A New Goddess in Town

by Darkglade

God's death had left them broken, devoid of their original purpose. Their numbers dwindled as they fell one by one to despair, until hope herself came to raise them back up. (No Rebellion)

2. For you I'd steal the stars

Homura stared at the derelict building in front of her, willing it to reveal its secrets to her through sheer willpower alone.

She didn't expect much from an abandoned church, but it looked well-kept even though it had supposedly been vacant for years.

"Something doesn't feel right . . . ."

Battle-honed instincts warned her that something was amiss. As she approached the entrance, the nagging feeling only grew stronger and stronger. She stared at the large oaken doors, briefly contemplating her options. Normally I would like to prepare before doing anything potentially dangerous . . . But I should at least investigate this disturbance first.

She pushed open the doors, the hinges creaking loudly as they yielded. The church had a mildly irritating odor, and dust covered many of the altars and seating areas. Her sharp eyes noticed that there were many large, empty pockets among several of the dusty areas. This area has been used recently.

Someone yawned as they stumbled out of one of the side rooms. A tall woman with long blue hair greeted her with a smile, "Oh? I didn't think we'd have a guest this late." Her expression quickly turned vicious. "You've caught us at a bad time, so I'll just have to dispose of you now."

A spear of pure light formed in her hand. Without hesitation, she deftly hurled it at Homura. The projectile screamed through the air at a speed that no normal human could track and avoid in time.

But Homura had long since surpassed such limits.

She calmly sidestepped the throw and analyzed her opponent with a critical gaze. "It seems a plague of rats has infested this church. I suppose I'll have to clear them out."

The other woman's face contorted with fury. "You dare compare us to rats, filthy human?" Two pitch black wings sprouted from behind her. "I'll make your death as painful as possible for that insult!"

She began to hurl spear after spear in a frenzy while Homura nimbly dodged around all of them with a bored expression.

Suddenly, an irritated voice called from upstairs, "What's with this racket?!" A buxom woman with black hair appeared at the entrance to the stairwell with a deep scowl marring her face. "A lone human? Hurry up and get rid of her, Kalawarner! You know that she's going to come soon, and we can't afford any setbacks!"

Behind her, a short blond girl wearing a Gothic Lolita dress groggily stepped into view. A man wearing a fedora and a trench coat marched past both of them and scrutinized the scene with an intrigued expression.

Kalawarner snarled back, "What does it look like I'm doing, Raynare?! This bitch just won't die no matter how many I throw at her!"

The man's stern voice cut into their argument. "She's no ordinary human."

Raynare whirled on him as she hissed, "And just what is that supposed to mean, Dohnaseek?!"

He grinned eagerly as he observed Homura's posture. "She definitely has battle experience. I can tell just from the way she moves." He materialized a spear and began to approach. "Allow me to deal with her. I've been itching for a good fight!"

He rushed in and swung wildly at the girl.

Only for his lance to meet thin air.

"Eh . . .?" He glanced up. Homura was above him, her black bow manifested and an arrow already drawn.

His eyes widened in surprise. "Shit."

The impact of the projectile released a shockwave that violently threw him into the ground and cratered the floor.

Homura landed gracefully and flipped her hair. "Reckless." She kicked Dohnaseek's limp body away. "Weak as well."

The other Fallen Angels, seeing their comrade being defeated so easily, were even further infuriated. Kalawarner, her voice trembling with rage, said, "What I'm about to put you through . . . will make you beg me to put you out of your misery!"

"Don't have too much fun," the blond girl said, her rising bloodlust heavily contrasting her innocent appearance. "I wouldn't mind playing with her broken body for a bit before sending her off."

Raynare interjected angrily, "Stop fooling around Mittelt!" She began to create as many light spears as she could. "We don't have any time to spare, so we need to kill her quickly! Barrage her with everything you have!"

Homura frowned as she watched the Fallen charge up their attacks. In such a confined area, I won't be able to dodge all of them. She shrugged nonchalantly. Good thing I don't need to.

"FIRE!" Raynare's battle cry marked the beginning of a devastating barrage, resulting in a multitude of explosive impacts that threw up a massive amount of dust. Afterwards, she was panting wearily, but confident in her victory. Heh, no human could possibly have taken that head on and survived.

She began barking orders, "Well . . . now that that's over with. Mittelt! Go pick up Dohnaseek! Kalawarner, you're still on guard duty. I'm going back to sleep."

"Isn't that a bit too early to be celebrating?" a cold voice interrupted. "I'm still here you know."

The dust finally faded away, and the Fallen bore witness to the two massive angelic wings covering the aisleway. They glistened in the light, with nary a scratch on them despite the brutal attack they had just endured. Slowly, they retracted to reveal a completely uninjured girl who smirked at their dumbfounded expressions.

She smiled predatorily. "It's my turn now."

The bow and arrow reappeared in an instant, and Kalawarner was blasted away before anyone could blink. Mittelt, still frozen in shock, was similarly incapacitated.

Raynare could only just stand there, astonished, as she watched their group be casually dismantled by a single girl. She collapsed to her knees and stammered out, "W – wh – who are you?!" She recalled the pure white wings she had seen. "Are you . . . an angel?"

Homura was briefly startled, then inwardly chuckled at the irony of that statement. "I suppose I am, in a manner of speaking."

Raynare murmured under her breath, "I see . . ." Suddenly, she rose to her feet despite her trembling body. With a voice filled with false bravado, she announced her defiance, "Even if you are an angel, I won't let you get in my way! I'm too close to success to fail now!"

She created a light spear and settled into a battle stance. "Don't think that I'll die as easily as the others!" She rushed in, hoping to catch Homura in close range, where the latter's weapon would be ineffective.

But like Dohnaseek, her swings came up empty. "What!?"

In the corner of her eye she saw the tip of a wing.

A pure white wing.

Behind me?!

Homura stabbed Raynare in the back with an arrow and watched impassively as the Fallen Angel shuddered before listlessly collapsing to the floor. She crouched and felt for the fallen woman's pulse, nodding in satisfaction once she found it. Looking at the other three foes, she noted the steady rise and fall of their chests. Contrary to what Raynare had thought, all her comrades were still alive; Homura had purposely avoided killing them.

Should I though? Homura's thoughts were in turmoil. Her practical side was screaming at her to kill them, to tie up loose ends before they came back to bite her. But . . .

If I kill them, someone would be disappointed in me.

Her mind flashed back to a gentle face with warm golden eyes.

And that would be worse than anything else in the world.

Her hand rose to the ribbon in her hair. She caressed it as she searched for the connection. The bond with the person she cared about most in the world.

"Homura-chan? Did something happen?"

A melodic voice whispered in her mind, soothing her worries. If she could listen to that voice for the rest of her life, she would be content.

But for now, she had a job to do. "Madoka? Can you get Michael-san? I have something that he needs to take care of."

xxx

Michael and Homura watched impassively as the captured Fallen were carried away by exorcists. "You took down four Fallen all by yourself?" Michael asked. "That's quite an impressive achievement for a human."

Homura brushed off the praise. "They were weak and lacking in both skill and coordination. Defeating them was a trivial task."

He nodded, then his tone grew somber. "I will speak to Azazel about the actions of his subordinates. Setting up a base in an abandoned church and attacking anyone that draws near are reckless actions that could possibly have broken the fragile truce in place if they confronted the wrong people."

"They certainly left a mess in the church. It will be much harder to renovate the church with the craters and debris lying around." Homura looked pointedly at Michael as she ended her statement.

He blinked, then gave a small laugh as he realized her subtle message. "Very well, I will arrange for some skilled construction workers to be sent here to aid you. Their work efficiency is superb, and you can ask them to add some more features to the church while they're at it."

She nodded in satisfaction. "I am grateful for the assistance."

Michael shook his head. "No, it is I who should be thanking you and your Goddess." He bowed his head toward her. "Heaven would have been in much direr straits had She not offered to aid us." He straightened up as he continued, "I will do whatever I can to ease Her burden, whether it be serving as an advisor, an ambassador, or whatever role She needs to be filled."

He suddenly smiled brightly at her. "Speaking of which, there is something She would like you to do to help keep the ordinary people in this town from growing suspicious of you."

Homura frowned as she began to ask, "What are you talking abou—"

"Homura-chan? You never graduated school, did you?"

She froze at the abruptness of the question. "Madoka?! What does that have to do with anything?"

The goddess giggled as she elaborated. "I want you to go back to school, Homura-chan! I know that it must have been hard for you, living alone ever since I took Mami and Kyouko . . . ."

Homura let out a sigh as the mention of those two names caused memories to drift to the forefront of her mind. Although she had never gotten along with either of them particularly well in past timelines, the sheer amount of memories she had accumulated with them throughout her trials to save Madoka allowed her to feel a sort of . . . intimateness with them.

They had felt like a constant throughout her countless lives.

But then they had disappeared. Just like most of the old world.

She had begun wandering after that. With the last of her connections to Mitakihara gone, she had no reason left to stay. Her travels had taken her to many places, but everything changed when she met him.

She quickly shook her head to dispel the fragments of the past. "I am fine Madoka. As long as I have my connection with you, I'll never be alone."

"It's not healthy for you to rely on me so much you know? You should try to socialize with people your own age!"

"My true age surpasses that of any normal human being."

"Uh . . . don't worry about that! Anyway, I've asked Michael-kun to prepare papers for your transfer into Kuoh Academy. It will be suspicious if someone that looks as young as you doesn't go to school, so please go for that reason at least!"

Homura sighed, then conceded the point. "Very well then. Since you're asking, I'll do it."

She heard Madoka give a small cheer in her head. "Thank you for your hard work, Homura-chan! Try to have some fun too okay? All work and no play will make you very grumpy, and then you won't be as cute anymore!"

Madoka's giggles rang in Homura's ears long after the connection was severed. Her cheeks were aflame from the goddess's parting comment. She thinks I'm . . . cute?

Her body felt hot, as if a fire had been lit inside of her.

Michael waited patiently for Homura to regain her composure. "Shall we get you officially enrolled then?"

Homura straightened herself out and donned her cold mask once more. "Yes. Let's get this over with." She began walking at a brisk pace. "Tell me everything I need to know about this town."

"Well, for starters, Kuoh Town is a territory controlled by Devils . . ."

xxx

"Alright class, settle down. We have a new transfer student coming in, and I want you all to give her a warm welcome!"

Transfer student huh? I never thought I would have to go through this farce again.

The teacher called her in, and she strolled in, calm and poised. Immediately, the students broke out in whispers as gossip and speculation began flying around.

"Her hair is so long and silky looking!"

"Wow, she looks so cool!"

"I wonder what hobbies she has?"

The teacher eventually managed to calm the class down. She turned back to Homura. "Why don't you introduce yourself now?" the teacher asked her in a gentle voice. Clearly, she expected the new student to be nervous about transferring to a new school.

But Homura had long since suppressed such feelings.

After all, continual practice was the best at building confidence.

"My name is Akemi Homura." Her voice rang out, strong and assertive. She had been in this scenario so many times that she could probably navigate it in her sleep. "I have been in the hospital for a long time due to a heart illness, but I hope to get along with all of you." She bowed slightly. "Please take good care of me."

The teacher applauded her introduction, then said, "Why don't you sit behind Kiba-san over there?"

The teacher pointed out the desk, and Homura nodded in assent as she walked to her designated seat. As she passed several desks, she overheard several of the whispered conversations that were breaking out again.

"Heart disease? That sounds serious, I hope she's okay now . . ."

"How does she get her hair like that? Does she use gel or something? I have to know!"

"You think you have the slightest chance with her? She looks like a total ice queen!"

Homura ignored them all; instead she focused on memorizing the layout of the room and all possible exits in case she was attacked here –

"I'm Kiba Yuuto."

She blinked and realized that the boy in front of her had turned around to greet her.

He held out his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

She stared at him warily, but eventually shook his hand. "Likewise."

They turned back to the teacher as class began, but their small interaction had already created a surge of new rumors.

"Oh my God, is the Prince of Kuoh going for the new girl already?!"

Homura never thought she could feel so annoyed. Sayaka almost always drives me up a wall, but the people here . . .

She glared at the few students sneaking glances at her; they quickly averted their eyes and began pretending to be paying attention.

They take "irritating" to a whole new level.

"Don't mind them so much," Yuuto commented idly. He turned back towards her with a reassuring expression. "They're just excited that a new student arrived. In a week, they'll move on to the next hot topic."

As he resumed taking notes, Homura couldn't help but feel a bit relieved. At least he seems to be polite enough.

She let out a mental sigh. It would be ironic if normal humans became the death of me.

xxx

When she returned to the church, she found a surprise waiting for her. Standing in front of the door was a young girl in a nun's outfit with a bemused expression.

Homura called out to her, "Do you have business here, miss?"

The girl jumped in surprise, and as she turned around, her long blonde hair swirled in the wind behind her. "O – o – h, pardon me. I was told to meet someone here."

Homura was briefly startled. Meet someone here of all places? An abandoned church isn't exactly a common spot for rendezvouses.

"Would you like to come inside while you wait? I can prepare some tea for us."

The nun attempted to politely refuse. "I - I wouldn't want to cause you any trouble . . ."

"I insist. It's chilly today; you'll catch a cold if you stand out here for too long."

Although hesitant, she reluctantly yielded. "Well . . . alright." Suddenly, she perked up. "Oh! I almost forgot to introduce myself." She gave Homura a radiant smile as she introduced herself, "I'm Asia Argento! It's nice to meet you."

"Homura Akemi. I am the one currently in charge of this church. Please, come in."

As they walked in, Homura noticed Asia looking curiously at some of the new additions to the church. More specifically, at the various murals that depicted scenes that were not found in any contemporary Bible. The images varied extensively, from a picture of a group of young girls talking and laughing around a round table, to another similar group combatting grotesque creatures that seemed to defy all human expectations.

Asia couldn't help but shiver as she saw some of the disturbing imagery.

"Please wait here while I go prepare the snacks."

"Ah-h, okay . . ."

As she watched her host enter the kitchen, she noticed another peculiar feature. The shelves were filled with all different kinds of cakes and a vast assortment of tea. I didn't know there were churches that stocked so many snacks!

"Here is your cup, Argento-san." Homura returned with two cups of aromatic tea and a few slices of delicious-looking cake.

Asia's mouth watered at the sight. She hadn't had a good meal in several days. "T – th – thank you very much!"

They gave thanks before finally digging in.

Once Asia looked relaxed, Homura asked the question that had been itching in the back of her mind. "So, what are you doing in Kuoh, Argento-san?"

Asia visibly deflated as she dredged up unpleasant memories. "I . . . got into some trouble back home, but I met some people who said I should come here for help . . . "

Homura's suspicion that something was afoul only grew stronger. She seems like an innocent girl. It would only be too easy for someone to take advantage of her.

"Exactly who told you to come here?"

Asia could only shake her head at the question as she replied, "She never told me her name, but she was a tall woman with really long black hair. She said that she also had a few friends here who could also help take care of me."

Tall with black hair? And with friends here . . . could it have been those four I chased out days ago?

She distinctly recalled Raynare mentioning that "she" would be arriving soon. Had the Fallen Angel been referring to Asia? It seems highly likely. They were the only residents of this church before I got here.

"Do you have somewhere to stay?"

"I was hoping that . . . the woman who told me to come here would be able to help with that."

Homura inwardly frowned. That's unfortunate. Even if those Fallen were likely planning to exploit Asia, I have still taken away her only hope left. Unless . . .

"How would you like to stay here with me? We underwent renovation recently, so there is plenty of space."

Asia's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, no I couldn't possibly impose on you like that." Her eyes became downcast, and her voice trailed off as she whispered, "If they found out you were letting me stay here, you would get in trouble because of me."

However, Homura's acute hearing was able to pick up Asia's quiet words. "What do you mean by that? Who are you referring to, and why would I get in trouble if I sheltered you?"

Asia was startled; clearly, she had not expected the other girl to be able to overhear her. "Uhhh . . . you see . . ." She stopped speaking, obviously reluctant to share her story.

Homura adopted a comforting expression; a normally difficult task for the stoic girl, but for some reason she felt it came naturally to her this time. "It's okay, you can trust me."

They stared into each other's eyes, one side trying to convey her sincerity and the other struggling to decide what to do.

Eventually, one of them relented.

"I was . . . excommunicated from the church." Asia's voice was barely a whisper, clearly ashamed of the fact she had just admitted.

But Homura heard it all too well. "Excommunicated? Someone like you?"

Looking at the girl, Homura could tell that she wouldn't be able to hurt a fly. What could she have possibly done to deserve such a harsh punishment?

"I did . . . something that I shouldn't have. They called me a witch and threw me out." Asia's voice began to tremble, her emotional pain returning to the forefront of her mind. "I was only trying to help! Why did it end like this?!" She began wailing and crying.

Homura was startled by the sudden breakdown. She didn't know what to do; she had little experience consoling and comforting others.

Her body was frozen, but a little voice began to whisper in her mind. A soft, melodic voice that told her how to comfort the crying girl.

She reached forward and captured Asia in a tight embrace.

She whispered soothing words in the other girl's ear.

She waited patiently for the trembling and sniffling to end.

"Feeling better?"

Asia nodded and wiped her eyes. "I – I'm sorry that you had to see that. How disgraceful of me, crying all over a stranger—"

Homura cut her off. "There is nothing wrong with seeking comfort in a time of hardship." She focused her gaze on the nun. "My offer still stands, you know."

Asia shook her head. "I can't possibly trouble you by staying here."

Homura grabbed her by the shoulders and spoke firmly. "The Goddess would never turn away someone in need, and so I won't either." She took Asia by the arm and began leading her to one of the empty bedrooms.

Asia hesitantly allowed herself to be pulled along. Then, she blinked and expressed confusion at a word that stuck out at her. "Goddess?"

Homura turned back towards her. "Didn't you know?"

She gave a small, genuine smile.

"God is a girl."

Asia was dumbfounded by that statement for a long time.

xxx

A few days passed without incident. Homura had helped Asia settle in and began teaching her how to perform various household chores.

However, the nun's aptitude for such tasks could only be described as mediocre at best. Dropped plates, burnt food, and spilled tea were all testament to the blond girl's sheltered upbringing.

Clearly, the church did not prioritize teaching its orphans the knowledge necessary for taking care of themselves.

Still, Homura hoped that she could train the girl to be able to perform most basic tasks flawlessly within a month. Managing a church by herself was stressful at times, and another pair of hands to help around was always useful.

But for now, she could only make the necessary precautions to ensure that the building did not somehow burn down while she was away and bid Asia farewell as she left for school.

"Farewell, Argento-san. Please don't make a mess while I am out."

"Don't worry, Akemi-san! I will do my best to remember what you taught me!"

Homura walked to school, and the day passed uneventfully. Soon, classes were over, and she prepared to leave.

However, as she exited the classroom, she bumped into someone unexpectedly. She stumbled back, and the other person fell to the floor. "Ah, pardon me. Are you alright?"

" . . ."

Homura glanced curiously at the other person, who didn't respond.

I recognize her; she's Koneko Toujou. Nicknamed the Mascot of Kuoh for her cute and petite appearance. But . . .

Koneko was still frozen on the floor, her body slightly trembling for an unknown reason.

Why isn't she reacting?

"Hey, are you okay?" Homura questioned as she lowered herself to the other girl's level. "Here, let me help you up."

As soon as she reached out a hand, however, Koneko's face turned ashen. Suddenly, she leapt up and dashed away without a word.

Homura was frozen in shock. Did I do something wrong?

She stood up and dusted herself off. Nearby students who had witnessed the encounter were already gossiping and creating crazy rumors about the incident. She scowled at them, and they quickly scurried away. Great. Now I'm going to be hearing about this for a week.

She turned on her heel and walked out. Not like I care about what they think anyway.

Meanwhile, in the Occult Research Club's clubroom . . .

"Buchou! Buchou! I – I - !"

Rias Gremory turned around with a concerned look as she heard her Rook's panicked voice. "Koneko-chan? What's the matter?"

She took in the petite girl's abnormally pale complexion and immediately grew worried. "Oh my. Akeno! Brew some tea to help calm her down, please?"

Her queen nodded and rushed off to fulfill the request.

She gently took Koneko by the hand and led her to the couch. The president tenderly petted her subordinate's head until the latter finally stopped trembling.

"Now, can you tell me what happened?" she asked gently.

Her voice was soft, but had a hard edge to it. Something happened that badly shook someone under her care. As a member of the Gremory family, she took her Peerage's wellbeing extremely seriously.

She would ensure that whatever had frightened her Rook would never be able to do so again.

Koneko's voice trembled with each syllable. "I – I sme – smelled . . ."

Rias softly encouraged her. "Go on, tell me what happened."

The emotional barrier broke, and Koneko's report rushed out. "I smelled . . . death!"

Flames hungered and consumed flesh without regard for its victims crying out.

Ashes were all that remained of its hapless victims.

The acrid smoke lingered in the air, days after the event had transpired.

Rias stilled as she felt a cold sweat break out.

After all, if Koneko claimed that something smelled like "death", then it must have been highly lethal to Devils. Confronting the source of something like that would be extremely dangerous.

Even so, she could not let this incident pass. This town was her territory, and she had a duty to keep it safe. Her eyes narrowed as she steeled her resolve.

"Tell me more."

xxx

Homura was having another uneventful day when she suddenly received an invitation.

"Akemi-san? Buchou would like to see you."

Her eyes narrowed in suspicion at Yuuto, who had delivered the message out of the blue. This time, the boy did not display a friendly demeanor. Instead, he seemed reserved and wary around her.

The president of his club . . . is Rias Gremory.

Homura frowned deeply. The most popular student at this school.

Her mind was in turmoil as she tried to figure out the reason behind the idol's sudden interest in her. What could she possibly want with me? Perhaps . . .

She recalled a detail that Michael had mentioned to her before enrolling. This school is controlled by Devils. With a name like the "Occult Research Club," I wouldn't be surprised if that is where the supernatural congregate in this school. Maybe they suspect me of being an agent from another faction.

Of course, she was an agent of Heaven, so their suspicions were not entirely unwarranted. I suppose I must go and face the music.

She stood up, unperturbed by the whispers that had broken out yet again in the classroom. "Very well. I shall go with you."

They walked silently through the hallways with Yuuto leading the way. Soon, they exited outside and began heading towards the old schoolhouse. Their club is stationed all the way out here? I suppose it's reasonable for the supernatural to isolate themselves from the ordinary students where possible.

"We're here." Yuuto's voice interrupted Homura's train of thought. He opened the door, which slid open without a sound. "Buchou? I've brought her, as you asked."

"Thank you, Yuuto-kun," a sweet voice answered from the shadows.

He bowed towards the direction of the voice, then stood off to the side.

"Akemi-san, was it? I don't believe we've met."

The speaker stepped into the dim lighting. The feeble light illuminated her gorgeous red hair; under such dark light, they looked like rivers of blood flowing down her body.

Two blue eyes burning with intensity stared at her amid the mass of crimson.

"Let's drop the pretenses, shall we? My name is Rias Gremory." Leathery black wings sprouted from her back as she continued, "And I am a Devil." She gave Homura a sinister smile. "You're no ordinary human, are you? I hear that you live at that church that was abandoned a while back. I do hope that you're not here to cause trouble."

The blue eyes narrowed into slits. "After all, it's my duty to deal with troublemakers here in Kuoh." She raised a hand; black energy began to crackle and whirl amidst her palm. "So, tell me, Akemi-san. What business do you have here?"

Normally, Homura was a very hard person to intimidate. Her lifetimes of hardships and tragedies had numbed her to something as paltry as fear.

But even so, looking at the malicious power throbbing in the hand of the Devil awakened a primitive feeling of dread. Her instincts screamed at her, warning her that being touched by the void growing in the palm of that girl meant oblivion.

A shiver ran through her body before she could clamp down on it. No. I must remain calm. Even if she is acting confrontational, sparking a conflict here could be disastrous for Heaven.

She steeled herself, and was about to give her response when suddenly—

"Ara? Why is it so dark in here?" a new voice questioned.

The main lights flickered back on, and the shadows disappeared.

Now bathed in light, Rias Gremory didn't seem nearly as intimidating.

"Eh?" The president, in shock from the sudden interruption of her performance, allowed her power to dissipate. However, she recovered quickly and began yelling at the new arrival. "Akeno-chan! I was in the middle of something!"

"Sorry, sorry, Rias-chan. I came early because I didn't want to miss you scolding that student for frightening dear Koneko-chan so!"

Suddenly, Akeno noticed Homura's presence. "Oh? Is she the one?" The Devil regarded her with a critical gaze. Abruptly, she smirked. "It might be presumptuous for me to say this, but it's nice to meet you! I'm Akeno Himejima."

"Homura Akemi," she responded tersely.

Rias attempted to get the conversation back on track. "Now, as I was saying, what business do you have in Kuoh?"

Homura tilted her head at the president. "Didn't you already know that I live at the church? I'm also managing it too."

Rias furrowed her brows. "If that's the case, why are you here at this school?"

The magical girl shrugged in reply. "A higher-up informed me that it was a necessary measure for me to maintain my cover to ordinary citizens."

The president nodded slowly. "Yes, it would likely cause problems if someone as young as you were not enrolled in a school." She slammed her hands on the table. "Even so, I cannot have an agent of Heaven freely traipsing around on my turf!"

Homura coolly responded, "I assure you that Heaven has no wish for further violence."

Rias narrowed her eyes at the other girl. "Oh? And by what authority do you have to speak for all of Heaven?"

"I have a very personal connection with the one in charge."

The red-haired girl raised an eyebrow as she exclaimed, "You claim to be familiar with God himself?!"

Homura smiled back mysteriously. "Something like that."

Rias frowned at that audacious claim. "Be that as it may, I have reason to believe that you are potentially dangerous to the people living here."

Now it was Homura's turn to raise an eyebrow. "And what led you to believe that?"

"My Rook told me that you smell like death."

Homura's eyes darted toward her left arm. So that's what caused this mess? How troublesome.

Rias continued with her explanation, "If you ever became hostile, the damage you could cause would likely be quite devastating." Her gaze hardened. "Killing you now would cause unnecessary trouble with Heaven, but know that if you ever hurt those I care about . . ." Her hand tightened into a fist. "I will find you. And I will end you."

Homura recalled the frightening power the girl had displayed earlier. She had no doubt that if she got careless, the other girl could easily carry out her threat.

But Homura had several tricks of her own. "I doubt that such events would come to pass." She stood up, and the temperature in the room drastically increased, making the Devils feel like one wrong move would cause them to burn. "But in any case, you will find that I am far from helpless."

As she turned on her heel and walked out, she allowed her power to dissipate.

A few moments later, she realized what she had done.

Did I just unnecessarily antagonize the group that Madoka wanted to foster good relationships with?

Not for the first time, Homura realized that she was a terrible diplomat.