Omniscient POV
Vatican, Italy
In an open field, a man could be seen practicing his swordsmanship relentlessly—Masaomi Yaegaki.
After years of tireless effort, his hard work was finally recognized, and he might soon be entrusted with one of the Excalibur Fragments as a natural-born Holy Sword wielder.
Though it came late, this recognition gave him a chance to uncover this fact about himself without meeting a tragic end like it was meant to be.
However, being chosen as a candidate for the Holy Sword wasn't something that happened easily or suddenly.
It was only due to the retirement of the previous wielder and Masaomi's status as the next best available candidate that he was most likely to be selected. Even so, he still needed to prove his worth.
He remembered how, during the previous fiasco, if not for Vasco Strada's intervention, he, Touji, and the others might have been discarded as mere expendable pawns for escape.
Over time, Masaomi had also come to understand the darker side of the Protestant Church a little more clearly.
"Masaomi!"
His training was nearing its end when someone from the Church came rushing in, calling out his name urgently. Masaomi halted his practice and turned around to see who it was.
"Steve? What happened? Why do you look so panicked?" Masaomi asked, noticing his friend's flustered expression.
"T-The Pope! He's calling for you! You cannot keep him waiting!"
Steve managed to say between heavy breaths, clearly winded from running such a long distance.
The training grounds Masaomi used were located quite far from the main Church Headquarters, chosen specifically to avoid distractions while honing his skills.
The Pope was the highest-ranking human authority in the Church, someone even Vasco Strada—the Violence of Heaven—had to obey, as he was merely a Cardinal.
Masaomi was both surprised and intrigued by this unexpected summons, having never met the Pope before.
Without letting his thoughts distract him, he quickly gathered his things and rushed back toward the Church, eager to learn the reason for this sudden call.
After a while, he stood before the door leading to the Pope's chamber. It was safe to say he was a bit nervous.
Just as he was gathering his composure, someone unexpected appeared.
"Masaomi, how's it going? Have you been doing well?" asked a tall man with jet-black hair, wearing fancy sunglasses and an equally extravagant black robe.
"Oh, hello, Max. Weren't you supposed to be on a different mission?" Masaomi asked, slightly surprised.
Max was the other candidate for inheriting the Holy Sword. They were competitors, to say the least.
Although Masaomi didn't know him well, Max often sought him out, trying to get to know him better.
Even though Masaomi had nothing against him, he couldn't shake the wariness he felt toward Max—the man just seemed way too suspicious.
"I was, but I was suddenly called back. Apparently, someone else was sent in my place," Max said with a casual smile.
"Oh, you were supposed to go to Japan, right? Something about Fallen Angels and magicians stirring up trouble, I heard," Masaomi remarked.
"Yeah. Who knows what's really happening there? But they sent David instead, so everything should be fine. He's a capable exorcist," Max replied confidently.
As they continued their conversation, a loud cough echoed from inside the room, clearly intended to grab their attention.
Realizing they had been delaying for too long, they exchanged awkward glances before stepping inside nervously.
Seated before them was the Pope of the Church—an obese man in his late fifties, draped in extravagant garments adorned with gold and precious jewels.
Even his robes were embroidered with intricate golden patterns.
Despite his grandeur, the deep frown on his face made the atmosphere tense.
"How long were you planning to make me wait?" the Pope demanded, his voice laced with clear irritation.
Both Masaomi and Max quickly bowed and apologized in unison. Whatever majestic image Masaomi had of the Pope was instantly shattered.
"Um, Your Holiness, why were we summoned so suddenly today?" Masaomi asked after a brief pause, once they were seated with the Pope's gracious permission.
The Pope handed each of them an envelope. Inside was information about a particular individual.
"What's this?" Max asked as he opened the envelope. Masaomi followed suit.
"This contains all the known details about Asia Argento. Unfortunately, we couldn't gather much.
One of our exorcists spotted her in Argentina, where she was seen healing people.
Locals have even begun calling her a Saintess due to her miraculous healing abilities," the Pope explained.
"Does she possess a healing-type Sacred Gear?" Masaomi inquired, his curiosity piqued.
As both Max and Masaomi tried to piece together why they were being given this information—since people with healing-type Sacred Gears were rare but always recruited by specialized units for such work—the Pope continued speaking, cutting through their thoughts.
"Most probably. It might even be Twilight Healing, which is the second-best healing-type Sacred Gear after the Longinus.
Or it might be a completely different type of Sacred Gear. We don't really know. But what's certain is that it is special," the Pope explained.
"Special? How?" Max asked, clearly intrigued.
"Apparently, it can even cure terminal diseases. Many people have been cured by her," the Pope replied.
The revelation caught both of them off guard. Most healing-type Sacred Gears, even the powerful ones like Twilight Healing, couldn't cure diseases, especially terminal ones.
They were primarily effective for injuries, not life-threatening conditions like cancer or even congenital weaknesses.
Even the Church's current Twilight Healing user couldn't perform miracles like curing such ailments. The user was also aging by the day.
If this girl, Asia, truly had such abilities, she could become an invaluable asset to the Church.
"Shouldn't we recruit her then? We should make her one of the Holy Maidens in the Church!" Max said, his excitement palpable.
"Yes, exactly. That's why I called you two today. The exorcist who found her did invite her, but for some reason, she refused and has been avoiding such discussions.
I want you two to go there and convince her to join us. After all, her power should be used for the betterment of the followers of God," the Pope stated, his tone serious.
The Pope then handed over further details, including information about the other exorcists recently staying in the area.
After a while, both men stood up to leave the Pope's chamber. But just as they were about to exit, the Pope said something that stopped them in their tracks.
"The one who can convince her will become the wielder of the Holy Sword. This issue has been procrastinated for long enough.
So, good luck. I am expecting positive results from this," the Pope said as the door behind them closed with a soft thud, leaving both of them standing there, baffled.
Max and Masaomi exchanged awkward glances, their faces reflecting the realization.
It seems they weren't supposed to work together to recruit her—but to compete against each other for the Holy Sword.
But for some reason, something about the idea didn't sit right with Masaomi. He didn't have a good feeling about it.
*
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Sabnock Territory, Underworld
*boing*
*squish*
"Kou-chaan!"
Just as Kouske and Lord Phenex exited the room, Kouske was smothered in a heavenly sensation, blocking his view.
An awkward silence followed as the short-stacked magical girl clung tightly to the taller boy, practically suffocating him (not really).
She even let out cute giggles, "He he he."
After a while, Kouske managed to free himself from Serafall's hug, albeit reluctantly.
"How many times have I told you not to use 'chan'?" Kouske said with a sigh.
Lord Phenex, witnessing the scene and already aware of Serafall's unique personality, couldn't help but let out an awkward laugh.
"Greetings, Leviathan-sama," Lord Phenex said with a polite bow.
Just as Serafall was about to retort to Kouske, she was interrupted by Lord Phenex's greeting.
She had been waiting for quite some time after arriving. Sakuya had informed her that Kouske was busy attending something important, so she had no choice but to wait reluctantly.
Still, she didn't have all that free time—her free time was running out. So impatience got the better of her. When Kouske's meeting ended, she immediately jumped in.
She knew the other person (Lord Phenex) and was aware that he was already aware of her personality, so she didn't need to worry too much about maintaining her image.
Serafall greeted him back, and they exchanged pleasantries for a while.
"So, are you done with the meeting?" Serafall quietly asked after a moment.
"Yeah. I was just about to escort him to the door," Kouske replied.
"That's not necessary. I'll be taking my leave now. Have a good day," Lord Phenex said, quickly excusing himself.
Even though he was curious about Satan Leviathan's visit, he was in a hurry and couldn't stay.
He was eager to return and help his son recover before any strange rumors started spreading.
So, with Riser's Phoenix Spark in his possession, Lord Phenex left promptly. Afterward, Kouske guided Serafall to the hallway.
He preferred the relaxed atmosphere of the hall for conversations, finding it far more comfortable than the stiff formality of the meeting room.
"Why was Lord Phenex here?" Serafall asked out of pure curiosity.
"Nothing significant. Just a business deal, that's all," Kouske calmly answered.
"Ooh," Serafall muttered with mild interest.
"And what brings you here? Aren't you buried in work these days? I heard some interesting rumors—something about screams and strange sounds coming from your office lately," Kouske teased, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Uh… ha ha ha. It's nothing, really. Don't worry about it," Serafall said, laughing nervously.
In truth, she had been driving her subordinates mad to free up her schedule as soon as possible.
She had more important matters to attend to than her Satan duties.
The supposed 'screams' were just the result of her overworked staff venting their frustrations.
"If you say so," Kouske remarked, giving her a suspicious look.
"Forget about that! I need your help—it's about So-tan!" Serafall exclaimed, her excitement evident, immediately catching Kouske's attention.