A Flower Amongst Devils
Original Concept: Persona 3 Portable/High School DxD
Chapter 38
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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: So I started playing mobile games, and they suck away your time like mad, and for some reason I was elected to take on more responsibility in the community than a player, so stuff started snowballing.
Well, enjoy the update. I wonder if I can ever finish this... but wall of text incoming!
Beta Notes: UberNimrod still trying to plug away here.
Both wrathie and myself are playing games, which is distracting us from working on our own stuff. I myself am playing Uncharted Waters Online through Steam. Been playing it for just over a year now. Which explains why my writing has fallen off.
I plan on updating the first of the year. I am in a much better mood for writing than I have been in months. Something is getting updated anyway.
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Tamamo Branch Shrine – Main Quarters
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To have a party during a wake or a funeral wasn't part of tradition, but when Susano-O-sama was part of the guest lists – be it breakfast, lunch or dinner would unfortunately degenerated to a situation where it would look, smell and have the characteristics of a party without it actually being one. Susano-O-sama mentioned that it was his secret skill to create parties wherever he went before being promptly chastised by his wife, Kushinada-hime during the banquet Amaterasu Omikami-sama had thrown in her honor. But that was a story for another time...
The fact that the earlier wake was for their enemies probably made it hard to continue the somber mood that a funeral normally created. All of the invited guests were invited for lunch with them and things had promptly degenerated when Susano-O-sama had distributed sake among the masses. She should have see this coming, but she didn't, and that couldn't be helped. Another fallout she needed to deal with, as if the upcoming meeting arranged between Kokabiel and her wasn't stressful enough.
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"Ahaha~ yeah – and after I threw that troublemaker to the next town –" Susano-O was sharing one of his many war stories with Kokabiel while being served by Atsuko-san.
The older Kitsune was more than capable of making sure that Susano-O-sama's hands stayed where they should be, and Kokabiel was warming up to her as she had several decades of experience in the Kitsune court as they made conversation in the small group that had been ordered away from the main group. Minako wasn't going to risk Susano-O-sama causing trouble by groping Rias and Sona – or god forbid, the leading ladies of the Biblical Faction. She could see it now, Susano-O-sama dominating the girls as they destroyed the shrine. Or perhaps he would allow himself to be beaten to soothe their wounded pride, and then grope them again. She wouldn't put it past the mischievous Deity/Sage/Hermit. He was known as a troublemaker and was asked to leave Takahagamara for a reason.
Minako could trust Atsuko to keep an eye and properly serve the two of them as the alternative to do so, Yasaka was playing host to Serafall, Penemue and Gabriel. The leading ladies of the Biblical Faction was separated from the main crowd as well due to Susano-O-sama again.
He gave Gabriel a bottle of sake to loosen her up, so to speak. He didn't expect Gabriel to be a bad drunk, and Minako noticed too late after she had inebriated herself and was throwing a drunken fit again. It was a very dangerous affair due to her monstrous strength and Yasaka had to intervene to stop her from destroying the main hall of the shrine.
The Archangel was still drinking, meaning she was sort of out of control – but Yasaka had managed to calm her down enough as she continued to drink. Penemue was slowly nursing her drink, trying not to fall unconscious while Serafall was in peals of laughter at seeing Gabriel in such a state. The Fallen Angel was always a studious one, having not fallen into debauchery like most of her kin – and as such, had never tasted alcohol before like Gabriel. Serafall was the best drinker out of all of them, but she was laughing more than she could drink – so the point was moot.
"So~~~~ what~~~ do we~~~~ do tomorrow?~ Shopping? But I want~~~ to have more~~~ I won't~~ get fat~~~ right?" Gabriel drawled while lying on Yasaka's lap, being restrained there by the matriarch of the clan. Penemue was now slumped on the table, barely supporting her head up with her hands as she slurred too.
"… evidence… hrk.." She swallowed, turning even greener when Serafall shook her shoulders at seeing Gabriel trying to drink sake upside down, spilling the alcohol down her clothes before Yasaka stopped her. If more of the church were to be here, well – if Michael was here, the shocking news of the death of the Biblical God might not be that important than protecting Gabriel's image.
"Did you take a photo~ Did you~~ AHAHAHA~ I want to put this in the FRONT- AHAHAH" Serafall collapsed in peals of laughter while Yasaka just smiled thinly. Minako knew she was getting pissed, but was doing her best to hold her temper for it wouldn't look good for the host to lose it. Thankfully Yasaka knew better than to goad them to partake in the traditional drinking games of the Kitsune – Gabriel and Penemue would never live this night down if that was the case.
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Team Vali kept to themselves for the most part, with the addition of Koneko or Shirone as she was currently being pampered by her older sister. Le Fay Pendragon was joining in the pampering, the smaller girl petting Koneko cautiously on her head as she curled up besides her older sister.
Arthur and Bikou were simply enjoying the company of Kiririn and Kirara as the two senior Kitsune were tasked to serve the other more dangerous faction in the guest list.
The younger Kiririn was entertain Bikou, constantly refilling his drink as the monkey Youkai tried his best to impress the woman. Bikou was a direct descendant of the legendary Sun Wukong, and had a very strong lineage behind him while Kiririn was a main family member of the Tamamo Clan and was currently dressed in a very loose yukata that revealed sinful flesh that made it hard for Bikou not to look at. Her hair was let loose, provocative and messy as they fell over her shoulders and above her chest. Her hands too were resting against his, and the gentle caressing and impish smile from the Kitsune would knock any guy off their feet if her sultry voice and physical appearance hadn't already done so.
It would be a good match? Probably? Sun Wukong or Seiten Taisei became the Victorious Fighting Buddha in the end of his journey... well, it was complicated as Sun Wukong was a Celestial Rock Monkey Youkai... his descendants would share the same race? He was one of a kind actually, so it was complicated.
Any successful pairing between the two of them would tie the Yaoguai(妖魔) of China with the Youkai of Japan, but Minako refused to entertain that thought more if Kirara was not interested.
Kirara and Kiririn were still seeing Matsuda and Motoyama for reasons only known to the twins, perhaps to keep an eye on Yuzu and Issei? Either way, they were in quite a stable relationship despite the age differences.
Kirara was entertaining Vali and Arthur together, dressed in an altogether more modest yukata, her hair tied up neatly while radiating calmness and dignity, the polar opposite of Bikou.
She served tea quietly and demurely to the two men, engaging in polite conversation with them, though it was mostly Arthur who did the talking. She never took the lead of the conversation, but neither did she give one word replies. The two men were slowly warming up to Kirara, and for her part she didn't seem too rushed to engage them, taking it easy and getting to read them better.
Use whatever advantage we can to better our odds, the body is our weapon and we should exploit it. Textbook Tamamo and Kitsune teachings, and the twins were not above using their bodies to get what they, or the clan wanted.
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Rias and Sona's peerage were being served by Yuzu and Ravel Phenex, being the closest to them. Though Minako honestly wasn't sure Yuzu was being the host as she was latched on to Issei and trying her best to fight for Issei's attention from Asia.
From what she had heard, her student had done remarkably well for his first major conflict and that impressed Yuzu even more. Asia had been terrified, but had managed to keep her cool according to Sona and Rias, and that made her proud too.
The rest of the Rias' peerage were around Issei too, the girls casually flirting with him as well while Yuuto was being surrounded by the some of the girls from Sona's peerage. Ah - teenage romance, maybe having a girl in their lives would change them for the better? Minako wasn't really betting on it though.
What concerned Minako most was Sona – it was subtle but the Devil and her student had been giving her the cold shoulder. Something had changed regarding Sona's opinion of her, but for the life of her she didn't know. Sona had also started the party speaking with Kokabiel, and the two had quite a discussion before Susano-O swept in and pulled Kokabiel away. If she didn't know better, Sona was attracted to the mad scientist, or perhaps something Kokabiel had said had triggered Sona off? The Fallen Angels were tempters, able and willing to do anything to achieve their objectives. Just like Kitsune were in fact, and even more so than Kokabiel – he had to be, for he was one of the leaders of the Grigori and had played several important figures on the lead up to this particular confrontation.
Perhaps he turned her? Minako decided that she'll have to take a closer look in their relationship sooner than later.
Still – the reason why she was able to muse and contemplate so much as one of the hosts of the event was due to the two that she was accompanying.
Irina and Xenovia – the two exorcists of the church that had learned that the Biblical God was dead.
Regardless of whether Kokabiel truly meant what he said – that he wanted the issue to be addressed in the open, or whether it was a deliberate malicious act targeted at Gabriel and the Church, it was still the truth. God was dead, and many of her maidens, her family members had been told of the news when it broke.
Minako had broke the news in person, reaffirmed that it was true and consoled them all when many of them broke down. They had believed in God before they were Devils, and even if they were hurt when they prayed to God, they still held a mass prayer session for him in his memory. They had bounced back quickly because of family, Minako mused and it was a relief to know that they could accept the truth at face value like that.
She had more than a nagging suspicion that their acceptance of such an event was due to her, or specifically their time in the Tamamo Household. To the members of the Youkai/Shinto Faction, Deities or gods were to be respected and looked up to. They were beings above them, most of them powerful and wise but some were childish and fickle.
The Youkai and the Deities(Kami), acknowledge and respected but do not place anyone at a pedestal. Even if Amaterasu Omikami-sama was treated like a Queen publicly, the weakest of Youkai could still gossip about how air-headed she supposedly was without any repercussions.
There was no heresy, no firm laws set in stone on who and how to worship the Deities. To some clans, like the Tamamo, there were Deities they venerated and others they were on familiar terms with. To the Tamamo Clan, the former was Inari Okami-sama and the latter were Deities like Ame no Uzume-san, Konohana Sakuya-hime and Ebisu-sama.
Deities and Youkai weren't equal or the same, but they weren't so distant or close that their existence shaped the worldview of those who followed them.
Shinto was tolerant of other religions and their Deities, accepting them as Gods from another land where otherwise another faction might never call them Gods or Deities, or even recognize them individually as a power.
Amaterasu Omikami-sama was the Empress of Takamahagara and yet was never engaged in formal dialogues by the other factions who came to their land... but it was a story for another time, again.
The maidens under her charge had became desensitized, Deities they once worshiped were now 'human', they had personalities and just like the politicians and entertainers that fill the human world – life goes on, with or without them.
The Biblical God might be dead, his power and influence on the world still remains, and that was enough.
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For Minako? Personally she had lost faith in whatever grand outlying force that presumably helped and guided the life of others. If they truly existed – and they should, she fought Nyx after all – they had no interest in humans.
Or the Earth for that matter. If they did, if the Biblical God truly did care and wanted the best for his followers, then why did he leave the task of dealing with Nyx to her?
Was it a trial for humans? Why did it had to be her...
Minako cut off her own morbid thoughts to focus on Xenovia and Irina. The two exorcists were the only ones truly mourning, and they were mourning for an individual that did not even die at the battle of Kuoh. There was irony here, and she idly wondered what the Biblical God would feel about people mourning him. Guess she'll never know.
"..." Minako quietly offered more napkins to Irina, the more bubbly girl was still sobbing quietly while Xenovia just looked slightly lost. The two of them had seemed to be coping well after the battle, during breakfast and during the wake. They had offered some incense and had been led to the hall when the dead were buried. They seemed fine, but really wasn't when Helena ran up to her to tell her that she saw the two of them fighting back tears to not start a scene, and after guiding them to one of the rooms, had started sobbing and crying while hugging each other.
The atmosphere of the wake must had gotten to them in the end, and together with Annie, Minako had slowly gotten the two of them to calm down.
"Have some more tea." Minako offered them more refreshments and Xenovia nodded, taking the cup and pushing it to Irina instead. The other woman grabbed it and downed it – despite it being hot, but she didn't seem to be affected as she sniffed and generally moped about.
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"Have you calmed down somewhat?" Minako asked softly and Xenovia nodded her head. It would be suspicious if the two did not come for lunch when Gabriel did, and so she stepped up to be their host for lunch.
"Yes... thank you, Miss Minako..." Irina managed to reply before blowing her nose. Xenovia nodded too and she accepted another cup of tea from Minako before thanking her.
"Thank you for being with us, and helping us, Miss Minako. We didn't have any place to stay... and we wanted to thank you and your... family for the help you gave us. We have recovered fully." Xenovia nodded to Irina, who nodded her head before she continued. "Being the escorts of Lady Seraph Gabriel means that we... would be in your care for a while longer as long as Lady Seraph Gabriel is here."
Minako nodded her head, knowing that much and waited for what they truly wanted to ask about.
"There is something else, that we would like to seek your help with." Xenovia swallowed but then reached for her hand, and Minako let her hold it in hers as she pleaded softly.
"Could you let us... stay in your shrine for a while longer? If Lady Seraph Gabriel wish to return tomorrow, the two of us aren't ready to return to the Vatican with what we have learned." Xenovia paused as Irina added on. "Lady Seraph Gabriel told us to... keep..." Her lips trembled and her voice shook as she spoke. "... G-God's d-death... a secret from the rest."
"We are not allowed to tell anyone about that, that is a direct order from Lady Seraph Gabriel." Xenovia cut in to help Irina and she allowed Irina to cry against her chest while Minako closed her eyes and considered.
The Chariot and the Strength Arcana still shone brightly above their heads, a symbol of the bond that she could create with them. Just like with Kokabiel, and with Vali – it seems that the decision might be out of her hands once again.
"You are seeking asylum with me? Or do you just want a place to stay temporarily to sort your thoughts out?" Minako said at long last and the two Exorcists looked at each other before replying.
"A place to stay." "Asylum." The two of them looked at each other in confusion again before they started whispering to each other, arguing about each other's choices.
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Irina had asked for a place to stay, while Xenovia had asked for Asylum and the two's differing request, caught each other off guard. Minako simply kept an eye on them while looking at the other guests, trying to spot any trouble before it could escalate. She could intervene now, but that wouldn't solve the problem. It was best for the two of them to sort it among themselves first. It was quickly obvious that the two of them had differing views on what they should do.
Irina was still dedicated to the church, and most of her arguments to Xenovia was that they still had their duties.
As the wielder of Durandal, Minako knew that Xenovia was aware of that more than most, but the blue haired Exorcist's argument was that the church had lied to them, and because of that, she had lost her reason to serve the church.
"I might have been chosen by the Church to wield Durandal and the Excalibur Destruction, it is a duty I was proud to uphold and follow as I believed that I was doing right as God and the church found me worthy. The Vatican, and the Church is in the side of the Light, and the good and I was serving the masses. But now I'm... not sure whether I can believe what the church says, and whether they are doing the right things." Xenovia closed the argument when she clasped Irina's hands in hers. "Look at Asia Argento and Hyoudou Issei. They are Devils, and if I follow the orders of the Vatican, I should kill the two of them and the rest of the people that fought and saved us." Xenovia opened her eyes again and pleaded to Irina, who looked torn as well.
"Is that right? If God... if they hadn't lied to me... I would have questioned it but might have accepted it even if they are not bad people. We are in different sides of the war, and... not all Devils are good, some are bad." Xenovia confessed and Minako quietly applauded at the realistic and mature mindset of the Exorcists. Your friends could one day turn to be your enemies, that was the reality of the world out there. When duty calls for you to take down the people that you knew and love, would you do it? She was given that choice before, and she did kill Ryoji in the end in the top of Tartarus, so it didn't matter whether she did it before or after, huh?
"But they lied to us, Irina. They... they knew that God was dead, and they hid it from everyone. How many people suffered like Asia Argento because God wasn't there to save them? I'm... not saying that they did wrong in hiding the truth-" Irina's voice hitched as Xenovia started crying again. "... but I, I personally... I can't accept it. They lied to us, to me... all the things I did for the Church, for God, I believed, I confessed, I cried and I steeled my heart for... I don't know whether they are right anymore. Am I a hero? Or am I a villain? I'm just a weapon they are pointing at their enemies." Xenovia paused again to stop Irina from covering her ears, pulling her hands down.
"You have to listen to me, Irina. They... I won't stop you from going back if you want to. But the church, they... sent us to die. Even with Lady Seraph Gabriel here, they... didn't expect us to survive this mission. They expected us to die for Lady Seraph Gabriel." Her voice was stern and harsh, and Irina was openly crying too as the two of them had a moment.
Minako took the time to channel senjutsu and create an illusion around them to hide the moment of weakness. She caught the eye of Annie who was nearby and signaled to her to keep others from disturbing them.
The Chariot and the Strength, they are not companionable Arcanas, but they signify similar traits. The former due to their drive, eagerness and confidence to achieve their goals. The latter due to their fortitude, both mentally as well as physically, the two of them matched that to a tee.
"I don't want to see you sacrifice yourself blindly, Irina. We're friends – so... please, just for a while, stay with me?" It took a while, but Irina finally nodded and Xenovia turned to Minako before bowing to her deeply.
"Will you accept our request for asylum, Miss Minako? They... they'll know that we know... and... that might cause problems, but please, I..." Xenovia trailed off as she clenched her fist in worry, or anger, Minako wasn't sure which was more appropriate.
"The church will probably excommunicate the two of you in fear of you spreading the word that God is dead." Minako answered evenly and Irina stiffened while Xenovia winced.
"I wasn't... we wouldn't, I know how bad it is... but surely they wouldn't believe us even if we did?" Xenovia tried lamely.
"There's no smoke without fire. They might not want to take the chance, especially when it is the wielder of Durandal who is convinced that God is dead. At best they'll invite you to stay with the church on a permanent basis, at worse they'll hunt you down like they did with Asia." Minako laid out what might happen to them on the table and Irina paled as for the first time she understood what it meant to know something she wasn't supposed to know.
"What if we promised to never tell anyone about it?"
"They would still excommunicate you even if you promise, it is a question whether they'll even acknowledge you when you return. It's easier to deal with a threat preemptively before it becomes one. If they excommunicated you first, your claims will never be taken seriously." Minako shook her head at the last. "Even if you are a hero who fought alongside Gabriel to stop a war, or if you are – no, precisely it's because you are the wielder of Durandal. Xenovia will probably be excommunicated, the Church will never take the risk of such an influential figure like you spreading news that the biblical God is dead." She turned to Irina then. "Irina might be spared, but she might be muzzled. As to how that would be happen, I do not know. Unless the two of you know?"
Minako's question was phrased innocently enough but from how the two exorcists turned slightly green, she got the answer she needed.
"I'll prepare the papers and will speak to Gabriel about it. You'll be in the protection of the Tamamo Clan after you sign the contract and the papers." Minako stood up before gesturing for them to follow her. Hopefully Kochiyo wasn't too occupied with guarding Katerea to help her draft another contract, looks like her home was filling up.
It might be time to expand the shrine a little bit more?
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Tamamo Branch Shrine - Guest Quarters
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Kokabiel sipped the tea that he had been offered quietly in the dim light of the guest room he had been given. It wasn't exactly a prison, he was given free reign to move in the area stipulated for guests, and from what he knew – the Tamamo Clan was used to having lots of guests. Besides the Devils, his honorable sister and the exorcists, they were also housing Vali and the Japanese God of Storms. But it was also true he was unable to leave past the confines of the shrine. It was a prison.
But it was a very fulfilling day. Susano-O was such an interesting figure, and although he hadn't given him much information to work with as of yet, being able to talk to another Deity of another land was a rare occurrence, and he was looking forward to making more contacts in the land of the east.
It was partly why he was here – the Grigori's research were still ongoing, but the pace of research had slowed. They were content to let human develop their 'technology' while they watched, unable to comprehend fully on the development they had made.
It was embarrassing to admit, but humans had delved deeper into the mysteries of the universe then they were able to.
He was the Angel of the Stars – Father had tasked him to learn more about the heavenly bodies, and he had done all he could, trained his eyes on the skies even after the Grigori was banished from heaven due to the birth of the Nephilim.
The Nephilim were an interesting byproduct of what humans would call bio-engineering? Or was that a hybrid species? Either way, the Nephilim were sterile and were hunted down by the Heavenly Host long ago. None of their descendants were left alive. Michael made sure the purge was complete without any margin of error. He always delivered and was similar to the Grigori, achieve the results, whatever the cost incurred might be. The Priestess might never accept that though, she had an image to uphold, one that gathered people under her umbrella and rule.
Further development after that disaster had eventually bore fruit, where Fallen Angels and later Angels, could reproduce with humans, although that practice has not been practiced for a while due to the high mortality rate of the babies that were conceived.
The process of childbirth is also extremely stressful, regardless of whether the mother was human or Angel. Both species were not built to give birth to Angels.
Reflecting on that – Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ was an amazing woman if she was able to give birth to the child that many recognized as the Son of God. Yes – humans were amazing, and as the Angel of Stars, he had long ago decided and longed to leave the Grigori to continue his research in the human world.
He had a theory, a crazy one, but one that made sense if one considered all the evidence that both humans and he had collected, but he shouldn't let his mind wander like this.
For he could make out a shadow standing in front of the sliding door to his room.
"Can I come in?" The voice of the person he was waiting for asked and Kokabiel smiled before getting up himself to greet her.
"Please do, I have been waiting for you for the entire night, Miss Arisato." He bowed to her as she entered with Kochiyo by her side. The minor Deity gave him a cautious bow too but the two of them settled down to sit in front of the sitting table in the middle of the room. It was three at night and the Priestess looked exhausted. It was a relative term though, she still looked sharp and her eyes were focused. It was the very slight slouch and rapid blinking of her eyes at a few intervals that showed her exhaustion.
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She looked at the pot of tea before gesturing to it, and when he nodded his head, she poured herself and Kochiyo cups of tea.
"Have you considered my request? I hope that you have an answer for me." Kokabiel asked after she set her cup down again.
"You are seeking asylum with the faction, or... to be exact, are you seeking protection from me?"
It was a sensible question and one that Kokabiel was prepared to answer.
"A good question, and I am seeking asylum because of your presence and the reputation of your faction, not due to your strength. I have no doubt having you as my protector is a very tempting factor, but again, it is your faction's reputation that is compelling me to ask for asylum." Kokabiel's answer surprised Minako for there was a brief pause before she continued probing.
"So… besides asylum you would like to join my faction as well?"
"That would be my final goal yes, but I hope you understand that as I do that it'll be difficult to accomplish. Seeking asylum is the first, and likely the only step that I can take as a Grigori." He materialized his wings and flapped them to elaborate. Minako didn't answer, wordlessly prompting him to elaborate.
"We are part of the Biblical or Abrahamic Faction. We follow Father, or the Biblical God as you like to call him. It is unthinkable that one of His members would defect to another religious faction. We might be in war, but we are still brothers, kin and created by the same Father if one traces our ancestors way back to their point of origin. He is our creator, our Father and our Lord - no matter what the Devils say or claim, all of us were made by the hands of God. For one of his creations to betray that faction, is the ultimate sin." Kokabiel paused. "Although there are instances of loose alliances between factions, like us with the Nordic Gods, none of our members have given up the identity of an Angel, a Fallen or a Devil completely."
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Minako's lips twitched and it took considerable effort not to run a hand down her face in exasperation as she understood.
"And that is your goal, to shed all allegiance with your creator, siblings and home? You would give up everything that made you a Fallen Angel. Am I correct? Why would you do such a thing?"
"Because I know that I can advance my research further in your faction." He paused before elaborating. "Your faction has the best reputation out of all the Factions, you are not embroiled in an internal conflict, the ruling elite is not only fair, but integrates themselves among the followers and most importantly, your faction encourages social and economical development and advances in technology and relations with humans. You do not discriminate as severely as others and society is free to develop and research within the laws and rules established by the ruling elite - which to date is still well liked by the followers of your faction. Whatever secrets that you and the leaders of your faction are implementing, they are favorable ones." Kokabiel paused and Minako nodded.
That was true, but what was he implying with this? She grew up in a democratic society, where the government was supposed to take care of the people who elected it and they did a good job, all things considered.
Minako had tried to do the same, motivated by the same ideals of a regulated but still free society. Uniform laws and regulations would be established and not one single individual was above them. Even the Deities had laws of interaction introduced, much to the relief and amusement of some of the members of Takahamagara as the the minor Deities were kind of sick and tired of being invoked all the time by Onmyoujis or Exorcists who didn't respect them. It was still a work in progress, but Minako was confident they would be able to standardize all contracts being made to Youkai and Deities in due time.
"What is your goal, Kokabiel? What is this… research you are thinking about?" Minako asked and Kokabiel beamed as Minako seemed to consider his request.
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"Have you wondered what exactly makes humans, out of all the species in this world special, Minako? What compels God and the other Deities to grant favor to them as a species? What makes them have so much potential that they can at times, overwhelm and even surpass Monsters whose legend were feared across the land and to slay them and yet be at times so weak one can die by staying out in the rain. They are simply amazing, and I for one can appreciate what Father meant when he told us to look over them. They have tremendous potential, and you, Minako are one of the most amazing examples of a human surpassing all expectations."
"But I digress; my main goal is to find out how it is that, for all of its potential, and it's frailty, how and why they remain the dominant race on this planet. Why it is that so many Deities and Pantheons paid so much attention to them when they are far inferior to them." Kokabiel paused and smiled at the same thoughtful look that Minako had.
"Oh believe me, I am aware of the dangers that humanity has produced in its short tenure on the earth. They carry more than sufficient firepower to eliminate one of the major factions easily if they united. The United States of America by itself could possibly destroy Heaven and lay waste to the majority of the Underworld before they even realized what happened with their nuclear and atomic stockpile. You are truly a destructive race – I suppose they don't need the blessings of the deities or Father any further. Beyond the study of humans, there is also another avenue of study that I wish to pursue." Kokabiel gestured with his hands to himself and her.
"The topic of sentience. Is it because humans have sentience and self-awareness? Sentience is such a broad topic to broach... that it's not that easy for one to actually define properly. Is it self-awareness and consciousness? Intelligence? No, that's not quite right too as I'm sure that humans would be happy to explain, that animals are intelligent, and many of them are self-aware. So it isn't unique to human themselves. Bear with me Priestess, we are logical and rational beings, I trust that you will not attack a fellow philosopher who is trying to engage you in one of the biggest mysteries of the known world." He paused before elaborating again.
"Other beings that are intelligent and self-aware while being predominantly not human exists. Besides myself, you have the best example of them all. The Youkai aren't human at all, and yet they are also intelligent and self-aware. They are creatures of nature that gained intelligence, but the Youkai also recognized the threat that humans posed, with their potential and desire to dominate and control. But even so, with the watchful eyes and guardianship of the many Deities, supernatural beings that protected and sheltered humanity – humanity developed, grew and conquered the world despite being weak and fragile. It is truly an interesting tale, of the underdogs inheriting the world. It is said that Father approved, for blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the world, no? There is also another saying: When the world is thrown to chaos, the wise and the foolish are on the same standing. When the war between the Heaven, Devils and the Grigori took place, other pantheons stayed out of it as we could have destroyed them if we united against them. They stood by, quietly gathering faith while we were looking away while our own followers grew. It was a terrible war, but we still ended up with the most number of followers who believed in Father, the many different faces of his. Humanity thrived while we beings above them declined." Kokabiel didn't sound bitter, in fact he sounded excited more than bitter as he went on.
..
"Now the world is a huge place – and although the physical and the metaphysical realms are separate, if humanity desires and gathers enough of themselves to try and invade the other realms, I know they can succeed. Humanity is well placed to take over our positions. The old must give way to the new, yes? We have one shining example of one willing to take up the torch, don't we?" He beamed while Minako just stared passively back.
"I believe that the Priestess of Tamamo would be able to lead the forces of the Shinto/Youkai Faction. With the backing of the Kotoamatsukami they would be more than sufficient to take down one of the Biblical Faction by yourself." He didn't seem to care that he belonged to one of the factions as he drawled slowly.
"It would be a clear sign that we should hand the reins to the new generation, if your performance was any indication. Truly, possession, whether by a Divine being or not, is a wonderful equalizer."
"Is this topic going anywhere?" Minako cut in curtly at long last, probably sick of Kokabiel rambling philosophically so late in the night. She should be asleep now, she had to wake up early to tend to her ever growing mountain of paperwork and duties.
..
"Oh yes it is, Miss Minako. Please, humor me for a little while more." Kokabiel hummed in appreciation when she nodded. "Humanity itself is particular obsessed with death and what comes after it. They say that sinners rot in hell, and that karma is a bitch. They are also convinced that reincarnation exists – and in that they are correct for humanity has souls and that itself is ample proof of its existence. Look at the Buddhists, who believe in Samsara – the reincarnation of one's soul from one life to another based on the 'karma' that one accumulated. Despite members of the Vatican are strongly against it – we have sufficient prove that it is true, for that is how Sacred Gears are transferred from human to human upon death. Lastly, if they do not – how else can you explain how Death Gods work, or how one's energy is totally different from another when using senjutsu? Souls exist, and a human's soul is unique– distinguishing them from other species, for humanity's souls – or the light is what draws Deities to them. What happens when a Devil, or an Angel or a Fallen Angel dies? What makes their afterlife, it it exists at all, different from humans? What about Youkai? Do they have an after life? Will they be reincarnated or will there be purgatory for us that we ourselves are not even aware of? If humans can reach Valhalla and Heaven after death, why can't Angels? Or Devils for that matter? Does that mean that humans have something we don't? What if there is another cosmic entity out there above Father, and we answer to that entity? There are so many questions, and yet the Grigori, and Azazel, is reluctant to even start probing those same questions." Kokabiel smiled as he gestured again.
..
"One can argue that reincarnation doesn't work for humanity is always growing in numbers, the population expansion is proof of that but they did not consider 'new' souls can be created, and that not all souls are reincarnated. Imagine the influx of souls through the gate of heaven, and of hell if all of humanity's souls pass by them. Science has determined that natural selection and evolution created the animals today, even humans can be explained that way. But the truth is, Father, and many other Creator Gods and Goddesses, had a hand in humanity's rise. Only Father knew what happened then, as it predated us. But back to topic – yes, humanity's souls... Perhaps they sense an imitation or a feeling of kinship to them. After all, we all know that Deities, regardless of their strength is fundamentally different from humanity. Look at us Angels, defying physics with magic, the Light, so does the Devils. The question is why, really, why is that so? Did he created us in the image of humanity, or is humanity molded after us? We are different, but we were made by Father in the image of humanity - making us similar yet different. Father created Adam and Eve, but you might know the latter as Lilith. The question that we found ourselves repeating and never really caring about is – what made humanity so special to warrant the attention of all the Deities in this world. What makes them so special that they can rule the world, leaving us at their mercy, to some extent at least?" Kokabiel looked at Minako expectantly, the Priestess staring back before rubbing her forehead in exasperation. It was really too late for this but she would play along for now..
"You mentioned 'souls' earlier. Does that mean that a human's soul is different than let's say, an Angel's?"
"Precisely! That is the crux of the question. Does possessing that special trait make humanity so special that we, those who you view as Deities, Gods and Angels, had to assist your rise to world domination?"
Kokabiel paused, but Minako shook her head, letting him continue.
..
..
"But that isn't right as well, humanity isn't that special for the souls of humanity can be distinguished, as you would no doubt know. That is how the Valkyrie whisk away the worthy for the day of Valhalla, and how Angels carry the chosen through the Rapture and how the Mother Goddess Nuwa breathe life into mud figures to create the humans who spread her faith and belief."
"But souls are also not unique. I believe that the Kotoamatsukami has their own underworld where sinners are punished; and the same goes for Mt Sumeru and of Mt Olympus. They have their versions of the underworld for humans, and yet again none of them have ever welcomed a non-human soul among their members naturally. So are we soulless? No! That is certainly not true!" Kokabiel was not entirely going in circles, but his train of thought was confusing the woman in front of him badly.
"We are also aware that humanity has pondered on how life was made, and has made interesting experiments on how the origin of life began – and to be honest, I always wondered why none of our kin, regardless of Angel or Fallen ever paid attention to the discoveries of mankind. They provide so much knowledge that we can utilize for our use and they can be obtained through the World Wide Web, and for no effort at all. Father made Adam and Lilith, the first female and male pair in Japan is Izanagi and Izanami. The primordial being Pangu shattered the world egg to create the world and life. Life began before humanity ever stepped foot over it – so who is right and who is wrong? The only conclusion that I can make, and infer is that life, and humanity's origins, came from the stars." Kokabiel paused again, smiling as he reached the end of his tirade. "Imagine if we can discover what makes humans, angels, devils, and even Deities different? It would shake the world more than the discovery of evolution, wouldn't it?" Kokabiel paused before adding another line to reel Minako in. The Priestess was interested, he could see the sudden shift in her body language. Not that she wasn't paying attention previously, but this remark definitely got her interest.
"And… if it is proven that humans are actually biologically similar to us with only slight differences in our makeup, then imagine what that would entail for the world. For your dream." He added - for he could make an educated what the Priestess wanted. It was a foolish dream, one that only the most optimistic and hopeful could ever believe could be made possible.
But in this land of the east, there was at least one individual who had been elevated to being a Deity, if only at this land, due to that same foolish and yet ridiculously simple dream.
He had no doubt that the young woman in front of him could achieve the same feat in time.
"I can make a few educated guesses on what you wish to build, and the legacy that you wish to leave behind, Miss Minako. But the world will not be equal, not when individuals are still hung up on race, color, language and beliefs. If Humans are still divided over the course of it's history -"
"It's your history too. No Deities or religious faction precedes humanity. If there was, they are not active now." The Priestess shot back testily and Kokabiel allowed that with a nod. That was an element of truth there, and those who could prove her wrong were long gone.
Kokabiel was confident that the Abrahamic Faction has contacted all the factions at some point in their history.
"But my point remains. If humans are divided, we non-humans will remain the same."
"And humans believed the angels to be above them." Minako answered stiffly, but the annoyance was no longer there. In fact it seemed like she was teasing him a little.
"We are not so different from you -"
"And that is my point, we aren't so different. I will make this happen. Between Youkai and Humanity first, and then the rest of the world. If we all stood together, no longer divided, we can achieve much bigger and better things. We'll show the world that it is possible… and, I understand why you said that I would be interested in your research." The Priestess ran a hand through her hair before shaking her head.
"This will definitely change the world. It will make you a target."
"I have faith in your ability to shelter me, Miss Minako. And I am willing to shoulder the risk. I am seeking asylum after all. Neither Azazel or the Chaos Brigade would wish to open this Pandora's Box."
"And you hope that I will? I am, your Pandora?" The young woman gave another long suffering sigh before shaking her head.
"I… I can't deny that this would be useful. But the results of your research might never be released in full. I… and depending on the findings. I might be forced to kill you." She smiled sadly and Kokabiel only chuckled.
That is true, there are things that should never be known.
"I appreciate the warning. If I do descend so low. Please, feel free to take my life." His answer satisfied the Priestess and she nodded her head.
"I would have to run this through Amaterasu Omikami-sama and I have to draft a contract for you to sign… " She paused again before her eyes wavered, staring at something above him before meeting his.
"Don't make me regret this."
"Oh you won't, Miss Minako. I assure you that you won't."
"Then why do I feel I just signed a contract with a Devil?" She huffed in annoyance before getting up. "You'll have an answer as soon as I can, and… we'll work out the details. For now, you will be a guest in the shrine, if you don't mind."
Kokabiel's smile was all the answer she needed and the Priestess took her leave.
..
Grigori Headquarters
..
"Silence, I know everyone is excited to see Penemue - you look great by the way, but you shouldn't make such a big fuss over her! She's been gone for not even a month!" Azazel shouted with a grin over the din and chaos that the meeting room had descended into after Penemue had given her report.
His wayward son, Vali had also not reported back and Penemue hadn't reported on whether she had seen him. This reeked of conspiracy and the leader of the Girgori looked contemplatively at his fellow Grigori leaders.
All of them were Cadre leaders, leading an army of Angels that had been decimated since the Great War. Their population were regrowing, but that was only due to how the Angels were falling even without temptation.
Those worries could wait another day however as he needed to have proof that Kokabiel was right.
That there were traitors among their midst even in the highest hierarchy of the Grigori. The knowledge that the Priestess could be a descendant or reincarnation of Queen Lilith was only revealed through the Khaos Brigade, and that news had still spread among the ranks of the leaders like wildfire.
Michael and his angels were tightlipped about it, and the Devils were the same. There were spies and traitors among the Devils, that much he was sure of - Sirzechs had alluded that to him after the Youkai/Shinto Faction had contacted them about for information regarding the Khaos Brigade.
It had been a shot out of the blue, and even more perplexing was the Priestess contacting all three factions for assistance, sharing information with them freely and hoping they would do the same.
Sirzechs had started the ball rolling, revealing that the Old Maou Faction were part of the Khaos Brigade, as well as some minor clans from the Magicians.
They had been next, sharing that they were aligned with the Ouroboros Dragon helped with solidifying their tentative link with the Priestess.
Michael had then released intelligence that besides the 'True Longinus', 'Dimension Lost', they had 'Annihilation Maker' as well - which was news to all of them.
Three world-class Longinus Sacred Gears in the hands of terrorists. Granted that the Hero Faction had slowed their activity after seeing the Priestess's actions, but they were still a threat.
A threat that was significant enough that they could have caused their tentative alliance with the Priestess to break when they 'aided' Kokabiel to retrieve the Excaliburs.
Kokabiel's 'betrayal' was suggested by the man himself, wanting to use himself as bait to find the traitors. That and he had no qualms being branded as a scapegoat and be booted out of the Grigori.
Azazel had an inkling of what he wanted, and he applauded his audacity.
..
"We can't let this insult stand, Lord Azazel. We should declare war on that arrogant human! They killed our brothers and our kin, and you wish to let them go scot free?" Bezaliel, the Shadow of God howled in anger while Armaros disagreed with him.
"They left the rest of the cadre alive, and is willing to return them to us." He nodded to Penemue, who nodded in confirmation. "They were being invaded by our members, and instead of asking for compensation, is returning those who lived through the encounter back to us. Think of the intelligence they can provide us about those that they faced -"
"Actually about that, the individuals who took part in the battle were made to swear that they won't. They were also evacuated before the Priestess took to the field." Penemue corrected Armaros but the Angel of Enchantments was not dissuaded.
"Even so, they are magnanimous even in their victory, we should be gracious in our loss and be thankful they did not sever ties with us." Armaros nodded to Azazel and the leader of the Grigori grinned in response.
"Armaros is right. I'll be meeting with the Queen of the Tamamo Clan tomorrow to hash out details about Kokabiel's invasion. They might not have demanded compensation, but Sirzechs and Michael will be sure to ask for some. It'll make us look bad if we accede to them and not to the Youkai/Shinto Faction."
"That is unacceptable, Azazel. We shouldn't be taken to task for Kokabiel's actions. Isn't that why we banished him from the Grigori after his defection? Why are we cleaning this mess for him? He should be made to answer for his actions. That and he threatened my daughter. I'm going to smite him if he got fresh with Akeno. No, smiting him is letting him get off easy. I'll flog and quarter him." Baraqiel, the Lightning of God and his close friend growled in annoyance. He had been in a bad mood after knowing Kokabiel had his daughter, Akeno in his mercy for a while.
"It's either offer compensation or allow around seven hundred of our men to die at the hands of Kokabiel's folly. They were following orders of their leader, and all of us know the importance of loyalty in the Grigori. Our men are expected to follow our orders without question, that is the basis of our organization and which allows us to fight against Michael and his Angels to a standstill for so long. Are you suggesting that we just watch and let those loyal men die?" Samyaza, the Vice Governor spoke up coolly, challenging and chiding Baraqiel. The two of them were friends and Baraqiel snorted, but calmed down in acknowledgment.
"So we are going to bow our heads in apologies like defeated dogs?!" This time it was Gadreel, another Cadre leader who repeated in anger.
"Fellow Fallen, we should not let that woman cow us and to direct her terms. We have our pride. Kokabiel has not failed. He had proven that the Priestess is weak and soft hearted. She was almost killed by a human contracted by Kokabiel -" Gadreel's words made Azazel frown, Penemue's eyes widen and the leader of the Grigori's smile parted to show teeth as Gadreel was joined by Asbeel who stood with him. His remark had caused some of the leaders to nod in agreement. There weren't many of them left, less than ten from the original twenty, so that meant each individual they gathered to their cause was dangerous.
"- Kokabiel might have failed, so did that pathetic excuse of a Devil, Katerea, but it had only shown the weakness of a faction that Azazel has foolish claimed to be on par with any one, or perhaps two of our bitter enemies. This is our chance to seize control, to assimilate their members into our midst and use this land to launch another offensive at Michael and Sirzechs." The two of them were full of themselves, driven by the atmosphere of the moment and so, so foolish that Azazel felt disappointed that he did not see this coming from the two of them. The two of them had been the ones who had started the whole mess of the Grigori getting banished by mating with humans to create Nephilim.
They had, he will never deny this, enjoyed themselves, but when all it did was to cause the war, and the deaths of many of their kin, at times in the dead of night he wandered whether it was worth it.
Of course, those nights were spent without women, but he digressed. The meeting has dragged long enough, and it seems that he had finally hit pay dirt at long last. Kokabiel's ludicrous claims that there were defectors among the Grigori was hard to believe, but now...
"I see Kokabiel was right." His soft remark silenced the group and made Gadreel and Asbeel stare at him in confusion. The two angels, male and female suddenly stiffened as arcane sigils started appearing on their skin while the rest of the Grigori leaders stood up in shock and confusion.
Only three other individuals remained collected and composed, not surprised by this development at all.
"Traitors among our ranks. The details that you know, of the human that was contracted by Kokabiel… and most importantly, of Katerea Leviathan, was never revealed to any of the other leaders." His smile became feral as Baraqiel and Samyaza stood up beside him while the connection with Penemue was cut off, she has done good work there.
"And you do know what we do to traitors, Gadreel, Asbeel…" Azazel's grin was toothy as the rest of the Grigori turned to meet the two Cadre leaders, all of them frowning in disapproval. "... we give them no quarter."
..
Tamamo Branch Shrine – Main Quarters
..
"You... do you know how much paperwork that you caused me? Again? You exist to cause trouble for me, I swear." Tamamo Yasaka gave Minako a stink eye as she stared at not one, not two, but three stack of papers seeking granting temporary asylum for three separate and sought after individuals. The two of them were sitting in Yasaka's quarters while Kochiyo and Yuzu worked on another stack of documents.
The three of them in question were Xenovia Quarta, Shidou Irina and Kokabiel. Especially the last one – it wasn't natural for a former enemy to be granted asylum barely a day after they almost declared war on them. It just wasn't done but Minako had gotten the permission from Amaterasu Omikami-sama to protect Kokabiel for now.
Yasaka believed that if Inari Okami-sama found out, she'll be very very upset at not being part of the action.
It was however only a temporary measure till they work out the full details of the project Kokabiel was going to work on, but for now – he was to be protected by Minako.
"Technically, Kokabiel is still under probation, and Amaterasu Omikami-sama has already approved it so... I'll have to run by Inari Okami-sama too..." Just like that, Minako was her savior again, that girl is the best.
"I'll have to explain to Inari Okami-sama why you did that anyway after you're done." Yasaka countered and Minako winced slightly.
"I'll do what I can to calm her down... so please..." She tried weakly and gave up the ghost when Yasaka raised an eyebrow in response.
"Honestly, can't she just attend the meeting that's going to be held by Amaterasu Omikami-sama? She is part of the meeting." Minako grumbled ever so slightly while Yasaka shook her head.
"Even if you've persuaded and united the Amatsukami and Kunitsukami, old habits won't die that easily. Inari Okami-sama favors you too, and dotes on you. She's been complaining to me that you're not visiting her any more. That doesn't mean that she likes to make the trip up to Takahamagara." Yasaka smiled at the guilty look from Minako and she stopped her from apologizing.
"You have your plans and your needs, especially your needs. Have you slept at all last night?" Yasaka asked quietly and Minako shook her head.
"I thought as much. I know there's only so much that Omoikane-sama can do without you physically awake, but couldn't this wait?"
"... No, Azazel-san is coming today to meet with Kokabiel. I can't afford to let him go in there unprepared. That and... Vali is leaving today, I can't let him wait either as it's risky for me to contact him... Gabriel might be leaving today." She sounded doubtful at that, but pressed on. "Other representatives from the church might be here today as they didn't hear from Xenovia and Irina. We need to get their papers ready too to protect them if they are here to take them back by force and the rest are time sensitive too."
Yasaka rubbed her forehead before turning to stare at the small mountain of other paperwork she needed to go through, mostly the reports from the encounter with Siegfried, Katerea and the said interrogation results from Katerea she had to go through before briefing Azazel, Michael and Sirzechs.
"... I didn't think you had the stomach to do interrogation, but what do I know. Did you use someone else?" Yasaka's eyes narrowed while Minako cleared her throat.
"Izanami-sama and Ishtar-sama were very... persuasive?" She added helpfully while Yasaka rolled her eyes.
"I'm sure they were. So... is Katerea drooling mindlessly or hopelessly infatuated and crushing on you now?" Yasaka smirked as she added, causing Minako to wince as she scratched her head sheepishly. "You know, like Raynare still is. I'm sure that she's bi – and she'll jump you when you two are alone." Yasaka's additional remark made Minako groan as she shook her head in despair.
"I'm pretty sure that's not the case there, I considered asking Lilith-sama to help persuade her, but she felt that Katerea wasn't... well, a Devil any more..." She paused and raised an eyebrow when Yasaka sighed in relief.
"For a moment there I thought you will say that you asked the original Leviathan to speak to her descendant. So it isn't a trend?"
"Katerea didn't have anything that tied back to the original Leviathan..." Minako pouted cheerfully while Yasaka shuddered.
"But I need to brief Raynare about Vali's alliance with us. He mentioned that there's someone else he wants us to meet too so..." Minako sighed, wondering if she could find a way to make a copy of herself. There was so much to do and so much she hadn't done.
"I need to send Vali off soon, before Azazel arrives. You'll be hosting him, right?" Minako asked hopefully and Yasaka nodded her head.
"No reason to let him get what he wants. He's dying to meet and speak with you." Yasaka hummed before adding. "You'll need to visit the elders soon. They are bitching about the next upcoming Hyakki Yagyō (百鬼夜行) and your appearance. They want to make it as grand as possible."
"That and they want me to accompany one of their heirs to the meeting." Minako deadpanned easily and Yasaka laughed in agreement.
"Well – the most sought after woman in the Youkai Faction would no doubt have many suitors. But tell me, what's bothering you about the Hero Faction and Cao Cao." Her eyes gleamed in focus while Minako sighed in trepidation. Looks like she can't avoid this conversation after all.
"I don't know, Yasaka-sama... I want to believe Cao Cao didn't send Siegfried and it was Georg who did it himself. But I... I just don't know." She confessed and Yasaka placed one hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sure your stalker friend will let you know the truth soon." She winked and Minako spluttered in annoyance.
"Yasaka-sama!"
..
..
"Here." Minako handed a covered object to Team Vali. The group of them had stayed in the shrine last night to sort out the final details of their agreed alliance.
The Vali Team wasn't a faction, nor was it a true power. But Vali was the 'Vanishing Dragon', and being a very powerful wielder of 'Divine Dividing' made them still a considerable force to reckon with.
They had been in talks before, with Kuroka as the liaison, but they had finally managed to finalize that agreement with them last night.
Like Yasaka had said, she wasn't in the best of physical condition but it would have to do. If they tried anything here, well... Kochiyo was around, but she was nervous about the many guards that were currently observing them, ready to move in if something goes wrong.
Minako wished to have faith in them, but when it came to monsters like Vali and his team, they would barely be nuisances. Still – the thought that they were there for her was nice. It made her feel appreciated and happy that they valued her, if anything else.
The person she was addressing was Arthur, and the Knight that was once affliated with the Arthurian Faction of England paused before accepting the item. He had an idea of what Minako was going to give him as he didn't even show surprise when the item was revealed to be Excalibur Ruler.
"This was given in exchange for good behavior when you are visiting Vali. Unless you wish to inform me of any wrongdoing that you did while you were our guests, I do not see any issues in returning this to it's owner." Minako's lips twitched when Arthur held the powerful weapon in his hand before shaking his head.
"No, you keep it. You have plans for the Excalibur that you have with you, don't you?" Arthur asked and Minako hummed softly before nodding her head.
"I returned Excalibur Mimic to one of the exorcists and will return Excalibur Rapidly to the Vatican. The other two however, I'm keeping. Call it a payment of sorts for all the trouble they did to us."
"Naturally you'll be taking some compensation from the Grigori about the damage they dealt to Kuoh and the danger you faced?" Arthur's question made her shrug.
"I think having a few of their men killed as part of the operation is payment enough, they are rebuilding Kuoh Academy and even if I was in danger, I got my own rewards out of that." Tyrfing was one of them and Nothung was retrieved by Kochiyo shortly after they left to pursue Siegfried and Georg. Two of the strongest Demonic weapons in her hands was reward enough for her, even if others might not agree.
"So you will keep Excalibur Ruler? It isn't just a promise of good behavior, it could be a sign of our alliance." Arthur nudged Vali and the wielder of 'Divine Dividing' nodded stiffly.
"But if you have plans for it, please use it to progress your plans as our goals coincide as well. Will you be visiting my homeland?" Arthur's question was to the point and Minako smiled while nodding.
"We have sent our messengers there to start talks. I am confident we will reach an agreement in the future." She answered honestly and Arthur nodded his head.
"Please send my regards to them, I am not fit to be a ruler of a Kingdom that has stagnated for so long. Perhaps in the future, with your help, we can make my homeland prosper."
"And you do not think you can do so yourself?" Minako's question made Arthur start before he chuckled.
"With monsters like you and Vali around, any attempt to reach out requires a backer of some sort." He looked earnestly at Minako before bowing to her.
"Please, we would be in your care."
It was a frank admission that the faction that Arthur belonged to, the Arthurian Faction with their alliances and agreements with the Fae wasn't as influential or powerful as they would like.
Although they were relevant, they hardly ever wandered past their national borders. Arthur had just admitted and confessed to that, matching the reports that Minako knew of the land in the far west.
"You are without a weapon, correct? Perhaps I have something you can use. It might not be your style... but I hope you will use it." Minako nodded to Kochiyo, who was standing behind her and she pulled a tanto from a slit in reality itself.
"It is a national treasure, so I do hope you won't give it to anyone else." Minako then handed the weapon over to Arthur, who handled the dagger-like weapon in his hands before sliding it back to it's sheathe.
"This is..."
"This is the Fudo Masamune, it's a tanto, which means it's best suited as a dagger more than a sword. It can be used as a shortsword, and being blessed by Fudo Myo-o, means it'll bless a wielder who stands his ground. I hope that you will treasure it."
Arthur did a few experimental slashes with it before bowing again to Minako.
"I thank you for the gift, and I assure you that I will master this weapon. It is unorthodox for a knight to use a dagger, but I will get over it." Arthur bowed even as Kochiyo stepped forward, nodding to Minako.
"She will drop you off at the agreed spot. Till the next time." Minako bowed and the Vali team was sent on their way, leaving Minako holding on to Excalibur Ruler before sighing.
"Well, that takes care of one problem... Vivian is going to be happy with this as a gift." She mused thoughtfully before turning back to the shrine again, moments later with Kochiyo appearing by her side.