Warnings and Treatment

"Lady Arianna."

"Good afternoon, Lady Arianna."

Angel and Klein both straightened up and bowed respectfully. Compared with the Goddess Shadow, who knew Arianna better, Klein still used the form of address customary within the Church, calling this angel who walked the earth "Your Highness."

"You may address me as Madam, just as Miss Angel does."

The Beyonder whose standing in the Church of Evernight was second only to the Pope corrected him matter-of-factly. Then she approached the coffee table where the two had been seated and looked at the translucent Worm of Time curled up on it.

Seeing this, Angel pointed at the little worm left behind by Amon's Avatar and said:

"With the Concealment you provided, we have eliminated all of Amon's Avatars in Backlund. Later, we will visit the victims Amon parasitized and retrieve more of these Worms of Time. You may select your share."

Angel had marked a full fifteen avatars on Douton Street, and Klein might have collected just as many Worms of Time. As an angel who had participated in the operation, Arianna could take more than half without either of them having any complaints.

But the lady with the detached gaze and calm expression merely nodded gently before saying:

"Each of you need only sacrifice two Worms of Time to the Goddess."

She did not even ask whether they knew the Sacrifice Ritual, as though she already knew the answer.

Only four Worms of Time. It seems this is merely a token payment. And we are to sacrifice them directly to the Goddess rather than hand them to Arianna. What does that mean...? As Angel pondered inwardly, her body responded naturally. She traced the shape of the Crimson Moon over her chest and said devoutly:

"Praise the Goddess."

The other two believers of the