You call this a love game?

Kyubey nodded. "Yes, as long as the cause and effect are sufficient, any wish is possible."

"Um...I want..."

Sakura Kyoko immediately wanted Kyubey to give her a large sum of money so that her family would never have to suffer from hunger again.

But when you think about how such amazing abilities are only used to exchange for money, isn't that a bit of a waste?

And if she suddenly received a large sum of money, her father would definitely assume she stole it...

Wouldn't that be a complete waste of this wish?

For a moment, Sakura Kyoko fell into deep thought, pondering what wish she should make.

Money? Or perhaps it's about fulfilling her father's wish, making everyone listen to him and believe in him as she does.

But before she could make up her mind, the Kyubey in front of her suddenly exploded, turning into a bloody, mangled, R-rated scene.

"!!"

Sakura Kyoko stared in horror at Kyubey, who had turned into Kyubey-chan. She instinctively took two steps back, but because she was too weak, she tripped over her left foot and fell to the ground.

"Ah! It hurts!"

She covered her hand, which was scraped from bracing herself on the ground; the stinging pain stimulated her fragile nerves.

"Oh~ look what I found!"

A slightly quirky, yet inexplicably serious voice came from above her head.

She opened her eyes and saw a tall man wiping the blood from his fist with a handkerchief as he slowly walked towards her.

Sakura Kyoko glanced again at Kyubey, who had turned into a bloody mess, and then at the blood that had accidentally smeared on the man's face. Her mind went blank for a moment, and when she came to her senses, her expression instantly turned to panic.

"You...you...don't kill me...waaaaah..."

Sakura Kyoko sat on the ground, head down, covering her head and begging for mercy, completely unable to look the man in the eye.

“Lost sheep, it seems you have many misunderstandings about me.”

Bai Yu barely wiped the beast's blood off his fist, then extended his hand to Sakura Kyoko in front of him. "Let's get acquainted. I'm actually a priest from the nearby church. You should recognize me, right? It's the clothes I'm wearing."

Looking at the hand that appeared in front of me, there were still traces of blood under the fingernails.

Sakura Kyoko wanted to refuse, but after looking at the difference in their sizes and remembering that she couldn't even outrun the fat shopkeeper from before, she hesitated and placed her hand on his hand.

Circumstances dictate her actions; she doesn't want to die yet.

".......Um."

Although the person was indeed wearing priest's robes—the same robes worn by the priest standing on the altar in his father's former church—it didn't guarantee that the robes were his own.

What if he killed the priest, put on his clothes, and pretended to be the priest while actually being the murderer? Wouldn't she be in danger?

"Come with me. I can see you're confused and need help." Bai Yu took the girl's hand and helped her up.

"Waaah... Can I not go?"

With tears welling in her eyes, Sakura Kyoko looked pitifully at Shiraha, desperately hoping that someone would pass by and call the police for her.

“No.” Bai Yu shook his head seriously. “The Lord guided me here. The Lord told me that you are the one destined for me, so you must come with me today.”

"But don't worry, I won't hurt you. As I just said, I'm a priest, and I can see that you need help, so please come with me. I won't let someone who needs help leave like this."

"..."

Sakura Kyoko hesitated, head down. She wasn't sure if what the man said was true or false, but it seemed she had no power to refuse. Her hesitation was just a way to get more information before the conversation.

"Alright, I'll go with you, but can your master really help me?" Sakura Kyoko finally gave in and obediently walked to Shiraha's side.

"Of course, the Lord's love is everywhere, and the Lord's mercy is always open to you."

Shiraha took Sakura Kyoko's hand and walked away.

"Seriously, where did you come from? I don't remember any other humans with special abilities on this planet."

Just as the two were about to leave, a Kyubey exactly like the one before appeared in front of her again, blocking their way.

"Chubi! You're not...!"

Sakura Kyoko covered her mouth in surprise.

She clearly remembered that the other person was already dead, as dead as could be, and the pile of minced meat on the ground was still there. If she had been beaten like that, there would have been absolutely no chance of survival.

But now the other party seems to have come back to life, just like before.

But what about the corpse on the ground?

She couldn't figure it out.

Bai Yu said expressionlessly, "Heh, why do I need to explain my actions to you?"

After saying that, he punched Cupid in front of him again, smashing him to pieces. Blood splattered everywhere, and flesh was mangled.

If there were no possibility of using this utterly inhuman beast, he would probably kill every single one he saw and hunt them down to the ends of the earth.

Ignoring the two puddles of Kewpie sauce on the ground, Shiraha stepped over the corpse, took Sakura Kyoko's thin wrist, and said, "Let's go."

Sakura Kyoko nodded obediently, being led by Shiraha like a puppet on a string.

What just happened was so astonishing that her mind was still reeling.

A talking magical creature was punched to death by a priest-like man, and then an identical magical creature appeared, which was also killed.

It was so absurd that for a moment Sakura Kyoko thought she was starving and her mind was starting to wander.

But when Shiraha actually brought her to the church and gave her fresh, hot food, Sakura Kyoko felt that Shiraha was definitely not lying to her; he was a genuinely good person, and that Kyubey was indeed the liar.

She took big bites of the steamed buns, then drank a large mouthful of millet porridge, swallowing the food stuck in her throat. She repeated this process until she had finished the entire basket of steamed buns.

But looking at the remaining basket of buns, Sakura Kyoko stopped eating and her gaze towards Shiraha became hesitant.

She hesitated, trying to speak, but couldn't utter the first word.

"What's wrong? Are you full?"

Seeing that the girl had stopped eating, Bai Yu, who had been watching her eat, asked curiously.

"..."

She wasn't actually full, or rather, because she had been hungry for so long, she felt noticeably full after eating the first bun. But fearing this might be her last meal, she was determined to die full, so she forced herself to swallow the rest of the buns.

She only wanted to take the remaining basket of buns back to her hungry sister and mother, and she couldn't let her father find out, otherwise he would definitely be furious and think that she had stolen them.

"Can I take it home for my sister to eat?"

"Oh, so that's what it is." Bai Yu said in surprise. "Of course, if it's not enough, I'll go buy some more later."

"No...no need, that's enough..."

At least today my sister and mom can have a good meal.

As for what to do in the days to come... we'll see when the time comes, she can't worry about that now.

"Alright, now that we're full, let's get down to business."

Bai Yu tidied up the table and walked towards a simple wooden hut in the corner, gesturing for Sakura Kyoko to follow.

Kyoko Sakura didn't understand what he meant by "serious business," but she still obediently followed behind him.

After all, she had just eaten someone else's steamed buns. She wasn't an ungrateful person, so she should at least do something for them, right?

Upon arriving at the confessional, Shiraha opened one of the doors and gestured for Sakura Kyoko to go inside.

"Come, confess your sins to the Lord, and I will guide you in the direction of our Lord."

Looking at the familiar confessional room in front of her, Sakura Kyoko hesitated for a moment, but still went inside.

She used to play in the church where her father worked, and she went to the confessional many times, but she mostly talked about trivial things.

For example, accidentally breaking a classmate's toy but pretending it was already broken and returning it to someone else, or secretly taking the mother's lipstick and drawing a "fiery red lip" on herself.

Although her father would miraculously find out about her past every time she confessed to the priest, he would then give her a good scolding and make her apologize to the priest.

It was precisely because of this that she developed such an upright character. Her father was right; he did those things because he wanted her to become a better person. He scolded and beat her because she was "disobedient," and that was justified.

"Then let's begin now."

Seeing Sakura Kyoko take her seat, Shiraha also entered the next cubicle. The two were separated only by a wooden board with small holes in it to make it easier to hear the sounds, and a hole big enough to fit a fist, seemingly for reaching out.

Bai Yu cleared his throat and said in a calm and solemn voice, "Do you feel lost on the path of life? Are you troubled by worldly worries and unable to find peace of mind? In the darkness, do you yearn for a ray of light to guide you back to the warmth of the sheepfold?"

“Please confess your ‘sins,’ surrender your sorrows to our Lord, seek relief in repentance, and seek guidance in prayer…”

Chapter 86 Child Labor? No, Unpaid Labor

"I am guilty..."

Sakura Kyoko stared at the mottled patterns on the wooden board, her throat bobbing twice before she nervously continued speaking.

"I...I stole bread from the convenience store..." She heard her own voice sound like a crushed soda can, "But my sister kept crying from hunger, I had no choice, I didn't want to..."

“Hunger is not a sin.” Bai Yu’s voice sounded even more solemn. “The Lord once said, ‘Let no one in the world die of hunger.’ Your heart in protecting your sister is more precious than diamonds, so you don’t need to worry that the Lord will punish you for it.”

Bai Yu's voice came through the small hole, like light refracted through stained glass windows in a church, solemn yet warm. She suddenly felt her throat was a little dry, as if the millet porridge she had just drunk had turned into thick syrup.

Sparrows fluttered past the window, their shadows bouncing twice on Sakura Kyoko's face.

Through the small hole, she stared at the figure opposite her and suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

The father's shattered plate, the mother's late-night sobs, and the younger sister's equally bewildered gaze, her little hand holding hers, innocently asking why things had turned out this way.

“But Dad said… even if we starve to death, we must not steal or rob. We must never lose hope. As long as we do good deeds, the gods will always see them and we will definitely receive help. Otherwise, all we will have to wait for is the punishment from the god of despair.”

Sakura Kyoko's voice trembled slightly. She hoped that God would see her and give her hope, but she was also afraid that if she made a mistake, she would be shrouded in despair and punished.

“Did you know?” Bai Yu suddenly switched to a casual tone, “There’s a story in the Bible where King David, while passing by the temple with his men, ate the showbread that was offered to God because he was so hungry.”

Sakura Kyoko's breathing paused noticeably.

“But God did not punish him.” Bai Yu tapped his fingers lightly on the wooden board. “Because the Lord knows that the lives of the living are more important than rules.”

“Child, you have only made a mistake that everyone makes. When people are killed, they die; when they are hungry, they eat. This is the instinct for survival. This is not your fault, but rather the fault of the world.”

Although she didn't respond, judging from Sakura Kyoko's breathing gradually becoming calmer, she had clearly accepted this explanation.

Yes, she just wanted to live, but she had to suffer such a tragic experience, turning a happy family into a miserable one.

Even though they were already imprisoned, they still wanted to spread the seeds of hope, but the world did not understand them. It was indeed the world's fault. Their father was right.

This world, filled with despair, cannot be redeemed from all its sorrows with our current faith. What is needed now is a new doctrine. In this dark and hopeless world, we must spread the doctrine.

Sakura Kyoko tapped her fingers lightly on her knee twice, as if she had finally made up her mind. She took a deep breath, and her voice was much clearer than before, "Actually... my father is also a priest."

Bai Yu raised an eyebrow slightly, but did not interrupt her.

Through the small hole in the wooden board, he could see the girl's eyelids drooping, as if she were recalling something.

“He always said that the old doctrines were outdated.” Sakura Kyoko tugged at the corner of her dirty clothes. “He said the world was too hopeless and needed new hope… and then he was expelled from the original church.”

She suddenly smiled, a smile that was bitter and sour, like biting into an unripe plum.

“My father was called a heretic or something by those people… I clearly believe that what my father said is right, but until now, no one believes us, and no church is willing to accept us. Because of this, our family can’t even afford to eat.”

The sparrows outside the window flew back, this time landing on the windowsill and tilting their heads to look inside.

"Your father was truly a great philanthropist, with such unwavering faith and strong will to act," Bai Yu couldn't help but exclaim.

"Father, do you think so too?!"

Sakura Kyoko was as excited as if she had found a kindred spirit. She almost pressed her face against the small hole in the confessional cubicle and said excitedly, "I knew it! Someone would definitely agree with us. Dad will definitely succeed. He's a man blessed by the gods!"

"No, no, no, I do agree with what he said, but it's all just empty talk."

“Empty talk…” Sakura Kyoko was instantly doused with cold water, and stared blankly for a moment. “Why is it empty talk? As long as you have perseverance, courage, and hard work, you can succeed no matter what, right?”

"So he succeeded?" Bai Yu questioned.

“No…” Sakura Kyoko shook her head unwillingly, then argued, “But he will definitely succeed!”

"So when will that be?" Bai Yu pressed on, "Will it automatically succeed when your whole family starves to death and goes to heaven? Or are you planning to keep stealing and robbing?"

Kyoko Sakura was speechless.

Bai Yu spoke only of the bloody reality, the reality that easily defeated her and made her utterly vulnerable.

She couldn't survive alone in such a world, nor could she make people listen to her father, and even her father might not listen to her.