Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 387 - 324: curious

"Hey, so your name?!" Opal asked telepathically.

"It’s Eva," Eva answered back in the same manner.

"I want you to grab my dress when you see my body glow," Opal said, her eyes narrowing on Paradox. "If he decides to fight, there’s no way we can win."

"Alright," Eva replied calmly, her expression never changing once.

"Oh? Planning to run away already? I thought we were having a civil conversation," Paradox said with a crooked grin, his voice dripping with mockery.

’Can he read minds or something?’ Opal thought nervously.

"Tch. No need for conversation with a race that refuses to change no matter what I say," Opal huffed. "If words alone could solve our differences, this war would have ended ages ago!"

"Well... you’re not wrong," Paradox admitted, his softening into a thoughtful smile. "But not all of us are the same. Some Regals have managed to gain consciousness... even a personality. Maybe change isn’t impossible after all."

’This guy is weird,’ Eva thought as her eyes lingered on him, her instincts on guard.

"But I can’t let you two leave just like that," Paradox stated coldly. In a flash, he appeared in front of Opal. Chains wrapped in spikes shot out around her shield, tightening, aiming to crush it.

Opal’s body glowed. Eva clung tightly to her as the world around them warped, then, in an instant, they both vanished.

"Damn," Paradox muttered, lowering his hand. A faint smile crept onto his lips. "I guess they’re gone. Time to go home."

The winged Regal watched silently. ’That bastard... he let them escape. He could have killed them if he wanted to, so why didn’t he?’

"Thanks for helping me," Eva said with a low bow. They now stood in a strange meadow on another planet. Strange as it looked, it was still better than dying.

"Well, it’s my duty as an Opal to support the new Jewel," Opal answered simply, folding her arms with pride.

"I hope our master is safe," she added with a worried glance at the sky.

"They both are," Eva replied. "And I believe the other Gems are defending the area around them from the Regals. But they won’t last forever. I’m hoping that in a few years, the girls will be much stronger."

"Both?" Opal asked, tilting her head. "So... there are two of them? How does that even work?"

"They’re twins," Eva said plainly.

Opal’s eyes widened. "Oh... now I understand."

Her expression softened, but curiosity still burned. "So what are you doing all the way out here, away from our masters’ side?"

Eva hesitated as she thought. ’Maybe I should tell her. After all, she’s a Gem. Gems never betray their masters or those above them. Technically, I outrank her, even if I’m nothing like the previous generation.’

"I came out here to get my powers back," Eva said at last, her brows furrowing. "They were stolen by a Regal a long time ago. By now, I’m certain he’s reached Rank 1."

"Then I’ve decided to help you!" Opal declared with enthusiasm. "And don’t you dare reject me. With the state you’re in, you won’t last against the Regals. They always travel in groups, going alone is suicide."

’Did she just indirectly call me weak?’ Eva thought, staring at Opal. She noticed a flicker of nervousness in the woman’s eyes, as though Opal feared Eva would refuse.

"...I guess I’ll accept your offer then," Eva said after a pause.

Opal’s face lit up with relief. "Good. So where do we head next?"

"Can you use your wormhole powers again, this time to another dimension?" Eva asked.

"Of course!" Opal replied.

_____

"Hm, Aurianna... what did you mean back there about the summoned heroes in class?" Juvin asked. They sat on the dining room table, books spread out before them.

"I thought I’d already discussed that with you all," Aurianna said with a chuckle. "Maybe I should take some time to brief you on this world’s actual history."

"Yes, I’m curious too," Zeche added, his eyes sparkling with interest.

"Oh, right, your Mecha race is the one that usually safeguards information," Aurianna said.

She leaned back, dropping her pen. "To put it simply, the High God caused all the world wars. I know God’s can do what they want but his own feels odd. The summoned heroes. You should be aware of who were the major disasters in our world. Even though they are to be pure of heart, he simply chose the worst of the worst to summon to our world. Because I wonder didn’t it click into anyone’s head that the summoned heroes were absolute assholes? It’s understandable if it’s a few but all of them?"

Juvin blinked, speechless. Juvin swallowed nervously. "I assumed as much... since no one dared speak against him when he declared a monster flood."

"Hm. So that’s the part he spoke in English," Aurianna murmured. "So I guess my entire conversation with him no one could understand us apart from the Goddess of wisdom."

"Yeah. To us, most of it was just gibberish," Zeche admitted.

"Wait, for real?!" Elena barged in, arms behind her. She had been lingering by the kitchen but couldn’t resist joining.

"Are you that slow, Elena?" Aurianna asked with a frown.

"Don’t you dare call me slow!" Elena huffed, pouting as she turned her head away. "I can think quite well, thank you!"

Zeche chuckled dryly, scratching the back of his head. "Well, even so... what can we do if the god of our world is that rotten? Nothing. We simply have to go on with our lives and do our best to survive. It’s probably why this year the academy is taking physical training more seriously than academic work."

"That’s true..." Aurianna muttered. "But I wonder if he favors Earth, the planet those heroes came from."

"Probably," Juvin said quietly. "They never get the treatment we do. All they need to do... is be summoned."

"True. But I guess you’re curious about the heroes, I assume?" Aurianna asked with a faint smile, her fingers drumming lightly against the table.

"Yes," Juvin nodded. "My brother often enters Ruins, but... he’s never managed to conquer one. Most of the Ruins that are cleared are handled either by the Sacred or by large parties with Saintesses."

"Oh, I see," Aurianna said, leaning forward slightly. "So you’re curious how I managed to do it?"

"Yes," Juvin admitted, his tone more serious now. "It’s the duty of my family to ensure these Ruins are destroyed. Lately, the ruins imprisoning the former heroes have been growing weaker, and we’re under pressure to quickly kill the heroes inside. But the Sacreds are always too occupied with their work. Even groups of Grand Humans that attempt it always fail."

Aurianna’s smile faded into thoughtfulness. "Hmm... do people die in Ruins?" she asked quietly.

"Yes but if someone makes a revival contract with the church when they die in the ruin they can automatically be revived at the church. It works for any church," Juvin explained