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Page 153
Yes, we're all so awkward.
He took a deep breath, and his voice became firm again.
"Zhou Ye, I'm entrusting Zhu Nai to you. If you encounter any difficulties, tell your uncle."
After saying that, Baiqiu hung up the phone.
Chapter 117 Elsa Argento
A busy tone came from the receiver. Zhou Ye took the phone away from his ear, the screen's light illuminating his calm face. Bai Qiu's anger, even through the phone line, could burn the skin, but beneath that anger lay deep-seated regret and a father's helplessness.
He put away his phone and stood alone in the empty city simulation arena. Fixing the bug related to the time accumulation effect was more complex than he had anticipated, requiring the reconstruction of several core stable runes. Meanwhile, Baichu's phone call brought another matter to the forefront—Rias's engagement to the Phoenix family, and the inevitability of Akeno's involvement.
Everything requires strength, and everything requires time.
Zhou Ye deactivated the [House of Time and Spirit] and returned to his home in the real world. Rias and Nami had already gone out together, rushing towards the department store to prepare for a year-long "supply trip," their excited discussions still lingering in the air.
He needed a moment of peace to sort out his thoughts.
The afternoon sun in Komao Park was just right, filtering through layers of leaves and casting dappled shadows on the ground. A gentle breeze carried the scent of grass and earth. Zhou Ye found a bench and sat down, letting his thoughts drift freely.
Just then, a soft golden light caught his attention.
Under a large tree not far away, a young girl dressed in a white nun's habit was crouching down, cradling the arm of a crying little boy in her hands. The boy had a long abrasion on his arm, which was bleeding profusely.
The girl's long, golden hair shimmered like molten gold in the sunlight, and her emerald eyes were filled with pure compassion and focus. She murmured something softly, and warm, holy golden halos emanated from her, enveloping the little boy's wounds.
Visibly, the gruesome wound healed rapidly in the golden light, the bloodstains disappeared, the skin returned to its smooth state, and not a single scar was left.
The little boy stopped crying, looked in surprise at his perfectly healed arm, then smiled through his tears, bowed to the girl, and ran away.
The girl watched his departing figure, a contented and pure smile on her face. That smile was so clean, untouched by any worldly dust.
Zhou Ye's breathing paused for a moment.
The "Smile of the Virgin Mary" is a supreme artifact capable of healing all things; the purer and kinder the wielder's heart, the greater its power. And this girl—he knew her all too well.
He stood up from the bench and walked over slowly.
"Aisa Argento".
His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly broke the momentary silence.
The girl, who had already healed the injured boy, turned around at the sound, her emerald green eyes looking at her with a mixture of confusion and wariness. She saw a young man with black hair and black eyes staring at her, his expression inscrutable.
"Sir, who are you? How do you know my name?"
Her voice was gentle, like the warmest breeze in spring.
“My name is Zhou Ye.” Zhou Ye walked up to her, his gaze falling on the silver cross she wore on her chest. “I just saw the divine artifact you were using, so I know that. But I’m a little curious, shouldn’t you be serving God in the Vatican? How come you’re in a place like Kuoh Town?”
He deliberately mentioned the Vatican, keenly catching a fleeting hint of sadness on Aisha's face.
The girl lowered her head, her golden hair falling down and obscuring her expression. She explained softly, her tone filled with grievance and helplessness.
“I… when I was in the Vatican, I accidentally… healed a wounded demon.” She clutched the hem of her clothes, her voice weak. “After being discovered, the Vatican… expelled me. Later, with the help of some other expelled friends, I… came here.”
The original storyline has begun.
Zhou Ye sneered inwardly. What a naive, and pathetic explanation. The Vatican, the largest stronghold of Heaven on Earth, how could it possibly allow a demon to casually wander in, and then happen to be seen and healed by her? This excuse was full of holes; it could only fool herself.
He stepped forward, reached out, and, to Aisha's surprise, grasped her slender shoulder. The girl's body was very thin; the outline of her bones could be felt even through her nun's habit.
"Elsa."
His voice deepened, carrying an undeniable penetrating power.
"The story you're telling is rife with conspiracy from beginning to end... Have you ever considered how a demon could happen to appear in front of you, and even be saved by you, when the Vatican is such a heavily fortified place?"
Aisha froze. She looked up, her emerald eyes filled with shock and confusion, and tried to refute.
"But...but everyone says so...my friends say so too..."
“Friends?” Zhou Ye interrupted her, his tone tinged with mockery. “What kind of friends would bring a helpless girl like you all the way from faraway Europe to this small town on an eastern island? What do they want? Your kindness?”
Zhou Ye's words struck Aisha's heart like a heavy hammer. She had never considered the issue from this perspective before; she had always lived in her own world, believing in the inherent goodness of humanity and the help of her friends.
Her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a single word.
Looking at her pale face, Zhou Ye continued, "You were expelled not because you made a mistake, but because your artifact, the Smile of the Virgin Mary, is too precious and too dangerous. They took you out of the Vatican and sent you to Kuoh Town, this lawless area, which is not helping you at all."
He increased the pressure on her hand, forcing Aisha to look him in the eye.
“You are not being helped, you are being transported. You are not their friend, you are just a 0.4 object that they have been coveting for a long time.”
“No…no…” Elsa shook her head vigorously, tears welling up in her eyes, “They…they were so good to me…”
"Really?" Zhou Ye released her hand, took a step back, giving her some breathing space, but the pressure in his words remained undiminished. "So where do you live now? And where are your friends?"
Elsa answered instinctively, "I've been assigned to stay in an abandoned church... They said they'd come to pick me up soon..."
"An abandoned church."
Zhou Ye repeated it, his expression a mix of pity and mockery.
"Elsa, wake up. You've been abandoned."
Those last few words completely shattered Elsa's last psychological defenses.
Chapter 118 Fallen Angels
But the next second, Donasik understood what despair meant.
His speed, which he was so proud of, was as slow as a tortoise compared to Zhou Ye. Before the fallen light spear could reach Zhou Ye's chest, a blue spear formed from spatial power pierced his heart.
【The Spear of Subspace】, an absolute weapon that can penetrate all space.
Donasik stared wide-eyed, looking down in disbelief at the spatial rift that pierced through his body. His fallen angel power was rapidly draining away, and his life force was pouring out like a burst dam.
This...this is impossible...blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his voice so weak it was almost inaudible.
I am... a fallen angel
Zhou Ye stared at him expressionlessly. The [Void Spear] slowly dissipated, and Donasik's body collapsed to the ground. Blood quickly stained the grass beneath his feet, emitting a pungent, fishy smell.
Sorry.
Zhou Ye spoke calmly, without a trace of apology in his tone.
History has changed; you will die by my hand.
These words meant nothing to Donasik; his life was over. But for Aisha, hiding behind Zhou Ye, they struck her like a thunderbolt.
"You...you killed him..." Aisha covered her mouth, her emerald eyes filled with shock and fear. Her body trembled violently, and her gaze towards Zhou Ye began to become complicated.
The man who had just saved her and given her shelter killed a fallen angel without hesitation. And so easily, so...cold-bloodedly.
Zhou Ye turned his head to look at her pale face. "He wanted 08 to kill me, to take you away, so I killed him." His tone remained calm, as if stating a trivial matter. "Is there a problem?"
But...but...
Aisha wanted to say something, but found she couldn't find a reason to refute it. If Zhou Ye hadn't intervened, they would both be dead. It was self-defense, legitimate self-defense.
But the cold indifference that so easily took her life still sent a chill down her spine.
Are you afraid of me?
Zhou Ye looked directly into her eyes and asked without any pretense.
Elsa opened her mouth, then finally nodded honestly. There was a little...
Zhou Ye didn't show any dissatisfaction or disappointment. That's normal. But as I said before, if you're not satisfied, you can leave at any time. He paused, and that feeling continued even now.
This statement left Aisha even more conflicted. Leave? Where to go? Back to that abandoned church, waiting for her so-called friends to come and collect her artifacts? Or wander the streets, waiting for the next Donasik to come knocking?
She had no choice. She had nowhere else to go but this man who had just killed someone but was now willing to take her in.
I...I'll go with you. She finally made her decision, though her voice trembled, "But...can you promise me one thing?"
Tell me about it.
Please do not kill unless absolutely necessary.
Elsa clutched the cross to her chest. Life is sacred, and even the wicked should have a chance for redemption.
Zhou Ye looked into her sincere, emerald-green eyes, his heart unmoved. This was typical of a saintly character's mindset; even after nearly being killed, she still believed in the inherent goodness of humanity and the existence of redemption.
So innocent it's laughable, yet so pure it's hard to bear shattering it completely.
I will not intentionally kill innocent people.
He gave a vague promise, but said he wouldn't hesitate to take action if anyone tried to harm him or his companions.
This was the biggest concession he could offer. Aisha seemed to understand this as well; she nodded silently, accepting this imperfect but best outcome she could get at the moment.
Zhou Ye turned to leave, but stopped after taking a few steps. He sensed a new presence rapidly approaching.
"Looks like it's going to be quite lively today," he said softly, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Miteto and Caravagna are here too."
As soon as the words left her lips, two dark figures descended from the sky, landing at the other end of the park. They were two fallen angels. One was a tall, voluptuous woman with brown eyes and long, dark blue hair that obscured her right eye. Her attire consisted of a chestnut-colored, structured blouse with a wide collar, paired with a mini-skirt and black high heels. The blouse was open at the chest, revealing her breasts and cleavage. She also wore a gold necklace. She appeared to be wearing a white shirt underneath. The other was a seemingly blonde, blue-eyed girl dressed in Gothic Lolita fashion, including a black Lolita dress with white ruffles, a large black bow at the front, a green gemstone adorning the collar, white thigh-high stockings, and black shoes. She also wore a large black bow in her hair.
Caravana and Mitteto, two of Linali's female subordinates
When they saw Donasik's body on the ground, their faces turned ashen.
Donasik!
She roared,
Who did this?!
Mito glared angrily at Zhou Ye and Aisha. Who else could it be but them!
Elsa hid behind Zhou Ye in terror once again, sensing an even stronger killing intent emanating from the two newly arrived fallen angels.
Zhou Ye, however, appeared unusually relaxed, even having the leisure to observe the reactions of the two. In the original storyline, they were both eliminated by Rias and the other women, their deaths causing no ripples whatsoever.
But now, the wheels of history have deviated from their original course.
Since we're all here, let's solve this together.
Zhou Ye stretched his wrists to avoid having to deal with them separately later.
Caravana and Mitteto exchanged a glance, both seeing deep apprehension in each other's eyes. A being capable of easily killing a fallen angel of the same level was not someone they could underestimate.