"I heard you guys had slain the Sculptor of Mind and freed the Empire," Anna said without a pause, her innocent demeanor never faltering. "I'm glad. I was so worried they would try to conquer the Holy Land next."
"Hold on, Anna," Ysoria said as she tightly gripped Anna's shoulders. "What do you mean you started a new religion? How could the faithful citizens of the Holy Land abandon the teachings of the Goddess of Light so easily?" Her voice dropped to a desperate whisper. "You must still be under the corruptive influence of the Corruptor of Heart. Don't worry, Anna, I will find a way to return you all to normal."
Anna gently pried Ysoria's hands from her shoulders, her smile filled with calm understanding. "Calm down, Ysoria, I can explain. It's true that we were under the Corruptor's influence for a time, but the Saint instantly killed him and lifted the effects soon after. We were all normal when you escaped with the Pope and the others."
"But... if you were normal then," Ysoria stammered, her mind struggling to make sense of the past and present, "why did you chase out the Pope and the other high-ranking clergy?"
Anna's smile grew a little sheepish. "Well... although the corruptor's influence was gone, it did open our eyes. We realized the Holy Church was rather corrupt, and in order to atone for our actions, we were led by the former Saint to overthrow the Pope and start a new religion. Don't worry, we still believe in the Goddess, as Darkness is just another aspect of Light. However, we've interpreted her teachings in a different way." Anna gestured around at the smiling faces of the new clergy. "It took a bit of convincing for others to accept the change, but with the former Saint, everyone eventually got in line."
Ysoria stumbled back a step. "I... I want to speak with the former Saint."
_______________
The grand cathedral, the iconic heart of the Holy Land, was filled with a deep, resonant melody. A lone figure, dressed in a veil of black silk and a dark, inverted version of a saintly outfit, was playing a giant pipe organ. The music resounded through the vast hall, a powerful wave of sound that was both sorrowful and uplifting. Kaito felt himself immersed in it, his senses focused on the intricate cascade of notes as he and the others walked toward the figure, stopping before her.
As the melody reached its climax, the former Saint's hands moved faster and faster across the keys. Then, with a final, booming chord, the music abruptly calmed, a single, lingering string of notes playing out before silence fell. The former Saint stood and turned to face them. She was a splitting image of Ysoria but taller and more mature.
"It has been a while, New Saint, Ysoria III," she said softly. "And you must be the new Hero and his companions."
Kaito, Rin, and Nysera offered her brief greetings in their own ways. Ysoria, however, bypassed all formalities.
"Former Saint, Osoria II," Ysoria began, her voice tight with suppressed emotion. "Is it true that you have betrayed the Holy Church?"
Osoria's expression didn't waver. "Ysoria, 'betray' wouldn't be the word I would use, but yes, I did betray the Holy Church. And in turn, I liberated all of its devoted followers from their tyranny." She stepped closer, her eyes holding Ysoria's gaze. "You've always been hardworking, Ysoria, so you wouldn't understand. I was forced to wake up before dawn to attend mass prayer. I was forced to travel all across the continent for pointless political meetings. And what little spare time I had was used to produce high-quality holy water. Is that not tyranny?"
"But... those are the normal duties of a Saint!" Ysoria protested, her voice rising. "Have you forgotten our doctrine? We must dedicate ourselves wholly to the Goddess!"
"I've seen pass those outdated doctrines," Osoria countered, her voice now filled with an absolute certainty. "Our new doctrine will be the balance of work and life. A servant of the Goddess should not be her slave."
"Even so, there was no need to overthrow the Pope!" Ysoria insisted. "He was ordained by the Goddess to be the bridge between man and God. We could have worked together to reform the Holy Church!"
Osoria let out a cynical laugh. "How naive of you, Ysoria. Do you truly believe those fossils would allow us to influence the structure of the Holy Church? There is no such thing as reform. Only by tearing it down and starting anew can we truly change things."
"I can't accept this, Former Saint Osoria," Ysoria said, her hand reaching for her sword. "I believe in our doctrine, and that we must overcome this slothfulness. I shall beat some discipline into you if I must."
Osoria simply smiled. "You were always the stubborn child. But lest you forget, I am called the Saint of Indomitable Strength, and I, too, shall open your eyes to our efforts. You, too, will join us."
Just as Osoria began to move, Kaito stepped forward. "Ysoria, I don't think we should fight. The Former Saint does have a point. I've seen how counterproductive a society becomes when it focuses entirely on work, with no balance in personal life."
Rin's voice cut him off. "It's too late for that, Hero. The Former Saint is charging at us."
Ysoria pushed Kaito back, her face a mask of solemn determination. "Don't worry, Hero. This is my battle to fight. It must be a test from the Goddess."
Osoria unleashed a powerful, wind-up punch that Ysoria managed to block with the Holy Sword. The force was tremendous, pushing Ysoria back several feet, her feet dragging a line across the polished floor of the cathedral.
"Look at you," Osoria said with a playful smile on her face. "You're using the Holy Sword. It seems you're not as much of a stickler for the rules as I thought, Ysoria."
"I—" Ysoria began, but before she could finish, another fist landed squarely in her stomach, knocking her back again. She quickly countered with a slash of her sword, but Osoria easily dodged it.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten what I taught you?" Osoria taunted. "You were never any good with a sword."
Frustrated, Ysoria cast a barrage of light arrows, but Osoria evaded them with a zigzag pattern. Osoria unleashed another punch, but a barrier suddenly appeared in its way.
"HA!" Osoria yelled, and a burst of energy erupted from her fist, bypassing the barrier and hitting Ysoria directly. Ysoria staggered back, nearly falling over.
"Is that all you've got?" Osoria asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "If so, I suggest you give up. Any further would be an embarrassment to your companions."
Ysoria, however, had a different idea. She tossed away the Holy Sword, and it clattered to the ground. She then got into a boxer-like stance.
"Now that's the Ysoria I know," Osoria said with a genuine smile on her face.
The two charged at each other, trading blow after blow. The air shook violently as each of their fists slammed into the other's body. Both of them cast healing magic on themselves, an endless exchange of force that wouldn't stop until they were exhausted of their holy power.
"Shouldn't we stop this?" Kaito asked, but Rin, who was seated at a table with a cup of tea, simply looked at him.
"Only by fighting against one another can they truly settle their differences," she said, before sipping her tea. "So don't worry, Hero, and have some tea."
Nysera, who was seated beside Rin, also took a sip of her tea. "Nm."