Chapter 17: “Sister, Do You Know the Way?”

When I was young, up until I was a second-year middle school student,

To be precise, until I was fifteen years old,

I believed in God.

And I believed with fervent devotion.

“No, no, I don’t like this. Eek, no, please no…”

“Shh. Stay still…”

Beneath a thin, black veil, slender shoulders were faintly visible.

Her black hair, braided into twin plaits that shimmered near her collarbone, glistened as if damp with gloss.

She was at least a head shorter than the ‘saintess,’

And her youthful yet sorrowful appearance was enough to stir anyone’s protective instincts.

But I’m a rotten person,

So whenever I meet such a creature that provokes protective instincts,

I get the urge to torment them until they can’t bear it anymore.

Standing behind her, I poked her shoulder blades.

Long, elegant fingers parted the black nun’s habit, teasing the skin concealed beneath the fabric.

The character on the screen showed no visible reaction,

But on the other side of Discord, the recipient began pleading with me as if experiencing it firsthand.

“I’m sorry, okay? I’ll listen. I’ll do as you say…”

“What are you sorry for?”

“That’s…”

The tremble in her voice wasn’t just due to a low-quality microphone.

As if hearing her prey-like trembling or pretending not to,

The saintess extended her arms over the nun’s shoulders, embracing her small frame.

With just the right height difference, the nun was nestled snugly into the saintess’s arms, who wore a benevolent smile.

With their smiling faces, the characters looked like close sisters in a harmonious relationship.

[Ooh, wow…]

[Teacher, so this is your taste, huh?]

[If you thought we wouldn’t like this, you were sorely mistaken—this is amazing.]

[Yuri… Yuri is the backbone of this country.]

[Wait, what? My eyes hurt… Why is it so bright?]

[Turn down the screen brightness.]

[Came from the HoldMedic stream. Stop bullying our adorable bean, you demon!]

[If demons were like this one, I’d gladly accept them.]

[Don’t lose yourself in 2D too much.]

[Is this that thing called “online Yuri” or whatever?]

[What even is that, lolol.]

Yes, I believed in God.

Back then, I truly did, and I loved Sundays.

Who doesn’t like Sundays, after all?

I eagerly awaited the weekly worship service,

And when I saved up what little allowance I had—almost nonexistent, really—to offer my first tithe, I was so proud I couldn’t sleep that night.

I used to think my body was utterly useless, but realizing it was well-suited for singing hymns made me genuinely grateful to my unknown parents.

“W-where are you touching…?”

The saintess, who had been holding the nun tightly like a baby bird, loosened her embrace and began exploring around her collarbone.

The hand that had unconsciously begun to move downward suddenly froze, as if startled by the sheer flatness of the terrain.

Flat chests. Flat chests are great.

When facing a chest, you can feel the pounding of a heartbeat even closer.

But this wasn’t what I was trying to do.

Had I accumulated some pent-up frustration after devoting myself entirely to training, morning and night, for the past week without a moment of leisure?

A quick glance at the broadcast chat window revealed it was burning up, scrolling so fast it might as well have been reduced to ashes.

Scanning the contents, it was full of nothing but perverted comments.

It’s enough to make me feel a little disgusted.

…Though, considering I caused it, I have no right to complain.

The saintess’s hand moved again,

Sliding down from the nun’s shoulder, brushing along her white forearm, gently caressing the petite wrist bone that stuck out adorably, and finally holding the back of her hand.

I used to believe in God.

The fact that I’m putting it in the past tense means I no longer do.

At some point, I came to deny the existence of God.

It wasn’t because I matured and my brain dried up, enabling me to think more rationally and logically.

It wasn’t like a child who used to believe in Santa Claus waking up to the reality of the world.

The reason I concluded that there is no God was completely different.

Even in poverty, in hunger, in the absence of parents, even when faced with all manner of misfortunes,

Even when I lost my fingers because of what could only be described as a cruel joke by the one I had believed in,

I still held onto my faith in God.

But eventually, I stopped seeking salvation.

Hmm,

Am I getting too serious here?

To get straight to the point:

The child who once believed in God no longer does.

And yet, that same child came to believe in God once more.

It sounds absurd, but it’s true.

I am undoubtedly a malicious anti-theist who shudders and foams at the mouth at words like Jehovah or Father.

But if the name of God is Gaia,

If it is the Mother of all who creates life and governs existence from a world beyond the clouds,

The one known as the Earth Mother,

Then I am undoubtedly a follower of her church.

I guess I’ve just rambled on about being a gaming addict.

In the world of Rainbow Tales, faith arises through entirely different paths than in reality.

In this world’s lore, the reason people believe in their gods fundamentally comes down to the existence of divine power.

If you believe and follow,

And if you act in accordance with the gods’ commandments,

You gain the ability to channel the power that nurtures life as a reward.

Unlike the gods of the real world—silent and indifferent,

Unproven and ambiguous, who neither respond to prayers nor care whether their followers live in suffering—

The gods in this world are different from the very foundation of their hearts.

From the celestial realms above, they watch over their followers with care,

Exerting their power in the world and doing their utmost to protect their devotees.

So it was perhaps only natural that I became deeply enamored with the priest class.

The saintess, holding the hand of the nun—specifically, the Hold Medic—slowly moved her arm, drawing the nun’s fingers along with hers.

From the tips of their fingers, white particles began to form, scattering in the air like starlight.

What they created was the sacred symbol of “Gaia.”

“You’ve practiced a lot, haven’t you?”

“Yes, yes, so please stop tormenting me….”

“Torment? That’s a harsh accusation.”

[“Is the host a true sadist or what?”]

[“What a villain.”]

[“What exactly are you teaching Purple?”]

[“Hold Medic, it’s not too late. Run away while you still can!”]

[“You are witnessing the fall of an Elohim priest into the hands of Gaia.”]

[“A nun being converted, lolololol.”]

[“Go, Queen Hold Medic!”]

[“Did the director really approve this?”]

[“He looked reluctant, but in the end, he said okay.”]

[“You think anyone can stand up to someone who rebuilt Mohe, Stak, and Parfettino?”]

[“Poor director.”]

[“Sister, come preach to me too. I’ll give you my everything—heart, soul, and liver!”]

[“Does that include co-signing loans?”]

[“Even if it’s her, that’s a bit much.”]

[“Lol.”]

[“You wicked woman, the million Elohim followers will curse you…”]

[“What exactly is the host trying to accomplish here?”]

[“She’s putting Purple through such cruel trials.”]

[“Not everyone can be a master Gaia follower like you, lolol.”]

“I’ve practiced a lot, really, but it’s just too hard.”

“What’s hard about it?”

“Elohim is instant healing, but with Gaia, I have to aim and hit the target with the heal. It’s so… it’s mentally exhausting, and my hands cramp up….”

“You can do it. The director spent a whopping 80 points to acquire you, Hold Medic.”

“B-but still….”

“Unlike me, who’s worth 0 points. You’re 80 points.”

“….”

“The director surely has high expectations for an 80-point priest over a 0-point one. So, you’ll just have to bear with it.”

“Sniff… I’m sorry….”

“Sorry for what?”

“W-wah, waaaaaah….”

[“I feel like crying just watching this.”]

[“She must still be bitter about being the only one left unpicked and dragged into the team last minute, lolol.”]

[“Lol, who even drafts a Yellow 4-star priest?”]

[“It’s the director’s fault, honestly.”]

[“So evil, truly.”]

[“You’ve clearly bullied nerds back in school, haven’t you? Lol.”]

[“Host’s delinquent past confirmed.avi”]

[“Hold Medic being worth 80 points is only because Elohim priests are easier to play, right? Isn’t this a bad fit?”]

[“The host probably has a plan.”]

[“Honestly, this just looks like a cult conversion, lolol.”]

[“Breaking Elohim priest players to boost Gaia’s follower stats… that was the plan all along.”]

[“Gaia’s stats are low because it’s a trash class anyway, lolol.”]

[“Why take it out on random players, Sister? Preach to me instead!”]

[tag: mind_break(female)]

[tag: yuri(female), netorare(female)]

[“Why is netorare even a tag here, lolol.”]

[“Gaia’s massive burst healing is way more satisfying than Elohim’s puny heals!”]

[“Rising! I’m rising!”]

[“Ohhh, oh my.”]

[“Is this the priest uprising world now, lolol.”]

[“This team is doomed.”]

[“Yuyu, the team’s future is bleak.”]

[“This team will disband by tomorrow, mark my words.”]

[“Host… is this strategy really okay?”]

[“My lady, my concerns are immeasurable.”]

They don’t understand.

The team I belong to—composed of a Berserker, a Saintess, Mohe, Stak, Parfettino, and Hold Medic—naturally focuses on close combat.

The clearest victory plan was for the four men, led by the Berserker, to dismantle the enemy’s frontline in clean team fights with the support of two priests.

While priests could cast divine spells for ranged attacks, they couldn’t be expected to perform on par with mages or archers.

Any team with an awkward frontline would inevitably be shredded by our team, which demonstrated extreme destructive power in close combat.

Through past scrims, we had earned a reputation as the most formidable team in team fights.

With continued practice, everyone sharpened their skills, and our win rate in head-on team fights was nearing 90%.

Mohe and Stak, in particular, had shown incredible growth.

Well, who do you think trained them?

Still, it didn’t mean our team was invincible or guaranteed to win the championship.

Without a mage, we lacked the ability to create variables, aside from ultimate skills.

We were excellent at consolidating favorable games but struggled to turn the tide in unfavorable ones.

Most critically, we had no one to guard the backline.

The power of our four melee classes was maximized when supported by priests.

Conversely, if the two priests were incapacitated, we would lose the ability to engage in close combat and likely be overwhelmed by arrows and spells.

If the enemy included ambush rogues or specialists like “Golden Sun” targeting our backline priests, the game could turn against us in an instant.

Yet diverting a few of our melee fighters to protect the priests would undermine our team’s main strength.

My case was somewhat better.

Although I suffered disadvantages without armor, I was proficient enough in close combat to resist and buy time against mediocre opponents targeting priests or even take them down with support.

But Hold Medic was different.

She was a pure priest, often referred to as a “healbot,” and had a low Purple 3 rank—the lowest in the tournament.

She often panicked under pressure and ended up dying helplessly.

I analyzed our defeat in the first scrim.

The Elohim priest specialized in targeting heals, offering ease of use and a simple skill set in exchange for low healing output and short range.

On the other hand, Gaia’s follower relied on aim-based healing, which was more challenging to execute and required handling complex divine spells. However, they provided higher healing output and longer range.

The problem lay in this difference.

Hold Medic and I were both priests, but the disparity in our primary specialties’ healing ranges caused a positional gap on the battlefield.

Hold Medic inevitably had to position closer to the center of the battlefield than I did.

This made her more vulnerable to enemies targeting the backline, and when one priest went down, the frontline collapsed, leading to our defeat.

The solution was simple.

The two priests needed to stay close together.

I had to protect Hold Medic.

Couldn’t I just switch to the Elohim priest build?

No. Absolutely not.

[“Poor Medic, what a terrible fate.”]

[“Unlucky to be stuck with such a tyrant.”]

[“Sister… Do you look like a demon to me now?”]

[“Is this even acceptable to watch?”]

[“She seems to be adapting well, considering Gaia’s follower is infamous for being difficult to play.”]

[“Apparently, Hold Medic used to play FPS games back in the day.”]

[“Leader, did you really plan this far ahead?”]

[“Stop it, nerd.”]

[“Sister, is this the right way? Can I trust you?”]

[“Going all in on Gaia coins!”]

[“See you in hell, lololol.”]

My suggestion was to change Hold Medic’s primary specialty.

Of course, the initial reaction was negative.

The coach, teammates, viewers, and even Hold Medic herself thought it was a bad idea.

But my stubbornness won out.

I persuaded them to trust me with just one hour to teach her.

And then…

“All right. Do you see the training bot up ahead? Show me the results of your practice.”

“Sniff… yes, yes….”

The nun dressed in black, with matching dark eyes, blinked a few times before closing her eyes and clasping her hands in prayer.

A round orb of white light floated up and then shot forward at high speed.

The healing spell struck the training bot with pinpoint accuracy, without the slightest error.

If Hold Medic had shown no aptitude for the Gaia follower specialty, I would have abandoned my stubbornness after that one hour.

But I was certain.

This woman was much more suited to being a Gaia follower than an Elohim priest.

Having carried out the instructions perfectly, Hold Medic spoke to me in a voice tinged with subtle anticipation.

“D-did I do well now? I did pretty well, right?”

“Next, let’s try aiming at a target that’s farther away.”

“After that, let’s work on improving your accuracy in a dynamic environment, understanding which buffs are optimal for different situations, managing mana effectively, memorizing a few scripture passages to reduce divine spell casting time, and figuring out the best scenarios for using your ultimate skill.”

“T-the tournament is tomorrow, and you want me to do all of that…?”

“The night is long.”

“Waaaahhhhh!”