Chapter Nineteen - Plan V
"So, Kiba's a runaway right now? Are you sure he's even going to answer your calls and actually meet us here?"
"Uh huh," Issei nodded at Vin's question, "If Kiba hears that it's about Excalibur, then he'll show up, no doubt about it."
The group had taken their conversation out of the family diner, and out to a small suburban park, near a fountain that looked rather beautiful: the rapidly approaching dusk causing the waning rays of the sun to glimmer off the waters in a myriad of pinks and warm oranges. While the sight may have been breathtaking, Vin noticed that Issei had… a much different reaction to the environment.
The devil boy's eyes kept flicking back to a very specific spot of stone, about four paces back from the fountain itself. It may have been subtle, but Vin must have caught him doing it every few minutes as they waited.
Vin laid a hand on Issei's shoulder, "You alright? You've been staring in the same place for a while now."
Issei perked up, "Oh! Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about it."
Although Vin was somewhat unconvinced, the topic was dropped as soon as a familiar blonde walked into the park. Once again, Vin was face to face with Yuuto Kiba.
"Kiba, you made it!" Issei broke off from Vin as he walked over to his fellow devil.
"Yeah," Kiba's gaze hardened as he peered past Issei, eyes locking with Xenovia and Irina, "Now, you want to tell me why those exorcists are here? Unless they've come to offer their swords to me…"
"You know that we could technically slay you without repercussions, correct?" Xenovia challenged, "After all, you are a stray devil at the moment."
"Oh-kay~ Let's all just calm down for a second," Vin slid behind Xenovia, prepared to grab her should things escalate, "We're all here to work together, not be at each other's throats. Now, Kiba, I think you'll like this plan of ours."
"How so?"
Issei cut in, "It involves destroying Excalibur's."
"Oh?" Kiba raised an eyebrow, casting a glance at the robed swordswoman in the party, "And they're all fine with that? I find it hard to believe that warriors of the church would accept their precious Excalibur's being destroyed."
Xenovia stepped forward, "It's preferable this way, with your collaboration, our mission has a significantly higher chance of success. Additionally, I am of the opinion that Excalibur has inspired more tragedy than it has miracles in recent times. I figure you would agree with that line of logic, would you not?"
"That's quite the opinion to have for a supposed member of the church, not to mention one of it's 'blessed warriors'," Kiba's eyes narrowed, "What are you getting at?"
"I have a hunch about why you seem so resentful of Excalibur," Xenovia sighed, "You were an orphan at St. Catherine's Orphanage for Gifted Youth, weren't you? The same orphanage that would later be discovered to be the site of the Holy Sword Project…"
A hateful crimson magical circle illuminated within Kiba's outstretched palm, "I suggest you choose your next words wisely, church scum."
Issei quickly threw himself in between the two warriors, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Kiba, settle down, we're here to work together!"
"Sekiryuutei, it's alright," Xenovia stepped past the brown-haired devil.
Throwing her hood off her head; Xenovia's eyes met Kiba's, their glares matching in intensity, "You ask why I know about St. Catherine's? I was there, I was one of them. A long, long time ago. I'll admit, my recollection is spotty, but I've been told that I was there for my first few years."
"That's impossible," Kiba paled, "I would have watched you die like the others… Gassed to death in that horrid, horrid room…"
Xenovia shook her head softly, "I was discovered to have prowess at a young age, and I was taken in as a ward under an exorcist. I left behind people that I would dare to consider friends. It wasn't even two years later when the Holy Sword Project would officially begin. I dodged a bullet that day, and I only ever learned about it years later, when the dust had settled, and the head researcher was held to trial for crimes against humanity and unethical experimentation. I had people within those walls who I wish I could see again, just the same as I imagine you wish to as well."
Kiba seemed taken aback for a moment, hoarse croaks of chuckled spilling from his throat, "I… I never imagined… In all my days… I would meet another person… Who survived that wretched hellhole."
"What do you say then, Knight of Gremory?" Xenovia extended her hand, "Shall we work together and destroy the Excaliburs in the enemy's hands?"
With a renewed sense of drive, Kiba stared down at Xenovia; his eyes slightly red and puffy, but they still conveyed a level of power that demanded respect.
With a firm grip, Kiba shook Xenovia's hand, "Of course. Who would I be to all those who traded their lives so that I could keep my own if I had refused?"
The blue-haired exorcist allowed herself a small smile, "I'm glad to hear it."
"Great, it's good to have you aboard, Kiba!"
"Issei… Koneko…" Kiba turned to his friends with a look of guilt, "You don't need to involve yourselves in this. These are my demons to fight, not yours."
"Are you kidding me?!" Issei stepped right up to Kiba, poking the blonde in the chest with a finger, "We're friends, right? I can't let my friend go and become a stray, can I? And if that's not enough for you, then I'm also doing this because if you become a proper stray devil, there's going to be so many people who miss you! Do you have any idea how much Buchou, Akeno, Asia… Hell, all of us are missing you?"
While Kiba opened his mouth to retort, the feeling of something yanking on his shirt cut the Knight off. Looking down, Kiba found Koneko gazing up at him, and in her eyes held some of the most emotion that Kiba had ever seen the small rook express.
"I… I would also be sad if you weren't here, Yuuto…"
"..." Yuuto Kiba paused for a moment, mulling over her words in stunned silence, before a soft, genuine smile stretched across his face, "I guess I lost then, huh? There's nothing I can say that can beat that. Alright then, I'll accept your help. Thanks… Thank you so much, both of you, for being my friends."
"Vin," Xenovia turned to him, "You said you have a plan, no?"
"Right," Vin signaled everyone over to the edge of the fountain, where he had laid out both a tourist map of Kuoh, and his phone; which displayed Google Maps for all the group to see.
Getting down on his knees so that he could use the edge of the fountain like a tabletop, Vin rummaged around, until he pulled out a pen out of his jacket pocket.
"Wait, when did you get a pen?" Irina asked.
Vin shrugged, nonchalantly replying, "I stole it from the waitress table at the front on the way out of the diner."
Shaking her head, Irina clasped her hands together, "Oh lord, please forgive my friend and comrade for his blatant transgressions. Please my lord, allow him to find salvation in heaven, amen."
The devils in the group all flinched back in pain, groaning as they cradled their heads. Irina sheepishly smiled, and muttered her apology.
"Anyway…" Vin rolled his eyes, "Let me just mark the location of this secret base into my phone… And…"
Vin uncapped the pen, and cross referencing the paper map in front of him, he scribbled a dot onto the map, "This is our location."
Picking up the phone, Vin entered the map's street view option in order to scope the place out better, "Looks like it's some sort of… What's that, an abandoned manor of some kind… In the middle of the woods… Do you guys really have places like this here?"
Realization dawned on the collected group of Gremory devils, "...Abandoned manor in the woods… Didn't we fight that one stray devil in a place like that?"
"You have to be more specific Issei, we've fought numerous stray devils with you."
"It was the one with the giant crazy laser oppai!"
Vin's expression was one of amused bewilderment, "...Laser… Oppai..?"
"Getting back on track," Xenovia pulled the conversation back together, "We've got our location, now Vin, how did you think we were going to go about this?"
Clapping his hands, Vin focused, "So, if this is their main base, where they're stashing the Excalibur's, then there must be some sort of guards on them, right? And who do we know is in kahoots with Kokabiel? That's right, Freed, who will probably be using one of the stolen swords… Didn't you guys say that you had history with Freed?"
"We do. The creepy bastard gave us the slip a few months ago now."
"Well then, you guys may be the best bait we could ever have."
Issei and Saji both paled simultaneously, "Wait, bait?!"
Vin nodded, "Of course. You devils will attack from the front, drawing out Freed because of course he would want to hack you all to pieces, and then while you fight, we can sneak in the back of the building and sneak out with the other swords. One of us will run away with the weapons, while the other two will come back to help you guys with Freed. If all goes well, then not only will we be able to take the Excalibur's back; we could destroy the one Freed has in the process."
"Sounds solid, what do we do after that?" Issei asked.
Vin shrugged, "We meet up, let Kiba play piñata with the remaining swords until they're destroyed, and then we pack up shop and leave? Look, I haven't thought that far ahead, but all I know is that us taking those weapons will effectively de-tooth any plan that Kokabiel could have with them."
"Right, I see no problem in this plan," Xenovia nodded, before looking over to her twin-tailed partner.
"Me neither, I'm all set for Plan V."
"Plan V?"
"Yeah, Plan Vinny."
"Of course you'd call it that…" Vin grumbled.
"Are there any other objections to the plan?" Vin opened up to the group, but upon a few seconds of shaking heads and silence, Vin gave a brisk nod, and a smile.
"Alright then. We'll meet back up here at… Let's say, 11:00 pm. We can use the cover of night to help our escape, after all."
Everyone nodded at once, "Right!"
While it would still be around six to seven hours until the plan, Issei found himself restless, ready to burst out at any moment, the adrenaline and nerves bubbling red hot like magma just under his veneer of his usual perverted self. And as much of a useful resource that excitement provided, it also had the side effect of making every minute borderline excruciating to handle.
With nothing else to really do, Issei resorted to working on his studies. Just a simple little batch of homework that was due at the end of the week; so nothing he was in a rush to complete. But hey, he had a spare few hours, so he might as well…
He must have only gotten through one or two lines of calculus problems when a soft knock rapped against his door, idly, Issei called for whoever it was to enter.
All thoughts ceased in his brain when he gazed at the shy figure who stepped into his room. There stood Asia, clad in what Issei could only describe as a nurse cosplay. A silky white dress that proved to be all too short to adequately cover Asia's fair, creamy thighs. A pair of stockings hugged the contours of her legs, not to mention the open collar of the dress provided a very exposing view of the top of Asia's medium-sized bosom. The image itself was tantalizing, but the nervous shaking of Asia's body only brought more appeal to the entire image, rending Issei's perverse mind between the desire to protect the adorable girl before him, and the mounting lust that was beginning to creep out from the back of his brain.
"Ah, Issei…" Asia raised her arms, and gently twirled around on her heel, letting the already short skirt spin, granting Issei a sacred peek at her pale pink undergarments, "How do I look?"
"...Incredible…" Issei mumbled out, before his eyes went wide, and he scrambled to recover his dignity, "I-I mean, you look great! But what are you doing wearing that?"
The Twilight Healing user came up behind Issei, resting her hands on his shoulders, "I just thought… With you being depressed after losing that fight earlier today… Not to mention Kiba… I-I wanted to do something to help cheer you up, so I asked Kiryuu."
Issei's blood ran cold, "...Kiryuu helped you?"
He was beginning to see where this was going.
Asia nodded, lifting up the dress like she was about to curtsy, "Kiryuu gave these to me, since she told me that these types of clothes have a restoring effect on men."
Issei deadpanned. That damn perverted woman… She was buying Asia outfits now? Geez, what was she, her manager?
"Um… Did it help you feel better?" Asia asked shyly, "I have another thing I could try."
Stepping away, Asia got onto his bed, sitting on her legs, and patting a spot in front of her on the bed's edge, "Could you sit here, please?"
Something about the ever-so-slightly desperate wilt in Asia's voice made refusal impossible, and soon enough, Issei found himself on the edge of the bed with Asia kneeling directly behind him.
"Let me see here…" Asia slowly reached out, and began to dig her slender, dainty fingers into the muscles of Issei's shoulders. Her thumbs came to rub small, relaxing circles around the base of his neck; and dammit, Issei couldn't help but groan deeply as Asia' sudden massage delivered instant catharsis.
"Am I hurting you?" Asia asked fearfully, her hands lifting slightly off his shoulders like she had suddenly burnt herself on him.
"No, no, that… that was great," Issei reassured, "Please continue."
"Right," Asia smiled, before returning to rubbing the tension out of the pawn's shoulders.
"Ah~" Issei moaned as one particular knot he didn't even know existed suddenly came loose, "How… How are you so good at this?"
"Practice, I suppose," Asia smiled, "I want to be proficient in all forms of healing… And I also wanted to learn for Issei's sake as well."
"Oh?"
Asia hummed, "You do a lot for us, a lot for me… And if I can just help take a little bit of the pressure off of you, then I'd want nothing more than to do just that."
"...Thanks, Asia."
"You're welcome, Issei."
Hours must have passed, as the two sat in comfortable silence, simply embracing the feel of one another in that single, solitary space. At one point, Asia had stopped rubbing his shoulders, instead opting to grab a blanket, and drape it over both of them by wrapping her arms around Issei in a 'totally-not-a-hug' hug.
If Issei were to be honest, it was one of the most serene points of his life. It was just him, a cute girl, and not a sound to disturb the two of them… It was so perfectly peaceful, that he couldn't even help himself as his eyelids grew heavy, and darkness overtook his world.
10:52 PM
Approx. Eight Minutes until Plan V
"He's late."
"That he is," Vin hummed, checking his phone idly, making sure it was switched to be completely silent, "But you know what's not going to get him here any faster? You tapping your foot so fast that you'd break that tile faster than a jackhammer."
Xenovia scowled, but otherwise stopped, "Yeah, well what else am I supposed to do?"
Indignantly, Xenovia tossed her glare up at Vin, only to immediately lock eyes with the boy. The two stood there for a moment in time, just gazing at each other, until simultaneously, they both broke off with a blush on their face.
Unable to handle the awkward tension, Vin walked away, heading towards the small cluster of devils, including a specific blonde who was sitting away from the others.
"I'm surprised you're still here," Vin said, "Out of everyone there, I thought that you seemed the most like you wanted to be literally anywhere else."
Saji looked down at the ground, "Sure, that's fair. I really didn't want to be here at all. My master will totally have my head for this if she finds out…"
"So why are you still here then?"
"Because…"
Vin raised a brow, "Because?"
"Because," Saji lifted his head up high, his eyes almost watery, "What kind of man could I call myself if I didn't help somebody after hearing such a sad story like that?"
Vin was stunned for a moment, before a smile stretched across his face, "I don't think anyone would throw their asses into the fire for others like that… You're a good man, Saji."
"Thanks…"
"Oi! I'm here, guys!"
Everyone turned around, as the sprinting figure of Hyoudou Issei broke out of the shadows, and to the dimly-lit park.
"I'm sorry, I nearly lost track of time. Had to sprint all the way here."
"It's alright," Vin reassured, "Now that everyone's here though, does everyone remember the plan?"
Vin paused for a beat, "...Good, alright. Are you all ready? Let's go."
As the devils approached the front of the building, Vin, Xenovia, and Irina remained enshrouded in the underbrush of the surrounding forest, keeping their voices low as they spied the backside of the abandoned manor for any potential entrances.
"They should be engaging the enemy at any second," Vin preened his ears, attempting to hear any differences in the still forest air, "Have either of you found an entrance point yet?"
"Working on it… Ugh, Vanessa was so much better at this."
"Yeah, Vanessa was our stealth expert, huh," Vin gazed around, "How about the second floor window?"
"Not sure," Irina chimed in, "In old houses like this, the window could possibly not have a floor beneath it. We could survive the fall, no doubt, but getting back out the same way? Yeah, not going to happen."
"I see," Vin murmured as he turned to his other companion, "Xenovia, you find anything?"
Narrowing her eyes, Xenovia lifted a finger to point, "There's a section of the wall blown out, high up enough that it wouldn't be a conventional entrance, but enough to be possible to both enter and escape through."
"Then I guess we can go with that," Vin concluded, "We'll wait for a signal."
The three settled into the brush, preparing to stalk the manor for a while longer. Turns out, they wouldn't have to wait very long, as not a moment later, the sounds of yelling and slurs filled the once quiet air, one's that Vin distinctly recalled coming out of the foul stray exorcist's mouth.
"Guess that's the signal," Xenovia mumbled, as she and the others began to creep out of the foliage, and towards the house.
Pressing their backs flush to the overgrown brick wall, the three exorcists slid down into another set of flora set against the outside wall. It's branches, combined with the darkness of night, made them practically invisible.
Slowly, the three crawled onward, until they were able to leap and pull themselves up and into the derelict foyer, which was completely abandoned. Looking around in confusion, Vin stated the obvious.
"There has to be more to this place."
Even as the clashes of steel echoed out from just outside the crumbling and neglected walls, the three Exorcists snuck along, like a shadow of the wind. Keeping out of any pools of light, the group searched every room, until eventually found themselves in what must have once been a great dining room. Now filled with overturned chairs, and rotting wood.
There was nothing here… But how could that be? Why would Freed, the direct servant of Kokabiel, be positioned here, then? This place had nothing in it…
Wait.
The pieces slowly began to click together in Vin's mind. Freed… Kokabiel's servant… Servant…
"When do you guys think this house was built?" Vin asked, as he scanned around the room, his eyes straining in the darkness to make out every little detail.
Irina pursed her lip, "Hmmm, I'd say at least a hundred or two-hundred years old, why?"
"Because if it was built that long ago," Vin padded his hands around on the wall, until he found what he was looking for, a latch, "Then one of these should be here!"
With a tug, Vin yanked the old faux wall to the side to reveal a small, one-man elevator platform, "A servant's elevator, likely leads down to a cellar of some sort, right?"
Xenovia stepped up, and reached a hand into the elevator, sliding a finger along a section of the rope used to operate the pulley system, "No dust… This was recently used."
"Well then…" Vin smirked, "Looks like we have our entrance…"
Making their way down into the musty, damp, overgrown tunnels of the cellar; rows upon rows of old, long-since drained or simply broken barrels of wine decorating the sides of the room; the three exorcists were immediately greeted by the sound of approaching footsteps and distant shouting.
The three dove for hiding places: Xenovia found herself crouching behind a set of flimsy crates, Vin found himself practically painting himself across the back of a stone support pillar, and Irina wasted no time in drawing Excalibur Mimic, and using it like a amorphous whip, she stabbed it into the ceiling and had it morph into a small shape, so that she was carried up into the shadowy rafters of the underground chamber. Each of the three refused to even breathe, as the sounds of footsteps grew even closer and closer.
"...Of course, I understand. I have the Excalibur's awaiting fusion right now… Yes, yes… The plan is still fine, even with the devils attacking…"
Peering out from his hiding spot, Vin witnessed a portly man step out from a corner, and into the cellar proper. He was an older man, circular glasses adorning his face, as he strode through the room towards the elevator.
"No, of course I'm putting the Excalibur's under high amounts of watch, I have three of your men doing it right now, and all I'm doing is heading top-side to make sure that Freed isn't fumbling the simplest of tasks."
"...No, no, of course, Kokabiel, I understand. Yes, once the devils have been either killed or scared off, we'll move forward to the next phase tonight… Understood, over and out."
The man continued to walk forward, slowly entering the service elevator, and in a few moments, silence finally returned to the cellar. The group slowly counted to three, before silently emerging from their hiding places, sighing in relief.
"Why was he here?!" Xenovia suddenly hissed in disgust, "I should have known, if the Excalibur's were involved, the Genocide Archbishop was sure to follow."
"Genocide? Who?" Vin echoed.
"That was Valper Galilei, the man responsible for the Holy Sword Experiments."
"Oh shit."
"Look, his appearance is bad news, but let's focus on the plan, alright?" Irina cut in, "He confirmed that the swords are down here, and that there's guards…"
"Right, right," Xenovia reined in, slipping back into the de facto leadership role, "We'll advance with the plan. Keep your voices down, and stay in the shadows."
Silent as a hare, the three crept through the tunnels, stopping at every hallway, every corner, in order to carefully scout ahead. The tunnels were vast, and traversing them undetected was an arduous process, but they eventually made it to the entrance to a final large chamber, what must have been mission control for Kokabiel's little scheme.
Quickly darting to cover, the three crouched on either side of the wide, open archway that led into what must have been an old mess hall for the servants that lived under the once illustrious manor. Inside, under the flickering magical fire that provided light for the space, they could see the glinting steel of two Excalibur's, which were laid out on one of the tables.
But that wasn't the problem, no.
The problem was the three people in the room: the three fallen angels that stood guard in the room. Now the danger wasn't necessarily the fallen themselves, they could easily be dealt with. No, the real danger was summed up by Xenovia at that moment.
"If any of them see us, their first priority is going to be sounding an alarm."
"Yeah, and then when that happens, Kokabiel will be on our asses faster than we can even think, huh?"
Xenovia just nodded, whole her eyes surveyed the room for any signs to proceed.
"We need to kill them. All at the same time."
"What?" Vin balked, "Why would we do that? Can't we just knock them out?"
"Vin," Turning, the boy was met with Irina's face, which was dead serious, "This isn't a training exercise, we need to make sure these guys don't alert anyone."
Closing his eyes, Vin sucked in a shaky breath… It's fine… These people were allied with the enemy, he could do this.
"Alright," Opening his eyes and hardening his glare, Vin summoned his Sacred Gear to his hands, forming a crystal blade on his right hand, "On your mark, then."
"Right. Be prepared to attack in three…"
Xenovia drew her Excalibur Destruction from under her cloak.
"Two…"
Irina prepped Excalibur Mimic, it's shape instantly changing to a large scythe that's blade was poised to sever the heads off it's soon-to-be victims.
"One…"
Vin gulped, trying his best to suppress his rapidly blistering nerves, all while mentally preparing himself for the kill he would soon inflict.
"Now!"
In a flash, the three exorcists pounced. Immediately, the fallen yelped out in shock, the one on the far left dropping dead in an instant as Excalibur Destruction plunged it's hefty blade straight through the crow's chest, right through its heart.
The one on the far left at least managed to summon a light spear in its hand, but alas, it was for naught, as Irina's holy harbinger looped it's deathly talon around the guards neck, and with a simple tug, they too fell limp.
The one in the middle however, managed to tumble backwards to the floor, avoiding certain death at the hands of Vin and his crystal spike. A magical circle flashed to life in his hand, one that Vin was familiar with all too well: communication magic. In a panic, Vin did the one thing he could do. His foot rose…
And by the time it hit the floor once more, the poor fallen found himself run through by a massive crystal spire.
Honestly, he was a bit guilty to admit how relieved he felt when the three fallen angel's burst into piles of ashen feathers. It… It would have been too much on his psyche to see that much blood again…
"Let's grab these swords and go."
"Righty-o!"
The two girls wasted no time putting away their respective weapons, and walking towards the two stolen holy swords, carefully wrapping them as a bundle in her cloak, Irina stowed the weapons under her arm, as they all began to walk out of the chamber.
"It looks like we managed to stop them before triggering an alarm…"
Then they actually passed the threshold for the room, and the world went to shit. Immediately, yellow magical light began to fill the halls, magical circles coating every surface blinking over and over again in rhythm.
Now, Vin was no expert or magician, but he knew what a strobing pattern like that meant.
"Fuck! Explosives! RUN!"
Without a second to spare, the three absolutely booked it down the halls, sprinting at their absolute top speed as the incessant beeps and strobes only grew more frequent and erratic. It was when they reached the initial wine cellar where they realized one fatal mistake…
They couldn't get back up in time… Not with the elevator already on the surface…
Were… Were they going to die here? Blown to smithereens by light magic?
Xenovia threw her cloak away, she frantically tore Excalibur Destruction free from it's confines, and without a second thought, she channeled all her energy into the blade, before tossing it up at the roof.
The sound was deafening, as the personification of destruction blasted a crater through the various levels of the ground to reach the surface.
"Irina, RUN!" Vin screamed, the magical circles surrounding them from all sides, promising nothing but certain death in mere moments.
"I can't! You'll… You'll!"
"THERE'S NO TIME!" Xenovia yelled, "SAVE YOURSELF!"
In the briefest second, Irina's face flashed through all sorts of emotions: terror, fear, outrage, indignation, guilt, and then finally, remorseful sadness.
"...I'm sorry…"
With one hand, Irina whipped Excalibur Mimic far as she could get it to stretch, snagging a sturdy pillar all the way on the top floor; and as soon as it managed to find purchase, it began to retract, lifting Irina towards the surface at rapid speeds.
Looking down, Irina witnessed her final glimpses of her friends, before a harrowing roar boomed through the underground, as hundreds of beams of white-hot light engulfed her friends.
"NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Hey guys, sorry for the slight delay in releasing this chapter; I had some family stuff to attend to, as well as some other commitments. Plus, there were a few times over the past few days where I sat down, and I just couldn't find that flow that I usually enter when I write. Either way, it's finished now, and I like how it turned out.
There might not be another chapter until a tiny bit after Christmas, I'm not sure, but as the holiday rapidly approaches, I think I'll be having numerous things to do with my family.
Either way, enough about that, let's get into the…
Chapter Notes
Backstory Alterations
This is probably the biggest change in this chapter from canon, the fact that I've changed Xenovia's backstory to have her be an orphan from the same place where the Holy Sword Project would later be performed. I did this mainly because it made sense lore-wise, after all, Xenovia is an orphan who could wield a holy sword, just like all the other orphans in the project. I rationalized the fact that Xenovia didn't participate in the experiments herself as the church realized her compatibility with Durandal, and shifted her to being privately trained. In this alternation of canon, it's not just her last name that she gets from Griselda, but also her first name too. It's not too much of a detail, but it helps explain why Xenovia was so knowledgeable about the Holy Sword Project in canon, even as far as to recall that there was 'A boy with Sword Birth who escaped termination'.
Issei x Asia Fluff
I love this relationship, and finally, I'm able to put some real one-on-one tender moments between the two in this story. I feel like it really worked out well, and I think the choice to have Issei be nearly late for the execution of Plan V was a cute little joke.
The Change to the Fight at the Manor
The fight at the manor is mostly the same as canon, but I wanted to instead focus on a different aspect of it. It obviously wouldn't work out right if, armed with the coordinates Vin got from Azazel, the exorcists just patrolled around, and then when they get a call from Koneko, head towards the manor, so I wanted to play around a bit with the pieces of this conflict, and make something a bit more refreshing. It's got pretty much the same outcomes, sure, but the method of getting there is a lot different.
Vin and Xenovia are dead
Rest in piss, forever I'll miss…
REVIEW ROUNDUP!
RokenDarkly Says:
"I honestly thought you were making a pun with the 'Rock on' lol.
Good to see the maddest of lads again. Considering Irina and Xenovia were only gone 3 min I don't suppose they had much of a heart to heart in the bathroom, could've been interesting especially since Issei suggested to straight up destroy the Excalibur's instead of simply helping em. While I could image Vin not having much attachment to his, there's still the fact that it was Ezekiel's and Xenovia has been training with hers for all her life (Never mind how Irina would react). Anyways can't wait to see what you do for the next chap!"
Yeah, no, I really wasn't trying to, I just lose all ability to type once it's past… What, 7:30? I have no clue why, but that's just how it goes.
Xenovia and Irina were definitely not having a super long heart to heart, it was probably to the effect of, 'Hey Irina, calm down so we can plan how not to die.' Maybe one day, I'll make a little one-shot chapter out of it, put it in between chapters 18 and 19, or just release it in a separate story which could be a collection of one-shots related and in the universe of this story… I don't know, any of you, let me know if you'd like that.
I think that part of the reasoning for Xenovia's lack of reaction, or quicker acceptance of destroying the blades is explored in this chapter, with her new backstory changes in her early childhood. But I like that you're pointing this stuff out, really shows that you're connecting to the material, and I love that.
I hope that this chapter was worth the wait, and I can't wait to see what you think of it, rock on!
Dragonsaiyanblue Says:
"This chapter was intense. Zenobia actually question her following instead of being a mindless zealot. Also old poor Vin is traumatized. I can't to see Vin finally snap and have a DBZ Gotham moment and beat up kokabiel. Only for vail swoop up and be a dick and take the kill lol. Also Vin meet Azazel cool, I can't wait to see how things turn out it would be a really interesting idea if all 3 friend split up. Irina goes back to the angel, Xenovia got recruited by Rias, and Vin disappeared with Azazel and Vali. Looking forward to more story."
I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter!
Yeah, Vin is traumatized and pretty shaken from Ethan's death; as I think most people would be upon seeing a friend/younger brother figure get brutally killed in front of them. In terms of having Vin go off and destroy Kokabiel? Well, he might try, but if there's one thing that I hope I made clear in this story, it's that Kokabiel is one scary, powerful, ferocious motherfucker… So yeah… Don't expect Vin to win this one. If anything, Vali will probably be like canon where he's literally the eleventh-hour savior that was the deciding factor between everyone living or dying horribly.
As for that last part… I have no idea what you're talking about… No… Nope… Definitely not…
I hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and rock on!
Well, that's all the time I have right now, and this chapter's already taken a super long time to come out, at least compared to some of my other chapters in the past.
If you enjoyed what you read, seriously consider leaving a follow, favorite, or especially review (Those one's are extra appreciated). The next chapter is going to have big implications for the rest of the story going past this arc…
Have a great day everyone, and I'll see you next time. And remember to rock on!
