The Holy Man of The Church Creek

30

Wise men once said that there were certain vows that shouldn't be tested, like the Devil tempting Jesus to test God's protection at the bluffs of a cliff, but not all heed the warnings of wise men.

They who are led astray are the ones known to be ignorant.
In a lightly forested region of the dimension created through the Longinus-type Sacred Gear Dimension Lost, a group of individuals sat gathered around a roaring flame. Shadows flickered in the dimness of the tall trees, and embers gradually lifted into the air before flickering out as soot on the ground; the musky odour of smoke wafting into the sky as the crackling of the fire wood echoed with the sound of crickets.
A man stretched a hand out before him, before closing his palm and then shifting his attention to two others who remained brooding on the side. One was a handsome young man with long locks of silky silver hair that framed the sides of his face and crimson coloured eyes. A black-priest's coat was draped over his shoulders and its interior lining was decorated with a fine layer of gold and grey silk. The other man was more brutish, the clothes he wore were in disarray, and in fact, he had already been without his shirt from the moment he had staggered back to the current location.
These two were Siegfried and Heracles, and they were the current center of attention and focus of much speculation.
A sigh escaped the man's lips before he turned and spoke towards another colleague.
"George," he called out a name. "How certain are you that this masked-man isn't an intruder in this dimension?"
The one referred to as George was a young man with black hair and rimless spectacles who wore a mage-style robe over the black uniform he was wearing. He was a descendant of Johann Georg Faust, contractor of the Legendary Devil, Mephisto Pheles. Constantly under the shadow of his great predecessor, the pressure had caused him to seek his own path for recognition, eventually joining the Hero Faction.
He himself was the owner of the Sacred Gear, Dimension Lost which had the ability to create different spaces and barriers in Balance Breaker state. Thus, providing the current dimension.
George adjusted his glasses and considered the question for a moment before answering, a frown spreading over his face.
"At this point Cao Cao, its around ninety-percent," George said evenly. "If a person were to forcibly enter this dimensional space, then my Sacred would have had detected anomalies and spatial shifts that would indicate an intrusion. In this case, no such fluctuations or anomalies have had occurred. It's more likely that this masked individual stemmed from the batch of recruits forcibly brought here to join the faction."
"Hmm," Cao Cao hummed in thought.
He was a man of careful considerations and meticulous planning. He was never one to rush towards a simple conclusion or assumption. This was only natural as he was the descendant of Cao Cao a Chinese warlord and the penultimate Chancellor of the Eastern Han dynasty.
Therefore, he had always possessed a deeply analytical mind and a magnetism that was able to draw others to his cause with mere words alone. His rallying power was unquestionable, making him the undisputable leader of the Hero Faction. Perhaps even more terrifying was his intuition, and it alone was already causing him to doubt.
As such, he sat up and brushed his black-coloured hair away from his blue coloured eyes that peered at George inquisitively.
"Ninety-Percent? All things considered, that's a good number, but George, did you forget that you made special exceptions for the other leaders of the Khaos Brigade to give them free entry?"
George, almost scoffed, but Cao Cao's words were true. As the Hero Faction was currently a part of the Khaos Brigade, he couldn't just restrict the entry of others related to the Faction. As such, the leaders of the Khaos Brigade had authority to bring in other personnel into the dimension created in preparation for the attack on the Peace Talks. Thus, it was theoretically possible that some member of the Khaos brigade may have had brought the masked individual into the current dimension. Yet to George this was one of the most improbable outcomes.
To begin with, even if the Khaos brigade was a collection of Angels, Fallen-Angels, Devils, and Humans, it didn't mean that the different races stood united. The Hero Faction itself was an isolated group even within the Khaos Brigade. The Angels, Devils, and Fallen, even more so. Therefore, it was truly unlikely for any one of these faction leaders within the Khaos Brigade to bring in the masked individual to infiltrate the Hero Faction's ranks. To them, the Hero Faction was just a gathering of weak humans, something that could be easily snuffed out. Thus, none would bother to plant a spy of any kind.
"Your right that the leaders of the other factions within the Khaos brigade have exceptions, but it's unlikely that they would go to the trouble of planting a spy," George shook his head. "You may just be worrying over nothing Cao Cao. What I'm concerned about was that this person was strong enough to defeat Heracles."
Heracles glanced up and glared at George but wasn't able to rebut.
Cao Cao fell silent, ignoring everyone around him while a hand placed itself under his chin.
If this masked individual was in fact a member of the recent batch of people brought over to the Hero Faction, then perhaps this man could be recruited? The thought stuck in his mind as he casted a quick glance at Siegfried before discarding it.
From Siegfried's report, this masked individual was clearly capable of a high charisma, able to risk endangering Cao Cao's own authority within the Hero Faction.
The problem was, Siegfried had reported that out of the many recruits brought in to join the Hero Faction, over half were already swayed by the masked-man's words. Of course, the majority of these new recruits were the ones who had failed to attain their Balance Breakers and were the ones thrown aside, making them useless, but more and more actual members of the Hero Faction were going over to the side of the masked man.
Cao Cao knew just as well as Siegfried that he had to put a stop to the current events before it was too late, and yet having some internal dispute mere days before from the planned attack on the Peace Talks would damage the Hero Faction's reputation. Furthermore, he couldn't guarantee that he would be able to handle the matter without casualty.
Heracles had already gone despite Siegfried's warnings and his situation didn't turn out well.
Heracles had returned battered and beaten, a gloomy expression over his face that only got worse when George pressed him for details. Unexpectedly, Heracles refused to divulge any information, seemingly lost in thought and displaying a similar attitude as Siegfried. The two in differing states of confliction.
This alone was worrying for Cao Cao.
What exactly had this masked person done or said to influence Siegfried and Heracles so much? It was to the point where Siegfried refused to fight despite being the battle maniac he was. Heracles too didn't wish to fight until he had found some sort of purpose; an answer to the statement that the masked man had presented to him.
It was too jarring for Cao Cao to take at once, but he was quick to compose himself.
On the attack of the Peace Talks he had actually been requested to join in advance due to some disturbing rumour that God's light had once again reappeared. Unlikely as it was, Cao Cao himself was the most suitable countermeasure, for his Sacred Gear was the bane of God.
The True Longinus.
The spear that pierced the body of Jesus Christ.
It was the only known Longinus that could kill a God.
The first and most powerful.
Yet Cao Cao had no obligation to attend. He had his own plans that were still underway.
"Is Jeanne already in Kyoto?" Cao Cao asked.
George nodded his head.
"She's already there and has begun preparations against the Demons of Japan's Kyoto region." George crossed his arms before leaning his back against a tree. "All that's left is for us to rendezvous with her."
Cao Cao nodded his head. This was the prime time to act as all attention was focused on the Peace Talks. Thus, even if Cao Cao had been requested by the Khaos Brigade to join in on the attack, he had already refused. To begin with, what was the point of allying with the Khaos Brigade if they couldn't even deal with a Peace Talk on their own?
Still, there was an opportunity lying in the dark that Cao Cao quickly discovered with his keen mind.
"Send a message to the other Leaders of the Khaos Brigade, the Hero Faction will participate in this attack."
George's eyes widened, and both Heracles and Siegfried jolted from their pondering.
"You would abandon our plans for Kyoto?" George questioned, brows furrowing in confusion.
Cao Cao shook his head, a derisive smile crossing his lips before he stood up on his feet.
It was simply eliminating two birds with one stone, solving the problem of opposition and internal strife.
"It's not I who will be leading," Cao Co began slowly. "Instead, it will be our new friend and those that would join him. Win or lose, the situation would still play to our advantage."
It was fortunate that he had gotten back in time, otherwise he wouldn't have had known what would have had happened to Irina.
He carefully held her in his arms, mindful of applying too much pressure to her wounds. She felt small, nothing like how he expected her to feel like when she had first collapsed onto him for support.
He carried her away after bidding the others who were concerned for Irina's well being good bye.
His mouth thinned as he berated himself. If he hadn't taken so long rescuing the Angels then Irina may not have had become so injured. Furthermore, if it wasn't for the aid of the black cat revealing to him a hidden cave near the cliffside, then he may had taken even longer. The result of taking so much more time was something he didn't want to think about.
"Shirou," Irina called out weakly.
As of this moment, she became keenly aware that Shirou was carrying her firmly in his arms, the warmth from his body spreading to hers and causing a pleasant tingling sensation despite the pain of her wounds.
Heat began to rise to her face and she was surely working herself up into a fluster. However, it only looked as if her injuries were getting worse from an outside perspective.
"Shh," Shirou shushed her quiet, brows knitting together in concern. "Just let me take care of you for now. You've done enough."
Irina's mouth opened, and then closed, a silent exclamation escaping her lips from the embarrassment, but at the same time she felt content. Suddenly she could understand Xenovia's feelings. The way Shirou acted and his actions, none of it was planned. Instead, it was all natural, something that he would do without the slightest hesitation.
Carried in his arms, Irina felt something that she had not felt in several years, the rapid beating of her heart and a certain anxiousness that stemmed from a deeper part of herself. One of guilt and denial, for if she acknowledged the feeling, she was convinced that the future would become complicated.
Still, it was hard to deny, more so with how careful Shirou was being, his arms supporting her and allowing her to lean on his chest.
It was all his fault, her mind suddenly decided.
It was his fault that she was feeling this way.
She glared petulantly, but there was no heat in her gaze.
Instead, she grew abashed when Shirou gave her an inquisitive glance.
"Are you alright?" He asked, laying her down gently over a soft patch of grass.
She didn't respond, simply because she didn't completely trust her voice at the moment as Shirou began healing her injuries. Wherever his hands went, they were accompanied by the dull thrum of Holy Light that cleansed away her wounds and bruises. Even the fractures of her bones began to heal without any problems, leaving her only with the mental fatigue of coping with a phantom pain.
When he finished, Irina pulled her legs to her chest and hugged her knees, trying to make herself as small as possible, unable to meet Shirou's gaze.
"Thanks," she muttered out.
Still, it wasn't the time to mess around.
"Did you save those Angels?" She asked after a moment.
"Yes," Shirou said with a nod, finding his own place to sit across from Irina. "They're safe for now, and for some reason I feel that the cat that helped me should be able to keep them safe."
"A cat?"
"More or less," he answered uncertainly.
Thinking about the black cat, he somehow understood that there was more to it than what it seemed on the surface. Sona had once explained to him about the concepts of familiars, or strange mutation that occur within animals living in magical zones, but the cat's actions were too much for exaggerations. More so when it was able to write on a piece of paper and guarantee that it could somehow get the Angels out of the dimension. The fact that it knew a secret location on the cliff side was evidence enough that it's word may be able to be trusted.
"As long as they're safe," Irina sighed in relief.
She had always been a kind individual and to see others get hurt in front of her, she wouldn't stand by and do nothing. It was just this once, she felt for the first time how it was to fully rely on someone.
Shirou was someone she saw as unreachable.
God was part of him.
The Angels and Seraphim revered him.
But now that she had spent time with him alone and in person, she realized that he was no different from any other man. In fact, he was more considerate than most, more selfless than most, and more compassionate. She wouldn't even be surprised if he would aid devils like the Holy Maiden, Asia Argento.
She understood at this moment.
He wasn't someone that she could force herself away from.
She was sorry to Xenovia, but she couldn't hold herself back any longer.
She smiled, feeling as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"I see your feeling better," Shirou commented absently, unknowing of Irina's personal thoughts.
"I suppose," Irina agreed, brushing the dust off of her clothes before standing onto her feet. "Still, it's best that we return. Something seems to be going on."
Shirou raised a brow, but when he shifted his gaze in the direction Irina was staring at, he understood. Groups of Fallen Angels and Devils were gathering where he had left the other members of the Hero Faction.
Expressions growing pensive, he and Irina quickly returned.
Devils were lined on one side, and the Fallen on another. Angels however, were no longer present, the majority of them coming to a similar decision as the two Shirou had rescued.
The members of the Hero Faction that chose to follow Shirou and Irina were at the center, still weakened and feeling pressured from those around them.
"Ready yourselves by the eve of tomorrow," a Fallen Angel spoke. "You all will serve as the vanguard in the attack on the Peace Talks."
The members of the Hero Faction murmured to themselves, but none spoke out in fear of repercussions. Shirou himself remained quiet as he understood that a battle at present would do more harm than good. Many of those he wished to protect would end up dying as a result, and that was something he didn't wish to see.
He made a placating gesture, many from the Hero Faction having noticed him from the moment he had arrived. Gradually, they began to calm down, but not before the leader of the Fallen Angels and the leader of the Devils took note of Shirou.
From the perspective of the Fallen Angels, Shirou simply appeared as an individual that was insignificant, but to the current leaders of the Old Satan Faction leading the assault on the Peace Talks, it was a different matter entirely.
Katerea Leviathan was the current leader out of the three in charge of the newly formed Old Satan Faction. After the fall of the Demon Marbas, there was a distinct split with what the Old Satan Faction wanted, and what the New Satan Faction wanted. However, this split would grow into a solid line when Serafall Sitri and the other New Faction Devils took on the names of the Four Great Satans. It was unacceptable to the Old Satan Faction members who still wished to continue the war, more so for the real descendants of the Four Great Satans.
Katarea herself was included in this category as a true descendant of Leviathan, Demon of Envy of the Seven Deadly Sins and Serpent of the Abyss as depicted by the Satanic Bible.
As such, of the new Great Satans, the Satan she hated the most was Serafall Leviathan who had taken over her rightful place to rule the Underworld.
Only one was worthy enough for all Old Satan Faction members to begrudgingly acknowledge, and none of the new Great Satans could fill that role.
The role of the Demon Marbas.
The thing was however, she felt a chill travel down her back from the moment she stared at Shirou. Call it intuition, but a part of her was exceedingly weary; far more than she was for Cao Cao who carried that legendary spear.
"Lady Katarea," her attendant Alden Botis, a survivor from the civil war spoke up for her uncertainly. "That man, there's something peculiar about him."
Katarea merely nodded her head, she already understood that the heir of the Botis family had felt something similar to her. Regardless of what she felt though, it didn't matter so long as this masked individual would be fighting on their side. As such, she could hardly care less, and with another glance, she led her Devils away followed by the Fallen.
Shirou stared unblinkingly at their departure, but inside he was already attempting to come up with a plan to save everyone. He wasn't that much of a fool and he could understand what being sent as the vanguard for the attack on the Peace Talks meant.
They were to be fodder.
A means to test the strength of those gathered at the Peace Talks and at the same time to wear them out.
Naturally, he would never be willing to actually instigate an attack on his friends, let alone allow others to do so. Therefore, he was wracking his mind for any solution as he didn't want the innocent people brought forcibly by the Hero Faction to die either.
However, he couldn't come up with anything right away, rather it was Irina who provided him the means to an answer.
"Why don't we just run away?" Irina asked.
Just as he was about to respond at how improbable that idea would be, he froze when he considered the fact that they would be the vanguard. They would be the first to strike, and as such would be given a small window of time to act before others would be able to catch on.
This could work.
With that thought in mind, he went on explaining to the others around him who would follow him on the attack at the Peace Talks.
After all.
Preparations needed to be done.
In a flash of magical energy, Shirou, Irina and the others appeared from a magic circle that transferred them out of the dimension that they were once in.
Familiar buildings and roadsides greeted both of their views, but neither of the two could stick around for too long before heading on out. Their current location required them to make haste towards Kuoh Academy and the defensive barrier surrounding it; the charge itself would take at least twenty minutes before arrival.
As such, their window of opportunity was only twenty minutes long.
From what he understood, the reason why they had appeared farther away from Kuoh Academy than normal was to prevent unnecessary problems for the group of magicians that would act beforehand. This group of magicians were simply hired for the job and they were tasked with putting down Kuoh Academy's barrier and securing some Devil with the Sacred Gear called the Forbidden Balor View.
Shirou was then supposed to act as the vanguard and begin the assault on the Peace Talks, but he had other plans.
"Go!" He called forth immediately.
Even from where he and Irina were, they could already see the work of the magicians breaking down Kuoh Academy's barrier. Even if they had twenty minutes, it still wasn't very much time.
He leapt up a building followed closely by Irina and the group of several hundred behind her.
All of them were careful of being spotted by any innocents on the streets, and even more careful of drawing attention in the small time-frame they had before the leaders of the Khaos brigade understood their betrayal. There was a certain magic that shrouded them from the ignorant, but the more supernaturally aware individuals would be able to notice them soon.
He knew that this plan was risky, but he had no other choice than to go through with it when it meant being able to save as many as possible.
Magical explosions sounded out near Kuoh, causing Irina to purse her lips in worry and Shirou to pick up the pace even further. The only destination he could think of to hide the current people by his side was the warehouse he had previously visited during the incident with Valper and Holy Sword Excalibur.
Unfortunately, twenty minutes was far from enough time.
The rest of the Khaos brigade appeared in droves, the Fallen Angels and Devils comprising a large majority of the numbers. As soon as they appeared, they were quick to notice the absence of the Hero Faction's attacking force but were unable to do anything about it lest they waste the opportunity the magicians had already provided.
Kuoh's magical barrier was down, and for some reason or another, there was a restrictive magic that was freezing the time of all within it.
Katarea grit her teeth in anger but she knew what it was that she had to do along with the Fallen Angels.
They ignored Shirou and the others for the time being and attacked.
Of course, this agitated Shirou greatly, his hands balling into fists, and expression growing furious. Yet he couldn't do anything about it. So long as he turned around and moved towards Kuoh to aid Sirzechs and the others, those behind him would surely follow. Weakened as they were, they would die in waves.
Besides, it would only take five more minutes.
Five more minutes before he and the rest would arrive at the warehouse.
But plans never go accordingly.
His eyes dilated as he shifted his body to the side; a flash of steel passing by his gaze that cleanly cut through the hard ground, leaving behind a laceration that spread on for several meters.
"I suggest you surrender?" A cold voice echoed out.
Shirou stiffened, for the voice itself was familiar.
Older now and more refined, but he was still able to recognize the childish tone that had once looked up to him for training.
The child that he had parted with in the Underworld.
The youth who had called out his name in the honour of the Seventy-Two Pillars.
Adelina Swiftblade stood a small distance away from him and the rest, her eyes like daggers in their ferocity.
She had taken a stroll across Kuoh in hopes of finding an heir of Marbas on her journey, but instead she was alerted of the current situation of the Peace Talks and had immediately made to intervene. However, she had spotted Shirou and the rest on her way back and quickly grew suspicious. Such a large group of unknown individuals appearing at such a time could only mean that they were part of the group attacking Kuoh.
For what reason they were running in the opposite direction of Kuoh she didn't really care. It could be some plan of sorts by the enemy, but this was where it would end.
She took a stance, a hand moving towards the hilt of her long-sword strapped to her waist.
"Irina," Shirou called out softly. "Take everyone and go. I've already explained to you where to take them."
Irina knit her brows together. "But we don't have to fight," she argued.
For all intents and purposes, Adelina was on the same side as he and Irina.
However, he still shook his head.
He knew that he could explain the situation to Adelina, but the process could take a precious amount of time, and at the same time, would Adelina actually believe him? Of course, he knew of one method that could definitely persuade her with a hundred-percent certainty, but now still wasn't the hour for that.
It was a box of dilemmas that he wouldn't open until it was absolutely necessary.
Besides, he would have to explain the issue to the one's behind him as well if he did so now.
Noticing his expression, Irina could only nod before gesturing for the others to follow her.
Left behind, Adelina only raised a brow to Irina's and the others departure, but she didn't give chase.
After all, the one in front of her was releasing a heavy pressure.
It wasn't magical energy or anything like that, instead, it was made out of pure intent and resolve.
This wasn't a man she could take on while distracted, she understood that from a glance, but at the same time, she noticed that her hands were shivering.
It was subtle, and not something that she should ever have had been concerned with, but she had never once trembled at the face of an opponent. Not since her youth. She felt no fear at the moment, no indication of a primal terror that could give rise to such a reaction.
Therefore, what was it?
The memories of her childhood surfaced in her mind for one reason or another.
Fleeting and ephemeral, but they were enough to unnerve her.
Her grip tightened around the hilt of her blade, the focus in her eyes intensifying as the perspective she had of her opponent shifted.
It was a power she had not seen in numerous years.
"Trace," a deep voice, calm and piercing. "On."
Those words.
That type of magic.
They were all too familiar.
"To be strong, one must practice. To fight until one is strong enough to never grow hungry again."
For a moment his image flashed in her mind, the Last Demon of the Underworld and the back that had supported her on that day. Unexpectedly her mouth grew dry as a growing anxiety took root within her. More so when she realized that her opponent was now directly in front of her, and her eyes noting the very weapon in his hands.
Alarm bells rang in her mind like the blaring of siren lights.
She pivoted, the motion generating sparks as her sword grated against the edge of another.
A blade of simple steel and make.
The length of which was near two meters from the hilt to the base.
She nearly stilled in surprise, and in fact she did, but her body had reacted on its own after years of training.
She struck up; using her momentum to catch the base of her opponent's sword and lashed out with a kick.
Yet she moved no further, spoke no further.
There was a sort of silence that filled the air. One of tension, agitation, and confusion.
Adelina's will to fight had long since dissipated with the appearance of that sword.
Internally, Shirou sighed in relief. It had been a gamble if she would be able to recognize it or not, but in any case, the Monohoshi Zao may as well have had been the sword she most remembered him by.
He hefted it over his shoulder, twirling it and flicking off the dust and grime that had clung to it in the previous exchange in a single motion.
"You, who are you?" Adelina pressed for an answer, expression faltering; by now convinced at a single assumption.
With the re-emergence of the Magic Crest of Marbas, she was certain that with the abilities Shirou had displayed, he was somehow directly related to her current assignment. More than that, it was the familiarity in the way that Shirou stood and acted without talking that greatly reminded her of her once Young Lord.
She swallowed, feeling nervous.
Shirou simply stared for a moment longer before glancing back at Kuoh Academy and estimating how long it would take for him to arrive. Nonetheless, he wouldn't allow himself to waste anymore time. With Irina helping the others, he had nothing else left to worry about.
His sword came to rest in front of him, held loosely by his right hand.
"It doesn't matter who I am," he said resolutely, turning his back towards Adelina and heading towards Kuoh. "All that matters are that there are people to save."
"And that's more than enough reason."
Adelina bit her lips, her expression clouding over. She understood the intent behind his words, but she couldn't comprehend it. She could tell from a glance that Shirou was human, therefore he had no obligation to aid the three factions in Kuoh. It was incomprehensible and not something that just anyone would do.
"Why help them?" She couldn't stop the words from escaping out of her mouth; her body sprinting forward and intercepting Shirou's path.
He paused in his steps, staring at her once more with his back straight and determination set. She would only continue to hinder him unless he gave her a reason that she could accept. Very well, then he would give her one regardless of the future outcome.
He couldn't care less anymore.
The minutes were going by and perhaps at any second, more individuals would die. It was true that he now placed more value in his own life, but he still took the lives of others as greater than his own. Thus, he didn't hesitate to sacrifice his own peaceful future. Besides, it was time to face the consequences of his past actions, for it would save those who were still grieving for a man that wasn't dead.
"You don't need a reason to save others," he said evenly, placing a hand on her shoulder and causing her to stiffen and then bristle.
She would have had sliced that hand off it were anyone else, but at this point, and at such a close proximity, she finally realized why this masked individual's voice sounded so familiar.
Its gentle hum.
Its patience.
Tears suddenly began to well in her eyes.
T-This was-
"Because little Adelina, that's the duty of a Lord. A Guardian Nobility of the Seventy-Two Pillars."
Thanks for reading!
Note: I've been admitted to a hospital for the time being on an IV drip for cellulitis on my leg after it got infected by an insect bite. I've currently got a needle constantly stuck in my left arm for the IV, but at least I still have my right. Sorry for delays as I intended this update for yesterday but got held down by hospital waiting times.