Dimensional Descent

"Sister, what's going on?"

Hours later, when the moon was high in the sky and darkness had enveloped the land, Jean was the only one left in Joan's tent.

"What do you mean by that. Jean?"

"Don't lie to me, sister. Why did Leonel say that the Archbishop had given him a mission?"

When Joan heard Jean emphasize the word Archbishop, her pupils constricted. That was right, Leonel had said Archbishop, but all of the commanders beneath her command referred to him as the Bishop. It was an incredibly small detail, but it was a detail someone as intelligent as Jean would never let slip by.

Did this Leonel do it on purpose? There were others just as intelligent as Jean under her command, it's just that only Jean was close enough to her that he would confront her like this. Or rather, it could be said that their relationship…

Jean's arm wrapped firmly around Joan's slender waist, holding her tightly to his body.

"Jean." Joan said somewhat furiously, her glare seeming to hold an indescribable power behind them.

"I thought our relationship was better than this." Jean said with narrowed eyes, meeting her fierce gaze. "Do you think I'm a fool? What death mission did that bastard send Leonel on?"

"Jean! Watch your mouth —!"

blaspheming the Bishop, but a pair of rough lips

my woman. I don't know if this person you follow is really God or not, but this is one thing that

words, Joan's reaction was unexpected. Her gaze seemed a bit dim, it was completely unlike a woman who was supposedly in love.

for him to force her into such a relationship. Whether it was backing or individual strength, she left him

a woman too shackled by responsibility and the imaginary. You realize just as I have that there is no God in this world. Or, at the very least, even if there is one, it is most definitely not the God we grew up worshiping. Since things have

responding, Jean released her. Though there were flames lighting his loins right now and he also knew that Joan wouldn't resist

Bishop's side all this time despite my being certain that he was just using you? It's for no other reason than that I wanted you to see it for yourself. Would you have listened to me

a kind soul like Leonel. In

Joan's expression. A wisp of complexity and sadness pervaded her gaze.

ingrained in her from youth. It simply wasn't possible

her life? She was nothing but a teenage girl, yet she was leading groups of men in battle. How much burden was laid upon her shoulders? No one

wasn't that what faith was? Wouldn't her pain be repaid in the end?

gaze became

be the last. This is the last test. Then, I'll be

against her conscience? That was simply a test of her loyalty. The times others suffered due to the choices she made? That was simply the test of their loyalty. The world was that

she had known in her youth, maybe he really didn't exist. But, there was a new God before her now, and he was real and tangible.

I won't