As I expected, Ritsu wasn't all too thrilled about the plan. We met up with him as he was leaving school, walking through the gates.
"Hey," Mob said, getting his attention.
Ritsu walked over to us. "Hey, guys." He frowned at Shigeo. "Bro, aren't you supposed to be working right now?"
"Oh, yeah, about that," Reigen said, cutting in. "Can you help these guys out a little?"
Reigen explained the plan, adding how Ritsu would be a 'back-up'.
"Removing the Divine Tree from the city…" Ritsu scowled, making a face. "Are you sure about that? I don't think you can lift that thing with telekinesis."
"Also, it's a kind of dumb plan," I muttered. Teruki snorted.
"There was one time some classmates helped the teacher carry a piano out of the classroom," Shigeo said. "One alone can never do that, but with combined strength, even something this heavy can be lifted. So we should be fine."
Well, if Shigeo was feeling optimistic, I could go with it.
"We must act now," Reigen said. "Cut it down, let it wither, whatever… we just need to get rid of it before all of Spice City is destroyed!"
Ritsu sighed, looking away. Bags were underneath his eyes.
"What's up?" I asked him, as he shivered.
"There's some nasty stuff going on with the Student Council too," he admitted. "Sis, you know about that trendy Psycho Helmet Cult?"
"I wish I didn't," I grunted.
"Me too," Ritsu grumbled. "There are a lot of worshippers, even at our school. The speed they're spreading is scary to say the least. I feel like something abnormal is about to happen. I don't know much about religion, so it's not my field to judge."
"They see the Divine Tree as their 'holy ground'," Reigen said. "That means if we remove the tree, the whole cult will be against us."
"But judging from the internet, they seem to be a harmless cult," Teruki pointed out. "They sell merch, they've got chat forums, they have events even outside Spice City… it's more like a fan club than a religion."
"Maybe they'll just get over it then," Himiko said. "It happens."
"I don't think so," Ritsu jumped in. "How they gain popularity is really unsettling. We don't know the harm of it."
"Very true," I said, making a fist. "There's something fishy going on for sure."
"Of course we need to be careful," Reigen sighed. "Moving something that gigantic will attract attention… some might try to stop us. Hmm… that'll be troublesome. Anyway, we just need to pull it out quickly and head to our destination."
Ritsu groaned, like he was having a headache. Honestly, I couldn't blame him.
"Let me replenish some blood sugar first," he said, pulling some candy out of his pocket.
"Ritsu, you're bringing candy to school?" Mob asked.
"Ah, this?" Ritsu asked, holding up a wrapped bon-bon. "The Student Council President gave it to me. It's called Divine Tree Candy. You want some too, guys?"
"I'll have some later," Mob said.
"Me too," Himiko agreed.
Ritsu was about to pop the candy into his mouth, but Teruki grabbed it using his psychic powers.
"Don't eat it," he said. "It'll brain-wash you."
Ritsu stared at him. "How do you know that?"
"I ate some cookies infused with Divine Tree powder," Teruki said. "I almost turned into a full-fledged, brainless worshipper."
"So they really are trying to control people," I grumbled. "We need to get rid of that tree now."
"Absolutely," Reigen agreed. "Let's go now!"
However, just as we were about to go, a ton of people stepped into our way. They were all different types of people, but they all had the same expression on their face: a fake smile. The smile that screams 'I really hate you, but I'm not going to show it'. Definitely a big obstacle.
"What's all this about?" Reigen asked, trying to find a way to get past them. "Move!"
"We heard you were going to take down the Divine Tree," said a boy in front.
"Josh?!" I yelled.
His eyes were glazed over as he stared at me. He looked so... dead. It was so creepy. I noticed Himiko tensing up.
"Join us, Arashi," he said, offering a hand. "The Divine Tree sees all!"
"No way in Hell," I growled. "That damn tree got to you too!"
"Run!" Reigen shouted.
We turned in the opposite direction, escaping the group of people. Unfortunately, they began chasing after us.
"Crap," Reigen cursed under his breath.
"Uh, guys!" I yelled.
"I've got it," Teruki said. He raised his hands, picking up the entire group of people and moving them away. (Now that takes skill.) Once he'd moved them at least a few kilometres away, we continued running. We didn't stop until we reached an empty street, away from the crowds.
"Dammit," Reigen huffed. "Half the city has become Psycho Helmet Cult worshippers."
"How did it end up like this?" Mob asked.
"And where's Ritsu?" Teruki asked.
I went pale, looking around. Mob copied me. We turned to face each other.
"He's… gone," I said. I clenched my fists, moving towards the end of the street. "Ritsu! Ritsu! Are you there?"
"Little brother!" Mob joined in, concern all over his face.
"The cult must've got him," Himiko said, staring at her shoes.
"I'll kill them all," I growled, fists turning orange.
"Now, now," Reigen raised his hands. "Calm down, Arayushi. We-"
"Arashi," I corrected.
"Yes, yes," Reigen said, waving a hand. "If we want to save your brother, I think we'll need to do something about the leader of the Psycho Helmet Cult."
He pointed to a poster showing the leader's face. A face that I really wanted to punch.
"That psycho helmet guy is an unknown esper," Reigen said. "We don't even know what he's thinking, let alone his goals. However… if we proceed any further towards the tree, he will most likely show up to stop us. We'll ask about his plan when that time comes."
"He better show up," I growled. "He's gonna meet my fists."
"You have psychic powers, and you still want to use physical violence?" Teruki asked me.
"You wanna meet my fists too?" I asked him.
"Kids," Reigen spoke above us. "To be honest... I'm not totally sure that Psycho Helmet guy actually is a bad person."
"His stupid cult took Ritsu away!" I shouted. "His cult brainwashes people, and turns them into mindless worshippers! Are you stupid, Arataka?!"
"Arashi," Mob said gently. "The people in the club aren't bad people. They all look like they're having fun together. But…" He looked straight ahead, eyes shadowed. "If that guy was fake… if he's only tricking everyone into worshipping him… then we can't ignore that."
"There was no real one to begin with," Reigen pointed out.
"Isn't Shigeo-senpai technically the leader?" Himiko asked.
"They were worshipping his shadow," Teruki replied. "Not Kageyama himself."
"I think Psycho Helmet himself is no bad guy either, despite the whole Ritsu thing," Reigen added. "Sure, calling himself the founder of a big new religion is kind of dubious, but… every community needs a leader. See him as a fan club president, and everything seems natural. What Lord Psycho Helmet's been doing is only… deciding on their organisation operates and making sure everything runs smoothly. It must be really hard work. It's no wonder he has gained respect from people around him. Even if you're an esper too, he is basically doing what your lack of experience in life cannot." He faced us, trying to look wise. "I understand that you're jealous, but there's no need to make him your enemy. Pretend this is a festival, and you'll win by having fun. If they really need the Divine Tree, then forcefully taking it away is not a nice thing to do. We'll look for another way to solve the problem." He walked off, random speech apparently over. "Okay, guys, let's go home."
"Are you kidding?" I snapped. "Ritsu's been kidnapped by those psychos!"
"Maybe he joined them willingly," Reigen said. "They don't seem like kidnappers. I'm sure he's having a great time. And even if he wasn't, he's strong enough to handle himself."
Now I wanted to punch Reigen in the face.
"I think Reigen-san's been brain-washed as well," Teruki commented.
"Or he's being stupid," I retorted.
"Brain-washed?" Reigen laughed. "Don't be silly. I'm just saying there's no need to make a fuss about this religion." He frowned. "Oh, I see. This is how it feels to be called out for being 'brain-washed', when you're not."
"Honestly, he's got a point," Himiko agreed, smiling sweetly. "We were just overreacting. Ritsu and the other citizens aren't brain-washed either. It's just our imagination that we're being watched."
"Himiko?!" I shouted. "Not you too!"
"You're the one who said to remove the broccoli, Master," Shigeo told Reigen.
"The city being affected by the divine tree and the spreading of the Psycho Helmet cult are two different things," Reigen replied. "That thing's just a gigantic weed that needs to be removed. However, to the believers, it's their one and only symbol of belief. We can't just take away what's important to other people."
"But its existence is my responsibility," Shigeo argued.
"You don't need to take responsibility," Reigen said. "Never mind those pesky details. Think about the priorities. The importance of the city itself, or the heart of its citizens… of course the heart is more important."
"The heart of the citizens won't have anywhere to live if there's no city left thanks to that tree," I grunted.
"The city is now under the control of Psycho Helmet Cult," Reigen continued, ignoring me. "We need to understand how the worshippers feel. Why are you hesitating? Oh well, I guess it's not that easy to get accustomed to a new environment. From now on, this city and the world, will co-exist with the divine tree and the Psycho Helmet Cult."
I felt Mob grab my arm and drag me and Teruki away.
"Huh?" Reigen said. "Hey, kids! What's the matter, are you going without me?"
"We can't listen to him anymore," Teruki said. "He's crazy. We need to take care of this ourselves."
"Right," I agreed.
We continued walking, getting closer to the tree. A whole army of people stood in our way. Teruki raised his arms to move them, but Mob put up a hand, stopping him.
"Are you three going to the Divine Tree?" Mezato asked, stepping in front of the crowd.
"We need to talk to it directly," Mob said.
"Hm," Mezato chortled. "So there's no use stopping you."
"Yeah," Mob said, expression blank. It was amazing how confident he'd become, facing the huge crowd. Only months ago he wouldn't have even dared to come here.
I hardened my expression. Teruki grabbed my arm, jerking his head to the crowd. I scanned over their faces, and gasped.
"Ritsu!" I hissed, spotting my brother within the crowd. He was gazing at us with suspicion in his eyes.
"He's too far gone," Teruki grunted. "Damn that tree."
"Make a path," Mezato spoke up. "Everyone, let them pass. Don't stop them."
The crowd of people cleared a path for us. I would've been flattered if I wasn't pissed off.
As we walked through, I heard people muttering. "I heard Lord Psycho Helmet's voice… 'Shigeo Kageyama is our original Lord Psycho Helmet…" "Ooohh…" "He came here by his own will…" "And that's his sister, Kageyama Arashi…" "His friend Teruki…" "Amazing…"
"We'll follow you wherever you go!" someone shouted. "Lord Psycho Helmet!"
"Psycho Helmet!" the people chanted. "Psycho Helmet!"
I gazed at the crowd, spotting both of my fellow band members, my karate club mates, the Body Improvement Club, and Mob's crush, Tsubomi. It seemed every single resident of Spice City was in the crowd. Even Onigawara was there.
They continued chanting, "Psycho Helmet! Psycho Helmet!"
"They're so annoying," I muttered to Teruki.
"Actually, I kind of like it," Teruki grinned.
I rolled my eyes.
Mob faced the tree, staring up at it. His expression was hard to read.
"Alright," I declared, holding up my fists. "Let's take down this overgrown weed."