent.
Yagami Kyo's confusion deepened, but he had no choice but to wait patiently.
Two and a half hours later, a melodious piano sound suddenly emerged from behind the pulpit. Everyone who heard the music immediately stood up quietly. Seeing Daimon Eitai stand up, Yagami Kyo followed suit.
Shortly after the piano began, four women dressed in uniform robes appeared from behind the stage, surrounding a middle-aged man in his fifties with slightly graying hair and a stern face.
Upon seeing the man, everyone's faces showed immense respect, and they simultaneously bent their right arms and placed them on their left shoulders, bowing their heads. Although no one spoke, their synchronized movements conveyed the worshippers' deep reverence.
Yagami Kyo imitated the gesture, but his eyes were not on the man; instead, they were on the four beautiful women. He also noticed that two of them were foreigners, not Asians.
After stepping onto the pulpit, the man scanned the audience and then spoke in a deep voice through the amplifier, "Brothers and sisters, I welcome your presence here." The crowd applauded.
The Head Deacon raised his hand to quiet the applause and continued, "By the grace of the true god Andis, we are fortunate to gather here to listen to the teachings and share the blessings bestowed upon us. I am one of his servants, Head Deacon Mexias. I now declare the worship ceremony officially begins."
As soon as Mexias finished speaking, a burst of even more enthusiastic applause erupted.
True god Andis? Wasn't this a Christian or Catholic church? Yagami Kyo's expression showed his confusion.
As if knowing what he was thinking, Daimon Eitai gestured for Yagami Kyo to be quiet and motioned for him to keep watching.
At this point, two young men in robes moved a large table from under the pulpit and swiftly covered it with a red cloth.
"Please, Holy Maiden Ranrin, take your seat," Head Deacon Mexias said solemnly.
One of the four beautiful women standing behind Mexias slowly walked to the center and began unbuttoning her robe. Soon, she had removed her entire robe.
Yagami Kyo was astonished to see that the woman was wearing nothing underneath. When her only garment was removed, her alluring, naked body was exposed. Even the most liberal woman would feel ashamed if naked in front of so many people, but the "Holy Maiden Ranrin" remained calm, as if doing something ordinary, without any discomfort.
The Holy Maiden then slowly walked to the table covered in red cloth, climbed on top of it, and lay down. Once settled, she crossed her hands on her chest as if in prayer.
Apart from slightly heavy breathing, the entire church was silent. Head Deacon Mexias and the other three women did not move, just standing and watching.
Yagami Kyo was puzzled, unsure of what they intended to do next, but he didn't hesitate to stare at the Holy Maiden's intimate areas since she was undressed. Suddenly, he noticed something on the inside of her thigh.
Looking closer, he discovered it was an unusual tattoo pattern. As he tried to see it more clearly, he realized that not only her inner thigh but also her legs, knees, chest, abdomen, and other areas were adorned with strange tattoo patterns.
These patterns seemed to "appear" rather than "exist" because he clearly saw them gradually surfacing on her skin. He was sure that when the Holy Maiden had undressed, he hadn't seen any tattoos on her body. However, at some point, more and more strange patterns appeared.
As time passed, he was astonished to see the initially blurry patterns becoming clearer and clearer. Five minutes later, the patterns reached their peak sharpness, with every detail incredibly distinct.
In those five minutes, everyone's breathing grew heavier, and they excitedly watched this bizarre phenomenon unfold.
When the patterns stopped changing, Head Deacon Mexias announced loudly, "Brothers and sisters, please pray sincerely to the true god. Your prayers will be conveyed to the true god through the Holy Maiden."
Everyone bowed their heads in prayer.
The prayer session didn't last long; after another five minutes, the congregation gradually raised their heads.
After everyone finished praying, Head Deacon Mexias slowly walked to the table where the Holy Maiden was lying. To Yagami Kyo's surprise and everyone else's excitement, he pulled out an oddly-shaped, intricately designed dagger.
"In the name of the true god, Andis, please redeem us. We are willing to offer everything we have to Andis. Lord, have mercy!" After Head Deacon Mexias said the last sentence, he suddenly plunged the dagger into the Holy Maiden's chest and, with a "swoosh," he slit open her stomach all the way down to her navel.
Yagami Kyo was startled and nearly shouted. He now realized that this so-called Church of Andis was undoubtedly a cult that practiced human sacrifices. But there were too many believers around, so he didn't dare to flee and could only watch helplessly.
To his surprise, the Holy Maiden showed no signs of pain, but rather a satisfied smile, which sent chills down Yagami Kyo's spine. The other believers held their breath and watched Head Deacon Mexias with the weapon.
"Lord, please listen to our prayers," Mexias said as he reached into Holy Maiden Ranrin's chest, pulling out her still-beating heart from beneath her smooth, white skin.
As Yagami Kyo stared at the heart that continued to beat regularly in Mexias's hand, he felt a bitter taste in his throat and a nauseous sensation. He thought the heart seemed like a mere decoration without any blood vessels or nerves attached since he couldn't see how Mexias cut those things open with the dagger. It was unbelievably easy for him to take it out. And the long wound didn't bleed, as if the Holy Maiden was a lifelike mannequin made of polymer. But she was indeed a living beauty.
As Head Deacon Mexias raised the beating heart above his head, all the believers shouted in unison, "May the Lord redeem us; we are willing to offer everything we have to Andis. Lord, have mercy!"
For a moment, the entire church echoed with their voices.
After a while, Mexias slowly placed the still eerily beating heart back into the Holy Maiden's chest and recited in a low voice, "Please, Holy Maiden, return."
As he finished speaking, a strange white light emanated from his right hand.
Mexias then placed his glowing right palm on the Holy Maiden's chest, wiping it down the open wound. Yagami Kyo was astonished to see that the terrifying wound disappeared as if by magic wherever Mexias's hand passed, as though it was just a red chalk line that could be easily erased.
When Mexias's hand left the Holy Maiden's body, her wound had completely vanished, and her skin was so smooth that it was impossible to tell it had been cut open just seconds earlier.
Suddenly, a few believers fell to their knees, tears streaming down their faces. Like a chain reaction, more and more people knelt before Head Deacon Mexias. The church was filled with kneeling people and suppressed sobbing.
Meixias, the person in charge, let out a sigh of relief and said, "The ritual of offering has ended. Now, I would like to invite Deacon Mels to explain the true doctrine of our faith to everyone. Please don't praise me too much, I'm just a representative of the true God, revealing his miracles. I'm a bit tired and would like to take a break. I apologize, my brothers and sisters." With that, he slowly walked into the inner hall.
Including the Holy Maiden Ranrin, who had already put on her robe, the four Holy Maidens followed Meixias into the inner hall. Everyone gazed at them with admiration until the black-robed Deacon Mels, who appeared to be in his forties, stepped onto the pulpit and opened a projector, casting the doctrine he was going to explain onto a whiteboard behind him. The people who had been kneeling then slowly stood up and returned to their seats.
"Mr. Daimon, what just happened?" Yagami whispered to Daimon Eitai in amazement as Deacon Mels began explaining the doctrine.
"This is the miracle I wanted to show you. Let me ask you again, do you believe that there are gods in this world?" Daimon Eitai calmly asked.
As if to welcome the newcomer Yagami, Deacon Mels, in addition to explaining the doctrine, also told the story of the origin of the Andis religion. He said that Andis originated from a civilization called Atlantis, which was later known as the "lost civilization."
Atlantis was a mystery in the history of civilization. It is said that before the appearance of the current human civilization, there was another advanced civilization located on a vast continent called "Atlantis." Due to a global catastrophe, the continent fragmented and sank, causing the entire civilization to collapse.
The first person in history to point out the existence of the Atlantis civilization was Plato. In his two dialogues, he quoted the words of an Egyptian priest, saying, "The Greeks are as ignorant of history as children, and in their memory, there was only one great flood. In fact, there were several floods, and the largest one destroyed the entire Atlantis."
Andis was the true god who protected Atlantis for countless years. However, as time passed, the Atlanteans became increasingly arrogant and conceited, eventually blaspheming the true god. As a result, a great flood was sent to submerge the entire Atlantis.
However, some devout prophets received a warning from the true God before the flood came and left Atlantis, thus surviving the disaster. They also received a prophecy from Atlantis, stating that the true God would one day incarnate as a human to save those who believed in him.
The current leader of the Atlantean faith is believed to be the incarnation of the true God mentioned in the prophecy. When talking about the leader, Mels didn't mention a specific name but referred to him as "He," a title of utmost reverence.
The entire church was very quiet, with only the sound of Deacon Mels' preaching. Although some followers had heard this part of the doctrine before, they still listened attentively with devotion.
Half an hour later, the sermon ended. Deacon Mels made a gesture with his right hand from his left shoulder towards all the followers, then walked into the inner hall. The other followers gradually left the church.
When only a few people remained, Daimon Eitai said to the still shaken Yagami, "Mr. Yagami, I'll take you to meet Meixias now."
Upon hearing this, Yagami was startled. Before witnessing the miracle performed by Meixias, he wouldn't have cared whom he met. But now, the person he was most nervous about meeting was Meixias himself.
Seeing Yagami's anxious and hesitant expression, Daimon Eitai smiled and said, "Please don't worry, Mr. Yagami. It's an honor to know you and bring you here. All of this is arranged by the true God. Please, follow me."
With no other choice, Yagami reluctantly followed behind Daimon Eitai with a nervous heart.
Chapter 239 Revelation
"Mr. Daimon, where are we going now?" Yagami Kyo asked curiously from inside the car.
"To a place that might change your destiny," Daimon Eitai replied with a smile, then fell silent.
Yagami Kyo looked puzzled. Were all wealthy people so mysterious and unfathomable?
After meeting the obviously rich businessman, Daimon Eitai, Yagami Kyo thought his bad luck was finally coming to an end. He even believed Daimon was the person he had been waiting for. However, after parting ways at the nightclub entrance that night, he hadn't received any calls from the wealthy man, and couldn't think of a reason to call him either. It wasn't until the fifth night when Daimon suddenly appeared and offered to take him somewhere that Yagami Kyo readily agreed.
The car drove quietly along the highway. An hour later, the car stopped near Honmachi in Bunkyo District.
"We're here, Mr. Yagami," Daimon Eitai said as he got out of the car first.
Yagami Kyo followed, examining the surroundings with curiosity.
Next, Daimon Eitai led him to a building that resembled a church. Though perplexed, Yagami Kyo continued to follow the man who might become his future boss. At that moment, he noticed countless parked cars nearby, many of which were luxury vehicles unaffordable to ordinary people.
As they approached the entrance, Daimon Eitai took out an access card and swiped it at the reader. With a click, the door opened automatically.
Upon entering, Yagami Kyo realized it was indeed a church, filled with a large crowd.
"Deacon Daimon, welcome back," a young man in a peculiar robe greeted Daimon Eitai respectfully.
"Is the Head Deacon here?" Daimon inquired.
"He returned this morning and is currently resting in the lounge. Do you have urgent business with him?"
"It's not urgent, but I came across a talented individual a few days ago and wanted to introduce him to the Head Deacon. Since he's resting, let's wait until after the ceremony."
Hearing this, the young man glanced at Yagami Kyo standing beside Daimon Eitai and said, "In that case, please follow me. We have prepared your seats."
"Thank you." Daimon Eitai expressed his gratitude and followed the young man, with the bewildered Yagami Kyo trailing behind.
As they walked, many people stood to greet Daimon Eitai, who acknowledged them in return.
Once seated in the front row, Yagami Kyo asked, "Mr. Daimon, why did you bring me here?"
Daimon Eitai responded with a question, "Mr. Yagami, do you believe in the existence of gods in this world?"
Caught off guard by the question, Yagami Kyo didn't know how to answer. After a moment, he said, "I used to when I was young, but not after becoming a mercenary. On the battlefield, even the most devout prayers are no match for a submachine gun."
Daimon Eitai nodded and said, "You have a point, but I must tell you that there truly are gods in this world. Tonight, you may witness a real miracle before your eyes."
"I don't quite understand what you mean, Mr. Daimon."
"It doesn't matter if you don't understand now; you will once the ceremony begins."
"Ceremony?"
"Yes, a ceremony you will never forget for the rest of your life." After saying this, Daimon Eitai calmly looked ahead and remained silent.
Yagami Kyo's confusion deepened, but he had no choice but to wait patiently.
Two and a half hours later, a melodious piano sound suddenly emerged from behind the pulpit. Everyone who heard the music immediately stood up quietly. Seeing Daimon Eitai stand up, Yagami Kyo followed suit.
Shortly after the piano began, four women dressed in uniform robes appeared from behind the stage, surrounding a middle-aged man in his fifties with slightly graying hair and a stern face.
Upon seeing the man, everyone's faces showed immense respect, and they simultaneously bent their right arms and placed them on their left shoulders, bowing their heads. Although no one spoke, their synchronized movements conveyed the worshippers' deep reverence.
Yagami Kyo imitated the gesture, but his eyes were not on the man; instead, they were on the four beautiful women. He also noticed that two of them were foreigners, not Asians.
After stepping onto the pulpit, the man scanned the audience and then spoke in a deep voice through the amplifier, "Brothers and sisters, I welcome your presence here." The crowd applauded.
The Head Deacon raised his hand to quiet the applause and continued, "By the grace of the true god Andis, we are fortunate to gather here to listen to the teachings and share the blessings bestowed upon us. I am one of his servants, Head Deacon Mexias. I now declare the worship ceremony officially begins."
As soon as Mexias finished speaking, a burst of even more enthusiastic applause erupted.
True god Andis? Wasn't this a Christian or Catholic church? Yagami Kyo's expression showed his confusion.
As if knowing what he was thinking, Daimon Eitai gestured for Yagami Kyo to be quiet and motioned for him to keep watching.
At this point, two young men in robes moved a large table from under the pulpit and swiftly covered it with a red cloth.
"Please, Holy Maiden Ranrin, take your seat," Head Deacon Mexias said solemnly.
One of the four beautiful women standing behind Mexias slowly walked to the center and began unbuttoning her robe. Soon, she had removed her entire robe.
Yagami Kyo was astonished to see that the woman was wearing nothing underneath. When her only garment was removed, her alluring, naked body was exposed. Even the most liberal woman would feel ashamed if naked in front of so many people, but the "Holy Maiden Ranrin" remained calm, as if doing something ordinary, without any discomfort.
The Holy Maiden then slowly walked to the table covered in red cloth, climbed on top of it, and lay down. Once settled, she crossed her hands on her chest as if in prayer.
Apart from slightly heavy breathing, the entire church was silent. Head Deacon Mexias and the other three women did not move, just standing and watching.
Yagami Kyo was puzzled, unsure of what they intended to do next, but he didn't hesitate to stare at the Holy Maiden's intimate areas since she was undressed. Suddenly, he noticed something on the inside of her thigh.
Looking closer, he discovered it was an unusual tattoo pattern. As he tried to see it more clearly, he realized that not only her inner thigh but also her legs, knees, chest, abdomen, and other areas were adorned with strange tattoo patterns.
These patterns seemed to "appear" rather than "exist" because he clearly saw them gradually surfacing on her skin. He was sure that when the Holy Maiden had undressed, he hadn't seen any tattoos on her body. However, at some point, more and more strange patterns appeared.
As time passed, he was astonished to see the initially blurry patterns becoming clearer and clearer. Five minutes later, the patterns reached their peak sharpness, with every detail incredibly distinct.
In those five minutes, everyone's breathing grew heavier, and they excitedly watched this bizarre phenomenon unfold.
When the patterns stopped changing, Head Deacon Mexias announced loudly, "Brothers and sisters, please pray sincerely to the true god. Your prayers will be conveyed to the true god through the Holy Maiden."
Everyone bowed their heads in prayer.
The prayer session didn't last long; after another five minutes, the congregation gradually raised their heads.
After everyone finished praying, Head Deacon Mexias slowly walked to the table where the Holy Maiden was lying. To Yagami Kyo's surprise and everyone else's excitement, he pulled out an oddly-shaped, intricately designed dagger.
"In the name of the true god, Andis, please redeem us. We are willing to offer everything we have to Andis. Lord, have mercy!" After Head Deacon Mexias said the last sentence, he suddenly plunged the dagger into the Holy Maiden's chest and, with a "swoosh," he slit open her stomach all the way down to her navel.
Yagami Kyo was startled and nearly shouted. He now realized that this so-called Church of Andis was undoubtedly a cult that practiced human sacrifices. But there were too many believers around, so he didn't dare to flee and could only watch helplessly.
To his surprise, the Holy Maiden showed no signs of pain, but rather a satisfied smile, which sent chills down Yagami Kyo's spine. The other believers held their breath and watched Head Deacon Mexias with the weapon.
"Lord, please listen to our prayers," Mexias said as he reached into Holy Maiden Ranrin's chest, pulling out her still-beating heart from beneath her smooth, white skin.
As Yagami Kyo stared at the heart that continued to beat regularly in Mexias's hand, he felt a bitter taste in his throat and a nauseous sensation. He thought the heart seemed like a mere decoration without any blood vessels or nerves attached since he couldn't see how Mexias cut those things open with the dagger. It was unbelievably easy for him to take it out. And the long wound didn't bleed, as if the Holy Maiden was a lifelike mannequin made of polymer. But she was indeed a living beauty.
As Head Deacon Mexias raised the beating heart above his head, all the believers shouted in unison, "May the Lord redeem us; we are willing to offer everything we have to Andis. Lord, have mercy!"
For a moment, the entire church echoed with their voices.
After a while, Mexias slowly placed the still eerily beating heart back into the Holy Maiden's chest and recited in a low voice, "Please, Holy Maiden, return."
As he finished speaking, a strange white light emanated from his right hand.
Mexias then placed his glowing right palm on the Holy Maiden's chest, wiping it down the open wound. Yagami Kyo was astonished to see that the terrifying wound disappeared as if by magic wherever Mexias's hand passed, as though it was just a red chalk line that could be easily erased.
When Mexias's hand left the Holy Maiden's body, her wound had completely vanished, and her skin was so smooth that it was impossible to tell it had been cut open just seconds earlier.
Suddenly, a few believers fell to their knees, tears streaming down their faces. Like a chain reaction, more and more people knelt before Head Deacon Mexias. The church was filled with kneeling people and suppressed sobbing.
Meixias, the person in charge, let out a sigh of relief and said, "The ritual of offering has ended. Now, I would like to invite Deacon Mels to explain the true doctrine of our faith to everyone. Please don't praise me too much, I'm just a representative of the true God, revealing his miracles. I'm a bit tired and would like to take a break. I apologize, my brothers and sisters." With that, he slowly walked into the inner hall.
Including the Holy Maiden Ranrin, who had already put on her robe, the four Holy Maidens followed Meixias into the inner hall. Everyone gazed at them with admiration until the black-robed Deacon Mels, who appeared to be in his forties, stepped onto the pulpit and opened a projector, casting the doctrine he was going to explain onto a whiteboard behind him. The people who had been kneeling then slowly stood up and returned to their seats.
"Mr. Daimon, what just happened?" Yagami whispered to Daimon Eitai in amazement as Deacon Mels began explaining the doctrine.
"This is the miracle I wanted to show you. Let me ask you again, do you believe that there are gods in this world?" Daimon Eitai calmly asked.
As if to welcome the newcomer Yagami, Deacon Mels, in addition to explaining the doctrine, also told the story of the origin of the Andis religion. He said that Andis originated from a civilization called Atlantis, which was later known as the "lost civilization."
Atlantis was a mystery in the history of civilization. It is said that before the appearance of the current human civilization, there was another advanced civilization located on a vast continent called "Atlantis." Due to a global catastrophe, the continent fragmented and sank, causing the entire civilization to collapse.
The first person in history to point out the existence of the Atlantis civilization was Plato. In his two dialogues, he quoted the words of an Egyptian priest, saying, "The Greeks are as ignorant of history as children, and in their memory, there was only one great flood. In fact, there were several floods, and the largest one destroyed the entire Atlantis."
Andis was the true god who protected Atlantis for countless years. However, as time passed, the Atlanteans became increasingly arrogant and conceited, eventually blaspheming the true god. As a result, a great flood was sent to submerge the entire Atlantis.
However, some devout prophets received a warning from the true God before the flood came and left Atlantis, thus surviving the disaster. They also received a prophecy from Atlantis, stating that the true God would one day incarnate as a human to save those who believed in him.
The current leader of the Atlantean faith is believed to be the incarnation of the true God mentioned in the prophecy. When talking about the leader, Mels didn't mention a specific name but referred to him as "He," a title of utmost reverence.
The entire church was very quiet, with only the sound of Deacon Mels' preaching. Although some followers had heard this part of the doctrine before, they still listened attentively with devotion.
Half an hour later, the sermon ended. Deacon Mels made a gesture with his right hand from his left shoulder towards all the followers, then walked into the inner hall. The other followers gradually left the church.
When only a few people remained, Daimon Eitai said to the still shaken Yagami, "Mr. Yagami, I'll take you to meet Meixias now."
Upon hearing this, Yagami was startled. Before witnessing the miracle performed by Meixias, he wouldn't have cared whom he met. But now, the person he was most nervous about meeting was Meixias himself.
Seeing Yagami's anxious and hesitant expression, Daimon Eitai smiled and said, "Please don't worry, Mr. Yagami. It's an honor to know you and bring you here. All of this is arranged by the true God. Please, follow me."
With no other choice, Yagami reluctantly followed behind Daimon Eitai with a nervous heart.
