CH 9

Jethese brought Kanda, Allen, and Lavi to a bar in town after being told to entertain them by the Life Sage. When the four of them were in the bar, they found themselves being seduced by a girl with messy brown hair that went by the name 'Nova'. Kanda found her behavior disgusting and violently rejected her before leaving the bar. After they left, they found that a powerful level two akuma had captured Jethese and was trying to crush him to death. The three exorcists managed to rescue the boy, and Lavi used his fire snake attack to engulf the akuma in flames. When they thought the akuma was destroyed, they let their guard down and checked Jethese's vital signs. Little did they realize that the akuma had not been destroyed. It then seized the opportunity and managed to leave the three exorcists completely vulnerable to attacks by sticking them to the ground with glue and knocking their innocence out of reach. The akuma then tried to shoot a bullet with the virus at Lavi, but right before the bullet was able to reach him, a familiar girl came out of nowhere and risked her life to save his.

"NOVA!"

The girl lay motionless on the ground beside Lavi with the akuma's bullet halfway through her side. Pentacles appeared on her body, turning her pale skin pitch black. Lavi couldn't bear to look at her. He refused to watch her body turn to dust knowing that should've been him instead.

The akuma laughed mockingly. "Ahaha! She's dead! The stupid human girl is dead!"

Allen looked away from the girl's body. "…You….monster…"

"What was that? Come again, pathetic exorcist?" The akuma taunted the cursed boy.

"YOU MONSTER!" Allen began to struggle violently to release his left arm from the tack that had it stuck to the ground.

"You're wasting your energy, beansprout!" Kanda yelled with his feet sealed to the ground beside Jethese.

Allen kept yanking his arm upwards in attempt to get free. "I don't care! She had nothing to do with this! She was just a harmless girl! She didn't deserve to die like this!" Suddenly, a loud crack came from Allen's arm, followed by a scream filled with pure agony. Allen had actually broken his arm in his struggles.

The akuma enjoyed his pain and wanted him to feel more of it. "Die! Die! Die!" It chanted as it lifted its foot to stomp on the defenseless exorcist.

Allen squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself for the impact of the large foot towering above him.

There was a loud clang of what sounded like metal. Allen felt no pain and chose to open his eyes. What he saw he couldn't believe. Standing in front of him keeping the akuma's foot from crushing him was none other than Nova. Her hair was still messy and brown, but her skin was completely black with the akuma virus. Her right arm was holding the akuma's foot above them.

"What the..?" Kanda stared at her in complete awe.

Lavi hadn't even seen her leave his side. "Who exactly…is she?" He asked himself.

Allen watched as her fingernails began glowing white. Slowly, the akuma virus was being completely cleansed from her body and absorbed into them.

The akuma lifted it's foot and looked at the girl. "Huh? I thought I killed you already?"

Without a sound, the girl lunged at the akuma. All that could be seen by Allen, Lavi, and Kanda after that point was streak after streak of silver. Silver light was whooshing around the akuma at unbelievable speeds.

Even the akuma was confused. Slices were appearing on it's body every time a streak of light flew past it. "W-what are you doing to me?! Stop it!" The akuma yelled. "STOP!"

At that point, all three exorcists had come to the same conclusion. This girl, the hooker from the bar, the one who calls herself Nova, was none other than the person who was known to slay akuma in the town of Earthridge that the people feared so much, Silverton.

The light then stopped flying around the akuma. It came to a sudden stop directly in front of the exorcists. Finally, they could see her. Her hair was no longer brown, but completely silver, just like her nails were.

The akuma stopped moving too. It stood there, nonresponsive. It's eyes were empty and blank, as if it had been paralyzed. Nova, who had her back turned to it, calmly snapped her fingers, and the akuma began falling apart, piece by piece, cleanly cut into squares.

Allen watched the akuma's soul have salvation brought to it as it rose up into the sky. The remains of the akuma's body exploded, and the sticky glue that bound the exorcists to the ground dissolved into the air. All that was left was Nova, who stood in front of them completely motionless with her head down and her hair glowing silver.

The first thing Kanda did when his feet got loose was run and grab Mugen, which he then pointed at Nova, who had no reaction at all to the blade aimed at her.

Lavi picked up his hammer and ran to Allen, whose left arm was broken internally.

Jethese began to stand as his numbness subsided. He smiled a little and said to himself, "It's about time she got here…"

Kanda stood in front of Nova holding Mugen with his right hand, aiming it at her. "You, you're Silverton, aren't you?"

"It's okay, now…" Jethese said to her, regaining his strength. "You did well. We're all okay. You can relax."

With that, the girl's hair faded back to brown and her fingernails returned to normal. Then, she collapsed onto the ground with a thud and fell unconscious.

They'd chosen to return to the Sage's home. Allen needed medical attention for his arm and they couldn't just leave Nova lying in the street unconscious, especially when she was obviously an accommodator of innocence. Lavi had volunteered to carry her on his back the whole way there while Kanda assisted Jethese, who still was weak. It's not that Kanda wanted to, but Allen's arm was too injured to do it instead.

When they entered the front gate to the Sage's home, Bookman and Tsamo where standing there waiting for them. "We heard a ruckus in the town shortly after I returned." Tsamo said. "Is everyone alright?"

Allen, who had been clutching his shoulder with his right hand, signaled behind him with his head towards Lavi, who carried the comatose girl on his back.

Tsamo's eyes widened. "Dear god…What happened?!"

"It was Nova…" Jethese said, his arm over Kanda's shoulders for support. "She had her again."