Asia's life had been full of hardship.
Born in Europe, she was abandoned by her parents the moment she entered the world, left at the gates of a convent and taken in by the nuns.
In this world, God exists as part of the supernatural. So while the Church is not without its darkness, it undeniably stands on humanity's side and represents justice.
Putting aside the fact that they forcibly entered other pantheons' territories to preach, declared themselves the one true faith, and labeled other gods as heretics.
At the very least, influenced by the Biblical God Faction's love for humanity, the Angels under Him genuinely believe it is their duty to guide and protect mankind.
In short, while there are certainly individuals within the Church who harbor ugly desires, most are kind, especially the nuns in Europe, the Church's stronghold, who are recognized by the Church and run convents of their own.
Like many abandoned children, Asia grew up under the care of those nuns.
Having been raised entirely within the convent, her faith was extremely devout. She strictly followed the teachings of the Church.
Perhaps her kind heart caught the attention of Heaven's system. When she was eight years old, a mysterious power took root within her.
Since she was in the Church's core territory, it didn't take long for that power to be discovered. When she used it to heal an injured puppy, she was seen by Church officials.
She was taken to the Church headquarters, where the higher-ups told her the truth about that power.
It was a gift created by God and bestowed upon humanity.
A Sacred Gear with healing abilities, "Twilight Healing."
From then on, the Church had her heal the illnesses, pain, and suffering of believers who came seeking help, calling it divine protection.
Word spread quickly.
One person told another, then another, and soon her name was known everywhere.
Her life changed completely.
From an abandoned orphan no one cared about, she became the Church's "Saintess."
At first, Asia was happy about this change.
Not because of the status or privileges she gained, but because her power could finally help others.
But as time passed, she began to feel lonely.
The ugliness of human nature exists everywhere.
Because of her exceptional position, and because she wasn't good at building relationships, the moment she became the Saintess, she was quietly isolated by those around her.
They didn't bully her, nor did they have the heart to.
But even that was enough to hurt her.
She couldn't understand why the other girls her age refused to get close to her or befriend her.
The reason was simple.
Jealousy.
They envied the special treatment she received.
Asia, who was treasured by the Church's higher-ups, knew her living conditions were different from everyone else's in every way.
The nuns at headquarters had all gone through harsh training at their original convents before being chosen to come here and compete for the title of Saintess.
But Asia…
They were all outstanding, and none of them were bad people.
Yet they still couldn't accept her.
Because in their eyes, they had worked tirelessly to reach this place, while Asia had become the Saintess simply because she possessed a Sacred Gear granted by God.
To them, it felt like cheating.
They knew this way of thinking wasn't fair.
But they were still human.
Even knowing it was wrong, they couldn't help but feel uneasy around her.
It's okay, Asia. You just didn't do well enough this time. Try harder next time. You'll definitely become friends with them.
Even after being treated like this, she never blamed anyone.
She only encouraged herself.
If things had continued like that, she might have eventually made friends through her own efforts.
But before that day could come, her life changed once again.
She healed a wounded Devil who appeared before her.
It might sound unbelievable that a Devil could appear in the Church's headquarters, be healed by the Saintess, and then leave unharmed.
But it really happened.
The Church officials witnessed the Saintess healing a Devil. A nun who could heal Devils would naturally be labeled a "Witch."
Although Asia was a devout believer, she was still expelled from the Church. After many twists and turns, she was eventually taken in by a stray exorcist organization in the Far East known as the "Fallen Angels."
Even though she knew they had taken her in because of her healing ability and intended to use her, Asia still felt grateful toward them. For someone like her, who had no means of survival, wandering outside was no different from waiting to die.
Sadly, that sense of having a home only lasted a little over ten days.
It wasn't until she was nailed to a cross in a basement by the very Fallen Angels who had taken her in that she learned the truth.
What they wanted was not her, but her Sacred Gear, "Twilight Healing."
They had already developed the means to forcibly extract a Sacred Gear from its wielder and transfer it to themselves.
As for what would happen to the original wielder after losing it?
They would probably die.
Asia was, by nature, a gentle and kind person. Even after being betrayed a second time, she never once thought of hating anyone. In her heart, she blamed everything on herself.
During her time with the "Fallen Angels," even though she had never harmed anyone, she had witnessed with her own eyes how her companions used cruel methods against ordinary people. Because of that, she believed she bore guilt as well.
So when the time came, she offered no resistance.
And was killed by them.
Perhaps it was her instinct to survive, perhaps her unwavering faith, or perhaps simply fate.
As her consciousness faded, Asia offered what she believed would be her final prayer.
"Lord, please save me!"
When she was expelled from the Church, her prayers went unanswered.
When she wandered without a place to belong, her prayers went unanswered.
Even during the time she was taken in by the Fallen Angels, her prayers went unanswered.
That was only natural.
Because in her eyes, she had already been abandoned by her Lord.
But this time…
Perhaps it truly was a miracle.
Her prayer was answered.
"I heard you."
"Boom!"
A solemn and majestic voice echoed in her mind, followed by the deafening sound of the basement ceiling being blasted open.
Before losing consciousness, the last thing Asia saw was a man clad in black, wearing a half-mask, with a confident smile on his face.
When she woke up again, her body had been restored, and her Sacred Gear had returned.
But that man was gone.
"Find your savior, and repay him."
That thought suddenly appeared in her mind, and she followed it without hesitation.
And now, the man standing before her wore the same smile he had that night.
"Who told you that you're useless?"