Smoke.
Wasteland.
In this country where war had only just ended, these were all Elise could see…
Oh, and the severed limbs of corpses.
The nun beside her dropped to her knees and began vomiting.
She had never experienced war before—let alone seen human remains.
In contrast, Elise's face showed deep sorrow. Her aura was so overwhelming that even the vomiting nun began crying as she threw up, overcome by Elise's presence.
"You should head back, Mana."
Elise walked over to the nun's side. With a single word of healing, white light rose from her hands, and Mana immediately felt much better.
"No, Saintess, I must stay by your side!"
"Don't call me Saintess," Elise replied with slight embarrassment. "I'm just an ordinary person like everyone else."
"No! You're not ordinary at all! You're truly a messenger of God—you can save this world!"
Mana rejected that notion without hesitation.
Elise had brought miraculous change to the Church. Many of its members viewed her as the embodiment of the divine—the true Saintess. Mana was no exception, having witnessed Elise accomplish what no one else could.
"Please believe me, Mana. I'll be fine."
Elise smiled gently as she spoke. Strangely, Mana felt she couldn't refuse her at all—almost as if some unseen force was influencing her will.
"Then… alright. Please, be careful. I'll stay nearby. If anything happens, please call my name."
Mana gritted her teeth and finally relented.
She might not be strong, but if anyone tried to hurt her beloved Saintess, they'd have to step over her corpse first!
It wasn't about power—it was about conviction!
"If anything does happen, I'll do that. Thank you, Mana!" Elise stuck out her tongue playfully.
As a saintess, she was supposed to be protected by others. The Pope had believed that too—until he witnessed Elise's true "strength."
Strangely enough, there were quite a few Genestella within the Church. Some were strong, some weak—but none were as abnormal as Elise.
The odd thing was, Elise didn't feel powerful. Her presence changed entirely depending on whether or not she took action.
But Elise wasn't about to tell anyone that she was using faith power—and that even Prana within her came from faith conversion. No ordinary person could detect it.
Now.
The blindfolded Saintess turned around and walked deeper into this war-ravaged land. As a saintess, she had to do something visibly impactful.
She'd done something similar before—demonstrating her power to the Integrated Enterprise Foundation and showing the value she could offer. They wanted to use her, and she, in turn, needed their help to accomplish certain goals.
After all, what kind of saintess doesn't pray?
Elise pulled down her blindfold and gazed intently at the scene before her. The blackened sky and broken earth all entered her vision.
Placing her hands together at her chest, she lifted her head to the heavens. Countless strands of faith began to gather around her.
Though they were scattered, messy, and rooted in countless different beliefs—they were now all under Elise's control.
Sacred Speech—Activate! Cue the effects!
"O Lord, please guide my praying heart. With Your hand of grace, touch me—make me strong and courageous in all things."
In that moment, something in the world seemed to shift. An overwhelming dissonance filled the air, as if a divine hand had truly descended.
"You are salvation, the source of life. Even when I walk through darkness, Your light forever shines ahead."
The sky became like freshly wiped glass—the black filth swept away, revealing a vast, azure-blue canvas.
"You are the way, the answer, the source of all hope."
The sun emerged from behind the clouds, its radiance growing ever more brilliant.
"We rely on You, as fish need water, as trees need soil."
Clear water surged up from beneath the ground. Countless tender sprouts burst through the earth, rapidly growing—within moments, a forest had taken root.
"Grant me strength, O Lord, that I may bring peace to the world."
As her words fell, the prayer came to an end.
When the Saintess opened her eyes once again, the despairing black and red landscape was gone, replaced by vibrant greens and blues.
Hell had been transformed into paradise by the power of the Saintess.
Without a doubt, what had just happened—was a miracle!
No member of the Starpulse Generation could possibly possess such world-altering power.
But Elise had done it.
Far in the distance, Sister Mana had witnessed it all. Although she was Elise's personal attendant, the Pope had told her very little about the Saintess—only that Elise was powerful.
But how powerful—that was unknown.
Now, Elise's display had completely shattered her understanding. Mana even began to doubt her own grasp of reality.
"Is this really something a Genestella is capable of?"
Elise stared silently at the land before her for a long moment. Then, she slowly pulled her blindfold back on and began walking toward Mana's position.
She intended to search the region with Mana for anyone still suffering. If they could help them, Elise would be truly happy.
Because that's what a real saintess does.
...
Elise rescued two refugees from a crumbling building and healed their wounds.
"I'm so glad you're okay!"
Seeing her smile, the two men were overcome with emotion and thanked her profusely before reluctantly leaving.
"Let's look forward to our next meeting!"
Mana approached at that moment and gently draped a white coat over Elise's shoulders.
"Saintess, it's getting late. How about we return tomorrow instead?"
"That might be a good idea. We've helped quite a few people today."
Elise was just about to respond when she noticed something—unusual sounds echoing from beyond the distant mountains. Without a doubt, it was the voices of more refugees.
"Saintess, we should leave now! If we stay out much longer, it'll become dangerous. Others don't matter, but you—you're the Saintess!"
Mana still wanted to persuade her, but Elise wouldn't be swayed.
A perfect saintess wouldn't be scared off by something so minor.
If she turned back now, her image as a gentle, compassionate saintess would become that of a coward—and such a stain could never be allowed to exist.
Elise glanced back at Mana and immediately showed a firm expression.
"It's okay, Mana. It's precisely because the night is dangerous that we need to help them through it."
"The war may be over, but the wounds in people's hearts have only just begun to bleed. I want to save them—not regret it when it's too late."
"So, will you help me, Mana?"
No rest tonight… no! I must maintain the image of a flawless saintess! After all, I'm so beautiful and kind! If I don't go, no one will be able to save them!
Elise extended her right hand toward Mana. But in Mana's eyes, Elise's entire body radiated golden light.
"Of course, Saintess—I would be honored!"
"Alright then, let's go—let's save them!"
Now then, dear refugees—your gentle and kind Saintess has arrived to save you! Our encounter is sure to become one of your most cherished memories!