The Holy Man of The Church Creek

13

Staring up at the dark and cloudless sky above, Xenovia crossed her arms as she leaned her back against a tree near the abandoned church.

It was a full moon tonight, the glow emitted from the planet illuminating the area.
Around her was Irina, Kiba, Issei, Koneko, and Saji Genshiro, a member of Sona Sitri's peerage. Aside from the three Devils from Rias Gremory's peerage that she somehow allowed herself to work with under Irina's persistence, Saji had come to help on his own volition.
This was the night that she and Irina were supposed to attempt to apprehend Valper Galilei, but somehow, it had evolved into a whole group of them: Two with the intention of completing a mission, one with the intent of revenge, and the others who were there just to help.
Xenovia above all did not wish for this plan to fail. She didn't know if she felt this strongly about it because of her own pride, or the fact that failing may mean Shirou's disappointment.
Ever since the time in the Dimensional Cross, her feelings towards Shirou had become complex. At first, she treated him as a stranger, and then a friend that became swayed by the prospect of a good meal. It was actually quite embarrassing as she thought back to it now, but his sincerity in his actions had gotten through to her. The actions that words can not express mean more than the movement of one's mouth. She had seen his resolve and character, and a seed had been planted within her that began to sprout from the moment she realized she may have had lost him because of her own actions.
Her feelings on the matter only became more complex upon hearing the words of her mother Griselda and how direct they were. Since then, she had tried to sort through her feelings at every waking moment; seeking Shirou out to see any developments on her end. However, because of her limited time spent with others, she was awkward with beating around the bush. Therefore, she was always quite forward.
She could still remember clearly about Shirou's expression when he asked her if he wanted to have a baby.
Her hands clasped shut as a happy smile seemed to come to her face despite the situation. Direct as she was, she would act as she wished, but at the discretion of her own guidance as God wills. To let God, take the wheel as one would say.
"Xenovia?" Irina called her out.
She schooled her expression before turning to her partner.
"It's almost time," Irina said.
She nodded in response and got herself ready.
"Don't slow us down," she gave a reminder to Kiba and the rest.
Although it was just a reminder, it sounded as if she was looking down on them. In any case, she hardly noticed it as she believed herself to be acting considerate by reminding them in the first place.
Kiba just nodded his head, not making much of a fuss.
It was because of her and Irina sharing their information that Kiba and the rest could follow, so they had no room to complain.
Ten minutes later, the group gradually moved forward towards the abandoned Church. By this time, Shirou must have had moved into the warehouse already.
Just as discussed prior, Xenovia would move in first towards the abandoned Church as the vanguard followed by Issei and Koneko while Saji, Kiba, and Irina brought up the rear.
"It's quiet," Issei spoke.
Saji looked at Issei warily. "You idiot, have you never watched a movie before? That line is bound to get us in trouble."
"We'll get into more trouble if the two you don't stop speaking," Xenovia chided from the front. "If any enemies are here, our talking will give our position away."
Both Kiba and Koneko nodded to her words. Being quiet was something quite prudent in the situation that they were in.
Slowly creeping forward, they soon arrived at the Church's entrance. In which case, she carefully positioned herself to push open the door with a slight bit of effort. With the door swinging open, the inside of the Church was illuminated by dim rays of moon light which filtered in from the stained-glass windows.
The interior of the place was a familiar sight to Issei and the rest, signs of battle still apparent from the broken alter and wooden benches.
However, what immediately caught their attention was the message painted in blood on the far wall that was almost illegible.
It read, 'Die Shitty Devils and Church Dogs!"
Almost as soon as they read it, a huge number of exorcists stepped out from the dark shadows wielding their swords of light. There were so many of them that they could easily fill the room, and it was clear that the majority of them had hidden within the basement of the church.
"Told you," Saji muttered to Issei who said nothing back.
"It matters not," she spoke confidently while throwing back her white cloak.
Stretching her arms out, two portals seemed to open from which two hilts originated from. Grasping them, she pulled out Durandal and Durandal X, holding them confidently in front of her. "None will live long under my attack," she spoke coldly.
As she got into a ready stance, Issei, Irina, and the rest readied themselves.
A red gauntlet appeared over Issei's arm, the Longinus class Sacred Gear, Boosted Gear. That gauntlet alone had the ability to double the user's physical and magical power every ten seconds. This ability was known widely even without Ayakoji's information.
Koneko donned a pair of fighting gloves while Irina wielded her sword. As for Saji, he used something that appeared similar to a hand brace that was on his hand.
It was a Sacred Gear, but the information Ayakoji had given did not delve into the abilities of Sona's peerage. Thus, she was unsure about Saji's abilities. Still, at least she wouldn't be facing it at the moment.
Upon the emergence of Durandal, the pressure the two swords were emitting was palpable. The only downside was the amount of stamina she had to use to wield them both.
"C-Charge!" The exorcists yelled, pushing back their apprehension.
After all, there were so many of them that there was no chance of failure.
It was a foolish mistake.
Durandal itself was a legendary sword that had the power to cleave mountains, let alone two of them.
With two slashes, an entire eighth of the exorcist's numbers seemed to just vanish. Not only were the remaining exorcists gawking, but so were Issei and Saji. It was only Koneko and Kiba who had complex expressions, probably due to the threat they would have to face had she been an enemy.
It was expected thought. Durandal wasn't called a legendary sword for nothing.
It was when she moved out of the church to allow herself more space that Issei and everyone else seemed to come out of their stupor.
Although the exorcists lost a number of their colleagues, they didn't even seem to have any thoughts of leaving. In fact, they continued to charge forward, submerging everyone in a human wave.
"Gah," Xenovia winced as she crossed swords with three to five people consecutively.
This limited her abilities as she needed time and concentration to fire off another strong swing of her swords.
Issei and the others were madly striking out in the crowd, but were still hard pressed due to the number of them present.
Cuts and bruises gradually began appearing on everyone; a particularly large one on her leg after a misstep.
Out of everyone though, Irina and Kiba seemed to be fairing the best as they had plenty of technique in their swordsmanship.
Dodging left, and the striking right, Irina's sword seemed to dance on the battlefield, capitalizing on the opponent's openings.
Irina panted as she pulled her sword from out of an exorcist and hastily used it to block another. However, her eyes widened when she realized that the exorcist she had just stabbed had grabbed onto her sword.
She swallowed, bracing herself for the coming attack.
Blood spurted into the air in an arc.
"Be careful," Kiba spoke as his image blurred away. Evidently, he had moved to help out both Issei and Koneko as their voices soon rang out in the chaos.
"We can't stay here," Koneko spoke up from her position in the crowd.
"Yeah, there's too many of them!" Issei quickly seconded.
Frowning at the suggestion, Xenovia still ended up agreeing in the end. After all, who knows what sort of traps may have had been planted in the area. It was better to relocate the battle at a place that was more reliable. "Fine," she agreed. "But where will we go?"
"Kuoh," Koneko spoke assuredly. "The President's there so we can also get help."
"But wouldn't she still be mad?" Issei asked hesitantly while punching out at an exorcist.
Koneko gave Issei a blank gaze that spoke of her incredulousness, forcing Issei's expression to stiffen as he realized how impractical he was being.
"If we've agreed on something," Xenovia spoke slowly. "Then perhaps it would be better to send someone in advance to at least warn them. Unlike you three, Irina and I belong to a different faction so it wouldn't be proper to suddenly barge into Devil territory."
"Isn't this faction thing going a bit over board in this kind of situation?" Saji asked.
"Yeah," Irina couldn't help but admit. Still, she did agree with one thing Xenovia said in that sentence. "It's still best though to inform Rias and Sona about what's happening."
Saji nodded his head. "It's best to send the fastest first then."
Fastest? Everyone's gazes turned to Kiba.
Furrowing his brows, Kiba eventually relented after taking down a few more exorcists. "Fine, I'll be going, but Koneko, take care of Issei."
"Hey, I can take care of myself!" Issei rebutted.
Kiba ignored him as he used the opening everyone provided to escape out of the encirclement. Everyone else used the same opening to make their escape while at the same time combating the pursuing exorcists.
True to common sense, Kiba's speed was indeed faster than everyone, his figure becoming small in the distance,
"They just don't let up do they," Xenovia stated, her arms madly swinging both of her swords and releasing arcs of piercing sword light. However, she couldn't unleash her full strength in fear of harming the innocents on their way through the streets towards Kuoh Academy.
Still, with each swing, two-to-three exorcists would fall. It was the same for Irina's case, but as her Holy Sword wasn't as strong as Durandal, she could only take down one at a time in her retreat.
The surprise to both Irina and Xenovia came in the form of the petite Koneko.
It only took one punch to send a man flying back at the others, disrupting the pursuers, and often leaving up to six people dazed by her strength.
As for Issei, the poor teenage boy was being held like a sac in the wind over Koneko's shoulder as he couldn't keep up with the pace.
Eventually, Kuoh Academy's school grounds appeared in sight.
Up ahead, she and Irina were able to see Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri already standing protectively at the front of Kuoh Academy's gates and beckoning them inside. Kiba who was faster than both Irina and herself had arrived first and had probably informed Rias and Sona of their arrival.
As they approached, balls of destruction and arcs of lighting continuously bombarded the pursuing exorcists in a wide area of effect.
Thus, the exorcists that had been persistently following them at this point had dwindled down to a measly few. No more than ten. Even then, those ten were already about to give out, collapsing one by one from their injuries and exhaustion.
Picking up their pace, She and Irina arrived within the Kuoh Academy's grounds. Subsequently, Sona Sitri gave a nod to Rias and began setting up a defensive barrier around the school as a precaution to prevent mayhem should the situation get out of hand and draw in innocents.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Sona," Rias spoke.
Sona nodded her head before dragging Saji off by the ear.
Xenovia watched this interaction between the two with amusement alongside Irina as she eased her breathing. Fighting through the number of exorcists like she had just had, the exhaustion was indeed not small.
"Take it easy for now you two. It should be safe here for the time being," Rias spoke gently. Rias then turned her attention towards the remaining people who dwindled into the Kuoh Academy's ground.
"Issei, Koneko," Rias called while crossing her arms. It was clear that she was far from pleased with their actions. "Instead of talking Kiba out of this, you instigate his actions further?"
The sound of Rias's voice was incredulous, so much so that it reminded her of how Shirou admonished her actions. Was it a thing for red-heads? Both Shirou and Rias had red hair.
She knew better than to ask despite her curiosity. Besides, this wasn't the time.
Having recovered somewhat, her gaze then landed on the approaching figures in the distance. Evidently, she wasn't the only one. Everyone else was too.
The admonishment Rias was giving Issei and Koneko was put on hold as Rias and Akeno glared at the two-people approaching.
One was a man familiar to Rias and her peerage. A silver-haired priest by the name of Freed Sellzen. It was this very priest who was also involved with the incident around Asia Argento. This made Issei's eyes to shine dangerously in his anger.
The other man was short and plump, possessing a kind face that was far from the truth. This man wore the respectable garb of a Priest, yet neither she nor Irina gave any form of respect. Only contempt.
The two figures were Freed Sellzen and Valper Galilei, they had arrived following the trail of fallen exorcists that originated from the abandoned Church.
"Kuoh Academy?" Valper observed, a glint appearing in his eyes.
However, Valper did not appear to elaborate further. Instead, Valper motioned for Freed to take action.
"You wished to test Excalibur did you not?" Valper goaded.
"No need to remind me boss. I'd happily use my Excalibur to kill these shitty Devils," Freed spoke brandishing the fused pieces of Excalibur in his hands.
It felt wrong watching Freed use such a legendary holy sword. Therefore, she couldn't help but act out.
"Are you sure you wouldn't end up like the rest?" Xenovia challenged, proud of her achievement of battling all the way to Kuoh, but inwardly she was wary of Valper's gaze locked onto her Durandals.
She pressed them closer to herself to shield them from Valper's probing gaze.
"Durandal," Valper mused.
She had no doubts that Valper would be able to identify the blade. Valper himself had once been a high member of the Church and his research was focused entirely on Holy Swords. What she was truly wary of was what the man would do should he realize what Durandal X was.
"Irina," she warned her partner seeing whose direction Freed was facing.
Irina nodded, getting herself in position. Her legs were spread apart, knees bent and face set in stone.
Disregarding about what she felt about Valper staring intently at Durandal X, she focused more on the coming danger. The fused Excalibur in Freed's hands may be just as strong as the combination of Destruction and Mimic on Shirou's person. However, she had her doubts as the combination of Destruction and Mimic that Shirou possessed was sheathed in a tight scabbard bound by seals. In Freed's case, the sword was already out in display.
A combination of Excalibur Nightmare, Excalibur Rapidly, and Excalibur Transparency, it was a combination of swords far surpassing the two in Shirou's possession. However, the presence it exuded could not match that of Shirou's.
It must be weaker, she concluded.
She sucked in a breath in preparation for battle.
"Freed Sellzen, prepare yourself," she spoke while holding the hilt of her blades in a reverse grip.
Knowing that she was about to face an enemy, it wasn't in her personality to allow the opponent the initiative. Rather, she would strike first.
Her feet planted into the ground, tremors travelling up her legs as she rocketed forth.
The wind whipped past her face, the biting cold enhancing the adrenaline she was feeling.
She was Xenovia Quarta. Daughter of Griselda, and member of the small Church by the creek.
She had never known defeat amongst her peers aside from one. She would not allow for another to surmount that record. This was the pride she had in her abilities.
"HAA!"
A mighty heave, a sudden twist as she used Durandal in her hand as a spring board. Like a bladed top, she swiftly rotated herself in the air and giving the impression of a saw blade as Holy beams of sword light erupted from both Durandal and Durandal X.
Freed's eyes widened, before he quickly side stepping to get out of the way.
Gravel exploded into the air from the sword's impact against the ground.
A quick turn of her head, and her eyes met up with Freed's.
Just by comparing Holy Swords alone, she would not fall short, but rather exceed the strength of an incomplete sword.
"HUA!" She exhaled reversing her grip on her Durandal to grip it in the correct order while planting it on the ground.
Clasping her hands, she used Durandal as leverage and immediately altered her momentum. Spinning herself around Durandal's hilt, her leg arched up in a heavy strike.
"Tch," Freed shifted his weight back, but her blow was too fast and unexpected.
It clipped Freed on the bottom of the chin and sent the man tumbling.
Pressing her advantage, Xenovia continued her pursuit.
However,
She clicked her tongue as the grating of her sword against another sent tremors travelling up and down her arm. Although her muscles were feeling strained as a result, she could hardly care when faced with the task of forcibly wiping off the leer on her opponent's face.
"What's wrong?" Freed questioned with a grin. "Jealous of my Excalibur? Or just surprised I could react to your movements?"
She didn't even bother to give the exorcist a response.
He was Freed Sellzen. A talent in the Church acknowledged as a true candidate to wield the shards of Holy Sword Excalibur.
Still, she smirked.
After all, she wasn't fighting alone.
A neutral face appeared in her line of vision. Blond hair lay tussled in the wind, a sword of demonic energy stabbing forth at Freed's back.
"You!" Freed barely had enough time to give a response.
Pushing back against her, Freed used the action to swing his blade at blinding speeds.
The ability of Excalibur Rapidly. A sword that grants both the wielder and the blade enhanced agility.
With it, Freed parried Kiba's attack while simultaneously parrying her own.
"What's wrong you shitty devils and devil lovers! Is that all you got?" Freed gloated.
"Irina!" Xenovia called.
"On it," Irina replied back.
"!"
Xenovia stared at Freed's face coldly as Irina appeared from out of nowhere, stabbing forth with her sword.
"You talk too much," was all that Xenovia said while she pushed Freed into Irina's sword's path.
With a squelching noise, Irina's sword stabbed through Freed's heart.
However, something was wrong. Freed was smiling.
"Fools,"
As the voice entered her ears, she saw spurts of blood appearing over Kiba's and Irina's backs. An instant later, she felt a stinging sensation on her own.
Damn it.
This was Excalibur Nightmare. It had to be. The sword that allows the wielder to cast illusions and manipulate dreams.
Then the man that they were attacking now, it was an illusion?
This was proven true when the stabbed Freed in front of them dissolved away.
Staggering on her feet, she moved to support Irina as Issei and Koneko supported Kiba.
Moments later, Freed appeared from out of thin air through the use of Excalibur Transparency. The sword that allows the blade and its wielder to become invisible.
Although she was loath to admit it, this battle was going to be difficult. It wasn't that she lacked the power to end it, but the enemy was just too versatile. If Freed had access to Excalibur Destruction and Mimicry, just how much more powerful would this mad man be?
"Weak," Freed gloated. "Hm?"
A ball of destruction followed by an arc of lightning sailed just past Freed's head at that moment.
"You missed President," Akeno Himeji admonished.
"Weren't you the same?" Rias asked irritably.
"Well no," Akeno said. "I made sure to aim for his ear, see?"
"Akeno, you, at a time like this?" Rias shook her head.
"That's precisely why," Akeno nodded before turning her attention to Kiba. "Are you alright Kiba?" She asked.
"More or less," Kiba groaned.
"How about you two?" Issei asked.
"I'll live," she muttered out while wincing.
"I'm fine, thanks Issei," Irina said. "It's just that this is going to be troublesome."
"Prepare yourself, he's coming," she spoke swiftly.
Her blade immediately locked with Freeds as she accurately predicted where the man was going to strike. Shifting her weight, she played in to her opponent's heavy swings, and twisted around her arm to position Durandal X for a piercing strike.
Between Durandal and Durandal X, Durandal X was sleeker and lighter, allowing for swifter blows. Her new fighting style was a dynamic between heavy and fast attacks to confuse her enemies and catch them off guard.
This being the case, she was confident that she could gain the advantage, and that was with the constant cover fire from Rias and Akeno limiting Freed's movements. Things became even bleaker for Freed when Kiba and Irina joined in.
"Fuck off!" Freed yelled, before turning invisible.
"Watch out!" Rias called to her peerage.
Koneko had moved to stand defensively in front of Rias while Xenovia and the rest maintained their guards.
It was due to Xenovia's training though that she sensed it.
Although Freed was invisible, she could still hear the sound of his footfalls. That and she could observe the layers of displaced material on the ground.
Judging from the direction Freed was headed and the speed he was moving at, then,
Damn it.
She pushed Irina aside and rose up her blades to meet up with Freed's descending Excalibur. However, because of Excalibur Transparency ability, she had failed to accurately read Freed's trajectory.
The blade as it was now, was primed to strike at her face instead of stab at her body.
Irina's eyes widened in horror, but she understood why Xenovia had pushed her out of the way. Xenovia had predicted the strike coming, so even though she may not know the trajectory, she had a better chance at surviving than someone who was completely unaware.
"Die!" Freed yelled.
-!
BoooooM!
What?
Everyone just seemed to freeze for a split second, long enough to glance with their eyes.
It was a red streak in the night, a blip so fast it cold barely be seen if not for the shockwave that accompanied it.
The hairs on the back of their necks stood on end, a crushing feeling boring down on their shoulders that made everyone's movements sluggish.
It was almost as if time had slowed down while looking at the approaching fiery red dart; a hazy shadow manifesting from the magical energy exuding from the projectile and taking form.
Fur rising malevolently, and slanted red pupils narrowed, a sleek black hound seemed to rise up from an abyss. Snarling and drooling, gobs of silvery saliva dribbled down from its opened maw that was poised for attack.
Goosebumps ran across her body, and she could feel the very air around her seeming to compress with ill intentions.
There were no doubts in her mind.
This was a legendary demonic sword.
And an instant later, she knew that she had escaped with her life.
An enormous gale force swept her off of her feet and onto her bottom as the red streak zipped past her inches away from her body.
"Ah?"
The noise was almost inconceivable when it entered her ears; the sheer disbelief in it attributing to the fact that the voice's owner had yet to face the situation he was in.
Freed Sellzen still stood standing where he once was, his right sword arm gone as if mauled away by a vicious dog. Pieces of bone could be seen visible from the unceasing and pulsating spouts of blood that spewed from the wound.
However, there was significance in the fact that Freed had lost that arm. It was the very arm poised to strike at her.
This was not lost to her as the scene of Freed attempting to strike her down moments before played in her mind. The attack was aimed to separate her from Freed.
The silence that followed was stifling, everyone's eyes still following behind that quickly disappearing trail of crimson in the sky.
Valper Galilei's mouth was opened in disbelief as Kiba suddenly began to madly laugh at the unforeseen development.
Even Rias and her peerage were shell shocked. It was just so sudden.
Irina began to shakily shuffle to her feet from her position behind her. She quickly followed suit, pulling herself up to her feet by using Durandal as a crutch to haul herself up.
"W-What just happened?" There was a quiver in Irina's voice, but she couldn't blame her.
If she didn't compose herself before she spoke, then she was sure that her voice would have had been no different.
"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "It was too fast to make anything of it."
"AAAGGH!" Freed finally screamed, the pain registering within his head. "Fuck fuck FUCK!"
The exorcist continued to curse, a feral gleam in his eyes that only intensified as he used his remaining arm to grip tightly onto his merged fragments of Excalibur.
She tensed while seeing this, grasping her swords with one hand each in preparation for an attack.
However, that sudden feeling of pressure boring down on her shoulders returned. This time, doubled.
O God.
Two streaks sailed up in the sky; one circumnavigating around its path to veer its point back at its target, and the other quickly approaching like an unstoppable arrow.
Like a pack of dogs, where there is one, there are others.
"Freed!" Valper immediately began to warn, but the speed of the attacks was just too great.
As they approached, that initial image of a hound charging, gradually shifted into the blurry figure of a man that caused Rias's to gawk in apparent incredulity. "T-That's!"
Sing, for the cometh of his arrival.
The slayer of beasts and the hero of the hall of Heorot.
Praise Beowulf, warrior of King Hygelac.
"Oh, for fuck's sa-"
"-Ghh!"
One moment Freed was just standing there, then in the next, she had to shield her eyes at the instant of the impact of the two attacks striking both Freed's upper and lower body at the same time.
And then, and then the exorcist was gone; a shower of gore leaving behind the fused pieces of Excalibur lodged into the ground.
Valper fell onto the ground; desperately backing away and looking fearfully up at the clouds above for any traces of that damned red.
Kiba only laughed harder, taking the time to walk up to the fused pieces of Excalibur.
"Everyone," Kiba muttered lowly, but she was trained enough to hear it. "Here and now, I will avenge you."
A sword appeared in his hands, stainless, and sleek, it emitted an aura of demonic energy.
"Kiba!" She couldn't help but call. After all, she had an inkling about Kiba's intentions.
Before when Kiba had tried to destroy Durandal he had failed due Durandal's peerless nature. Even if the fused pieces of Excalibur weren't Durandal, it was still a legendary Holy Sword. A mere demonic blade, no matter how powerful, would not be able to break it. Only something as absurd as the explosive strength contained within a combination between opposing powers would have any hope of succeeding.
Sure enough, when Kiba's sword struck the fused pieces of Excalibur, the result was a dent in his own sword.
Kiba froze, before yelling in anger as he swung relentlessly. However, no matter how hard he tried, the result always remained the same.
Falling down on to his knees, the demonic sword he had crafted in ruins, Kiba punched the ground.
"Why!" He yelled in sorrow. "Why won't it break!"
Valper began laughing, his shoulders vibrating up and down. "Excalibur is a Holy Sword. It is not something that can be so easily destroyed!"
Far from the panicked state Valper seemed to be in before, the man now appeared relaxed as those red streaks had yet to return in the duration of time.
However, this was odd in her eyes.
Freed Sellzen had been defeated, meaning that the only person defending Valper was gone. The other exorcists Valper had brought had already been dealt with in the location of the abandoned Church and on the way to Kuoh.
Therefore, where was Valper drawing his confidence from?
She nudged Irina by her side to alert her of her observations, but Irina didn't seem to notice as she was too busy staring at Issei who had walked up to Kiba's side to console.
She let out a loud sigh.
Irina should have had known better than to divide her attention in such a tense situation. Heck, Irina should have had been trained for it. However, it appeared that training was useless in the face of emotions.
She couldn't have had understood it before, but now, she had changed and could understand to a degree. Thus, she could only sigh.
Still, that didn't mean that her attention had left Valper.
The man was standing now, his expression carefree.
She understood why at the next moment.
"Valper," a deep voice penetrated the tense atmosphere.
Valper seemed to know who it was.
"Kokabiel," Valper greeted.
Upon hearing the name, no one present could dismiss it.
Kokabiel, the Angel of the Stars, and a prime leader of the Fallen Angel's Faction.
He was a young man with black hair, and pointed ears. A black rob was adorned on his person; a gold mantle hung from his shoulders that fluttered in the wind generated from the five pairs of black wings on his back.
A High Angel.
And a Fallen one too.
Behind Kokabeil's back, was a small legion of Fallen Angels.
She felt a shudder travel down her spine as she saw this. There was just too many of them to handle.
Yet, Kokabiel didn't even so much as pay attention to her or the rest. Instead, after having given a passing remark to Valper, the Fallen Angel was staring out into the distance with a hard eye.
"How unexpected," Kokabiel muttered, furrowing his brows which only further pronounced his high cheek bones. "Regardless, it suddenly disappeared?"
Continuing to mutter to himself, Kokabiel then turned his attention towards Rias.
"Rias Gremory," Kokabiel said slowly. "I hope your brother is doing well."
Rias grimaced and maintained silence, but that didn't mean that Kokabiel would cease talking. Indeed, this was the case.
"By now you should understand why I'm here, do you not? Even if you don't, it hardly matters as the Sitri heir should completely understand it by now," Kokabiel said.
Sona Sitri walked up next to Rias with her peerage behind her, and then stared evenly at Kokabiel.
"You wish to restart the War between the Factions," Sona stated. "Everything became clear the moment Kuoh Academy became the battle ground. The missing Excalibur pieces were just a spur of the moment. An interest that could serve as your entertainment. The true purpose was us, was it not?"
Kokabiel grinned. "Indeed. No matter the means and who instigated it, the result is what will prove vital. Will Sirzech Lucifer and Serafall Leviathan care about anything else in their anger? Their two younger sisters were killed by an opposing faction. War would start anew."
Rias's eyes widened. "You're crazy," she said.
"Crazy? No. The ones who are crazy are those cowards who stopped the war moments before a decisive victory. I'm only setting the beaten path straight," Kokabiel crossed his arms.
"The Church won't let this go," Irina said justly.
She herself followed up soon after wards.
Kokabiel didn't even seem to care. Ignoring her and Irina's remarks entirely. That was until Kokabiel's gaze landed squarely on her in disappointment.
"To think I worried over such a thing and brought along a few of my fallen brethren," Kokabiel's lip curled into a sneer. "I could recognize that aura anywhere. Durandal the Peerless sword. Unfortunately, you are not at Vasco Strada's level. Hardly better than a lion without a bite. You will not be able to corner me as that man once had. Although that other sword of yours has garnered quite a bit of my curiosity. However, it's still trivial in the hands of an owner who doesn't know how to use it."
She pursed her lips in response. Vasco Strada was the previous wielder of Durandal and the closest wielder to match the prestige of the Paladin Roland of Charlemagne. To reach that level, she still had a long way to go.
"Still, who would have expected that this precaution of mine would come to use. Someone worth my attention has been helping you." Saying that, Kokabiel once again scanned far into the distance, but didn't spot anything.
Kokabiel clicked his tongue before ordering a few Fallen Angels to search the area. However, this action would soon prove useless as the person in question was quickly making his way to the academy, a Holy Aura gradually building and expanding from the gentle movements of a necklace.
Kokabiel's attention then focused back onto her and the rest.
"Kokabiel, what should be done now?" Valper asked for instruction, still eying the merged pieces of Excalibur near Kiba.
"Hmm," Kokabiel hummed, not saying anything much. Instead, he appeared to be enjoying the scene of Kiba hunched down over the ground.
Kiba had been that way ever since he had still failed to shatter the merged pieces of Excalibur.
"God have mercy," she heard Asia Argento say from her position by Irina. Those words were probably spoken in consolation to the friends Kiba had lost and was still mourning for. The voice was accompanied by a moan of pain, but it seemed to draw Kokabiel's attention.
"God?" Kakabiel spoke irritably, seeming to recall something unpleasant. "Let me tell you ignorant fools why it is I consider my fellow Fallen leaders cowards. We were at our prime, the war would have been ours! The Four Great Satans had perished, and even God himself was no better."
"Y-You lie!" She immediately rebuked. What Kokabiel just insinuated, she would never believe it.
Kokabiel didn't seem to care about her response, caught up in his own indignation.
"We would have won. The other Factions had lost their strongest leaders, but we Fallen; we had not! Victory was at hand. So, what if we lost more of our numbers!?"
Kokabiel's hands balled into fists, but soon his expression returned to normal, but it was clear that his anger had not yet passed. An outlet was needed.
"Boy," Kokabiel said towards Kiba. "You lived while your friends died. Let me ask you, where have they gone now? To a kingdom without its King? It would be hard for souls to ascend to the Kingdom above without God's guidance. Even now those friends of yours may still be enduring torment."
Kokabiel was rubbing salt into a bitter wound.
Rias was incensed beyond belief.
Yet she couldn't stop the impact those words had on Kiba.
"Shut up!" Issei yelled from his position by Kiba.
However, it was already too late.
Kiba's shoulders sagged, the grief on his face evident for all to see.
She herself stared pitifully at Kiba knowing just what the guy had gone through.
"You're wrong," a voice spoke up. Light sounding and compassionate, it seemed to ward away the creeping dark.
"God can't be dead," Asia Argento strode forward, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. "The souls in torment that you have spoken of surely have already obtained salvation."
"Amen," Irina spoke, doing a quick sign of the cross.
The power of the Heavens stems partly from the belief of the people. And that faith and earnest intention resounded at that moment.
Glory be his name.
To the power of the Kingdom above.
Deliver us from evil.
Her hands too formed the sign of the cross. Three maidens stood standing, in the face of accusation, all for the sake of another.
A steady stream of the feelings of the devote.
There was no way that a certain necklace would dismiss them as it approached with its owner.
Blessed it is are those who believe yet do not see.
A sudden heaviness engulfed the surroundings, causing the night to unexpectedly glimmer as if everyone had entered a dream like state.
At this moment,
A hand reached out to Kiba.
Small, and gentle, Kiba appeared as if a thunder bolt had struck him, his body shuddering violently.
It was a little child, but this child was ethereal. Floating in the air, there was a sort of gentleness in her presence that became all the more apparent as this specter maneuvered itself to cradle Kiba's face with her palms.
Xenovia didn't know when, but Kiba had started sobbing, nestling his head onto the specter's shoulder.
However, this wasn't for long.
Under everyone's gaze, a wry smile appeared on the specter's face before she moved her hands away from Kiba and clasped them behind her back while slowly backing away.
It was as if it were a butterfly dancing in the night. Carefree and uncaring about any worldly troubles.
Swaying back and forth, it lingered within everyone's views, a child playfully dancing and disappearing towards the sudden brilliance that appeared to their left.
Flecks of light, as if playing tricks on the eyes.
This was her initial thought as she absently rubbed at them.
Yet truly they were not. It was there. It was visible.
Soft and dim, fuzzy yet bright.
When words can no longer explain the inexplicable, he who walks the path of the just is the one acknowledged as a prophet.
Step by step, she had no doubts as to who was approaching; the presence unmistakable as her blood began to pump in excitement.
With a word, the birds sing.
With an action, the world quakes in reverence.
"N-No! It can't be?!"
Kokabiel's expression stiffened till the point it was as if he had become a statue; his arms were protectively shielding in front of him and trembling with each passing moment.
That reaction wasn't odd though. All around her, similar expressions could be seen from Rias and the others, and yet all she could feel at this moment was a tender warmth. The kind she had only ever felt in the arms of her mother.
The swords in her hands dropped, erecting themselves on the ground; pillars of resplendent Holy light reaching forth towards the clouds, twisting and swirling, a path to the heavens.
"M-Michael T-THIS!?
Sinners and sin, death and redemption.
It is the choices one makes that dictates the result.
The honest man's actions, a mere reflection of the intentions hidden within.
For there is good in people.
A purpose in being saved.
A hope in a dream and a desire to save all.
"Xenovia, Irina, sorry I'm late."
The sound of a voice entered her ears, yet she could hardly pay attention to it.
Because, looking at it now, she was certain, but,
It appeared as if Shirou could not see what she could see as he approached.
An aura manifesting the image of the Holy Cross: the sacred symbol of the Church emblazoned in a coat of flickering iridescent mist. Tendrils of lightning like energy twisted and writhed on the wooden surface; a crown of thorns lay hung and slanted over a single word: INRI.
Hail Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.
A motif of the Heavenly Palace.
The Battle Standard of the Holy Faction of the Great War.
Thanks for Reading! and thanks to newest Patron: Ben K.
P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious
Next Update: Will be known by Thursday