The Holy Man of The Church Creek

17

Shirou could hardly believe what  happened next after that man's introduction, because Azazel completely ignored him in favour of walking past him to attempt to reconnect the T.V. to the power outlet.

The Angels immediately intervened.
"You perverse crow," a female Angel spoke, her cheeks flaring red at Azazel's actions. "T-To disregard the Lord for a T.V. set, have you no shame!"
The other Angels moved to restrain Azazel, but it was clear that their level of strength was magnitudes apart from Azazel as Azazel easily moved towards the T.V. with the Angels still clinging onto his person.
"Come now, brothers and sister, are you not curious too? Why then would you not use your Light to restrain me?" Azazel laughed as he shrugged off the Angels clinging to him.
The sole red faced female Angel couldn't even splutter out a response before she glared at her own brothers whose gazes refused to meet hers. Indeed, if they had just utilized their Light to enhance their abilities, then it was certain that several Angels would have had been able to subdue Azazel who hadn't been using any of his twelve-winged power at all.
"Shame on you all!" The female Angel spoke, balling her hands into fists as she very nearly stormed out of the room. However, she paused when she realized that Shirou was still there.
Eyes narrowing, she raised a hand and aimed it straight at the blue-ray player.
Azazel's eyes widened comically.
"No! To tarnish the work of a Genius, how cruel!" Azazel immediately lunged forward protectively in front of the player. Yet this action only increased the amount of light energy gathering in the female Angel's hands.
"At least let me make a copy," Azazel hastily spoke.
Yet unexpectedly, before the female Angel could act, the male Angels seemed to have come to an agreement and pinned the female Angel down.
"B-Brothers!" Azazel exclaimed in heart felt gratitude. "This debt, I will repay it on my life."
"Shut up!" The female Angel spoke before pouting at the other Angels blocking her. "What the hell is wrong with you all?!"
Stone faced, those Angels recited the words of the Father. "Treat others as you would treat yourself," they said. Although it was clear that they were feeling rather guilty as they couldn't meet her eyes.
However, their words were true, and knowing that Shirou was looking at her, the female Angel felt flustered. Indeed, the Lord had once said to treat others as you would treat yourself, and destroying someone else's property was surely a violation. Especially if she considered Michael's words about who Shirou was.
The Light in the female Angel's hands died down before she reluctantly crossed her arms and leaned her back against a wall, a peeved expression over her face.
Shirou considered this as he walked up to Azazel who had just finished copying the video. Azazel then placed all his attention on Shirou.
"Well, that was a little embarrassing, but I'm sure you should understand," Azazel said grinning while suggestively moving his eyebrows.
Shirou's expression was not amused. He had enough of such expressions from Ayakoji, and to see something so similar from Azazel was eerily disturbing.
"Did you need something?" He eventually asked when he lead Azazel to speak privately at one of the guest rooms. Keeping the Angels near the man was surely a bad idea with the way they were already. "I wouldn't think that someone calling themselves a Governor General would just spontaneously come looking for me without a motive."
Azazel nodded his head.
"That's for certain," Azazel said.
The man then fell quiet as he watched Shirou pour the two of them each a cup of tea to drink before sitting across from him on the small center table at the middle of the room.
"So?" Shirou inquired, straightening his back while keeping his vigilance towards Azazel.
"As you may know, there's a peace conference to be held in Kuoh in a couple days time. I just happen to be the one out of the three factions that had proposed such a thing," Azazel said wearily.
Shirou listened silently, and waited for Azazel to continue after the man emptied his cup of tea.
"Fallen Angels, surely you know how they become that way?" Azazel began in a small tone.
From what Shirou knew, Fallen Angels were Angels that Fell because of their lust, greed, or other such emotion pulling them towards acting in a manor that they shouldn't. He then expressed this view to Azazel.
"Indeed," Azazel agreed. "Because of this, our numbers were always quite stagnant, as most Angels are steadfast and refuse to Fall. With the emergence of the War Between the Factions, a great majority of my brethren would never be able to enjoy a woman or man again. In simple terms, too much of us had died."
Azazel leaned backwards and used his hands to support his weight as he stared out towards the moonlit night through a window.
"Unlike the Angels and the Devils, it's hard for us Fallen to recuperate the numbers we've lost. As such, the brothers and sisters who've thrown their lives away over such a petty matter that I can hardly recall the cause of anymore, would only turn in their graves should our entire race die out. For such a means, an alliance to stop all this fighting is truly necessary. It was just that not everyone on my side could see it, Kokabiel being a prime example."
As soon as Azazel spoke Kokabiel's name, Shirou could easily see the thoughtful expression that crossed Azazel's face before he brushed it off with a small gesture.
"Therefore, this alliance must succeed," Azazel finished.
Shirou poured the man another cup of tea before resuming his position sitting across from Azazel.
"And what does that have to do with me?" He asked.
Azazel smiled. "It's quite simple really. It's because of what you are, and the importance that Micheal places on you. I could hardly believe he was still the same Angel when I saw him last. That perpetual slant of his brows was almost non-existent. Instead, it was replaced by a brilliance I had not seen in eons. Even if I'm a Fallen, that's still my brother you know? So, thanks on his behalf."
Shirou nodded, feeling the sincerity in Azazel's tone.
"In any case, any favour to you would immediately be a favour to Michael," Azazel grinned slyly, a small chuckle coming from his mouth. "Thereby increasing the odds of success of this alliance, though the Devils may need a little more convincing. Luckily. I've already made plans for that," Azazel said cryptically while flashing a Gremory calling card in front of Shirou. "I'm sure that I can win over this Issei Hyoudo some time soon."
"…I see," Shirou said. "And what exactly is it that you have in mind for me?"
Azazel shrugged his shoulders.
"As a show of good will from me, there's a place I'd like to take you sometime soon," Azazel said slowly after downing his cup of tea and it placing it back down. "I'm sure that Michael and Gabriel will agree, but for now I have a far more important question."
Azazel motioned for Shirou to come closer so the man could whisper into his ear.
Silently, Azazel whispered a chain of words into Shirou's ears that sounded the most serious the man had been all night. Azazel's expression grew even more restless when he pulled something from out of his pockets.
"Who was the Genius who made this video?"
Shirou did his best to repress the final memories of the previous night. After all, after the serious talk, Azazel became increasingly laid back to the point he found it prudent that he should implore his vast experience with the opposite gender towards Shirou. Nothing was missed in that lecture, and the majority of the content was how to please a woman. The worse part of it was just how seriously Azazel conveyed every word; not letting Shirou leave until he could recite each word back by heart much to the female Angel's appalment when she discovered what was going on and lost all her reservations.
He buried the memory at the back of his mind and slowly made his way to Kuoh for another day of school.
Only, he bumped into a person he hadn't seen in a couple days.
"Xenovia," he said in surprise, seeing the Kuoh Academy uniform she was wearing.
The Kuoh Academy's female blazer appeared tight over Xenovia's chest, and it only became even more apparent since the middle of the blazer was an open space in the chest area alone. It was sleeveless, and was white patterned with gold linings running up and down the fabric. With the way shoulders were padded, the general look made Shirou do a double-take just to verify that it was really Xenovia.
After all, the short skirt she wore revealed her pale long legs beneath which was in stark contrast to the white cloak she normally wore. Therefore, it was a novel sight.
"You became a student?" He said in bewilderment. As far as he knew, they weren't supposed to be staying in Kuoh for that long.
She nodded, revealing a dazzling smile.
Dimples formed on her face, and the way she looked at him made him feel self-conscious after thinking about her past actions. She wasn't able to smile like this before, let alone be as sociable as she was now. All things considered, it was a positive change. Now if only she would learn to be like this with other people.
Instead, she gave off a cold disposition whenever she met anyone new, and only her acquaintances could break it.
"It was a long, and difficult endeavor," Xenovia spoke off-handedly, matching her pace with his to stand by his side. "An achievement I do not wish to speak of at this moment. Instead, I only look forward to the reward."
Xenovia's lips thinned while speaking, her brows furrowing as she avoided the topic in monotone.
"Is that so," he said, dropping the matter before smiling. "What reward?"
Xenovia paused in her steps, staring hard at him as if he she couldn't understand why he had even asked that.
She then shook her head as a smile tugged on her lips. This was exactly how Shirou was.
"There is something of importance that I must admit," Xenovia began while placing a hand to her chest. "I have devoted my life and body in the name of the Lord, and although my faith had wavered, I still do. Therefore, I asked myself, what is it that's expected of me? To be reserved and compassionate like an ideal devote woman, or to be true to myself? The answer came to me after seeing you fight."
Xenovia nodded her head before making sure her gaze was locked with Shirou.
Detecting the seriousness of the matter, Shirou gave Xenovia all of his attention.
"I chose to be myself," Xenovia said after a long moment. "I had already asked this from Rias about what makes a Devil a Devil, but her definition is 'one who gives in to their desires and grants desires.' When she said so, I had resolved myself to be the ideal devote women, but then I remembered God accepts all. Thus, there is no such thing as an ideal devote woman."
Xenovia crossed her arms while an expression of knowing appeared in her eyes as if she had received enlightenment.
"Therefore, I alone will be the woman I decide to be, and as such, I have decided to follow what my heart tells me. I want to create life, to be a woman fulfilled. But I don't want that life to just be just any life. It has to be strong." Xenovia once again placed a hand on her chest as she spoke her true thoughts. "As unwilling as I am to say this, Issei Hyoudo, for example, would have had been a candidate because he possesses strong draconic characteristics. I would want that for my child. In the same way, you have characteristics that I would want for my child. Thus, my mother was right, I want your child."
She finished on a strong point, leaving Shrirou stunned. However, Shirou could clearly see that this meant a lot for Xenovia so he could only offer his encouragement. Yet, he avoided her gaze when she suggestively stared directly at him.
He found himself lucky that he was currently walking towards Kuoh and that it was still early in the morning. Otherwise, he wouldn't know what Xenovia would do.
In this case, she stayed directly by his side over the course of the entire walk. Mid-way, they met Irina who joined along in the little group.
However, the three would have to part as Shirou was registered in the third-year classes while both Xenovia and Irina were in the second-year classes. Coincidently, he was placed in the same class room as Rias and Sona who were both courteous to him, making his school life increasingly difficult.
After all, Rias and Sona were famous in Kuoh, and the fact that they were talking to him meant he had become the main target of envy; the other students swarming over him to ask questions about his relationship, causing him more than just a simple headache.
He could only shake his head continuously for the entirety of the day without much focus on whatever the teacher was instructing just to get by.
Thus, it wasn't until the end of the school day that Shirou met Xenovia and Irina again.
The sound of swords clanging together echoed out within an empty courtyard in Kuoh.
This courtyard was the place reserved by Heaven to train in while in Kuoh Academy.
No other students were around, and the courtyard was filled with fissures and crevasses caused by the sharp energies emitted from the swords in Shirou, Xenovia, and Irina's hands.
He let out a sigh as Xenovia utilized Irina's attack to lock him in a pincer.
"Your technique is still lacking," he spoke good naturedly, slipping away from his spot and allowing the Durandal in Xenovia's hands to crash uselessly into the ground. "Even then, you're too slow."
A crater was immediately formed along with a tower of Holy Energy from Xenovia's attack. Clicking her tongue, Xenovia twisted to swing out again.
Irina used this moment to attack. Using the momentum of the explosive energy Xenovia released, she instantly appeared in front of him, sword pointed forward.
Not expecting such a move, he was forced to block, the strike sending him back a couple steps before he called off the spar.
It wasn't like this before, Shirou stared down at his hands. After the fight with Kokabiel and the Fallen Angels, something about him had changed. To be more specific, it was the parameters of his body.
To be able to utilize reinforcement on himself, he had to understand his body's limits inherently. Otherwise there was always the risk of killing himself by bursting his blood vessels with too much energy.
Because of this, he was surprised to discover just how much more energy he could store into his body. It was perhaps more than just double the amount it used to be before, it was several times more.
To relate it, it would kind of resemble the way reincarnated Devils experienced a substantial increase to their base strengths. Issei for example may not have been strong enough to knock out an opponent when he was still human, but now he would have to severely hold himself back just to keep himself from killing them.
"You two are getting better," he complimented.
Xenovia just looked at him, and then back at her own sword, remaining silent.
"Was the difference between us always this big?" Irina complained. "I remember before at the Church that you were having trouble with Xenovia."
Xenovia looked up sharply at Shirou, but a thoughtfulness appeared in her eyes as she considered the strength Shirou had shown in the past battle.
"I'm not sure what happened really," Shirou said truthfully. The change in his body's capabilities was still something that he was pondering over. "Besides, this is a sparring match related to sword skill, not abilities."
Xenovia and Irina nodded their heads before Irina seemed to remember something.
"Hey, there's something I need to tell you guys," Irina said while the three of them took a break on the bench at the outermost part of the courtyard.
Both Shirou and Xenovia stared at her questioningly.
"I got a message from my Priest in the Church I originally came from before transferring. There's apparently a big event going on that we shouldn't miss out on!" Irina said with a finger raised. "In fact, it's so important that the event is being hosted by Heaven itself."
Xenovia's eyes sparkled with interest.
Shirou was less so, recalling his experiences with Church held events.
"I don't suppose I'd be allowed to pass right?" He tried to get out of it anyway.
Xenovia only thought he was being modest while Irina just stared at him dubiously.
"The legend of the Holy Sword Trials isn't going to participate?" Irina asked in a daze. "You won't believe how many of us from the Holy Sword Trials are only going just to see you participate against those in the Vatican."
L-Legend?
He dared not ask. In fact, he had an inkling that this legend was related to his breaking of Holy Artifacts one by one, and that wasn't something he wanted to think about.
Egged on by Irina, Xenovia was already envisioning the scene Irina was avidly describing until she looked his way and spoke out.
"I want to see it," she said determinedly, pulling herself closer to him to convey just how serious she was without seeing anything wrong in doing so.
However, because everyone had just finished sparring, there was a layer of sweat that glimmered just over top her skin. He didn't mind that though, it was that the fragrance coming off of her was just too alluring. You would think one would smell after getting in a good sweat, but with Irina and Xenovia, the two maintained the fragrance of mint or early morning dew.
"S-Sure," he spluttered out just to get some distance from her.
Irina watched the interaction in amusement, her goal achieved as she heard his words of acknowledgment.
"Anyway," he began, attempting to steer the conversation away. "How was your first day in Kuoh?" He asked Xenovia.
She had always been homeschooled, and as such had never actually been to a school.
"It's different, and I don't understand why people like to stare at me, or ask me where I come from, and even my hobbies." A troubled expression appeared on Xenovia's face as she answered while towling off her sweat. "Its all too confusing really. Am I even required to tell them my bust size?"
Irina gaze Xenovia an apologetic look as that question was thrown out by one of Issei's friends.
He, in response, had nothing to say about Xenovia's answer aside from incredulousness. It was clear that the other students just wanted to get to know her, but as for that last question; he would need to have a good talking with the individual. He felt obligated to intervene as Xenovia was his friend, and if she was taken advantage of because of her ignorance, he couldn't stay idle. He could only hope that Xenovia would adjust to these sorts of things sooner, but knowing her, it was quite possible.
"Shirou Emiya?" A voice suddenly sounded.
He, Irina, and Xenovia turned towards the speaker, a Kuoh Academy student with long black hair that reached down to her legs. This was Tsubaki Shinra, Sona Sitri's Queen. A young bespectacled woman with split bangs, and in the Kuoh Academy girls uniform.
"Yes, that's me," he said in confirmation.
Tsubaki gave him a once over and then opened her mouth to speak.
"You've been going around the school fixing things, right? Just yesterday the Tennis club said you'd fixed their cooler. I was wondering if you could help out with something in the Student Council room," Tsubaki admitted.
"Oh, I'd be glad to."
Helping others was something he didn't even have to think about.
Yet when he stood up to follow Tsubaki, he realized that he wasn't the only one to. Both Irina and Xenovia had as well. Somehow, the feeling he got was familiar to something that had already happened.
"I think I should be fine by myself," he said.
"Alone with another woman?" Xenovia said with a tilted head.
"Lord Michael said to always stay by your side," Irina said.
The two were insistent on coming, and he didn't have a reason to stop them. If they wanted to come with him, then there shouldn't be anything he could say to stop them. Yet, as fortune would have it, it was Tsubaki who spoke as she read from a magazine she pulled out from her bag.
"A loving woman would have the most faith in her man, having no doubts in him even if he was in the company of others. Whereas the stick-close kind of women are often rejected in the end," Tsubaki said aloud.
Xenovia froze, one of her hands grabbing onto Irina's. She glared at Tsubaki realizing what Tsubaki was insinuating.
"We're going," Xenovia spoke adamantly to Irina, dragging her off under heavy protest.
Meanwhile, he stared at the small smile that played on Tsubaki's lips, but didn't comment.
He really didn't feel like he had the energy to.
Entering the Student Council room, he saw Sona Sitri sitting alone in her desk at the opposite corner of the room. She was working on a stack of papers to her right and the gradual pace of her movements let him know just how long she may have had been at it.
Tsubaki closed the Student Council door behind him.
"It's the heater," Tsubaki explained. "For some reason it keeps turning on and warming up the room even with the sunny weather we've been having."
He nodded his head.
A heater. It's been a long time since he'd worked on one.
Greeting Sona, he moved over towards the heater Tsubaki specified and knelt down next to it. Placing a hand on its metal surface, he closed his eyes as he utilized Structural Analysis.
However, he didn't know that he was being watched in the process.
Both Sona and Tsubaki stared at him as he used his magic. Yet different to how others used magic, there was no magic circle involved when interface pattern like lines appeared over the entirety of the heater.
He focused himself, and quickly found the problem.
"There's been a short-circuit in one of the fuses in the back compartment," he explained. "I should be able to fix it if I move around a few wires, but I'd need a screw driver to open it. Something wrong?"
He asked, realizing that Tsubaki wasn't answering him.
When he turned to face her, she quickly complied with what he had said. Thus, he finished fixing the heater in a matter of moments after opening it up.
"If there's nothing else, then I'll be on my way," he said politely.
"Wait a moment if you will," Sona suddenly called.
He rose a brow, but he stayed behind to listen to whatever Sona had to say.
She beckoned him over to take a seat in one of the chairs directly facing her desk. Afterwards, she began talking while moving her stack of papers to the side.
"Even without my sister telling me, I can already speculate the importance you alone would have in this coming Peace Alliance," she began. "Therefore, I decided to talk to you today for a favour to speak up on behalf of us Devils that we too wish for peace," Sona said as she leaned her back on her seat.
Sona then raised a hand as he was going to reply, and elaborated further.
"I know you may say that it's convincing enough that two of the Four Great Satan's will be attending, but not all the Angels in Heaven will be swayed. You see, prejudice and grudges aren't something that can be so easily solved. Even if my sister and Serzechs were to attend, some Angels wouldn't see it as something significant."
Sona paused, a light shining in her spectacles.
"However, your words should change that; you who is regarded as the second coming of, he who watches down from the clouds," She explained. "This is important as even us Devils have grown weary from the war. The Seventy-Two Pillars, the Noble families of the underworld have already begun dwindling. More than half have already been lost, and even now, some still die off without warning. We want this war to end just as much as everyone else."
Saying her piece, Sona took out a long wound up parchment of paper.
"This is the Pureblood Registry," she said as she handed it over to him and gestured for him to open it.
Inside were various symbols belonging to each individual Devil of the Seventy-Two Pillars.
"As you can see, less than half are still glowing with magical power. Meaning to say, that more than half have already perished. This should be proof enough of my words," Sona said. "So please consider this request.
He nodded his head, stopping Sona from speaking further. Even without Sona raising the matter up, it was still something he would do. However, he had to admit that Sona prepared herself well.
Sona was surprised for a moment with his quick agreement, and thus smiled in response.
"You're quite interesting, aren't you?" Sona said while laughing good-naturedly. "You don't even consider the effects on yourself and you just agree to it?"
"It's not wrong to help others," he replied evenly.
Sona stared at him for a long moment, seeming to understand something.
"How selfless," she joked. But she supposed it was only to be expected of someone that even the Archangel Michael held such admiration for.
He scratched at the back of his head, before placing the Pure Blood Registry on top of Sona's desk. Inadvertently though, he glanced at the chess board not too far off in his vision.
Evidently, Sona noticed his glance.
"What would you say to a game of chess?" She suddenly asked.
He considered it as he recalled that he had nothing better to do. He had already finished training with Xenovia and Irina, and all he had left was to cook dinner.
"Sure, if you're willing, but I'm not really sure how the game works," he decided.
Sona seemed pleased with his decision, pushing aside the papers on her desk to place the chess board in the middle. Pushing up her glasses with a finger, she then began to explain.
"Well, you play by moving pieces like this, and this," Sona said slowly while motioning out with the various pieces of the chess board. It was done in the same way a teacher would teach a student, and Sona was quite good at it.
He nodded his head in response, relating the instructions of the game to the various schematics he would often see when using structural analysis. After all, some pieces fit in one way, while others fit in another. Having worked as a mechanic fixing various appliances in Homurahara Academy and even at his home in Fuyuki, he had become quite adept at solving puzzles and hard problems. When something didn't work the first time, more often than not, there was a method to fix it that he would have had worked towards through the blueprint he created in his mind.
In this way, when he first began moving chess pieces atop the board under Sona's instructions, he memorized their set patterns.
And when the game truly began, he could only scratch at the back of his head when he noticed the seriousness that quickly befell Sona's eyes as she glanced at him, and then back at the board.
Sona sat there motionless for a long time, her gaze stuck on the capture of her own King by a single Knight. One of the harder things to do in chess due to the irregularity of their movements.
This, this entire match was impossible.
How could a player be so proficient in a game he had never played before?
She had noticed it when they were playing, the thoughtfulness in his moves. It was as if he knew exactly what to do in any given situation. A hidden genius is what Shirou Emiya was. What was more frightening was the battle field awareness Shirou must possess to display such skills in chess. After all, chess could act as a substitute between two generals moving their troops across a board. To have defeated her, she felt a tad depressed if not a little bit more astonished.
Still, she noticed something as she turned her attention away from the chess board.
Sona rose a brow, her complexion exceedingly difficult to decipher as shock was evident in her eyes.
"He's already left, hasn't he?" Sona inquired, already knowing the answer.
"Indeed," Tsubaki said.
Sona pursed her lips together. Clasping her hands, she then leaned her head on the back of them while peering down at the Pureblood Registry she had taken out when for Shirou before.
"But this, it makes no sense, but -!"
It was if Sona had come to a sudden realization as her mind processed at a rapid speed. Biting the corner of her lip, she tapped gently on the counter of her desk with a finger before coming to a decision.
Tsubaki watched silently from the side, not understanding what it was that Sona was doing, but knowing that it had something to do with Shirou. Who would have had thought that that naïve looking boy could be so outstanding when it came to chess. Even more so when Tsubaki considered a past event that Sona herself had gone through. Could it be that?
Unknowing of Tsubaki's speculations, Sona continued on with her actions.
Opening a drawer in her desk, Sona pulled out a parchment of paper in which the Sitri Magic Crest could be seen emblazoned in red. Rolling up the Pureblood Registry, she stored the entirety of it into the Sitri Magic Crest, and only then did she release a sigh.
"President?" Tsubaki inquired.
Sona could barely hear Tsubaki due to the machinations of her own mind. Instead, she was already furiously writing down on a letter in which she promptly sent through the Sitri Magic Crest like the registry.
Peering up at Tsubaki's confused gaze, but not responding to it; Sona could only hope that her sister would treat her speculations as speculations before making a big deal out of it. Otherwise, there was going to be a whole new problem involved in this coming peace conference.
She let out another sigh as she stared distantly out the window, her legs crossing together as she leaned forward on her desk.
Meanwhile, Tsubaki was still left at a loss, unsure of what had come over her friend.
Seeing the absent-minded state Sona was in, and knowing that it may have had been because she had lost in a chess match, Tsubaki promptly pulled out her phone and sent out a text.
Tsubaki could only hope that this would help, but she wasn't counting on it knowing the nature of the person she had just contacted. Then again, Serafall should know better as one of the Four Great Satans, right?
Thanks for reading!
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