"Devote your life to the great Jashin-sama!"
The leader drove a short dagger into the ninja's chest, causing blood to spurt out.
He then tossed the dagger aside, dipped his fingers in the warm blood flowing from the wound, and tasted it.
As if savoring it, the leader slowly closed his eyes, feeling a powerful sensation coursing through his body. The feeling was almost dreamlike, overwhelming his senses and making him feel intoxicated.
"Oh, I can feel it."
In front of all the cult members, the leader removed his black robe and hood. His skin began to change color rapidly, transforming into a demonic appearance.
Black and white lines spread across his entire body, including his face, giving him a hellish, evil aura.
"Did it work?"
Chojiro watched nervously, unable to take his eyes off the leader. They had performed this ritual many times before, always failing to get a response from the 'Jashin-sama'. If the ritual hadn't shown strange effects, the cult would have disbanded long ago.
But this time, the leader's body displayed clear black and white lines and an unsettling, strange aura!
Everyone held their breath, waiting anxiously for the result.
The leader was lost in a trance, sensing changes in his body, when suddenly he heard a low, raspy murmur mixed with chaotic mumblings in his mind.
"Is that the voice of Jashin-sama?!"
The leader felt a surge of excitement. He never expected this sacrifice to have such a powerful effect. Previous sacrifices had gone unheeded, but now, just one ninja had been sacrificed, and the results were astonishing.
He pushed aside his scattered thoughts and focused, trying to clearly hear the voice of the 'Jashin-sama'.
However, the sound was faint, as distant as if from miles away. Despite his concentration, he couldn't make out the words.
"Damn it!
Damn it!
Damn it!"
The leader was in a panic, his forehead bulging with veins.
This was the first time he had been so close to Jashin-sama.
Who knew if he missed this chance, there might not be another?
Was it because there weren't enough sacrifices?
Suddenly, a new thought struck him.
The leader became increasingly convinced that the reason he couldn't hear Jashin-sama's message clearly was due to the insufficient number of sacrifices.
But the problem was, all the sacrifices had been used up. Where could he find more?
At this moment, the leader looked at the cult members below and his eyes narrowed. Here were some ready-made sacrifices.
"Leader, have we succeeded?"
"Leader, has Jashin-sama given us a message?"
"Is it Jashin-sama?"
The followers, unable to contain their curiosity any longer, began to ask questions all at once. They were eager to know if the leader had succeeded and if Jashin-sama had really blessed him.
"Yes, I succeeded."
The leader's gaze swept over everyone, their faces reflecting in his eyes, and a slight smile appeared on his lips. "However, I still need a few more sacrifices to fully receive Jashin-sama's blessing for everyone."
"A few more? Leader, what should we do?"
"Leader, please ask Jashin-sama to bless us too!"
"Yes, Leader, don't leave us out!"
Facing their anxious questions, the leader raised his hand to quiet them and said, "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten any of you. As long as you help me one more time, Jashin-sama's power will be fully realized in this world!"
Hearing this, the cult members were thrilled. Their long-awaited goal was finally within reach, and no one wanted to wait any longer.
"Don't worry, Leader. Whatever it takes, we'll help you!"
"Yes, for the sake of Jashin-sama!"
"Very good, very good!" the leader said with a smile. He raised his hand and brought it down with a sinister grin. "Now, for Jashin-sama's sake, go and die!"
"Huh?"
"What?"
"Leader?"
The followers were confused and stood there in shock.
Then, the leader picked up a dagger, grinned cruelly at everyone, and slashed his own neck.
Blood spurted out immediately, creating a huge wound.
Before anyone could react, the same wound appeared on each follower's neck. Blood poured out, turning the square red.
"Screams filled the air: "Ughhhhhhhh—!"
"Ahhhh!"
"Leader!"
"Why?!"
The cult members covered their necks in panic, staring at their leader, who stood calmly in the center of the altar.
They couldn't understand why their leader had committed suicide, and they were all trapped in the curse caused by the ritual.
Members fell one after another, their blood creating a river that made the leader, in the center of the ritual, look even more eerie.
"Thank you for your life," the leader said, even as he continued to live. He licked his own blood and closed his eyes in pleasure. " Jashin-sama, the sacrifice has been made. Let me hear your voice!"
Suddenly, the voice in his mind became much clearer, filled with madness, whispers from the abyss, and a devilish roar!
Filled with pain, torture, resentment, and degradation, it felt like endless suffering and extreme negative emotions were constantly crashing into his mind like a violent tsunami.
The maddening words felt like red-hot steel needles stabbing into his brain, stirring it up violently.
The intense pain was like a storm, sweeping through every part of his body.
"Aa..."
The leader covered his head in agony, knelt on the ground, wailing and rolling around.
Despite his pain, he had finally achieved his goal and saw Jashin-sama he had been obsessing over!
It was a Cyclops hanging upside down on a cross, with a mad and malicious look in its blood-red eye. The giant was bound by chains, and behind it was a swirling, flowing curtain of dark shadows, hiding an unknown eye.
"Ah! I hear it! I hear it! I can finally hear it clearly!"
The leader's eyes were filled with madness, and his entire body seemed to be writhing.
He lifted his twisted face, and in the empty square, he roared like a wild beast, his blood-red eyes flashing with madness: "Ah, I can finally hear your voice clearly. You are The Lord that Created Everything, The Lord who Reigns Behind the Curtain of Shadows, The Degenerate Nature of all Living Things, the Great 'True Creator'!"
"From now on, there will be no more evil cults."
The leader slowly stood up, hunched over, and grinned widely: "Only the Aurora Order remains, and I am Mr. A!"
Uchiha Sogetsu, hidden in the shadows, nodded in satisfaction.
Now, both the Aurora Order and Mr. A are set up, ready to gather followers to satisfy the "creeping hunger."
[Side Quest (Optional): Spreading Faith - Part 1]
[Establish a religious organization and spread the faith in the ninja world, with at least 100 followers (1/100)]
[Reward: Hanged Man Pathway - Ten copies of Sequence 9~6 potion]
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