June 5.
In an old office building somewhere near Kita-Ayase.
The Holy Infant Society had its largest gathering ever, with all fifty-eight members assembled. Holding candleholders, they followed the president's lead in prayer.
".The Holy Infant has only just descended and is still resisting the foul influences of the mortal world. But in His mercy, He does not wish for His followers to suffer from illness. Therefore, He will bestow His blessings: those with devout faith may receive one Holy Son Pill. They may also exchange their accumulated offerings for more. Next, we will hold the Spirit Gathering Ritual to gather spiritual power for the Holy Infant."
These explanations and rituals were what the security guard under Shiraishi Wataru's control had told Nakai Hayato. Shiraishi had given the guard the identity of the Ninth Protector, whose duty was to prevent other evil forces from harming the still-fragile Holy Infant.
This had left Nakai on edge for quite some time. He could barely sleep, afraid some mysterious force might come after him.
At the president and his assistant's instructions, the members raised their candleholders and took their assigned positions. The Holy Infant's coffin was placed in the center, with plenty of rice and willow branches scattered around it. All in all, the scene gave off an air of profound mystery.
Then the members repeated the president's words. After they had repeated them nine times, the president led them in kneeling and cried, "We welcome the Holy Infant into the world!"
A few core members hurried to follow, and the rest joined in hesitantly.
The two assistants continued with their task of helping the Holy Infant sit up.
A chill drifted out of the coffin, clearing the minds of those nearby.
The gathering fell utterly silent. Everyone watched the child being helped upright, their eyes full of curiosity.
Amid the silence, the Holy Infant opened his eyes. His expression was devoid of joy or sorrow, as if he were imbued with divinity.
"Few among you are worthy," the Holy Infant said coolly, lifting his gaze. His voice sounded nothing like a child's.
Before Nakai could speak, the Holy Infant continued, "I will have the Ninth Guardian select those with devout faith. Only they are worthy to receive a Holy Son Pill."
With that, he lay back down.
The Ninth Guardian, who had seemed to be resting with his eyes closed in a corner, opened them and stood up. He selected the core members, several people in wheelchairs, and a few who looked reasonably healthy.
Sato Tomomi was among them.
She was anxious as she limped along with the others and stood before the Ninth Guardian.
"Each of you may receive one Holy Son Pill. You may take it yourselves or give it to someone else. If your accumulated offerings are sufficient, you may exchange them for an additional pill to spare your family or friends the torment of illness." The Ninth Guardian produced a box divided into compartments, each holding a pill.
Each person offered words of thanks and took one.
The core members swallowed theirs without hesitation. As everyone watched, they all seemed to grow ten years younger, their health visibly improving. There was no faking what they could see with their own eyes.
A stir ran through the crowd.
Next came the patients in wheelchairs. They swallowed their pills eagerly, and in just over ten seconds, they were tremblingly getting to their feet, putting on a medical miracle right before everyone's eyes.
The other members couldn't help exclaiming, their breathing growing more and more labored.
Sato Tomomi touched her stomach and her troublesome left leg, then swallowed her pill as well.
A warm current soon reached her heart. Then her stomach and leg warmed up, and when she tried walking again, she no longer limped.
Sato Tomomi was one of the church's longtime members. She simply hadn't contributed enough to become a core member. Most of the others knew her and had spoken with her before; they knew her main reason for joining the church was her hope of conceiving a child.
No one knew whether she could conceive now, but the foot she had limped on for so many years—something she could never have faked—had healed right before everyone's eyes.
From that moment on, they all knew they had witnessed a miracle that came once in a millennium.
"P-President, do I have enough offerings to exchange for another Holy Son Pill?" Sato Tomomi's first thought was of her husband. He had never been in good health, so she nervously asked the president.
Nakai himself didn't actually know how many offering points she had. They were nothing more than points assigned according to how much money someone gave, which Shiraishi Wataru had learned about and put to use.
But she was a longtime member who made a regular monthly contribution, so he figured her offering points must be substantial.
"Of course. I've seen your contributions, Mrs. Sato. You definitely have enough offering points to exchange for a Holy Son Pill," Nakai said amiably.
Sato Tomomi looked to the Ninth Guardian. He said nothing, simply took a pill and placed it in her hand.
Shiraishi Wataru, controlling the Ninth Guardian, sensed the effects of the parasites the experimental subjects had just swallowed.
They were all only compatible with the [Steel Body] ability.
So the president and the security guard he'd picked really were talented, since they could both be compatible with two abilities.
Hmm? No, wait. This woman seemed to be somewhat compatible with [Super Strength] as well. But the information he received warned that forcing the compatibility might cause the experimental subject to lose control.
Shiraishi decided to observe her for now before making a decision.
After learning what the Holy Son Pills could do, the other members who had just taken them also asked the Ninth Guardian to exchange their offering points for pills.
But each person could exchange their offering points for only one pill. The Ninth Guardian refused to exchange with anyone he judged insufficiently devout, even if they had enough money to earn the required points on the spot. Some pleaded with Nakai in desperation.
But Nakai didn't dare go against the Holy Infant's wishes. He only told them to remain steadfast in their faith, and that once the Holy Infant saw their devotion, He would surely bestow pills upon them, and so on.
The Ninth Guardian had just finished handing out all the pills. He returned to his place, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes to rest.
No one dared disturb him. Instead, a large crowd of members surrounded those who had exchanged for pills and the president, hoping to trade money or favors for Holy Son Pills.
Sato Tomomi turned one person after another down, clutching her pill protectively.
Seeing that the situation might get out of hand, the president went to a wall and called for everyone's attention.
Then he gave a low shout and punched the wall. With a loud bang, his fist smashed a crater into the solid wall, cracks spreading out around it.
Everyone stared, dumbfounded.
"Didn't you hear what the Holy Infant Lord said?! If you offer your faith, everyone can receive His blessing! I see some people here are even thinking of taking pills from their fellow members. Go ahead and try. Even if the merciful Holy Infant Lord doesn't punish you, I won't let traitors like that off!" Nakai swept the crowd with a piercing gaze. Everyone shuddered, and even those who had been worked up quickly calmed down.
Right, these people had been designated as the devout by the Holy Infant. If they made a move against them, who knew what terrifying divine punishment might befall them?
Once they thought of it that way, no one dared try anything. They could only gaze enviously at the members who had exchanged for Holy Son Pills, regretting how weak their own faith was. Otherwise, they would surely have gotten one too.
But one wealthy member did manage to buy a pill from someone else and swallowed it on the spot. After several loud laughs, the frail, overweight man became a nimble, overweight man in the blink of an eye, making everyone else even more envious.
Hmm, [Steel Body] only had a minor effect on body shape. It couldn't be used as a miracle weight-loss drug.
Seeing that everyone's attention had shifted, Sato Tomomi let out a sigh of relief. Thinking that her husband would soon be free of illness and weakness, just like she was, she couldn't help smiling from the bottom of her heart.
PS. This story takes place in a parallel universe. If anything doesn't match reality, that only proves what I'm saying. Please go easy on me. This struggling new author will gladly take any support.
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