A Flower Amongst Devils
Original Concept: Persona 3 Portable/High School DxD
Revised Chapter 27
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Created by: Atlus/Sega and Ishibumi Ichiei
Author's Notes: This is a crossover of High School DxD and Persona 3 Portable. The FeMC would be named Arisato Minako. I would like to thank two particular authors who had been very influential in me publishing this fic, gabriel blessing and The Crimson Lord. Thank you for the great work you two did in HS DxD to get me interested in writing one as well.
written by: wrathie
Author's Notes: R.I.P the Father of my Nation Mr Lee Yuan Yew, you will be missed.
I know that some people feels that all the villains that Minako are facing now are based of the same mold, but that's the case. To put it into perspective:
Diodora - Slavery and manipulation of others through illegal means.
Raiser - Removal of rights of fellow sentient beings
Kokabiel - ?
Another portion of readers would feel that Minako is not challenged, and is going close to a mary sue. That's true, and not true in the sense that Minako is a control freak, she is crazy prepared for everything when it came to the Youkai/Shinto Faction as she has around one year of preparation time to further her goals and to make her move.
Secondly, she's also Minako after defeating Nyx, averting the Fall and has a large amount of power and influence from that last battle to curry favors with others.
Lastly, to put it bluntly, Issei, Rias and Sona is not at the same league as Minako is and she is just humoring them. That is the key difference between Crimson Lord's Minato and my Minako is. My Minako is not holding back, and is very clear on what she wants to face whatever is waiting for her, even if she isn't clear what that is.
But I am unable to deny that Minako has the classic: "New Powers as the Plot Demands" trope all over it though.
Beta notes: UberNimrod still chained to the editing desk.
I am still hammering away at Joker in the Deck. Maybe that is the problem. I'm using too blunt an instrument.
Seriously though, Issei is hard to write for me. It is a real challenge to keep him dumb, and relatively simple.
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Kuoh Academy – Occult Club Room
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"And you are just letting them go like this? You think it's a good idea for Devils and Exorcists to work together?" Rias was feeling a little lightheaded from fussing over so many what-ifs after seeing two of her most precious family members leave with two of sworn enemies of her kind.
The blue haired girl was wielding one of the Excalibur fragments, Excalibur Destruction. Her two family members would be killed if they suffered just one clean cut from that blade. Rias had her suspicions, but the other girl would probably wield one as well if they were tasked to retrieve or destroy the Excaliburs.
If it wasn't for Yuzu, the delegate from Minako-sensei's faction following them and being the go-between, Rias would have objected on the spot.
Then again, if Yuzu or Minako-sensei's presence was not felt, she doubted that the Church would be willing to extend an olive branch in advance and ask for permission to retrieve the Excaliburs.
"Yes, I do. Having a youkai with them makes it one of the few occasions where members of three different factions are working together for a common goal and mutually beneficial goal. Your faction would want the Excaliburs out of your territory, and since you can't remove it – the church's representatives can assist with that. The Church would wish to obtain the Excaliburs as quickly as possible with the least amount of fuss, and that's when you Devils could help. For us Youkai, assisting the two factions would lend further credibility to our cause that we wish to broker for peace among all the factions in the world hidden from humans."
Minako's reply made Rias twitch before she gave in, slumping on her chair while Akeno smiled tentatively at Minako and Kochiyo.
"And... you can guarantee the safety of my two adorable juniors, Minako-sensei?"
"I wouldn't have allowed it if I was not confident in Yuzu-chan's ability to keep things cordial." Akeno pounced on that immediately while Rias was still trying to regain her emotional balance.
"Yuzu-chan was the one who allowed the duel to take place in the first place... what makes you think that Yuzu-chan would be able to prevent them from fighting with each other?" It was a good question, but Akeno wasn't prepared for Minako's answer.
"Because Issei-kun is with them now, and Yuzu-chan will do anything to protect her boyfriend. You don't threaten a female kitsune's mate, that's something you should be aware of." Minako added sagely and the advice was further reinforced when Kochiyo chimed in.
"Be warned."
Akeno shivered at that, but not because of fear. Rather it was because she felt it was absolutely darling and adorable how attached Yuzu was to Issei.
"Ah... it makes me want to have an affair with Issei-kun~ You wouldn't mind, would you, Minako-sensei?"
"Akeno, are you asking for permission to have an affair from Minako-sensei?" Rias sounded indignant but then added on. "You could have asked me first! I'm Issei-kun's King! I might have approved Asia-chan being together with Issei-kun, but I can't accept you having an affair with Issei-kun. Yuzu-chan will be very upset."
"I don't think she will~~ She's a kitsune after all – and I know that kitsune's are fine with multiple partners!"
As the discussion descended into chaos, Minako kept quiet before clearing her throat and getting their attention.
"This is a copy of the message that the Church wanted to be given to Yuuto-kun. As his King, you deserve the right to know as well. But I feel that it would be best if you let Yuuto speak to you about it, rather than you opening it yourself."
Rias frowned but accepted the scroll from Minako. Akeno looked curious, but she didn't comment as Rias placed it on the tea table in front of them.
"Is it something that would harm Yuuto?"
"It isn't... well, only you can decide if that's the case. But the church's motives for delivering that message has nothing and yet everything to do with Yuuto-kun. You can ask Issei-kun about it first, but... he would not understand the significance of this message."
"And you do, Minako-sensei?" Akeno asked quietly as Rias thought to herself, eyes fixated at the bound and sealed scroll and her mind deep in thought. Akeno had been in Rias' peerage before Kiba Yuuto and knew the circumstances of Yuuto's hatred towards the church, especially those who wielded the Excaliburs.
"I do. Just like how the church understood when they decided to offer this to Yuuto-kun." The Priestess spoke calmly as she stood up and excused herself from the room, ignoring how Akeno and Rias both stared at the sealed scroll.
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Kuoh Academy – Hallway
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"Ah – Minako-sama." As Minako and Yuzu made their way to a secluded spot to 'jump' back to the shrine, they bumped into a collection of girls that Minako recognized as being from Raiser's peerage.
His Queen, Yubelluna was not present but the group of four girls, the nekomata twins (Ni and Li) with Karlamine (Knight) and Mira (Pawn) was easily recognizable. When Raiser enrolled and joined Kuoh Academy, it was his Queen and the four of them who accompanied him to his first counseling session with her.
It still irked her somewhat to know that the girls still loved that twisted and sexist man, but it was their choice and she would not interfere with their feelings. She just hoped that it had nothing to do with that mind meddling, brainwashing swine of a Devil, Diodora.
Raiser was still sensitive with woman in general, something she felt was a good and divine punishment, and most importantly had been able to keep a straight face in front of her without blushing and looking away. Lilith had been very amused to tell her that his hidden 'M' side had awakened and was very disappointed when Minako decided, after Lord Raiser had came personally to beg her for help – to help cure him of that condition.
At least partially, she was going to have a very busy year ahead of her when the negotiations truly started.
"Good afternoon. Are you two out accompanying Raiser?" Minako still refused to call him out by anything less than his given name, adding any suffixes or acknowledging he was part of the Phenex clan was part of her own, admittedly, petty revenge.
"Yes, Raiser-sama is doing a little better. He still has panic attacks, but is doing better under the school nurse." Mira replied cautiously as the girl was the most comfortable in the human world. It helped that she behaved more normally than the rest of Raiser's Peerage did.
Karlamine behaved annoyingly like a Knight, which wasn't too surprising seeing she was one as she challenged Yuuto to a honorable duel and the nekomata twins... well, they were Youkai, and they were always getting into trouble in some way or another.
"We would really appreciate it if you would continue your sessions with Raiser-sama, Minako-sama." Mira asked nervously while the two nekomata nodded in agreement. Karlamine simply looked around cautiously, or around Kochiyo in general.
The Knight was the assigned bodyguard of all of them, and even dressed in the Kuoh Academy school uniform, she looked and felt like a blade ready to be drawn.
"I'll try, but other commitments make it hard. I'll give you a reply by the end of the week, perhaps by rescheduling some of my appointments. Have a good day, you four." Minako excused herself by nodding to them and Kochiyo did the same, only she bowed before following after her footsteps.
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Tamamo Branch Shrine – Guest Quarters
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Minako didn't expect Xenovia or Irina to come back anytime soon after they successfully, or perhaps – Issei successfully wrangled the uneasy agreement of aid between Devil, The Church and Youkai to locate the Excaliburs.
The orders to retrieve the Excalibur, or destroy it if it became impossible was worded poorly, and that gave Issei that small window of opportunity. Minako would be proud, if she wasn't ever that slightly worried about what they would get up to.
She didn't want to show any signs of no confidence in Issei, less Rias pull him out of the agreement that the everyone else barely agreed on. Yuuto didn't look happy to help the exorcists out, but the end result was what he wanted so he went along with it.
Xenovia and Irina were harder to place, Minako knew they were bound to respect the wishes of Yuuto, but they honestly hadn't expected more assistance to locate the Excaliburs. Xenovia looked like a decent leader, putting her orders above her emotions. Irina herself seemed more devoted to her religion, and therefore fell in the same category.
Between the two of them, Minako felt that when push came to shove Irina would be more willing to put her life for the sake of the mission than Xenovia. The blue haired girl wasn't as fanatically loyal as Irina to her cause, and that showed when Minako asked why only two exorcists had been sent for the two incredibly dangerous missions.
If Yuuto had demanded their deaths as part of his compensation, or had asked them to destroy their Excaliburs instead of the ones that were stolen – the two would have been killed shortly while tracking the Excaliburs down.
Gabriel had fallen silent at the question, more of an accusation really and Irina had been the one to tell her that that was their mission, and they were willing to die for their cause.
Xenovia hadn't been as vocal, but she confirmed Irina's conviction, only Minako was sure she didn't believe in it.
Even the exorcists themselves could see how stupid this mission was, and they didn't know how complex the situation was but when Omoikane spent all of three minutes to say how stupid the whole mission was, and Minako agreed. The two agendas should be handled separately, or was there something more that she wasn't seeing?
Did the Church expect Yuuto to accept the offer at all? Were they expecting Yuuto to go after the Excaliburs as well? Or god forbid, were they expecting that she would calm him down to reject their proposal?
One of Minako's many reasons to give up her tenure at Kuoh Academy was to distance her relationship with Rias and the Gremorys. She had meddle with their affairs for too long, and it was hard to refute the claims that Minako was allied to the Gremorys.
With two of her house, Yuzu and Asia, tied to the Gremory, Minako was cutting thin ice on her stance of neutrality. Yasaka had been telling her to go on a retreat, and a holiday before the talks started so they can soothe the waters.
Those plans had been shelved with Raiser's predicament and the incident surrounding the Excaliburs. She was not going to have a break, and she still had one thing she wanted to do.
"May I come in, Gabriel?" Minako gave Kochiyo's hands a squeeze when the minor Shinto deity shook her head slightly to show that she didn't approve. But she just had to know whether the prejudice extended even to heaven, Gabriel had been so confused during the exchanges she had with Xenovia and Irina. At times she believed that exorcists knew more than Gabriel herself. Gabriel was a Seraph, and everyone treated her like being an airhead was natural for her.
It hadn't helped that Tamamo no Mae didn't like her either, the founder of the Tamamo clan being just as vocal about her as she did with Grayfia. At least Lilith didn't poke fun at Gabriel for being who she was, she actually seemed wistful and didn't speak much in her inner mind.
"Mina-tan~? Of course~ come in, come in~!" Gabriel's cheerful voice made Minako pause before she steeled herself by placing one hand over her face and taking deep breaths.
"Alright, here we go."
..
"Do you know how many ways this diplomatic mission can go wrong? And you're saying that you don't know much of what's going on?" Minako asked softly after serving a few cups of sake to her friend. The angel liked to drink, she blamed it on Yasaka, but it helped to loosen her tongue ever so slightly. Minako felt bad about that of course, but Gabriel looked so much happier when she was slightly inebriated that sometimes she wondered whether she needed it more than she let on.
"Ara~ Ara~ Well~ I'm just~ the messenger~ of God~ It's not~ for me~ to question~ God's Will~" Gabriel sidestepped the issue with a beaming smile while holding her cup out for a refill. Minako was glad that Kochiyo was quietly switching the sake bottle as quickly as Gabriel was finishing it. Perhaps she should charge the Church for the food bill Gabriel was building up?
"It's not about questioning, Gabriel. It's about knowing. You don't know anything besides the message you are supposed to give? Aren't you suppose to be their leader for this mission? What about the girls? Aren't you supposed to help them if they get in trouble? How are you supposed to help them if you aren't willing to even show your face to Rias and Sona?"
"..." There was silence and Minako stared, gaped and her mouth dropped open before she composed herself.
"You aren't? You aren't their leader? You're... just an envoy? So they're your guards? What are you going to do if they get attacked in Kuoh City? Are you not going to do anything at all?" Minako couldn't believe it and when Gabriel took another cup of sake, downed it silently and held her hand for more...
"What is your role, Gabriel? Not just here... can you... tell me? What is your role in Heaven?"
There was another long silence, Gabriel taking several cups of sake before she whispered while looking to the side.
"I can't~ that's forbidden~"
"Then I have to question whether Heaven is sincere is sending you an envoy, Gabriel. The Devils sent Serafall, who is one of the Maous. They sent you, a Seraph, but I'm beginning to doubt whether you truly hold a seat as one of the Seraphs of Heaven." Minako's reply made Gabriel's eyes widen in hurt and she lowered her head.
"I... God~ won't want me to."
"And to hell with what Father wants. If you can't answer her, answer me, Gabriel." The new voice startled both Minako and Gabriel and the two of them turned to see Lilith standing sternly beside Kochiyo.
The Wild Card frowned at Lilith, but the Persona/Devil/Seraph/Human hybrid met her challenge unflinchingly. Lilith knew of the so called rules imposed on them in Minako's mindscape where they were housed, but for some reason the Original Seven didn't stop her from materializing into the world without her consent.
"L-Lilith? H-How, I... I thought you were dead! I-It's been so long! How have you been?" The reaction from the Seraph made Minako gawk as she had grabbed the slightly shorter girl into a tight embrace. She would have imagined that the Seraph would have hated the original woman due to her deeds.
Minako did not appr- no, she did not like what Lilith had done, but she was willing to accept that she might have done the same if someone had told her that her only job was to get married, have children and to not talk back to her husband.
"You would be surprised at how much history leaves out, Minako-chan. Like how Eve was called Lilith by historians who wished to hide how the first Women was removed from grace." The voice of Cybele echoed in her mind and she paid attention, ignoring how Gabriel was sobbing and burying her face into Lilith's chest. The Devil/Fallen Angel and Human hybrid had a fond but exasperated look while she petted the Seraph on her back to try and calm her down as she was babbling while shedding tears.
"The two of them were friends? Wasn't the Angels created before God?"
"They were, but Gabriel was Lilith's first friend after she was created. Adam apparently didn't really count as a friend and she didn't get along with some of the Seraphs." Cybele's laughter made her frown till another voice made himself known, as Melchizedek elaborated.
"I am not fully aware of what the difference this world's history was. But you can be reassured that Lilith was speaking the truth when she said that she and Gabriel was as close as sisters. It's not impossible and with how Gabriel was the only Seraph to be recognized predominantly as a female, we should give her the benefit of the doubt. I never knew her reason for doing so, but Father was not pleased by her actions."
Minako was confused and Melchizedek picked up on that as he apologized.
"Ah, Seraphs are like some of the Deities that you have met. We do not have a definite form or gender, we can be viewed as both female and male. However, Gabriel has always chosen a female form. I suppose from Lilith's actions, Gabriel's closeness with Lilith would have been a minor betrayal for Father. Even if that wasn't the case, I am sure that Metatron would have disapproved. Michael as well."
"And from how Lilith called Metatron Met-chan, she knew at least knew the Seraphs in passing. Is that why she wanted to speak to her only now?" There were only feelings that she could describe as uncertainty from Melchizedek as he admitted.
"I am uncertain. I would advise speaking to Lilith privately on what position she truly has among the Seraphs. She is truly a unique case... Father might disapprove, but in the absence of Adam and how Gabriel's reaction to Lilith. It might be more complex than that... who knows, you might have a far more powerful bargaining chip than we believe."
Minako agreed, she hadn't found the time to enter her mindscape for a long time, and it was time to catch up with the opinions of the many Deities and Personas she had awakened and pulled from the Velvet Room. They knew of her plan, all of them had offered aid, those that hadn't had left her. But that was the price of change.
...
"You should stop drinking, it's not good for you." Lilith pulled the cup away from Gabriel and gave a huff when Minako raised an eyebrow at her behavior.
"Oh don't say a word. I've seen how she act when she's drunk. No wonder Father forbid alcohol the moment it was invented... It'll be funny if Met-chan has some though, but that's not the point." Lilith handed the cup to Kochiyo before shaking Gabriel by her shoulders.
"Gabriel, what happened to you. I know that you were assigned the title of God's messenger and the head trainer of all the new Angels before I was cast out." Lilith frowned when Gabriel flinched and she pressed on.
"What... happened, Gabriel? Was it due to what I did? Did Father pull you from your seat because you choose the form of a woman? I told you, that bas-"
"It's not your fault! It's not! Don't say it!" Gabriel panicked, losing even her sing-song tone as she hugged Lilith again. Minako watched on uncertainly and was very glad that Kochiyo had taken steps to make this a very secure room after they entered.
"Shut it, Gabriel, I already told you that I don't care what that bastard would do to me. He, she, whatever, has already screwed me and my kind, and my kin all those years. His supporters had infected the entire world of this nonsense, and he couldn't even spare you? Why is he the preferred God of the world anyway, deities are supposed to be above emotions and all that! He's nothing more than a bastard who won't let it go. I suppose it speaks for humanity when a majority of them follow that." Lilith screeched and ranted in disgust. She only calmed down when Minako placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Sorry... I got worked up, Gabriel. Don't cry... and I don't need forgiveness from that sexist bastard anyway." Gabriel was indeed sobbing now, hugging on to her friend for dear life as she pleaded for God's mercy on Lilith's soul.
"I'll give you two a few minutes together then." Minako accepted that there was going to be too much catching up for the two of them to do, Lilith's image of a powerful, if sadistic woman was being counterbalanced by the softer look of her looking after Gabriel.
She knew the importance of privacy too, and if there was a reason for Minako to separate the Original Seven from the allies they gained in this world, this was definitely one of them.
"I appreciate your discretion, Minako…" Lilith paused before giving her a resigned smile. "And I will you fill you in later."
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Tamamo Branch Shrine – Minako's quarters
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Lilith had gotten the story out of Gabriel in the end, it turned out that Gabriel had indeed been pulled from her main duties to 'protect' her. Lilith had called her out on that immediately, and with God's absence she had been forced to admit, after a long tense stand off that Lilith's suspicions about God being displeased was true.
Gabriel was officially never removed from being one of the Seraph's number, but she was never given any task of importance besides delivering messages, prophecies and as a sign of 'God' to his followers. Even the title of trainer of new angels was a farce, there was no new angel trainees for a reason that she wouldn't say.
She still wielded powerful spells, and had a warrior heart that served her well during the Great War, but she had only one battle to her name, the defense of the only hospital in Heaven, one that she had been tasked to 'assist' with because they couldn't evacuate her in time.
Lilith raged that she was not even tasked as a healer, despite her ability in it. She was just a figurehead in Heaven to 'protect' her from the Great War as she was too 'precious' to fall.
"Protect?! She doesn't need protection! Even if it was my children who got slain by that effort, it was their fault for attacking Heaven in the first place. Someone obviously didn't get the memo from me if they went with the brute force method instead of turning the masses against them!" Lilith's venom against her own blood and kin made Minako frown but Lilith dismissed that issue as she ranted.
"Seriously Gabriel needs to man.. ugh, that's so wrong. Gabriel needs to get it in her head that Father failed her, and she shouldn't be so protective of her. Messenger my ass, she's just a secretary!" Lilith was drinking sake while Tamamo No Mae, Izanami, Ishtar and Yasaka drank sake in Minako's quarters. Normally she didn't mind, but the loud screeching from Lilith bitching about how God had screwed her friend over, and the rest of her kin was... getting repetitive. It didn't help that Tamamo no Mae was encouraging her and Ishtar was mumbling about forbidden love – she really didn't want to know about that last one.
Not that Minako found that Lilith was wrong, but discovering how one gender was sidelined and it being a constant feature made Minako began to wonder if the 'Original Sin' truly was a curse to all of mankind regardless of religion and faith.
"And does that mean that the Church is looking down on us by sending Gabriel as an envoy?" Yasaka asked quietly and Lilith shook her head.
"No, it's kind of a lucky break for Gabriel that Minako is so pro-feminist, that's why Gabriel got sent to her as an envoy in the first place. She's not exaggerating when she said she's never eaten any human food, and this is like, the third time this decade that she's been allowed to leave heaven in the first place." Lilith scowled while Yasaka sighed, it was like what Lilith had said before, perhaps God did indeed curse the gender.
"Gabriel got an out because she's friends with Minako." Lilith looked at Minako gratefully before she continued.
"Her official title is the title of envoy to the Youkai clan. But that's where her role ends, she is to encourage warmer ties with us, regardless of what it might take, even if they might possibly be sending two exorcists to their death. But that's precisely why the church is so devious as they were hedging on Minako being who she was, and would try to save them." Lilith paused to down another cup of sake before snarling.
"That's why they sent the two female Exorcists here. The two are strong, but still aren't mature or strong enough yet for this mission. They're hedging that Minako would come to their aid and not let them die, or at the least send someone to assist them to retrieve the Excaliburs." Lilith hissed, a surprisingly serpentine sound while Tamamo no Mae scowled.
Yasaka wasn't that happier either and judging from how Minako had stopped drinking tea, she was upset too.
"... there's one more thing, but that's for Gabriel to decide whether she wants to talk about it." Lilith bit her lip and her shoulders sagged before downing another cup of sake. "I need something stronger than that."
There was a brief silence before Yasaka spoke.
"So Gabriel being here isn't a scam, but if she isn't here to deliver the message to Yuuto, then what's the point of her being here at all? She's just a figurehead... so is this just being symbolic of our friendship? Does the Church think we are fools?" There was venom in her voice and Lilith tensed, but still let it go as she couldn't find a reasonable way to defend her friend.
"It's not Gabriel's fault, if anything it's my fault for dragging her down with me. Now that we know what's going on, what are you two going to do about it?" Lilith looked at Minako and Yasaka before she scowled at them giving deep sighs.
"You're just going to ignore it? What the hell?!"
"Lilith-san, it's not that. It's that... well, you do know of our agreement..."
"Ah... the secrecy thing... ugh..." Lilith pinched her nose at Minako's reply and Yasaka continued.
"We are taking a leap of faith that Gabriel will not betray knowledge of your revival, even if partial. If word gets out to Heaven that we have your presence and support among our ranks before we are ready..." She trailed off and Lilith winced. Heaven hated her presence, but that tied to that one thing she knew from Gabriel that would turn the tide.
She would be able to cash in on the one thing that God hadn't been fully been able to rescind despite her being cast out of Heaven.
"... In that case. Minako, speak with Gabriel. Try to get the full story from her, and then we'll talk again. She should be done with the two girls now anyway."
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Tamamo Branch Shrine – Guest Quarters
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"Mina-tan~" Gabriel greeted Minako with the same cheerful voice, but she didn't look as happy as before. The Seraph was composed, and from how Yuzu had told her, had been her normal self in front of Irina and Xenovia.
"Good evening, Gabriel. May I come in?" Gabriel nodded and she entered the room accompanied by Kochiyo. Gabriel's expression relaxed when Kochiyo's hands waved and a visible barrier formed around her room. The next moment Minako found herself being held, at shoulder point, by Gabriel who was demanding to speak with Lilith again. Apparently when she was sure that they can't be overheard, all bets were off.
"Y-You brought back Lilith? Is that true? Did you bring my friend back to life? That's her, you know? That's REALLY HER! Lilith... I... I thought she was killed in the war, but that's REALLY HER! Yo-You have to let me speak with her again, please, there's so much I want to tell her that it hurts just knowing that she was in front of me all this time! Mina-tan, Mina-tan, what are you doing? Why aren't you saying anything? Mina-tan? Mina-tan?"
It sickened Minako to see the Seraph look so desperate and she had to physically pry Gabriel off as she was hurting her with her grip.
"It hurts, Gabriel... it does, so please let go of me..." She could pry her off if she wanted to, but she wanted Gabriel to get a grip on herself and from how she paled, Gabriel understood and let her go in a hurry.
"Oh, oh... Oh my gosh, I am sorry Mina-tan... b-but, could you let me speak to Lilith?" There was the request again, a repeat from how Yasaka and the members of the Tamamo clan had done when she manifested Tamamo no Mae in front of them.
At least Diodora and Ajuka hadn't asked about Ishtar, but Yasaka blocking all forms of communication to her had helped with that.
"Gabriel, you need to calm down... please. Take deep breaths." The Seraph nodded while doing that, fidgeting in her seat as she stared with anticipation.
"Mina-tan, Lilith! Please!" She sounded like a kid now and Minako rubbed her forehead in exasperation.
The 'Star' Arcana was shining brightly above Gabriel's head and the Arcana significance of "Hope, self confidence, faith, peace and luck" really eluded her right now, but she could see the significance of the arcana signifying hope and a sign that bad times have passed.
For Gabriel, that at least was true if she was able to connect with a very close friends of her.
"Gabriel, I'll be happy to let Lilith speak with you. But you have to promise me first." To Gabriel's credit, the Seraph paused and she looked down before speaking.
"I... I can't betray Father and Heaven. I can't fall..."
"I'm not asking you to. But Lilith told me that you have something else that you aren't sharing with us. If we are supposed to be allies, we need to be open with one another. I... don't want this alliance to not work because we have been holding out on each other."
"Hypocrite." Lilith hissed in Minako's mind, but she wasn't too upset about it, just resigned that everyone has secrets to keep. For Minako, she knew she had much much more than others.
"... I suppose. Can you let me think about it? It's... not quite betrayal... but it is something that if Michael hasn't told you, we assumed that you would have found out eventually... I'm... not out of the loop, as much as Lilith thinks..." Gabriel blushed slightly as she composed herself, she giving the tray of drinks to the side a longing glance before shaking her head.
"C-Can... we talk tomorrow? I will give you a reply tomorrow. I promise... upon the name that I was given our Father."
..
Tamamo Branch Shrine – Entrance
..
"Good morning, Ravel-chan." Annie smiled as she prepared for her shift at the front gates. She was rostered to be the customer relations officer this week and she was holding several scrolls in her hand when Ravel offered to help her carry them.
Ravel shared a room with Annie, and she was very close to her first friend in the Tamamo clan, the two shared some gossip with each other before starting to talk about Gabriel and the visiting exorcists.
"Seraph Gabriel isn't as intimidating as you think she is, isn't she?" Annie whispered conspiratorially as she glanced around nervously while gossiping to Ravel. To her relief, Ravel agreed with her as she smiled in understanding.
"She's... sort of sheltered. I mean, I shouldn't be saying this... but she's like some of the girls who had spent their whole lives at the church. I'm not sure whether to believe the stories told about her." Annie admitted, and Ravel believed her. Despite how the girl had once been a holy maiden, she was also a resurrected Devil who had lived under as part of the peerage of Diodora Astaroth.
She was a Devil and so, kin. If she didn't fear Gabriel, there was no reason for her to as well. It helped that she agreed with Annie, she had been the one serving snacks and drinks to Gabriel the whole day after all.
"She likes to try a lot of food... Helena was crying for someone to buy more food so she could make more dishes for Seraph Gabriel." The two of them giggled at that, only they jumped when the sound of someone tapping her foot made the two of them look to their side in dread.
"A-Atsuko-san..."
"G-Good... G-Good morning, Atsuko-san." The no nonsense Kitsune from the main house raised an eyebrow at overhearing her two charges gossiping about their guests and she wordlessly pointed one finger to the guard house. The two girls took the hint and hurried over, making the elder Kitsune shake her head in exasperation.
"Honestly it's one thing after another here..."
When she had been approached by Yasaka-sama to assist with the training of the newly arrived girls in Minako-sama's branch family, she had not expected to bear witness to the changing of times in front of her eyes.
She had seen many things she had believed impossible bear fruit, things that their two leaders have promised happen when others were skeptical and she was part of a group of people who had refined the process of change, making it sustainable and a sign that it could work.
Atsuko had seen many things in her life, but there were few things still as surprising to see the many human women and men appear with Youkai mates. They would have different stories, how they met and how they fell in love but one thing was always constant.
Their difficulties and inability to take care of their family in the human world. She was frankly surprised that no one had noticed that, especially when many Youkai lines were dependent on human interbreeding to ensure that they survive the times.
There were also the requests for asylum, assistance and offers of aid pledge to the Tamamo clan that made working in this branch of the Tamamo clan very challenging.
However there were still things that she wasn't prepared for, something she was reminded of when a loud scream, one from Ravel that made Atsuko rush to the gates in a hurry.
"Ravel!? What's wrong..." She trailed off when she saw Annie pulling an unconscious Ravel away from a package on the floor.
"What happened? Is she alright?" The packaged was unopened, but something had affected Ravel the moment she had picked it up. To her relief, she could see flames gathering around Ravel's arms. It was a sign of Phenex resurrection and that her charge was just unconscious but alive.
"S-She, she picked it up but then she screamed! I-It must be a cursed item, Atsuko-san! Don't touch it!" Annie was in hysterics and if not for Ravel groaning softly in pain and the need to pull her away from the package, Atsuko was sure that Annie would have fled by now.
"Nothing curse could have entered the shrine... ah... it hasn't passed the boundary yet." Atsuko grimaced as that meant that whoever sent the package had an understanding of how seals and boundaries worked around the shrine. The guardian of the shrine was not Inari-sama, she offered a protection to the land but the true guardian was Kochiyo-sama, the minor deity that should be worshiped just as much as a real deity should.
Her wards and seals made it so that nothing harmful could enter, without alerting everyone immediately.
The package hasn't passed the threshold of the shrine, or perhaps it couldn't...
"Bring Ravel to Asia-sama immediately. She should be fine, and what are you lot doing there! Get out and help her!" Atsuko snapped and in an instant an exorcist stepped out of the shadows to assist a much relieved Annie.
"And where were -" Atsuko started but was cut off by the man.
"Our apologies, but we had sent word back to Kochiyo-sama the moment we saw Ravel being hurt, she should be arriving soon with aid." That mollified Atsuko as the next moment a slightly underdressed Asia-sama was deposited to land beside Ravel.
"Ow... where's Ravel-chan! Kochiyo told me to heal her... Oh, Ravel-chan!"
Atsuko knew that the girl was in good hands with Asia and she turned to the person who had appeared beside her without any noise.
"Good morning Kochiyo-sama... with your aid, I will try and bring the package in?" At Kochiyo's shake of her head, Atsuko raised an eyebrow as Kochiyo gently pulled her hands up.
"Ah... I see." The brief glimmer of light around her hands hinted that Kochiyo-sama had just placed another layer of protection around her hands, something that was greatly appreciated.
"Let's see what this thing holds, shall we?"
..
Tamamo Branch Shrine – Main Hall
..
Arisato Minako was wondering when was she going to approach Gabriel regarding her promise of telling her something that Lilith was privy to. She was not uncomfortable with one of her allies in her mindscape holding things from her, she found that to be somewhat of relief. She wanted advisers, not beings who would agree with whatever she said. Her dearest and fondest Original Seven had began moving about again, Alice was having fun running about the Shrine and Siegfried was trying new forms of swordplay along with Scathach. It was beginning to fall into place, the secrecy that she surrounded herself with was extended to them due to the simple trick she had discovered with Yasaka's help. She was also pleasantly surprised to see that Kochiyo had left when she was having a quick bath after cleaning Inari-sama's quarters. She hoped that her quiet sister was developing well, she tried so hard to make her open up but it hadn't borne much visible fruit.
"Minako-sama, Minako-sama, you have to follow us at once!" Of course it was going to be too easy for her and Minako reached for her cup of coffee, downed it and followed the frantic voice that was calling to her.
..
Tamamo Branch Shrine – Minako's quarters
..
"So... this is one of the Excaliburs..." Minako studied the blade that was laid bare and placed on the table in the middle of her room. Apparently someone had left it in front of the shrine gates, Ravel had barely touched it before the power of Light from the sword had threatened her life. How the power of light was concealed was due to the scabbard that had been removed and placed to it's side.
It had covered the presence of Light, but had not stopped it from harming Ravel the moment she touched the package. Minako supposed she was lucky that she would make a full recovery. If she lost Ravel due to an accident, as malicious as this one was, House Phenex would never let them live it down.
Thankfully Ravel let go quickly enough and that allowed her Phenex resurrection to start healing her. Having Asia to do the same made the process even quicker. Her thought process ceased and she felt guilty immediately when her first question was of the weapon that had almost killed her charge and family member.
"Is Ravel alright? Can I see her?" Atsuko nodded and she guided Minako out of her room, where she was accompanied by Kochiyo. The quiet girl speaking to the two of them.
"Allowed it through. Sword is different." Kochiyo explained and Minako nodded in understanding. She needed answers but for now... Ravel, that's more important.
"Oh yes... Atsuko could you call Yuzu to inform Yasaka-sama and our guests that we might have found one of their missing weapons please?"
"Of course, I'll see to that right away." The older kitsune bowed before leaving the two of them to head to Ravel's room.
..
..
"Thank you for visiting, Minako-sama. I'm feeling better... thank you for visiting me." Ravel blushed as she sat on her bed, still feeling a little weak at being exposed to one of the Excaliburs. The holy taint from the weapon entering her was like being stabbed by a thousand needles at one spot simultaneously. She had blacked out, only to find herself being dragged away by Annie who was in hysterics. She felt from the warmth of her Phenex heritage, the Phenex flames rebuilding her flesh that she knew that she had a brush with death.
From handling a package! Ravel had cursed herself a little too, Atsuko-san had warned and briefed them on how important it was to open packages within the confines of the Shrine. How could she have forgotten after hearing about how they had received several cursed packages that their previous owners had been unable to get rid of on their doorstep before.
It wouldn't have been able to get all the suspicious packages, but she had been careless as the package had no return address, or postage stamp or anything at all. The right procedure had been to inform one of the exorcists so they could open it. The last thing they wanted was for an explosive or disease to spread because they opened a suspicious package within the shrine confines.
"So you are feeling better? Good... good, I'm relieved, Ravel." Minako-sama smiled as she sat beside her bed. Annie was right beside Minako-sama, still clutching her hands in worry.
"It was my fault, Minako-sama, if I hadn't asked Ravel-chan to pick it up for me..." Annie trailed off as she started sobbing again, only to pause somewhat when Ravel croaked out to her.
"It was my fault, Annie... I didn't follow procedures... and that's how I got hurt... please, don't be sorry." Annie looked up at her with tears in her eyes and Annie reached out to hug her, wrapping her arms around her waist and squeezing her hard.
"R-Ravel-chan... R-Ravel-chan!" She was too emotional and was close to hysterics as she babbled more apologies while Ravel continued to reassure her that she wasn't mad, or angry at her.
"It's my fault, and I'm glad I took the package, you might be hurt even worse!" Ravel's words didn't make a difference to Annie, perhaps only to make her even more upset. It was to Minako-sama though as she cleared her throat and added on.
"Ravel-chan is quite right, Annie. You wouldn't have survived if it was you who touched the package. I'm not sure who it was that decided to send that particular item to us, but they meant us harm."
"W-What was in the package, Minako-sama?" Ravel managed to ask, she could guess, it could be a cursed item or a particularly holy artifact that could hurt her so much and even kill Annie outright. Annie had gotten paler, but she had composed herself somewhat while waiting for Minako-sama to speak.
"Mm, well I believe it was one of the lost Excaliburs. As to why it was brought here, I have absolutely no idea. We'll get to the meaning of this eventually. I'm glad to see the two of you are feeling better now. Now rest, please." Minako's request made the two girls nod as she stood up, the very splitting image of a very concerned older sister while reaching out to ruffle their hair before leaving.
..
Tamamo Branch Shrine – Courtyard
..
Xenovia Quarta had seen a lot in her life, and she had many outlandish expectations of the mission she had been given. The mission parameters were clear, to be Seraph Gabriel's bodyguard, escort her to the Tamamo Shrine and then complete her other two missions.
Two missions where she was at risk of dying without even being able to draw her sword. This would have infuriated her if she was not trained to follow orders and this was an order given to her directly from the Lord, via a message given to her by Seraph Gabriel herself.
She had been honored to be selected as one of two honor guard of a Seraph along with Irina, and her partner had been beside herself in being given the chance to possibly know one of the Seraphs who had been revered, but never worshiped.
It was never right to worship an Angel, and she followed that law. It did not make Irina stop gazing at Seraph Gabriel with a longing look all the time however, but at least it didn't stop them from performing their job.
The escort mission went as well as expected, Seraph Gabriel didn't exactly keep to herself, but she wasn't friendly either despite Irina's attempts to try and know her.
The two of them were not ordered to or to stay away from interacting with Seraph Gabriel and Xenovia was not embarrassed to admit that her image of Seraph Gabriel, who the Church described as the messenger of God, the strongest woman and yet also the most talented healer of Heaven, was shattered completely when it became apparent that Seraph Gabriel was very sheltered.
Seraph Gabriel had helped the two travel from the Church's headquarters to Japan by using a magical circle, but they had to make their way from a neutral territory to the one controlled by the Youkai clan they were ordered to make contact with.
Along the way, they had to stop Seraph Gabriel from wandering on her own, or being hit on by men who found her terribly attractive.
It tested Xenovia's patience, but none of that compared to the way Gabriel reacted when she ran up the steps, and compromised their mission to the one person that everyone at the Church was wary of.
Arisato Minako, the Priestess of Tamamo, the Voice of the Gods and the Awakener. She had many fancy titles, epitaphs in just slightly over a years of activity but none could challenge her claim as one of the most influential beings in the world of the supernatural.
Her known exploits were well documented, but there were many things that the Church did not know about her due to the absolute lock down of information and intelligence from the Youkai/Shinto Faction. Case in point, she was apparently responsible for rescuing more than a dozen exorcists, holy maidens from the grasp of Devils and the Fallen but the full details on how was not known to them. There were many many rumors about her and many of her peers and seniors had told her not to get in an argument with her or any of her family members as the most prominent rumor was that the Church was trying to broker an alliance with them – that at least was substantiated, as the Lord wouldn't have sent Lady Seraph Gabriel to visit her if he didn't.
..
Xenovia had not believed most of the rumors, but when Seraph Gabriel greeted her like a sister, with the Priestess doing the same in return, she had to wonder how much of hearsay was true and how much were exaggerated myths.
It had not helped matters when it became clear that the stories of the Priestess's tales was not being embellished, she recognized the Holy Maidens that were now serving under the Tamamo House. She had also been relieved and perturbed when after speaking with a few of them, found out that the true story was even more outlandish than she expected.
They were happy there, and being saved from a hellish existence of serving a Devil who had tricked and manipulated them in such an extent was a point in the Priestess's favor.
Xenovia had snooped a little too, listening and watching how the Tamamo Clan dealt with the disputes, request for assistance from individuals who visited their shrine. She was certain that many of them were not normal humans, but was unable to find out more.
..
Her secondary mission, to apologize to a Devil was painful, but after reading on the file of Kiba Yuuto and what he had went through on behalf of the church, and then being abandoned by the church made Xenovia relieved that the Church was doing something for him.
She curtailed the disappointment that it took so long to do so, and after he became a Devil by accepting that the Church was willing to accept a Devil into the light to make amends.
Xenovia wasn't sure that was wise, but if the Light believed that a Devil could be redeemed, why should she doubt it? That was the thought that was nagging at the back of her head even now. She shouldn't be doubting or judging the Church at all!
She did however doubt her assessment of the situation at the rage that Kiba Yuuto had towards the Excalibur she had drawn for their duel. It was radiating off him and was throwing his skill and technique off. Xenovia had not intended to hurt him, but the disappointment she felt that she couldn't fight a honorable duel with her got in the way and she unleashed some of Excalibur Destruction's power prematurely.
Not that she had came close to hurt him, or that other perverted Devil when the Priestess and the Devil intervened. It had been a close call, if she had killed Kiba Yuuto by accident, their secondary mission would have failed.
Their primary mission however, was onto a promising start – they had more than just the two of them and despite Irina's fixation on Hyoudou Issei, Xenovia was heartened that they had more allies to throw in the fight for the Excaliburs.
They were prepared to die for their mission, but Xenovia hoped they wouldn't have to suffer that fate if she could help it.
..
"..." Right now however Xenovia found herself rubbing her eyes every now and then as she saw Archangel Gabriel fussing over a laptop at the porch overlooking the courtyard while Arisato Minako was performing a few forms with what had to be an Excalibur.
Xenovia sat down wordlessly beside Seraph Gabriel, the Seraph had welcome the two of them back to their guest rooms, taken their report on what happened and promised to send it back to the church for evaluation.
The map of Kuoh City would be very advantageous for them to have, if she had been able to understand what Irina had drawn.
"Lady Seraph Gabriel." Xenovia started after she got the nerve to do so.
"Yes~ What is it~"
"Is that one of the Excaliburs we were sent to retrieve?" Xenovia didn't care how she sounded like to a Seraph, as long as she got the question across.
"Ah~ yes~ That is Excalibur Nightmare~" Seraph Gabriel's forthcoming answer was very helpful but it still made Xenovia grind her teeth slightly at her behavior. Was this really a Seraph? An Archangel that governed the Heavens?
"Why is the Priestess holding onto it? Did she... steal it?"
"No~ It was delivered~ to the shrine today~ Perhaps~ the perpetrators were afraid~ of her~?"
The reply made Xenovia frown, and for her to bite back the first few responses in respect of the Seraph and the high esteem she had of the Priestess. But the question still begged to be asked.
"And... you believe her, Lady Seraph Gabriel?" Xenovia was rewarded with Gabriel looking up from the laptop she was fiddling with. The normal air-headed and cheerful smile slowly turning serious as she nodded her head.
"Yes."
..
..
"The strength of this Excalibur isn't in it's offensive ability, Minako." The voice of Siegfried in her mind continued to tutor her, he had gone through the possible forms that Minako could use in her body earlier and she was trying to get used to it.
She knew she shouldn't be using the Holy Weapon at all, but when Gabriel had asked her to wield it just to give it a whirl, she had accepted and now she didn't want to give it up.
It still paled significantly when compared to her weapon, the Vel Vel Muruga, but Excalibur Nightmare was something after her own heart. A Holy Weapon whose ability was to create illusions and manipulate dreams. It would certainly help her with her nightmares, but Minako knew she should stop wielding it when she caught sight of Xenovia staring at her besides Gabriel.
When Minako had showed Gabriel the weapon, the Seraph had dropped the cup she was holding before hurriedly telling Minako not to touch it.
She had later revealed that not everyone was able to wield the Excalibur, they had to be chosen by the Sword, which mainly consisted of having enough 'Light' attribute in them. Gabriel was both astounded and happy that Minako had that aspect in her.
Cybele added that the Church couldn't be calling her a Devil with this development, and Minako had tried that theory when she invited Lilith to possess her body when she wielded the sword.
It hadn't burned her like how it had burned Ravel, so perhaps that was true?
But what was on her mind as she sheathed the sword, the sheathe that had came with the sword she had kept because Kochiyo had expressed interest in and walked towards Gabriel and Ravel was the truth that Gabriel had shared with Minako after the Excalibur was returned to her.
God of the Bible was dead, and had been for a very long time.
That was the big truth that the Christian factions were holding back, and if Minako had been more religious, she would have been shocked.
As it was, her reaction was not what Gabriel was expecting and she quickly moaned that Minako did know about that fact after all. She had reassured Gabriel that she hadn't, but kept mum that after sacrificing herself to stop Nyx and Erebus, she hadn't been one who believed in the God of the Bible.
She believed Deities, as they had limits to their strength they were willing to admit but God? If God truly existed or was still alive, he should have sent some aid instead of letting herself make a sacrifice for the world.
Minako knew she was like a new Messiah, but if she was a child of God, he should have at least told her so.
So that was it, God was dead and that meant that Lilith... the original creation of God was what now?
The shit was hitting the fans, she couldn't wait to start digesting this. After dealing with the Excaliburs of course.