Several bodies were scattered around. Some were mages, others melee fighters, but none stood a chance.
Their powers barely matched those of a Middle-Class Devil. How could they be a challenge, even in greater numbers?
Zaydas collected anything that seemed valuable before using the Power of Destruction on the bodies.
Soon, nothing remained of them to tell the tale.
"Asia-chan, are you okay?" He walked over to her.
Strangely, she looked better than he expected, nodding even though she was still a little pale.
"Do you blame me for killing them all?" he asked.
"No, after all, you did it to help me, right?" She smiled slightly but spoke with determination: "Even though it was Zayda-san who killed them, to me, it felt like I did it myself."
In other words, the moment she asked for help, she was prepared to bear the weight of killing them alongside him.
"Seriously, I don't even know what to say," Zaydas murmured.
However, it wasn't over yet. Zaydas ascended high into the sky, and a bright red Gremory Clan pattern expanded until it reached the size of a truck. Meanwhile, his body became surrounded by a dense and dark red aura.
From the magic circle emerged a massive dark sphere, resembling a planet engulfed in red flames.
"Disappear," he said softly, launching the ball of Power of Destruction toward the abandoned church.
"BOOOOM!"
An explosion erupted. But strangely, it caused no smoke or flames. It simply made the sky tremble and the earth quake as the abandoned church vanished from the map.
[+5,668 AP!]
After moving away from the abandoned church, Asia seemed lost in her thoughts.
"What do I do from now on?" Asia murmured.
"If you don't know, become part of my family, be a part of my Peerage, Asia-chan. I'll take care of you," he offered. "Do you trust me? Do you want to stay with me as part of my Peerage, even if it means becoming a Devil?"
She seemed a little surprised.
But, though timid at times, she could also be brave and resolute: "Yes, I do!"
Zaydas took the mutated Bishop piece from his selection of pieces and placed it over her chest.
Asia let out a small moan, and then incredible power began to grow within her.
"This is..."
Asia had never felt anything like it before. Suddenly, a pair of demonic wings unfolded from her back, as if they had a life of their own.
'Not bad. She has enough power to rival a Middle-Class Devil right after being turned.' Zaydas then recalled the Boosted Gear: 'She has great affinity with dragons. She was even called the Dragon Priestess in the light novel. It might not be a bad idea to give it to her later.'
***
***
When Zaydas arrived home with Asia by his side, he explained the entire situation to Grayfia and Ravel.
"So that's what happened." Grayfia didn't seem concerned about the fact that Zaydas had fought and even killed several fallen angels. She remained calm as she said, "I'll prepare a room for her. In the meantime, you both must be hungry—there's food ready. But take a bath first before eating."
"Asia-chan, come with me, I'll show you around the house," Ravel said, holding her hand.
Asia looked at Zaydas. Seeing him nod, she responded timidly, "Yes, Ravel-sama."
"Just call me Ravel," she said with a warm smile.
As the two left, Zaydas also went to take a bath.
There was still some blood on his body, and even a lingering smell of "death," which was unpleasant.
***
***
"This is delicious, so delicious!"
Asia ate happily with a smile on her face.
The depression she had seemed to be going through now felt like a lie.
"Asia-chan, you eat so well," Ravel said with a smile.
"W-Well, this is the first time I've eaten something like this. Before, I only ate bread or soup," she said as if it were completely normal for her.
Ravel was surprised. She knew that Asia had been the Holy Maiden of a church before, but even so, was she treated at this level?
No, after thinking more about it, she wasn't surprised at all. They had turned their backs on her so easily when she needed help the most. People like that were fully capable of doing this and worse.
It was a miracle she even managed to get out alive.
Yes, a miracle…
That miracle also made Grayfia suspicious.
There was no way the church would declare Asia a heretic and simply let her go with the power to heal even Devils.
Something very strange was going on. And from what Grayfia had heard Zaydas say about what had happened, it didn't seem to be related to the fallen angels.
'This needs to be investigated,' Grayfia thought. Now that Asia Argento was part of Zaydas's Peerage, the matter couldn't be treated lightly.
"Eat as much as you like, Asia-chan," Zaydas said. "It doesn't matter what kind of life you had before—you've turned a new page. And there's no need to hold back. If you want anything, just say so."
"Yes, thank you, Zaydas-san." She smiled. Her smile was so kind and angelic. It was hard to imagine that someone so pure had become a Devil.
***
***
Later, Asia put her things in the room Grayfia had prepared for her.
"Wow! Can I really stay in such a big room?" Asia asked, surprised and timid.
Although it didn't have much furniture, it had the essentials, including a large, princess-style bed.
"Yes, this will be your room," Zaydas replied.
"I..." She bowed to him and Grayfia. "Thank you!"
"There's no need to be so formal with me, Asia-chan. You're part of my family now, after all," Zaydas said with a bright smile.
"Family..." Asia clasped her hands to her chest and began to pray, "Oh God, thank you for this!"
"Ai, ai, ai..." She immediately groaned in pain, feeling a shock-like sensation in her head.
"Haha, Asia-chan, now that you've become a Devil, it's better if you don't pray like that—though, if you wish to continue, you can," Zaydas said. "Just don't mention God's name."
"Really?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Yes, it's true," Zaydas nodded.
Praying, in itself, is not a problem. The real issue lies with the recipient of the prayer.
It's as if an alert is triggered whenever a Devil mentions God's name in their prayers, and a mild punishment is automatically issued.
However, if God's name isn't mentioned, this alert system isn't activated, and nothing happens.
How did Zaydas know this? He had tested it himself. Not because he was a believer, but to understand the limitations and see how far he could go without suffering consequences.
***
***
Returning to MHA is out of the question for now.
Another dimension to consider would be INN, but it was snowing heavily there, and there wasn't much to do.
Another option was the DC AU Crossover. But he had just returned from there.
After much deliberation, he mentally asked: 'Great Sage, if I go to a High-Rank dimension, how much of my power will be consumed to use the Dimensional Jump?'
[Answering. Minimum 10% and up to 50%. However, this is before establishing a connection, where more Demonic Power will be required to force an entry.]
In other words, if he used 50% now, the next time it might require far less, perhaps even reduced by half.
At least that had been the case in the past, but it was difficult to rely on experiences with a Mid-Rank dimension—after all, a High-Rank dimension might work differently.
'Great Sage, prepare everything to use Dimensional Jump to a High-Rank dimension,' Zaydas ordered.
[Accepted!]
[Processing...]
[Coordinates marked!]
[Processing...]
[Success!]
[Processing...]
[Prepare to use Dimensional Jump!]
'Ready.'
[1, 2, 3... Now!]
Zaydas used Dimensional Jump, and the familiar layer of protective energy surrounded him, but this time it was denser.
Something felt different as he sensed himself passing through a tough, elastic wall. As he forced his way through, the resistance of the wall pulled him backward.
[Warning! Use 500 AP to force entry more smoothly?]
'Use!'
[-500 AP!]
[Forced Permission Granted!]
An opening in the wall was created as the 500 AP was deducted. Whatever had been blocking him no longer posed much resistance, and he gained speed, becoming a blazing fireball as he accelerated.
His vision was blurry until suddenly he could see again. He found himself in a cave, but he was moving so fast that he didn't have time to investigate further before crashing into the ground.
"Booom!"
As soon as he landed, a loud sound echoed throughout the cave.
The ground trembled slightly as flames burned around him.
"Dammit, why can't it ever go as planned?" Zaydas murmured as he climbed out of the crater.
[Confirming.]
[Unique Skill: Program...]
[Acquisition Successful!]
'Huh?' Zaydas heard a feminine voice directly in his mind. 'Telepathy? Who's there?'
However, his telepathic powers couldn't locate the source.
Scratching his head in confusion, he looked at the crater he had created. 'Should I just leave it like this?'
[Confirming.]
[Unique Skill: Modeling...]
[Acquisition Successful!]
'Wait, wait, when did I ask for that?'
'This setup... This process of doing things...' Looking around, he saw two things—or rather, two individuals—that confirmed his suspicions.
'A blue slime and a dragon!'
*****
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