(It's strange to think I ended up in a place like this.)
In a room within the Temple of Time, Asia Argento, a former saint exiled from the Church, feels a peculiar sense of wonder.
Raised in the Church without knowing her parents, she possessed a mysterious power from birth: the ability to emit a green light that healed any injury.
This power, bestowed upon humans by the One True God of the Bible, is a Sacred Gear. Asia's is a rare healing type called "Twilight Healing." It's not unique, but it ranks among the top healing Sacred Gears. Of course, it falls short of the holy relic Longinus, the Sephiroth Graal.
She had no complaints about her life in the Church. Helping others was her joy, and if her God-given power aided people, that was enough. Her only loneliness came from the way others looked at her—like a convenient tool. She had no friends, no one to share heartfelt laughter with.
But one day, she made a grave mistake. She encountered an injured Devil and healed them with her Sacred Gear. Church officials witnessed it.
—Holy light healing an evil being is unthinkable.
—A witch with the power to heal Devils.
Branded a witch, a Sister had no place in the Church. Exiled from her lifelong home, the only groups that would take her in were inevitably rogue exorcists or similar organizations. The ones who picked her up were a Fallen Angel faction based in a rural Japanese city.
Was it luck or something else? Moments before Asia's arrival, those Fallen Angels were annihilated. They had planned to extract her Sacred Gear, which would have killed her given current Fallen Angel technology. In a way, their destruction saved her.
Inevitably, Asia's next refuge was with the faction that eradicated the Fallen Angels—those calling themselves "Demon Gods" and "Messengers of the King of Humans." She doesn't fully grasp who they are. For now, she assumes she'll use her healing power to mend others' wounds, just as before, while quietly hoping to make friends.
She's in a treatment room, modeled after a private hospital room. A large bed dominates the space, where a boy lies, sleeping as if dead.
"He still hasn't woken up."
There's no reply, only the boy's faint breathing, sounding unnaturally loud in the quiet room.
This is the boy Phenex brought, the wielder of the Longinus "Regulus Nemea."
Asia glances at the room's entrance, where a massive lion stands. It's the Regulus Nemea itself, the Sacred Gear's physical form, named Regulus. Though not typically an autonomous Sacred Gear, it somehow acts independently. The Demon Gods hypothesize this might be its Balance Breaker.
Though lounging, the lion resembles a loyal guard dog protecting its unconscious master. Well, not a dog, but a lion.
When Phenex brought the boy, he said: To have one's life targeted merely for possessing strength is wrong. Pointing to the boy, nearly killed for wielding a Longinus, the immortal monster who yearns for death spoke those words.
Is a Sacred Gear a mistake? Why did the Lord grant her and this boy such power? Being in the Temple of Time means opposing the holy God. Asia was set to join the Fallen Angels, but not by choice. Yet, she has no desire to flee.
Like her and the boy, others saved by the Demon Gods gather here. Few, like Asia, assist with tasks such as healing. Most haven't recovered enough to contribute.
Some say they've seen hell. Others say hell was born within them. When this boy wakes, what will he resent? Or what will he love?
"…I'll come back later."
As she leaves the room, a black-clad figure stands there.
An ordinary person might collapse in fear, but Asia shows no surprise, only a slight furrow of her brow. Why so calm? She's used to it.
"Oh, Christine!"
"Teacher, it's Asia."
"Christine! Christine! Christine!"
"I said it's Asia!"
It's not quite a nuisance, but it's troublesome. Not quite repulsive, but troubling. She should feel more fear or disgust, but Asia's emotions are muted in this regard. It's not her nature but rather the Church's failed education.
Raised to prioritize mercy and compassion as a saint, she became this "witch" who healed a Devil—an unthinkable act. Unable to shun the taboo, she was shaped into this.
In an era of fading mystery, the attempt to create a true saint produced a woman who can't see a monster's madness as horrifying and even feels joy at attention beyond her healing powers.
"So, Assassin-sensei, what's the matter?"
"Assassin" is a class name (she doesn't fully understand the term), and his real name—or "True Name," as the Demon Gods prefer—is separate. She hasn't been told it but doesn't mind.
The name Christine, a woman's name. A masked face, dressed like a musical performer. A talent for teaching song.
Though Asia lacks formal education due to her upbringing, these clues point to his identity. He doesn't seem to hide it much.
Assassin is the most transparent, but the other Servants are harder to pin down. Limited interaction and specific details make it tough. She's narrowed down candidates for "Lancer" and "Archer" but lacks a decisive clue. "Caster" is a complete mystery. Does he even belong in the same category as the others? His worldview feels too different.
"It's obvious. Lesson time."
He's taken a liking to Asia's voice. His wish is for a songstress he mentors to achieve the world's highest honor. It's his utmost priority, even the condition for cooperating with the Demon Gods. Baal, who contracted him, often complains and apologizes, saying yesterday, "Why did I choose this guy?"
"The Demon Gods will remake the world someday. In that world, you'll be the greatest songstress."
The Demon Gods plan to remake the world, though Asia hasn't been told specifics. She's just a girl they saved, valued for her healing prowess and Assassin's fondness. That's natural.
"And—sing with me, once more, once more, Christine, Christine, my songstress."
When exiled from the Church, she thought it was a trial from the Lord.
That no one protected her was due to her insufficient prayers.
But the Temple of Time, the Demon Gods, and Assassin made her realize.
It wasn't prayer, compassion, or luck she lacked.
She was empty. So empty she couldn't distinguish the value of humans and Devils, never grasping the meaning of "human."
Even now, little has changed.
"Man, it's a real mystery, ain't it?"
"What is?"
"The Church's assassins, Baal-danna. Two little girls wielding Excalibur? I was expecting the Siegfried guy, the success story from the Sigurd Agency."
"The Church… no, the greatest magic sword wielder of the era, right?"
"Yeah, yeah. Rumor has it he's got a Sacred Gear, and in Balance Breaker, he goes six-sword style or something."
"Supposedly the wielder of the Devil Emperor Sword Gram. Given Excalibur's state, Gram's level is predictable…"
"But you guys only know a seventh of it, right? It's a holy sword with countless legends, so the original's gotta be better. Whether it exceeds your expectations is another matter. If you stick all the Excaliburs in this town together, you'd get five-sevenths of it, so don't get your hopes up."
"I'll take that. …But since you don't know, let me update you with some info."
"What's that?"
"Siegfried betrayed the Church."
"Huh?"
"It'll stay under wraps for a while. He's one of their strongest assets. Losing him and his magic sword is a clear blunder. He's now with the Hero Faction of the Khaos Brigade, led by the Dragon God Ophis."
"Wow…"
"No reaction?"
"Well, yeah, danna. That means Siegfried won't show up sneaky-like. Wait, maybe that weather guy Dulio will? 'Mister Durandal' is probably too much, though."
"The Church's strongest warrior and the Cardinal Priest? The latter's unlikely due to political issues, though the former's possible."
"Right? For all his talk of wanting war, Kokabiel's prep is kinda sloppy. If he's serious about starting one, he'd need to drag out someone like Ewald's old man. Fallen Angels are hopeless. Getting picked up by you guys was the right call—yay!"
"You're so fake. …Kokabiel's due back soon. Handle it well, Freed. If needed, Archer and Lancer will back you up. A war at this stage would derail the plan. I'm not wasting fuel."
"Got it, got it, Baal-danna."
"…If we'd eliminated Kokabiel before the Church noticed his hideout, things would've been smoother. I didn't expect Rias Gremory to be unaware a Fallen Angel cadre invaded her turf. Assuming she knew threw off my judgment."
"Danna, didn't you pick the wrong Servant to summon? Sounds like there were better assassins out there."
"Don't say it. Once Kokabiel's dealt with, I'll summon a new Heroic Spirit."
"Oh? First I'm hearing of it. So, you're leaving Assassin-sensei with Asia-chan?"
"Yes, and?"
"Man, that's harsh. What's harsh is that Asia-chan doesn't even dislike him—she barely finds him creepy. A saint who healed a Devil? She's definitely off."
"Cao Cao. Do you know where Ophis is? I'm low on 'snakes' for experiments and need a resupply."
"What? Someone missing?"
"No idea."
"Maybe with the Old Satan faction?"
"Checked there, but no. Maybe the mage faction?"
"Troublesome sponsor."
"Exactly. Too much brains would be harder to handle. As a puppet, she's just right."
"Fair point."
"Speaking of Ophis's snakes, how's the experiment going?"
"So-so. Needs more time for practical use. Once ready, we'll send brainwashed Sacred Gear wielders to attack mythological strongholds and leave the rest to chance."
"Hope that boosts Balance Breaker users."
"Oh, Cao Cao. Heard about those 'sword-wielding Heroic Spirits'?"
"No, tell me more."
"Some mysterious swordsman calling themselves 'Saber—Avici Hell' or 'Musashi Miyamoto.' Apparently, a Church unit clashed with them unintentionally and got wiped out."
"Oh?"
"That unit had some notable members. The only clue from a dead agent was that name. The wounds suggest a Japanese sword."
"Musashi Miyamoto… that famous Japanese swordsman? I don't know the specific tales."
"Reincarnation, descendant, or self-proclaimed?"
"What's 'Saber—Avici Hell' mean?"
"No idea."
"There've been sporadic, unidentified attacks across the Three Great Powers. Could be related."
"Understood. If anyone hears anything about this Musashi Miyamoto, report it. I'd like to recruit them if possible. At least, I want some info."
"Got it, Leader."
"…It's almost time. Soon, we, the Khaos Brigade, will fully launch our operations."
"There's intel that Kokabiel, who stole Excalibur, is hiding in the town managed by Sirzechs Lucifer's sister. This could shake the world."
"If so, we might move faster."
"And eventually, we'll challenge and defeat gods and Satans, proving how far humans can go. Being born in this turbulent era must mean something."
"Yeah. Let's show them human strength."
"…That aside, where is Ophis? I intend to keep my promise to defeat Great Red, so I'd like some cooperation."