"Hurry up, the beast will awaken soon!"

"Are you certain this will work? Even if it is wounded, western dragons are vaunted for their power matching their greed."

Ugh… what happened?

The gentle dragon stirred, the panicked voices of those around him aggravating his already splitting headache. Every fiber of his being screamed at him in pain, as his mana slowly went to work regenerating his broken body. Its entire body felt as though it was on fire, as a familiar yet foreign power pulsed from within himself, straining itself to break free.

With a feverish pain wracking its body, the gentle dragon opened its eyes to discover noble men and women, both young and old, dressed in their noble haori taking up positions around him, with their eyes betraying apprehension and fear.

"The beast stirs! Get the barriers ready!"

Unsteadily, the gentle dragon forced himself up, his body trembling from the uneven recovery of his body. Looking around, he noticed that several of the humans began trembling as well.

Were they injured as well?

An awkward tension filled the air as the two sides merely stared at each other, neither willing to make a sudden move, until the gentle dragon finally spoke.

"Where am I?"

The humans merely glanced at each other, unsure of how to respond. The silence continued until the eldest among them stepped forward before the dragon while motioning to his followers.

"You are in the Land of the Rising Sun, great dragon. May I ask what a being of your stature is doing here?"

"I… I was guarding an artifact. One whose return would irreversibly change and end humanity as we know it. For countless millennia I stood vigil, only for it to brutally end as a Great Red Dragon challenged me for it…"

Shuddering from pain, the Gentle dragon shifted its gaze towards the Elder's followers, taking in the sights and smells of the humans before it.

"Your scent and mana remains that of humans as I remember… So where is it? Ah, the power that now burns within me…"

I have been converted into a vessel for the grail.

Closing its eyes, the dragon took in a deep breath before sighing.

"Humans, is there a sacred place nearby? A place of solitude in which I can keep my eternal vigil?"

"Solitude? All you desire is peace Great One?"

"Yes. There is a promise that I must keep, no matter how long it takes."

At the Gentle Dragon's words, the Elder furrowed his brow, deep in thought, dreaming of the possibilities of a docile dragon at their side.

My, my... even at my age I can still be surprised. A humble and sincere Western Dragon? This can work to our advantage. If I can convince him to rest at one of our major shrines or estates, he'll act as the greatest deterrent towards our enemies. Heh, that should keep those southern barbarians and those Kakure Kirishitan traitors at bay. In fact, if we place him…

But even the sweetest of dreams can turn into the ugliest of nightmares. A pained yelp from the Gentle Dragon snapped the Elder out of his thoughts, only to see a third of the clans' practitioners attempting to bind and drain the dragon while its guard was down. Shifting his gaze, he saw a young man, the heir of the Nakiri clan rallying others to aid his attack.

"Nakiri you brash fool! What do you think are you doing?! We were in the act of parley! You shame us all by this dishonorable act!"

"And you shame us with your cowardice old man! This dragon is weak! We need not negotiate with these monsters from the barbaric outside world! We should take its power and whatever it guards for ourselves. Foreigners will not respect reason or honor, so we shall remove them by force!"

More chains and barriers formed from the talismans and Ofuda as more and more of the clansmen followed the Nakiri Heir's lead. An atmosphere of confidence fill the air as the practitioners continued their assault unopposed. A cruel smile formed on the ambitious heir's face as he looked into the passive dragon's eyes. Only for it to morph to a confused frown when the Gentle Dragon sighed in disappointment.

With a piercing roar, it unfurled its wings, shattering all mortal bonds as if they were nothing more than paper mache. An oppressive aura brought all the mortals to their knees, the dragon's mana suffusing the air as electricity sparked throughout its body. The Nakiri heir could only look on in horror as a blue flame radiated from the dragon's mouth, and a concentrated blast of energy and flames swept throughout his ranks, burns covering his skin despite it being a near miss.

Briefly glancing down at the devastation it created with remorseful eyes, the Gentle Dragon launched itself into the sky and flew off into the horizon, uncaring whether or not others could see it. Leaving only the decimated remnants of those that would try to bind it, and those who watched on. The moans and wails of the dead and dying filled the air, as the Elder, leading his cohorts rushed forward to aid the living.

Upon discovering the fallen form of the Nakiri Heir, snorted in disgust before speaking to the boy, contempt oozing from his voice.

"Well then, fool of a Nakiri, how will you take responsibility for this? You have sullied the honor of the 5 Principal Clans by ambushing an honorable party during a parley. And for what? Power that would be beyond your control? And not only that, you have led astray members of other clans to their deaths, as well as those that merely had the misfortune of being near your crowning act of stupidity. The Himejima, Kushihashi, and the Shinra have all lost senior and experienced practitioners when we can ill afford it. Our homeland is tearing itself apart at the seams and you cost us hundreds of lives! The end of Japan could be upon us and you have deprived us not only our own people but an ACTUAL DRAGON? How are you going to turn this around?!"

The young man could only look up uncomprehendingly at the older man, as his system slowly descended into shock.

"Gah, I waste my breath on you."

Once a new successor is chosen, you'll probably be executed for your incompetence. Guh… the end of an era is truly upon us, for surely now we lack the numbers to turn this around. All we can do is preserve what we can, so that whatever rises from the ashes, our way of life, Shinto itself endures.

Sighing to himself, the elder shifted his gaze towards the direction in which the Gentle Dragon fled before widening his eyes in horror.

Isn't that the direction of Kyoto? May the Gods have mercy on us…

The Gentle dragon unsteadily flew for an hour before a city made of wood came into view, lit by gas lanterns and campfires, confusing the already feverish dragon.

Gas lanterns? No signs of power lines, or cars… are those horse drawn carriages? Where am I? Gah, is this fever causing me to hallucinate?

Ungracefully landing near the city, it transformed into a form it had not donned in several millennia: a homunculus that barely had enough time to learn the value of love, friends and companionship before taking a burden that would break any other to protect humanity.

But his fever refused to relinquish its grasp, even after changing forms. At the edge of the city, the gentle homunculus could only walk with an unsteady gait, his face flushed as his fever wracked his body. Walking into the city, he barely noticed the hushed whispers of the people around him, the hostile glares of its citizens as he walked on by.

What is going on? Why such hostility? And what strange architecture. This is most certainly not Romania…

Nevertheless, the gentle homunculus carried on, aimlessly walking forward, looking for anything that could give it a chance to regain its bearings, only to be stopped by a group of young men, dressed in ratty haori and armed with rusted swords.

"Oi, look what we have here boys, a foreigner walking in our city like he owns the place. Let's show him what we do against arrogant bastards in our home, and send a message to the others! For the Emperor!"

Swords drawn, the youths charged, assured in their victory, only for their blows to be blocked by an elegant sword that seemed to appear out of nowhere in the gentle homunculus's hands.

"Oi, where did this sword come from?! Whatever, he's already dead on his feet! Circle around and get him from behind! We can sell the sword later for a good price!"

Not good… I just showed basic magecraft in front of normal humans. Good thing the lighting is so poor and it could be explained away as just not seeing it at first or it being hidden. Still… I can't go all out, that would draw too much attention on me if I start bisecting humans effortlessly… tsk, I can't focus! This fever is… ugh… I can't control myself well… just focus on blocking… Just…

His vision blurring from his worsening fever, the homunculus found himself being pushed back in an effort not to accidentally kill his enemies with his inhuman strength. Eventually, he found himself backed up against the wall of a store, surrounded on all sides by his enemies. Yet he still rebuffed every attack, all the while wobbling unsteadily. His human foes were stunned to see their attacks were still pushed back with a mere flick of the wrist. Despite this, they pressed their attack, hoping for victory from their opponent's ever worsening health. But such a commotion cannot go unnoticed, and without even realizing it, both parties found themselves surrounded by men wearing light blue hoari in the dark night.

"Halt vandals, in the name of the Shogun!"

"Oh shit, it's the Shinsengumi!"

"We're surrounded! Fuck! What do we do boss!"

"Break our way through! All that awaits us is torture and death if we are taken in! Charge!"

"Tsk, idiots."

The youths charged at their new assailants in utter desperation, only to paint the roads red with their own blood. Their enthusiasm was found wanting when compared to their enemies' skill and efficiency. The homunculus merely watched on, leaning on his sword to stand as his exhaustion finally began to overwhelm him. He barely noticed as two of the newcomers, a man of black hair and a wolf like glare and a seemingly cheerful young man with pale blond hair approached. Warily staring at the homunculus, the black haired man spoke first.

"Hmph, I was going to order you to stand down, Foreigner, but it would seem you are already on your last legs. Tell me, what is your name?"

What… what was my name? It has been so long… Ah, that's right, I was named after…

With half lidded eyes, the homunculus spoke barely louder than a whisper, his voice hoarse from disuse in his current form.

"Sieg… my name is Sieg…"

"And what are you doing here Sieg? I doubt you are licensed to be here."

"I… I was... "

Sieg's legs wobbled as the last dregs of his strength failed him. But before he could fall, another caught him, and pulled him back up. Glancing up, Sieg realized that it was the blond haired man from before.

Fast… not as fast as a servant, but impressive for a human…

"Oi Saito, don't you think you are being too rough on him? He's obviously too sick to be a threat."

"And you are taking this too casually Okita. We are captains of the Shinsengumi, we need to set an example for the others."

Ignoring his peer's words, Okita walked forward and wrapped the homunculus's arm around his shoulder.

"Well then Sieg, once you are feeling better, mind answering our questions?"

"Yes…"

"Well, that settles that, let's get going. I get the feeling you're going to need lots of rest."

At his words, Sieg closed his eyes, entrusting himself to the oddly cheerful man.

Hopefully now I can get some rest… This Okita is surprisingly soft… Wait… is Okita a…

Sieg never finished that thought, for he fell into a fitful sleep as he was gently carried away.

"So young miss, you are traveling to see the Holy Maiden?"

"Yes. The more I hear about her, the more I am certain she is blessed by the Lord. I want to see her for myself."

"Heh, Odd. Most people who want to see her fall into two categories, either they are desperate for salvation, or they want to treat her like some tourist attraction. But I can tell you want neither. No, you seem too devout lass… Hmmmm, I see, you want to see a saint in person, to better yourself I reckon."

"You truly are perceptive kind sir."

Jeanne could only smile at the kind bus driver as they travelled to their next destination. He was an elderly man, in his late 70s with a jovial disposition, and a hatred for silence in his bus, as Jeanne quickly discovered as he unceasingly chatted with his only passenger, in which she quickly found herself indulging the man. Not an ounce of malice could be detected from him, only a sincere desire to form new bonds and friendships with his fellow man.

As he wove the bus around the narrow country roads of Italy, the two spoke for hours as he stopped at empty bus stops and slowly made his way towards the next sleepy town.

"Oh, is that right Lass? You aren't good with math?"

"Yes… I mean, I try my best, but I just struggle to…"

How did it turn into this?!

Jeanne's face became flushed with embarrassment as she averted her gaze. Without taking his eyes off the road, the older man merely laughed.

"Hah, you're far too young to keep secrets from me lass! I've helped raise all my nieces and nephews! I've seen it all!"

"Wait, didn't you say you were an only child?"

"Yep, I'm the only child god decided to grace my parents with. But are we all not brothers and sisters before the Lord? I've always had a talent for calming children down, so when all my friends and neighbors married and had children, I ended up raising them all for them! Ahahahaha!"

"Hmm, you've lived a storied life, haven't you sir?"

"And there you go being all polite again Lass! What did I tell you? Call me Gramps, like all the other kids 'round these parts."

"Aren't they adults with their own children now?"

"Some of them are, but if you're younger than me by a decade, you're still a kid. So come now Lass, don't be shy."

"O-okay… Gramps…"

Once more the old man laughed in approval, as he slowly brought the bus to a stop near the church of the Holy Maiden.

"Heh, was that so hard? Now then, how long do you plan on visiting the Holy Maiden?"

"I'm not sure yet…"

"Ah, so you plan on staying if they allow you to join the convent… Well then once you figure out, meet me here, or call this number. Ask for Giovanni Cremonesi. I do this route every weekday."

"Of course, but why?"

"Because Lass, it would be a shame as a child as bright as you were to be hobbled by a poor education. I've had to tutor and teach so many of my kids as they were growing up, I can get you up to speed in no time!"

At his kindness, Jeanne smiled warmly at the old man, causing him to ruffle her hair gently as she walked off the bus.

"Gramps…"

"Ah lass, it's not a big deal. Now go on you! I have a route to continue and you have a Holy Maiden to meet!"

"Very well, may God Bless you Gramps!"

"You as well Lass, I'll see you later!"

Closing the door, the bus slowly pulled away, leaving Jeanne alone near the church during the waning hours of the evening. Walking forward, she noticed there was a crowd in front of the church.

Odd, isn't today a Thursday? Why are there so many people?

Walking closer, she saw a young woman in a black habit with a teal and white veil, kneeling beside an injured child, whose limbs were unnaturally bent, tears streaming down his face as he wailed in pain. Softly smiling, the young woman touched the boy's shoulders and a soothing green energy filled the air. The child's cries of pain petered out to whimpers before only the light snores of a sleeping child could be heard. His mother could only cover her mouth in awe before tears of joy began streaming down her cheeks. Grasping the maiden's hands, she kisses it a few times while tearfully thanking her all while the blonde maiden gently patting her shoulder, reminding her that such display were unneeded, for it was simply the right thing to do.

Watching the scene before her, Jeanne walked towards the entrance of the church, and calmly smiled at the earnest nature of the maiden as the enthusiasm of the crowd was slowly overwhelming the flustered girl. Eventually, the local priests walked in to intervene, sending the Maiden back towards the church.

Hmm… the poor girl is exhausted. I should probably come back later so she has a chance to recover. Perhaps I should tour the town to better understand it? Learn what kinds of personalities the local clergy has so I can better negotiate with them?

Taking a step away, Jeanne scanned the crowd to discern which of the clergy would be most welcoming to strangers, only to see the Maiden stumble and collapse from exhaustion.

Oh no! At that angle, even a minor fall like that can cause a dangerous head injury if she hits the cobbled street!

Pushing herself forward, she unwittingly materialized her ruler regalia for a moment and dashed towards the maiden's side, catching her with a gauntleted fist before swiftly astralizing her gear.

Tsk! How careless of me! It doesn't look as if anyone noticed, so I should be fine.

"Are you ok miss? Did you push yourself too far in healing the others?"

"Ah, I'm fine. I just pushed myself a bit too hard. Thank you for catching me!"

"It was nothing, but are you sure you are ok? Do you want me to help you get inside."

"No, I should be able to make the rest of the way on my own. What is your name miss?"

"Jeanne."

"Jeanne… I see, thank you Jeanne, my name is Asia Argento. May God Bless you Jeanne!"

Unwilling to allow herself to become a burden on others, Asia pushed herself up and tried to walk forward, only to nearly collapse once more into Jeanne's arms. Wryly smiling at Asia's innocent determination, Jeanne shook her head and wrapped Asia's arm around her shoulders and helped walk the earnest girl back into the church. All the while, the senior priest in his 50's watched the scene with contemplative eyes.

Interesting, those gauntlets, that attire… A sacred gear? There were no reports of a sacred gear user in this area, and none of the locals recognize her. Well then, let's see what our new guest wants.

Motioning to his peers as the crowd dispersed, he pulled out a cell phone and sent out a slew of texts to his peers as he sauntered inside.

Upon entering the church, Asia fell asleep in Jeanne's arms. After calling out to see if anyone was inside and receiving no response, she gently placed Asia upon a church pew. Ensuring the girl was as comfortable as possible, Jeanne knelt and began to pray to the cross. A serene silence filled the air as Jeanne prayed, barely interrupted as the elderly priest opened the doors and entered the building. She paid him no mind as she focused her thoughts to the Lord, who merely watched in appraising silence.

After a few minutes, the elderly priest began singing an unfamiliar hymn, praising God, his angels, and the son who bore the cross. Opening her eyes, Jeanne merely looked at him in confusion, her eyes begging him on what to do. Bemused, he smirked as he sang and pointed at the books before her, then motioning with his hands the page numbers. Nodding, she opened the books before her and found the pages. Relying on the memories of Laeticia, Jeanne struggled to read the words but was eventually able to sing along side the priest. For twenty minutes they sang, moving from one hymn to the next, as a holy aura began to fill the church. Eventually, Asia awoke to find the pair singing praises to the Lord and began singing as well. A harmony of three filled the church, as a warm glow dominating the room as the holy light swelled, eventually bursting into a tiny shower of stars falling gently to the earth as their prayers ended.

The girls looked up towards the lights, awe in their eyes as the older man chuckled, losing himself to nostalgia. As the glow faded and shadows of the setting sun once more filled the church, the old priest looked at the pair with obvious relief in his eyes.

"Well, this is certainly a relief, knowing you are a fellow human, child."

Asia looked at the pair in confusion while Jeanne merely raised a brow.

"Excuse me Father, but what is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly as I said child, I am relieved that you are a fellow human. You moved at speeds that should be impossible for a human to catch the Holy Maiden. For a moment I feared you were a devil trying to hide among us, or one of those Fallen traitors trying to manipulate Asia. But to see you pray, and to sing along with those hymns… no devil could endure that, and no Fallen could stand for it. And not only that, for such holy light to appear once more… you truly are blessed child. What sacred gear do you bear?"

"Sacred Gear?"

"Yes, the divine tools that the Lord above blessed his children to wield against evil and help their fellow man."

"I… I don't have one."

"Then what did you materialize when you rushed forward to save the Holy Maiden?"

"You… saw?"

Jeanne's eyes widened in shock, while Asia only looked at her in confusion.

How… my armor only materialized for a second. How did a normal human see that?!

"Indeed, but why are you scared child? Unless… tell me child, is this the first time dealing with the clergy?"

Jeanne winced at his words, the memories of Shirou Amakusa and Pierre Cauchon flashed before her.

"Ah, so bad experiences. Be at ease child, I am not so blind as to ignore the holy light that sprung forth from your words. Only those blessed with the Lord's light could hope to have such a reaction from the hymns we just sung. So please, show us the gift the Lord bestowed upon you."

Furrowing her brow, Jeanne closed her eyes to collect her thoughts.

Is this the best path forward? The revelation showed that Asia is required to find Sieg. I need to stay by her side. If I must show a few aspects of a Servant so be it. I'll just allow them to come up with their own conclusions.

Taking a deep breath, Jeanne's Ruler Regalia and battle dress from the Great Holy Grail War manifested once more, save her distinctive banner. Asia and the Priest gasped at the sight, the raw power and holiness radiating from her very being.

"I have been graced with this power they moment I gained the ability to walk on this world. I've kept it hidden until now because I was afraid it would cause trouble, but I don't know if this is what you would call a Sacred Gear."

"Amazing… an unknown Sacred Gear! If we can unlock the secrets of your gear… Who knows what wonderful things we can save? Can it cure illnesses beyond the reach of the Twilight Healing? Could it protect all those around it? Could it smite evil regardless of where it stands? Such potential!"

The elder priest paced around her, his eyes studying her regalia with reverence and intrigue equally. Nodding to himself, he motioned for the other priests and exorcists to enter the room, easing off their prepared battle stances. Apologetically, he turned to face Jeanne.

"Forgive us for these most inhospitable preparations. We did not realize your intentions at first. Although I must ask, why did you come to this Church, and not any of the others?"

At his words, Jeanne averted her eyes, bashfully looking down to the ground as she astralized her regalia. With a voice barely louder than a whisper, she spoke.

"I heard of Maiden performing miracles so I thought I could figure out what I'm supposed to be doing by being near her..."

Asia's face became flushed as the realization of her popularity and fame set in. A light hearted atmosphere filled the air as the priests and exorcists wore wry smiles at the scene of two young maidens acting so shy towards each other. Suppressing a snicker, the elder priest walked forward and patted Jeanne on the shoulder.

"Well that could be arranged. We'll be staying in this town for a few weeks longer, during which, you can stay with us while we contact the Vatican. We can investigate the nature of your Sacred Gear while we wait."

"Thank you Father, but if it is alright with you, I'd like to be able to visit someone on the weekends."

"Oh, and who would that be?"

"Giovanni Cremonesi, a bus driver."

Upon hearing the name, a laconic smile formed on the Priest's face.

"Ah, Gramps. The kind fool could never stop himself from helping others. At this point, four generations could claim to be raised by the man."

Sofly shaking his head, the Senior Priest pushed away nostalgic memories and shifted his focus towards the maidens.

"I see no problems with that. We'll contact him after we procure your accommodations. On behalf of the Vatican, I, Father Vico Adriatico welcome you, Jeanne! May we discover the Lord's purpose for you on this green Earth."

At his words, Jeanne closed her eyes and bowed her head, a small smile forming on her face while Asia watched on, hopeful that perhaps she'll finally have a companion at her side. That she will not be the only one to bear every hope and dream from the masses craving salvation.

"Thank you Father."

And with a simple nod, Jeanne soon found herself in a comfortable routine. Every morning, she sent prayers to the Lord, attending to the chores alongside Asia and supporting her through her healings of the desperate, followed by the local priests and exorcists performing non-intrusive tests to discern the nature of her "sacred gear". Then, after dinner, a final prayer to the Lord before going to sleep once more. The cycle repeating until Friday night, when she would be picked out by Giovanni the bus driver and spend the night at his house, where she would be treated to small talk and his cooking.

He pampered his newest grandchild, cooking for her only the greatest of Italian dishes, using his brief time with her to learn about his newest ward, and how she was adjusting to her new life. But for the first few weeks, he avoided teaching her, always replying to her inquiries with a simple, "Not yet, I need to understand my newest student first."

That was until one night he requested that she bring some friends over the following week, claiming that for her first lessons, she will need two partners.

Partners? But all I know are the priests and Sister Asia… Would she even be allowed to come along? Would that be appropriate? I should ask Father Vico for his thoughts.

To her shock, Father Vico easily accepted Jeanne's requests as soon as he heard it was Giovanni's request, only adding the stipulation that a fellow priest go with them to ensure their reputations as Holy Maidens was protected from the vicious dogs of the paparazzi.

Arriving at his humble home, the smell of freshly cooked alfredo shrimp pasta wafted from an open window. A savory smell, which soon elicited a loud stomach growl. Jeanne could only blush as Asia and the Priest slowly turned their heads to stare at her. Hastily knocking on the door to cover her embarrassment, they heard a voice call from further inside the house.

"Ah, just a moment kids, I need to pull the bread out of the oven!"

After a few moments, the door gently opened, with an aroma of herbs, spices and seafood filled the air.

"Ah, glad to see you've arrived! And not a moment too soon! The bread is done, and everything else has already been set on the table! Come in, come in!"

As the group followed the old man inside, they were greeted by a veritable feast; roman pizza, chicken alfredo, risotto, focaccia, bottarga, tortellini, various kinds of polpette, as well as other various dishes that the maidens were unfamiliar with. As the girls stared at the food with awestruck eyes, the priest accompanying them wore a wry smile.

"You never change Gramps… I never understood why you stop being a chef to become a bus driver."

"Ah Arsenio my child, I'm an old man now. I know a kid such as yourself wouldn't understand yet. I grew tired of cooking for those self-important tourists, and grew too exhausted to cook for locals, despite their appreciation. These days, I reserve that for family."

"Hah, come now Gramps, I'm in my late 40's now. I can feel my age too you know!"

"Pah, Arsenio you'll always be the child that terrified his innocent mother by covering her with slugs you found as she slept. Or running around trying to find bugs of all kinds to keep as pets. Whatever happened to you becoming a bug farmer, hmm?"

Father Arsenio could feel the incredulous stares of the maidens behind him as he coughed to change the subject.

"Ahem! Let's not talk about that right now Gramps… the food is getting cold."

"Haha! Of course, of course! No need to hold back little ones!"

Waving his guests over, Giovanni urged them to sit and try everything he has to offer. Glancing at each other, the three smiled and joined the gregarious man, and soon lost themselves to the bliss of a completely homemade meal. Midway through the meal however, the generous man noticed that Asia had stopped eating, merely looking at the food before her. Furrowing his brow in concern, he stood up and gently pushed the food she was staring at before her.

"Eat Asia my child, eat!"

"Oi Gramps! You've already claimed Jeanne as a grandchild, you don't need to claim the Holy Maiden as well!"

"Of course I do! Anyone over 10 years younger than me is my grandchild!"

"Uh… thanks Gramps but I-"

"Now now Asia! Don't be embarrassed to eat more! Diets are foolish things, sponsored by a fashion and culture that demands a hollow perfection! True beauty lies in a girl's smile! It's okay to make others happy, but not at the expense of yourself! Enjoy the simple pleasures of life! After all-"

"GRAMPS!"

Blushing profusely, Asia's shout silenced the older man who stared at her in confusion.

"I… I'm… I'm just not used to eating so much… I want to eat more, but I'm full…"

Thoroughly embarrassed, the maiden looked down to avoid the gazes of the people around her. Her blush reached her ears when she heard the old man chuckle briefly and ruffle her head.

"Ah, there is no shame there child. Don't worry, we'll teach you how to pace yourself in due time. You'll have more later when you can, right?"

Meekly nodding, Asia looked to her side to see Jeanne's apologetic smile.

"Sorry about that Asia, Gramps love seeing his family eat his cooking. I had the same problem when I started coming here too…"

Dinner continued without further incident, the Father Arsenio using every small talk question imaginable to redirect the over eager grandfather away from his wards. Once everyone was stuffed beyond compare, and a drowsiness threatening to overcome their senses, Jeanne, Asia, and Father Arsenio were ushered into a moderate sized living room. As they rested, they watched as Giovanni piled several stacks of black cards

"Now then Jeanne, now that I've gotten to know you, the best way to teach you will be with your peers. You've never been to school, ergo you lack many basic foundations in the subjects needed to progress in life. Having a peer at your side will help you learn in that they can offer you perspectives in understanding material that I, as a much older man will not."

"I… what? How did you…"

"How did I figure it out? It was easy Lass, did you really think all of the small talk we were doing was just time fillers? Everytime we spoke, I threw out questions and references that any child that had been to school would have understood. The books I inquired about were popular children's books not only from Italy, but from France, Germany, Spain, and England, showing me that you were never read to as a child by your parents. Most telling though, is the fact that you lack a last name. You've yet to lie to me Lass. Omitted things yes, but never had you lied. So the fact that you could never answer what your last name was, and responded that your name was Jeanne on the bus, the truth became clear: Lass, you are a stateless girl born outside of the system, and as such, you never had a chance to be anything but the responsible girl that you are today."

Jeanne could only stare in awe of the man before her, while Asia and Father Arsenio merely watched, stunned by the revelation. Undeterred, Giovanni continued on:

"To think Europe would fail such a bright child… no matter, today we change that! The first lesson we will cover is the concept of multiplication, which to put it simply, adding the same number over and over again. So to help drive that concept in, we'll play a simple game called UNO, in which you can make players draw several cards based on whether or not they have a card equal to the draws demanded by a previous card."

As Giovanni continued his explanation to the maidens unfamiliar with the game, Father Asenio narrowed his eyes in contemplation.

UNO? Really? That's why he needed others to come here? Granted it is more fun with multiple players, but he could have done it with only two, so why drag in others? To teach Asia as well? No, she's received a basic education and doesn't need it. No, she was bait needed to draw a priest over, but why?

After finishing his explanation, Giovanni began dealing the cards, with a small smirk on his face as he looked Father Arsenio in the eye.

That bratty old man! He can't stand the thought of losing to or beating his newest adopted grandchildren, so he made a priest come along so he could focus on defeating them! Gramps you immature, petty old man! I will not be your punching bag! I'll make you taste defeat!

"So ladies, Little Arsenio, may the best one win."

"Indeed Gramps, indeed…"

As the game started, sparks could be seen flying from the pairs eyes, while a fiery aura flared between them. Much to the confusion to the girls staring at their cards.

"Uh, Jeanne?

"Yes Asia?"

"What's going on?"

"I have no idea."

As an epic, yet incredibly petty battle raged between the Priest and the Old man, a youth with dark green hair watched from afar, a cruel lust oozing from his smile.

"Oh? Now there are two Holy Maidens instead of just one? This trip just keeps getting better and better! Now then, how to make them fall?"

Bat wings emerging from his back, he hovered in the air, swaying in the air as he voiced his thoughts.

"The Twilight Healer is naive and kind to a fault. All I need to do is appear injured before her and have her treat me in front of those idiotic priests. But what of the older one? The Armored Maiden seems klutzy and unused to the world, but there is a maturity in her eyes that belies experience. She'll be harder to manipulate."

In the distance, a triumphant "Uno" roared for the oldest man, a smug smile adorning his face as he looked at the priest.

"They will need to be separated. When the Twilight Healer is alone, I manipulate her easily. Once she falls, the Armored Maiden will need to suffer multiple traumas in a row to push her into despair. But where to start?"

A cry of despair echoed in the distance from the Old man, as the Priest played his next card with a sadistic smile. "Draw eight." The girls watched their theatrical companions' antics with glowing smiles.

"Of course, you start with their families…"

A magic circle formed beneath the youth, pulsing with an unnatural red glow.

"Soon, my lovely maidens. Soon…"

Author's Notes:

Heya Peeps!

Sorry for taking so long to update! Summer this year sucked! Long story short, my employer promised me a certain schedule before summer started, only for someone else at management to object right as I started, throwing my entire schedule into disarray. So I had no time to relax this summer, which in turn the stress gave me pretty bad writer's block. This chapter isn't my best work, but it does set things up for the next few chapters so look forward to them when I have the chance to post them.

On that note, there will be a MASSIVE delay with me posting more chapters. I'm now going back to university. I'm in school to be a teacher, and I'm currently in the Practicum stage, aka the part before student teaching. So not only am I doing my own classes for Uni, I'm teaching students, grading papers, and on top of that, a part time job as well. I will not have any days off until Christmas Break.

So yeah, sorry for the future delays in advance. I'm going to working on Truth next, then the prologue for Campione! And Fate crossover I promised.

Until next time peeps!

Editor's Notes:

Kill me. Robin vs. Lv. 50 Lucina Amiibo. Won in Sudden Death. Lost in spirit and morale.