No changes.

The three Angels and single nun were quiet as they exited Raynare's cell, and it was only once they had left the magically-sealed area that anyone spoke.

"Issei," Dulio said, his voice a flat tone, "take Asia, go to Zebel and wait there for us. Let the Seraphs know that Griselda and I will be along shortly, once we get a little..." His eyes flashed to the Queen of Hearts. "...discussion over and done with."

Dulio had never struck Issei as the type to command him, but there was no question that the Joker's words were not a request. It was an order Issei did not hesitate to obey.

"C'mere, Asia," the brunette said, opening his arms, which the blonde darted into without hesitating.

A moment later, the two disappeared into the cross of light that had become a fixture in the lives of all four.

With Issei and Asia gone, Michael's Joker rounded on Gabriel's Queen.

"That wasn't necessary, Griselda."

Griselda's eyes narrowed. "You speak as though you would not have liked to do it yourself."

"Oh, I'd have liked to do much worse," Dulio shot back. "But I thought better of actually doing it, unlike you."

"Then why do you care so much about this?" Griselda demanded. "We both have killed numerous Fallen Angels, if you would so kindly recall."

Dulio's eyes narrowed. "Yes, but I certainly have never choked a prisoner until they were practically blue in the face just because I was angry. She was no threat to any of us and you know it. It doesn't matter what injuries you leave, none should have been done in the first place."

Griselda did not have a response to that.

"Not only that," Dulio continued, "but consider who you did that in front of. We all know that you scared Asia half to death when you did that. Is that the image we want her to have of us? Is that how you want her to remember you? The woman who's friendly one moment, spitting fire the next?"

"She has already been excommunicated from the church," Griselda replied, slightly irritated. "The reason for it was plainly idiotic, but it does not change the fact that it happened. What she thinks is, whether we like it or not, ultimately irrelevant."

Dulio snorted. "If that's the way you want to think of it, fine. What about Issei?"

Griselda blinked. "What about him?"

"We," Dulio said, pointing to himself and then to Griselda, "need to be setting an example for him to follow."

"What do you mean, 'set an example'?" Griselda questioned, tipping her head to one side. "He already has more courage and spine than I would have dared imagine."

"Okay," Dulio sighed as he rubbed his forehead with his hand, "let me explain it this way. You and I were both raised in the church, and we were both exorcists trained from a very young age. Issei wasn't. He didn't know that a single bit of this world existed until less than a month ago. He's made remarkable progress in that time, yes, but he's still a fish out of water in a lot of ways."

Dulio barely paused for a breath. "I don't know if you've realized, Griselda, but Issei looks up to you. He looks up to me. We are his examples among Angels – you may have noticed that he barely interacts with any others. We're not just his instructors, we're his role models, at least where Heaven's concerned. He watches how we act and what we do. He's learning from us whether he realizes it or not."

Griselda blinked again before she realized the truth of Dulio's words.

Dulio nodded, understanding the expression that the Queen of Heart's face flashed through. "We're his senior Saints – we set the example for him to follow whether we like it or not. I think we can both agree strangling prisoners out of rage is not a good example to set."

Griselda nodded, feeling shame wash over her for loss of control. "You are right, of course. I suppose I will have to redouble the effort."

Dulio gave an appreciative hum. "Well then, since we're in agreement... I think we have a Saint and a nun waiting for us." His finger pointed upward.

As soon as Issei and Asia had arrived in Zebel, the former had dropped to one knee at the sight of both Michael and Gabriel waiting there; Asia awkwardly followed suit, doing her best imitation of Issei's motion.

Michael was the one to break the silence, his voice its normal, warm tone. "Rise, both of you."

The two did as instructed.

"I take it, then, that you are Asia Argento?" the Seraph said to the nun.

Asia tensed up, evidently unprepared to be addressed. "Y-y-yes... yes sir!" she stammered, almost terrified.

Michael gave her a kind smile as he strode over to her. "There's no need to be nervous, child. I am Michael; it's a pleasure to meet you." He gestured to Gabriel and introduced her as well.

"Th-the pleasure is... is all mine..." Asia replied; evidently Michael's words had done nothing to reassure her.

A moment later, all three Angels had pieced together why, and Michael immediately switched his focus to Issei.

"Issei, where are Dulio and Griselda?"

Issei swallowed; despite himself, he still found speaking with Heaven's leader to be somewhat nerve-wracking. "Lord Michael, Dulio said he and Griselda needed to talk about something, and they'd be here right after."

"I see," Michael said, nodding as he turned to face Gabriel. "You both were present for Azazel's interrogation of our prisoner, correct?"

Issei noted that Heaven's leader very pointedly did not use Raynare's name.

"Yes, Lord Michael."

"What was the outcome?" Michael asked, frowning slightly.

"Azazel basically left her twisting in the wind after he'd heard what happened."

Michael nodded at this. "I expected little else from him. He probably believes that no punishment he could inflict would be as awful as what we would do to her."

"If it's not too forward, Lord Michael," Issei responded, "what do you have planned for her?"

The Seraph gave a slight shrug at this. "Do you have any desire to protect her?"

"None," Issei said, burying a sarcastic reply; he hated that his mind had even had it ready.

"Do you, Asia?"

"I... umm... no... I don't..." came the nun's nervous answer.

Michael shrugged once more. "I see. Then, she may be executed."

Issei felt nothing at this news.

Asia, on the other hand, immediately cried out. "Sir! I-isn't that a bit much?!"

Michael's frown returned, much deeper than before, but it was Gabriel who spoke up. "She has killed a person and made an attempt on the life of another, all while breaking the truce between her faction and the Devils. Death is a punishment she has well earned."

"B-but... Issei's not..."

Gabriel cut Asia off at those words, though the Seraph's words did not contain even the slightest hint of irritation.

"Asia, my Jack was lying on the ground, unconscious with an enormous hole blasted through his chest. He had all but bled out when I arrived."

Asia gasped at that; Issei, meanwhile, shuddered at the forcible recall of the awful memory.

"Simply put, he was dead, for all intents and purposes, before he was resurrected as my Saint. By our definition, Asia, this Fallen Angel is a murderer. She has written her own death warrant in my Saint's blood."

"That being said," Michael cut in, "none of that is yet set in stone. We still wish to consult the other two Seraphs in this matter; an execution is never a pleasant business, and I may decide that total banishment may be punishment enough."

Asia looked to Issei at that, clearly confused; he shrugged, equally clueless as to what this entailed, something Michael clearly saw.

"Effectively," the Seraph explained, "she would be turned as close to human as we can manage. Her remaining lifespan would be cut down to one century, her wings would be removed and her magical abilities would be permanently sealed away."

"She would, of course," Gabriel added, "be blacklisted by all the major factions – meaning no reincarnation by Devils to get back her near-immortality. And if she were to step foot into church territory, her life would be forfeit."

Issei gave a nod. "So technically, the punishment is death either way, just one version takes longer?"

Gabriel shrugged. "More or less."

"Did we miss anything?" came Dulio's voice.

The three Angels and single nun turned and looked behind them as Michael's Joker and Gabriel's Queen appeared in twin crosses of light and bowed.

"Rise, both of you," came Michael's voice.

Both obeyed.

"In response to your question," Michael continued, "you have only missed me explaining to Issei and Asia our current situation regarding the Fallen Angel. Neither has any intent of speaking in her defense."

"So," Griselda said, "that makes four of us. I personally believe she does not deserve the chance to live out life as a human, given the fact she was so willing to take human life."

Dulio nodded. "I'd have to agree with that."

After this, Michael raised a hand. "That is enough on this grim subject. We have another, altogether happier matter to address, and it concerns you, Asia Argento."

Asia tensed up at this. "Y-yes sir...?"

"My Joker, Gabriel's Queen, and the Seraphs have pooled our thoughts on what we wish to do for you. It has been decided that we will bestow upon you the same gift granted to them – if you wish it, of course."

Asia's face was a blank, to which Michael cast an annoyed glance at the three Brave Saints in the room. "It seems our subordinates neglected to explain this system to you. For shame, you three."

"Our apologies, Lord Michael," Dulio said, his tone formal. "But we did not wish to get her hopes up or create unrealistic expectations. Besides that, Issei has barely had a chance to speak to her since she came back."

Dulio shot the Queen of Hearts a sarcastic look, to which she replied with an innocent whistle.

"Well then," Gabriel said, giving an amused roll of her eyes, "there is no one more fitting to explain the situation to Asia than the one who led the raid on the church, don't you agree?"

All eyes suddenly darted to Issei, who suddenly felt very self-conscious.

"Well," Issei began awkwardly as he turned to face Asia, "the thing is, Asia... out of us five, only Lord Michael and Lady Gabriel were born Angels. Me, Dulio and Griselda were all made Angels after we were born..."

"Are... are you saying what I think you are?" Asia gasped.

"If you're thinking that they're offering to make you an Angel, then yeah, that's exactly what I'm saying."

Asia was silent, too stunned to speak.

Gabriel pulled a thick box from her robes, opened the top of it with a loud click and filled the quiet with her warm voice.

"I, Gabriel, one of the Four Great Seraphim of Heaven, wish to extend the offer of reincarnation to you, Asia Argento. You have served the church nearly since birth. You have had so much asked of you, time and time again, and yet you gave yourself wholly to our Lord's teachings despite never receiving anything in return. Your soul is kinder than most could possibly imagine, and you still follow our Lord's words even after your service to the church was ended under... less than positive circumstances. We believe it only fair that we reward you where the church did not."

Gabriel withdrew a thick playing card from the box. It was about the size of her palm and more than an inch thick, with a completely blank white back that hid the card's value from the Saints and Asia.

"If, of course, you would have me as your King."

That snapped Asia out of her stupor, and she dropped to her knees in a near-perfect imitation of the formal bow that she and Issei had performed when they had entered.

"I-It would be m-my honor..." Asia stammered, overwhelmed by the sheer generosity she was being shown.

Gabriel gave a smile at that.

Issei noticed immediately, however, that it was not a happy one.

"Well then, Asia, I have one final question for you, and it will make or break your decision."

Asia looked up, confused once more.

Gabriel gave a heavy, sad sigh.

"Asia, would you still choose to serve Heaven as a Saint and as an Angel... even if you knew that God was dead?"

And cut.