Tenra and Irina lay tangled together, lost in the afterglow. The room bore all the marks of their reckless passion—clothes strewn, sheets twisted, the air heavy with heat and the scent of skin. No one would mistake what had just happened here.
"Thanks for the hospitality, Irina," Tenra teased, fingers trailing through her soft chestnut hair. His smile was all satisfaction, no shame.
"Y-You… Tenra, you actually… you really…" Irina's voice trembled, her eyes brimming with wounded indignation.
She'd dreamed of this moment—maybe, someday, she and Tenra would cross that line. But she'd never imagined it would happen so fast, so fiercely. Tenra had swept her up, claimed her, left her breathless and overwhelmed.
Tenra leaned closer, voice low and playful. "What did I do to you, Irina? Wasn't this what you wanted all along?"
"I did not! I—I didn't…" Irina's cheeks burned. She would never admit it, not out loud.
"Oh? So who was it that stole my first kiss while I was sleeping, and promised to be my bride when we grew up?"
"Ugh…" Irina's eyes widened in horror. So he'd known all along! Mortified, she buried her face in her hands, unable to meet his gaze.
Tenra laughed, softer now. "Irina, don't be embarrassed. You love me, and I love you. That's why I did this."
He paused, eyes growing serious. "I'm a child of the Phoenix family—a devil and a human, both and neither. I couldn't awaken the immortal bloodline, so they called me worthless. My mother brought me to the human world to escape that fate."
"Weakness is a sin. I learned that early. After she died, I trained like hell, chasing power. Maybe if I kept going, I'd get stronger. But I'd be alone, walking deeper into darkness, maybe destroying myself before I ever arrived."
"That's when you saved me, Irina. As my friend, as my rival. I decided then—you were mine."
Irina's hands fell away, eyes shining with emotion. She gazed at his strong, handsome face, heart aching.
"Tenra, I… I…"
He silenced her with a kiss.
"You don't have to say anything, Irina. You don't have to think. I'll carry it all."
"I have enough power now. I'll protect you. But it's not enough. I have to get stronger—much stronger. I have to climb higher, reach farther."
"I want everything I desire. I want to protect everyone I love."
He looked into her eyes, and Irina felt herself falling, helpless.
"Irina, will you help me?"
Her answer came without thought, pure instinct. "I will."
Their eyes met, and in that moment, nothing else mattered. They kissed again, hungry and desperate, trying to fuse into one. It was a long time before they parted, smiling at last, the final barrier between them gone.
Tenra grinned. "So, Irina—how about putting your faith in me?"
"…What?"
"I mean it. Why not? Be my wife and my believer. Wouldn't that be fun?"
The mood crashed—Irina's face twisted in outrage. "No! Absolutely not! Never!"
Marrying Tenra was one thing, but being his follower? That was too much. Way too embarrassing.
Tenra just laughed. "Why not? You're only pretending to be devout, aren't you? You're a fake believer, Irina."
His eyes sparkled with mischief. The Codex of Divinitas et Diabolus let him sense faith like a sixth sense. Xenovia radiated devotion to the Biblical God. But Irina—
She had none. Not a trace.
Irina's face fell. "That's not… I… I…"
She hadn't expected her secret to be exposed. Panic flared—then faded. With Tenra, she didn't have to pretend. She glared at him, aggrieved.
"Stupid Tenra! Whose fault do you think that is?!"
She bit his shoulder, fierce as a kitten. It was his fault—he'd told her, years ago, "God is dead." That seed of doubt had grown, quietly, relentlessly.
After moving abroad, Irina had been singled out by the Church for her talent. But Tenra's words haunted her. She started seeking answers, piecing together scraps of forbidden knowledge—and discovered the truth.
God hadn't appeared since the ancient war. Maybe, just maybe, He really was dead.
The realization was shattering. Anyone with eyes could see it, but no one dared to think it, let alone speak it. Doubts were buried deep, never voiced.
But Irina was different. Her faith had always been fragile. Learning the truth, what little she had vanished.
If God was gone, what was left to believe in? Air?
And so, the girl who should have been the Church's shining star became a faithless pretender—all because of Tenra.
He shrugged. "Whatever. If you won't believe in me, just love me. That's enough."
He patted her head, a little disappointed, but not much. If faith couldn't bind her, love would.
Irina blushed, voice barely a whisper. "Tenra… one more time…"
Tenra smiled, wicked and gentle. She was hooked—and so was he. Why stop now?
The room filled again with the sounds of their surrender.
—
In a dim room nearby, Xenovia knelt, eyes squeezed shut, palm outstretched in prayer.
"Petra, Basil, Dionysius, Holy Mother Mary… Please, hear my voice…"
She'd tried everything, but the silence was absolute. No answer. No rescue.
Her eyes opened, dark with worry. The devils had sealed the room with isolation magic.
Her gaze drifted to the Codex of Divinitas et Diabolus, lying where she'd thrown it. Desperation flickered in her eyes.
Trapped, alone, powerless—her only hope was to do as they demanded. Read the devil's scripture.
"Lord, forgive me. I do this only to save my friend."
Voice trembling, Xenovia picked up the Codex. Her faith was unshakable—she wouldn't be seduced by devilry. Just reading couldn't hurt.
But the thought of Irina suffering drove her on. Heart pounding, she opened the book.
—
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