Chapter 42: Aiding the Enemy
After a brief search for Adrians' missing nose, Asia was able to heal it back onto his face.
"At least it was your nose, not your heart," said Katrina, trying to show emotional support. Adrian turned to her, wiggling his nose, making sure it was still functional.
"I suppose you're right..." he said, "...I guess I'm just glad it wasn't permanent."
"Just remember what we said," grumbled Xenovia, placing her robe on and refusing to look Adrian in the eyes, clearly embarrassed at being beaten.
"Awe, is the big bad church lady upset because she lopped off a devils nose with a Holy Sword and still got her sweet ass kicked?" Damon asked mockingly, earning glares all around.
"Ignore our friend," Wesker said to Xenovia, "But I do have a question. Out of curiosity, do you know who it was that stole the other Holy Swords?"
"We do," confirmed Xenovia, "the Grogori leader of the fallen angels." Wesker froze, his skin paled and he even took a step back, knowing full well who she was speaking of,
"Kokabiel...!" He murmured.
"Koka-who?" Asked Adrian.
"The one fallen angel I truly feared. He is insanely powerful. If he were any stronger he could stand up against Sirzechs!" Wesker looked to Xenovia with concern, "And the church sent you and Irina to fight him...alone?!"
"We already understand the danger," Irina cut in, "There's already been one casualty. A priest that was sent ahead of time to check things out."
"I know who killed him...Freed Sellzen." All eyes turned to Kiba,
"That freak stray priest?!" Adrian growled. "He's back and you didn't say anything?!"
"I thought I just did," said Kiba, "and he was definitely wielding a Holy Sword."
"Interesting that it was a stray priest," stated Xenovia, "At least we know what we're up against." She turned to Kiba, who was still on one knee from the strike Xebovia dealt him, "I appreciate the information, but don't involve yourselves further in our affairs." She then walked away, "We'll take our leave."
"Hold on Xenovia, wait up!" Cried Irina. She then turned to the ORC, "Thank you so much. This was a lot of fun! Issei, I'll be here to judge you anytime!" She then lifted the cross which hung off her neck, aimed it at him, and kissed it, "Amen!" She then dashed off after Xenovia, while the ORC watched after them.
"Well one thing is for sure," said Damon. "We need to talk to you, Kiba, about your recent attitu-AND he's already gone." Sure enough, when everyone looked to where Kiba was resting last, and the spot in the grass was now bare. Rias grew worried once again, and Adrian placed one hand on her shoulder, and gripped her hand with the other.
"We'll bring him home...somehow." Asia saw his hands on Rias, and heard the tone of his voice, and a sad smile spread on her cheeks.
Several hours later...
The moon in the sky shined brightly through the cracked windows of an old church, and inside a shallow pool of water a nude Irina tried to bathe herself.
"I don't get why I can't even take a bath comfortably!" She whined. She looked up at the ceiling with a groan, "I bet this must be another trial from God!"
"Do you really believe that?" Irina turned around to see Xenovia, just as nude, approaching the water. "After all, you were the one who spent all of our money..." She gestured to a painting leaning against the nearby wall she just approached from, "...For what? A weird suspicious looking picture?" The picture in question resembled Jesus Christ from a distance, but when viewed up close it looked more like a cross of Bob Ross and Bob Marley. Irina gawked at Xenovias' comment,
"What are you trying to say?! There is an honest to goodness holy person in that image and you know it! The exhibition guy said so! And why would he lie?!" Xenovia sat on the edge of the shallow pool, pinching the bridge of her nose, but both girls froze when they heard a male voice speak up,
"No doubt he was just wanting to take your money, that's why." Both girls whirled around, covering themselves as best they could as they saw Wesker standing in front of the painting, inspecting it.
"What are you doing here devil?!" Shouted Xenovia.
"Can't you see we are in the middle of taking a bath?!" Irina flustered.
"If you wish to call the eight inch deep pool of water a bath tub then you may do so. But I didn't come here to talk about that nor the painting."
"Then why are you staring at it if you aren't interested in it?" Asked Irina.
"Because if I turn around now I am going to see something I don't need nor want to see. Anyway, I came to offer you two some...advice, for lack of a better term."
"What advice could you possibly have that would benefit us?" Asked Xenovia. Wesker kept his eyes on the painting, and spoke his thoughts,
"Well, if Kiba said that Sellzen has a Holy Sword, that leaves two more unaccounted for. Who do you think has them?" He paused, letting the two holy girls think for a moment, "My guess is that Kokabiel himself has them. Or at least has them close at hand, and he won't let them go so easily." He kept facing the painting, but he was no longer inspecting it. He closed his eyes, "Fighting him would be like fighting Archangel Michael himself, only there is no kindness or mercy in him. So this is my advice to give to you; once you get those Holy Swords back, you run. Run and don't stop until you get them returned or destroyed. Because Kokabiel won't stop until he gets what he wants. And I know this because I once stood in his way of getting what he wants..." A single tear rolled down Weskers cheek, as the painful memory started to return. He was quickly brought back to the present when he heard two distinctive gurgle sounds erupting from the girls stomachs. "Ah, that reminds me of the second reason why I was here." He reached inside his coat, revealing a medium sized paper bag, the smell of freshly cooked food erupting from the bag, making the two girls mouths water and dash out of the pool towards him. He held the bag away from them and held up a hand. "Ah ah aah!" The two girls stopped, confused, and Wesker used his free hand to reach into his coat and retrieve two white towels. "Wrap up first, then the food is yours." The girls quickly complied, wrapping the white towels around their bodies, snatched the bag out of Weskers' hand, and began tearing into food inside, scarfing down everything in sight. Burgers, fries, chicken, all gone in an instant. "You two must have been hungry," commented Wesker. The two girls stopped, clearly embarrassed. "One last thing before I take my leave," said Wesker, "If you want a place to stay until the Holy Swords have been dealt with, there's the Broken Challis in town. It isn't that hard to spot. You will find either me or Damon there...just pray I'm there and not him." He then walked out of the room, out of the church, and towards the street, where a black 1967 Chevrolet Impala was parked. He almost made it to the car when a voice spoke up,
"Allen Wesker..." The devil turned to the source, seeing a man in a hooded red and black trench coat, his face shadowed by the hood. The voice sounded familiar, but Wesker couldn't place where.
"Have we met?" Asked Wesker, and the man laughed,
"You never met me, and yet you've known me all along..." He then sent his hands forward, and to Weskers surprise, he sent a redish violet shockwave at him, sending him flying back and skidding across the ground. Wesker propped himself onto his elbows, only to see the hooded man vanish in a flash of red and violet electricity. He stood up, gasping for air as Xenovia and Irina dashed outside, now fully dressed in their black leather outfits and armed with their swords.
"Wesker! What happened? What was that noise?" Neither girl made a move to help him up, so he picked himself up off the ground, dusting himself off.
"Nothing you two need to concern yourselves over..." he said, a bead of sweat rolling off his brow.
After a quick drive, Wesker parked outside the abandoned church where Adrian and Issei fought Raynare, briskly walking inside. Once inside he called out,
"Kessler! Mercer!" He paused, not hearing anyone, until he saw something drop from the ceiling with a metallic clang! Wesker didn't recognize the figure, but it looked like some sort of gray robot. "Hello?"
"State your intent!" The robot said. Wesker kept his confusion masked, and stated his intent,
"I wish to speak with Alex Mercer," he stated. The machine then lifted his arm, keeping his forearm horizantal, and a small blue hologram of Alex Mercer projected on his arm,
"Allen Wesker," said the holigram. "What ever could have happened that would want you to look for me?"
"I need to speak with Kessler if he's available. It's important," said Wesker.
"Anything you can say to Kessler you can say to me said Mercer, not giving Wesker any leeway. The devil sighed, and spoke,
"Are Calvin and Kessler the only conduits left on this planet?"
"They should be."
"Are you certain?"
"Positive."
"Because I just got attacked by someone dressed in red and black, using powers which mirrors that of a conduit." Mercer paused, as if listening to someone on his end of the hologram. He finally spoke after what seemed like an eternity,
"Send Calvin to this exact church, either alone or with you, it doesn't matter. But Kessler wants to speak with him." Before Wesker could say more, the hologram vanished, the robot set his arm down, and sent a propulsion blast from its hands and feet down to the ground, making it lift off and fly out the hole in the stained glass windows. Wesker stared after it, his concern growing more and more by the minute...
