Despite Evelyn's protests, I still carried her into the commoner's ring, safe and far away from the old estate that was infested with corruption. As I finally dropped her down, Evelyn quickly turned around and slapped me hard on the face.

"What are you planning to do to me!?"

'That stings...' I sighed as I caressed the slap mark on my face. 'Oh right, I should probably tell her if I want even a bit of her cooperation.'

"Nothing. I'm just keeping you safe."

"No one asked you to keep me safe!"

"As a matter of fact, someone did."

'Or more specifically, Adel.'

But of course, I wasn't stupid enough to reveal that to her. Who knows what crazy shit she'd do once she knew that the Imperial princess was looking over her and essentially backing her?

"And who is it?" Evelyn suddenly asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Thinking for a while, I answered. "Arthur Kilvillain."

"I- I see..." Evelyn stuttered, but her voice was cold. Her fists were clenched tight, and she was gritting her teeth in anger for some reason.

Paying no heed to it, I continued. "Anyway, as you heard from before, I'm a Saint. With my Saintly powers, I could feel that your old estate is infested with corruption. Most likely due to Void fiends.”

"That's why I need to go!" Evelyn shouted. "My sister's in danger—"

"No, she's not." I quickly spoke up in an attempt to calm her down.

Though Evelyn was still nervous, she decided to calm down just for a bit to listen to me.

'Good, she's more docile now.'

"Your sister is not inside your estate. As a matter of fact, she has been staying in the commoner's ring for a while now."

"And how do you know this?" Evelyn frowned.

"I have my ways." I smiled mysteriously. "Now, you have 2 options. Either follow me or I'll take you with me by force."

"That's not 2 options... you're basically forcing me to go with you..."

"Exactly. Now follow me, unless you want me to drag you to your sister."

"But you're going into a dark alleyway though!"

In response, I merely waved at her and continued walking.

Although very obviously frustrated, Evelyn still reluctantly followed me into the dark alleyway.

***

Following Theodore and staring at the ground, Evelyn couldn't help but to raise her guard to the maximum.

'Is he luring me somewhere bad?'

However, she quickly shook such thoughts off her mind. Theodore could have just kidnapped her if he so wished to. And why was she so sure of it? Well, the fact that he could carry her all the way here from the noble's ring despite her struggling with all her might on the way proved that she couldn't overpower him... at least not yet. 

Pausing her thoughts there, Evelyn looked toward her front again. However, an indescribable chill was sent down her spine as soon as she laid eyes on Theodore's figure.

'It's that feeling again...'

Crippling fear, that was what she also felt when she attacked him inside that dark enclosed wagon. Although she definitely saw something beside Theodore in that moment, she couldn't remember anything at all.

As Evelyn was immersed in her own thoughts, Theodore suddenly spoke up. "We're here."

Evelyn slowly lifted her gaze up and stared straight at the back of his head. Thankfully, that weird feeling of dread and fear earlier was nowhere to be seen. Then, her eyes drifted away from him and to what she assumed to be a church.

'...I think it's heresy to even call this a 'church'.'

After all, no one would think a church whose walls were infested with ivies and windows were covered with cardboard boxes to be the place where people came to give prayers to Goddess Lumaria.

However, after thinking more about it, Evelyn called out to Theodore with a frown. "Hey, you're saying that my sister has been staying in this shithole for months?”

Theodore shrugged. "I don't think the lightb— I mean Goddess Lumaria would appreciate it if you called one of her churches a 'shithole'. But yes, your sister has been living in there for months—"

He then turned around and smiled evilly. "—And with a human boy no less."

"...!" Evelyn widened her eyes in surprise and rage.

A Human boy living together with her delicate little sister in a place devoid of people like this for months!? Who knows what terrible things that Human had done to her?!

'N- No! It can't be!'

"Th- Theodore, do you take responsibility for your words?"

"To be honest..." Theodore sighed. "...I'm not too sure myself. But the last time I came here, which was a month and a half ago, I saw the Human boy. Let's see, the boy had brown hair and eyes, but I'm sure you don't care about any of that."

"You're right. I don't give a shit what a Human looks like." Evelyn scowled. "And I'm starting to doubt that you even know who my sister is."

"Ah, what a shame. I guess we'll have to leave the blonde dog beastkin with green eyes alone with the scary Human boy then. 'Ahhhhhnhh~❤️! Kevin, please don't be so rough❤️~~!' "

"..."

" 'Don't worry Maria, I will thoroughly dominate you! So much so that the only thing you'll ever think about is not your sister but my coc—"

"FUCK YOU! I GET IT!" Evelyn marched up to Theodore and gave him a quick jab to his guts. Shoving him aside, she started to rush toward the church. "I'm coming, Maria!"

***

"Ouch, I shouldn't have done that..." I winced in pain as I massaged my stomach.

I wasn’t sure why but I somehow had an irresistible urge to just tease her right then and there.

'Fuck... don't tell me the memories of the other me is affecting me like Marcos' did? What am I, a mixed pot of souls?'

Whatever the case was, it wasn't as if I could do anything about it right now. Even if I could, I wouldn't want to remove either of the foreign memories.

`The memories of the novel still prove to be useful, and I need the other me's memories to unlock more movements of [V - World splitter] and possibly obtain more future knowledge...'

And with that thought, I entered the church. Upon opening the door, I could hear the sound of something splitting through the air and flying toward my face. Sighing, I held my left hand up and grabbed the object just as it was about to hit me.

"An arrow?"

Frowning and crushing the arrow in half, I looked to my front, only to see Evelyn standing a few steps ahead of me and presumably grabbing something. 

'Is she actually grabbing something though?'

Due to the church being completely dark and me being only able to see her golden eyes thanks to some cat biology stuff that even Marcos didn’t know, I wasn't really sure what she was doing at that moment. However, I had an inkling that she was indeed grabbing something, or rather, someone.

Then, I suddenly noticed a burst of killing intent coming from the ceiling.

"Release her!" The one that dropped from the ceiling beams shouted.

'Why does this situation feel so familiar...?'

Whatever the case was, I didn't have time to think about it. Evelyn was in danger! Or... so I thought.

"Kurghhhh!" The boy who dropped down from the ceiling let out a short groan of pain due to Evelyn presumably countering his 'surprise attack' somehow, followed by the sound of him crashing into the wooden seats.

'How can she see in the dar— oh right, she's basically a cat.'

Pausing my thoughts there and approaching Evelyn, I patted her shoulder. "That's enough. Put the kid you're grabbing down."

"They attacked me!" Evelyn hissed. "You're telling me to just let them off?"

"Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you." I said as I fumbled to take the kid she was grabbing out of her hand. Hearing the cute whimper and feeling the furry ears of the beastkin kid I had just taken away from Evelyn, I heaved a sigh of relief and continued. "You'll regret it if you hurt her."

"Her? It's a girl? No, forget that. Why would I even regret doing something like that?" Evelyn's golden eyes narrowed.

Feigning ignorance to her question, I fumbled through the darkness and picked up the boy who was knocked into the rows of seats. I then found an intact row of chairs and sat them down on it.

"So basically..." I sighed. "...These are—"

"Behind you!" Evelyn suddenly shouted.

Trusting her, I quickly dodged to the side. As soon as I did so, a bright beam of Light was shot to where I was at just a split second ago, razing the ground and illuminating the area briefly. However, that brief moment was enough for me to see who the attacker was. 

She was... a girl, around 20 years of age, donning white Priest robes. She had golden hair that reached her waist and similarly colored eyes. Her face gave off an aura of righteousness.

'A Priestess? No... that brooch on her robes and the way my Saint aura is resonating with her... she's a Saintess.'

As my thoughts finished, the church was plunged into darkness once more. Similar to Evelyn's, the Saintess' eyes also glowed in the dark. With her eyes narrowed, the Saintess spoke.

"Greetings, travelers. Normally, I'd have welcomed you with the utmost hospitality, but I can’t watch you harm these children and act like nothing has happened. May Goddess Lumaria forgive your sins, and may you reflect on your crimes in jail."

"Wait, we're not—"

But before I could finish my sentence, the Saintess shot a [Light beam] toward me again.

Rolling on the ground and dodging it, I hurriedly took out a sword from [Alternate storage]. When my attention was directed back toward the battle, however, Evelyn had already jumped toward the Saintess.

'Forcing a Magic caster into close combat... good choice.'

Although Evelyn was successful in forcing the Saintess to confront her up close, things didn't go as neither I nor her had expected.

"Wh- What? How are you able to keep up with me!?" Evelyn exclaimed in shock as every of her blows were presumable blocked or parried by the Saintess.

In response, the Saintess merely narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What are you talking about? I'm on my Pilgrim. Of course I'd also be skilled in close combat."

"But this place is dark! I'm supposed to have the advantage!"

"Foolish child." The Saintess chuckled. "Even if the whole world were to be plunged into darkness, a Saintess of Light still cannot be stopped from carrying out her duty."

'She's a Saintess of Light on a Pilgrim!?' I widened my eyes in shock.

Shit! This was worse than I thought! Saints and Saintesses must achieve <C-> rank at minimum to be granted permission to go on their Pilgrim. This meant that Evelyn would likely lose if I didn't intervene!

As such, I brandished my sword and rushed toward them. However...

"Fuck! Evelyn! Which one are you!?"

...I couldn't tell them apart since all I could see were their glowing eyes of similar colors. Even when I used [Spark], all I managed to illuminate was a couple of inches away from me.

Hearing my words, Evelyn shouted. "Are you serious? Can't you tell which one I am?"

"No! It's dark, and you both have golden eyes!"

Catching her ragged breathing, Evelyn continued to shout. "My eyes are slightly more golden than hers!”

"How the fuck am I supposed to see that!? You're moving all over the place!"

"Then would you rather me stop moving and take hits from this bitch?"

"Fuhaha, what foul language. You shouldn't take your attention off your opponent, little girl."

"Urghhhh!" Evelyn groaned as an attack from the Saintess presumably connected.

I wasn't teasing or joking with Evelyn when I said what I said before. I really couldn't tell them apart however hard I tried.

'What the fuck is more golden is supposed to mean?'

Thus, I was left with no other choice.

'Do first and beg for forgiveness later.'

"My apology in advance, Evelyn."

<[Splice]>

As I found myself standing right beside the Saintess and Evelyn, I raised both of my fists up and brought them down to both of their heads.

Tears welled up from their eyes as they both fell to the ground, a mixture of shock and pain was apparent in their gazes as they both glared at me.

"Ahhhh it hurts!!! Why would you do that!?" Evelyn squealed in pain.

The Saintess, meanwhile, was much calmer. "Ow... that hurts. You're not much of a gentleman, are you?"

<[Soothing light]>

The light emanating from the Saintess' hand healed her own wounds and illuminated the area. As she was close to recovering completely, however, I tackled her down to the ground.

"What—"

"Don't move." I whispered in her ears. I then slowly reached down for her hand which was still shooting out the healing light and directed it toward Evelyn.

As Evelyn's wounds were fully healed, she slowly stood up and walked toward us.

Seeing this, I sighed in relief. "Good. Now tear down one of the cardboard windows and let some light in— ouch! What was that for!?" I massaged the bump on my head in pain.

Removing her fist from my head, Evelyn humphed and spoke angrily, feigning ignorance to my question. "You're finally using your experience pinning women down for a good cause."

"Hey! You make me sound like a lowlife and a pervert!"

"Aren't you one?" Evelyn knocked on my head one last time before heading toward the nearest cardboard window and tore it down.

As dim street light from outside flowed into the church, I could finally see my whole surroundings. Right underneath me was the Saintess, whose smooth white right cheek was pressed against the dusty ground. Although I could only see the right side of her face, I could already tell that she was an absolute beauty.

However, through all my interactions with... certain interesting and unique people, I've grown numb to most beauties.

'Mostly because they are often batshit insane! There are so many things wrong with beautiful people I've met that I don't even want to think about it.'

To my left was Evelyn, who was standing beside the window with her arms crossed. Around me were rows of wooden seats broken in the fight between Evelyn and the Saintess.

And in front of me... were the kids. Although they were both wearing white masks at the moment, I actually knew what their identities were.

"I admit it, you won. Can you release me now?" The Saintess suddenly spoke up, snapping me out of my thoughts.

Applying a bit more pressure on her back with my knee, I smiled. However, my answer conflicted with my smile.

"No."

"So that's how it looks when I’m not the one being pinned down, eh?" Evelyn muttered as she stared at me and the Saintess.

I promptly ignored her words and called out to the kids. "Kevin, I know that it's you. Can you just remove the mask already? It looks a bit creepy in this dark church."

In response, Kevin slowly lowered his mask and spoke cautiously. "H- How do you know my name? No, more importantly, release Saintess Primel now!" 

'So her name's Primel...'

However, my thoughts couldn't last for long, as the kid standing beside Kevin suddenly rushed toward Evelyn.

Of course, Evelyn also noticed this. As she was about to get into a fighting stance again, I shouted.

"Evelyn stop! You'll regret it if you hurt her. And why are you trying to fight her anyway? It's not like she can harm you."

Although reluctant, Evelyn dropped her stance and crossed her arms as she watched the kid run up to her.

The kid, so overwhelmed with emotions that she couldn't hear the small exchange between Evelyn and I, hugged Evelyn tight as soon as she reached her.

"Hic..." The kid sobbed. "...Y- You're still alive! I missed you!"

Before Evelyn could get weirded out and definitely push the kid away with much more force than necessary, I conjured up a tiny [Lightning spear] and shot it toward the kid's mask, cracking it.

As the last fragment of mask fell to the ground, Evelyn subconsciously uncrossed her arms and widened her eyes in shock.

"M- Maria?"

"It's me, big sis!"

Tears welled up again in Evelyn's golden eyes. Similarly sobbing, she crouched down and embraced Maria warmly. 

"Maria! I- I'm back! You don't need to be alone anymore."

"Wahhh... I missed you!"

I stared at the tear-filled reunion before me wordlessly.

'How overly cheesy...'

However, the Saintess that was being pinned down by me didn't view the scene the same way I did.

"Awww... how heartwarming! I'm glad they could reunite!"

'Oh right, I forgot she existed.'

As such, I ignored the somehow simultaneously giggling and crying Evelyn in front of me and pressed my knee down a little bit harder, making the Saintess let out a short squeal of pain. With her attention now directed toward me again, I coldly spoke.

"Primel, was it? Why did you attack us?"

"Ow... that's not nice, hurting a maiden like that—ow ow ow! You did it again!"

Lessening the pressure on her back just a little bit, I spoke up again.

"If you don't want to experience pain again then answer my question. Why did you attack us?"

At my threats, Primel finally gave in. "You were attacking the kids, so I thought you were a thug— AHHHH! IT HURTS! WHY!?" She screamed in pain as I pressed my knee onto her back with so much force that I could feel her bones nearly cracking.

With her still trembling in 'pain', I whispered coldly. "Your acting is very good, but unfortunately for you, I know how your Church works. Pain like this is nothing to you."

Hearing this, Primel stopped trembling and tried to turn her head to meet my gaze and smiled. "Ah, you got me. And here I thought I'd be able to convince you to release me if I acted like an innocent and vulnerable maiden."

"Even if you were really in pain, I still wouldn't stop. We're getting off-topic here, so just answer my question. Why did you attack us? And don't even try to use the 'thug' excuse. I'm sure that you were aware that I'm also a Saint.”

"But you sure don't act like one though."

"We do things differently at the Church of Storms but that's beside the point. Answer now or—"

"Or you will make me scream in pain again? How cute. You still think that you can make a Saintess from the Church of Light scream even when you know full-well what kind of training we have to go through?" Primel smirked.

I responded to her words with a smirk of my own.

"Oh, do you want to find out if I'm telling the truth?" 

"Try me."

Chuckling, I removed my sunglasses.

<[A - Authority of fear]: Pain>

I watched as Primel's face shifted from smug to confusion, and then to smug again. "Heh, illusion? Do you think that— AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

This time, her scream was genuine. Tears and snots covered her face as she went through whatever it was that my Authority made her go through. The scream was so disturbing that even Evelyn and Maria halted their little reunion to look at me in fear.

After a few more seconds, I decided that it was enough. Deactivating my Authority, I slowly got up from Primel's body and sat down on the dusty floor right beside her. Tapping my finger on the ground, I spoke.

"Now are you ready to answer my question?"

Primel weakly lifted her head up from the ground and met my gaze. She then spoke in a shaky voice, as if still traumatized by the pain.

"Go-ddess Lumaria g-ave me a r- revelation..."

***

"Go-ddess Lumaria g-ave me a r- revelation..."

'Revelation?' Evelyn frowned.

Setting aside the fact that he had just made a girl scream in pain like that, what Theodore did was disturbingly bad. To interfere with and attack a Saintess when she was carrying out a revelation delivered to her by the Goddess herself... Theodore and everyone close to him would perish if the Church of Light ever knew of this.

It seemed that Theodore understood the severity of the situation too, as his dull gray eyes turned hazy and blank, even more so than usual. However, it lasted but for a second, as he soon regained his clarity and... smiled happily at Saintess Primel, who was still sobbing on the ground.

"You said that you received a revelation, correct?" He spoke in an almost excited voice.

"Y- Yes..."

Hearing this, Theodore's smile widened. He was so happy that he even planted a kiss on Primel's cheek, disregarding the fact that it was filled with the tears that spilled because of him. Picking Primel up in a princess carry, Theodore ignored everyone else and immediately moved toward one of the backrooms of the church.

"Wait!" Evelyn shouted, causing Theodore to momentarily halt his step and turn around. "Why are you acting like that!? Don't you know what happens to people who try to stop a Saintess from fulfilling a revelation?"

"I do." Theodore nodded. "No one but you, the kids, and Primel knows what I did, correct?"

Evelyn nodded.

"Then great. You make sure that the kids don't spill anything about what happened here. And I will handle this Saintess."

"But how are you going to do that?"

In response, Theodore smiled evilly. 

"I'm going to dominate her so much that she won't dare to do any harm to me."

And with those disturbing words, Theodore continued carrying Primel, whose face was now painted with a mixture of terror and a bit of anticipation, to the back rooms.

'D- Dominate?' Evelyn's face turned red as she heard his words. 'So he's a male after all! Well, it doesn't matter. The Saintess is a Human anyway. She deserves it.'

And with that thought, Evelyn turned toward Maria and smiled. "Maria, let's go outside the church for a bit, okay? I don't know how long that guy can last but it should be an hour at the very least."

She then glared coldly at Kevin, who was fiddling with his own fingers, not knowing what to do in this situation.

"And you... follow us. But don't you dare get close to Maria, you Human scum!"