Divine Attitude

"Help me," the man groaned in agony, his voice barely above a whisper.

"We need to help him fast!" Airi's voice trembled with fear and urgency.

I shook my head, staring at the ghastly scene before us.

"No, there must be a reason for all of this. Why is there a giant orb in the center of the room with twelve swords orbiting it? And what about the man above who's been crucified?"

Orion's voice was calm, but there was a hint of unease. "I mean, that's a valid point, but we can't just stand here and do nothing while this man suffers."

I turned to face the crucified man.

"Who are you?" I demanded, hoping to get some answers.

"Help. Me," he replied, his voice barely audible.

"Answer my question, who are you?" I repeated, growing more impatient.

"Please... help... me," the man gasped, his eyes pleading for mercy.

"If you don't answer my question, I'm just gonna stare at you until you wish you were dead now," I said.

The man finally spoke, but only one word: "Help."

"I..." he began, before pausing to collect himself. "They..." he continued, his voice strained. "Betrayed..." he whispered as if the words pained him. "Me..."

"Hello, 'I They Betrayed Me,' I'm Mika. Nice to meet you," I said, trying to lighten the mood.

"No... Yehoshua is my name," he replied.

"Finally, we're getting somewhere," I said. "Yehoshua? Do you have a nickname, maybe?"

"I have many names," he said and proceeded to list them off one by one.

"Christ," he began, "Son of God," he added. "Messiah," he declared. "Savior," he said with conviction, and then, "Lamb of God." "King of Kings," he said with authority, and then, "Lord of Lords." "Prince of Peace," he said with calmness, and then, "Emmanuel." "Redeemer," he said with compassion, and then, "Light of the World." "Lastly," he said, "Savior of Mankind."

"Man of Nazareth?" Orion asked, his voice betraying a mixture of disbelief and awe.

"Yes, I go by that name too," he replied, his voice quiet and gentle.

"Why are you here?" I asked, trying to steer the conversation back to the matter at hand.

"I was going to visit my Father, but they caught me," he answered, his voice heavy with resignation.

"How did the 'Son of God' get caught?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"I was betrayed. One of my apostles sold me for 30 silver coins. The cross is imbued with Abaddon's blood. I can't perform miracles this way," he explained.

"Recite the Bible," I instructed, my mind racing with questions and doubts.

"What?" Yehoshua replied, looking confused.

"Recite. The Bible," I repeated, my voice firm and insistent.

Yehoshua drew in a deep breath and lifted his eyes to the heavens.

Then, he began reciting the scripture with a voice that was more than just strong and confident - it was a voice that seemed to be imbued with divine power.

As he spoke, the room filled with a warm, comforting light that seemed to radiate from his very being.

The light was so bright and pure that it felt as if I were being lifted up into the heavens, away from the darkness and confusion that had been plaguing me.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want," Yehoshua intoned, his voice ringing out like a bell. "He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me..."

As he continued reciting, I felt my fear and uncertainty melting away, as if the words were a salve that could heal any wound.

In their place, I felt a sense of peace and clarity wash over me as if I were seeing the world through new eyes.

"Wow," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "You really are Him."

He smiled kindly. "I am what I am," he replied, his eyes full of compassion. "And I am here to help you in whatever way I can."

"Say, are you going to exorcise the succubus beside me?" I asked, turning to Airi.

"HEY!" Airi shouted, her voice echoing off the walls. "I don't want to die yet."

"It depends," Yehoshua replied, his voice filled with a sense of weight and importance. "After I regain my strength, I can sense the emotions of life itself. If she poses any harm in the foreseeable future, then I shall exorcise her."

I nodded, understanding the gravity of his words.

The power that he wielded was beyond my comprehension, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe in his presence.

"Are you okay with this?" Airi pouted, her voice laced with frustration.

I turned to her, feeling a sense of compassion for her plight.

"Don't worry," I said softly, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "He knows what he's doing."

"By the way, how long have you been here?" I asked, turning back to Yehoshua.

"I have been here for more than I can remember," he replied, his eyes clouded with a sense of sadness. "They have kept me here after I was going to ascend to heaven. I was in the sky, above the clouds, and they caught me. I was planning to come back every year."

"Okay, that makes many believers question the Bible," I said. "Does your blood possess any special power?"

"I, myself, only know that my blood has a redemptive power that washes away sins and restores a person's relationship with God," he replied, his voice soft and measured.

"I see," I said. "I'm going to assume that the orb requires your blood to be able to lift this island. Do those twelve swords also represent each of your apostles?"

"I cannot say for certain," Yehoshua replied, his eyes focused on mine. "But I recognize one of the swords to be Peter's."

The scene was tense as we stood before the crucified man.

His body was marred by the brutal nails that pierced His palms and feet, causing blood to trickle down His skin.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of despair wash over me as I looked at Him, wondering how we could free Him from such a torturous position.

"How do we get you out of that cross?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Do we just remove the nails that are stuck in your feet and palms?"

Yehoshua replied, "Remove the crown, and I will be able to communicate with my Father."

With a deep breath, Orion stepped forward and said, "Alright, we'll do everything for His forgiveness. This might hurt a little bit."

In one swift motion, he jumped and took the crown out of Yehoshua's head.

I winced as I saw the thorny spikes come loose, imagining the pain that Yehoshua must have felt.

After the crown was finally removed, Yehoshua said, "Thank you," and then He looked up to the ceiling and said, "Father, I have completed my mission on Earth. Please ascend me to heaven so that I may continue to serve you from there." As He spoke, a bright light covered His entire body, and I shielded my eyes from the intensity of it.

"If you need help," Yehoshua said, His voice echoing in the room, "just pray to the Father, and He will answer." With those final words, He was gone, leaving us standing there in awe and wondering what had just occurred.

The orb no longer shone a bright red light, but the island seemed to stay afloat.

"Well, at least I'm still alive," Airi said.

"If the orb isn't required to lift the island, what would it be used for?" Orion asked.

As Orion finished his sentence, the ground started to shake, and we began to feel ourselves falling.

"I spoke too soon."

"Dear people of Caelumoria, we are implementing emergency measures to lift the island. Please stay where you are and do not jump. Get to the ground on your stomach. Thank you," a voice was heard from outside the building.

Suddenly, something that looked like a dove appeared.

It was very bright, just like a white silhouette.

The dove flew through the orb and dropped one of its feathers.

The orb suddenly shone a bright white light, and the island stopped falling.

"Don't get the wrong idea. Just because I'm helping this island stay afloat doesn't mean I actually like you or anything. It's just that He asked me to do it, got it? Don't go expecting any special treatment from me," said the voice of the being who had helped the island stay afloat.

"Huh?" the three of us gasped as the dove flew and faded, leaving three of its feathers behind.

"There's too much going on, but I'm just going to turn a blind eye and touch that feather," I said as I approached it and touched it.

[System: Blessing received]