She felt like her body was on fire—skin burning and hair melting away. The torture kept replaying in her mind, an endless cycle. Every time she passed out, she'd wake up right back in that same scene.
Belts, knives, heated rods—there wasn't a single thing she hadn't been through. They talked about nailing her to a cross, sending her to God.
It was like an infinite nightmare she couldn't escape.
But this time, something was different. For the first time, she saw light. She ran toward it, desperate to escape the Fallens closing in. She wondered if this was God's punishment for failing in her duty, and, strangely, she accepted it. But she couldn't understand why she was in hell when she had been nothing but faithful.
Then, as she reached the light, she understood. God wasn't punishing her. He was giving her a way out—an escape, or perhaps a way to reach Him.
God is merciful.
That phrase kept echoing in her mind. Even when the Fallens had killed her, the almighty was offering her comfort in the form of light.
She ran on bloodied feet, with everything she had. She was naked, vulnerable, but she knew that God accepted people no matter their state. No matter how they looked or what they had done.
As she neared the light, her heartbeat quickened, her body growing weaker. Her breath came faster, her temperature dropping as though she were freezing.
But strangely, she didn't feel cold.
The light, now a deep crimson, filled her with strength. It made her feel alive again, powerful even, and like something new was awakening inside her.
"Hey!"
She heard voices, human voices, calling her.
"Hey!"
The light flickered, and the world around her began to twist. The ground shook, and everything seemed to bend.
"HEY!!"
The reality snapped back, and her eyes shot open—blurry lights and figures surrounded her.
"She's awake!" someone yelled, followed by murmurs and rustling sounds.
But through it all, one figure remained in the corner of her vision, sitting quietly, waiting without rushing.
"Are you okay?" a male voice asked, young but steady.
"No, no. Stay there." He added. "You might feel wobbly and light-headed, so just rest for now."
She could understand the voice, which felt strange. Since arriving in this country, her ability to communicate had been limited, mostly relying on gestures due to the language barrier.
"Who... are you?" she asked weakly. Her body felt covered, which was a relief—she wasn't naked anymore. As she moved her hand, she felt fabric against her skin.
"A friend," the voice replied, soothing and calm.
She blinked a few times, trying to clear the fog in her mind. Slowly, she turned her head, her vision sharpening. The figure became clearer—more defined and brighter.
Now, she could make out his features. The boy before her had a gentle smile, kind eyes. She didn't know where she was, but she knew one thing: he had saved her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice soft, his expression calm.
"Better," she smiled, feeling the weight of relief. "My body still feels a little fuzzy, but I think I'm fine."
He nodded. "Don't worry about scars. It took some work, but the girls made sure your skin is healed."
Just as she was about to ask what he meant, more figures approached the room, surrounding her.
"You're finally awake," said a warm, feminine voice. "I'm glad."
"I hope you're not in pain anywhere," another voice said, similar but with a hint of seductive charm.
"I—" She tried to push herself up, but her body refused to cooperate. It was harder than she expected, and she nearly slipped, but thankfully the boy was there to catch her. He helped her lean against the soft pillow at the corner of the couch.
"Your body's still adjusting," the red-haired girl explained with a sigh. "It stopped functioning before we found you. Just rest a bit longer, and you'll be able to walk in a few minutes."
"And run in an hour, I suppose," the black-haired girl added with a laugh, causing the redhead to crack a smile as well.
But there was still so much she didn't understand, and it wasn't until the boy spoke again that things started making sense.
"Don't be nervous," he said, his voice calm and reassuring. "I know this is a lot to process all at once, so we'll take it slow. But for now, just know that we're friendly and here to help."
With that, he stood beside her. "I'm Issei Hyoudou. I live in this town, I'm a student, and I'm one of the people who found you in the church."
He gestured to the girls around her. "This is Akeno Himejima. She's a senior at my school and a good friend."
Then he pointed to the redhead. "And this is Rias Gremory, also a senior, and another friend of mine." He looked around. "There are two more who helped out, but I guess they're out right now."
"Koneko and Kiba went on patrol," Rias explained. "We needed eyes around the town to find the three Fallens."
The mention of the Fallens made the girl tense up, and Issei noticed immediately.
"It's okay," he reassured her. "Most of them have already been taken care of. You don't need to worry about the Fallen anymore. No one's going to hurt you here."
"They..." The girl hesitated, biting her lip. "Raynare promised me she'd find a church for me to stay at, but she..."
"It's okay," Rias said gently, kneeling down next to her. "You don't have to worry about her anymore. She won't hurt you, and you can stay here for as long as you're comfortable."
"We still don't know your name," Akeno chimed in with a smile. "It's kind of rude to keep calling you 'you.'"
The girl appreciated their kindness. She was grateful for everything they'd done, so she mustered the strength to sit up, offering a small but genuine smile. "My name is Asia Argento. I'm from Italy, and I worked as a nun there."
But her smile quickly faded as she continued.
"But I was... excommunicated after…" She looked uneasy, but she didn't want to hide the truth from them. "After I healed a devil with my powers."
She couldn't bring herself to look up, unsure if they'd believe her, or if they would still see her as trustworthy after she had helped a devil. But deep down, she knew she had done the right thing. Even if she was punished, she believed God would always watch over her.
Then, unexpectedly, a sharp pain shot through her head as soon as she whispered "God."
"It's okay," Issei said, sitting closer to her.
"You... are a good person, Asia," Rias said kindly. "Most people in the Church wouldn't even think of helping a devil. But you did, and that's admirable."
Asia was a little surprised. "You're not going to throw me out for helping a devil?"
Akeno laughed at that, and Issei smiled awkwardly, looking over at Rias, who shot him a disapproving look.
"Really?" she asked, exasperated. "You're going to make me explain this?"
"You're the boss," Issei shrugged, making her sigh.
"Akeno?"
"You heard him," the black-haired girl giggled. "You're the boss."
Rias gave a helpless look, glancing back at Asia with a mix of uncertainty and concern.
"Asia," Rias asked gently, "what do you think about devils?"
"Devils..." Asia frowned, thinking carefully. "I don't know," she admitted honestly. "The sisters and Father at the church taught us to never trust devils, to punish them. But God—" she winced as a sharp headache hit everyone in the room. "—taught us to treat everyone with love and respect, even if they don't share the same beliefs."
Issei shook his head after that sharp headache, then looked back at Asia. "So, what do you think of them?"
"Devils... I've met one, just once," she replied. "And he seemed kind."
The word "kind" paired with the mention of a devil made Issei crack a small smile, though no one noticed.
"He didn't hurt me. He thanked me for healing him, and then he left after he felt better." Asia glanced at Rias. "So, I think there are good devils, but... I'm not sure, really."
A smile returned to her face. "But I believe it's only God—ugh—who has the right to judge anyone, so I won't."
Rias, rubbing her own head after the headache, smiled faintly. "Thank you for saying that, Asia. I'm glad you don't think all devils are bad."
Asia tilted her head, curious about why Rias said that.
Rias took a deep breath. "Because…"
She paused, and then, with a flick of her wrist, revealed her wings, spreading them wide. Akeno and Issei did the same—Issei using his devil wings instead of his dragon form.
"We're devils," Rias said, taking Asia completely by surprise. "And I hope that's okay with you."
Surprisingly to them—and not so surprisingly to Issei—Asia didn't seem bothered.
"Thank you," she said sincerely. "It doesn't matter if you're human or devil. You saved me, and I'm grateful for that."
The two girls exchanged awkward glances, unsure how to react. But things were about to get more complicated.
"Are you going to tell her?" Issei whispered to Rias. "Because I sure as hell am not."
"You're the boss," Akeno shrugged, repeating what she'd said earlier.
Rias rubbed the bridge of her nose, clearly stressed. "Okay, so…"
She paused, unsure of how to continue.
Asia watched her curiously, looking as cute as ever, and no one in the room could deny it.
"You know the Fallens did bad things to you, right?" Rias asked gently, not wanting to bring up the painful memories but knowing it was necessary.
Asia nodded, looking uneasy.
"Well... to help you, I mean to keep you alive, we had to do something," Rias continued, biting her lip. "Something you might not appreciate, but it was necessary to save you."
Asia blinked and tilted her head, urging her to continue.
"We turned you into a devil to save your life!" Rias blurted out quickly, barely taking a breath between words.
"Uh?" Asia looked confused. "I don't understand."
Seeing that this was harder than expected, Issei decided to step in.
"You see, Asia, when you lost consciousness, you were pretty much... gone," he said. "To protect you, Rias had to use one of her previous treasures to keep you alive, but to do that, she also had to turn you into a devil."
"I—"
"That's a lot to take in, we know," Rias said quickly. "Trust me, we won't hold it against you if you hate us for it. But it was the only way to save you."
"We're not bad people, Asia," Akeno added softly. "It might be hard to trust us, but you can be sure we mean you no harm."
Issei didn't say anything else, just waiting for her response.
"I was excommunicated for healing a devil," Asia said, her voice barely above a whisper.
The two girls tensed immediately.
"I was lied to by the Fallens and... killed," Asia muttered. "But then I was saved. Given another chance at life."
The two devil girls hoped the nun wouldn't start yelling at them.
"So, I don't think I can hold it against you, Rias and Akeno," Asia said, offering them a smile. "Thank you for saving me."
"You're not... angry? Or disgusted?" Akeno asked, her voice full of surprise.
"You saved me, you gave me life," Asia replied. "It doesn't matter if I'm a devil. My beliefs are still strong. I'll still help those in need and be the same person. If I'm punished for it, then let it be. That's how it's supposed to be." She looked at Issei. "If that's what God— I-If He wants that, I don't mind being punished for it."
"You'll get a headache every time you say His name, Asia," Issei said. "That might be the hardest part for you."
Asia's face flickered with sadness, but it quickly changed back to a smile. "Then it's just another test for me. A test only makes my faith stronger."
Rias and Akeno were left speechless, completely taken aback by her unwavering faith.
"I can't be angry with any of you. I can only be thankful," Asia continued, her smile bright. "Thank you, Rias, Akeno, and Issei."
The room went quiet, and the silence was broken by a booming laugh.
"Gahahah! Who would've thought you'd get an angel in human skin to become a devil!" the Dragon of Domination roared with laughter. "Gahaha! That's a mouthful even to say!"
"Angel in human skin turned devil…" Both Akeno and Rias couldn't help but repeat the words in their minds.
Yeah, that's probably the best way to describe her.
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[[A/N: Read 25+ advance chapters on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Greedyfrog
P.S. Also, try not to subscribe through the iOS app (if possible)—use a browser or something similar instead. The app charges 30% extra on memberships and pays creators less (only Apple does this). Plus, there's a 75-day wait before the money can even be withdrawn. Overall, it's just not a great deal for either the creator or the subscriber (You pay more, I earn less).
Also, check out my other story: Marvel: Pay to Win Gambling, 11 chapters out on WN and till 36 on Patreon.]]
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[[P.P.S. Ain't dead yet!!! Why was I a ghost for so long? Well I got 2 originals published in the last 3+ months (Book 1 is of 300k words, book 2 of 250k). This was what consumed all my time.
Surprisingly, the books are doing pretty well, each book is over 200+ ratings atm. (4.8 stars)
P.P.P.S. I won't be talking about the originals/amazon books or linking them here because I do not want negative reviews from here to go there xD. Will be keeping the Greedy Frog and the Original accounts separate.]]