Nothing was really moving forward while Dante was in the realm of the werewolves. In fact, anything could happen during that ti… and well, sothing did happen.
In the heart of Dante's newly-founded kingdom, within the great walls that surrounded it, the long-awaited return of the Virtue of Justice, Joan of Arc, had finally co to pass. She was driven by a single purpose—to understand what was truly happening in the world, and to see her most important disciple… the Virtue of Humility, Sara Scarlet.
It had been a long ti since they had last seen each other, especially after… Jeanne had killed Dante during the Blood Armageddon incident.
Let's just say, Sara hadn't taken it well, that her own master had been the executioner of her greatest love in this life.
Now, however… Jeanne walked the stone corridors of the new fortress with a resolute but serene gaze. There were no guards or citizens. After all, Albion from the start was never ant to be a kingdom but a fortress, so it was understandable that no life was present beyond herself and Dante's wives.
Her footsteps echoed softly against the floor, and her shining armor glead in the sunlight like a beacon of justice and righteousness.
Despite her austere figure, her heart was beating fast, anticipating the mont when she would finally reunite with her beloved disciple. She had felt Sara's absence intensely, a gap in her soul that only Sara could fill.
Sara was like a daughter to her… and after that incident… well, there were few occasions that had been beneficial to try and reestablish any sort of relationship. Jeanne knew she had failed her disciple.
As she reached the inner gardens of the fortress, Jeanne saw the woman she had been searching for, after so many years…
There, among the flowers and vineyards, dressed in white as a symbol of her virtue, was Sara. Her blue hair glistened under the afternoon sun, and she was kneeling, tending to a small plant that had just begun to bloom. Even in her simplicity, she radiated a quiet strength and a power that didn't need to be proclaid.
For a mont, Jeanne hesitated. Not out of uncertainty, but because despite all her courage, she didn't know how to handle relationships between people. She was stuck in the realm of good and evil, right and wrong… the weight of her feelings made it difficult to take the next step. That's why she had delayed coming to speak with Sara, and at the very least, apologize for killing her husband…
Even though Dante had co back to life afterward… well, that part had been surprising.
Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword, a gesture that always brought her comfort in tis of inner conflict.
But now, that weapon, a symbol of justice and duty, felt inappropriate. In front of her disciple, whom she treated like a daughter, she felt disard. Sara was more than a companion or ally; she was a part of Jeanne, soone she had guided and shaped. But now, Jeanne also knew she had betrayed her in the most profound way possible.
Gathering her courage, Jeanne stepped closer, and her long shadow stretched over the spot where Sara knelt.
"Sara," Jeanne finally said, her voice firm but carrying a slight vulnerability she rarely allowed herself to show. "I… I'm back."
The Virtue of Humility slowly lifted her gaze, eting the eyes of her forr master. For a brief mont, the silence between them was almost palpable. There was a tension in the air, not of hostility, but of deep sadness and an ocean of unspoken emotions.
"Master," Sara responded, her voice soft but with a restrained coldness. "So much ti has passed… and so much silence between us."
Jeanne felt the weight of those words. She wanted to say so many things, to explain her motivations, but the truth was that no explanation would be enough to justify what she had done.
"I failed you," Jeanne admitted, finally releasing the words that had been burning inside her. "I failed as your master, as your friend. I killed Dante… I followed the path of justice, but in doing so, I hurt you in a way I never imagined. And for that, I am here. To apologize. To try and make ands for what I did, if that is even possible."
Sara's face remained serene, but Jeanne could see the deep pain shining in her eyes. Sara rose slowly, standing taller than Jeanne rembered, stronger, more imposing. Ti and trials had shaped her in a way Jeanne had never foreseen.
"Dante ca back to life," Sara began, her voice as soft as a breeze. "But what you did... the wound hasn't fully healed. I know you followed the path of justice. You always do. But justice is...
blind. And sotis, what we think is right leaves scars that never really heal."
Jeanne felt a pang of guilt hearing those words, but she knew Sara was right. Justice, in its purest form, was unforgiving, and that very inflexibility had driven Jeanne to kill Dante. The Virtue of Justice, in her duty, had ignored the personal consequences of her actions—sothing that now weighed heavily on her heart.
"I understand," Jeanne said quietly. "That's why I'm here. To fix what I can, if I can."
Sara took a few steps forward, and for a mont, Jeanne thought she might push her away. But to her surprise, Sara reached out, gently touching Jeanne's cheek with unexpected tenderness.
However, the silence was suddenly and abruptly broken by sothing Jeanne hadn't anticipated.
"Pff... pff.f... HAHAHAHAHA!" Sara burst out laughing uncontrollably. "Sorry, Master! I... I just can't...
HAHAHAHA!"
Jeanne stood there, completely bewildered, her eyes wide, utterly confused. Sara was doubled over, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. "HAHAHAHA! Oh, I tried, I swear! But I can't keep up this overly serious, all-dramatic tone like you! HAHAHA!
I lost it! Sorry, Master, my bad! The expression, the dramatic touch, everything! Pff... it's just too much!"
Jeanne, frozen in a mix of disbelief and utter confusion, blinked several tis, completely at a loss. "Sara... what...?"
Still chuckling, Sara straightened up, wiping tears from her eyes from laughing so hard. "Oh, Master... seriously. You co in here, all imposing and serious, and I thought, 'Okay, this is the ti to be all dramatic and sentintal.' But, you know... that's just not who I am anymore. I just...
I can't take all this stuff so seriously anymore. It's just... ah, it's ridiculous, you know?"
Jeanne, still completely out of her depth, shook her head. "Ridiculous? I thought we... well, I thought we were having a... a mont, Sara!"
Sara waved her hand dismissively, as if sweeping away the formality in the air. "Oh, Master, relax. We've been through so much. The last thing I need is another dramatic mont. You know I respect you, right? But, please...
after everything we've lived through, I'd rather laugh about it than drown in sentintalism. Dealing with Dante is enough of that for !"
Jeanne continued to stare at Sara, still trying to process what was happening. Everything she had imagined—the tension, the apologies, the raw emotions—seed to vanish like smoke in the face of Sara's relaxed, lighthearted attitude.
"You... you're really not mad?" Jeanne asked, almost in desperation.
"Mad? Of course I was mad, Master," Sara responded, still grinning. "But it's over now. And honestly, I just find it funny. All this 'virtue and grand duty' stuff can get exhausting if you don't take the ti to... I don't know, laugh about it once in a while.
You know what's funny? Dante dies, then he cos back. The whole dramatic ss happens and... in the end, here we are, like always. Life goes on."
Jeanne shook her head, still perplexed. It wasn't what she had expected, but in a way, Sara was right. Everything had passed, and Dante, sohow, was alive again. The drama that once seed impossible to overco now felt like a distant mory.
"I... well," Jeanne murmured, finally allowing herself to relax. "I guess maybe I took all of this a bit too seriously, didn't I?"
"A bit?" Sara teased, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "You almost exploded when you saw ! I thought you were going to pass a death sentence on the spot."
Jeanne chuckled, a quiet, but genuine laugh. It was rare for her to let herself relax like this, but sohow, Sara's presence always brought out a lightness in her that Jeanne hadn't realized she still had.
"So, what do you suggest now?" Joana asked, glancing at Sara, who was already back to tending the plant she had been caring for earlier.
"I suggest," Sara began, not looking at Joana while plucking a dried leaf from the plant, "that we go grab sothing to eat. Because honestly, if you ca all the way here just to apologize, then we deserve a proper feast."
Joana, unable to believe the simplicity of the suggestion, just nodded, laughing again. "Food it is, then."
"Exactly! And no more old-fashioned speeches, please," Sara said, casting a playful glance at Joana. "You sound like a character from so epic tale. The next step would be for you to recite a poem about the power of justice or sothing."
Joana couldn't contain her laughter this ti. "Do I really co off like that to you?"
"Absolutely. But it's part of your charm, Master," Sara winked. "Oh! And please, don't use that charm to get my husband interested in you. I'm exhausted here, okay? I can't handle any more won hovering around my darling." Sara said playfully, though Jeanne clearly saw the 'I will kill you if you try' look in her disciple's eyes.
"Speaking of which... How did you find this place?" Sara questioned, though it wasn't her who had said it.
"Well... it seems soone asked my guardian archangel to guide here..."
"Oh... Dante talked to the Heavenly Father again..." Sara murmured, and Jeanne's eyes widened in shock.
"W-what?" Jeanne stamred.
"Yeah, they seem to have beco friends... Considering that, she must be the Heavenly Mother, since my darling doesn't like having n around." Sara mused, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Ah, anyway, let's get sothing to eat." Sara added, walking ahead, and Jeanne... could only follow.
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