Nicholas stared at the setting Sun before lightly tapping the tip of his shoe against the ground under him... backing away for the first time in his whole life to avoid a punch aimed for his chin only to throw such a massive character development right down the drain by lunging forward and slamming his fist down on the woman that was about to smash a staff against his face.

"...What?" 'Martha' staggered backwards, holding her bruised arms with eyes wide in surprise, "You're human, are you not?" She paused, narrowing her eyes in thought before a small enthusiastic smile crossed her lips, "I must say, it is quite the surprise to meet one blessed in the same manner as I."

"What you mean what? You thought I wasn't gonna fight back?" The pale haired teenager pulled up his pants before raising both his hands above his head with a small grin plastered on his usually unresponsive face, "Square up, fool. I'm about to see red up in this bitch."

Now, if any of the Chaldeans had bore witness to this sight they'd have noticed instantly that something was wrong.

Nicholas usually boxed, and he was damn good at it but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to hit the purple head with the sort of violence he usually solved all his dilemmas with...

That was perplexing on it's own.

"See red? Square up? I must apologise, I do not understand those words. Also, such vulgarity is unbecoming of one that is to be a saviour of man." Martha spoke softly, making Nicholas reel in confused disgust, "Nonetheless, it is a shame that we must be enemies... It confuses me but I too do not wish to bear arms against you... How about we call it a dr-"

It was kinda disheartening to see her adopt a persona after all their time together.

The Saint was interrupted by several bursts of air crashing into her, ones that she picked up on moments of contact and blocked with the body of the dragon nearby, making the creature groan, "Did no one teach you it was rude to interrupt when people are talking?"

"Well, mother dearest did say so but I believe we're in a battle... And considering this young fellow is our ally, you started a fight against a group." Mozart explained with a smirk, holding his baton in the air.

Jeanne, who'd been conflicted on what she was to do, raised her flag before pinning it down on the ground beside her and swung her rapier, releasing a wave of flames that drove back Martha.

"Back down."

"Oh? Oh my, this is quite the surprise... Did you not summon us to enact your revenge upon your people?" Martha tilted her head, putting a finger to her lips.

Jeanne faltered for a moment, glanced at Nicholas and grinned, "This overflowing hate bubbling within my chest... I'll make it my bitch if someone thinks they can shove their shit on me. My revenge is complete, all those who wronged me are dead... Hating means I still care. Indifference to stupid fools and lost sheep is my final fuck you."

She completed her words with a double middle finger.

"Who the fuck's got time for burning dumbasses?"

"Preach." Nicholas nodded in agreement, giving her a thumbs up... It definitely wasn't because he didn't want to fight the Saint of the Back Alley.

Martha clapped with a bright smile, "That is simply splendid! I'm happy you can see things with such maturity. I wasn't expecting it all. Pray tell, how did you come to this conclusion?"

Jeanne pointed at Nicholas with her thumb, "We talked and stuff... Well, more like he punched me when I started shouting or something and then we talked."

"Can you believe I solved a problem by talking? I can't." Nicholas nodded to himself, still in disbelief, "We even fucked around about getting married."

"Yea-... Wait, what?!" Jeanne's head shot towards Nicholas as her newly mended heart began teetering on the verge of shattering into a million pieces.

"I mean, I'd totally do it if she was into it. What kinda madman wouldn't go for an emo goth chick?"

This motherfucker WAS doing it on purpose.

"O-Oh."

Nicholas pursed his lips, why did fate have to have so many... opportunities?

It made a simple man's life very hard.

But man, church girls were fast... freaky too.

"...Wait a second... Since you won't get the 'blessing' of God for the union... Did I just get myself married?"

Marie, who definitely hadn't been hiding behind him up until now cause of how scary Martha was... according to what Nicholas told her about the woman during their journey, bopped Nicholas on the head with a flat expression, "...How are you realising that just now?"

"What the hell is wrong with you people? Married?"

Interestingly enough, it was Martha who cut them off, "He hit you. You fought each other and now you're married? What even is that? Do you people realise how absurd this sounds? What are we even supposed to do now? What was all the killing for?"

"I feel like I gotta say something here..." Nicholas held up a hand, walking to the front with clear eyes...

"Whu-?!"

He pulled that same hand back into a fist and smashed it into Martha's face, flinging the Saint back by well over a hundred metres until she crashed into the ground, ripping through grass and dirt.

He had had an epiphany you see...

Martha wanted to fight him because she was fucked in the head or something and lost all her memories... so, all he had to do was knock some sense back into her.

"On the matter of Jeanne, even she knows the hate she feels got forced onto her by some weird old kiddie diddler that I'mma rip a new one later..."

His memory made him remember and note even the smallest of details and discrepancies... He just didn't think about them all that much most of the time.

He was doing it now though, for all the wrong reasons.

"She got an inferiority complex, a creep level fan fucking with her mind and giving her his fucked up memories of someone else..."

Talking to someone let you know how they ticked, who could've known?

"She got confused as fuck when I beat her down... went all philosophical and shit and decided it wasn't worth it to be a vent for someone else... but then crashed into a wall called 'no self worth' other than hating on folk and being 'lesser' than the real Jeanne. Bitch was like, 'Why do I exist?' and then went the whole 'I'm me and I don't give a fuck route'... The rest is a work in progress."

More like, he didn't want to say the rest of it.

He was also attributing all of it to her individual mental strength, not his forceful way of solving any and all problems... how he'd forced her to make the 'healthier' decision.

Normally, he wouldn't bother explaining or even thinking about what he was noting but the other party was Martha... That last part was something he couldn't understand.

"W-Why the hell are you p-paying so much attention to me?!" Jeanne shouted at him with a flushed face, still, her small elated smile couldn't be hidden.

"Why wouldn't I?" Nicholas gave her a small smile.

"...I se-" The Saint winced, grabbing her head with both hands as her body jerked... The words that came out of her words next weren't her own, "I see... Taking that man's advice was the right decision it seems. You ARE a problem... I didn't believe that Jeanne could be ruined after I brought her back but he was right. How are you getting into her head when I could not?"

The 'enemy' servant's magical energy surged as red lines spread across her form.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Darkness pooled around Martha and dozens of writhing masses of many-eyed tentacles began dragging themselves out of it.

"Making this one fulfil it's original pURpose. Youu will pay for tainting Jeanne!"

Nicholas pursed his lips, he could tell this wasn't his Martha but still, "...I'll find you, motherfucker."

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

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