When he opened his eyes again, the air was quiet and still. White-washed light filtered through tall windows, casting long shadows over a room furnished simply but with care.
Before him, two women stood. One had fiery red hair and wore armor pieces that caught the light—a commanding presence. The other had sea-blue hair, eyes closed momentarily as though she often did, and a gentle but composed aura.
"Ah—you're awake," the blue-haired woman finally spoke, her voice calm and gentle.
The red-haired woman stepped forward slightly, arms crossed. "For a kid, your resilience is quite good," she said, her tone authoritative yet not harsh.
Knox's vision cleared further and he blinked.
He swallowed. "Where… am I?" he asked quietly.
The blue-haired woman inclined her head. "You're safe. For now," she said.
Knox glanced between them, and suddenly his eyes widened. "Two… angels?" he murmured, voice soft. "Am I… in heaven?"
The blue-haired woman opened her eyes then, a small smile brushing her lips. ""Heaven, you say? That's… quite the first thing to wake up to," she said, her lips curving gently. "Thank you for the compliment, little one." She said, amusement glinting faintly in her gentle gaze.
Knox attempted to move, but his body protested. His muscles ached, his head fuzzy.
"You shouldn't force yourself," the blue-haired woman spoke softly from his side. Her tone was warm—gentle, almost like a lullaby. "Your mana is completely depleted, and your body's been overstrained. It's a miracle you're even conscious."
Her words carried calm reassurance, yet her gaze—eyes the color of a serene ocean—seemed to study him carefully.
For a few seconds, Knox just blinked, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Then, realization struck him like lightning.
Wait… this face… and that voice… no way—
His eyes darted between the two women standing before him. One with flowing blue hair, her expression tender and composed; the other with crimson hair like fire and a commanding aura that filled the room.
They're—Saintess Israfill Cross… and Saintess Dana?!
Knox froze. His heart skipped a beat.
The red-haired woman raised a brow slightly, noticing the subtle change in his expression.
"Hmm? From your reaction, do you know us?"
Outwardly, Knox managed to keep his composure—barely. Inside, he was panicking.
No way, this is bad—how am I supposed to explain this? Calm down, Knox. Think.
After a quick breath, he forced a faint, polite smile.
"No, not exactly," he said evenly. "But… your aura, your pressure, and my instincts tell me you two are really strong. And judging from your energy, you're both from the Holy Federation, right? With that kind of strength, presence — and beauty — you two big sisters must hold pretty high positions."
For a brief moment, silence filled the room.
Dana's eyes flickered slightly, her expression shifting from curiosity to mild surprise. "You could tell that much from a glance…?"
Then—
"Wait a minute." Israfill suddenly leaned forward, eyes bright with interest. "What did you just say? Did you call me… big sister?"
Knox blinked, confused. "…Big sister?"
Her lips curved into a delighted smile, a soft, melodic laugh escaping her. "Hehe~ could you say that again?"
Dana turned her head slightly toward her companion, an unreadable look in her eyes—half exasperated, half speechless—but she said nothing.
Knox hesitated, unsure what kind of trap he'd just stepped into. Still, under that gentle yet expectant gaze, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
"…Big sister," he repeated, a bit awkwardly.
Israfill's smile brightened. She actually laughed—soft, musical, the sound filling the quiet room. "Hehe~ adorable," she said, clearly pleased.
Knox's face twitched. Did I just get praised like a kid?
At her side, the red-haired woman let out a quiet sigh and folded her arms. "You're enjoying this far too much, Israfill," she said, her voice cool and calm.
"Can you blame me?" Israfill replied without missing a beat, resting her chin on her hand. "It's been a long time since anyone called me that so sweetly."
"…You're impossible," Dana murmured, shaking her head ever so slightly.
Knox, meanwhile, shifted under the covers, trying to push himself upright. "Um… excuse me, but where exactly am I—"
Before he could sit up, Israfill gently pressed a hand to his shoulder, stopping him. "Don't move yet," she said softly. "You're still recovering. Your mana circuits are unstable. One wrong strain and you'll faint again."
Dana stepped closer, her gaze steady. "You're in a neutral-zone safehouse, far from the Federation's territory," she said. "We found you unconscious after… whatever happened out there." Her tone dipped slightly, a note of intrigue coloring her voice. "And judging by the aftermath, a lot happened."
Knox glanced downward, memory flashing—the clash, the light, the overwhelming power that tore through everything. His chest tightened.
"…Yeah," he muttered. "You could say that."
The silence stretched for a moment—soft, but heavy. Then, the blue-haired woman tilted her head slightly, her expression gentle again.
"Right, introductions," she said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "My name is Israfill Cross."She smiled, eyes half-lidded, her voice carrying that calm, soothing rhythm unique to her."People call me the Saintess of the Divine Sea."
Her gaze flicked toward the red-haired woman beside her. "Dana, why don't you introduce yourself as well?"
Dana crossed her arms, exhaling softly through her nose. "Hmph… you always make me do this." Still, she obliged. Her eyes met Knox's directly, sharp yet composed.
"Dana," she said simply. "For some reason, people call me the Saintess of Judgment."
"…What?!" Knox blinked once, feigning disbelief. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? I feel like I just heard something… amazing."
Outwardly, his tone was calm, almost playful. But inwardly, his mind was racing.
So they really are who I think they are…
Israfil Cross — the Saintess of the Divine Sea.
She bore the Essence of Miracle, a divine power capable of summoning the Heavenly Sea. When invoked, the sky itself would ripple like water, and sanctified currents would descend — healing allies or drowning foes in waves of divine light.
Dana — the Saintess of Judgment.
Feared and respected in equal measure, she was the most representative hardliner within the Holy Federation. Because of this, she often found herself at odds with Israfil Cross, the leader of the moderate faction. Not only was she harsh toward necromancers, but she was also merciless toward the citizens of the Holy Federation, her own people.
Wait… why are those two together? Weren't they basically at odds — like a cat and a dog?
Israfil let out a soft laugh, her eyes curving gently as she nodded. "You heard correctly," she said, her voice calm and melodic. "Saintess of the Divine Sea — that would be me."
Knox forced a small, polite smile, pretending to be suprised — though inside, his thoughts were racing.
And then, before he could respond, Dana's voice cut in, smooth yet carrying unmistakable weight.
"Knox Aznable."
The name hit like a flicker of static.
Knox turned to her, brow twitching slightly. "...Yes?"
"Age, ten. The boy who dismantled a bandit den alone three days ago," Dana continued, her golden eyes fixed sharply on him. "Known by the locals as the White Devil. You used a sword as your main weapon, and you're capable of wielding more than one element — fire, water, and ice. And based on the traces of battle with Jasil before, you used some kind of sword style that I don't recognize, along with water and ice magic as well."
Her gaze narrowed slightly. "Oh, and Jasil, by the way — he's the reason Israfil and I came here. Or rather…" she paused briefly, her tone turning faintly dry, "was the reason."
Israfil's half-lidded eyes rolled slightly. "Jasil was my target," she said softly, her tone calm yet edged with subtle sarcasm."You just happened to get bored and needed some entertainment, didn't you?"
Dana let out a quiet scoff, her golden eyes narrowing slightly. "If I hadn't stepped in, you'd still be praying over his corpse instead of finishing the job."
Israfil's smile didn't waver, though her gaze sharpened for a brief moment. "At least my methods don't leave the forest in ashes."
The air between them seemed to tighten — gentle and polite on the surface, but sharp enough to cut through steel. The Saintess of the Divine Sea and the Saintess of Judgment — two forces that would never truly align, no matter how peacefully they stood side by side.
Knox blinked, startled. "You two… came here just for Jasil?" he asked, disbelief coloring his tone. "That's a bit overkill, don't you think?"
For a brief moment, neither of them answered. Israfil merely tilted her head with a serene smile, while Dana gave a quiet, almost dismissive hum.
Inside, Knox's thoughts were racing.
Seriously? Two Saintesses, both from opposing factions — working together?
They're supposed to be like fire and water!
Were they on better terms before the main story started?
Before he could finish the thought, Dana's voice sliced through the quiet.
"You—kid. Fight me."
Knox blinked. "…Huh?"
For a moment, he wondered if the mana exhaustion was making him hallucinate.
But Dana's expression didn't waver—calm, firm, and unmistakably serious.
Israfil sighed quietly, one hand brushing her hair back. "Dana, he just woke up. You're going to break him before he can even stand."
Dana didn't even look at her. "If he's the one who defeated Jasil, then I want to confirm it myself."
Knox stared at her, utterly dumbfounded.
Is this woman for real…? I can't even feel my legs right now!
Israfil turned her gaze back to him, eyes softening with faint sympathy. "Don't mind her. When she's curious, she tends to be… direct."
Knox forced a weak smile. "Direct? That's one way to put it."
Israfil chuckled lightly, the sound quiet but warm. "Don't worry. I'll make sure she doesn't kill you—probably."
Knox's heart skipped. "Wait—what do you mean probably?!"