Reina couldn't quite explain the sudden urge.
From the moment Izuki Shima brought her to this strange cult, she had prepared herself to pay a price. As for the so-called "ritual" Izuki mentioned… anyone could guess it wasn't anything wholesome.
Yet, she didn't choose to flee. In this terrifying, dangerous world, Reina had to think of her five daughters.
So, when Izuki left, when the incense was lit, and when she realized it was stirring the most primal desires within her, despite her anger and conflicted emotions, she braced herself to sacrifice.
But something unexpected happened. The mysterious cult leader Izuki spoke of didn't take her body. Though, well… he did explore every inch of her, private or not, with those tentacles.
Still, he didn't go all the way.
A mysterious leader, strange tentacles, and incomprehensible actions. Wasn't he the cult's leader? Shouldn't he be closer to Izuki? Why help her?
Suddenly wanting to see his true face, Reina acted on impulse.
Muxiao Xiao could've stopped her, but since she was a recruit he'd eventually reveal himself to, he let her proceed. When she lifted the curtain and saw the round, undefined creature with big, cartoonish eyes, even the composed, calm Reina couldn't help but gape in shock.
"This—"
What is this? A monster? A creature? But it could talk and seemed rational. She was utterly baffled. When did the world get so strange?
Thankfully, her worldview had already been shattered once by Kawakami Tomie, boosting her ability to accept the bizarre.
"Damn! A mere follower dares barge before the cult leader? Such disrespect!" Muxiao's tentacles slapped the floor. "You Japanese and your love for defying authority, huh?"
This round creature, despite its appearance, was practically human in behavior.
Reina's tongue tied, unsure what to say.
"You…"
"You what? A cult leader being a monster isn't normal?" Muxiao spread his tentacles, smirking. "What, scared now?"
"…"
"…No," Reina said after a moment, offering a faint smile. "Compared to Kawakami Tomie, you're much cuter."
Comparing me to Tomie? That doesn't make me happy at all!
"Well, I do look better now—before, I was weirder. But I just did… naughty things to you," Muxiao's tentacles danced, wriggling toward the red-haired woman. "So? Knowing a monster was all over you, you're really not scared?"
Reina seemed to catch on to something. She reached out, curiously touching the tentacle before her. "Rather than me, why didn't you, the cult leader, take my body? The ritual Miss Izuki mentioned clearly isn't that simple, is it?"
"Uh."
Muxiao fell silent.
Reina's smile brightened. "Since you didn't force me, why should I fear you?"
"Tch, feels like you're misunderstanding something. You don't think I'm a good guy, do you? I didn't go further because I have plans. I need someone loyal to work for me, not someone caught up in schemes and deceit."
Muxiao pouted.
His words didn't faze Reina; instead, they improved her mood. "A cult leader lacking assistants?"
"I mean someone I can trust."
No need to spell it out—Reina caught the hint. Even cults have their internal struggles. "I was brought here, so I can't exactly leave. I'm already part of the cult."
"What do you need me to do, Leader?"
"Oh? Deciding so quickly? You trust me that much?"
Reina locked eyes with the tentacle monster for a moment. "It's obvious who I should listen to—leader or secretary."
With that, she knelt, hands on the floor, bowing humbly. "I'll assist you with my limited time, following your every order. I only ask that, after my death, you look after my daughters."
Entrusting your kids to me?
Muxiao's face darkened. "Entrusting kids to a monster? You've got guts."
"You've already shown your sincerity," Reina said, a flush lingering from the earlier sensations. "I trust you."
Trusting a non-human monster over her ex-husband—how tragic.
"Fine," Muxiao said, making Reina's expression shift. He continued, "I'm not keen on babysitting kids. They're your daughters—you should take care of them."
You sound like a kid yourself, Leader.
Wait, what did he just say?
Reina looked up, stunned, staring at the tentacle monster.
"I'll heal your illness. No need to rush into entrusting your kids. They'd rather have you by their side. Besides, I went through all this trouble to recruit a secretary—letting you die so easily would make it pointless!"
He can cure my illness?
Even Izuki hadn't made such a claim, only vaguely promising to fulfill wishes—a clear dodge Reina didn't buy.
But this mysterious, adorable cult leader could actually heal her?
Surprise, shock, melancholy, nervousness—emotions swirled in her chest, blending into a complex mix. Finally, they transformed into a radiant smile. Reina's eyes gleamed, her expression firm. She suppressed her smile and performed a full dogeza.
"Leader, thank you."
If she could live, who would choose death? Reina couldn't bear to leave her daughters. If the Leader could save her life, letting her stay with them, she'd dedicate her life to him. What was there to hesitate?
Her daughters had been her life's meaning, but if the Leader saved her, letting her continue to be with them, Reina would give everything to Muxiao.
Muxiao didn't know her thoughts or the profound change his words sparked, nor that she'd dedicate her life to him. The dogeza, a rare and significant gesture, showed her resolve and shift in mindset.
But Muxiao, not being Japanese, didn't grasp its weight.
"Now you're mine," Reina said, her mood relaxed, a gentle smile on her face. "So, what do you need me to do, Leader?"
"Take down Shima Izuki, replace her as the Himegami Society's powerholder, help me control this cult, and step by step, transform it into my religious organization, making all followers worship me!"
Reina: ???
So much ambition, but aren't you already the Leader?
Looking at Muxiao, Reina couldn't help but want to say something.
"Leader, why plot a rebellion?"
Emmm, no, that's Izuki's line.