"We never touch money, we have no interest in money!"
"For the greatest joy in life is earning ten or two hundred thousand each month while maintaining a healthy, long-lived body."
"Imagine! Those capitalists clutching billions yet unable to buy back their health, left to suffer in hospital beds!"
"Imagine! Those high-and-mighty authorities being executed by a single shot from a crude shotgun!"
"We Phenex Society members can smile when they're on their deathbeds, and watch their final moments on TV, as we enjoy eternal life~"
"What a beautiful thing~~"
"My dear brethren, my little Phenex Society members, money is finite, but life is eternal!"
"Let us praise Phenex!!"
As the brown-robed man's impassioned voice rose, the seven kneeling followers responded with fervent whispers:
"Praise Phenex!!" x7
Satisfied, the bishop sitting against the wall behind a low table nodded approvingly before picking up a flatbread and cheap wine.
Raising the wine, he solemnly declared:
"This wine is no ordinary drink - it is the blood wine bestowed by the immortal Phenex!"
"We must remember His sacrifice, praise His mercy, and follow Him devoutly toward eternal life!"
"Thank you, Phenex!" x7
Hearing the devotees' pious prayers, the bishop nodded again. He dipped some bread in the wine, placed it under his tongue, and announced:
"Now, each shall come forward to receive the blood wine."
"Eternal Phenex shall bestow blessings, removing all illness and misfortune, granting us healthy, robust bodies!"
"Thank you, Phenex!" x7
In a voice barely containing his excitement, a recently balding middle-aged man hastily rose and shuffled over to the bishop. Under the bishop's benevolent gaze, he reverently received a wine-stained communion wafer with both hands and immediately placed it under his tongue without hesitation.
"Mmm~~"
As the wafer dissolved, the balding man felt an overwhelming sense of relief wash over him. The exhaustion from his gruelling construction work melted away completely in that moment.
This sensation was something neither the god-waiting girls in parks nor the sweet attendants at soap lands could ever provide.
After savouring the wafer, the man cast one last longing glance at the low table before the bishop, reluctantly eyeing the remaining wafers before silently turning away to return to his kneeling position in prayer.
Once this man had withdrawn, others came forward one by one to receive their wafers, each holding it reverently in their mouths, until finally it was the turn of a dishevelled young man with unkempt curly hair and stubble.
When this youth approached, the bishop handed him the wafer while fixing him with a steady gaze:
"Watanabe, thank you for providing this place for our service."
The young man called Watanabe quickly placed the wafer in his mouth, relishing the life-affirming joy it brought as he responded:
"It's my duty, bishop!"
Nodding approvingly, the bishop continued:
"After two hours of prayer, everyone must be hungry."
"And as you know, our doctrine teaches that wealth alienates us from eternal life - something our brethren must avoid."
Watanabe immediately responded with fervour:
"I understand, bishop! I'll buy lunch for everyone! No, I'll donate all my possessions!!"
"Now, now, you're being hasty again."
The bishop shook his head with a gentle smile:
"Existing wealth remains each member's personal property. The church neither encourages rash donations nor wishes to see anyone - or their families - fall into poverty through giving."
"If you truly wish to contribute, volunteer when you have time. Pursue your dreams! Revel in the joy of eternal life! This is Phenex's hope! Our collective hope!"
Tears welled in Watanabe's eyes as he wiped them with the back of his hand:
"...I understand, bishop. I'll go buy meals for everyone."
"No need for extravagance - Common bento boxes will suffice. We mustn't let materialistic values corrupt our eternal bodies."
"Thank you for your guidance. Watanabe understands."
After hurried apologies, Watanabe withdrew from the room and dashed towards the nearest supermarket.
The bishop watched his departure with a smile before surveying the room of still-praying devotees. Checking the time, he murmured:
"The service should conclude soon. Our brethren have work this afternoon, and I should visit the orphanage to help."
Like a devoted priest, he quietly contemplated.
...
Twelve minutes later.
Carrying two plastic bags containing four bento boxes each, Watanabe walked casually along the narrow alleyway:
"Volunteer work... I'm not really the self-sacrificing type..."
"Pursue dreams, huh?"
"Perhaps I should use the gift money from the last church gathering to buy a shogi set?"
"I think I wanted to become a professional shogi player in high school..."
Just as Watanabe cheerfully carried a plastic bag, walking briskly towards his rented old apartment.
Turning a corner, a figure abruptly appeared behind him.
The next moment, with a soft thud.
Watanabe collapsed instantly, the plastic bag in his hand falling to the ground.
Looking down at the unconscious cultist, La Folia studied his face as her pretty features began shifting bit by bit, her height gradually increasing.
Soon, another Watanabe stood before the fallen one, even the clothes now identical.
"A professional shogi player? Dreams? What a strange cultist."
La Folia gave Watanabe a puzzled glance before casually taking a rope to bind his hands. She then notified Kurumi to arrange for the captive's removal before picking up the lunchbox from the ground.
The next instant, La Folia switched abilities, instantly leaping to the apartment entrance.
For the Mimic Class, mimicking power didn't necessarily require assuming another's appearance—ability imitation was still imitation.
However, transforming into someone else's form when using abilities did provide certain enhancements. Whether to transform or not was naturally the Mimic's own consideration.
Arriving at the apartment door, La Folia—disguised as Watanabe—knocked.
Soon, a balding middle-aged man came to answer, smiling:
"Brother Watanabe's back! Here, let me help carry one bag."
La Folia nodded, handing over a bag of lunchboxes before following the bald cultist into the room.
"Everyone, Brother Watanabe's brought lunch! Let's eat together!"
As the balding man began distributing meals, La Folia scanned the room, pausing briefly on the bishop's face before whispering:
"Calamity Bestowal."
Instantly, everyone in the room felt unbearable abdominal pain, collapsing to the ground with cries of agony.
"Gah—!"
"What's happening? My stomach!"
"Is this a kidney stone attack? But my condition was cured by the blood wine!!"
Meanwhile, though clutching his stomach in pain, the bishop showed significantly greater resistance than other cultists. Gritting through the discomfort, he managed to retrieve a golden feather from his robe.
But as the feather emerged, a muffled gunshot rang out.
The bishop's hand was instantly pierced, the golden feather fluttering down onto the tatami.
La Folia, now holding a gun, adjusted her ability to Utaha Kasumigaoka's Hypnosis, her eyes glinting:
"Everyone, sleep tight~"
With these words, the bishop groaned before his head lolled into deep unconsciousness.
His fellow cultists had fallen asleep faster, though their bodies occasionally twitched from residual abdominal pain.
Surveying the effortlessly neutralised opponents, La Folia muttered into her walkie-talkie:
"Easier than expected? Are these people really cultists?"
"Though come to think of it, five minutes seems excessive."
Muttering to herself, La Folia dialled the number and said:
"This is La Folia. All targets have been secured. Requesting retrieval!"
...
Not long after.
Rooftop of a six-storey apartment building.
Luo Shu, sipping his coffee, suddenly paused and turned to Chisato Nishikigi and Takina Inoue beside him:
"It's done!"
"Get ready. We're going to collect them."
Chisato Nishikigi, who had been idly drinking her coffee, started in surprise: "Huh? That fast? It's only been a few minutes. I haven't even finished my coffee."
Hearing this, Luo Shu teased Chisato: "Isn't faster better? We can make it to Ginza for lunch."
"Well, that's true... But shouldn't we dig deeper into those cult higher-ups behind this?"
Chisato muttered before turning to look at Takina Inoue.
At that moment, Takina calmly stated, "I've already documented everyone who had contact with the cultists and sent the information to intelligence. They should all be under surveillance by now."
"Then maintain the surveillance."
As he spoke, Luo Shu finished his coffee, crushed the can, and said coolly:
"It's not the time to deal with them yet. We just need to make it appear we're cleaning them up on the surface."
With that, Luo Shu thought for a moment, took out his phone, and dialled Juzo Megure's number:
"Hello? Is that Megure?"
"Congratulations on your promotion and fortune!!"
On the other end of the line, Juzo Megure, already overwhelmed by the assault case, was completely dumbfounded and let out a confused sound:
"Huh?!!"