A shattering sound suddenly came from above the blank world. Himeno abruptly looked up, her gaze piercing through the interweaving mist and fragments, and saw Renji Kuroda's figure rapidly falling from above.
"Be careful! Be careful!"
Himeno exclaimed, raising her right hand towards Renji Kuroda, summoning the Ghost Devil's right hand.
Renji Kuroda had originally intended to jump down normally, but suddenly felt many invisible large hands grab his limbs and waist, gently lowering him down.
Himeno rushed over, a string of questions tumbling out, identical to Hayakawa Aki's earlier reaction,
"How are things outside? Is anyone hurt? Are you alright? What exactly happened?"
Renji Kuroda was steadied by the Ghost Devil's right hand and began to answer Himeno's questions one by one, telling her the current situation outside.
Hearing Renji Kuroda's words, Himeno's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and the worry on her face slowly faded. She let out a heavy sigh, patting her chest.
"Oh, that's great! It's good that everyone is alright; I was so worried. So, now what? Renji Kuroda, you came into the white paper to save me, are we supposed to find a way out by answering questions now?"
Himeno's gaze fell on the white paper on the table, her tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.
"First of all, I'm really grateful to you, Renji Kuroda, for coming to save me, but..."
Himeno said, pointing to the white paper.
"But those disgusting questions... Renji Kuroda, can you really answer them? These questions... they feel like something only people from a cult like Man's Religion would ask."
[Ding~ Detected Himeno's disgusted emotion, system rewards 10 points.]
"Huh? Is it very disgusting?" Renji Kuroda was surprised, thinking, "Himeno, you can use purple toys with such a lewd expression, yet you find the little man of Man's Religion disgusting."
Himeno nodded repeatedly and hastily, the frequency as fast as a chick pecking at rice.
"Of course! Renji Kuroda, you really should go see it for yourself. About the little man of Man's Religion... Oh, it's that kind of thing... Hmm... My partner and I once went to dismantle a small hideout of Man's Religion... This... How should I describe it..."
Himeno said, spreading her hands apart and then continuously gesturing up and down, her movements appearing a bit strange and somewhat comical.
She continued, "Renji Kuroda, you probably don't know this, right? The little man of Man's Religion actually exists in two different forms. Let's talk about the first one first. It's small, and it looks like a delicate toy... Hmm... like a rubber band or a slingshot... Well, to be honest, it's actually quite cute, haha..."
As she spoke, a faint blush appeared on Himeno's cheeks. After a few slightly awkward laughs, she seemed to realize her current impropriety, so she quickly reined in her smile and became serious again.
"But the second form is very disgusting. No, that's not right. Strictly speaking, that uncomfortable feeling already begins when it gradually transforms from the first form to the second form."
"Hmm... How should I describe it... That little man grows and develops. After its volume expands and gets bigger, it's like a... a flesh worm! Yes! A big flesh worm! Bouncing up and down in the air non-stop."
Himeno started making strange gestures in the air again.
"As the little man grows, its flesh-colored exterior gradually takes on a scarlet hue, which is very eerie. Not only that, but the intricate, crisscrossing veins and other vascular tissues inside the little man also emerge on its surface, looking terrifying, just like a strange Devil's appearance! Really! Renji Kuroda, don't disbelieve me! It really looks like some kind of Devil!"
Renji Kuroda suppressed the urge to burst into laughter and nodded.
"I believe you, I believe you."
"These are actually fine, still acceptable. But what I find most unbearable is the head of that little man. I'll just call it the red flesh worm here; 'red flesh worm' is a bit more fitting."
Himeno patted her chest, easing her mind.
"The head of that red flesh worm is tightly enveloped by a thin layer of skin, and this skin gradually sheds as the worm's volume increases, accumulating into a small fold, revealing the flesh-colored head underneath. That flesh-colored head is quite clean, but the flesh-colored head has no eyes; there's only a small opening at the center of its top, which should be the worm's mouth."
"That mouth continuously opens and closes, constantly spitting out a sticky, transparent liquid, which looks incredibly disgusting. Just looking at it makes me feel it's incredibly fishy and foul-smelling! Ugh~... !"
The more Himeno spoke, the more her scalp tingled. She hugged her shoulders tightly, her body involuntarily trembling."Renji Kuroda, do you... do you understand what I'm saying? The people in Man's Religion, they worship this kind of thing—the little man of Man's Religion, this red flesh worm."[Ding~ Detected Himeno's nervous emotion, system rewards 20 points.]
Himeno said, secretly looking at Renji Kuroda. Renji noticed Himeno's gaze and, prompted by the system, assumed she was very nervous.
Renji thought Himeno was nervous because she was afraid he wouldn't believe her, and that she might be seeking understanding and empathy from him.
Furthermore, Renji Kuroda had to suppress his laughter, so he didn't meet Himeno's gaze.
But the truth was, Renji was mistaken. Himeno wasn't seeking understanding or empathy; rather, she was secretly observing Renji's facial expressions. She had already noticed the subtle micro-expressions that betrayed his struggle to keep from laughing.
Himeno's eyes held a deeper meaning. Her attention shifted away from Renji, and she stopped sneaking glances at him.
Renji suppressed his laughter and asked,"Senior Himeno, how... how do you know all this in such detail? Are there many of these things in that Man's Religion?"
Himeno shook her head. "I don't know the specifics of that. At the time, we only dismantled a small hideout. When I broke into the Man's Religion church hall, a television in the hall was playing this. That's where I saw it—it was playing from a disc."
Renji pressed, "Do you still have that disc? I'd like to see it too."
Himeno gave a wry smile. "How could I? Those things are all evidence and must be submitted."
"Submitted?"
Himeno explained, "It's a rule. Any items we find during a mission that are related to that mission—including discs, books, documents, and so on—must be submitted to the Special Division Against Devils for review and processing. This is to ensure we don't miss any clues and to prevent these things from being misused or spread."
Renji Kuroda nodded, seeming to understand something. He suddenly thought of Makima and asked again.
"Miss Makima... would she watch these discs?"
Himeno nodded as a matter of course. "Of course. Makima is our direct superior in the Special Division Against Devils, and almost all missions are issued by her. Makima also personally reviews all confiscated items, including those discs. She needs to understand every detail we discover to make correct judgments and decisions."
At this point, Himeno suddenly looked at Renji in confusion, then seemed to realize something and said,"Oh right—speaking of which, Renji, you're a newcomer. How could I forget that?"
P@treon Rene_chan