"Beep—beep—beep~~"
A dozen seconds later, the holy cross pulsed with light—the call connected.
Akuto: "You're the Church's point of contact, right?"
Church: "Yes, I handle liaison for the Church. You are…?"
The tone on the other end was puzzled. This aura, this voice—clearly not the same as the Holy Sword-wielders who'd contacted her before.
Had they… lost the communicator? Or worse—been captured?
Akuto: "I'm Sai Akuto—Akuto Leviathan—Heaven's candidate Maou of the Underworld. I'm going to discuss matters that only at least a Maou-class being has the right to know."
"Do you have the clearance to hear and act on this? If not, hand the communicator to someone who does."
He knew exactly how to talk to customer service: state the demand, then confirm authority. If yes, solve it; if no, escalate.
Church: "Akuto Leviathan? You're that blasphemous devil!? What happened to the Church's Holy Sword-wielders?"
Akuto: "There are things you're not qualified to know."
Church: "..."
Church: "Understood. I'll find a Church superior qualified to interface with you at once."
"Irina, you're frowning," Akuto said.
"Why are you contacting the Church?" Irina asked, confused. She couldn't tell what he was aiming for.
"Why? To tell you things you should've known all along."
"..."
Asia lightly pressed her red lips together. Remembering the "her" from just a short while ago, she guessed what Akuto planned to do next.
Should I go run a bath for Akuto-kun first? Asia considered seriously.
Before long, the line connected again. This time it wasn't a young girl's voice, but three mature women's voices layered together.
Church: "Greetings, Lord Akuto Leviathan. I am Griselda, a Saint Nun of the Church. Why are you contacting us via the Holy Sword-wielders' communicator?"
"Griselda?"
Hearing the name, data rose in Akuto's mind.
Griselda—full name Griselda Quarta.
In the original plot, she served the Church as an exorcist—among female exorcists, she ranked easily within the top five. Strict by nature and razor-tongued, she scolded anyone lacking manners.
Within the Church, she was the one person who could make Xenovia lower her head, and one of the few who could keep Dulio (Longinus user of Zenith Tempest) in line.
Later, after Heaven also obtained Devil-side reincarnation tech, Griselda reincarnated under Gabriel as an Angel, serving as her Queen (Q). Even before reincarnating, she was Irina's direct superior, and later, a senior who could communicate with her by "sense of words."
Because Gabriel's suit is "Hearts" and Griselda's role is Q, she earned the title "Queen of Hearts."
Griselda's strength remained formidable—she even participated as Bishop Griselda in international Rating Games where many main-god-class heavyweights competed. Those who qualify are all apex elites of their factions.
No question—Griselda holds real weight in the Church and is fully qualified to negotiate with Akuto.
Akuto: "Griselda—if I'm not mistaken, you watched Xenovia grow up. You're effectively her foster mother, aren't you?"
Griselda: "Akuto Leviathan—that's your question?"
Akuto: "You know exactly what I'm asking. Or do you want me to be explicit?"
"Fine, I'll be explicit."
"Why did the Church send these Holy Sword-wielders on a near-suicidal mission—'Retrieve the Holy Swords from Fallen Angel Kokabiel'?"
Griselda: "Because it's the Holy Sword-wielders' duty. The Church had to show a stance on the theft without provoking war. Sending Holy Sword-wielders was the most appropriate choice."
"Eh?"
Even Xenovia caught on—this didn't match what they'd been told.
Hadn't they been told "the real experts couldn't be mobilized," hence they were sent?
From Akuto's exchange with Griselda… it didn't sound like that at all.
Akuto gave a glance to the adorably dense Xenovia and continued.
Akuto: "So that's the reason you watched your foster daughter march to her death?"
Griselda: "This mission isn't a death march. There was some chance of survival. Besides, I cannot disobey the Church when it asks a Holy Sword-wielder to fulfill her duty."
"..."
Her words hammered the Church's stance home, plunging Xenovia and Irina into a heavy silence.
Then Akuto's next words snapped both heads up.
Akuto: "Since the Church decided to trade Holy Sword-wielders for stability and peace—why not give them to me instead?"
Griselda: "Pardon?"
Akuto: "Your baseline requirement was for them to destroy the swords. In that case, I'll destroy the swords for them."
"In exchange, treat them as dead to the Church—because they'll become mine."
Silence. After a long beat—
Griselda: "Lord Akuto, if I'm not mistaken, you're willing to intervene because Irina is your childhood friend, yes?"
"Indeed—if you act, then even if Kokabiel cannot be defeated, the swords can at least be reclaimed."
"However, I cannot accept your condition."
"If you truly want to help them, I'm prepared to personally compensate you commensurately."
"Thank you for aiding them. But they've lived in the Church for many years. It's best they remain with the Church."
As a Saint Nun, not wanting the Church's sword-bearers to live with a devil is… human nature.
But Akuto wasn't someone swayed by material payment.
Akuto: "You refuse? What if I told you they've already learned truths they should never have learned—and can never return to the Church?"
Griselda: "What truths? Please explain in detail, Lord Akuto."
A chill of foreboding rose in Griselda's chest.
Akuto: "That God is dead. They've already learned that God is dead," he said calmly.
"..."
"???!!!"
Xenovia: "Huh!?"
Irina: "Huh!?"
Griselda: "..."
Griselda went numb.
Akuto just said they already knew God was dead—yet from their reactions, they had just learned it!
Saying that right to her face—so we're not even pretending, huh!
"Akuto-kun! What did you just say!?" Irina flung herself at him, gaze urgent.
"I said: the God of the Bible is dead."
"I've proven this to you many times."
"Why can I, a devil, suffer no harm from holy swords?"
"Why can I, a devil, wield a holy sword?"
"Why can Asia, once cast out by the Church, keep advancing her Sacred Gear?"
"Why can Asia become an angel despite having been expelled?"
"All of that… is because God is dead!"
Akuto's voice was like a tribunal's verdict, pronouncing a death sentence on their faith.
Thud! Thud!
Two heavy sounds. Xenovia and Irina knelt, their clean black combat suits stained with grass and dirt.
Griselda: "Lord Leviathan, what did you just say!?"
She hurriedly pressed on—her Abisu (assistant) had just heard something world-shaking from Akuto's mouth.
At this point, she'd no mind to worry about whether Xenovia and Irina knew. Compared to them, Akuto's words mattered far more.
Griselda: "If I didn't mishear, you said… Asia became an angel? You mean Asia—the Saint you've taken in?"
The Church strictly manages its Saints; they knew Akuto had taken in Asia—and quite a few Saints besides.
But those European Saints were sent with holy swords… How could Akuto claim Asia reincarnated as an angel?!
Akuto: "You didn't mishear. Asia has become an angel."
Griselda: "How could that be? After the Lord's death, Heaven's Reincarnation Pool has nearly shut down—barely enough to maintain angelic numbers."
"Asia never came to Heaven—how could she become an angel?"
There was only one answer she could think of.
A few seconds later, her Abisu heard it from Akuto himself.
Akuto: "Because… of me."
Griselda: "Because… of you?"
Akuto: "That's right. You know my pure-blood Leviathan lineage is a mutation."
Griselda: "Yes. Church leadership ascribed your immunity to holy swords to mutation—but everyone understands that's a placating fiction."
"Immunity to holy power can be hand-waved. But a devil wielding a holy sword cannot."
Precisely because it couldn't be explained, the Church branded Akuto a "Blasphemous Devil." The title functioned like a liability waiver—whatever heretical phenomena surround him, well, he's a blasphemer; of course doctrine breaks around him.
Akuto: "If my physique can mutate, why can't my pieces mutate?"
Griselda: "Pieces mutating? Are you saying—Irina and Xenovia will be reincarnated as angels!?" Her voice rose despite herself.
For any Church member, that was sheer lunacy.
Akuto: "I know what you're thinking—you want me to lend my pieces to Heaven for research, don't you? Give it up. I will not loan them out."
Griselda: "..."
Speechless. If you won't lend them, why bring it up?
Akuto: "Don't get me wrong. I won't hand over my pieces—but that doesn't mean I won't continue making angels."
"As long as Heaven keeps sending me cute girls who fit my tastes—girls like Xenovia and Irina—I'll be happy to demonstrate the reincarnation process for Heaven."
His meaning was simple: send the ones I want to my side, and I'll show you how angels are made.
Griselda: "...…"
(End of Chapter)
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