Raynare—this two-winged Fallen Angel—had not originally come to Kuoh Town for Asia.
She had been sent on a mission.
Her superiors had instructed her to monitor an individual.
To observe and confirm the nature of the Sacred Gear residing within them.
That was the real reason she had been assigned to this town.
But then, amidst her duties, she stumbled upon information about a certain girl.
A girl named Asia Argento.
And she couldn't ignore it.
Raynare had been so tempted that she completely disregarded her mission.
She abandoned her orders, concealed Asia's existence from her higher-ups, and shifted her focus entirely onto the young nun.
Because Raynare knew.
The other Fallen Angels might not have understood what Asia possessed.
But she did.
She recognized it instantly.
The ability to heal anyone without exception.
A power that could restore even the most grievous of wounds.
A Sacred Gear of extreme rarity—one of the few that had no combat abilities yet was invaluable in its own way.
The Twilight Healing.
As soon as Raynare identified Asia's Sacred Gear, she made up her mind—she had to take it for herself.
Her plan was simple: use her knowledge and techniques to extract Twilight Healing from Asia and transplant it into her own body.
With that power, she could elevate her worth within the Fallen Angel ranks, drawing the attention of the high-ranking officials who valued Sacred Gears above all else.
Especially him—the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels.
Raynare held a near-obsessive devotion toward that supreme being.
If she could succeed in this plan, then maybe—just maybe—she could step into his line of sight, earn his recognition… perhaps even his love.
It was precisely because Kaiser was aware of all this that he sought out Raynare, captured her, and forced her to bring Asia before him.
—
"I'll get straight to the point."
Kaiser finally set down his spoon, lifting his gaze to meet Asia's eyes.
"I'm interested in you. How about joining me?"
Asia's head snapped up.
Her wide, innocent green eyes locked onto Kaiser's.
Beside them, Raynare instinctively moved to stop this conversation.
But the moment she shifted, a searing heat flared in her chest, twisting her expression in pain.
Had anyone been able to peer into her coat at that moment, they would have seen the cause—
A tiny, dagger-sized Ser-Veresta, resting quietly against her skin, its core still active.
If she dared to make any move against Kaiser, the blade would instantly release a heat wave powerful enough to reduce her to ashes on the spot.
This was Kaiser's insurance.
He had personally placed this miniaturized Ser-Veresta on Raynare's body when he sent her to fetch Asia.
Without it, there was no way she would have obediently complied with his orders.
Even now, the sword remained active.
If she so much as tried to interfere, there was no doubt in her mind—she would suffer for it.
She had already tried removing it before, only for the sword to immediately flare with scalding heat, burning her hand before she could even touch it.
Left with no other choice, Raynare grit her teeth and swallowed her frustration.
With Raynare staying silent, Asia looked to Kaiser in clear distress.
"By… by joining you… what do you mean?"
It seemed she still didn't fully grasp the situation.
"…I thought I was being direct enough."
Kaiser sighed slightly, then elaborated.
"Twilight Healing is an excellent Sacred Gear. In some ways, it's even more valuable than a Longinus."
This was no exaggeration.
The Longinus were powerful, legendary Sacred Gears capable of destroying Gods and rewriting reality itself.
But when it came to healing—they were severely lacking.
In fact, among the thirteen known Longinus, only the legendary Holy Grail, another divine relic, possessed any regenerative abilities.
Beyond that, no Longinus specialized in healing.
That made Twilight Healing one of the most sought-after Sacred Gears in existence.
A Sacred Gear capable of healing comrades, saving lives, and even mending the wielder's own wounds…
Many would argue it was more precious than some Longinus.
Raynare certainly thought so.
That was why she had tried to steal it—why she had bet her entire future on possessing it.
Unlike some widely distributed Sacred Gears, which could exist in the hands of dozens or even hundreds of users, Twilight Healing was incredibly rare.
At present, only a handful of confirmed cases existed across the major factions.
For comparison, a Sacred Gear like Twice Critical—Siegfried's Sacred Gear—was relatively common, with at least several dozen known users across different timelines.
But Twilight Healing?
It was one of the rarest Sacred Gears in the world.
And Asia was not just a wielder—
She was perfectly attuned to it.
With her exceptional compatibility, her potential to master Twilight Healing far surpassed any other wielder.
Her ability would only grow stronger, to heights no one else could reach.
Her value was immeasurable.
And that was why Kaiser had come for her.
When he first thought about recruiting strong allies, the original protagonist of this world had been his first thought.
But immediately after—
He had thought of her.
"I want you to join me," Kaiser said with a casual smile, taking a sip of his coffee. "I know you've already accepted an invitation from the Stray Exorcists. You planned to join their organization."
"But now, you've seen the truth—that organization is just a puppet. The ones pulling the strings behind them are the Fallen Angels."
Kaiser leaned forward slightly, his gaze steady.
"And despite everything you've been through—even after being excommunicated, labeled a witch, and cast out—you still have unwavering faith in God, don't you?"
Asia's hands clenched in her lap.
"You still believe, don't you?" Kaiser continued.
"Someone like you definitely wouldn't want to fall into the same ranks as the Fallen Angels, would you?"
As beings who had forsaken God for their own desires, Fallen Angels had long been despised by both the Church and Heaven.
To devout believers, Fallen Angels were not as wicked as Devils, but they were still abhorrent. The more devout a person was, the less willing they would be to associate with Fallen Angels, as doing so would make them feel as if they, too, had turned their backs on God in pursuit of selfish desires.
Asia was a kind-hearted person. She wouldn't harbor prejudice simply because someone was a Fallen Angel—otherwise, she wouldn't have healed a wounded Devil despite being a believer. However, if she were asked whether she was willing to stay among them, that was a question she would have to carefully consider.
That was precisely why Kaiser phrased it this way.
"I'll be even more direct with you," Kaiser said flatly. "These Fallen Angels want you because they desire your Sacred Gear. If you stay with them, unaware of their true intentions, you will eventually die."
Raynare's ritual would indeed allow her to take Asia's Sacred Gear—but the consequence was Asia's immediate death.
If that wasn't a sacrifice, then what was?
"In that case, you'd be better off coming with me."
"As an exchange, in accepting you, I will take responsibility for everything about you."
"Whether it's a place to stay or anything else, I will provide it for you."
Kaiser spoke so plainly that Asia couldn't find any flaw in his reasoning.
She had nowhere left to go. Having been exiled from the Church, she was no different from the Stray Exorcists who had been cast out as well. That was why she had agreed to their invitation and joined their group.
Now that she knew they had only invited her because of her Sacred Gear, intending to use her as a sacrificial pawn, she felt not only shocked but also hurt and lost.
For someone like her, Kaiser's words undoubtedly struck a chord.
However…
"Kaiser-san… are you like me?" Asia hesitantly asked. "Are you also a Stray Exorcist?"
That was the only possibility she could think of.
"Of course not." Kaiser shook his head. "As for who I am, you'll naturally find out in time. I won't bother explaining it all here."
"What you really want to know is where I stand and who I belong to, right?"
"Well… the place I belong to right now isn't exactly righteous. In fact, before long, it may become something even more feared and reviled than the Fallen Angels or Devils."
"But don't worry—you're following me, not anyone else. As long as you don't want to, I won't force you to do anything."
Kaiser had indeed come here under the Hero Faction's orders to recruit people, but he had no intention of letting Asia fall into the abyss that was the Khaos Brigade—the world's most notorious terrorist organization.
His real plan was to do something similar to what Rias and Cao Cao had done—recruit a group of followers and form his own faction within the Khaos Brigade.
This wasn't uncommon. Many prominent figures, whether they be Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, or even key figures from various factions, were recruiting members and forming their own groups, operating worldwide.
In the future, the Devils' Rating Games would be popularized across all major factions, and when that time came, every faction's elites would be scrambling to recruit the best talent to form teams and participate.
Even the original protagonist's greatest rival—the so-called deuteragonist of this world—had done the same thing after joining the Khaos Brigade. He had refused to align with any specific faction and instead formed his own independent force, acting however he pleased.
Although Kaiser was currently a member of the Hero Faction, he had no plans to stay there for long. Sooner or later, he would break away and form his own team, traveling the world and making this second life of his as thrilling as possible.
And Asia was the first person he wanted to recruit—the first teammate he sought to bring into his ranks.
Her healing abilities were second only to a team's leader in importance.
"I understand that you're confused right now, that you don't know what to do. So, I'll give you time."
Kaiser wasn't expecting Asia to make a decision on the spot. He simply told her, "Stay with me for now. Think it over carefully before you make your choice."
Hearing this, Asia finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Not having to decide immediately was certainly a good thing.
"T-Then… I'll be in your care, Kaiser-san."
Asia bowed her head, expressing her gratitude.
Kaiser nodded and said no more. He simply handed the menu back to Asia.
Now, she could finally focus on ordering her meal.