"So you understand what I mean now, right? The Mechanical Cathedral merely wrote down some prayers and fabricated a few procedures out of thin air. It didn't meet any of the requirements for a ritual at all. There was no way it could summon an evil god. You can rest assured—I wouldn't joke around with our safety."
"You mean it couldn't possibly succeed?"
"Right. I thought those prayers were written rather thoughtfully, so I read them out loud. I figured they might cheer up the Machine Soul." Chloe nodded, speaking with confidence.
"Then what is this?" Theus pointed at the steam engine. It was still roaring as it burned Pollution, madly shrieking words no one could understand.
"..."
Chloe opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but the words caught in her throat. This completely defied everything she knew about mysticism, yet the ritual had somehow succeeded. She really had summoned an evil god—some unknown thing, at least. With the steam engine thundering before her eyes, she could not deny it even if she wanted to.
Her expression wavered, turning into one of confused self-doubt.
"This shouldn't have happened. I don't think I did anything special?"
"Could it be because there were so many of us watching? Maybe we met the required number of people?"
"Do you think it's just about gathering enough heads? It requires unwavering faith. Do any of you have unwavering faith?"
"We did seem pretty unwavering in watching the show." Chloe huffily turned away. Theus scratched his head and approached the steam engine. "So what exactly is this thing? Where's Silly?"
At the mention of "Silly," Monica suddenly sprang up. She rushed in front of the steam engine, terror written all over her face. "R-right, where's my Silly? If it isn't Silly, then where is Silly!?"