"About what you said just now... could you give me more details?"
"The real cause of God's death, and... the disaster that severely wounded him."
Azazel's casual smile vanished, replaced by seriousness. The atmosphere tightened, and the air itself seemed to stagnate.
But Jeanne Alter only glared at him, disdainfully rolling her eyes.
"Hah? How should I know? I've never even seen God's face, so how could I possibly know such details? You're the ones who personally saw God, who survived that war—shouldn't you be the ones who know all this?"
Her impatient reply left Azazel momentarily dumbfounded.
Wait...is she messing with me?
"But...what you just said..."
"Move aside. I don't have time for you now."
Jeanne Alter strode forward aggressively, causing Azazel to instinctively step aside.
Jeanne Alter was like a ticking bomb—she didn't bother hiding her explosive temperament. Anyone with eyes could see she was ready to explode at any moment, and Azazel had no intention of lighting that fuse himself.
They say one forgets pain once the wound heals, but the injuries from their earlier fight were still fresh. Right now, Azazel had plenty of reasons to fear her.
If someone mocked the great Governor-General of Fallen Angels for fearing a mere human with no background, Azazel wouldn't care at all. That was the way of this world—pure strength was more reliable than any identity or backing.
She's stronger than me; isn't it natural to be cautious?
Azazel sighed helplessly, watching as Jeanne Alter made her way toward Asia.
It seemed that compared to Azazel, the mighty Governor-General, this little former nun was far more important... at least in Jeanne Alter's eyes.
"Asia, Asia..."
Hearing Jeanne Alter's voice, Asia slowly raised her head, eyes dull and lifeless as they stared blankly up at Jeanne Alter.
"Miss Jeanne... Is God really... no longer with us?"
"It seems that way," Jeanne Alter shrugged lightly. "If you think about it, a devoted girl like you experiencing such harsh treatment makes sense if God really is dead. Otherwise, if your suffering was due to God's negligence or indifference, I'd definitely storm Heaven and burn that useless deity to ashes."
Once again, Jeanne Alter openly insulted God. Normally, Asia wouldn't have stopped her, but at least she would've silently prayed for Jeanne Alter to be forgiven.
But now, Asia's mind was blank, unable to utter a word. She had devoted most of her life to God, believing firmly that God guided her past, present, and future.
Now that God was gone, what future awaited her?
Seeing her dazed expression, Jeanne Alter felt her heart tighten painfully.
Because of this pain, she grew increasingly irritated.
"How dare that idiot god make Asia look so sad..." Jeanne Alter muttered angrily under her breath before reaching out to lift Asia from the dirty ground, carrying her gently in her arms. She even dispelled her armor, reverting to normal attire to avoid hurting Asia with the hard armor plating.
Azazel, who was still observing Jeanne Alter, caught this small detail, surprise flickering briefly across his face.
So, even this fiery-tempered woman can show such gentleness...
His evaluation of Jeanne Alter quietly shifted.
Jeanne Alter didn't care what Azazel was thinking. Right now, she was focused solely on bringing Asia back to normal.
"I know it's hard to suddenly accept this, Asia, but think about it. Even though God is dead, the world still turns, and you're still alive, aren't you? You've made it this far; why not just keep living as you always have?"
Her attempt at comfort didn't seem effective. Asia remained silent, showing no obvious reaction. Jeanne Alter wasn't even sure she'd heard her clearly.
"Tch! What a pain..." Jeanne Alter scowled deeply. She hated the thought of what she was about to say next—but for Asia's sake, she forced herself through the disgust. After a heavy sigh, she spoke again.
"Asia, if you really think about it, you're still living under God's protection and love right now, aren't you?"
This time, Asia reacted.
The dullness in her eyes cleared slightly—she was definitely listening now.
Good, she's still hearing me. I was afraid she'd shut herself off entirely…
Jeanne Alter inwardly groaned. Damn it, why must I, a witch, say nice things about that useless god? I feel like a dark sorceress forced to cast healing magic...
"God died protecting you. To shield the world's present and future from that great calamity, he sacrificed his life. Isn't that proof of his love for you?"
"If it helps you cope, think of it this way: because God loved humanity, you could be born into this world. You could have these worries about the future, and have these meaningful encounters."
Gradually, the brightness returned fully to Asia's eyes.
"Then… my meeting you, Miss Jeanne, was also a blessing from God?"
"Er..." Jeanne Alter's expression turned complicated. "I absolutely hate phrasing it like that...but if it makes you feel better, I suppose it's fine."
"I see…" Asia whispered softly.
Like dust gently brushed away from a gem, the brilliance in Asia's eyes slowly returned.
"Then... can I keep praying to God like before?"
"If it makes you more comfortable, do as you please."
At Jeanne Alter's words, a soft, relieved smile bloomed on Asia's face.
"Thank you, Miss Jeanne."
Asia wrapped her arms around Jeanne Alter's neck, burying her flushed face into Jeanne's shoulder.
Thank you, Lord, for letting me be born into this world... Thank you for allowing me to meet someone as kind as Miss Jeanne...
In her heart, Asia earnestly gave thanks.
...
After a while, Asia finally recovered, though her face still looked pale and weak. Once Asia had calmed down, Jeanne Alter immediately returned to her original goal—collecting the remaining fragments of [Excalibur].
Luckily, the swords hadn't been destroyed when Jeanne incinerated Kokabiel, as they had been under the care of Valper Galilei.
All of the stolen Holy Swords were now firmly in Jeanne Alter's possession. Xenovia and Irina's original mission had been to retrieve them for the Church, but clearly Jeanne Alter had no intention of returning the swords.
Irina and Xenovia could only grit their teeth and accept this reality—after all, Jeanne Alter effortlessly handled Kokabiel, who had previously trounced them all.
Azazel soon left with Vali. The Governor-General of Fallen Angels openly wandering in devil territory was dangerous, especially after Kokabiel's antics. If Azazel lingered any longer, Sirzechs might march in with an army to confront him—definitely something Azazel wished to avoid.
Still, Azazel departed with a satisfied grin, as if the trip had been very worthwhile, leaving Rias, as the territory's ruler, thoroughly annoyed.
Vali didn't rush into a fight with Issei either—partially because Issei was still far too weak to serve as his rival, and partially because now both Ddraig and Albion had something much more intriguing on their minds: the Dragon Witch, Jeanne Alter.
Afterwards, Jeanne Alter approached Irina again, holding five of the Holy Swords. Irina, of course, didn't foolishly assume Jeanne was there to return them, immediately becoming wary instead.
But surprisingly, Jeanne Alter had come seeking her help.
"You want to go to the Church?"
Irina tensed up, wariness deepening in her gaze. "Can I ask why?"
"The original [Excalibur] was shattered and reforged into seven swords. Right now, I've got five. One is missing, and the Church still has another."
Jeanne Alter placed her hands confidently on her hips, a fiercely aggressive smile spreading across her face. "So, I'm going to head over to the Church and take that sword, too!"
Jeanne Alter's words were alarming—not only to Irina and Xenovia but to Rias and her peerage as well.
"Please calm down, Jeanne-san!" Rias urgently pleaded. "Attacking the Church directly? What if Heaven sends angels down after you?"
But Jeanne Alter's smile only widened at this.
"Even better! I've been meaning to have a word with them anyway. How dare they treat Asia, such a devout and gentle girl, like a witch and exile her? If those angels are blind, then let them donate their eyes to someone who needs them, or let someone with better eyesight manage Heaven!"
This immediately set Rias and the others on edge. Anyone else might've joked about it, but Jeanne Alter genuinely meant every word she said.
Jeanne Alter storming Heaven to force a change in leadership sounded disturbingly reminiscent of Sun Wukong's legendary rampage through the Celestial Court.
Asia, listening nearby, was so touched that tears nearly sprang to her eyes—despite the blasphemous nature of Jeanne's plan from her religious perspective.
"What's wrong, Koneko-chan?" Asia suddenly asked in confusion. For some reason, Koneko had been giving her odd looks the whole time.
"...Nothing." Koneko looked away abruptly, her voice oddly strained.
Asia tilted her head slightly. Maybe she was imagining it, but...she swore the air had suddenly filled with a strange sour scent.
Did someone spill vinegar?
Meanwhile, Rias desperately explained the dangers of Jeanne Alter's reckless idea, with her peerage chiming in supportively.
Jeanne Alter briefly considered mentioning the [Salvation Blade], but swiftly dismissed the thought. That blade's origins were difficult to explain. Revealing it now would only lead to more headaches, despite the amusing prospect of seeing the gods' reactions to her casually wielding their weapons.
Speaking of the [Salvation Blade]... Jeanne Alter suddenly noticed that the [Excalibur] fragments reacted differently in her grasp, seemingly calling out eagerly to the [Salvation Blade].
However, the [Salvation Blade] remained completely indifferent, ignoring [Excalibur's] desperate pleas like a goddess disdainfully ignoring a swarm of pathetic suitors.
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T/N: powerstones rewards will be tomorrow, uhhh prob no extra chaps tomorrow