"The whole city's in an uproar because of what you did."
Judas looked at the woman standing before him in the quiet alleyway.
"You know that, right?"
"Hmph."
Alfia let out a quiet, dismissive snort.
"As if I care what other people think."
Her expression remained as indifferent as ever.
Yet behind that icy facade, she was carefully observing him.
'Even if I was weakened and my senses were dulled by the backlash of [Genus Angelus]... he still managed to approach without me noticing until he spoke...'
She had genuinely been caught off guard.
For someone to enter her vicinity without alerting her...
That alone spoke volumes.
'He's become much stronger...'
There was no mistaking it.
Compared to the last time they had met, Judas' presence had changed considerably.
But it wasn't just his strength.
'...There's something different about him now.'
His demeanor and behavior felt subtly different, as though something within him had fundamentally changed.
Yet no matter how closely she observed him, she couldn't quite determine what it was.
Then again, looking at his familiar face, he hadn't changed that much… he was still the same cheeky little disciple she remembered.
'You remain as mysterious as ever... my foolish disciple.'
Setting those thoughts aside for the moment, she watched as Judas took a step closer.
"That spell did quite a number on you, didn't it?"
His purple eyes faintly glowed as he examined the condition of her body.
Almost as if responding to his words...
"Cough..."
Alfia quickly covered her mouth with her hand.
A mouthful of crimson blood seeped through the gaps between her fingers before splattering onto the ground.
Her body trembled ever so slightly.
A wave of weakness threatened to rob her of her footing.
She wanted nothing more than to lie down and rest.
But standing before her disciple… she refused to show such vulnerability.
In a single heartbeat, every trace of agony vanished from her expression.
By the time she lowered her hand, her usual stoic mask was firmly back in place.
To anyone else, she looked completely fine.
Judas, however, knew better.
'...Her willpower really is absurd.'
This was the same woman who had kept herself alive through nothing but sheer determination.
He had no doubt she would continue pretending everything was fine until the very end.
Shaking his head, Judas raised a hand toward her.
A gentle emerald light blossomed from his palm, bathing the alleyway in a warm glow.
"This should make you feel a little better."
He gently transferred a portion of his own life force into her body before following it with a healing spell, easing the burden that [Genus Angelus] had inflicted on her body.
Warmth spread rapidly through Alfia's veins.
The pain that had relentlessly gnawed at her slowly faded away.
Her trembling fingers gradually relaxed.
For a brief moment, she simply stood there with her eyes closed, quietly savoring the comforting warmth spreading throughout her body.
When she finally opened her eyes, they met Judas' soft gaze.
She parted her lips.
"..."
Only to stop herself.
The two silently looked at one another.
Neither of them spoke.
It was then that they both realized...
The atmosphere between them had suddenly grown... strange.
Alfia was the first to break eye contact, sharply averting her gaze.
Meanwhile, Judas awkwardly balled his hand into a fist, bringing it to his mouth as he cleared his throat.
"Ahem..."
Alfia closed her eyes and lowered her head ever so slightly, allowing silver strands of hair to conceal the faint blush creeping across her cheeks.
"…I am not accustomed…"
Her voice was noticeably quieter than usual.
"…to expressing my gratitude this often."
The words grew softer with each passing second.
After a brief, hesitant pause…
"…But… thank you."
Judas stared blankly at her.
The infamous Silence of the Hera Familia.
A woman who usually let her fists do the talking instead of her words… someone renowned for being merciless, arrogant, and short-tempered.
Now, she stood before him, awkwardly thanking him with her head down.
'...Was she always this adorable?'
The thought surfaced in his mind before he could stop it.
His heartbeat quickened.
If he had to be honest, Alfia was incredibly easy on the eyes.
She could easily rival even someone like Riveria in terms of beauty.
For some reason, a little devil appeared on his shoulder, whispering into his ear, urging him to tease her right then and there.
'Come on! Do it! Just do it!'
Unfortunately for him, Alfia seemed to realize what he was thinking.
Without a word... she raised one foot.
STOMP!
"Oww!"
Judas yelped in pain, immediately dropping to one knee as he clutched his throbbing foot.
"H-Hey! What was that for?!"
In response, Alfia simply turned her back to him with a huff.
"Hmph!"
"You were having rude thoughts about me just now... weren't you?"
Although she spoke as confidently as ever...
The faint blush lingering on her cheeks betrayed her true feelings.
Unfortunately, with her back turned, Judas couldn't see her face.
"W-What the hell?!"
"Are you a mind reader or something?!"
Judas stared at her in disbelief.
Alfia didn't answer.
Instead, she quietly walked past him.
"...Follow me."
She paused for only a fraction of a second before continuing forward.
After his foot had fully recovered, Judas fell into step behind her, curiosity evident on his face.
Alfia pulled the hood of her cloak over her head, concealing her features.
The two walked in silence.
They deliberately avoided the busier streets, making their way through the quieter parts of the city as they headed west.
'This is...'
A look of recognition crossed Judas' face as he glanced ahead.
Eventually, they arrived at the site of the abandoned church.
Or rather, what remained of it.
The once-familiar building had been reduced to little more than shattered stone and splintered timber.
'The Apollo Familia really did a number on this place...'
Judas silently looked over the wreckage.
Now that he thought about it...
Despite having lived in Orario for quite some time, this was actually his first visit here.
His gaze shifted back to Alfia.
'Why did she bring me here...?'
As far as he knew, she wasn't the type of person who enjoyed having company.
Alfia walked into the middle of the ruined church before coming to a stop.
She simply stood there, silent and motionless, the wind gently stirring her silver hair beneath her hood.
Judas didn't interrupt.
He quietly waited beside her.
Although her expression remained as indifferent as ever...
He couldn't explain why.
But he had a feeling... that she was deeply emotional at this moment.
Several long minutes passed before Alfia finally drew a slow, quiet breath.
Only then did Judas break the silence.
"...You brought me here. Can I ask why?"
He looked around at the ruined church.
"No particular reason."
Alfia answered without turning around.
"You're simply one of the few people whose presence I can tolerate... that's all."
Judas blinked.
"...Should I take that as a compliment?"
"It is."
Her answer came so quickly that it nearly caught him off guard.
He let out a helpless, amused chuckle.
"I'll gladly accept it, then."
Silence settled over them once more.
Alfia's gaze quietly wandered across the broken remnants of the church, fragments of the past surfacing one after another.
Her frail sister, Meteria.
The countless times she had visited this place.
The days when she could still feel her sister's presence here.
Then… the present.
The precious memories she had begun creating with Belle.
And now… the future.
Slowly, her eyes drifted toward Judas.
Without her even realizing it, this place had become home to yet another warm memory.
The corners of her lips softened ever so slightly, if only for a fleeting second.
"...Hey."
Judas turned toward her.
"Hm?"
"Thank you... for accompanying me."
Her voice was so quiet that it was barely above a whisper.
"And..."
She hesitated, a short pause hanging in the air.
"...I'm sorry about your foot."
"..."
Judas froze, his eyes widening in complete shock.
Alfia expressing her gratitude already felt unbelievable.
But an apology?
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined he would hear those words come from her mouth.
For a brief moment, his mind went completely blank.
Honestly, the sky collapsing or reality shattering into pieces feels infinitely more believable than Alfia actually apologizing to someone…
"…What is with that look?"
Alfia frowned, her brows knitting together.
"…Don't make me regret saying it."
She slowly raised a clenched fist.
A familiar ripple of magic began gathering around it.
Seeing that, Judas immediately threw both hands into the air.
"W-Wait! Calm down!"
He laughed awkwardly.
"You have to admit, hearing an apology from you is probably one of the rarest events in human history."
"…"
Alfia stared at him, the magic fading from her hand.
"…Fair enough."
She lowered her fist.
Even so, she continued glaring at him with obvious dissatisfaction.
Watching the two bicker like this, any bystander passing by would have undoubtedly mistaken them for a young couple in the middle of a lovers' quarrel.
Fortunately for Judas...
A familiar voice suddenly echoed from behind them, breaking the awkward tension between them.
"Hey! Alfia! Judas! Is that you?"
The two turned around simultaneously.
Running toward them were Hestia, Belle, and Lili, looking quite haggard, with sweat covering their faces.
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