Chapter Twenty-Four - Epilogue 1: Coming Home

"How are you feeling now?" Vin asked as he sat down across the brightly lit room, "I came as soon as I could."

The entire medical room was awash in the late afternoon sun, sheets of white everywhere reflecting light every which way, and in that blanket of white, sat a solitary figure. Her twin tails messy and frizzy, and clad in nothing but a sports top and a pair of shorts, Irina Shidou had certainly seen better days, but with the magic of the Sirti house's medical technology, she was far from terribly injured either.

Irina ran her fingertips gently along her exposed stomach, the sun glistening off the surface of her lithe but toned chest, revealing dozens upon dozens of faint scars that littered her body. Faint enough, that if the window wasn't open, you could possibly not see them at all.

Irina winced slightly when her fingers idly passed over a scar that was more sensitive than the rest, pulling her hand back.

"So… Xenovia's not coming?" Irina asked, her eyes full of sadness.

Slowly, Vin shook his head, "No. She told me she's staying in her room today. The first day of being a devil is apparently the worst. She told me that feels like she's going to throw up every time she's in the sun. She'll get adjusted to it in a day or two, but on top of that, she's gotta relearn a sleep schedule apparently… Still, she sends her regards."

"I see…" Irina murmured, "...I just… I don't get why she would go and do that. Become a devil like that…"

Vin looked wistfully up at the ceiling, "I think… I think this mission left her a bit disillusioned with the church. Plus, those devils are certainly a nice bunch of people…"

"I suppose so," Irina hung her head.

"Oi, oi, stop that," Vin rested a hand ever so gently on the side of Irina's arm, causing the girl to look up, "We made some poor choices, but we did what we promised we would do: we survived."

Vin pointed to the window, and the serene early-summer afternoon, "Look over at the sky, Irina. That's the new day that we didn't know if we would see again… We lived, and that's the most important thing."

"I know, I just…" Irina tucked her knees up to her chest, "...I wish it could've been under better circumstances."

"So do I," Vin looked out the window, "So do I…"

"Irina, have you called the Vatican yet?"

Irina titled her head, "No? Why are you asking me that?"

Vin paused for a moment as he chose his next words wisely. He should explain, leave Irina with an understanding of the situation without the church twisting it.

"... What if I told you that Xenovia didn't just abandon the church to join the devils…"

"What?" Irina looked pensive. Small, sad, weak… All of the things that Vin had wished he'd never have to see the bubbly twin-tailed girl look like again; the sight ripping his bleeding heart in two.

Vin sucked in a big breath, "Me and Xenovia, on top of collaborating with the devils… Also made a direct deal with Azazel."

Lilac eyes wide, Irina gaped in horror, "You… You didn't…"

Vin closed his eyes and shook his head, "What else were we supposed to do, Irina? Get killed? No. So I worked together with Azazel. He's the one who gave me the location of the hide-out… And he's the one who eventually sent people to save us at the eleventh hour…"

"So they excommunicated you for that?"

"Yeah," Vin nodded as the half-lie slipped through his teeth, "The only reason you haven't been either is because you had no idea we were even doing it."

Irina rubbed her temple, "So… I still don't get it. Why would Xenovia choose to be with the devils? Even after getting excommunicated, she would never-"

"I can't tell you why," Vin interrupted, "I can't tell you why she became a devil."

Vin looked on as the afternoon sun glistened against the welling tears in Irina's eyes. Quickly, the girl wiped them away.

"Vin… You… You'll be coming back with me, right?" Irina asked weakly, her eyes pointed to her lap as she grabbed his hand, "Even if you're excommunicated, you'll come back with me, right? You're still human, you didn't become a devil… We can talk to Griselda, we can get her to convince the higher-ups to forgive you…"

Irina looked up, her lilac eyes meeting the pained gaze of the exorcist. The realization seemed to dawn on her, as fresh tears began to well up in her eyes.

"...V-Vin…N-No, you didn't…" Irina's voice croaked.

Vin pulled his hand out of her grip, "Irina, I'm sorry… I… I have to tell you the truth."

In the overwhelming white of the room, the sudden appearance of two large, feathered black wings from Vin's back was all the more shocking. Extending out wide from his back, each feather dark as midnight, Vin gently flicked the wings as he looked to the floor.

Irina extended a shaky hand, inching towards one of the wings like it would burn her if she touched it. Eventually as she got to her feet, her fingers met the soft downy of the feathers, and with the confirmation that the appendages before her were in fact, real, Irina collapsed to her knees, her body spasming in silent chokes and sobs, as the sounds of droplets splattered against the hardwood floorboards.

Vin instantly retracted his wings, leaning down to assist his friend, "Irina-!"

"L-L-Leave…" Irina hiccupped in between her sobs, "G-Get out of here…"

"Irina…"

"GO!" The girl snapped.

Without pursuing further, Vin stood back up, turned around, and began to make his way to the door, "Make sure to call the Vatican when you can. They'll arrange your plane ride home. And please…"

Vin cast a look over his shoulder as he opened the door, "...Tell the others… I'm sorry."

And with that, Vin closed the door behind him, leaving the twin-tailed girl sobbing on the floor. For the first time in a long, long time, Irina felt well and truly alone.

"'We would make it out of this together'…" Irina sniffed, "What about me, y-you traitors…"


Rome, Italy

Three Days Later

Ezekiel Rêver stood in the airport alone, a simple sign clasped in his hands, reading 'Irina Shidou', completely lost in thought. Although the hustle and bustle of the airport was a loud cacophony of noise that surrounded him from all sides, it was nothing more than a quiet din for the chuunibyou, who was instead attempting to pass the time by sorting through his troubled thoughts.

He had received the news only a few days ago from Griselda, who had returned from a meeting that night looking haggard and emotional.

Over that quiet dinner, where possibly a drop too much of alcohol was passed around, Griselda had confessed to him what she had been told.

Xenovia Quarta and Vincenzo Corsetti have been excommunicated from the church for conspiring with the Fallen Angels. Irina Shidou will be returning home alone with the Excalibur's.

That dinner had been one of the quietest and most morose dinners that he had sat through in his life; and even after he retired to his quarters for the night, Ezekiel could hear his mentor's strangled sobs alongside the sound of glass bottles from the kitchen for most of the night.

He truly had to wonder, were Vin and Xenovia truly traitors to the church? Ezekiel liked to fancy himself a good judge of character, and he had gleaned nothing of any signs of betrayal from them in the slightest. Sure, Vin obviously had his hang-ups about the church, and some of their methods, that much was clear to see, but beyond that…

Simply put, whether it was true, or simply his denial, Ezekiel couldn't quite find himself able to admit that his two comrades, no, friends, were traitors.

[Flight Two-Three-Seven, bound from Japan, now landing, I repeat, Flight Two-Three-Seven, bound from Japan, now landing.]

The sounds of the PA system snapped Ezekiel from his reverie. At the very least, he could take comfort in the fact that no matter what, they had all made it out alive.

Ezekiel kept his eyes trained on the passing crowds of travelers stepping out into the airport, looking for a familiar head of Strawberry-Blonde hair.

After a minute of scanning through the mass of people, he finally found her. Amidst the crowds of people fanning out, Irina stood there, the bright sun reflecting off of her hair from the massive skylight, which showered her in a nearly ethereal glow. The sight alone seized a death grip over Ezekiel's heart, but what prevented him from practically melting into a puddle on the spot was his quick observations.

Something was wrong. The Irina he saw before the mission, although she may have been putting on a front to hide her hurt, was still exuberant, and optimistic. There was always a resolute and positive spring in her every movement.

But the Irina that Ezekiel saw before him wasn't the same. No, she seemed unsure of herself, more downtrodden, almost defeated. There was a much more evident amount of pain in her very being, her eyes filled with less light than before as she looked around the airport's massive atrium.

The two locked eyes, a form of saddened relief spilling into Irina's features as she speed-walked towards him, the large duffel bag in her arms bouncing around with every step. As soon as she reached him, she tossed the bag to the ground, and fervently wrapped her arms around his body, pulling herself deeply into a hug, as she buried her face in his chest.

Initially, Ezekiel lit up a bright red, fumbling and flailing his arms around, stammering incoherently, but it was the sensation of moisture dampening his chest that left him sobering up quickly.

"E-E-Ezekiel…" Irina whispered.

Slowly, Ezekiel wrapped his hands around her back, reciprocating the hug as he pulled her in tighter, his right hand coming up to pat her on the head.

"I know… Welcome home, Irina."

The sudden sight seemed to attract attention, as several groups of people around them seemed to gaze at them happily.

"Young love…" One of them said, as the others in their group shook their heads with small, knowing grins on her face.

"Irina," Ezekiel patted her back gently as a sign for her to let him go, "Let us leave. We have a vehicle prepared outdoors to escort us back to our lodgings."

As Irina pried off of him, Ezekiel turned to face the duffel bag on the ground. Sensing the faint aura pervading off the luggage, Ezekiel narrowed his eyes.

"Is that them?" Ezekiel asked, and when Irina nodded, he bent down to grab the bag, "I'll carry it for you."

Irina's eyes went wide when Ezekiel firmly grasped the cloth straps of the bag with his gloved left hand, and began to walk towards the hallway which would lead them to the parking garage.

"Zeke… Your hand…" Irina asked as she walked behind

"Ah, yes. A present from the engineers at headquarters," Ezekiel threw his gaze over his shoulder, "It's a remarkable creation. It took me a time to gain confidence in my abilities to operate, but here in the present, it feels as if my own limb has returned to me. Both Sinclair and I were overjoyed."

Irina gained a small smile on her face, "That's… That's wonderful, Zeke. I was scared that you wouldn't recover…"

"Nonsense, both Sinclair and I wouldn't ever be confined to an early retirement. Even if our cybernetic augments hadn't come, we would have simply learned to fight with one hand. For nothing as irrelevant as a hand can act as bondage for us!"

Irina snorted, breaking off into quiet, breathy giggles, "Thanks Zeke, I… I needed that."

"You're welcome, Irina," Ezekiel nodded, "Now come, our transportation awaits."


Arriving back at the Vatican was a strange feeling for Irina, everything felt the same, yet so different at the same time…

She knew the reason. Deep down, she knew all too well, she just feared ever admitting it, lest it consume her all at once. It was lonelier, more barren… Every empty bit of noise only served to remind her about the harrowing absence in the little family they built together…

Flopping down on the bed in her room in a fresh pair of pajamas, Irina squirmed at the sensation of the clothes on her new scars… Laying in bed, eyes facing the ceiling, the pressure finally bore down on her more than ever before. Dinner was quiet, filled with the strange, suffocating silence that she had quickly grown to detest, the showers were isolating, empty, barren, ironically making her feel more naked than she had ever felt showering around the other girls.

The pure, unbridled loneliness gnawed away at her, until she couldn't take it anymore. Sleep would never come to her in this state, and remaining awake in the dead of the night would only serve to reinforce this crippling feeling of sadness, like a piece of her past was gone, and it could never come back.

She had to find a way to escape the feeling, and in their current situation, she could only think of one place.


A knock at the door had roused Ezekiel from his project, working on playing around with trading cards. He didn't know why he was even doing it anymore, there was no one left to play with in the dorms. But he still tried regardless, shuffling through his collection of Magic cards to try and come up with a counter-strategy to decks that no longer had owners…

Setting down the cards on his desk, Ezekiel padded across the floor, and opened the door, only to find Irina standing outside, a pillow and blanket wrapped in her hands, while a mixture of shame, slight embarrassment, and undeniable longing on her face.

"Irina… What seems to be the matter?"

Irina looked down at the floor, "Um… Hey, I'm sorry if this sounds weird… But, I just can't sleep right now, and I was wondering if I could… come in?"

Ezekiel's face slowly turned red, "A-A-Ah…"

"I-I can leave, if you don't want me here," Irina quickly added.

"No!" Ezekiel yelped, "I mean… C-Come in… to… my abode?"

A genuine thankful smile crossed Irina's face, her eyes twinkling in the faint light of the room as she slowly stepped in, "Thanks, Zeke."

"N-Not an issue!" The chuunibyou exclaimed, as he all but scurried over to his desk.

"Man… I haven't been in here for a few years now…" Irina looked around the room.

"You can take the bed. I shall exile myself to the floor to ensure your most comfortable lodgings, after all."

"I… I can't really sleep," Irina confessed.

"Well then," Ezekiel hummed as he swiveled around on his desk chair, "You're looking for a way to distract the mind, no?"

Getting up, Ezekiel grabbed two deck boxes off the desk, and brought them over.

"What are we doing?" Irina raised an eyebrow.

Ezekiel sat cross legged on top of the bed, setting a deck box on the other end of the mattress, "I shall instruct you in the ways of cards games."

"Um… Are you sure?" Irina laughed in a very pathetic manner, "I've never played before, so I probably won't be much fun to play against."

"Do you truly believe that any of us begin as masters of the game?" Ezekiel shook his head, "I was the one who proposed the idea, now come, and learn how to play Magic."

Throughout the next few hours, deeper and deeper into the night, the two played games, just simply relishing in the comfort of being together, and soon enough, both of them found themselves on the cusp of sleep.

"Ezekiel…" Irina whispered, before yawning, her eyes half-closed already as she tried to fight off the oncoming unconsciousness, "Please… you won't leave me… right?"

Slowly, Ezekiel curled the fingers of his right hand through Irina's own, "I promise you, Irina… I promise…"

A small smile stretched upon Irina's face, "Thanks, Zeke."

And with that, Irina fell asleep, a satisfied smile on her face. Ezekiel attempted to pull away, but he soon found his hand of flesh and blood trapped in Irina's grip. Ezekiel sighed fondly as he gazed down at her content visage.

"...I promise you, Irina," Ezekiel continued, "Should you deem it so, I would defy the very laws of time to remain by your side for an eternity."


Well, here it is, the first of the epilogues for this arc. In case you haven't noticed yet, I like to usually theme these mostly around the perspectives of characters who don't get a lot of time in the spotlight, so although Vin was in the beginning, this chapter very much is an Irina-focused one, alongside the reintroduction of Ezekiel, everyone's favorite chuunibyou!

These are the very last parts of the Holy Sword arc, before we begin to move on to the Peace Summit! And like before, there's a lot of teasing for potential future events here.

This one's a short one, but I think it's cute, if not a bit sad in places as well. Really, this chapter is all about the hidden ramifications that we don't really get to see following the Holy Sword arc's finale.

There will be one more epilogue coming real soon, before we fully dive into the Peace Summit arc, which, in reality, isn't the most packed arc in the world, so I've devised a bit of a plan for how to fill in the time before the summit actually happens, since, you all know that Vin being a fallen angel means that he can't really be part of the Gaspar sub-plot. Thus, get ready, because there will be some creative stuff coming up then that I'm super excited to work on!

As always, thanks so much for every follow, favorite, and especially review! It really helps motivate me to get these out at the pace I do. If you genuinely enjoyed what you read, please consider leaving a follow and/or favorite, and also make sure to leave a review telling me what you liked or didn't like!

I'll see you next time, everyone, until then, rock on!