1447, London - Part 2

When I look back now, I don't regret being throw in the middle of a war. It allowed me to grow as a person, see the terrible things that happen in war and the consequences of my actions.

After leaving Jeanne, it took me a month to learn the teleportation spell. All it took was finding a devil. Yes, I had my first battle with a devil two weeks in my travels and I must say I was disappointed. When I met him, he was having fun with an unwilling woman in the middle of the road with bodies scattered through the ground.

It took less than thirty seconds to beat him up, ten seconds to memorize the feel of his magic when he tried to teleport away and all but a second to kill him. Next, I took care of the woman, helped her get back to her village. After fumbling around for a couple of hours I was able to change her perception of what happened during the attack. Yes, her companions died but so did the person who attacked them and she was never touched.

Small mercy, perhaps but there wasn't much a could do. But thanks to this incident I learned two new magics, teleportation and hypnosis. Yes, hypnosis because I couldn't erase her memories only rework on them to make her think that something other than the truth happened.

I continued my travels, studying and helping when I could. After half a year of going around, I went back to my cabin in Chinon, reinforced the bounded fields and led a peaceful life.

It went like that until May 1431. I was bathing in a nearby river contemplating the fact not only my appearance changed to look like a mix of Solomons' with the tanned skin and long blue hair but also that I looked younger by more than a decade. If someone saw me and didn't question my hair color I would appear to be twenty years old. It must be a side effect of regaining my memories.

I was just going back to my cabin when I felt it. The magic used on Jeanne's cross activated and in my mind I saw her being escorted to the pyre. That wasn't going to happen.

I raced back to my modest home, took my modified staff that now looked more like a spear than a stick with a ball at the top like the original and as the silver-colored magic circle bloomed in my feet I disappeared.

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Perhaps I am a fool. Throwing everything aside, the peaceful life I could have if only I ignored the pleas for help, if only I ignored the laments of my Lord as the atrocities of war continued. I didn't and the moment I took off to help I knew that there was no going back.

I knew that I would surely be scorned by the masses of both enemies and allies alike, considering their beliefs in the church's guidelines for proper behavior in women. I knew and still, I went for battle with no regrets. The only sadness I have now is that I will not be able to keep my promise of meeting Damon again.

Damon, the man who came out of nowhere. The man with an insatiable curiosity. The man who fought alongside me and helped so much on the war. The man the magic. The man that seemed so wise at times and so childish at others. The man who became my best friend and if I had a future perhaps would be so much more.

As I walked to the pyre, besides my prayers to the Lord, the only thing in my mind as I look at the silver cross on my hands was what happened to him. Was he safe? I hopped so. Was he happy? I wished he was.

As I was tied to the cross on the pyre, besides my prayers to the Lord and over the accusations of the English priest, the only thing that came out of my mouth was an apology.

"I'm sorry, Damon. It seems we won't meet again."

And as I closed my eyes, ready to return to the Lord, I heard the voice of the man that became my friend.

"Why is that? I'm here, am I not?"

I looked up to his face and saw the face of the one person I least expected to see. For it was not the face I recognized as Damon's but that gave me the same feeling nonetheless.

"Come, Jeanne, come explore this world with me." He spoke, a gentle smile gracing his face, eyes showing how relieved and happy he was at the moment.

My hands were no longer tied and for some reason, no one seemed to notice us as the priest continued his accusations and tossed the torch on the pyre. As the fire exploded behind me I took the inviting hand of the man that came to my rescue.

"I would love to."

Holding his hand I could help but notice they were bigger than mine and while we disappeared in a flash of silver, I thanked the Lord and thought to myself that yes, he will be so much more.

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After saving Jeanne, I took both of us back to my cabin. It was the first time I saw her cry.

A week after that rescue mission, Jeanne asked me why I looked so different. I told her the truth, that I was the reincarnation of Solomon and as a side effect of recovering my memories my appearance changed.

I laughed at her shocked expression for I thought the action of dropped jaws and wide eyes only happened in animes. I led her to meet the Djinns' and was surprised when one of them chose to serve Jeanne. Phenex must have seen my confusion, choosing Jeanne without a trial, for she answered me.

"I'm the Djinn of Kindness and Mediation and through you I know her history. That's enough a reason."

After explaining who and what the Djinns' were and what being a King's Vessel meant, Jeanne accepted. I started training her in wielding her new power, what abilities her Djinn had and what could she create with her magic now.

That's something a noticed after Jeanne bounded with Phenex. She could now use magic if said magic aligned with Phenex's affinity, Life. And so I had a new field of study, translate spells that could fall into that category to the DxD magic system. It was so fun.

Life went like that for three months when I decided it was the time to tell Jeanne about God's death. She was desolated, questioning for the first time her decisions. It took me a week to make her remember why she went to war, why she followed God in the first place.

Because even if God is dead, His teachings are not and as long as she followed then with her faith, everything would fall into place.

So the years went by. Jeanne and I became a couple after I noticed that she too wasn't aging. It's difficult not to love such an incredible woman after spending five years together and the only reason it took so much time for me to confess was my fear that I would outlive her. When I noticed she wasn't getting any older, a side effect of how mana seems to change human biology and being bonded to Phenex, I told Jeanne that I loved her and her only response was why I took so long to confess.

That was eleven years ago. In this time I studied so much magic, translated so many spells that I'm confident that I could if not injury at leat escape an ultimate level being. As for my beloved, even though she has some offensive spells she choose to specialize in support magic and really, with Phenex by her side, the encyclopedia worth of Life support spells and the full-body Djinn equip, she and anyone that she sees as an ally are damn near-immortal. It's difficult to kill someone who can regenerate and heal almost anything in seconds.

Right at this moment, we are in London walking through the streets hand in hand with casual clothes, taking in the sights under the cloudy sky. Did I ever tell how beautiful she is? Because I don't have words to describe. She has that otherworldly beauty, not cute or super sexy but that simple ethereal beauty that at first glance you would think she was an Angel.

"Why are you staring so much?" Her cheeks a little red at being stared at what I would think is my dazed expression.

"You, of course. I still don't know how could I be so lucky."

Her laugh was music to my ears and while she lightly slapped my shoulder all I could think was how incredible my life was.

We continued our walk back home, because yes, we did have a house of our own. A simple two rooms, a kitchen, living room, and a bathroom that we built a couple of kilometers outside London. Built entirely of wood and held together by enchants and runes. The area one kilometer around the house was warded, making it difficult for anyone to get inside my property unless they were a magician more skilled than me in bounded fields. Considering that I'm using the ones I created with the knowledge of the Nasuverse I would say that it's damn near impossible.

"Damon, did you finish your project? I really want to see what you did to my banner." A visibly excited Jeanne asks me.

"I think it will be finished by the end of the month. You will see, Jeanne, your banner will be incredible."

Yes, it's exactly what you are thinking. I'm recreating the Noble Phantasm of Ruler, Jeanne d'Arc, Luminosité Eternelle.