You call this a love game?

"Hey, did you see that? That magical girl!"

As soon as I entered the store, this was the first thing I heard.

"!!!"

His relaxed state of mind instantly tensed up.

Turning my head to look at the source of the sound, I found that one of the two elementary school students, a little girl wearing a yellow fisherman's hat, was talking to her companion.

"I saw it! The Magical Magenta is so cute!"

The companion blinked her starry eyes and talked excitedly to the little girl wearing a fisherman's hat next to her.

"Magic Blue is so cool! She's practically my idol! When I grow up, I want to be like her!"

The little girl in the fisherman's hat was equally excited, and once she started talking about something that interested her, she couldn't stop.

Bai Yu shifted his position and moved to the shelf behind the two elementary school students. He pretended to be selecting items, but his ears were already perked up, secretly eavesdropping on their conversation about magical girls.

Could it be that......

"Hmm! Azure is indeed very cool, but I still prefer Magenta. Shall we go to that shop on the next street after school? I was so sad that I didn't manage to snag the limited edition Magenta figure last time."

"Of course! But let's watch the anime together next week. I'll play Magical Blue, and you can play Magical Red. We'll be the righteous magical girls!"

Upon hearing this, Bai Yu lost all desire to listen further, grabbed a sandwich and a can of energy drink, and left.

Oh, it's an animation! No wonder even elementary school students know about it. He thought his family had just gotten internet access.

He was almost scared to death.

While he did hope that the characters from the game could come to life, all he needed were those magical girls; witches and such were a bit too scary.

Especially on Witch's Night, you might really die.

......

Back home, he quickly ate the sandwich he had bought and took a big gulp of a drink. After recovering a little, he opened the simulator interface again.

"System, start simulation!"

The familiar light blue screen reappeared in front of my eyes.

[Simulation officially started. Uncompleted world - Puella Magi Madoka Magica - has been automatically selected. You can capture another world after completing at least one heroine's conquest.]

[Romantic options: Madoka Kaname, Homura Akemi, Mami Tomoe, Kyoko Sakura, Sayaka Miki]

[Should I select a primary objective...?]

"I choose... Sakura Kyoko!"

He knew a little about everyone else, but apart from this mysterious magical girl, he had absolutely no information about her. It seemed that she herself was not in Mitakihara either; otherwise, he would have found her long ago after more than a year.

[Main target identified: Sakura Kyoko]

This simulation will select an identity similar to the locked target for you.

[This simulation comes with the following innate talent: Divinity]

[Divinity: Possessing divine adaptability, one of the essential conditions for becoming a god, while also comprehensively enhancing one's physical attributes, making one invincible to those without divine blood or divinity.]

[Initial Divinity: 1. Completing one Mass each week, or confessing to someone, will increase divinity by one point. When divinity reaches 100 points, you can choose to break through to become a demigod. When divinity reaches 200 points, you can choose to ascend to become a god.]

Wow~ Is he finally going to beat the game?

He's become a god, so surely he can't be defeated by a mere witch like Night?

With such powerful talent, he is determined to protect everyone this time!

[The simulation has officially begun and has been deployed.]

[Simulation Introduction: You were born at the age of one, but were found in the women's restroom by a passing church clergy member, and were adopted by the church; at the age of eight, you behaved well and became a trainee church officer, helping the nuns and priests with church affairs; at the age of fourteen, the old priest died, and you succeeded him, becoming the youngest priest in the church's history. You thought you would live a peaceful life like this forever, until you followed the old priest away, until one day, a 'heretic' stumbled in...]

"Father, it's time for Mass."

He opened his eyes to find an older nun in a black and white robe looking up at him.

"Well, I see."

Bai Yu nodded slightly, stood up, straightened his robes, and walked ahead into the hall.

Today is Sunday, an important day for Mass, and there are an unusually large number of people attending.

Through his memory, he knew that the children standing on the left were adopted by the church. There were seven or eight children, about four or five years old, and only one little boy among them.

On the right is a group of wealthy social elites, each dressed in well-tailored clothes made of fine and smooth fabric. A few cuffs peeking out from the sleeves shimmer with a low-key yet exquisite light. With a slight raise of their arms, they inadvertently reveal mechanical watches with diamonds set on their wrists.

They are the main source of income for the church, and after each Mass, they donate a considerable sum to the church to give thanks to the Lord.

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Bai Yu kissed the altar and made the sign of the cross towards the believers below. "May the mercy of our Lord and the grace of the Holy Spirit be with you."

The believers below responded, "We are with you in spirit."

“Our Lord, we thank you for your love and grace towards us... Please forgive our sins and guide us on the right path... In the name of the Lord, we pray, Amen.”

"Amen."

Next, everyone recited the "Repentance Sutra".

Bai Yu: "Fellow believers, let us now confess our sins and devoutly celebrate the Holy Sacrifice."

Believer: "I pray to the Almighty Lord..."

Bai Yu: "May the Almighty Lord have mercy on us..."

"Let us listen to the words of our Lord, Psalm 23 in the Old Testament: 'The Lord is my shepherd; I truly lack nothing...'"

The sermon was not long, as Bai Yu was still young. The old nun only allowed him to speak for 15 minutes before ending the sermon and then had two trays brought out.

One dish contains bread and wine, which, through the priest's consecration prayer, are transformed into the body and blood of Our Lord. Believers establish a mystical communion with Our Lord by receiving the Eucharist. The other dish is an empty plate, called the offering plate, used to hold the believers' gratitude and reverence for Our Lord.

Chapter 85 The Priest and the Little Girl

The nuns distributed bread and wine while accepting the various jewels and ornaments that the wealthy group had taken off.

This is the place where the Lord spreads the gospel. Giving money directly to the Lord is disrespectful and would taint His purity. Therefore, these "external things" are used to replace the unclean money.

After drinking the wine and bread, and saying "Amen," the nuns offered a few words of blessing to express their gratitude for the Lord's grace, and the Mass was officially over.

He put the confiscated jewelry into a safe, intending to exchange it for money at the bank the following Monday.

The church quickly became deserted again.

The nuns have their own jobs in town, usually working as nurses in the health center or community hospital, to earn extra income for their families.

As for the little ones who are four or five years old, they have been taken by the nuns to the preschool class in the nursery to learn basic education knowledge, and the nuns who have some education also work there part-time.

This church not only plays a role in missionary work, but also functions as a small orphanage.

When those children grow to be six or seven years old, "big shots" will come and adopt them, allowing them to live a better life. It is because of this that the church receives a steady stream of money and is able to support the lives of so many people.

Ah, of course, based on the memories in her mind, Bai Yu knew very well that it wasn't as wonderful as it seemed.

The so-called adoption of orphans was nothing more than a way to satisfy desires, whether it was a longing for little girls or the pleasure of raising them. In any case, he had never seen an adopted child come back to church for a single visit.

Moreover, only children with decent appearances are adopted. Those who are not so good are usually released to live freely when they reach adulthood. Some more devout children are kept as novice nuns to continue working and dedicate their lives to the Lord.

Not all the money the church receives is spent on church affairs.

The old priest, over seventy years old and practically on his deathbed, took advantage of the absence of the church to call a prostitute to his room.

It was on that occasion, perhaps due to excessive medication or over-excitement, that he died.

So Bai Yu, who had been learning from the old priest, took over his mantle and became the new priest.

As a priest, he did not need to go out to work. He managed all the church's money and kept all the accounts himself, so no matter how much public funds he misappropriated, no one would know.

But since he had nothing better to do, he went to the church courtyard, found a chair, and sat under the big banyan tree, waiting for someone destined to come to him.

After the Mass just ended, a bit of divinity was added to his stats, but he didn't feel any improvement in his physical attributes. In other words, increasing divinity did not improve his physical condition.

But no matter what, he must continue to improve, since only 100 points are needed to become a demigod, and 200 points will make him a god.

The way to accumulate divinity is also very simple: by performing 198 more confessions or Masses, he can complete the accumulation of divinity.

However, one can only receive a little from Mass if it is performed once a week, while confession has no such restriction. As long as one confesses, regardless of whether it helps the believer, one can receive a little divinity.

And he is waiting here now, waiting for those who need to repent to come in.

However, to ensure a low profile and privacy, the church is located in a relatively remote area. The main entrance faces the sunrise over the sea, while behind it are alleys and crowded buildings. On weekdays, not many people pass by the entrance, and the believers who appear during Mass do not seem to be people who need confession.

In other words, unless he's incredibly lucky enough to have someone in need of help happen to walk by the door, and he happens to spot them, offer assistance, and confess his sins...

Isn't that absurd? It's even less likely than the chance that he saw the old priest ordering a chicken and then discovered that the priest also had one underneath him.

It's difficult...

Sitting under the banyan tree, Bai Yu looked up at the sky, pondering how to increase his divinity.

......

Cold...hunger...pain...

Kyoko Sakura swears that this is the most embarrassing time she has ever been in her life.

No, maybe it was the same yesterday and the day before.

Her father was a great church priest who often took her with him to spread the gospel and the faith. But not long ago, her father was excommunicated from the church. Without the church's income, they were so poor that they could only eat wild grass to fill their stomachs.

Unable to bear the hunger any longer, she had no choice but to randomly choose a convenience store to commit theft.

She swore! She really swore! She only took two loaves of bread; she could go hungry, but her younger sister was too small, and she couldn't bear to see her suffer from hunger, so she had no choice but to steal.

But she was also hungry, so hungry that she was weak and had no strength left. She couldn't outrun the shop owner and was eventually caught. The shop owner called the police, and her father gave her a severe scolding at the police station, saying how could she do such a shameless thing. Then he left her and went away alone.

The physical pain was secondary; the real suffering came from her emotional state, from the rejection she received from her family.

She clearly always affirmed her father.

Even when her father said in front of all the believers that the old doctrines were outdated and only the new doctrines could save everyone, she still affirmed her father and believed that he was right.

'Despair is the root of all destruction. As long as you hold onto hope, you can walk on the right path no matter what situation you are in.' This is the so-called 'God helps those who help themselves.' This is her father's new doctrine, which she has always believed to be true. She has always encouraged her father and was willing to believe in him.

but......

Sakura Kyoko covered her bright red cheeks, where two obvious handprints were visible. Even her hair was a mess, with a clump pulled out. The bruises hidden under her clothes were still throbbing, as she hadn't recovered from being hit by the chair leg a few times.

She walked with a limp in the damp alley, her steps faltering.

She definitely couldn't go home for the time being. Putting aside her father, she herself was too ashamed to face the innocent eyes of her mother and sister.

With nowhere else to go, she could only wander aimlessly through deserted alleys, avoiding crowds, like a rat in a sewer.

Why must we be treated this way!

hateful......

Despicable, despicable, despicable...

Please... anyone will do... someone please save me...

Gods, please save me, save my family...

Hungry and cold, Sakura Kyoko's consciousness began to blur. She begged the ethereal god, the god her father had always loved and devoted himself to.

There was no response, absolutely no response...

Do gods really exist?

For the first time in a long time, a question popped into Sakura Kyoko's mind.

But she froze the next second.

Suddenly, a cute creature appeared before them, pure white, resembling both a cat and a rabbit, with golden rings adorning its large ears.

“Sakura Kyoko, you look like you need help.” Kyubey said calmly, with his habitual fake smile on his face, “If you sign a contract with me and become a magical girl, I will grant you one wish.”

"Eh? You are..."

Sakura Kyoko looked utterly incredulous. The animals were talking!

Could it be that the gods heard her prayers and answered her?

"No, I am not a god, nor am I a messenger of any god. My name is Kyubey, and I have no relation to the gods that your planet has imagined."

“Okay…” Sakura Kyoko’s face showed obvious disappointment, but she quickly cheered up again. “You mean, you can grant me any wish? Really anything?!”