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)

9. This bouquet that surrounds

"So, what do you think Madoka brought us out here for?"

Sayaka stood with Kyoko and Mami in the throne room of Heaven. They had been whiling away time as usual when Madoka had suddenly barged in, proclaiming that she had a "surprise" that she wanted to show the three of them. After dragging them to this room, she had vanished behind a curtain to "get things ready".

"Maybe Pinkie just wanted to show off some souvenirs from her trip," Kyoko muttered as she picked at her teeth. "I hope it's food. Think she'll let me have some?"

"I doubt that we would need this privacy if it was something so trivial," Mami replied.

"Hey, don't call food trivial!"

"Oh?" Mami smiled teasingly. "In that case, should I start charging you for eating my cheesecakes, Kyoko-san?"

"Gurk!"

Sayaka chuckled. "She's got you there."

Kyoko scowled. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Hope she hurries up. I was in the middle of a game."

"Sorry for the wait!"

A voice called out, and the group turned to see the goddess running over to them, panting for breath.

"Are you alright, Madoka?" Sayaka asked. "Never seen you so tired before."

"Hah . . ." Madoka was still breathing heavily. "I'm fine. It's just . . . that took a lot more energy out of me than expected. But it's done now!" She looked up with a smile.

The others all looked at each other in confusion. "Um, what's done, exactly?" Mami asked.

Madoka threw her arms outward. "This!" she proclaimed.

Three gurneys rolled up, a blanket covering the occupant of each. The bulges seemed to be on the shorter side, and they also seemed vaguely familiar for some reason . . .

Whoosh!

With a flourish, Madoka pulled aside the covers revealing the bodies of three young girls.

Girls that looked exactly like the three of them, only they were wearing a nostalgic school uniform.

They stared at them in numb shock for a few moments.

". . . Last I checked, I ain't got a twin sister running around or something . . ." Kyoko said.

"These . . . are these our real bodies?" Mami looked extremely confused.

Sayaka wasn't sure what she was supposed to be feeling in this situation. "Hey, is this a joke, Madoka? Why are there replicas of us over there?"

Madoka waved her hands around frantically. "This is for a good reason, I swear!" She paused. "I probably should have explained everything first before showing these off, huh?"

Sayaka gave her friend a deadpan look. "Yes. That would have been very helpful."

The goddess chuckled weakly. "Well, anyway. What you are seeing are vessels, or physical bodies that would let you interact with the mortal world without putting your souls at risk."

"And how are they supposed to do that?" Mami asked.

"Think of them like personalized puppets. Like . . ." Madoka paused. "Like how our old magical girl bodies worked. The body was controlled by the soul from a distance. Only in this case, instead of your souls being in a Soul Gem, they will be safe up here in Heaven. The Soul Gems on the vessels will act as spiritual receivers that your soul can interface with, and I've greatly extended the range on them so you shouldn't disconnect no matter how far away you get."

Sayaka nodded slowly. "Soooooo, essentially, they're remote-controlled bodies."

"Yup!"

"That's pretty cool. Heaven's great and all, but I've been itching to go for a run down-below," Kyoko said.

Mami furrowed her brows as she digested the information. "What would happen to our souls while we are controlling these vessels? And what of our magic and abilities?"

"Your souls would be unconscious in the meantime. It would be too weird and put too much of a strain on you otherwise. As for your magic and abilities, they should function roughly the same as when you were alive. Plus some extra perks, possibly."

"Can the Soul Gem be tainted? What about if it breaks?"

"Great questions! Taint will accumulate as you use magic like normal, but it will be slowly purified while you are untransformed. As for your other question, if that happens, or if the body sustains too much damage, you will be ejected and wake up back here in Heaven. So keep them protected!"

"How do we get into the bodies in the first place? And how do we 'wake up' from them afterward?" Sayaka asked.

"Right now, I have to manually transfer your consciousness into and out of the vessel. Which means that you would need to come back to Heaven where your soul is and have me perform the ritual." Madoka tapped her chin. "It's a bit inconvenient, but since this is rather new, I want to personally oversee the process. The only other way to wake up is the destruction of the Soul Gem, so if there's an emergency, you could smash it yourself."

"How'd you make these anyway? Making bodies like these didn't seem like something you could do," Kyoko asked.

Madoka smiled mysteriously. "Just something I picked up from a recent trip."

"Is it really okay for us to leave Heaven?" Mami asked. "I overheard some of the angels talking about a wide-scale conflict that's happening down there."

The goddess shifted nervously. "Well, that's actually partly why I made these bodies. You see . . ." She breathed in.

"I need your help."

The other three girls glanced at each other and formed an unspoken consensus.

"It's my duty as your senpai to help you out whenever you're in trouble," Mami said with a smile.

Sayaka flung an arm around Madoka. "You know we're with you all the way! Just tell us what you need."

Kyoko shrugged. "Can't let those two have all the fun. Guess I'm in too."

Madoka was touched by her friends' warm support. "Thank you, all of you." She took a deep breath as she assembled a plan.

"Here's what I need you to do."

xxx

"They're late."

Xenovia and Irina stood near a building on the outskirts of a forest. It was an exorcist training facility, albeit currently empty due to its residents graduating recently. However, the equipment remained, and the secluded location made it perfect for what they were about to do.

Except, they had to wait for the others first. And they were only going to be witnesses anyway.

"Well, this place is a bit out of the way. It's not too surprising they've been delayed since they've never been here before," Irina placated her irate partner.

Xenovia was about to respond, but another voice cutting in caused her to freeze.

"Oh, Xenovia dear! My, how you've grown!"

A young woman wearing a nun's outfit approached them. While harmless at first glance, her piercing blue eyes were rapidly assessing her surroundings with the sharpness of a skilled combatant, and her footsteps made no sound at all despite the rough path she trod.

Xenovia stiffened up at her approach. "S-Sister Griselda! W-What are you doing here?"

"Hmm? Shouldn't you know? I'm here as the examiner for those special girls who are coming here."

Xenovia had known that an experienced exorcist would come to administer the assessment, but she hadn't realized that it would be her old mentor. "I – I thought you resigned!"

"Oh, I did. That's probably why Michael-san picked me for this secret mission. The Church keeps a close eye on its strongest exorcists, but they don't bother with those not on active duty."

"O – Oh –"

Griselda chuckled. "Relax, I'm not here to scold you again." She turned to Irina. "Warrior Irina. It's good to see that you're still partners with my troublesome ward even after all these years." She bowed politely.

Irina returned the bow. "It's an honor to meet one of the strongest female exorcists. I aspire to one day be like you."

Pleasantries done, the older woman smiled. "I hear you two helped a lot during that incident with the stolen Excaliburs. Well done. I had thought the higher-ups were making a mistake, sending only two exorcists, and such young ones at that, but it all seems to have turned out fine."

Xenovia blushed from the praise. "T – thank you, but we had help . . ."

Griselda tutted. "Don't say that like it's a bad thing. Finding allies and making use of them is crucial in any warrior's career. It's better to swallow your pride and ask for help than it is to be a stubborn idiot who winds up dead." She smiled gently. "And even if you can be a bit of an idiot at times, you're my idiot, and I would grieve if you died."

Xenovia hung her head in embarrassment at her guardian's words. "O – Oh . . ." she said in a small voice.

While her former student recovered from her meltdown, Griselda turned to Irina. "Now, where are these special girls that I am supposed to be assessing?"

"Ah, they're not here yet," Irina admitted. "It's their first time coming here, so they're running a bit late."

"Is that so? Well, it gives me some time to prepare at least. Let's see what they have here." The veteran exorcist went into the facility in search of equipment.

The clearing fell silent once more. Xenovia was still red with embarrassment, so Irina decided that she should leave her friend alone for a bit.

Rustle, rustle.

"You sure this is the right way? All I see are plants, plants, and more plants."

"Quit your whining, lover-girl. I told ya I know what I'm doing."

"Have you ever used a map before?"

". . . Don'tcha worry about that."

"What?! You're probably just leading us in circles. Gimme the map!"

"No way! Last time you had the map, we did end up going in circles for an hour!"

"Let's not fight, okay? I think this is the right way; I see a clearing up ahead!"

The thicket parted, and three young girls wearing casual clothing stumbled out. Looking around, they quickly focused on Irina and Xenovia.

"Hey. You two are who we're supposed to meet with, right?" the red-haired girl asked as she stuffed a map back into her pocket.

"Yes, we are," Irina replied. "But, there's one more –"

"Oh, who do we have here?"

Griselda walked out of the training facility, her arms filled with various exorcist weaponry, including light swords, guns, and holy water. Upon seeing her mentor carrying such a heavy burden, Xenovia shot up and moved to her aid. "Here, let me help."

"Well, aren't you such a dear?" Griselda nonchalantly dumped the entire pile into her protégé's arms, causing Xenovia's knees to buckle under the weight. "Don't drop them, now. These are very expensive to mass produce, you know?"

"Y – y – yes, S – S – Sister Griselda – !"

As Irina began running to her aid, the veteran exorcist turned to survey the new arrivals. "I am Griselda Quarta, a former exorcist. That is my student, Xenovia." She gestured towards the girl struggling with her load. "And that is her friend and partner, Irina." She gestured towards the girl catching equipment as they fell from her friend's tower of items. "Now, who might you all be?"

"I am Mami Tomoe." The girl who had just introduced herself gestured to her companions. "These are my friends: Sayaka Miki and Kyoko Sakura." She bowed while gesturing for the others to do the same. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, a polite one. I like you already." Griselda chuckled. "So, you three are who I'm supposed to assess?" Her eyes scanned them carefully, noting their postures and the way they held themselves. "It seems you all have a great deal of combat experience already. That is good. Wouldn't want to have been called all the way out here for nothing."

Kyoko scoffed. "Bring it on, lady. We'll ace whatever test ya got for us."

Griselda's smile froze, becoming a jagged, unpleasant thing. "Oh my, it seems you still have a lot to learn before being able to pass as an exorcist. Rule number one." Her eyes narrowed to slits. "You will address others in the proper manner. As a former exorcist, I am more like a nun in status, so you will address me as 'Sister Griselda'. Not 'lady', or anything of the sort."

Kyoko grimaced. "Tch." She backed down in the face of that intense glare. "Fine. Whatever."

Griselda's frown deepened at the younger girl's flippant attitude, but Sayaka hurriedly intervened. "Ahaha, sorry about her," she said with a sheepish expression. "She's had a bad experience with the church."

The older woman's expression softened. "A bad experience?" Her face clouded over as she recalled certain unsavory projects that had slipped under the Church's nose. "I understand. Tell your friend to rein in her disdain, at the very least, or no one will believe that she's a genuine exorcist."

Sayaka nodded hastily. "Right, right."

"In any case, the most important part is that you display proficiency with exorcist weaponry. So that is what I will test you three on." Griselda walked over to the pile of items that the two exorcists had finally sorted and picked up a light sword. She tossed it over her shoulder.

Sayaka reflexively plucked it out of the air. "Hmm?" She peered at it curiously.

"You activate it by pushing the button on the side."

Pressing the button in question, a beam of light shot out of the handle. "Woah, that's cool."

"I'm glad you think so."

The rustle of grass. Mami's panicked voice saying, "Look ou – !"

BZZZT!

"Woah!"

Sayaka just barely managed to block Griselda's light sword. Their blades were locked together, sparks flying as they vied for control. "The heck? You could've killed me!"

The older woman merely smiled. "These light swords were blunted for training purposes. But the fact that you reacted in time to my surprise attack is far more impressive." She gestured with her head towards Xenovia. "Even my student only managed to block me at the end of her training."

Kyoko scowled. "Playing dirty, huh, Sis Griselda? I thought exorcists were supposed to be noble and righteous and all that shit."

Griselda backed away from the engagement as she spared another glare for the foul-mouthed girl. "It's 'Sister', not 'Sis'. And playing fair when the enemy won't will only get you killed."

"Is that so?" Kyoko grinned. "Well, looks like she's already taken your lesson to heart."

"Hmm – ?!"

Sayaka had taken advantage of her opponent being distracted by conversation to rush in for an attack. Closing rapidly, she dived under her foe's guard –

Thump!

"Tch!"

Despite her best efforts, Griselda reacted too slowly. As she backed away, she winced in pain from the blow on her leg.

"Lucky shot," she said. "Let's see if it happens again."

Sayaka grinned. "I got more where that came from."

Their swords raised, they eyed each other carefully as they searched for an opening in the other's defenses. At an unseen cue, they charged at each other once more –

xxx

"She's good."

Irina glanced over with a raised eyebrow at her friend's grudging admittance. "I'm surprised you're complimenting someone so easily."

Xenovia shrugged. "If you'd trained under Sister Griselda, you would know that she is not someone to be trifled with. But that girl is keeping up with her, even scoring some solid hits too. All without any exorcist training."

Michael had told them that the people they would be working with would have "some combat experience", but that was turning out to be a blatant understatement.

They watched the light blades clash together, each collision resounding throughout the clearing. Sayaka's swings were fast, almost unnaturally so. However, her movements were crude and sloppy: a slight overextension there, an excessive turn here – all small mistakes that an opponent could exploit.

In contrast, Griselda moved at a much more natural pace. Her movements were graceful, each step leading into the next, almost as if she were a dancer and the battle was merely a performance. Years of experience allowed her to move with utmost efficiency, attacking and countering without pause. It was only the gap in speed that prevented her from landing a decisive blow.

Another exchange of blows, sparks flying through the air. They both walked a fine line where a single misstep would lead to their loss.

A soft patch of ground was all it took.

A foot slid. Balance was lost. And it all came tumbling down.

"Yield."

Sayaka stared up at the tip of the light sword from where she had fallen on the ground. "You got me," she said with a sigh.

Griselda smiled as she sheathed her weapon and offered a hand to her opponent.

She was breathing heavily, her clothes disheveled from the intense fighting. The other girl fared little better, sweat pouring down her face and using her sword to prop herself up.

"I would've had you if it weren't for that stupid patch of dirt," Sayaka grumbled.

The older woman chuckled. "The environment is unsympathetic; it takes no sides. Rather, you must be the one to get it to work for you." She looked at her meaningfully.

Sayaka blinked as she absorbed that statement. "Oh." A pause. "You lured me onto it."

"Correct. I had analyzed the terrain beforehand and made note of any features that might aid me. I suggest you do the same in the future."

A nod. "So, how'd I do, anyway?"

Griselda paused as she scrutinized the other girl. "You are fast. Inhumanly so."

Sayaka stared back without flinching. "So you noticed, huh?"

Griselda frowned. "Is it because of a Sacred Gear?"

Sayaka paused. "If Michael-san didn't tell you, then I won't either."

". . . Very well then," she said. "You clearly know your way around a blade. A true exorcist would be skilled with all her tools, but for our purposes, your swordsmanship will suffice." She glanced at the other two girls. "Which one of you will be next?"

Mami stepped forward as Sayaka took her spot on the sidelines. "If proficiency in only one of the weapons is required, then I would like to use the guns instead."

Griselda cocked her head. "Firearms? Interesting choice. We don't have too many specialists in those." She picked up a gun and held it aloft. "These are specially designed to fire light bullets, which are harmful to devils but can be effective against other targets as well." She pointed at the handle. "These guns use a charging mechanism instead of a magazine, so instead of reloading, you wait for it to recharge instead." She tapped the side of the barrel. "There's a slider here that lets you adjust the intensity of the shot. High intensity shots consume more charge, so be careful with aiming those. Finally, there's a counter up here that tells you how many shots you have left at the current intensity level. Understand?"

Mami nodded as she picked up a gun in each hand. "I think so."

"Good. Now, for the sake of my health, please set the intensity to its minimum. At that setting, it should be non-lethal and non-incapacitating, which should be suitable for our spar." The veteran exorcist smiled predatorily. "And just because you're using those doesn't mean I will too. Enemies won't stay at range just because you ask nicely."

The other girl smiled radiantly as she dialed down the charge intensity. "Oh, I am quite accustomed to those types of situations, let me assure you."

As the two of them prepared to face off, Kyoko sniggered and nudged Sayaka. "Hey, hey, how fast do ya think Mami's gonna wipe the floor with her?"

Sayaka frowned. "Don't be too harsh. She's only human, you know?"

"Yeah, but she sure likes talking big." Kyoko pulled out another pack of pocky from somewhere. "I'll bet one minute."

xxx

It only took thirty seconds.

If Sayaka's performance could be considered clumsy, then Mami's was the epitome of grace.

No sooner had the fight started did Griselda find herself immediately barraged by a torrent of light. She desperately tried to parry the oncoming wave, but she felt the sharp sting of pain break out all over her body.

The torrent stopped as the guns ran out of charge. Seeing an opportunity as her opponent tossed the guns aside, she rushed in for a strike –

Cold steel pressed against her temple.

Mami glanced over at the light sword's edge extending past her, a narrow miss. "Yield," she said, keeping the gun she had just whipped out pressed against Griselda's forehead.

The older woman huffed as she backed away. She knew when she was outmatched. "You're making me look bad in front of my pupil," she grumbled.

Mami smiled. "Sorry. But I couldn't let my own students down either."

Griselda's eyes darted between Mami and her companions. "You are their teacher? You seem awfully young for such a role."

"Our harsh reality does not wait for the young to catch up."

Griselda thought of the many exorcists trained to fight evil beings from a young age. "That is true." She sighed. "I suppose you won't tell me the secret to your devilish speed either?"

Mami shook her head. "Apologies. But it's confidential, so to speak."

"The Church sure likes its secrets," the exorcist muttered. "But I suppose I've grown used to it by now." She turned to Kyoko. "Well, you're up now. Don't think I'll be any easier just because your friends went before you."

Kyoko finished her snack and stood up. "Wouldn't dream of it." She walked over to the pile of weaponry and peered at the selection.

"What'll it be? A sword? A gun? Or maybe both?"

Kyoko picked up both a light sword and a gun and weighed them in her hands. After a moment, she grunted and tossed the gun away. Extending the blade, she began waving the sword around in an amateurish fashion.

"Hey, Kyoko? If you want, I can give you some pointers . . . ." Sayaka offered.

"Shove it. I don't need your help for this." Kyoko took her position across from Griselda, her sword awkwardly held out in front of her.

The older woman frowned as she observed her opponent's stance. It was clear that the other girl didn't have any idea how to use a sword. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"It'll be over in fifteen seconds," Kyoko boasted.

xxx

It was over in fifteen seconds.

As soon as the match began, Griselda aggressively rushed forward, using fluid, sweeping strikes to pressure her opponent. Kyoko struggled to defend against the barrage, feeling her control of the battle slip away with each passing second.

As a last-ditch effort, Kyoko ducked under a blow and tried to sweep Griselda's feet out from under her, but the exorcist saw it coming and nimbly sidestepped the attempt. Taking advantage of Kyoko's uneven footing, Griselda smashed her opponent's light sword away, sending it flying next to a tree.

Silence fell over the clearing.

"You might need some training with a sword before you can pass as an exorcist," Griselda finally said.

Kyoko snarled. "Like hell I do!" She turned away, her hand reaching for something –

Sayaka's eyes widened. "Wait, Kyoko – !"

The girl whirled back around, but in her hands she now clutched a spear with a yellow haft and blood-red tip. "Try me now, why don'tcha?"

Griselda raised an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of the spear. "Is that a Sacred Gear?"

"Sure. Let's go with that," Kyoko said.

The older woman was doubtful of that claim but decided that prying would not lead to any answers. "Very well. Some exorcists train to use their Sacred Gear as their weapon of choice, so I will accept it."

Mami and Sayaka both relaxed once they realized that Kyoko had not spilled their secret. "That idiot," Sayaka muttered. "She didn't need to go that far."

"It's probably a point of pride for her, considering that the two of us gave Griselda-san to a run for her money at least," Mami said.

"Hope she remembers to hold back a little. That woman's good, but she's still just human."

The two combatants readied themselves for one last bout, their eyes carefully observing each facet of their opponent's movement. Their bodies shifted, and the two of them dashed at each other –

"You're mine!"

After only a brief exchange of blows, Kyoko's weapon disconnected, revealing the set of interlocking chains hidden beneath her weapon's exterior. Now armed with a makeshift metal whip, she snagged Griselda's extended blade and ripped it out of her opponent's hand, sending the light sword flying.

It landed with a plop right next to Kyoko's light sword on the outskirts of the clearing.

Reforming her weapon, she pointed its tip at Griselda's throat. "How'd ya like that?" she taunted.

Despite the provocation, the older woman did not rise to the bait.

"You pass," she said simply before turning and walking away. "While proper exorcist training would cover many more areas, the combat skills you have all shown today is sufficient for this façade."

Sayaka walked up and gave Kyoko a fist bump while Mami approached and politely bowed. "Thank you for your time, Sister Griselda."

Griselda chuckled. "I see you learn quickly. That is good; there's one more thing before I send you all on your way."

Sayaka glanced over curiously. "Huh? There's more?"

The exorcist went into the training facility and came back out with a huge stack of papers that she plopped onto the ground.

"Studying," she announced.

Sayaka froze at that dreaded word.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO – !"

xxx

"They're strong."

"Yes, I could tell." Irina rolled her eyes at her partner's words. "They beat Sister Griselda, of course they're strong!"

The two young exorcists watched on in silent amusement as the others sat down in the grass, pouring over the papers that Griselda had brought out. They were files detailing the various important people in the Church, people that every exorcist should know.

Dulio Gesualdo.

Vasco Strada.

The Pope.

Failing to recognize any of these legendary figures would immediately cast suspicion on them, which would jeopardize the mission.

Speaking of which . . .

"Do you really think we can do it?" Xenovia asked. "Purging the Church of its corruption?"

Irina could hear the doubt in her friend's voice. And she didn't blame her; after all, all their life they had been taught that the Church was righteous, that the Church was just, and that the Church could do no wrong.

And in the span of a few weeks, they had learned that not only had the Church lied to them for all their lives but that it was riddled with corrupt officials and greedy clergyman who cared more about themselves than the Word of God.

"If you don't believe that you can succeed, then you will always fail."

The two of them immediately shot up and stood at attention. "S – S – Sister Griselda!" Xenovia stammered. "I – I thought you were helping the others –"

The older woman smiled and waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, they're fine. Well, one of them at least . . . ."

She recalled a scene that had taken place a few minutes ago.

"Why does the Pope's profile only have his title?"

Mami was staring intently at the paper in question. Her question was a common one for those unfamiliar with the Church. Which would only draw more suspicion if she did not know the answer.

"It is because he gave up his name a long time ago," Griselda replied. She smiled sadly. "It was a form of penance, he claimed. For the sins that he had committed in the past." She paused. "No one quite knew what he was referring to, but everyone got used to it eventually."

"I see." Mami's eyes were still glued to the paper. "I will keep that in mind."

Meanwhile, Kyoko's motivation for this activity could only be described as absolute zero.

"ARGHHHHHH why do I have to remember the names and faces of a buncha old geezers?! Half of them don't make any sense anyway!"

Mami sighed as she turned to her friend. "They only sound strange because they're foreign. And you need to remember them for the mission, remember?"

Sayaka chuckled weakly. "Maybe we should just let you do all the talking, Mami. Memorizing never was my strong suit, and I don't think Kyoko over there is faring any better . . . ."

"Is it really okay if only one of them can recognize the important church members?" Irina asked.

"Well, they have you two girls to help them out as well, so I'm sure you'll all be just fine!" She glanced at her pupil. "As long as you have a little faith in yourself and each other, victory will always be within reach." She sighed. "Although perhaps that doesn't sound too encouraging coming from me, considering my rather poor showing out there."

"N – No! You did great!" Xenovia said.

"Oh?" Griselda raised an eyebrow. "That Kyoko girl certainly wiped the floor with me pretty quick. The polite one wasn't too far off either."

"That doesn't matter!" her pupil insisted.

"And why is that?"

"Because . . ." She swallowed. "They're – they're not quite human."

Irina was surprised. "Not human? What do you mean by that?"

"After watching them fight, I thought they felt . . . fake. Artificial. Like there was something helping them. Something that pushed them beyond the realm of humans."

"And to you, does that change anything?" Griselda asked.

"No. I will still work with them for the mission. But the fact that you stood up against them at all is worthy of praise."

"So what you're saying is that they're so strong that losing to them is not a failing on Sister Griselda's part," Irina summarized.

Xenovia ducked her head. "Y – Yeah."

The veteran exorcist chuckled and rubbed her student's head. "It's nice of you to stand up for me. But I already knew that something wasn't quite right about my opponents."

"Should we investigate . . . ?" Irina asked.

Griselda shook her head. "They have Michael-san's trust. So I will give them the benefit of the doubt."

The two younger exorcists looked at each other and decided to trust in their senior's decision. "Then we'll look past it as well," Xenovia said.

"Good. One more thing . . ." Griselda said. "If you're beginning to doubt yourself, the best way to restore your conviction is to remind yourself of why you fight." She looked at them intensely. "Why do you fight?" she asked.

"To protect people!" Xenovia immediately answered.

Her mentor frowned. "A vague answer. Who exactly are you protecting?"

"Uh . . . everyone?"

The frown grew deeper. "Foolish girl. You cannot protect everyone. In a conflict, there are two sides, and aiding one requires you to sacrifice the other. There is no world in which you can save everyone."

"Then . . . the Church," Xenovia amended.

Griselda smiled sadly. "That was my answer too, once upon a time," she said forlornly.

"Does that have to do with why you resigned?" Irina asked.

"Yes. I resigned because of the corruption I saw spreading through the Church." She sighed. "I looked upon the horrors I was protecting and asked myself; is this really what I want to be fighting for? And, well, you can guess what answer I arrived at."

The two younger exorcists looked at each other with troubled expressions. "Then, where does that leave us? If you didn't think it was worth it, then . . . ." Irina trailed off.

"Well, it's different now, isn't it? You two have a chance now." Griselda beamed at them like a proud parent. "To cleanse the corruption infesting the Church. To turn it back into something worth believing in, something worth fighting for." Her eyes hardened. "Don't expect it to be easy. But in the end, I think you'll find it to have been worth it."

Reinvigorated by her mentor's words, Xenovia stood up straighter. "You're right! We have a chance, and we're not going to waste it!" She dashed off into the distance, yelling something about training all night to prepare for the mission.

Griselda chuckled as she watched her student speed off. "Silly girl. You won't get people to change their minds through violence alone." She sighed. "Well, at least she'll tire herself out enough that she won't have any trouble falling asleep. I know how bad pre-mission jitters can be."

Irina turned and bowed to her. "Thank you for your assistance on this mission, Sister Griselda. I'm sure Xenovia is grateful as well even if she –" She made an annoyed expression. " – isn't quite here to express it."

Griselda laughed and waved it off. "Oh, don't worry. I am quite used to the antics of that apprentice of mine." She folded her arms. "And save your thanks. I am quite invested in the outcome of this mission as well." She gazed off into the distance. "Maybe it's not too late for me yet . . . ." she muttered.

Irina was confused. "Not too late for what?"

"Oh, it's nothing. But I really should go check on the progress of my much more recent students." Griselda began heading back towards the center of the clearing.

"AH, SCREW IT. YOU CAN BE THE PEOPLE PERSON, MAMI, BUT I'M NOT STARING AT THESE CRAPPY FACES ANY LONGER!"

Griselda sighed.

"Oh, dear."

xxx

There were many things Michael had done for his Father, the original God.

Acting as a tour guide had not been one of them.

"Oh! Oh! What's that over there?"

"That is Saint Peter's Basilica, Madoka-sama. Its construction dates back to the Renaissance era, and it is regarded as one of the holiest churches in the world."

The two of them were in Vatican City, disguised as simple tourists. The goddess had been bouncing around various locations for the past hour, eagerly pointing out points of interests and inquiring about them. He was not the most well-versed in the affairs of mortals, but he did his best to answer anyway.

However, it was quite clear to him that Madoka had not decided to come out here merely to see the attractions.

She was watching the people.

Even as she gestured wildly to a famous statue or a renowned building, he could see her eyes dart around, watching the crowd around her: a group of tourists rushing by, a priest preaching in the streets, a vendor peddling his wares –

She noticed them all.

He knew that she wasn't really paying attention when he answered her inquiries, but he played along anyway. Because he knew that's what she wanted him to do – to play the part of tourist so that they may go unnoticed.

As the day came to an end, the sun dipping below the horizon, Michael found the chance to speak his mind.

"Did you enjoy the view, Madoka-sama?"

She smiled as she looked at him. An outside observer might have assumed he was talking about the attractions, but they both knew he was referring to something else.

"It was quite lovely! The city is very beautiful, but the people were all so busy." Her smile dampened. "I would've thought the center of the Church would feel more like a community, but it seems more like a – a business."

Michael nodded. "The Church teaches strict discipline to its followers; it is no surprise that so many have incorporated that into their lifestyles."

She sighed. "That makes sense. But I think it's a bit sad how stagnant it felt. Like people were going about their daily lives without a sense of purpose or direction. Like they didn't have any hope left . . . ."

There was nothing he could say to that. God's death had never been revealed to the masses, but even so, His passing had left a shadow over all of them. Even those unaware of the supernatural might have felt that something was wrong, that the bright, cheery days they had been enjoying had suddenly come to an end.

And with Heaven in such a sorry state, Michael had grown short-sighted, dismissing the faithful left behind in favor of his grieving brethren.

In a way, the current problems that plagued the Church were his fault, spawned by his negligence. They were yet another mistake, another regret he had to bear.

The two of them continued walking, making their way to one of the city's exits. The streets were far less crowded now, most people having retired to their homes.

As they passed by an empty street corner, Madoka paused, and Michael turned to look at her curiously. "Is something the matter, Madoka-sama?"

She tilted her head, glancing at an alleyway across the street. "There's some people over there."

Looking there himself, he spotted a man in a hood talking with what appeared to be a nun, the two of them huddled together in the back alley like they didn't want their dealing to be noticed. Frowning, Michael enhanced his hearing with magic.

"WHAT?! You're lying, you have to be!"

"Look, girl, you're the one who said you wanted to know. Whether you believe it or not is none of my concern. And keep your voice down, will you? We're done here."

The man backed away, sending furtive gazes in several directions before scampering away deeper into the alleyway, leaving behind a young nun who looked like she was going into shock.

"It can't be true . . . it can't be true . . . it can't be true . . . ." she muttered.

Michael wasn't sure when it had happened, but at some point, Madoka had ran over to the stricken woman, talking to her in a soft, calming voice.

"Hello, Miss? Are you alright?"

The nun looked up, a wild, crazed look in her eyes. She grabbed the goddess by the shoulders, speaking in a lost, desperate voice. "Please. Tell me it's not true. Tell me it's not true!"

He quickly ran forward, ready to come to her aid, but a single look from Madoka told him to back down.

"Tell you what? That what's not true?" the goddess asked softly.

The woman's pupils dilated, becoming yawning, soulless voids.

"That God is dead."

He could feel the very air freeze. To directly state, no, to even suggest such a thing in the very heart of the Church was grounds for excommunication, if not worse.

He didn't know how the nun had learned of their great secret, but he suspected that dubious character who had swiftly vacated the premises a few moments prior had something to do with it.

But there was no time to chase after the man; they had a far more pressing concern to deal with.

He saw Madoka's eyes widen in surprise, saw her flounder about wordlessly. He knew the dilemma she faced at that moment: would she tell a white lie, spread a fragile, false hope? Or would she force the woman to confront the harsh truth, a horrible, terrible realization?

". . . I'm sorry."

The nun stared back at her, abject despair written all over her face. Her arms slumped to her sides and her head sunk down, watery droplets slowly dripping to the floor.

"B – But!" Madoka gripped the woman's shoulders tightly, comfortably. "It's okay! There's someone else in Heaven – someone who will care for you and love you just as much!"

The woman's head slowly raised. ". . . Someone else?"

"Y – Yes!" Madoka tried to beam, but it came out forced, unnatural. "S – She's a bit new, but I'm sure that with enough time, she'll become just as great of a god!"

The nun was silent. When she finally spoke, her voice was completely empty, utterly desolate.

". . . So you're saying . . . I've been praying to someone else this whole time?"

Madoka's smile faltered. "W – Well, not necessarily –"

". . . My belief was misplaced . . . all this time?"

"That's not – that's not –!"

". . . My whole life . . . was a lie?"

"N – No –!"

The woman screamed, a shrill, piercing screech that drilled all the way down into the Underworld.

He saw it when her muscles tensed, when her hand raised in preparation for an act of wild, uncontrolled anger –

Years of battle experience kicked in, and he was there before he knew it.

"Please control yourself, ma'am," he whispered, gripping her arm firmly. "Violence has no place in the Vatican."

Her eyes met his, and he could see the fiery anger in them extinguish, leaving behind only dull, lifeless coals. Seeing that she had calmed down, he let go of her, and she slumped to the ground, an utterly forlorn expression on her face.

He turned back to Madoka. "We should go."

Her head slowly swiveled towards him, sporting a resigned look that didn't suit such a normally cheerful and bubbly goddess.

"Did I make the right choice, Michael-kun?"

He paused. The Heavens espoused honesty as a virtue, yet they had concealed the truth of God's demise from the populace all the same. They had told themselves that it was for the greater good, and perhaps their reasoning was not wrong.

Was it wrong to lie, no matter how white it may be?

Was it right to speak truthfully, no matter how ugly it may be?

Michael didn't know. But perhaps there was an easier way to view this situation.

"Were you happy with this outcome, Madoka-sama?"

The goddess paused, then shook her head.

He smiled sadly. "Then I suppose there is your answer."

xxx

"You might encounter some very interesting visitors soon, Fr –"

He looked up and glared at that wretched man standing in his doorway. Upon seeing his venomous gaze, the target of his ire laughed and held up a hand in a placating gesture. "Apologies. It was merely a slip of the tongue."

It wasn't a slip-up, and both of them knew it.

The Pope inwardly sighed. If he was coming in and deliberately trying to annoy him, that meant he was trying to unbalance him so he could more easily coerce something out of him later.

"And what do you mean by that, Astaroth-san?" he asked, barely hiding his distaste underneath a thin veil of politeness.

"You may be used to evading the gaze of the Heavenly Host, but now the agents they're sending might seem a bit more human. In appearance, at least."

He frowned. "Are you talking about exorcists? No exorcist would defy me, and those who do soon learn the error of their ways."

"No, not those fanatical warriors you love so much. This is something new. What was the term my 'friend' used?" Astaroth tapped his chin. "A vessel for a lost soul. That was what it was."

"A vessel for a soul?" The Pope was taken aback. "Do they plan to disturb the eternal rest of those who have ascended to Heaven?!"

"Nothing so grandiose, I would assume. If they had the gall to do such a thing, they would make an enemy out of many of the other pantheons. Hades, for one, wouldn't appreciate his domain being encroached on. Several others are sworn to uphold the balance of the world, and they wouldn't take such a brazen action kindly either."

"Then what could your 'friend' have possibly been talking about?"

"I am as lost as you are, friend. I just thought that I might drop by and let you know. A bit of a freebie, so to speak." The diabolical man grinned. "Of course, you could always just send them my way when they arrive, and I'll deal with them for you. Haven't I been most efficient in dealing with certain wayward individuals?"

The Pope was silent. He knew what the other man was talking about. Certain members of the Church had gotten too close for comfort to the truth of God's death and had to be removed.

And while the men he controlled were fanatical in their loyalty, he had doubts about their ability to kill someone they were meant to protect. Not to mention, they had no training in cleaning up afterward to remove any trace of the deed.

A third party was the most ideal solution. And Astaroth had performed quite admirably in that regard. The target would be sent on a mission, and they would never come back. An investigation would be held, but the body would never be found, and thus the victim would be marked as missing forever.

He never asked him how he did it. He didn't want to know. It was cowardly of him, to hide behind such blissful ignorance, but he felt that crossing that line, that learning of the deaths of those he sent to die would cause this façade he had built up to start crashing down –

His men had already apprehended another one. An info-broker, tempting others with a serpentine tongue into buying his twisted secrets. He was the worst kind of offender, the kind that required him to sentence innocents caught up in his pursuit of greed. He would have to round up anyone else that the man might have possibly influenced.

And in the meantime, he already had two more in mind. Two more that needed to die for the sake of maintaining God's legacy.

He sighed tiredly. How many more needed to die? How many more did he need to kill?

He wasn't sure if he would ever get an answer to that question.

But back to the conversation at hand. "I will consider it. If such actions are necessary, I will be sure to let you know."

"Of course, of course. But I was wondering how your end of the deal has been progressing. I am a patient man, but even I won't wait forever, you know?"

The Pope scowled. This was what the other man had been after all along. "Things are going well enough. I've already sent for her to be lured towards the location we agreed upon. Now we must simply wait for her to come to us."

The other man looked skeptical. "Merely a summons? She might ignore it, you know? After all, why would she listen to the Church that banished her in the first place?"

"She will come," he promised. "No one ignores a personal request from the Pope. Especially if it concerns possibly reverting her excommunication."

Astaroth laughed, a wicked, unpleasant sound. "What a carrot to dangle in front of our quarry's nose! For someone like her, it should prove to be more than enough." He turned around. "I am satisfied for now, so I shall be taking my leave. Good day to you, Pope-sama."

"Farewell to you as well."

As the door closed on the (un)welcome intruder, the Pope slumped back in his seat. He opened his desk and pulled out a certain image.

"What is it about you, that makes this bitter taste of regret well up within me so?" he muttered aloud.

The deity's visage gave no replay, but the longer he gazed at her smiling face, the more he felt at ease until for a moment, he could forget that he was a sinful man, that he was the Pope who was more depraved than Satan himself.

The feeling passed, and he tucked the photo back into his desk.

xxx

"Akemi-san! Akemi-san! Look!"

Homura looked up from her homework to find Asia bounding over to her, waving an envelope in the air. "What is it?"

"It's a letter from the Church! They said they're revoking my excommunication!"

Homura raised an eyebrow. "What caused this change of heart?"

"They said that after reviewing my years of service as a Holy Maiden, they thought I deserved a second chance." Asia twirled about with happiness. "The Pope himself is going to be there and personally welcome me back!"

"Is he now? I suppose I should offer my congratulations then." Homura began to turn back to her work before an idle thought occurred to her. "Where is the ceremony going to be held?"

"O – Oh . . ." Asia faltered at that question. "T – They didn't actually tell me yet. They said they would send more instructions soon."

"Really? I thought they would have finished arranging things if they sent you that letter."

"W – Well it doesn't matter! I can wait a bit longer."

"I suppose a few more days won't make a difference. Speaking of the ceremony . . ." Homura paused. She didn't usually do something like this, but Madoka's words stuck to her like glue. "Would you like me to attend?"

Asia clasped her hands together. "I would love it if you could! B – But the thing is . . ." She wilted. "The letter said to not invite anyone to come along."

Suddenly, Homura had a bad feeling about this. "Is that so? A strange request; after all, your dismissal from the Church was quite the public affair, and if they are to properly make reparations, they would need to make your re-indoctrination public as well."

The nun shifted nervously. "A – Ah I'm sure they have their reasons! Anyway, I just thought that I would let you know since I'll probably be leaving soon, and . . ." Her body snapped into a bow. "Thank you for taking care of me for all this time, Akemi-san!"

Homura, still preoccupied with her instincts blaring at her that something was wrong, simply gave an indifferent nod. "It was no trouble," she said absentmindedly.

After bowing a few more times, Asia scurried out of the room, leaving Homura to brood.

This is none of my business, one part of her claimed.

It's exactly that kind of thinking that leaves us all alone in the end. And we're trying to fix that, aren't we? Another part argued.

We're not alone; we have Madoka!

And it was Madoka who wished for us to branch out and connect with others. Do you wish to disobey her?

. . . Fine.

At last, Homura decided.

"Argento-san said she couldn't invite anyone," she muttered. "She didn't say she couldn't let anyone follow her."

With that in mind, Homura turned back to her homework.

The upcoming assignment was likely going to take a while, so she was going to work ahead a bit.