Chapter Twenty - Love and War

Truth be told, despite their odds, things seemed to be going well in Issei's eyes. Sure, they were facing down Freed, and he had a holy sword that could probably spell their death with just one solid cut; but all in all, they were taking it in stride.

Although he was relegated to support in the fight, on the sidelines alongside Koneko and Saji, storing boost after boost with his Boosted Gear, he could say that Kiba may very well have the upper hand. The speed of Freed was certainly something, but even with Excalibur Rapidly in hand, he could barely compete with Kiba's unrelenting, speedy assault.

Back and forth, back and forth, the two swordsmen traded blows, the still night air filled with the sounds of clashing steel. Neither warrior gave an inch to their opponent, even as they danced around the scaffolding of the old manor's courtyard with a grace that turned their fight into a supersonic waltz of death and violence.

The pawn wanted to help, he surely did. Yet, he knew that at the same time, it was borderline suicide for him to get involved; his presence would actively hinder Kiba's ability to fight, so here he remained, waiting for the perfect moment to pass on his boosts to Kiba, and turn the tempo of the fight firmly in their favor.

It would only take a few more seconds for the comforting and inspiring hum of his Sacred Gear to grace his ears. A sound that filled his body with excitement, confidence, and most importantly, power.

Lot's and lot's of power…

[Explosion!]

It was time, Issei had to transfer the boost before it was too late for Kiba. Looking up at the two combatants, quite literally dancing with their blades as they went back and forth across the roof; the realization of a new problem dawned on his mind.

How the hell was he going to get up there? And even if he passed the power to Kiba, then couldn't Freed just

Turns out, his answer arrived in his junior pulling on his shirt. Looking down, Issei locked eyes with Koneko's.

"Issei-senpai, I can get you up there," Koneko explained, cracking her knuckles in a way that totally wasn't ominous at all…

"Okaaay… But still, there's one more issue," Issei ruffled his brown locks with his right hand, "I mean, the second that Kiba is getting these boosts from me, he'll be distracted. I highly doubt that Freed would just pass up on an opening like that."

Suddenly, Saji, of all people, chimed in hesitantly, "...Would… Would restraining him work?"

"Restraining him?" Issei echoed in confusion, "I mean, sure, but why are you-"

"Let me handle wrangling that exorcist," Saji stepped forward, "On my signal, you guys get that boost to Kiba."

"But how are you going to do that?" Issei asked, "He's not exactly an easy target, and I don't even see any rope or anything."

Saji chuckled for a moment, "You know, I never did tell you what my Sacred Gear was, huh?"

Raising his right, Saji's arm was submerged in an amethyst flash of light; which receded to reveal some sort of ornate looking black, purple, and gold chameleon that sat coiled around the back of his hand.

"Alright, here we go, Line!" Saji swung his arm like one would swing a whip, as the chameleon opened its mouth, and in place of a tongue, a long, glowing cyan wire shot out with the speed and ferocity of a viper.

The line arced through the air, before it coiled and snapped around one of Freed's ankles. As the line pulled taut, the stray exorcist's eyes bulged in shock, before he ungracefully face-planted onto a section of the tiled roof.

"Now!" Saji yelled.

"Alright!" Issei prepped his Gear, before turning to gaze at Koneko, "So, what's the plan for getting me up to Kiba, Koneko?"

Silently, the rook moved behind Issei, who began to grow more and more concerned, "Uh… Koneko?"

With a squeak from Issei that he would rather not recount, Koneko picked the pawn up, "This. It's your job to land."

"Wait, what?!"

"Good luck, senpai."

"No, no, no, no!" Issei hopelessly protested as Koneko cocked back, and not a moment later, flung Issei like a human javelin, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

His body tore through the air as he approached Kiba at rapid speeds. Forcing down his panic for the sake of the mission, Issei raised his hand, and opened his mouth.

"KIBA!"

The knight turned towards his ally in confusion before he glimpsed his outstretched left hand. Darting towards him to make up the distance, Kiba swiped his open hand towards Issei's own. Flesh met Sacred Gear with a resounding clap, before a deep vibrato shook the air.

[Transfer!]

In an instant, a flood of energy surged forth from within the blonde's body, and with Freed hopelessly failing, smacking the tether wrapped around his ankle with his sword to no avail, there was nothing stopping Kiba from finishing this, once and for all…

… That was, until he arrived.

"Well, looks like I was right, Freed. You got yourself in a mighty fine pickle now, haven't you?"

Out of the shadows stepped a portly, aging man. And while his appearance was harmless, every minute twitch of his body was laced with a sense of madness. In his memories, Kiba could vaguely recall such a face from his past… A caretaker, perhaps? Wait, no… That couldn't be it… All caretakers at St. Catherine's had been sisters… But that could only make him…"

"Oi, old man Valper!" Freed barked, "Help me out here, this brat's got this fuckin' annoying shit stuck to me! I thought you said that Excalibur could cut stuff, no sweat!"

Kiba froze. No way… That was… That was Valper Galilei? The man that had ordered the death of all his friends, his comrades?

"Now, Freed, you're going about it all wrong," Valper scolded the insane exorcist like one might an naïve child, or a small dog, "You must channel your energy, so that it flows into the blade, only then will you be able to properly unleash Excalibur's most deadly effects."

He.. He was finally in front of him… The opportunity that he'd always been waiting for… How long had Yuuto Kiba laid awake at night, desiring nothing more than to find the one responsible for all his torment, and enact all the same pain that they had wrought upon him? And now, here he was…

Yuuto Kiba saw nothing but bloody, bloody red.

"VALPER GALILEI!" Kiba howled in venomous, gnashing rage.

Yet, despite the incredible malice and bloodlust turned towards him, that damn maniac of an archbishop had the gall to smile, a grin that wouldn't be uncommon on a mischievous child. But on the demented man before them all, it seemed so, so wrong.

"That is my name, sonny boy," Valper casually replied.

Kiba leapt off that roof at speeds he didn't even know he was capable of reaching. Touching down on the ground only a few feet from the portly bastard, Kiba swung his sword up at the man with a cry of rage.

"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!"

… Only for his Black Eraser to clash harmlessly against holy steel.

Glazing up in shock, Kiba gaped when he was met face to face by Freed Sellzen, who had managed to free himself and outsped Kiba to his target, protecting his fellow madman with the insane, yet laser-focussed accuracy that came with his former life as an exorcist.

With a sickly sweet smile, Freed spoke softly into Kiba's ear.

"That's my line."

"!"

With every nerve in his body positively screaming at him to flee, Kiba leapt back, right as the blade of Excalibur Rapidly hummed through the air where he once stood. Even though he thought he was free, Kiba was reassured that he was sorely wrong, when one of Freed's lanky legs shot out, nailing the blonde devil in the side with surprising force, sending him sprawling backwards, wheezing and gasping for breath.

"Kiba!" Issei tried to dash forward towards his friend. He needed to do something, anything; or else Kiba would undoubtedly die. Cursing under his breath, Issei began to panic; where were the exorcists? They said they were going to come back and help as soon as they could. What was keeping them?

Turns out, all of Issei's questions would be answered not a second later.

In one moment, everyone stood in the quiet dark, the only sounds being the clashing of steel, and the shouts of combat that echoes out within the dark midnight atmosphere.

Next, everything became noise and light.

The first thing that Issei heard was the harrowing cry of someone, he didn't know who. It was quiet at first, but it was enough that every single person halted and gazed over. With wide eyes, Issei saw none other than Irina leaping through the air, two swords tucked under her arm. She… she looked like she was crying…

Then came the real carnage.

For a brief second, it was like it was the brightest afternoon of the year. Pure, unbridled light, which endlessly peppered his devil flesh like a hive of ants, shot up through the manor, utterly destroying the structure with the loudest crash that Issei had ever experienced. Nothing was left, except for the smoldering remains of the once-decaying manor.

But it was the implication of it all that chilled Issei right down to his bones. As far as anyone could tell, Irina was the only one who visibly made it out of the manor. And if her shouts and tears were any indication…

Frankly, the shock of it all left Issei barely able to concentrate on the rest of the world around him, everything settling down to a dull, muffled hum as the reality of the situation dug deeper and deeper into his being.

Valper gaped in shock, before pointing at the fleeing twin-tailed exorcist, "She has the Excalibur's! FREED, GO AFTER HER, NOW!"

"Gotcha!" Freed shouted, as he spun on his heel, and in the blink of an eye, raced into the dense foliage after Irina. With a shout, Kiba followed, his own speed making him almost impossible to keep track of with the naked eye.

Soon after, Valper slipped off without a trace, using some form of teleportation magic; leaving the three devils alone, in the hauntingly quiet clearing…


"Ugh…" Vin groaned as he opened his eyes, all around him was darkness, as far as the eye could see. Nursing his head, Vin briefly wondered if this was the afterlife. Was this where he ended up? Being disintegrated by some elaborate death trap?

Without warning, Vin could feel the familiar sensation of his Sacred Gear manifesting onto his legs.

[We're still alive, foolish boy,] Bheithir scolded, [I was forced to expend some of my power to save you. You best be grateful, I don't make it a point to offer generosity so frivolously.]

Vin scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Uh… I'm sorry, Bheithir."

[As you should be,] Bheithir paused for a second, before a noise like a sigh echoed forth from the Gear, [You've proven yourself to be a… breadwinner of sorts among my hosts. Thus, I found it appropriate to save your life.]

"...Thank… You?"

[Don't thank me; it's an investment. Just remember, next time you wind up in a situation such as this, I won't be so… gracious.]

"I-I understand," Vin bowed his head in shame.

[Don't disappoint me now, child,] Bheithir warned, before her voice faded away, and his Sacred Gear disappeared from his legs.

Vin let out a shaky sigh, that… that was too close. This was insane… The kinds of dangers that this mission was throwing at them… It was enough to make a man break down. Thank fucking god that he was safe…

…But what about Xenovia?

Suddenly, Vin's body was seized by fear, as he rummaged around the small crystal bubble, patting every surface he could find as he searched for the girl. Was she alright? Was she dead? Did she make it into the bubble? Did Bheithir not save her too? All the hypotheticals hammered his head ferociously, over and over again, with the force and intensity of a jackhammer.

"Vin?" A soft voice came from a far corner of the bubble. Immediately, the boy found himself crawling towards the call of Xenovia's soft voice.

"Oi, Xenovia," Vin patted around for a moment, "Are you there?"

He desperately tried to pad around, looking for a way in the darkness to find Xenovia's position. Eventually, Vin's hand finally met flesh. Soft, malleable, enthralling flesh...

"KYAH~!"

Vin wretched his hand back, as if it was scalded when he heard Xenovia's shriek, "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine…" Xenovia stuttered, and even in the darkness, Vin could see her nuclear blush faintly glow in the all-encompassing black that surrounded them.

"Ah, alright," Vin shuffled around, eventually finding a spot sitting next to Xenovia, back to the crystal wall of the dome, "You mind if I sit here?"

"No, not particularly."

"Alright, cool… Cool…"

And so, the two sat there in silence. Vin could feel the ugly tension within himself, the desire to say something, anything to break that horrid silence. But at the same time, his fear of making an ass of himself, of screwing things up even more than the last time the two were alone together, kept any words from ever escaping his throat.

It was almost an act of mercy when after a minute, Xenovia finally piped up.

Emphasis on 'almost'.

"Vin… How long have you been lying to us?" Xenovia hesitantly asked.

Vin coughed roughly, "I-I'm sorry?"

"...You have something inside your Sacred Gear, don't you?" Xenovia declared, "I heard that entire exchange you just had. How long have you been keeping this a secret, Vin? How long?"

"You heard?" Vin sweated under the pressure, yet Xenovia never relented, even as she turned to face the boy, pressing further, making Vin shuffle away slowly as she pressed her advance.

"Yes, I heard!" Xenovia cried, "Did you not trust us, is that it? Did you think that we'd treat you differently because of it? Did you think that we wouldn't understand?"

Eventually, Vin's back once again hit the crystal wall of the barrier, and with nowhere to go, Xenovia continued to crawl right into him, as she wrapped him in a hug, burying her face in his shoulder.

Her voice came out as a weak muffle, "I… Do you hate me? Am I not someone that you can trust, Vin? Am… Am I not doing this right?"

Hesitantly, Vin finally spoke up, "Doing… what right?"

"You hate me, don't you? After that night…"

Wait, what?

"I'm so stupid!" Xenovia clenched her fists, "I should have known that an approach like that doesn't work in reality. I… I lost my one chance…"

"Your one chance? What are you talking about, Xenovia?"

"I have feelings for you, alright?!" Xenovia whipped her head up, and even in the dark, Vin could tell fresh tears were pouring down her face.

"I got emotional, and… and I thought I'd try something from one of those stupid movies that Irina loves showing me," Xenovia gave off a weak, self-deprecating chuckle, "God, look at me; we're supposed to be on a mission, and here I am crying like a-"

Xenovia's words died in her throat, as two arms wrapped themselves around her, and pulled her deep into his arms.

"You don't hate me?" Vin echoed in disbelief.

Xenovia looked up, equally puzzled, "Hate you? No, of course not! Do you hate me?"

"Absolutely not."

The two laid there for a moment in each other's arms… Before the absurdity of the situation dawned on both of them. After that, there was nothing holding either of them back, as they broke down into fits of giggles and laughs.

"...Are…Are you kidding me?" Vin wiped a tear from his eye, "Fuck, we're both that clueless, huh?"

"Heh, I suppose so," Xenovia agreed, as she raised her head to face Vin's own.

Their bodies falling into autopilot, Vin pulled Xenovia tighter, as one of her hands found itself sliding across the surface of his cheek; fingers snaking behind his neck while Vin's own made their way to her shoulders and the back of her head, digits tangling into her azure locks.

A beat passed, the two acutely aware of the hot, needy breaths that mingled in the stale air of their crystal barrier. They each took a moment to relish in that closeness, before throwing caution to the wind, as they yanked themselves into a messy, passionate kiss. Neither of them could claim that they were truly a 'great' kisser, but both naive teens made up for inexperience with a fervor and passion that was simply unquestionable.

The warmth, comfort, and simple bliss of it all was simply sublime to Vin. Those dark, twisting, venomous knots that had formed in his stomach since their last encounter finally abated as he relished in the fact that this wonderful, wonderful woman in front of him felt the exact same way.

Even in the overwhelming darkness, not just from within the barrier, but the hanging, pervasive dread that hung over their heads; the two were able to find a shared comfort in the arms of each other, deep in that little, rubble buried, pitch-black dome…


Issei couldn't believe what he was looking at.

Since Kiba, Irina, Freed and Valper had fled from the scene, he had made his way over to the smoldering ruins of the abandoned manor that stood there not an hour before, if only to try and confirm his worst nightmares; that right in front of his eyes, two people, one he may even scarcely call a potential friend, had died.

And while he didn't find bodies like he had expected, the sight before him did nothing to inspire comfort either.

He stood in what once was the massive front entranceway, a place the pawn distinctly remembered from his time fighting that massive stray devil… What was her name again? Viser?

Who cared?

Anyway, that common area was possibly the most destroyed out of all of the sections of the house. While some side halls and rooms of the house got away mostly unscathed, the entire walls and roof of the foyer had been obliterated or had otherwise collapsed down into this… massive crater that had punched through the floor suddenly.

As he gazed down, Issei could see the hole passed through layer after layer of basements, cellars, and sediment, all the way down to some old, decrepit wine cellar below. And despite his rational part of his brain screaming at him to not do it, Issei couldn't help himself from spreading his leathery wings and soaring down to the bottom of a mountain of rubble.

They had to still be in there, right?

Grabbing a piece of old drywall, Issei yanked it out of the pile, tossing it behind him, before moving onto the next piece, and the next piece.

Even if they were dead, they at least deserved a proper burial, right? They couldn't just leave them here, to rot under all this filth…

Issei's digits tightened around the corner of a wood beam. With a grunt, Issei desperately tried to get it loose from the pile-up, but it just didn't seem to budge, no matter how much he put his devil strength into it.

Well, good thing that this wasn't his strength's limit.

[Boost!]

As the Boosted Gear flashed onto his left arm; it's emerald gem gleaming with light as new strength flowed into him: Issei, with a mighty tug, was finally able to tear the beam from its place, shifting the pile as various parts creaked and groaned under the new strain placed upon them.

[Partner,] A deep baritone sounded out from the Gear, [Stop. Calm down.]

"Ddraig, you're awake," Issei looked down at his arm in disbelief.

The red dragon huffed, [I'm awake, because I have to tell you to stop acting like an idiot. What do you think you're doing?]

"What do you mean? I'm trying to-!"

[I know what you're doing, boy. We share the same body, for goodness sake,] Ddraig scolded, [I'm asking you if you even know what you're doing? I thought that you would have known better than to act this recklessly.]

[This is a massive stack of rubble, partner. Upsetting it like this would only cause one thing, a bigger collapse.] Ddraig explained, [I can't believe I have to explain this to you… It could fall on you, partner. And while a dragon wouldn't die from it, a devil getting a mansion's worth of rubble dropped on them certainly will.]

"So… What should I do?"

[You? Nothing,] Ddraig replied, [However, the woman behind you may be able to help.]

"Woman?" Issei turned around confused. Yet his words died in his throat, when he was met face to face with Rias Gremory herself.

"Thank you, Ddraig," Rias softly smiled.

The dragon simply grunted, [Don't thank me, Gremory. I'm just doing my job to make sure another partner doesn't die young and stupid. Now, if you excuse me, I'm going back to sleep.]

"Of course," Rias nodded, "Enjoy your nap."

After a beat of silence, the Boosted Gear finally phased away from Issei's hand. Leaving Master and Pawn alone in the basement.

"Issei," Rias stepped over to the brunette, resting her hands gently on his shoulders, "What's wrong? The others are all up there."

"It's just… Buchou… I think that…" Issei choked on his words, "There's two people… Two of those exorcists, I think they're trapped under there. I don't know… I don't know if they're dead or alive, but… They don't deserve to be left under there."

Rias looked at her pawn, who wiped away a few stray tears with a mumbled curse, before pulling him deeply into a hug.

"Wha?! B-Buchou?" Issei stammered, as one of Rias's hands gently patted his head.

"Oh, Issei…" Rias soothed, "You really are the best of us sometimes…"

"Does that mean?"

Rias released him, crossing her arms, and putting on a more mischievous expression.

"I'll take care of this rubble, but don't think for a moment that I'm letting you off the hook. You are in big trouble for directly going against my orders," Rias explained, "Koneko has already received her punishment, and Saji is still receiving his from Sona… So, while I work on this, you head back up there, and let Akeno handle your punishment."

Issei paled, "P-Punishment?"

Rias smiled, "Yep, five hundred spankings. You better hurry, you wouldn't want to leave her waiting~"

Issei gulped, already fearing for his behind. But nonetheless, he remained steadfast, as he spread his wings, and slowly flew up to the surface.

Only to be immediately greeted by Akeno, small bolts of lightning arcing between her fingers as a sadistic expression played on her lips, "Well, well… Our precious little Issei thought he could be a naughty boy, and run off… Come here, Issei-kun, let your precious senpai help punish you~!"

Issei stepped back, sweat coating his brow, "A-Ah, Akeno-senpai, we can talk about this…"

"Sure we can~"

Rias smiled as she heard the sharp sounds of smacking, followed closely by the unmanly shrieks of her pawn, and the satisfied giggles of her Queen. Eventually, she took a deep breath, and prepared to fulfill her end of their little deal. Stepping forward, she cracked her knuckles, as her infamous Bael family Powers of Destruction coursed through her hands.

This… This was going to be a more meticulous process, but still, Rias wasn't a Gremory because she was sloppy and uncontrolled.


"Vin…" Xenovia whispered, a hand gently rubbing against one of his shins, "What… What's in your Sacred Gear?"

"..." Vin silently pondered his options, even though he was told explicitly by Bheithir to keep her identity a secret, it was just Xenovia, and above all else…

It was also his body.

"... Her name's Bheithir," Vin began, "She's… She's some sort of dragon. Not quite alive, per say, but more like… I don't know, a living statue? I've been seeing her in my dreams for a while now."

"I see, anything else?"

"No, not really," Vin rifled a hand through his hair, "Frankly, I'm just as in the dark as you are. Ah, pun entirely intended."

"Pfft, very funny," Xenovia chuckled, snuggling her back closer against Vin's chest, as she sat between his legs.

"Say, what do you think we should do when we get out of here?"

Vin raised an eyebrow, "Define: get out of here. Do you mean out of this bubble, or out of this town?"

"Both," Xenovia amended, "...Smartass."

Vin leaned down, resting his chin on top of Xenovia's head, "Would you have me any other way?"

"No, no I wouldn't. But answer the question."

"Well, I'd probably take you out on a date the first second we could. Y'know, make this official, right? I think we'd be able to call ourselves boyfriend-girlfriend after that, 'cause we'd be dating."

"That makes sense, I suppose," Xenovia hummed, "I'm sorry that I have no experience with this sort of thing."

"Please, don't worry about it, I don't either," Vin waved a hand around, "I mean, look at us, or don't, because you can't really see anything; we confessed to each other after nearly dying, buried under rubble in a dome."

"Fair enough," Xenovia conceded.

Vin was quick to add, "But yes, I would like to take you out on a date as soon as this is all over."

"You do realize that you'd have to convince Griselda to let me go on a date with you."

Groaning at the realization, Vin collapsed onto Xenovia more, the girl giggling as she gently hoisted him off her, causing Vin to lean back against the wall of their protective dome.

"Ah shit, you're right. You think that I could write a letter the higher-up's at the church, and convince them to let me be in a relationship with you?"

That got Xenovia to laugh, the lilt of her chuckles making Vin's heart flutter, "You… convincing the church… With a letter? That's your plan?"

"C'mon, I've been getting better and better at persuasive essays, I got an 85% trying to convince my teacher that the letter 'T' needs to be a vowel; I'm sure that I could convince them to let me date you."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, how about this, 'Imagine, if you will, the child that the two of us could birth. The genes of a naturally-born holy sword wielder, and those of a Sacred Gear wielder. Such children could prove an invaluable ally to God.' Sounds pretty good, huh?"

"Hmmm…" Xenovia pondered that for a moment, perhaps… perhaps that was something they could save for the future…


As Rias worked away, the sounds of Issei's yelps sounding out through the air, she blasted away piece after piece of rubble, leaving naught a trace behind. Section after section fell away to ruin, and when the pile would shift, lurch or topple, Rias would be right there to blast it to nothing.

That was, until she launched the Powers of Destruction at a section of rubble, and something did, in fact survive. There, lying gleaming in the spilling licks of moonlight, was… An Excalibur Fragment. Excalibur Destruction, in all of it's holy glory. Rias stilled, gazing at the blade even as every fiber of her demonic being screamed at her to get away…

This. This could complicate things. Being a pureblooded devil, she couldn't exactly, y'know, touch the thing.

Looking around, Rias eventually found a smaller section of wood, maybe it was an old table leg or something, either way, it would work.

Keeping a small distance from the accursed holy thing, Rias reached out with the wood stick, nudging the sword to the side, it was a slow, arduous, and ungraceful process, but eventually, after nudging the sword over and over with the stick, Rias managed to push it off to the side of the room, far away from herself, and the pile of rubble.

"Alright, now that's done," Rias sighed, "Let's get back to this."

Yet, right as the crimson princess drew her demonic powers back into her hands, a sound ever so slightly graced her enhanced senses. A muffled hum, or…

A laugh.

Rias froze for a moment, there were indeed people in there. And if that was any indication, they were still alive.

This suddenly turned from a clean-up job to a rescue mission.


After a moment of silence, Vin finally spoke up once more, "How long do you think we'll be trapped down here?"

"I don't know," Xenovia replied, "I lost Excalibur Destruction in the collapse, and it seems like this barrier's the only thing keeping us from getting crushed for now. Hopefully, there will be some form of rescue. Have you tried your phone?"

Rummaging through his pockets, Vin pulled out the device, and upon tapping the power button, winced as the sudden light screamed at his face.

"Ow, ow, ow…" With squinted eyes, Vin fumbled the controls, quickly lowering the brightness to much more acceptable levels, "Ah fuck, I got a bad gash on here."

"Don't worry about that," Xenovia reprimanded, "Do you have anyone you could call?"

"Let's see…" Vin opened his contacts list, and began to scroll.

"Irina?"

"Obviously not, she's either running or hiding right now."

"Ezekiel?"

"In Italy."

"Uh… Al?"

"Al?" Xenovia looked at Vin, "Vin, who the hell is Al?"

"He's the guy who tipped me off about this place," Vin thought for a moment, if Azazel was the real deal, then..

"I'm calling Al," Vin declared, tapping the button, and putting the phone to his ear, letting it ring out in the small space.

"What? Vin, who is this guy?"

Vin locked eyes with Xenovia, "Someone who can help us. Trust me, Xenovia."

The swordswoman remained silent for a while, before conceding, "Alright, you call Al."

After holding his breath for a moment, hoping that the call could make it through, the gratifying click of someone picking up the phone on the other end was downright cathartic.

[Hello? Kiddo, are you there?]

"Ah… Al, how are you doing?"

A distant sigh could be heard on the other end, [Oh, I know that tone; you're in some shit, aren't you?]

"Yep, pretty much. We're at the location you provided, but Kokabiel rigged the place to blow. Right now, we're alive, but trapped underground by some rubble."

[So, you need me to get you out of there?]

"If you could be so kind?"

[Alright, alright, kiddo, no need to lay it on thick. Let ol' Azazel work his magic. Hold tight, alright? And make sure you're holding anything you want to bring with you through the circle.]

"Thanks man, I'll see you soon."

[Yep, see ya.]

Hanging up, Vin lowered his phone, only to be greeted by the panicked look on Xenovia's face.

"That was Azazel?!" Xenovia hissed, "Oh my god, Vin, what were you thinking! He's-"

Vin cut in, "Got his hands tied trying to deal with Kokabiel? He's explained everything to me, he wants to stop Kokabiel, but the second he acts, the entirety of the Grigori is going to look like they're starting a war. He's directly helping us, Xenovia."

"I don't know how to feel about this, Vin."

"I know," Vin wrapped his hand around Xenovia's, "I felt the exact same way at first. But please, just… trust me."

Suddenly, underfoot, a large, glowing set of magical runes appeared all over the floor, they were yellow, yet unlike the ones that had bombarded them before, this one's hue was richer, nearly gold.

"Hey Xenovia," Vin spoke up, as the magical circle's glow increased in its intensity, "... I know that it may be a bit early to say this but… In case we don't make it out… I think that I may love you."

Her face, illuminated by that haunting golden glow, was the picture of beauty. A small smile playing off her lips as she gazed at Vin unflinchingly; never once averting her eyes as she once had.

"I know."

And just like that, Xenovia and Vin disappeared from that dome in a flash of golden light, leaving a certain Gremory to find only a single black feather when she burst into the dome not a moment later.


Just keep running, just keep running, don't stop running…

Those were the only thoughts that Irina Shidou dared to listen to as she bolted through the dense forest surrounding the edge of Kuoh. Ever since emerging from that dreadful fortress, she never looked back, just kept running, because they were on her tail, and she'd be damned if she was going to fail at the task that her friends, her family, died for.

At this point, she didn't know if her watery vision was a consequence of her fragile composure, the stinging of branches swinging and snapping against her bare flesh as she ran, or from the numerous nicks and cuts her arms sustained from carrying two large swords under her arm for a long period of time.

Even as she could feel her muscles give in to their sustained burden, she still forced herself to run. She could hear him on her heels the entire time, and she knew that with her precious cargo, she could reliably fight if it came down to it.

Simply put, if she was caught, she was dead.

She made the foolish choice to slow down ever so slightly, if only to catch her first proper breath in miles. It didn't take a moment for a bullet to rip through the darkness of those woods, and bury itself in a tree that Irina had leaned on, not an inch away from her face.

Spinning on her heels, Irina changed directions, and continued to run through the underbrush.

And she ran. She continued to run until she could barely do so, and then still, she would run despite that fact.

But Irina wasn't stupid, she knew that she couldn't outrun the speed of that thing. The best she could do was try and hide eventually, and hope to sneak away.

At one point, Irina passed by a ditch off to her side, covered in weeds that grew up to her shins. If there was ever a hiding place she could count on, it was this one.

Ungracefully, Irina threw herself into the ditch, letting herself lay down low in the foliage, not even daring to look, Irina kepr her face buried in the dirt, and silently prayed with rapid fervor.

Praying for her safety.

Praying that she won't be seen.

Praying that she would see the sunlight again.

Praying that, if by some miracle of God, she could once again feel the tender embrace of her mother and father again.

The terrified girl held her breath as the snapping of sticks and branches grew louder, and louder, and louder, and louder, and louder…

And then, he was upon her.

"Come out, come out~" Freed stalked out of the shadows, hissing out a little sing-song. He was in his element, he was the predator, and they both knew it.

Dragging Excalibur Rapidly through the dirt, it's holy glow is like the glowing lure of an anglerfish, it's once angelic shine perverted by the psychotic maniac who clutched it's hilt.

Irina refused to do anything, fearful that even the slightest thought would be enough to alert the monster before her.

The minutes passed by, as Freed stood there in that clearing, his eyes scanning around as he observed everything with a freakish amount of clarity for the so-called unhinged maniac. The edge of Excalibur Rapidly snaked around the corner, before…

"Are you here?!" Freed giggled, slashing Rapidly, and effortlessly cutting down a tree on the opposite side of the trail. Although Irina expected him to immediately thrash around, going on a hacking spree, she was shocked when the forest was filled with silence once again.

In a flash, Freed pulled out his gun, "There you are!"

Irina stiffened as a bullet dug into the dirt a few scant feet away from her prone body. And although she was nearly prepared to run once more, expecting Freed to come descending onto her like the bloodthirsty, unhinged machine he was: it never came.

Once again… Nothing but silence.

Irina paled, she knew what he was doing. He was fishing for a reaction. Doing some sort of action to frighten her, and then try to pick up on even the slightest reaction to pinpoint her actual location.

She needed to stay still, and stay hidden until Freed decided to leave.

But what happened next quickly proved to Irina that staying silent was a lot easier said than done.

"Got you!"

Freed once again cut down a tree with Excalibur Rapidly, one to the slight left of Irina. Normally, that wouldn't be an issue, except that the angle the tree was falling on…

Irina opened her mouth, and buried it deep into the dirt to avoid making her screams of pain audible, as the thick tree fell onto her left leg, the pure pain that overwhelmed her, arching from her leg up through her nerves like fire most certainly an indication that it was at least fractured.

Thankfully, her impromptu sound suppressor seemed to work, as Freed waited for another moment, before shaking his head, and running off deeper into the woods.

As the sounds of his footsteps grew quieter and quieter, Irina counted the seconds, before finally, the noises ceased, and Irina was left in the quiet. Lifting her head out of the dirt, she proceeded to spit and hack all the soil out of her mouth, it's earth taste refusing to vanish from her tongue, much to her chagrin. Now, all that was left was… the tree that was pinning her leg down.

Struggling, Irina tried and failed to lift the tree off her foot. But she wasn't out of options just yet. Weakly unfurling Excalibur Mimic from her arm, Irina let her thoughts carry into the sword, as is twisted behind her, pushing it's amorphous self against the tree trunk, eventually rolling the thing off her leg. Irina hissed as fresh pain stabbed through her leg as it was exposed to the night time air.

She still had to get away, she had a chance now to run, now that she gave Freed the slip. Using Mimic as a crutch, and moving Nightmare and Transparency to her right arm, Irina hobbled out of the ditch, taking careful mind to not place any force on her leg. It was going to be a slow and painful walk, but if she kept at it, she just might-

*Click*

Irina froze in place as she felt the bone-chilling touch of a muzzle press up against the back of her head. She shivered, as the surrounding environment seemed to only grow colder and colder.

"What's the matter, sweet cheeks? You're shaking like a leaf!"

"Freed…" Irina hoarsely whispered, "How did you-"

"Did you really think you could fool me like that?" Freed cackled, "For the record, you daft bitch, did you really think that I couldn't tell the difference between a tree hitting the ground, or a person's leg?"

"How about this? Let me help you out!" Freed smiled, yet on his face, even the most innocent smile looked sinister, "I have a PHD, believe it or not!"

"What?"

"Yep!" Freed lowered his gun to Irina's right leg, all while looking her in the eyes with an evil glint, "It's in symmetry."

*Blam!*

Irina screamed, losing her footing as she collapsed to the ground, blood oozing and pouring out in wet, visceral globs. She couldn't help herself, as tears began to stream out of her eyes.

"Oi, oi! What are you doing!" Freed yelled, "I help you, and what do you do? You act like this!"

"C'mon, up and at 'em!" Rearing back his foot, Freed swung, nailing Irina in the stomach.

Eyes bulging in pain, Irina flew back a few feet, left tired, gasping weakly for air as her terrified tears poured out of her eyes. She lost the Excalibur's, which now stood in a pile next to Freed, and she most certainly couldn't flee anymore.

"Geez, you aren't any fun!" Freed slowly crept towards her, the jagged blade of Excalibur Rapidly humming as it scraped slowly along the ground as he walked.

Irina could only watch with fear, hoarsely whispering prayers to God, or cries for her momma of papa.

Freed didn't care. No, instead he reached down, his free hand roughly yanking Irina to her damaged feet by one of her twin-tails.

"C'mon, scream for me!" Freed slashed her across the chest with his sword, a shallow, yet still significant cut that tore through her flesh painfully. Yet, even with that, Irina was simply too weak to give more than a whimper. All her energy expended as she barely held onto consciousness.

"Fine! How about this!" Freed hacked away at her more, and more, and more, and more, littering her body with cuts and wounds.

"I spent! So! Much! Time! Chasing after you!" Every word Freed spoke was punctuated with a new slash on Irina's weak body, "The least! You! Could do! Is scream for me as I kill you!"

Freed raised Excalibur Rapidly in an underhanded grip, prepared to stab the life out of the poor twin tailed girl. Irina herself, too weak to fight back, simply let her vision go hazy, as she gave one final whimper.

"...Pop…pa…"

But that edge stalled in the air for a moment. Freed froze, crossing his eyes as he stared down… a red laser.

Immediately, Freed leapt back, twirling his sword in a classic parry as a bullet pinged right off the edge. Upon landing, Freed immediately began looking around the tree-line, the red dot gone. But Freed, with all of his experience, knew better than to think that meant his attacker had left.

"Do I have a new playmate?" Freed asked, his tone playfully light and unhinged, but his eyes conveyed that with a serious level of focus, "How about you come out so I could see you better. Come on, I won't judge."

The sound of boots crunching through the darkness was all that Freed needed, as he tore his gun free of it's holster, and opened fire. However, the figure in the darkness lurched to the side, dodging the hail of gunfire.

As Freed's projectiles soared into the dark, the figure ripped it's own pistol from it's thigh, and with a single shot, a bullet knocked the gun right out of Freed's hand.

Out from the darkness the figure stepped, and as it passed into the open, the moonlight danced off it's armor. The figure was humanoid, yet, nearly all of its flesh was covered in various armor plates, wrappings, holsters, weapons or fabric. A half-mask that covered the user's face and head, save for their scruffy jaw. All around, the figure before Freed may have looked run-down and homeless, yet, the sheer aura of unstoppable bloodlust made the figure practically an icon of death.

Still holding it's sidearm in it's right hand, an extensively modified pistol sporting all manner of attachments and a long magazine, the figure stepped over Irina's near-unconscious body protectively. Training the barrel of the gun on Freed, the figure spoke in a gruff, booming, distinctly male voice.

"You've gotten what you came for," The figure gestured to the three Excalibur's astern across the ground, "Take those and leave for your master, now."

"Oh? And what if I don't want to leave?"

The figure remained silent for a moment, before taking a step towards Freed, then another, and then another. Slow, unflinching, and most of all, intimidating. From through the eyes of the stylized half mask; a black onyx mask made to resemble a dragon's face; came a haunting red glow.

"Die!" Freed bolted forward, Excalibur Rapidly allowing him to be behind the figure in a split-second, blade already poised to behead him.

Without any hesitation, the man fell backwards, letting the blade hum over him, before leaning back, as if to handspring, only to use the force of pushing up to drive his boot snugly into Freed's chin, effectively uppercutting the madman, who was sent sprawling back.

Not deterred, Freed came right in for a full-frontal assault. Swinging Rapidly, Freed never expected someone to manage to catch up with the unparalleled speed of the legendary sword; but that's exactly what the figure did, stopping all assault by grabbing Freed's wrist with his left hand, which laid adorned with some sort of prototype device, it's metalwork and shining blue orbs stretching and clamping down around the enigmatic stranger's fingers and arm.

With a hearty smack, the figure buried their left knee into Freed's solar plexus, before spinning around, and delivering a brutal elbow to the rogue's nose, snapping it with a sickly crack.

By the time Freed stumbled to his feet once more, the figure spoke again, "Take the swords, and leave, now. Or else, I'll be taking all of them."

Now, Freed was a madman, a lunatic, a psychopath, but he was also an exorcist, and a skilled one too. So, he knew damn well the kind of opponent he was up against, and to be frank, after the beating he sustained, both to himself and his pride, the offer being granted to him was looking more and more appealing.

Deciding to not look the gift horse in the mouth, Freed silently gathered swords, and walked off into the forest, eventually slipping away into the encompassing darkness.

The figure waited there, pistol in hand for a moment, then two, then three… Before finally holstering the gun and addressing the final, barely conscious person in the woods. Kneeling down towards the bloodied Irina, the figure shook its head sadly, a tense frown cast across their exposed mouth.

"I'm sorry I couldn't interfere sooner, Irina. But I have to keep the timeline consistent," The figure spoke slowly and calmly, "Don't worry, we'll get you to safety. Everything's going to be okay… You're going to live, I'll make sure of it."

Weakly, Irina glanced up at the figure, her vision just leaving him a pool of vague colors, "...W-who…are…"

"Shhh," The figure soothed, "Save your breath, don't talk right now."

"But me?" A small smile danced around the man's lips, before they lifted Irina into their arms in a bridal carry, and six large, pitch black wings burst forth from the man's back.

"You could call me… your temporary guardian angel…"


They finally are a thing! I know it's been a long road, but we've done it, lads.

Anyway, I'm sorry for the slight delay, I've been having a great holiday so far, and even with all the pandemic restrictions, it was still nice to spend some time, even with just the close family. Even with all the cheer going around, I've been toiling away at this chapter for a while! It's a big boy, and it has a lot of important events that take place within it. We're really closing in on the endgame for this arc now, probably only one or two more chapters until epilogues. It's been a real blast writing the Holy Sword arc, and I'm glad that people are enjoying it as well!

While I'm here, I also wanted to say thank you to everyone, because around the time this goes up, we'll have hit 40,000+ total views on this story, which is absolutely unreal. Hats off to each and every one of you. This chapter is dedicated to all of you people: you beautiful, wonderful weirdos.

I think for now, I'm actually going to retire chapter notes, at least until something happens that might require a more thorough explanation. Otherwise, I feel like they bloat these chapters, and sort of just serve to give you all spoilers. I hope you're all alright with that.

Anyway, let's get on with the…

REVIEW ROUNDUP!

rp9976955 Says:

"I admire your coherence in each chapter and the light comedy tone, but I hope this arc has epic moments because it's getting a little monotonous, but I'm still trusting you to create good moments that we can remember, changing the subject already watched attack on titan? if yes I would recommend a fanfic called " the humanity strongest woman " in my opinion this story is magnificent for those who like romance or want a well written story, even more."

Hey, it's good to hear from everyone again! I was beginning to miss interacting with the little community we have built here!

I'm glad that you enjoy the lighter tone of the story so far, I think it's balanced having its up's and down's so far. But like the tone of this chapter, this story is about to veer back into the darker, more combat-focussed territory that the first arc had. This chapter is going to be one that people look back on in the future as an important chapter, because a lot of what gets set up will be staples of the series going forward, things such as Vin and Xenovia becoming a couple, and… that's not the last time we'll be seeing that mysterious man…

Either way, I'm glad that you're enjoying the fic, and I hope that you like this chapter! Rock on!

(P.S. I don't watch/read AoT, I was just never able to get into it when I tried.)

Sakiv Says:

"Ahhh good to be back reading this. Finals week was crazy and I pretty much forgot about this little gem. Good to see I haven't missed too much. Can't wait to see how plan vs gonna go even more sideways after next chapter I'm assuming vins saving Xenovia and him with his sacred gear. Can't wait to see how you'll handle the kokabiel fight it will for sure be interesting. And relating to something you've mention in the author notes I don't understand why so many people who hate Issei make their PCs him without any of the charm I don't get it. And with the power level I get the concern no one wants the Mc to end up being a side character in their own story Because they can't win any of the battles themselves but I don't see that happening here. I mean he's got a sacred gear that's evolved into being a Longinus or at least something or similar power that he has a barely touched power wise I always picture him using his power kinda like a earth bender at least that's how I visualize it with all the stomps and crystal spikes anyway rambling aside I can't wait for the new chapter enjoy your Christmas!"

It's great to see you back again, Sakiv! I'm glad you did fully forget about this story.

As you could see in this chapter, the plan didn't go… great. But hey, at least Vin and Xenovia got to finally get together! I feel like this was a long time coming, and after twenty chapters, yeah, I think it's time we let them finally be together.

In terms of power-scaling, and Vin's position as protagonist being questioned, I would say to have faith. There are several factors still holding Vin back from being incredibly strong, and these next few arcs are going to involve him working through them. His strength will grow, and to help combat him being overshadowed by Issei, there's going to be more moments throughout arcs that will basically show a new perspective to these events that we've all seen or read. I think it's a fun way of doing the events in canon in this fanfiction, and it'll help Vin from seeming like 'Issei 2'.

I hope that you had or are having a happy holidays too, and enjoy the present of a new chapter! Rock on!

RokenDarkly Says:

"Issei and Asia fluff. 10/10. Nuff said.

Probably add the one shot if you do make one in between the chapters. While they may or may not be important to the overall story at least they're guaranteed to be seen.

Damn I really should've expected the booby traps. I trust this is no Game of Thrones so I'm gonna assume if Vin and Xenovia don't immediately escape, that you'll use the opportunity to have them sort there issues out, maybe trapped in a crystal dome until the others remove the rubble. Also Issie consoling an Irina that thinks her friends are dead, quality flag moment.

Looking forward to it!"

Hey, awesome to see you again as well, Roken! How have you been?

I'm glad that you've been enjoying that little bit of fluff that I threw in, I feel like whenever Asia doesn't have to try and compete with the other girls, her moments and interactions are a lot more focused on being sweet and caring. That scene was basically a rewrite of the scene from canon, but with more adjustments to make it more emotionally tender. I also really like the Issei/Asia ship, so yeah, expect more of that here or there.

The booby traps were something that I came up with spur of the moment actually. Originally, it was supposed to be a lot different, with Vin hesitating to kill, once again resulting in more punishment, as the guard was able to raise the alarm, and then they all would have to scatter as a result, leaving Irina to run into the woods with the swords. I personally like how it's done in the current final draft. But also, poor Irina. Between the emotional blow from Xenovia throwing her words back in her face, to the abuse she got in this chapter, I need to let the poor girl catch a break.

But not quite yet, because I'm evil. :)

I like Irina, by the way. I'm not one of those sickos who like to put characters they hate in endless torment. She was just… well, she's an easy target, and a plot relevant too. I will be real through, I even got uncomfortable writing Freed beating her. I took a note out of the playbook from friend of the story, Seiker Hikaru (Check out Freelancer, btw, I help edit for that story), and tried conveying some of Freed's real exorcist skill, and upping the menace factor of Freed.

Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed the new chapter! Have a great holiday, and rock on!


Anyway, that's all the time I have for reviews for today! It actually crossed over into the next day while writing this… Kinda wild, huh?

I hope that you all enjoyed the new chapter, and the catharsis of finally having this ship truly begin sailing. If you did, make sure to leave a follow, favorite, review, or all of the above (preferably)! If you have any questions or want to talk about what you did or did not enjoy about the chapter, please, leave a review. They are highly appreciated!

Finally, check out friend of the story, Seiker Hikaru's new story, Freelancer. I've been helping him out a little on the side with some editing for it, and it's all great stuff. If you want a quality recommendation from me, go there. I'm sure he'd really appreciate some love over there too!

I hope that you all enjoyed the new chapter, we're in the endgame now, everyone! I don't know when you can expect a new chapter, but sooner rather than later, surely. Have a great day everyone, and don't forget to rock on!