"Hya!" A young voice resounded through the training ground. A child was yelling as he continued moving a training sword, his still chubby and cute face was as close to hardened as he could muster as he trained under the tutellage of his mother.
His name was Fabio Quarta, a young training exorcist that was currently trying to complete his mother's crazy training regime. Not that he knew it was crazy, for him that was only currently five years old having to swing his sword 500 under 3 times normal gravity was normal and he only complained when he had to spar until midnight to wake up at 5 to continue training.
On the side his mother looked at him with a happy smile, she might not be that happy over the father of her child but it was all on the past for her. As long as her child was fine then the world was great.
Of course she couldn't say anything even if she did in fact got very annoyed just thinking of her husband.
'Seriously, Vasco should take a clue and at least drop by when he can to see his child. He won't bite, probably.' Griselda thougth with a wince as she remembered the times when her dear Fabio was growing his teeth. She wouldn't be surprised if he could have biten off a holy sword, such was the abnormal teeth the baby had at the time.
Not that he told any of that to the higher-ups, she was not stupid after all neither was she blind. She knew perfectly well that the higher-ups would try and find a way to use even that to their advantage on their current 'not war' with the devil-kind.
Sighing she closed her eyes, she had decided long ago to hide what her son could do as she didn't know what others would do if they knew how abnormal her child was. Of course, some of the higher-ups were more than a bit interested over the child, it was no big secret that she was the strongest female exorcist in the current church and Strada is by far the strongest exorcist the church has had since most likely its inception. He was a Satan-class exorcist based on only his own strength and if he uses the Durandal it only gets more absurd.
A child of this pair, yeah some eyes were raised about that.
Thus the current location for Griselda and Fabio, a small church far from the Vatican and right in the middle of France. It was nothing that great, the hall was usually dusty and the ceiling had some holes but it was still cozy and she knew for a fact her child quite liked this place.
The citizens of the small city were also very nice, even if some of the males leered at her a bit much but Griselda could deal with it if it was for her Fabio. She closed her eyes as she again checked the magic barrier she put around the house, she was checking to make sure that no one actually entered the place.
"Fabio, it is time for lunch. Come on, we have to eat or we won't get stronger." Griselda said and Fabio smiled as he ran towards her. Looking at him running to her Griselda smiled and pulled him along to eat. Tonight was a big day and she was expectant to find out what it would happen.
As Griselda and Fabio finished eating Fabio could barely keep himself from jumping in excitement, today was the day his mother would test him to see if he could become an exorcist/hero like herself and his father.
Saying his prayers at the end of the meal in thanks he stood up and went with her back to training, well he was going back to train as she needed to go out to do some shopping.
"Remember, you must stay close to the house at all times and make sure that you don't go out. You know what your training for today is so focus on it and when I come back we can begin the test." Griselda said that before leaving, she had a calm smile on her face while secretly working on the barrier around the mansion to make it as impregnable as she could muster and then some.
As she left Fabio began his training of raising rocks over his head and running around like that through the area around, he quite enjoyed this as he could feel a warm feeling spread across his body as he did so. It was always a wonderful experience, whenever his body started hurting he would feel this sensation and the pain and tiredness would go away leaving just a wonderful feeling in his body.
As he smiled Fabio heard someone approaching far away. He had long since developed his hearing to hear things quite far away as whenever he tried to force himself into doing these sort of things he would feel this sensation so he tried it whenever he could.
Looking in the direction it was coming from he saw the hulking figure of an older man without a single hair on his head while bringing by hand a little girl with blond hair in twintails.
Fabio smiled seeing the older man and ran towards him.
"Papa! You have come!" Fabio said excitedly as he ran, forgetting to pull away the rock as he advanced towards Vasco Strada who smiled seeing this and simply caught a pebble on the road before flicking it towards the rock that exploded without Fabio noticing. Vasco saw this and decided that he should tell Griselda to push the training a bit harder as Fabio clearly could take it.
The girl beside him, however, was a different story as she looked shocked by what just happened. And especially looked shocked by the soft smile Vasco had on his hardened face.
Fabio jumped and gave a big hug at Vasco's neck, the father also gave his son a tight one-armed hug.
"Papa, can you stay tonight? Please, I want you to be there during the ceremony." Fabio said which Vasco nodded.
"I wouldn't lose it for the world." Vasco said, Fabio's smile was exactly what Vasco needed after the last mission and it helped heal his soul after the terrible fiasco. Vasco then sensed a pull on his hand and saw that the girl he was holding hands with was pulling him and Vasco nodded. "Fabio, meet Jeanne. Jeanne, meet Fabio, I hope you two can become friends."
As Vasco said that Fabio noticed the girl for what should be the first time as he had not paid attention at all to her or anything else after seeing his father. Fabio then jumped down from his father's neck and looked at the girl.
"Hello, my name is Fabio Quarta Strada. It is nice meeting you, Jeanne." He said with a bright smile and the girl looked a bit shy seeing him so close. Fabio didn't have much of a notion of personal space so he was almost hitting his nose with her when he approached the girl.
"H-Helo, my name is Jeanne, I am a disciple of your father and I will be in your care from now on." She said, hoping he didn't notice her stutter a bit.
His bright smile was a indication that he didn't really notice it.
"Now go along, go play on the back while I wait for Griselda." Vasco said and the two kids moved to go play.
As the kids moved away Vasco felt like he really needed a rest, like what Griselda did as he just couldn't take it anymore. Not after losing his two friends for that ten times dammed vampire that caught them by surprise, Vasco killed the bastard but he was too tired, he wanted to stop fighting and instead go do something productive.
While looking at the two kids playing pretend Vasco smiled, this is what he wanted. He could only dread, however, what he would do about the child who the couple left behind, that Xenovia girl was even younger than Fabio and he could not think what that blow would do to her.
It was now night time and Fabio was nervous. This is it, the time that will decide just how far he will be able to go.
"Now, Fabio, explain to us again what we are doing." Griselda said with a firm face.
"We are doing the Holy measuring test. By using the holy energy of another we stir up and allow holy energy that dwells within every human being to be released. If I have enough I might even be able to use one of the Holy Swords and become an exorcist, but if not I will have to search for other means to save others." Fabio said resolutely. Griselda had, after seeing Fabio panic over the possibility of not having strong enough holy energy, told him that there are more methods to grow stronger to help relieve him.
Griselda and Vasco nodded, left unsaid was that with this method any sacred gear that the person might have would also manifest even if for just a second.
"Now, move here and the two of us will awaken your latent potential." Vasco said and Fabio moved to between Vasco and Griselda. The two put their hands on his chest and head before starting to put in holy energy.
At first there was no difference but as they continued the process Fabio started getting sleepy, he just felt o comfortable that he returned into himself without realizing.
There was silence after that as light started coming out of Fabio's body, it was a weak tingle at first but as time passed it became like a torch, and then like a sun iluminating the entire room. Vasco smiled as this was the same level he had at the start, this was a great sign if he ever saw one.
But, the light didn't stop increasing and, by the end, both Griselda and Vasco were shocked as they saw how Fabio shined just as bright as a mid-class if not a high-class angel. But, that was not the worst of it.
The worst was that a figure appeared in front of him, he had a sacred gear but now ANY sacred gear. A Grail rotated in front of him releasing a holy splendor in all directions. The Sephiroph Grail, the Longinus that focused on life and death, able to grant back life to those who died, communicate with spirits, and heal. Suddenly his incredible talent on training made sense as it was likely that his sacred gear was healing and likely healing and changing him to adapt to the new 'circumstances' of his body when under certain pressures.
As one, both Vasco and Griselda came to a realization. They had to hide Fabio, hide him as far away from the eyes of the church and devils as they possibly could until he was at least strong enough to defend himself. If they didn't, then he would definitely be hoped into battles that would almost certainly kill him one way or another.
Vasco silently summoned a communication circle and talked with Griselda about this and, despite grimacing, she nodded in the end. She knew it was for the best, as terrible as it might be for her and how selfish this might be seen as well.
When Fabio hit the ground he turned to talk to his parents who still looked serious before Vasco turned to him.
"Fabio, go and catch your things. We are going, now." As Fabio heard this he was confused but obeyed.
As soon as Fabio left Griselda turned to Vasco.
"Are you sure? Can you really watch over him?"
"Sure can, I promise he will be safe and as far away from the church's influence and devil's eyes as possible. Also, if anyone tries to take him away I will show them why I am considered the strongest exorcist since the church's beggining." Vasco said confidently making Griselda's heart flutter a bit, this confidence (and the muscles exuding masculinity) was exactly what attracted her to him.
"Fine, but I want to meet him at least once a year to see if he is growing up okay. And, what will you do about Durandal?" Griselda said.
"I want you to give it back to the church, tell them I quit and to not bother about searching for me. Also, I wanted to retire anyway and I doubt those idiot higher ups would allow me to rest even after death if they could." Vasco said with a grunting laugh.
Griselda smiled and kissed him, which he enthusiastically kissed back.
"Take care of our baby." She said as she pulled away.
"Leave it to me, we two will be okay, I will make sure to train him until he is strong enough to not be taken advantage off by anyone. Also, y friend Seryu Nakiri of the Great Five Families owe me one for saving his ass a couple of years ago and he wouldn't say no to let an old friend crash on his house for a while, he even has a brat of his own so the two could be friends." Vasco said and Griselda smiled.
She knew the man, Seryu Nakiri was strong-willed and powerful individual who would always follow through with any promises he made like a true man should... and he feared Griselda more than anyone else in the entire world so he would know NOT to try anything against her baby.
And so, the first step of the boy who would replace his father as the strongest exorcist and futurely the strongest in Heaven took place.