Transformed into the leader of an esoteric sect in Japan

“This guess isn’t wrong to some extent. Sister Theresa told us herself that she was known as the ‘Daughter of the Red Death’ by ​​outsiders. Her purpose in leaving Celaria and visiting Dusttown was to die here. She didn’t mind if we used her remains and borrowed her power after her death, because we are her accomplices. A part of her consciousness will forever exist in our bodies. All the pests in the woodland must be exterminated.” Yongzi’s tone remained calm, yet she spoke of something quite intriguing.

"You're her accomplices? What does that mean? You helped Theresa infect the entire Dusttown with the Red Death? How does that help you two little girls?" Kurosawa Shizuki felt that they shouldn't have believed anything the two girls said from the beginning. Sure enough, everyone in the woods was a traitor.

“Any creature with a soul in the forest has the potential to be chosen by the gods to complete three trials and ascend to the Temple of Reincarnation. Sometimes, my father and I can't help but wonder if there are too many humans in the forest? Everyone is a competitor vying for our chance to ascend. If we could eliminate most of them through some means, we would have a greater chance of ascension…”

Kurosawa Shizuki couldn't understand how Sand could say such heinous things in such a matter-of-fact tone. It was like some extremists in real life who felt that there were too many people on Earth, making it impossible for resources to be concentrated in the hands of the privileged, so they specially researched viruses to "cleanse" the redundant population on Earth.

"Besides pursuing ascension, what's more important is the worm on the mayor's body—worms are the common enemy of all intelligent beings. If they are allowed to multiply on their own, it will inevitably cause an irreparable crisis. The worm may change its host at any time. In order to prevent the worm from completely controlling everyone, it is best to make all those who may be parasitized die before they are parasitized." As expected, Yongzi and her sister were of the same mind, and the logic of what they said was very similar.

"Won't you be parasitized by worms? According to your logic, it would be safest if everyone died, right?" Kurosawa Shizuki felt that the two girls' words were a bit too hypocritical, as if everyone else had to die because it was too dangerous, but weren't they in danger?

“We will neither be parasitized nor infected by the Red Death, because we are non-human imposters, manufactured humanoids. Although we have consciousness, we can change into new bodies at any time. According to Father, we are beings born from the hands of humans but destined to surpass humans, and are the most perfect sacrifices.” Sand and Eiko said in unison, their almost perfect synchronization was very eerie.

"A puppet without a life source dares to claim it surpasses humanity?" Yuki Asakura laughed contemptuously.

"Sister, you've long since transcended the status of a human, haven't you? Someone who can be reborn unscathed after being killed by the Golden Branch, can you really still be called human?" Sand seemed to have struck a nerve with Asakura with just one sentence.

"If you want to pursue ascension, even if you are the only ones left in the forest, you and that 'father' will probably fight to the death for that slim chance of ascension?" In Kurosawa Shizuki's eyes, what they initially saw as their father's hunting of his two daughters seemed to have taken on a new meaning.

“That’s right, we also have to thank the two angel sisters. Without you, perhaps the path to ascension would have been destined for Dad. We have been sacrificed to the forest fairies by Dad countless times. We thought we would never have another chance to truly embark on the path to ascension.” Sha Zi and Yong Zi giggled at the same time. They bowed deeply to Kurosawa Shizuki and Asakura Yuki, as if to express their gratitude.

"You've been sacrificed countless times? Wait, then why do you still remember the story of Sister Theresa before you were sacrificed?" Kurosawa Shizuki found Sanda and Eiko's words increasingly strange.

“We don’t understand either… Although we’ve been devoured by the forest fairy countless times, we’re recreated by Father after each one. We can even remember all our past memories… Although we’ve died countless times, we’ve always maintained the same memories. We can’t understand the meaning of the gods arranging our fate this way.” Sand’s gaze deepened, and her expression turned utterly cold when she spoke of death.

“Death after death, rebirth after rebirth, like an endless cycle, with no hope in sight, until we met the two angel sisters, we finally understood that the long-awaited light from the oracle had finally arrived. In order to be freed, we had already made up our minds to complete the three trials, and for this purpose, we were willing to sacrifice anything.” Yongzi’s voice was resolute.

“The worm mayor, who controls the Golden Branch, is almost invincible in the forest. We never expected the two angel sisters to be so reckless as to start a war with him. In order to complete the trial of the gods, we have no choice but to disturb Sister Theresa’s slumber and use her power to defeat the Centipede Sage. To control such a terrifying power, given our physical condition, we can only hold out for half a day at most,” Sand said sadly. Kurosawa Shizuki, however, felt that killing the Centipede Sage was definitely part of their plan from the beginning.

P.S., I uninstalled Genshin Impact and then reinstalled it. I found that if you play it casually and for free, it's actually not bad and you can keep playing. If anyone plays Genshin Impact, please add me as a friend!

Chapter 116, Section 117: Let's Go and Pay Homage to the Forest Fairy

"But it doesn't matter. The length of life has long lost its meaning for us. As long as we complete the remaining two trials in the next half day, we'll be fine. I believe that with the blessings of the gods, we can definitely do it!" Is Yongzi really so confident in completing the three trials only because of divine favor? Seeing the dual golden branches she wields is chilling. If the golden branches can maintain their power against the worms, do they really need Kurosawa Shizuki and Asakura's help? Kurosawa Shizuki thinks the two of them can handle everything on their own.

"You keep insisting that completing the three trials will allow you to ascend to godhood, yet you even plotted to kill your father and the other townspeople, proving that the path to godhood is extremely rare. After we help you complete the three trials, will we really have a chance to ascend and meet the gods?" Asakura Yuki looked at the skull and hand bones in Sako and Eiko's hands with great apprehension. Given the sisters' previous behavior, it wouldn't be surprising at all if they betrayed her at the last moment.

“We don’t want to ascend at all. Only my two older sisters want to ascend. The only reason we’re still alive is to fulfill Teresa’s last wish. The three trials are just her final arrangement.” Sand’s smile remained unchanged, becoming more and more like a lifeless doll.

“Once we complete the three trials, we can die with a clear conscience, and Teresa’s remains will be left to you as well.” Yongzi’s voice sounded very gloomy.

"Why did you go to such lengths? Do you want to die?" Kurosawa Shizuki hadn't expected the two doll-like girls to have such thoughts.

[Side Quest: The Three Trials of the World's End has been triggered, current progress 1/3.] The system notification for the quest only arrived belatedly now that the two little girls have revealed the "truth." Was it because the information Kurosawa Shizuki had heard before was a lie that the quest hadn't been triggered?

[Sand and Eiko, the last outcasts of the woodland, harbor a deep hatred for everything that remains in this world. They realize that you will bring them the end they long for. Help them complete three trials, and together you will witness the final act of a grand drama.]

[Quest Reward: 12000 Nightmare Points, Theresa's Open Skull]

The golden branch, feathers, and key probably correspond to the three artifacts mentioned by the centipede sage for ascending to immortality in the woods. However, why did the golden branch become Theresa's skull in the reward description?

Why is there only one skull mentioned in the reward description? Kurosawa Shizuki glanced at Asakura Yuki, only to find that Asakura Yuki's eyes were fixed on the two hand bones of Teresa in Eiko's hand. Was it because Asakura wanted the Golden Branch? Kurosawa Shizuki didn't know which was more valuable, the two Golden Branches or the skull in Sha Zi's hand, but she understood that it would be extremely unwise to disagree with Asakura about the mission rewards when the mission was far from over.

Judging from the system's message, Teresa's skull was probably more suitable for her than a weapon like the Golden Bough. She took a deep look at the skull in Sha Zi's arms and felt a strange tremor in her heart, especially the indentation in the center of the skull that resembled a third eye, which felt inexplicably familiar.

For no apparent reason, a scene appeared in Kurosawa Shizuki's mind. It was probably an extremely distant memory. Could it be from the original owner of this body? During that hallucinatory period, the only person she could see clearly was Kurosawa Ai.

In a dimly lit room resembling a laboratory, her younger sister, Kurosawa Ai, lay on the operating table, in a sweet slumber. Judging by her age, Kurosawa Ai was at most five or six years old at this time, but Kurosawa Shizuki could recognize her at a glance.

Someone held an extremely sharp tool in their hand, a reddish-brown sharp instrument, aimed at Kurosawa Ai's brow, and stabbed it in with extremely gentle yet extremely cruel movements, making a series of chilling, slurring sounds.

The drill bit pierced the skull in exactly the same spot, and Kurosawa Ai's blood splattered everywhere. Kurosawa Shizuki felt as if she were standing by, watching this terrible thing happen.

"I'm sorry, Ai, this is something that must be done to continue our cause," the man undergoing surgery said to Ai Kurosawa with guilt and pain.

Kurosawa Shizuki started to feel a headache again. Disorganized images appeared and disappeared before her eyes, as if they were happening in another world.

"There is nothing left in this world worth our attachment. Since birth, all we have experienced is endless torment and suffering. We are toys in the hands of the gods, with no free will whatsoever. What need is there for us to ascend and serve such a god?" Sand said indifferently.

“Even the only light we’ve ever encountered in this life, Sister Teresa, died peacefully a long time ago. This world should just be destroyed as soon as possible. If we’re not mistaken, you two sisters, you’ve come here to destroy this world, haven’t you?” Yongzi held two arm bones in her arms as if they were the most precious treasures in the world. How did they know that Kurosawa Shizuki and Asakura Yuki had come to the woods?

"I already know about you. To be honest, I don't care what your wishes are, what you've done in the past, or how desperate you feel about this world," Yuki Asakura said, though her eyes were quite gloomy. "As long as you can guide us through the three trials and lead us to the forest gods, nothing else matters."

“Since you keep saying you don’t want to ascend,” Asakura extended his hand toward Eiko and Sako, “at least give me one of the Golden Branches, okay? It’s a very powerful weapon. If Eiko alone holds both Golden Branches, I’m afraid I’ll find it very difficult to continue cooperating with you without any reservations on the journey ahead.”

Asakura Yuki's worries were not an overreaction. The two arm bones that Eiko held in her arms, which were transformed from golden branches, posed a greater threat to Kurosawa Shizuki and Asakura Yuki than they had in the hands of the centipede sage or the worm.

If, during the subsequent battle, Eiko were to stab them in the back with this extremely dangerous golden branch, Kurosawa Shizuki couldn't imagine what terrible consequences would occur. Neither Kurosawa Shizuki nor Asakura Yuki had any confidence that they could successfully revive using the power of the black matter after being killed by this terrifying golden branch. Kurosawa Shizuki didn't believe that Asakura Yuki's resurrection method, which seemed to reverse time, could be used infinitely. Kurosawa Shizuki suspected that Asakura could only use that move once at most in a short period of time. If it happened again, even Asakura Yuki would surely die.

Even though the two sisters who exuded a strange aura from head to toe kept saying they didn't want anything, Kurosawa Shizuki simply couldn't trust them at all.

“I’m sorry, Asakura-neechan, this is the reward after we complete the trials, and it’s also a promise we made to Theresa-neechan,” Eiko said, clutching the arm bone to her chest, her head bowed so her face was obscured, but her voice was timid yet resolute. “If we take the reward now, how can we ensure that you help us complete the three trials?”

“Trust is a two-way street, but we clearly haven’t built that kind of trust yet with you two older sisters,” Sha Zi said firmly. Kurosawa Shizuki noticed that the two girls were tense, as if they would not hesitate to take action at the slightest disagreement.

However, Kurosawa Shizuki and Asakura Yuki, who were severely weakened in their battle against the "Centipede Sage" or rather, the suspected Centipede Sage, had no confidence in defeating the two girls who disposed of the worms with incredibly clean and efficient methods in the upcoming battle. Having obtained Teresa's remains, they were far from being as harmless as they appeared.

"Heh, let's look forward to it then. In the next two trials, we'll be able to build mutual trust." Asakura Yuki gave up on asking for the golden branch. Although she said she trusted him, Kurosawa Shizuki had no doubt that if given the chance, Asakura Yuki would kill the two strange little girls without hesitation. Kurosawa Shizuki could tell that Asakura Yuki was suppressing the evil fire in her heart.

"As long as the two angel sisters help us complete the three trials, we will never break our vow," Sha Zi and Yong Zi said firmly in unison.

Having just completed the first of the three trials, the trust between Shizuki Kurosawa, Yuki Asakura, Eiko, and Sako seemed to be on the verge of breaking down, but they ultimately managed to reach an extremely fragile cooperative relationship.

They continued on their way to the forest nymph's territory, though their relationship was strained.

At the end of the River of Illusion, beyond which lies the River of Painting, which leads to the Fairy of the Forest's castle. The Fairy of the Forest is the queen of all winged creatures in the woods, wielding the power to grant others the wings necessary for ascension. In her kingdom, the boundary between fantasy and reality has long been blurred.

Kurosawa Shizuki was not surprised to hear another rather familiar name of the Queen of the Forest from the two little girls:

"Fujiwara Mana" is the name of Fujiwara no Kage's mother. She is a flesh-shedding person commonly referred to as Lady Fujiwara in the Shindai-kai.

In the three trials, there are three high-ranking beings in the forest. One is Fujiwara no Kage's father, who is hiding in the forest but is parasitized by worms. Will Kamishiro know what situation the centipede sage is in? Do they tacitly allow the worms to parasitize the forest, or are they bewitched by the worms? In any case, Kurosawa Shizuki finds it hard to believe that Kamishiro, who worships Kirie, would be willing to cooperate with a worm whose goal is to devour all gods.

The second person, the Forest Fairy, is Fujiwara no Kageko's mother. Is she her true form or an avatar within the forest? What is Lady Fujiwara plotting in the forest?

What is the connection between the third person, the hermit on the pillar, and Fujiwara no Kageko? Or is the hermit on the pillar actually Fujiwara no Kageko herself?

P.S., after finishing Fire Emblem: Three Houses, I've been inspired to start a new story. I'd really like to write a plot where the protagonist becomes a teacher, guiding students, and then ultimately clashes with them on the battlefield. I've always said I wanted to use the Dragon Raja universe as a reference for a story about Attila and Shami destroying the Roman Empire, but now my imagination has run wild again. I feel like it would be interesting to put some of my previous ideas in a fantasy setting and follow the Fire Emblem: Three Houses template. But that's just a thought, so I'll focus on writing this book instead. Sigh.

Chapter 117, Section 118: Boating on a picturesque river

"The Forest Fairy is the only remaining queen of the forest, the highest-ranking among all winged creatures. She has purple gauze wings and is the sister of the Amethyst Protozoan who loved Matthias. After the Amethyst Protozoan escaped the forest, the sisters of the protozoan began a grand war to divide up the Amethyst Protozoan's relics. The Forest Fairy was the only victor. Because of her victory, the moth became the highest-level life form in the forest."

Since receiving the Golden Branch, Sha Zi and Yong Zi seem to have lost interest in hiding their true intentions. Their conversations have become increasingly unrestrained, and when discussing the Fairy of the Forest, they readily reveal a great deal of secrets.

If Kurosawa Shizuki or Asakura Yuki were to press them about where they learned so many secrets, they would only answer in a matter-of-fact tone—that their fathers told them. Their deceased fathers were truly omniscient. If their fathers really knew so much, would they have been so easily ambushed and killed by Kurosawa Shizuki and Asakura Yuki?

"Is this forest fairy the same person as the Lady Fujiwara you mentioned?" Asakura Yuki asked, somewhat puzzled. "As far as I know, Lady Fujiwara was born at most in the last century."

"The flow of time in the forest is different from that in the outside world. What might be less than a hundred years in your world could be tens of thousands of years in the forest," Sand said coldly.

"What exactly is the Amethyst Adult? Lady Fujiwara is her sister, so it sounds like Lady Fujiwara probably can't be considered human either?" Kurosawa Shizuki felt particularly out of place and strange when she heard the names from the original owner's novel from the two little girls. The original owner's novel was indeed not made up out of thin air. Perhaps the original owner's story was actually depicting the truth.

"The Amethyst Adult Insect is a divine child hatched from an egg left in the human world by a deity. She was supposed to be the vessel through which the deity descended to earth, but she offended the heavens and fled the forest. That's why the creatures of the forest began to endlessly kill each other, vying for the position of the Amethyst Adult Insect. Currently, Lady Fujiwara, as the Amethyst Adult Insect's sister, is the biggest winner. Her status means she has long since transcended human form; she is an insect in human skin." When Eiko spoke of the forest fairy, her voice was filled with barely concealed fear.

The Centipede Sage is a molting being parasitized by worms, and Lady Fujiwara is the sister of the Forest Fairy. What exactly is Fujiwara no Mitsuko, the child born from their union? The idea of ​​a child conceived by two parasitic "worms" within the human body is terrifying. With such bloodlines, Fujiwara no Mitsuko was able to replace the Amethyst Adult Worm as an apostle of Kiriezuki and be the vessel for the divine descent.

"It sounds like the Amethyst Adult is very similar to an old friend of mine. Both of us offended the gods and betrayed our order in pursuit of our own freedom..." Yuki Asakura smiled with a self-deprecating tone.

Kurosawa Shizuki was somewhat surprised to discover that she seemed to have a strong connection with those who had offended the divine curse. Asakura Yuki was the child of a divine curse, the former Shadow Princess had also betrayed the cult for offending the divine curse, Fujiwara Kageko was born from her parents' offenses against the divine curse, even the amethyst adult insect in the forest had offended the divine curse along with Matthias, and finally, she herself and Kurosawa Ai seemed to be born from their parents' offenses against the divine curse...

The music box above was still playing, but now it had transformed into a very cheerful tune, seemingly a march with a distinct melody, perfect for a grand celebration at a ceremony.

The group was now climbing the steepest slope in the woodland, having left Dust Town behind. They continued upstream along the River of Illusion and finally discovered the main stream before it. Yongzi and Shazi said it was the mother of all rivers and now the source of power for the only queen in the woodland. The name of this main stream was Scroll River.

“The line between reality and illusion on the Scroll River has long been blurred. To find the castle of the forest fairy deep in the woods, we must also travel upstream. However, the area ahead is infested with too many dark creatures. Compared to land, it is safer to travel by water. Therefore, we need a vehicle.” Sand stood by the Scroll River, a wind blowing from somewhere ruffling her clothes. She pressed the golden skull to her ear, as if Teresa's skull was still speaking to her.

“The Scroll River is formed from the blood of Misty Spring, possessing the power of distorted ideas and matter. The original creatures in the woodland were all created by Misty Spring using the water of the Scroll River,” Yongzi said.

"How could the waters of the Scroll River create living creatures? It sounds like a myth, like Nuwa creating humans from clay." Although Kurosawa Shizuki knew that the entire forest might be a super-large myth, she still couldn't help but use realistic logic to think about everything here.

At the very upper reaches of the murky River of Illusion, a delta can be seen. Here, the forest's rivers branch into seven tributaries, extending in all directions. Rivers of various colors converge here, while the main stream flows down from a higher mountain in the forest. The water of this river is a flawless pure white, resembling both milk and mercury, flowing with a dreamlike glow. Countless purple specks of light flutter above the river, seemingly small winged creatures, twinkling in the mist of the eternal night, creating a very romantic atmosphere.

"This is how God created everything in the forest."

Yongzi put one arm bone into her bosom, while the other arm bone turned into a golden branch in her hand.

Facing the Scroll River, Eiko stared in disbelief as Kurosawa Shizuki dipped a golden branch into the river's water and casually sketched lines in mid-air. Golden lines flowed from the tip of the branch, and Eiko conjured a "canoe" out of thin air. Golden light flowed from the branch, and under its glow, the canoe became a real thing. Without hesitation, Sako jumped onto the canoe and sat at the end, hugging her knees.

For a moment, it was hard to tell whether the canoe was a boat or a living creature. Kurosawa Shizuki even saw several eyes opening and closing on the hull.

"Angel sisters, don't just stand there, get on the boat." Yongzi also climbed into the canoe.

Kurosawa Shizuki and Asakura Yuki exchanged a glance. Since entering the woods, they hadn't seen anything normal, and they were already used to it. Kurosawa Shizuki felt that she could probably accept even the most outrageous things that happened next.

Without offering any further comments, the two boarded the dugout canoe that Jinzhi had painted.

Despite having no oars, dozens of white arms sprouted from the bottom of the canoe, lifting it up and allowing it to leap lightly into the River Scroll. It landed without even splashing a drop of water. Then, the arms transformed into fin-like structures and began to move upstream on their own, as if they were alive.

"You keep saying you want to complete three trials, but that's just a gimmick, isn't it? The three trials mean nothing to you. You just want to use us as tools to do things that you can't do yourself. That's also your sister Teresa's wish, right?" Asakura Yuki looked at Sako and Eiko, as if trying to dig out the secrets that these two girls, who hadn't told a single truth from the beginning, were trying to hide.

“Hehe, Asakura-neechan, your intuition is very sharp. Now that things have come to this, there's nothing left to hide,” Eiko stroked the golden branch in her arms, her smile sly. “That’s right, the three trials are meaningless to us. It’s you who need to ascend and pay homage to the gods. What we want you to do is simply…”

“Just kill all the rulers of the woodland. That was Teresa’s last wish. We just want to avenge her,” Sand said, looking sadly at the skull in his arms. “Teresa was the only light we encountered in our desperate lives. We only hope that the woodland, which even this light would be extinguished, will perish as soon as possible.”

"Did you really have that so-called dream of being chosen by God?" Yuki Asakura asked suspiciously.

Neither Kurosawa Shizuki nor Asakura had forgotten that at the beginning, the two little girls claimed that they had a dream of being chosen by God, forcibly attaching the so-called identity of angels to them. Now it seems that there are probably not many truths in the mouths of these two little girls.

P.S. I recently finished watching Sankarea last night, and the zombie girl was so cute! Has anyone seen any related fanfiction? It seems to be quite niche on this site.

Chapter 118, Section 119: Entering the Land of Fairy Tales

"I did have that dream... To be precise, almost all the humanoid creatures in the woodland have had similar dreams. Since the very beginning of Dust Town, dreams about the two angels have been recorded countless times. However, there are no details about the two angels in that dream. The characteristics of 'blue eyes' and controlling 'the flames of the sun' are just far-fetched associations we've made with you."

Yongzi's smile was laced with sarcasm. "Compared to the two of you, Sister Teresa is perhaps more like an angel. After all, the Red Death she brought to the woods caused earth-shattering changes. If we hadn't borrowed Sister Teresa's power in the end, you would never have been able to defeat the Centipede Sage."

“But now, one of the three superiors of the woodland has fallen… perhaps the two sisters really were the legendary angels,” Sand said noncommittally.

No, Kurosawa Shizuki stared intently at Sako and Eiko. If what they said was true, perhaps the two "angels" in the oracle were not herself and Asakura at all, but these two little dolls created by their father. After all, it was they who used Teresa's remains to kill the centipede sage, it was they who seized the golden branch, and it was they who guided the three paths of trial.

The two little girls seemed completely unaware that they were turning a legend into reality.

The River Scroll beneath the canoe was becoming increasingly turbulent, and its color was no longer just the silvery-white it had appeared before. Kurosawa Shizuki was astonished to find that the River Scroll's color was constantly changing, sometimes appearing as green as new wheat, and sometimes as clear as a sapphire.