In December, the entire United States was covered by an Arctic vortex, and even Lone Star City saw heavy snowfall. Gang members didn’t want to go out to fight, and the common folk followed suit, hoarding supplies like hamsters. Thankfully, the city’s infrastructure had been updated after a past incident of freezing temperatures that burst pipes, so unlike in the past, power and water issues were easier to resolve.
Matthew had just left the Christmas Eve party, arriving quietly at Nemo’s safe house. He couldn’t stop thinking about how Nemo had mentioned taking him to see the “Christmas gift” at dawn. Although he had been observing Nemo’s busy activities for nearly two months and had an idea of what Nemo intended, witnessing the results in person felt different.
The weather forecast had already predicted heavy snow for Christmas Eve. Many churches across the country either canceled their Christmas events in favor of home and online group prayers, or shortened activities to daytime services, canceling evening Mass and caroling. The general advice was to stay indoors to avoid getting stuck in the snow and causing more trouble for the authorities.
The local government had focused its efforts on maintaining major roads, communication, and basic city functions during the unusually cold weather. They weren’t sure if supernatural monsters or giant creatures might appear in the extreme cold, but that would be too much.
In general, most people agreed that Christmas celebrations should follow a safety-first approach. If you were attending someone else’s party, you stayed there until morning and waited until the weather cleared before leaving.
“No kidding! Even Lone Star City is down to minus ten degrees! Is this the end of the world?” Nemo had planned to go to a church in the west side to check on his action results, but a snowstorm almost ruined his “Christmas gift” plan. Luckily, Matthew acted quickly, sending campers and personnel to pick up victims willing to attend the Christmas dawn Mass at the designated church.
“Since the last time the sea giant landed, the Gulf Stream has been acting abnormally, and now it’s almost gone. That’s why the southern coastal areas of the U.S. are unusually cold, while other regions are seeing warmer currents. Scientists’ predictions about Western Europe freezing haven’t come true. Global warming is still ongoing, or the Arctic cyclone wouldn’t be so hard to contain,” Matthew said.
“Experts are also speculating that there are other monsters in the Gulf of Mexico causing this phenomenon, like Godzilla absorbing nuclear energy and ocean temperatures. Do you have any thoughts on that, Leviathan?” The curly-haired youth eyed the world’s wealthiest man with suspicion.
“Hey, hey! I’ve only transformed in the Gulf of Mexico once! It’s not that serious! But the ocean, as the main energy balancer affected by the Meteor Shower Event, is bound to have some side effects. It’s not impossible for the major Atlantic currents to have problems right from the start,” Matthew explained, emphasizing that the issue was too complex for his climate research team, who could only chase down small clues.
“Maybe there’s a collective intelligence alien species like ‘Yrr*’ living in the Gulf of Mexico, deciding to shut down the Gulf Stream, which is why Lone Star City is so cold.”
“Aren’t they supposed to live in the Arctic Ocean? By the way, you really know your stuff on these topics. Don’t worry, if there really is a whole group of aliens living in the Gulf of Mexico, Michael and I will definitely find them! But the macro effects of the Meteor Shower Event on Earth’s ecosystem aren’t something we can just observe and understand with special abilities,” Matthew responded straightforwardly and with evidence, and Nemo had no choice but to accept it.
Matthew Grimm’s true identity was the number one superhero, Leviathan. Since the Meteor Shower Event, he had been transforming to explore high altitudes, deep seas, and uninhabited areas, while also investing large sums of money and human resources into researching supernatural phenomena. Lone Star City, being the base of the Grimm Group, was nearby to the Gulf of Mexico, and Matthew’s assurances carried a lot of weight.
Nemo decided to return to his original focus, as he was a lightweight hero more suited to dealing with crimes committed by ordinary people.
“Nemo, your choice to target the church this time really shows me your resolve,” Matthew remarked. The “resolve” he referred to wasn’t bravery; he had always thought of the young cook as a fearless, somewhat out-of-place hero when it came to confronting those in power (like himself).
The billionaire knew Nemo hated trouble, yet KS man had chosen to infiltrate the upper echelons of American politics, even going to the smallest corners of families, targeting tangled blind spots in faith and the most sensitive cases of child sexual abuse. These were issues that countless “good people” would ignore, or even cover up, in order to protect the pillars of their faith.
Like Don Quixote raising his sword against a horde of undead, decaying wolves, Nemo's battle against this criminal ecosystem will persist across different countries and religions until the end of the world.
Matthew could only be glad that Nemo was a superhero in the United States. Luckily, KS Man had the support of the world’s wealthiest person, or else the consequences of his actions would have been either being burned alive or hanged.
“If someone doesn’t believe in Christ, then it’s already enough that they don’t break the law. If they’re willing to put in extra effort to do good deeds, I would truly respect such a ‘good person.’ But if someone chooses to set a higher standard for themselves, to be a ‘righteous’ person following the laws of Jehovah, then they better practice what they preach without double standards. Acting all noble and pure is no better than a fallen gang member with self-awareness,” Nemo said dismissively.
“Satisfaction with oneself is one thing, but if you’re preying on children, that’s where you cross the line,” Matthew said, taking a sip of the hot instant coffee. It was sour, bland, and lacked fragrance—nothing good. But in Nemo’s house, it still provided a sense of warmth.
“Things must rot before worms can grow, just like how cutting off a part infected by mosquito venom can save your life. If those sinful organs are possessed by the devil, and there’s a chance to cut them off and save the person, why not give it a try?” said the curly-haired youth.
“Do you really believe that cutting out male organs is useful for pedophiles who sexually abuse children in the name of God?” Matthew asked, looking directly at Nemo. Nemo, who is interested in criminal psychology, should not be so na?ve, there are countless methods of sexual assault, and it’s not something that can be stopped just by castration.
“What I mean is, watching them continue to live in pain after being cut off, perhaps through the process of repentance and sincerely atoning for their mistakes, the victims might have a chance at true redemption. As for the scums who have been cut, I will make sure they won’t be easily freed. Whether they repent or not is between them and God.”
When it comes to cleansing the church organization, having the captured devils inform on their own kind is far more efficient.
Nemo had no intention of holding a public trial for the few priests caught for sexual assault. He aimed to carry out a longer and broader reckoning, reducing the rate of suicides due to guilt, and giving them a chance to repent and atone, or endure further physical torment to avoid disgrace.
“Whether they voluntarily confess or continue to play their parts, they must serve their purpose in patching up the broken window. Every year, there will be a dawn mass with themes from the Gospel of Matthew. ‘Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.’ Something like that, so the victims can watch their repentance performances from below. I’ve warned them face to face: ‘Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.’”
Ironically, the most effective way to save the souls of the victims is through the apologies and repentance of the perpetrators. No matter how expensive the medicine or how gentle the care, the real pain is often the mental torment that comes with justice arriving too late, which causes the victims to self-harm and wither away.
“I bet you also said, ‘The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’ Quite a lot of tree roots,” Matthew said, pinching the bridge of his nose. Nemo was truly a chef at heart, cutting off the unwanted, discarded parts.
“Oh, that was for the pedophiles who haven’t used the ‘roots’ yet, but what they’ve done with other parts is no kinder. For the children in the church, preventing harm beforehand is far better than punishing the perpetrator afterward, right? Besides, we’re short on time, and aftercare comes at a cost. So, I’ll have the priests or deacons with cleaner records sit by and watch the consequences faced by their predecessors. They can’t come for free; they need to learn a lasting lesson.”
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“What if the victims still want them to face legal punishment, exposed to the public eye?” Matthew asked.
“Isn’t it that the current church system and the attitude of law enforcement are overly conservative, preferring to stand on top of dung and lift up the ‘bride’s skirt**’ to avoid getting it dirty? And the victims might also be bound by a toxic cycle, unwilling to report, or perhaps their parents and mentors are pressuring them to think this way. Some states even have laws that make it impossible to report after a certain age. Besides, much of the evidence is too old to verify, and from a legal standpoint, the case can’t even be made, let alone punished. In the end, it’s just the unbelievers who will never believe,” Nemo replied.
“I still have a backdoor clause. If one person from the same group is willing to voluntarily confess and publicly apologize, I can remove him from the collective punishment group. The others can continue to pretend to be good people while secretly atoning, because, after all, these priests’ positive contributions to the victims in their current positions are far greater than being sheltered and hidden by the church or having a brief sentence in prison.” Nemo wasn’t without giving the perpetrators a chance. If they couldn’t even carry their own cross, they had no right to complain when Nemo continued with private justice and intimidation.
After speaking, Nemo sent a text to Tolya, informing him that he was going to the designated church to review the face-to-face interactions between the castrated pedophile priests and the victims. Nemo promised to update Tolya on the mission’s target after the operation concluded, especially since the gray-hat hacker Tolya introduced had been very useful.
“I’ve never been to a church. There’s one in the West District of Lone Star City that’s open for visiting. Want to join me for the priest’s dawn mass and scripture reading?” the curly-haired youth invited the billionaire.
“I’d be a little embarrassed listening to a Bible reading with my own name,” Matthew replied.
“Don’t worry, the only connection you have is the same name. It just so happens that the scripture I’m quoting is from the Gospel of Matthew,” Nemo pointed out.
“How dishonest! You deliberately chose this passage to greet me. Don’t be shy! I’m God’s gift to Earth!” Matthew’s name literally means “God’s gift,” and the billionaire played a pun with that.
Then, Nemo began layering on warm clothes, eventually turning into a rounded, masked figure.
“Are you going on an Arctic expedition? Superhumans should be more resistant to the cold. Take it off! A warm coat and scarf are enough!” Matthew insisted, trying to correct Nemo’s bad habit of trampling on fashion.
“Why waste energy keeping warm with your body when you can rely on clothes? It’s -10°C outside! With the wind chill, it feels like -30°C! Lone Star City is incredibly humid! Protecting your head to avoid rapid heat loss is common sense!” As a seasoned Nobunaga’s Ambition player, Nemo couldn’t stand the idea of removing a piece of secondary gear and losing hundreds of HP and energy in the process.
In fact, even when inside a heated safe house, Nemo was always mentally prepared for a power outage. Thankfully, the camping gear had a gas stove and metal heater, which could come in handy if necessary. He wondered why Americans didn’t have the habit of using heat packs.
After the Meteor Shower Event, the cause was unstable power grids, and the heating system was no longer as reliable as it used to be. Moreover, many places in the southern regions did not have heating equipment, including the apartment suite that Nemo and Tolyas rented. The new safe house that Matthew had prepared for Nemo had both heating and cooling air conditioning.
“Driving is too dangerous now. The church isn’t far, so let’s walk there. Walking will keep us warm,” Matthew insisted, unwilling to let Nemo keep his protective layers.
After some bargaining, the financier won. Every day in life is a test. Now, heading out in the snow was like training for the mission. Nemo should use his powers to adapt to the environment, so that when a real mission comes, he wouldn’t be easily defeated by the cold.
Nemo didn’t plan on showing up as KS man. He and Matthew disguised their appearances and could use the excuse of being family members of the victims to enter. This was the plan all along, as not all victims were alive or willing to face their abusers. Nemo had invited Matthew to the designated church in the city, with the idea of gathering numbers.
In the darkness before dawn, the two walked through the snow-covered streets. The church Nemo chose was not restricted to just Catholicism, and he prioritized secluded, unnoticeable buildings. They eventually reached a small, old Evangelical church that had closed early due to the bad weather. However, with Nemo and the Grimm Group’s involvement, they secretly brought in new clergy members and lit many candles before opening the doors.
A tall figure wearing a thick jacket and army green knit hat emerged from the shadow of the entrance. It blocked the path of Matthew, who was wearing a baseball cap, and Nemo, who was masked and wearing an ear-warming hat.
Nemo had informed Tolyas about the church’s address, and as expected, the Russian housemate appeared. He simply thought Tolyas wouldn’t be interested in the revenge plot for the victims. The series of actions KS man had taken was not meant to serve an audience, but to break societal conventions, so that victims of sexual abuse by clergy, even if they were children, could spread the word that superheroes could be a new avenue for help. After all, children use the internet and idolize superheroes.
Rather than appreciating the outcome, Nemo’s primary reason for going to the church was to control the situation. Although Matthew had arranged for security personnel, the severe weather increased the risk of the secret gathering.
“I want to go to the church too!” Tolyas said.
“Didn’t you celebrate on January 7th?” Russian and American Christmases are different. After the transmigration, Nemo had the opportunity to celebrate Orthodox Christmas Eve with Tolyas.
“I’m in the U.S. now, and it’s more lively today. Besides, I can still celebrate again with my friends from the homeland on January 7th,” Tolyas said shrewdly.
“Alright! Christmas Eve is a day of joy and forgiveness. Anyway, we’re not believers, so let’s go together and enjoy the Christmas gift Nemo prepared!” The tall, golden-eyed man casually put his arm around the Russian’s shoulder, ignoring the latter’s stiff expression.
The three entered the small church and sat in the last row. Nemo found himself naturally sandwiched between two unfamiliar Americans and Tolyas.
There were scattered people seated in each row, and it was evident that those attending the dawn mass tried to sit apart, also hiding their appearances. The scene itself seemed like an unspoken judgment.
The same perpetrators stood on stage in their sacred appearance, or assisted in preaching and playing the organ, while the victims could only endure their humiliation in silence, trapped in the pen like sheep, waiting for the next round of abuse. Now the meaning had changed. Free victims could leave their seats to express their contempt at any time, while the wolves remained caged for everyone to observe.
Nemo watched as the main priest with a strange gait ascended the pulpit. There was a stir of laughter and cursing from the audience below, causing his face to redden. Yet, under the silent pleading eyes and intense fear of his companions, the priest quietly began the ritual.
The confession ritual proceeded in a quiet atmosphere, with the congregation not responding to the priest’s plea of “Lord, have mercy,” but also not causing any disruption, maintaining a cold, statue-like silence.
This was not a traditional mass but a reading of the life of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew, allowing both the believers and the clergy to rethink the origins and the journey of their faith. The reading process was lengthy. Gradually, the victims abandoned their emotions and became absorbed in the scripture, including the three who were not believers, Nemo and the others, who were immersed in the strange atmosphere of the forgotten little church in the heavy snow.
“‘If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.’”
At this point in the reading, a small sob was finally heard from the congregation.
“‘And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.’”
The golden-eyed man smiled upon hearing this, ruffling Nemo’s head through his hat, which prompted a fierce glare from him.
“‘For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.’” When the priest reached this passage, his voice trembled.
By the time the last verse was read, the priest was nearly lying on the pulpit, his voice hoarse: “‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”
“When we sin, you do not abandon us, but make us your holy people: Lord, have mercy. Have mercy on us, and may the dawn of your reconciliation fall upon us. Lead us to eternal life.” The priest murmured this through tears, his voice faint.
A man in black sitting in the front row suddenly stood up and left. Nemo knew this was the operative Matthew had arranged to take care of the aftermath, and the other victims quietly followed suit.
Nemo and the others mixed into the crowd and walked out of the small church, choosing different directions to stroll along the deserted snow-covered streets. The snow stopped, and though it was now daylight, the world still appeared dark due to the thick clouds overhead.
“Why are you two holding my hand?” Nemo was startled when different men’s hands suddenly gripped his.
“I saw him grab it first,” the Russian accused the financier, then, not wanting to lose face, grabbed it as well.
“Didn’t you say you were cold? Thanks for the Christmas gift,” Matthew openly thanked the curly-haired youth, who had been busy for over a month.
Matthew’s hands were indeed large and warm, although he was the one who prevented Nemo from dressing warmly for the outdoors. Nemo had originally planned to wear woolen gloves but decided against it, wanting to maintain agility in case he needed to throw a projectile.
“Your hands are really cold. Why don’t you wear more layers? I thought you’d be more cold-resistant after gaining superpowers,” Tolyas commented, surprised by the coldness of his housemate’s hands.
“...Snow training,” Nemo replied with a scowl.
--- End of Episode 3 ---
* A term used in the German eco-thriller novel The Swarm to refer to the primordial life forms residing on Earth. They decide to destroy humanity for polluting the oceans. The novel was later adapted into the disaster series The Swarm.
** In Catholicism, marriage is used as a metaphor for the relationship between Christ and the Church, with the Church being the bride of the Son of God on Earth.
