Jun found himself in a large stone room, lit by several chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings above him. Standing on either side of the room were at least forty people in long white cloaks identical to Kurumi's. At the far end of the room, behind an ornate table, sat five people in equally ornate chairs, each wearing white cloaks with golden lining. Jun guessed that they were the ones in charge here, and therefore, the ones with the answers.
Sure enough, Kurumi gestured at the high table. "Go and speak to the Elders," she said. "They will explain everything to you." Jun still wasn't sure why Kurumi couldn't have just told him everything herself, but at least he could now finally get some answers.
Jun nervously approached the high table, staring up at the five elderly people sat before him. Three of them were male, two female, and all were closely examining him as he approached. The man sat in the center was both the eldest, and presumably the most important, and he peered disdainfully at Jun over the top of his half-moon spectacles.
"Who is this boy you have brought before us, Kurumi?" he asked.
"His name is Jun Hanamura," she replied. "He has the power of the app. The Church attacked him, and I rescued him. Now that he is a part of this conflict, I have brought him here so that he may join us."
"We cannot force him to join if he does not want to," said the elder. "He must join us of his own accord."
"Join what?!" asked Jun, exasperated. "Who are you people?! I have no idea what's going on here, and she hasn't explained a thing to me!" He pointed angrily at Kurumi. "Why were those lunatics trying to kill me? What the hell is this app?!"
"Calm down, Jun," said the elder. If Kurumi has not explained the situation to you - and she really should have done-" He glared at Kurumi over the top of his spectacles. "-then I will be happy to answer your questions. I cannot, however, explain the nature of the GodMode app, for none of us here are able to explain what it is or how it works. All we know is that it appeared on the app marketplaces six months ago, and only a select few are able to access and install it. Its creator, its inner workings, the reason for its creation and release... all are unknown to us."
"So who exactly are you?" asked Jun. "What do you want with me?"
"We are the Order of the White Cloak," said the elder, gesturing around the room. "We have recognised that whatever the GodMode app may be, it contains the power to change the world for the better. We have dedicated ourselves to using the power of the app to help those in need, and to fight the evils of this world wherever they may present themselves. We also believe that should this power be abused, great harm will come from it. Our secondary mission, after helping those in need, is to prevent the misuse of the app, by those who would seek to use its power for their own selfish gain."
Jun suddenly recalled how Kurumi had told him to uninstall the app after he had been experimenting with its abilities. She hadn't just been trying to protect him; she'd been trying to stop him from abusing the app's power. "I see," he said. "So... what about the people who attacked me? Are they using the app for selfish reasons?"
The elder's expression changed slightly, betraying his hatred and sorrow at the mere mention of the enemy. "There is much more to it than that," said the elder. "The ones who attacked you were part of a cult named the Church of the Holy Binary. They believe that the GodMode app contains the power of God Almighty Himself, and that only they are worthy of using it. Anyone else who uses the app is, in their eyes, a heretic who must be put to death. This, of course, means that they have repeatedly come between us and our work. We have lost many members to the Holy Binary, and at present we consider ourselves to be at war with them."
"And now you want to drag me into this war?!" said Jun.
"No," said the elder. "We are not warmongers, and we do not intend to pack our members off to some battlefield to die. Should you choose to join the Order of the White Cloak, it will instead be your duty to travel to world, using the power of the app to help those in need and correct the injustices of this world. Only when attacked by the Church of the Holy Binary should you use the app's powers for warfare."
"But they will come after me, whether I join you guys or not, right?" said Jun.
"Most likely, yes," said the elder. "Even if you delete the app, they will know that you had used it in the past, and to them that still makes you a heretic."
Jun sighed. This was all too much. "I... guess I don't really have a choice, then," he said. "If I don't join you guys, I'll be dead in a week. Besides, if I can help people using this app, then... I'd like to be able to do that."
"You do have a choice," said the elder. "I will not pretend that you will be just as safe on your own as you will be under the Order, but nevertheless, it is entirely down to you whether you want to join us or not."
Jun nodded. He had made up his mind. "Then I wish to join the Order of the White Cloak," he said.
The elder nodded. “In that case, I hereby welcome you into our order.” He waved a hand, and two of the men standing at the sidelines approached Jun. One of them was carrying a white cloak identical to that worn by the others, and as he reached Jun, he draped it over his shoulders. The second man fastened it securely, and just like that, Jun was a member of the White Cloaks.
“Allow me to introduce myself,” said the elder. “My name is Shinichiro Kojima. Kurumi is my granddaughter.”
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