"He's not going to get his way? That's hilarious~" Matsui sneered at Harada Taro's furious expression. Honestly, he was a little surprised Harada Taro hadn't broken down already. The man had been cooped up at home for thirty years and barely exercised. He was already in his fifties, and his nervous exhaustion made him look like he was in his sixties. On top of that, he'd spent nearly a year getting close to those kids and using his own vitality to suppress their resentment. Matsui figured he couldn't perform many more "purification rituals." Once the hare was dead, the hounds would be cooked. He'd wanted to get rid of the useless, disobedient old man for a long time, but he'd had no replacement.
And now... Matsui glanced at Inuyama Heita below the stage and smiled faintly. A young man like him would surely be stronger mentally, and Matsui could use him for a long time. Even if he couldn't find a successor, the Society would have grown into a massive organization by then. At that point, he could keep expanding it without resorting to these bizarre methods...
When Inuyama Heita saw the children, he was also terrified by the horrifying scene. He turned toward the audience, where the crowd was already getting restless. Many people were standing and craning their necks to see what was happening onstage, and Qian Xiaoyi was nowhere to be seen.
So Inuyama Heita went over to Matsui and asked nervously, "Mr. Matsui! What's going on? Why are these children attacking the president?"
"What? They're attacking the president? Is that why he's acting like this?" Matsui first pretended to be startled, then put on a look of deep compassion and said sadly, "...I suppose it makes sense. I told you before that the president has a serious mental illness, especially severe paranoid delusions. I only recently found out that he's been hurting these children because he feared they might disobey him and harm him in the future. You know I'm not a medium like you, so I couldn't sense what was happening in time. Now it's too late. These children must be taking revenge on the president..."
"Can I help?" Inuyama Heita asked.
"No! Don't go over there!" Matsui gripped Inuyama Heita's wrist tightly. "Those children are a mess the president brought upon himself. There's nothing you can do, even if you go over!"
"But..."
"No buts!" Matsui's tone was firm. "Those children have suffered a lot, and their resentment is overwhelming. If you go over, they might attack you too. Then both you and the president will be in danger!" How could he let the successor he'd finally found get hurt?
"What should we do, then?" Inuyama Heita asked.
"Wait for the ambulance!" Matsui said. "If it gets here soon enough, the president might still be saved!" As if. There was no way he could be saved. Matsui wanted the old man dead!
"Matsui!!!" Harada Taro suddenly roared. He pulled out the Law Ruler Qian Xiaoyi had given him and wildly swung it around. The children retreated one after another, their faces wary, but they didn't leave. They surrounded him, waiting for a chance to attack. The Law Ruler's power could only do so much.
"He's gone mad! The president really has lost his mind!" At the sight of his actions, Harada wasn't the only one on the verge of breaking down. Many members were, too. The president they'd revered like a god, the man who claimed he could change their destinies, now really did look like a madman.
Matsui noticed the Law Ruler in Harada Taro's hand and was a little surprised. Though he couldn't see the children surrounding Harada Taro, he could guess what was happening. He immediately spoke into the microphone. "Security! Arrange for everyone to leave quickly and orderly! There are far too many people here, and the president mustn't be subjected to any more stress! Everyone, please leave right now! I'll stay here with the president and wait for the ambulance!"
Matsui gave a look to the thug among the senior members. The man nodded and told the fierce-looking security staff to start clearing the crowd and preparing to leave. They had to minimize the damage before things got out of control.
"Why, Mr. Matsui?" Inuyama Heita asked. "Why are you making everyone leave? Once the crowd is gone, won't the president..."
"Please trust me, Heita-kun. I know what I'm doing. We can't stop this from happening. If the president collapses in front of everyone, do you know how many people might go mad? We won't be able to control the situation then."
"I understand..." Inuyama Heita fell silent. He turned around, trying to find that person below the stage. He felt that things were already getting out of hand.
By then, Harada Taro had also realized how bad things were. The crowd's presence had been suppressing the children. Once he was alone, their power would grow. At that point, never mind whether the Law Ruler in his hand would still work—even if it did, his old bones couldn't possibly stand up to the younger Matsui. The Law Ruler would certainly be taken from him. So, while the children were still wary of the Law Ruler, Harada Taro gasped for breath and shouted into the microphone, "Don't leave! Nobody leave! I'm ordering you as your president! Come back, all of you! Please, come back! He's lying..."
The speakers abruptly went silent. He turned to look and saw that Matsui had yanked the microphone cable out.
Matsui gave him a cold look, then continued speaking into his own microphone. "Everyone, keep evacuating! The president needs a quiet environment to calm down! Everybody leave!"
Everyone had already accepted that Harada Taro suffered from severe paranoid delusions. He was clearly having an episode, so it was best to listen to Mr. Matsui and avoid provoking someone with a mental illness. The crowd obediently surged toward the exit.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, Harada was surrounded by so many children that his body had gone weak and he couldn't escape. If things continued like this, he was doomed. In his despair, Harada Taro summoned a burst of strength. He dropped the microphone and shouted at the top of his lungs, "It's all fake! There's no changing your luck! There are no purification rituals! It's all fake! Don't leave! I'll tell you everything! You've been deceived!"
"Everyone, leave now!" Matsui shouted into the microphone in a panic, trying to make his voice louder than the president's.
Unfortunately, some people still heard Harada Taro.
"Mr. Matsui, did I just hear that wrong?" Hongo Daisuke, the thug among the senior members, walked over with a frown. He wore a suit over a floral shirt, his collar open and tie-less, giving him a distinctly seedy look. Hongo approached with a dark expression. "There's no... changing our luck?"
"President, is what you said true? The purification ritual is fake? But I clearly felt..." another senior member, Kuroda, a truck driver, said in surprise.
"Stay! If you stay, I'll tell you everything!" Harada Taro shouted desperately.
"I want to hear it."
"Me too."
A few other senior members spoke up.
Hongo waved the security staff over and had them drive the ordinary members out, leaving only the senior members inside. Only people like them had the right to hear this secret conversation.
"It seems we have a lot to talk about," Hongo said darkly.
Before you continue