Beginnings 2

After another heartwarming dinner, Ria fell into a deep sleep, utterly exhausted in spirit!

Time passed, and two days flew by. As the craftsmen finished their work, Ria's magic array also neared completion. The tall wooden entrance had a triangular gable, with a cross carved above the doors. Inside stood neat rows of seats where believers could pray and attend morning services. A massive gray-white cross, over two meters tall, stood on the stone steps, covered in intricate, mysterious patterns. At its center, however, was a circular opening.

The craftsmen had no idea what the opening was for. When they asked Ria, the little girl simply told them that it was where the Holy Light would dwell! Though they did not understand, they asked no more questions!

"Doctor Meli, we really can't accept this money!" The bearded stonemason refused the banknote Meli held out to him. "We didn't come to help when you were in trouble last time. How could we have the nerve to take your money now? Miss Meli, please don't put us in such a difficult position!" another carpenter chimed in ashamedly.

"How could I let you do that? You've all worked hard, and none of your families have it easy. How could I not pay you? Let's not bring up what happened a few days ago. Against a ninja, ordinary people can do nothing but throw their lives away. Uncle Yamamoto, I remember you have two children at home, don't you? What would they do if something happened to you?" Meli looked at the somewhat thin carpenter. Yamamoto's nose suddenly stung, his eyes reddened, and he burst into tears! "Doctor Meli, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! When I heard what happened that day, I'd already grabbed my wooden pickaxe and was ready to fight Scarface to the death. But my wife kept clinging to my arm and wouldn't let me come!"

Meli crouched slightly and gently patted Yamamoto's shoulder. "It's all right, Uncle Yamamoto! I understand. Everything's fine now, isn't it? If you still feel bad, come to morning services at the Church of the Holy Light more often!"

"Yes! Doctor Meli, you can count on it. Not only will I come, I'll bring my wife and children too!"

"That's right! From now on, we'll all believe in the Holy Light alongside Doctor Meli. She's such a good person-the Holy Light she believes in must be a benevolent god!"

Watching what happened at the entrance, Ria asked in puzzlement, "Holy Light, if they feel so guilty, why didn't they stand up for her back then?"

"Ria, you must understand that not everyone has the courage to cast everything aside to help someone else. It wasn't that they didn't want to, but that they lacked the strength. The people see clearly. Once they possess strength, they will give everything for those who brought light into their lives!"

"Yes, I understand. They're just like I was back then. After all, they're still people who have yet to be illuminated by the Holy Light! May the Holy Light be with you!" Ria silently conversed with the Holy Light within her soul!

After offering plenty of reassurance, Meli finally saw the craftsmen off. Turning back to the figure waiting quietly at the entrance, she smiled. "Ria, let's go home!"

"Okay!" Ria replied with a smile of her own.

That evening, in the newly built church hall, Meli stood in the center of the front row. Behind her, the children stood neatly in two rows of five, arranged from shortest to tallest.

Ria stood on the steps with the two-meter-tall cross behind her, her eyes gently closed. As the candlelight flickered, she slowly opened them, golden light shining in her bright eyes. Her gentle, ethereal voice spread through the hall. "Today, we will welcome the arrival of the Holy Light. I believe you all remember the days before the Holy Light shone upon us. Those days were dark. We had too little food, too little warmth, no certainty of surviving another day, and no hope. Yet at our most desperate moment, the Holy Light illuminated everything and saved me-and all of you! Now, let us pray sincerely for the Holy Light to descend!"

Ria brought her hands together, then opened them and raised them above her head. A tiny light danced in her palms, growing larger and brighter until it became a powerful beam that pierced the roof and shot into the clouds. It shone in harmony with the full moon above, like a bridge connecting heaven and earth.

Countless dimensions away, Li Ming's true body resembled a star with no end in sight as he quietly sensed the summons from the Naruto World. A wave of light rippled across the surface of the star-like sphere. A speck of light the size of a grain of rice split off from the enormous body and followed the summons downward. Along the way, it passed through untold worlds of different colors and sizes before plunging without hesitation into a multicolored sphere!

Li Ming's offshoot followed the pillar of light through the roof, finally settling slowly into Ria's open palms. The sphere had a radius of fifty centimeters, its entire body crystalline and translucent, radiating a pure white glow that lit up the dim room.

Ria slowly lowered the sphere from above her head to her chest. "Welcome, Holy Light!" Delight rang through her clear voice.

Meli and the children below gazed spellbound at the sphere in Ria's hands. Gradually coming to their senses, they each clenched one hand into a fist, pressed it against their chest, and bowed their heads devoutly. Together, they said, "Praise the Holy Light!"

Li Ming slowly floated into the air and came to rest at the center of the holy cross.

"From this day forward, let us forge ahead together! I shall light the path before you!"

"The will of the Holy Light is our will!"

And so the solemn ceremony welcoming his arrival came to an end!

The next morning, thanks to the craftsmen's enthusiastic efforts to spread the word after returning home the previous day, people gathered early around the newly opened Church of the Holy Light. They whispered among themselves about the pillar of light that had shot out of the church the night before. This was already the second time. When it first happened, many had assumed powerful ninjas were fighting, but last night, the people nearby had clearly seen the light coming from the Church of the Holy Light!

"Do you think it could be an evil god?"

"How could it be? Watch your mouth, kid! Would Doctor Meli worship an evil god? If she did, wouldn't she have left you to die of illness when you couldn't afford treatment?"

"How do you know Doctor Meli didn't start worshipping an evil god because of what happened a few days ago?" the short young man retorted defiantly!

"You little brat! Are you asking for a beating?" Beside him, the stonemason who had helped yesterday rolled up his sleeves, ready to teach the tactless youngster a lesson.

"All right, all right, stop arguing, both of you. Won't we find out when we go inside in a moment?" An old man who could no longer stand watching intervened.

As the doors opened, a blonde girl of fourteen or fifteen leaned out and called loudly, "Quiet, everyone! Today is the Church of the Holy Light's first day open. You're all welcome to come inside and pray! I am the bishop of this church, Artoria! If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me!"

"Bishop Ar... Artoria, was it? I wanted to ask how Doctor Meli is doing. Is she still treating patients?" an elderly woman asked shakily!

"Please don't worry, Granny. Sister Meli is doing very well. She's our church's priest now. If you need treatment, you can still go to her!"

Hearing that Doctor Meli would continue treating patients, everyone felt relieved, though they also felt somewhat embarrassed!

Ria opened the doors and walked into the church, and the crowd eagerly followed. The moment they entered, they felt their bodies grow lighter. Sacred radiance flowed throughout the room. Looking closely, they saw a tall cross standing atop two steps at the center of the far end. A sphere of pure white light shone at its center, its radiance streaming outward like hope awaiting them at the end of the road!

"This... this feels so warm!" The young man who had just questioned whether this was an evil god was now stunned by the wondrous sensation!

"All right, everyone, please find a seat!" Roused from their peaceful, comfortable state, the crowd found seats and began murmuring among themselves!

Looking at the hall as it grew lively again, Ria spoke softly. "Now, let us invite our Holy Cantor, Shui Sha, to play Morning Melody and cleanse your souls!"

Clear notes rang out, accompanied by calm, pleasant music. It felt as though night were giving way to dawn, as though the first ray of morning sunlight passed through their eyes and struck their hearts. Warmth and contentment welled within them, washing away their exhaustion and leaving their souls renewed!

Time slipped swiftly by with the music. As people came back to their senses, they went about their business. The room set aside for Meli on the second floor filled with people. They watched curiously as Doctor Meli treated patients differently than before. With a flash of white light in her hand, patients with minor aches and ailments recovered completely, drawing cries of amazement!

"Doctor Meli, is that ninjutsu you're using?" a curious middle-aged man asked.

"No! This is the power of the Holy Light! As long as you remain steadfast in your faith in the Holy Light, perhaps you'll become someone like me someday!"

"Really? Can we have power like that too?"

"Yes. The Holy Light favors everyone whose heart turns toward hope!"

"Doesn't the Holy Light require our souls in exchange? I heard that believing in a god means making offerings and paying a price before you can receive power!" a young man asked solemnly!

"The Holy Light tells us that only those who save themselves can receive his protection. Rather than saying you gain power by believing in the Holy Light, it is better to say that the Holy Light gives you a seed of hope. What kind of flower blooms from it still depends on your own efforts!"

At dusk, the people left one after another. Over dinner, families throughout the town discussed the wonders of the Church of the Holy Light!

Ria was delighted as she looked over the day's earnings. Everything added up to one thousand ryo, and this was only the beginning. Once word of the Holy Light's wonders spread throughout the town, that figure would surely multiply several times over! It was not that Ria loved money, but changing people's lives would require much, much more of it!

It was just a little hard on Sister Meli. For now, she was the only priest who knew the Healing Technique, but things should get much better after a while! After all, the magic array that accelerated training was now complete. The younger children would also improve rapidly, and every one of them would have a bright future!

Now that they had money, it was time to do more. After a little while, she would explore the town and bring all the homeless children to the Church of the Holy Light. For now, though, they still lacked enough helping hands. In the end, they simply needed more time to build things up!