AN (21/06/2026): Added another scene after the Rias PoV towards the end.
Mittelt sat on the picnic blanket, taking small nibbles out of her salty McDonald's fries.
Across from her, the source of her most recent existential crisis was stuffing his face with a Big Mac, that pair of rings floating innocuously atop his lap while glowing with soft, ethereal light.
The vampire sat there cozily at his side, eating her own burger with calm, delicate bites that made this whole picture even weirder.
How did that even work? Wasn't she supposed to drink blood instead?
More Grail craziness?
Mittelt grabbed another fry, taking a mechanical bite and chewing slowly. The salt coated her tongue, but she barely tasted it, her mind was still spinning from earlier.
The mousy nun sat to her left, quiet like a statue, stealing glances at the Twilight Healing every few seconds. An unwrapped burger lay half-forgotten at her feet, the sauce dripping from the lettuce and staining the blanket.
Mittelt picked up the straw from next to her untouched drink, turning it around between her fingers as the plastic crinkled softly. She tore open the wrapper in a slow and deliberate fashion, the noise loud enough to break the silence.
It didn't get any reaction.
Her lips curled with a frown.
She crumpled the wrapper in one hand and dumped it next to her feet, stabbing the straw inside the soda cup with a bit more force than necessary, rattling the ice inside.
Valerie spared her a brief glance, those crimson eyes unreadable, before taking another delicate bite out of her burger.
Alex kept eating without a single care in the world, cheeks bulged and jaw working steadily.
Mittelt picked up her drink, eyes flickering back to the Twilight Healing. She took a slow sip, the cold, fizzy sweetness biting at her tongue.
Her brow twitched.
The heck was this? A sitcom show?!
He'd put a giant, pink elephant in the middle of the room, and now he was just gonna ignore it because it was lunch time?
"The burger is nice." Valerie broke the silence, her gaze flickering from the half-eaten bun to her boyfriend.
Baldy swallowed his food, setting down the last chunk of his Big Mac and flashing the vampire a smile that made something twist uncomfortably in Mittelt's chest. "We can try KFC tomorrow," he said while reaching for his own drink, the cup denting slightly under his firm grip. "They have all sorts of crispy fried chicken goodness."
"I'll look forward to it." The ghost of a smile settled on Valerie's face as she resumed her eating, looking almost content.
Mittelt stared between those two, her brows furrowing ever so slightly.
And now they were making dinner plans? Seriously?
Alex took a sip out of his soda and glanced at the blonde statue.
"It won't taste as good if it gets cold."
Asia snapped out of her daze as if scalded, muttering a hurried apology in Italian while fumbling with her burger. For a moment, she just stared at it like she'd never seen one in her whole life, hands trembling slightly. Then she took a slow, tentative bite.
Her green eyes lit up like Christmas morning as she chewed, a quiet, happy noise sounding somewhere at the back of her throat.
Mittelt kept staring.
What the heck.
She threw her hands up in the air with a long-suffering huff. "Why are y'all acting like this is normal?!"
That finally got a reaction. Asia made a sound like a startled puppy while the other two paused from their meal and stared at her.
Alex cocked an eyebrow while sipping at his soda, the straw still between his lips. "What?"
What?
Her eye twitched.
"What do you mean 'what'?" She pointed a finger at Baldy, jabbing it towards him like a spear. "You just created a new Sacred Gear! With brute force! And you're just sitting there with that thing on your lap, eating McDonald's like it's no big deal?!" Her voice pitched higher with each word, breaking into a hysterical note at the end.
He shrugged, the motion so casual it made her want to scream.
"It's just a Twilight Healing."
He picked up the last bite of his burger and popped it in his mouth, chewing nonchalantly.
Mittelt felt her jaw go slack, mouth hanging open as she processed his words.
It's just a Twilight Healing, he says...
She blew out a quiet puff of air through her nose, shaking her head slowly. Yeah, she had nothing. Absolutely nothing. Anything she threw at him would just bounce off that chrome dome like water off a duck's butt.
Baldy spared her one more glance, then went back to sipping happily at his soda.
Mittelt pursed her lips, burying the urge to kick him in the shin.
This guy...
Did all crazy strong people lack common sense? Was that a universal rule? Did all that power just rot the brain until you couldn't understand why normal people might be freaking out?
Mittelt placed down her soda with another huff and reached for her cheeseburger. It had gotten a bit cold by now, the cheese congealing slightly, but not too much. Still good enough to eat. Fast food was great like that.
As she tore off the wrapper like the poor paper had personally offended her, the vampire paused from her eating, lowering her burger. She spared her a glance, a tiny twitch at the corner of those pale lips.
"You get used to it."
Mittelt stared back, her brows rising a fraction.
Valerie didn't say anything else and went back to quietly nibbling at her half-eaten Big Tasty.
Get used to it?
Mittelt opened her mouth, then closed it right after. What was she even supposed to say to that?
Sighing, she took a bite out of her burger, gaze drifting around as she chewed. Dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy while birds chirped somewhere overhead. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves.
What a morning...
She'd woken up expecting another boring day of guard duty and maybe some bitching from Raynare. Instead, she'd witnessed something that would probably give the eggheads at Grigori a collective stroke.
Alex picked up his fries and started going through them like a wood chipper, pausing only to sip some more at his soda. He let out a content sigh, eyes flickering down to the Sacred Gear hovering in his lap. He studied it for a bit, head tilting slightly, lips pursed in thought.
Then his mouth suddenly fell open, eyes widening as if struck by an epiphany.
Oh no.
She knew that look. That was the look people got right before they did something brilliant or monumentally stupid.
"How many of these you think we can fit in there?"
She blinked owlishly, the words bouncing inside the head. How many of wha—
Her eyes flew wide and a chill went down her back like someone had dumped ice water down her dress.
Oh no. Oh no.
"Maybe you shouldn't?" The words tumbled out higher than intended, almost pleading.
Alex shook his head, a grin breaking across his face.
"Nah, let's find out."
Mittelt swallowed, but that sudden knot lodged in her throat refused to budge. She lowered her half-eaten burger, staring at the crazy Baldy while chewing at her lip. Her gaze darted to Valerie, desperately hoping for a voice of reason, but the vampire only gave a resigned shake of her head, as if this was already a foregone conclusion.
Mittelt looked up at the sky, her stomach twisting with unease as she searched the blue expanse for any sign of divine wrath.
Please don't smite us...
<[]>
Rias took a spoonful of strawberry cheesecake, letting a content breath escape through her nose as she stretched her legs under the desk. The sweetness melted on her tongue, rich and creamy with just the right balance of tartness from the strawberries. Her eyes flickered to the old clock on the wall to her left, lingering for a moment as the long hand moved with its slow, mechanical rhythm.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Her mouth twitched.
She blew out another puff of air, more forceful this time, stabbing her spoon at the dessert. The poor cheesecake didn't deserve this treatment, but she couldn't help it.
Only a few more hours...
It was going to be so much fun.
She took another bite of cheesecake, smiling around the spoon as her foot bounced under the desk in an unconscious rhythm.
She could only imagine what kind of knowledge he had to share. What sort of anime and manga he'd tell her about and—
The sound of creaking wood drew her gaze across the room, pulling her from her thoughts. Akeno stepped out of the kitchenette, a delicate teacup and saucer balanced in one hand, her lips curled in that gentle, almost serene expression that she often wore.
Rias placed down her plate on the desk, smiling as her Queen approached with demure grace. "Thank you, Akeno—"
A wave of energy rippled through the room, washing over her skin like someone had opened a door to a blast furnace. Heat prickled across her arms, her face, crawling up her neck with an uncomfortable intensity. Not enough to hurt, but close enough that a deep part inside her recoiled instinctively. Like standing under the sun on a scorching summer day, on the verge of heatstroke.
Akeno's hand shook around the cup, porcelain rattling against porcelain as droplets of tea spilled over the rim. She placed down the saucer with exaggerated care, her knuckles white.
Rias stiffened in her seat, her spine going rigid as her gaze snapped to the windows. The hair on the back of her neck bristled, standing on end, as a cold chill traveled up her spine despite the lingering warmth on her skin.
Yikes.
Concentrated holy energy.
Her Queen stood ramrod straight, looking across the desk with a face as if carved from stone. "Are we under attack?"
Rias clenched her hands atop the desk, mind awhirl. Her demonic energy stirred beneath her skin, ready to burst forth.
Was it those Fallen—
No, wait.
She shook her head, taking a deep breath as the pieces clicked together.
"I doubt it," she said, easing herself back into her chair and picking up her spoon again. "I think it's the guy from yesterday. He probably did something with the Grail. I'll ask him tomorrow."
A shame she'd missed it, though. That must've been some isekai-level shenanigans.
"You're being rather flippant about this." Akeno's voice carried a subtle edge, with none of her usual playful lilt.
Rias picked up her teacup, blowing softly across the steaming surface before taking a slow, measured sip. "He could be a valuable ally."
Akeno's mouth twitched, her violet eyes narrowing slightly as her face settled into a frown that bordered on hostile. "He's consorting with the crows."
That last word came out with a hiss, full of venom.
Rias lowered her cup, a heavy sigh rising from deep inside her chest and spilling through her nose. "Akeno." She folded her hands atop the desk, fixing her Queen with a steady, patient gaze. "Just because he met some Fallen doesn't make them allies."
He wouldn't even have anything to gain from a bunch of foot soldiers. The man had the Sephiroth Grail and was strong enough to flex out of time stop. What could a few low-ranking Fallen possibly offer him?
Akeno's frown deepened, lips pressing into a thin line. She averted her gaze, hands folded primly in front of her skirt as she stared past Rias towards the windows. Her posture stiffened, face settling into something cold and distant.
Rias leaned back in her chair, sighing quietly to herself. Even after all these years, her Queen was still holding that grudge. She couldn't really blame her, but it made situations like this more complicated than they should be...
The front doors suddenly opened with a creak, the sound deafening in the tense quiet of the room.
Koneko walked in with a frown on her usually impassive face, a plastic shopping bag rustling in her hand. The unmistakable smell of fast food wafted from it, carrying that distinct McDonald's aroma of deep-fried potatoes and beef.
The girl made a beeline for the couch without acknowledging either of them, dropping her lunch on the coffee table before plopping herself down with a tired sigh. She stayed there like that for a while, slumped and motionless, like a cat who'd finished a long chase and didn't have enough energy left to enjoy her hard-won prey.
Rias watched her cute servant with furrowed brows, forgetting her own troubles for a moment. "Everything alright, Koneko?"
The girl shrugged, not bothering to look up as she set about unpacking her food with slow, mechanical efficiency. "There was a long queue."
The words came out flat, carrying the weight of personal tragedy.
Rias watched her for another moment, her lips quirking at the corners. Well, that explained the mood.
"I meant about that wave of holy energy. Did you perhaps notice where it came from?"
Koneko looked up from her McDonald's bag, a half-unwrapped burger clutched in her small hands. "Nope." She gave another shrug, completely unconcerned. "I waited half an hour to eat these. I don't care even if it's the Judgment Day."
The words hung in the air for a moment, so matter-of-fact and absurd that Rias couldn't help a quiet, unladylike snort.
Akeno shifted in place, and Rias caught the brief twitch at the corner of her Queen's mouth, that cold expression finally cracking as a hint of amusement broke through the gloom.
Rias felt a smile of her own settle on her lips.
Typical Koneko. The girl had her priorities straight, even if those priorities often leaned towards food.
"Take your time," she said, reaching again for her cup and lifting it to her lips. "I'm sure it's nothing to panic over."
"Cool," the petite girl said before taking a large bite out of her burger. She made an appreciative noise somewhere in the back of her throat, her face lighting up with a flicker of joy as she chewed.
And with that, they lost her.
Rias took a long sip of tea, letting the warmth settle in her chest, before looking back at her Queen. Akeno was still standing there stiffly, but some of the tension had bled from her shoulders and that frosty expression had thawed.
"Please let Sona know that it's nothing to worry about."
Knowing her friend, she'd probably sent her whole peerage on high alert. Better to head that off before the poor girl worked herself into a stress-induced headache.
"As you wish." Akeno gave a slight bow of her head and turned to leave, the doors closed behind her with a soft click.
Rias sank deeper into her seat, sipping again at her tea as her gaze drifted to the windows. Warm sunlight filtered through, casting bright squares across the wooden floor.
A quiet, longing breath escaped her.
Tomorrow couldn't come quickly enough.
<[]>
I sipped at my soda, the lukewarm fizz prickling my tongue as I slouched back in my camping chair. In my other hand, I flipped the pair of super magic rings like coins, watching the green glow trace little arcs in the air with each spin.
By the tree to my left, Asia and Valerie sat on the picnic blanket, both smiling as they chatted about something.
A smile came to my own face as I watched them from the corner of my eye.
Good. Both could use a friend.
A napkin crunched somewhere to my right, and I glanced over as Mittelt walked up, wiping her fingers off one by one. That usual bratty spring in her step was gone, and she had her gaze locked on the rings spinning through the air, lips slightly parted and brows pinched together.
She'd been doing that since lunch, staring at the Sacred Gear like it owed her money.
I mean, fair. I kinda did something crazy, but she was really treating this whole thing like too big of a deal.
"So..." Her eyes flickered up, meeting mine. "What'cha calling this thing? Twilight Healing Plus One?"
My lips twitched at the reference. "No idea. I'll worry about that after I'm done."
She blinked, and the napkin stopped moving in her hands for a second. Then she scrunched it into a ball, and her gaze went back to the magic rings, teeth pinching her bottom lip.
"Maybe you should stop here?"
I guess I could, but…
"Nah." A grin pulled at my cheeks. "I'm honestly curious how far I could take this."
Mittelt stared. A beat passed, then her shoulders lowered with a sigh that left through her nose in a steady stream, her body deflating like a balloon.
So dramatic.
I leaned forward and set my drink down on the grass. I dug my hand inside my jacket and grabbed the second set of rings.
Mittelt's brows climbed. "Another one?" Her voice went up half an octave. "When did you even make it?"
"Earlier." I held both sets up, one in each hand, side by side. One glowed dimmer than the other, but the difference was easy to spot up close in their design. "I actually made three, in case I broke those on the first smash."
She blew out a breath that puffed her bangs up from her forehead, shaking her head. "Well, it's not like I can stop you, so..." She shrugged, hands making a vague, fluttery gesture in front of her. “Do your thing, I guess.”
"Let's go a bit farther away." I pointed up at a wide gap in the canopy. "You should get back too, just in case."
Mittelt followed my finger, her lips pursing as she squinted up at the opening. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"Don't worry. Worst case, it just blows up."
She gave me a flat, unblinking stare. Then she shook her head, muttering something under her breath as her wings snapped out behind her with a rustle of black feathers. She pushed off the ground with a single powerful flap and soared past the canopy, hovering there, arms crossed, looking down with the same flat expression.
Cute.
I took off running in the same general direction, my shoes digging into the soft forest floor. When I'd put enough distance between myself and the picnic blanket, I skidded to a stop, throwing another quick glance around.
Sparse trees and nothing else. Perfect.
I rolled my shoulders, cracked my neck, and held up a Twilight Healing in each hand.
I took a slow breath and braced my feet into the ground, the fabric of my shirt pulling tight across my back as I spread my arms wide.
Then I clapped.
White light swallowed everything. A sound like thunder cracked through the clearing, the shockwave shoving against my chest like a punch as my ears rang.
I blinked the bright spots out of my vision, standing there as leaves spun through the air above me like confetti.
Then I looked down and paused.
The ground around my feet had turned into a shallow crater, the soil dark and freshly churned.
Huh...
This was new.
I lowered my hands, cupping them together as I checked inside. A single pair of rings floated above my palms, that same green glow pulsing steady and calm. Glittering dust swirled around them like tiny fireflies, winking out one by one as they faded into nothing. The silver filigree looked the same, and the glow wasn't any brighter.
Hm.
I gave the rings a light jiggle, watching them bob in the air.
I actually broke a Sacred Gear.
Crazy.
A breath pushed through my nose as I studied them. "So a one-star doesn't mix with a two-star."
Noted.
"See?!" A high-pitched voice came from above. "I told you so!"
"Eh." I grinned up at Mittelt as she hovered up there with her arms thrown wide. "What's an experiment without an explosion?"
"I dunno?" She shot back, waving her arms around like a tiny, angry windmill. "A sane one?"
A chuckle slipped out. Sanity? This was DxD.
Mad science all the way.
"Let's keep going!"
The Grail appeared in my empty hand in a flash of light.
Take two, let’s go.
<[]>
I sat down on the couch, stretching my legs with a satisfied sigh as I checked the clock on the wall. Two in the afternoon...
My gaze wandered to the laptop sitting on the nightstand, its sleek black case catching a sliver of light filtering through the curtains. Yeah, I could wind down a little before my evening workout. Maybe watch a movie or just browse those forums Rias showed me and see if anything interesting was happening in the supernatural world.
Valerie moved closer with light steps, the floorboards not making a single sound under her weight. She perched herself next to me, close enough that I could catch that faint floral scent from her shampoo.
A warm jolt shot through my arm like electricity as her shoulder brushed mine with a feather touch, the contact sending pleasant tingles across my skin.
I folded my hands atop my lap, meeting her gaze with a smile. Those ruby eyes held mine for a moment, something soft and contemplative swimming in their depths. The corner of her lips curled ever so slightly as she rested her own hands in her lap, mirroring my posture.
"Today was fun." She broke the silence, her gentle voice like a pleasant caress on my ear from this close.
"We can go out like that more often. Asia would be down for it, I'm sure."
That blonde puppy probably had the most fun out of all of us. I didn't mind playing babysitter if it helped these two make friends. God knew they both needed that.
"She's a nice girl."
Yeah, that settled it. These two would become friends, and anyone who got in the way of that was getting punched.
"She is."
We lapsed into comfortable silence.
I took another glance at the clock, watching the second hand make its steady circuit, before my gaze drifted down to my lap. I dug a hand in my jacket, fingers closing around warm metal as I pulled out the pair of glowing, silver rings. They pulsed with a soft, ethereal light that seemed in rhythm with some invisible heartbeat.
I held them in my palm, poking the Sacred Gear with a finger.
Kinda weird how you could just carry them inside your pocket like a random trinket.
From what I remembered, these things were supposed to instantly fuse with anyone who touched them. Soul-deep binding, the whole spiritual nine yards. Unless that didn't happen if you already had a Sacred Gear?
Or maybe I was just built different?
Meh. Whatever. The rules of this world never made much sense to begin with.
I dropped the rings on my lap, tapping a finger to my chin.
So... Twilight Super Healing?
My mouth twitched at the silly name. Making this thing had reminded me of refining items in those shitty Korean MMOs I used to play back home, except actually fun.
I could've probably gotten it all the way to plus nine, but Mittelt had insisted that it would've been overkill.
I could see the logic.
This was probably the best healing item on the planet already. No need to go overboard and accidentally break it like an idiot who pushed their luck too far. I'd have to start over from scratch if I did, and that would suck.
A tiny smile settled on my face.
For all that shameless brattiness, she was a pretty considerate girl.
Looking up, I noticed that Valerie was staring at me, her expression unreadable.
Right. Almost forgot.
"Here." I turned to face her fully, our knees touching as I shifted on the couch. I held the silvery rings in front of her, their gentle light illuminating her face. "It's yours."
A beat of silence passed while Valerie kept staring at the Sacred Gear. She made no move to take it, hands remaining folded in her lap despite the way her eyes stayed glued to the soft, ethereal glow emanating from the rings.
A little shy, huh?
Smiling, I grabbed her left hand, lifting it gently. Her fingers were delicate in my grip, slender and pale against my slightly tanned skin.
I pinched one of the rings between my fingers, read to slide it on her own—
Wait.
I paused, nibbling at the inside of my lip.
Which finger did Asia have these on? The middle one? The ring finger?
The question bounced around my head like a pinball as I held her hand like that, acutely aware of how soft and warm her skin felt against mine. The air between us kept growing thick with silence as Valerie sat there like a deer caught in the headlights, her gaze fixed on the Sacred Gear with an intensity that made me wonder what was going through that pretty head of hers.
The silence stretched. Her breathing seemed louder. Or maybe that was mine.
Eh. Screw it.
I shoved the useless thoughts away and slipped the stupid ring on the finger that made the most sense, then moved to her other hand and repeated the process.
For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. The rings just sat there, glowing softly on her fingers.
But then they pulsed once and vanished in a flicker of emerald light that left tiny spots dancing in my vision.
Hm. So they worked just like that. I was the exception to the rule, it seemed.
"Thank you..."
Valerie's quiet voice barely reached my ears. She withdrew one hand back to her lap and shifted in her seat, averting her eyes somewhere beyond the couch. A deep flush crept up her cheeks, dusting her pale skin like a ripened strawberry, spreading in a way that made her look even more beautiful.
"You're welcome," I said, flashing her a warm smile.
Valerie looked down at her lap as the red kept spreading across her face, reaching all the way to the tips of her ears. Her blonde hair fell forward like a curtain, partially hiding her expression.
Why was she getting flustered like this? Did I do something weird?
Her fingers twitched briefly against my own, a barely-there movement that I almost missed, and I glanced down, realizing I was still holding her hand. I released it after a moment, my palm suddenly feeling empty.
Maybe it was the handholding?
But she'd had little to no trouble trying on sexy lingerie the other day, showing off different colors and styles while I sat there trying not to have a stroke.
I shrugged inwardly. Girls were weird.
As the silence stretched further, Valerie's gaze rose from her lap, meeting mine for a hesitating moment. Her eyes flickered towards the bed, then back to me.
"Yesterday..." she began, her voice small at first, then growing steadier. "You talked about something called 'animay' with Miss Gremory?"
"Yeah." My eyes flew open in surprise, brows climbing up. "You're curious about it?"
She gave a small, shy nod. "If you don't mind...?"
"Of course not." A smile made its way onto my face. "We could even watch some right now."
I sat up, sending a brief glance to the nightstand as my stomach did a small flip. Oh wow. This was really happening. I was about to introduce my cute vampire princess to anime.
Today just went from great to amazing.
"I'll go grab the laptop."
<[]>
Mittelt walked past the aisle of dusty pews, her footsteps echoing in the hollow silence of the church as she crossed the dilapidated nave. Her eyes wandered to the altar, lingering on the broken statue at the top as she slowed down to a stop.
She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, fingers tangling in the frills of her dress as she nibbled at the inside of her lip.
Get used to it, huh...?
Her shoulders dropped with a deep sigh.
Maybe she was thinking too hard about it? She'd called her boss and told him everything. It shouldn't be her problem anymore, right?
Baldy could do weird things to Sacred Gears that defied common sense? Big deal. The world was full of weird stuff and things that did even crazier stuff. And Baldy had a Longinus. It wouldn't be the friggin' Holy Grail if it didn't do crazy stuff like that...
...right?
Her gaze drifted to the tall windows above the altar, lingering on the painted murals. Some faded images of angels, their colors washed out by years of neglect.
The silence turned deafening.
She looked back at the broken statue, fighting down a cringe. Ugh, what was she even doing here, acting all lame and introspective like some kind of—
"Done fooling around for the day?"
A smooth, mature voice came from behind, making her heart jump into her throat.
She spun around, dress fluttering around her thighs and hand halfway to summoning a light spear before her brain caught up. Her eyes landed on the curvy, scantily dressed figure of her fellow Fallen.
When did she even get here?
Kalawarna's amber eyes gleamed in the dim light as she made her way down the aisle, her heels clicking against the floor with each measured step. She arched a dainty brow with a silent question, lips quirking slightly at one corner.
Mittelt rested a hand on her chest, feeling her heart hammer against her palm as she took a calming breath. "Jeez, don't scare me like that."
"Pay more attention to your surroundings, then."
Mittelt rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah." They'd done this song and dance plenty of times before.
"What were you even doing over there?" The woman's gaze flickered to the altar, then back to Mittelt's face as she propped one hand on her hip.
"Just... thinking." Mittelt shrugged.
Kala gave a quiet, thoughtful hum, the sound vibrating in her throat. "You know you're not going to get an answer, right?" She gestured vaguely at the broken statue and the abandoned church around them.
"Yeah. Wasn't really expecting one. Just had something on my mind, I guess." Mittelt tangled a finger in one of the ribbons on her dress, tugging lazily at it.
"And would that something happen to be related to that potent wave of holy energy from earlier?" Kala quirked an eyebrow, her voice a lazy drawl. "The one I felt from all the way across town?"
Mittelt hid a grimace, her shoulders hunching slightly. "Yeah, about that..." She averted her gaze, wracking her brain for a good way to explain that. "Baldy was playing with the Grail."
Yeah, she couldn't put it any better.
"Playing with the Grail?" Kalawarna's voice pitched up slightly. "And cause that kind of discharge? What could he even—"
She paused mid-sentence, her jaw going slack.
"He copied a Sacred Gear, didn't he?"
The words hung in the air as the woman stood there, her face unreadable.
Mittelt smirked. "Yup."
Kala went quiet, eyes narrowing in thought.
Mittelt couldn't help but roll her own.
Kalawarna wasn't as bad as Raynare, but she was just about as opportunistic, even if she went about it in her own way.
As the silence stretched on, Mittelt walked up to the closest pew, leaning her back against it and crossing her arms. She spared Kala another glance, but the woman was still lost somewhere far away in gold-digger land, her gaze distant and unfocused.
Typical.
Mittelt shook her head with an exasperated sigh. She could understand the allure—heck, she even wanted a Sacred Gear for herself. Who wouldn't? But she wouldn't go as far as wetting her panties over it.
If he gave her one, awesome. If he didn't, she'd just suck it up like usual and keep going.
She crossed her arms tighter, gaze drifting back to the tarnished altar. Disjointed thoughts swam through her head as she stood there, tracing the cracked stone with her eyes.
"Hey Kala," she broke the silence after a while, glancing back at her friend.
The woman snapped out of her daydreaming, brows arching a fraction. "Hm?"
"Why do you think God gave us free will?"
Mittelt cringed inwardly as soon as her own words registered to her ears, heat creeping up her neck. Ugh, what the heck was she saying here? She sounded like some angel hag having an existential crisis. Today really messed with her head...
Kalawarna's eyebrows rose even higher, climbing all the way up her forehead until they disappeared beneath her bangs. She walked closer, her gaze fixed on Mittelt as if staring right into her soul, searching for something.
"What's gotten into you, brat? Did he do something to you with the Grail?"
Mittelt couldn't help but give an unladylike snort, the sound echoing in the empty church. "Oh, he did something with the Grail alright."
Kalawarna stopped at the end of the aisle, her expression unreadable. "Tell me what happened." She leaned against the nearest pew, crossing her arms beneath her bust and pressing hard enough that her fat tits popped halfway out of her fetish jacket.
She didn't seem to care.
Mittelt felt her eye twitch.
Some bitches had all the luck...
She pushed the thought away, along with a deep exhale through her nose. "Nothing worth writing home about happened for the most part. Then I went to grab some food." She waved a hand vaguely. "When I came back, I saw him holding a Twilight Healing in each hand." She paused, shaking her head as that image flashed behind her eyes. "And then he just clapped his hands hard enough to fuse 'em."
A beat of heavy silence stretched between them. Kala stared, her eyes narrowed in something resembling pained confusion.
"Fuse... them?" She repeated, voice slow and uncertain. "That shouldn't be possible."
Mittelt let out another quiet snort. "Tell me about it."
One Clap Man didn't care about their feeble logic and common sense. He had two Sacred Gears and decided to see what happened when you smashed them together like a caveman.
"And you're certain you haven't seen things?"
"Yup. One billion percent." Mittelt held up a hand, fingers splayed. "I wouldnt' be lying about this kinda stuff."
Kalawarna drew in a sharp breath of air, her lips forming a thin line. "We need to inform Lord Azazel."
"Already did."
Four parallel universes ahead of the game.
The woman's eyes narrowed again, this time with a sharper, more dangerous edge. "And since when do you have Lord Azazel's number?"
Oh crap.
"Oh, since earlier." Mittelt waved a hand dismissively, ignoring the cold bead of sweat rolling down her back. "Baldy has it, remember?"
Another beat of silence stretched between them.
"I see." Kala's glare relented after a moment, her lips pursing in thought.
Mittelt smiled innocently as the older woman walked past, strutting deeper inside the church with measured steps, her heels making a staccato sound against the floor.
Yup. She definitely did not snoop through Raynare's phone. Not at all.