Ais Wallenstein, a girl with fairy blood.
Although she usually appears emotionless and seems indifferent to anything other than becoming stronger, Ais actually has a clear goal.
Becoming stronger itself is not the goal, but a means to achieve it.
Her goal is singular: revenge.
When she was very young, her parents sacrificed themselves in the war against the Black Dragon.
So, for a long time, her goal has been to kill the Black Dragon and avenge her parents.
She hasn't told anyone about this, not even her adoptive mother, Riveria.
No… perhaps they already knew.
Because the unique skill, 'Avenger,' was born from this obsession.
She knew very well that her power at the time was far from enough to kill the Black Dragon.
Although the hatred in her heart could not dissipate, Ais's personality ensured she wouldn't be consumed by hatred.
She wanted to become stronger, much stronger, stronger than everyone, stronger than… the Black Dragon.
She didn't know what level that was, but as long as she kept moving forward, she would never be wrong.
But that day…
The Black Dragon appeared…
Seeing the enemy she had hated for so many years, even Ais was overcome by anger.
Anger crushed her reason, and karmic fire consumed her body.
Then, her attacks couldn't inflict even the slightest damage on the Black Dragon.
Is this the Black Dragon?
But even like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, Ais persisted in attacking it until she was completely burned out.
Then the Black Dragon died…
Very suddenly, and not by her hand. The Black Dragon, whose defense all the adventurers of Orario combined couldn't break, was severed by a single sword strike from the teacher she recognized.
Her hatred…
It ended there…
Although she didn't kill it herself, the opponent was dead, the object of hatred had disappeared, so the hatred completely vanished.
What comes after revenge?
Satisfaction?
Ais recalled her parents; in her memory, their figures had long faded, leaving only the image of their backs as they left and her hatred for the Black Dragon.
What revenge brought was only an endless sense of emptiness.
All of Ais's progress had always been directed towards avenging herself against this enemy.
But when hatred ends, where should she go next?
Ais couldn't think…
Just then, she heard that person, the one who killed the Black Dragon, her teacher, was leaving.
If she followed him, she would surely find her direction…
After rushing over, the scene before Ais suddenly changed from a vast ruin to a bedroom.
Everything that followed left Ais somewhat dazed.
It wasn't until she returned to the room arranged for her that Ais slowly realized she had left Orario and could never go back.
But there was no need to go back, was there?
Her purpose in Orario had been achieved.
Next…
"Miss Wallenstein~"
Just as Ais was lost in thought, her door opened, and a small, black-haired head peeked in from outside.
"Are you asleep?"
"Hestia-sama?"
Hestia looked at Ais, who was sitting on the bed with her legs hugged, and chuckled as she entered the room: "Don't call me 'sama' anymore. This isn't our world anymore."
"Just call me Hestia, Miss Wallenstein. Has your Falna disappeared?"
Ais nodded at Hestia's words. She had noticed earlier that her strength and speed were gone.
"It seems to be because it's a different world. I found that my connection with Bell and their Falna was also severed, so I thought you might need some help, Miss Wallenstein."
Hestia walked out from behind the door, having changed into a different outfit that no longer dragged on the floor like before.
"Help? How can Hestia help me?"
"What else? Falna, of course."
Hestia held up a thin needle in her other hand and said, "If the connection with the main god is severed, the Falna will become ineffective. But Falna is, after all, your own potential, and it only serves to unlock that potential, so your potential won't disappear. It just needs to be reactivated."
"How about it? Do you need my help? Oh, and this world is no longer our original world, so I won't impose the demands of the original Familia on you. Let's just be friends, okay?"
As a deity, Hestia showed no divine arrogance whatsoever.
"Why help me?"
Ais tilted her head in confusion, her golden hair gently swaying with her movement and sliding off her shoulders.
"Why? It's because in this world, we're kind of from the same hometown."
Hestia laughed twice: "After all, Takatsuki-kun and the others are from this world. Although I'm more familiar with Takatsuki-kun and them, as a distinction between worlds, I somehow feel a strange closeness to Wallenstein."
Ais also nodded.
"Me too."
Ais nodded slightly, then turned her back to Hestia, gently taking off her clothes to reveal her fair back.
"If you touch me inappropriately, I'll hit you."
"I won't touch you inappropriately! I'm not Loki, that pervert!"
Hestia didn't dwell on Ais's reflexive words, and gently pricked her finger.
The moment the blood dripped onto Ais's back, a clown pattern suddenly appeared, then quickly transformed into the pattern of a sacred flame.
"Alright, I see. Ais, I'll update your abilities for you. I don't know what your original abilities were, but I've copied them down. Ais, you can see for yourself."
"Mhm."
Hestia waved her hand, directly creating a blank piece of paper with divine power and gently covering Ais's back with it.
After arriving in this world, Hestia was freed from the restrictions of her seal, but she had no intention of directly using divine power to enable an easy mode.
"Alright."
Hestia handed Ais the paper with her abilities imprinted on it, and casually glanced at the unique skill listed.
Hmm, although it's special, it's completely incomparable to others. It's only slightly stronger than Bronya. Hestia can now use divine power, and she could forcibly raise the abilities of her Familia members, but she didn't do so because that would be like pulling up seedlings to help them grow.
"Thank you, Hestia."
"Well, we'll continue to spend a lot of time together in this world. We have no other connections here, so please take care of me from now on."
"Yes, please take care of me…"