A wave of energy forces Kurin to burst awake. He almost sat up if not for the weight of his girlfriend on his body. He just smiles and caresses Raynare's back, which causes her to smile and snuggle her head on his chest.

Back to more serious matters, he muses. He focuses on his mind in speaking with the being within him.

[Judging by the manner of which you woke up, I assume you felt that sudden wave of energy as well.] Sellorion says.

'Yeah...it's him, isn't it? The White Dragon and its vessel, Divine Dividing. That means the wielder's in the area of our field. Sad to hear that the Welsh Dragon's vessel, the Boosted Gear, is missing. I can't sense it at all. It would be exciting to witness a battle between the arch-dragons' wielders.'

[Hmm, yes. It was disheartening to learn the disappearance of the Boosted Gear. Either way, the purpose of the appearance of the White Dragon's energy signature worries me. The unexpected surge is putting me on edge. Kurin, best be cautious. Who knows what the intentions of the individual wielding Divine Dividing are. I'll go back to sleep. You best get back to sleep too.]

'I'll keep that in mind, Sel.'

The connection buried, he looks around his room. The others are still asleep. It was 4:30. School doesn't come until 8:30. He decided to sleep like his gear's embodiment.

Monday morning didn't come any faster than before. When Kurin woke up two and a half hours later, only Rias and Raynare remained, still asleep. Koneko and Akeno had left during those short hours.

Exiting the room and heading downstairs, he saw his three other housemates by the dinner table, breakfast being served by Kalawarner.

"Morning, you three." He said, going up and kissing Xuelan on the cheek, embracing Kalawarner, and then ruffling Asia's hair.

"Good morning, Kurin-kun." They said.

Kurin sat down and started eating. "Did any of you see Koneko and Akeno leave the house earlier?"

Kalawarner nodded. "They left about thirty minutes ago. Why were they staying here?"

Kurin sighed, remembering what happened the previous night. He and Asia proceeded to explain what happened to Yumi. Upon hearing it, Xuelan shivered, while Kalawarner looked down in disgust.

"To think that kid is actually the lone survivor of that experiment. That's a lot of trauma." The blue-haired Fallen said.

"I didn't think that his swordfighting came from that..." Xuelan said, still shaken. "Yumi-san sometimes wanted to spar with someone, and oftentimes, I was her partner. The way she had attacked and used her swords was incredible. I held my own, but given time and more training, she could be really fearsome." She said.

"Which is why I fear for her. Where she is right now...she's thinking of revenge. And she might die from it." Rias entered the conversation, sitting beside Kurin. Raynare meanwhile followed suit, sitting next to Asia.

"I know. I'm worried too." Kurin said. He turned to the redhead and smiled. "Morning, Rias-chan." He kissed her on the cheek. "Morning, Ray-chan." He kissed her on the forehead. Both girls smiled.

Rias's expression, however, morphed into a frown. "What do we do, Kurin?"

He sighed. "I honestly don't know."

The early morning passed by. The four students had already left for school while the remaining two girls stayed at the house.


At the front of the school stood two girls in white robes. One was holding a wrapped up item. The other simply stood next to her.

Sona Sitri looked at the two white-robed females with interest, with her vice-president just behind her.

"What brings you here?" The student council president asked.

The blue-haired robed girl lifted her hood. "We wish for a meeting with Rias Gremory."

Sona crossed her arms. "And let's say if I refuse?"

Xenovia Quarta shook her head. "I would not want to go to that part, let's say. One meeting is what we only ask. After that, we will not be bothering you for a long time." The blue-haired girl said, one hand gripped on the bandaged item.

"So long as no damage is done, then I will grant your request. Tomorrow, you'll meet with her after school."

Xenovia nodded. "Let's get going, Irina."

The other girl, Irina Shidou, lifted her hood up, beaming brightly. "Okay, then! It was nice meeting you!" Both then left.

'Rias would very much be interested to know why these exorcists want to meet with her.' The Sitri heiress thought. She turned to her Queen. "Let's get going as well, Tsubaki. Classes will start in a few."

"Of course, Sona-sama."

From the second floor, Kurin watched the two pairs part. Although he couldn't hear them, he witnessed their entire conversation. His lips formed a smirk, intrigued. 'What brings you here, Xenovia?'

[You feel it? The item she's holding, the one wrapped in bandages, you feel its energy, don't you?] Sellorion asked.

'Heh. Yeah. I can feel Xenovia-chan's sword radiating with that energy. I only wonder how strong she's gotten. Probably not enough.'

[Careful with those words. You might regret it.]


During break time, Kurin met up with Raynare, who was conversing with her newest friend.

"Well, good to see you, Kiryuu-san." Kurin said with a grin. "Any perverted talks with my girlfriend here?"

The glasses-wearing brunette gave a smile, giggling pervertedly. "That's for me to know and you to find out. I hear that you're planning to go out for karaoke later?"

"Mmhmm, yeah. What's up? You want to come with us?"

"If you would spare me some of your time, yeah. Asia's coming too, right?"

"I was just gonna ask her that." Kurin answered.

"If she's coming, then I'd ask if I can go too."

"Aika, it's alright. You're always welcome to stick around with us, you know."

The brown-haired girl smiled. "Thanks. I'll be off." The enigmatic (and sometimes lewd) girl walked away from the couple.

Raynare turned to her boyfriend. "How'd you know her, and how'd you become friends with her?"

"Long story. I think you know of her 'special' ability with her eyes, right? Like one of the perverted duo who keep getting their asses kicked by the kendo club?"

The Fallen Angel confusedly looked at him. "Err, sorta. Elaborate."

"Well, she can correctly guess the 'size' of a guy's manhood by looking at him, like how one of the duo somehow also has the ability to correctly guess the measurements of a girl's...assets, so to speak."

Her eyes grew wide from the sudden realization. Then she smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "She must've been really red when she first met you, huh?"

Kurin laughed. "Yeah." He turned to look at the subject of their talk, conversing with the other students along with Asia. "But...when you get to know her more, she's actually a pretty good friend. If you can get past her quirks, she's someone you can trust."

"I'll have to see that for myself soon." Raynare looked at the school clock. "I think we should check out the renovated school building later after class. Rias did say that it would be finished by today, right?"

He nodded. "Let's get to it. We have classes to go to."

Time passed by until the sun was almost set. Accompanied by Asia, the three arrived at the building in the afternoon, and were amazed at how improved the building looked compared to the first time they stepped foot into.

"Well, as much as we'd want to look around more, I think Rias would be expecting us at any moment now. Let's go." Kurin said. The two girls nodded. The three opened the door leading to the main room, where Rias, Akeno, and Koneko were waiting.

"Did we take long?" The human asked with a smile.

"Not at all." Akeno said. "Would you like anything?" She asked.

"Water." Asia said.

"Water for me too." Raynare said.

"I'd like some tea." Kurin said. Akeno nodded and left. The three proceeded to sit down.

For a few minutes, none of them spoke. Kurin decided to discuss their biggest concern.

"So, Yumi-chan's still absent." He said. That drew a surprised look from Asia and Raynare, realizing that they didn't see any sign of her at all during the day.

"Unfortunately." Rias said.

"I think it's time we explain more of the experiment, Rias. Ray-chan and Asia-chan deserve to know what happened to Yumi. I only know some of it, so you fill in the blanks."

"Agreed."

Both went on to explain the entirety of the Holy Sword project, answering the questions Asia and Raynare gave from time to time. From the explanation of the seven Excalibur fragments to the failure of the subjects, they gave a lengthy discussion about the project.

"Ultimately, after the project was deemed to be scrapped, the test subjects were subdued, probably to keep it under wraps. This meant that no one can be left alive because they could persecute the church for it. Of course, Yumi-chan was the sole survivor, thanks to our good President." Kurin concluded. "Any more questions?"

Raynare then spoke up. "Kurin-kun...what is the relation of the eighth fragment?"

"Ah, that. Well, it's a lot more complicated than it simply being a 'shadow' fragment. Excalibur Desolator is an artificial sword crafted from small chips of the seven fragments themselves, forged with combined metals and alloys and magic. It's ultimately a prototype of the real Excalibur, since it has all seven fragments at once, even if they are small. Still, even those small bits hold power. It's not like any of the seven since it's use is radically different from the others, even from the original Excalibur. As I said, it needs power lent to the sword, which locks it in, meaning nothing could ever take that power away from the sword except for the user's will. As you can tell already, none of the Excalibur swords have that power. Like I said before, it's not needed to reform the true Excalibur, and that's already a huge difference. Still...it can't fall into the wrong hands."

"Why was it created in the first place?" Asia asked this time.

Kurin opened his mouth to speak, only none came out. He was stumped. "That...I honestly have no idea, actually. I only used it at first during my training, and when I asked, not even they knew why it was made."

Rias looked at the boy, eyes narrowed.'To think all this time Kurin had an Excalibur sword. As a Devil, he can't use it because it can kill him...only if he was a Devil. Humans can use it without any consequence. Kurin's weapon may just be the key to solving Kiba's vengeance.' Rias thought.

By this time, Akeno returned with what the trio had asked. She also returned with Sona and Tsubaki.

"Sorry for being late, Buchou, but we have guests." Akeno said, handing out the drinks to the three, graciously accepting them.

"Student Council President and her vice-president. Good to see you two." Kurin greeted.

Sona nodded. "It's good to see you too, Kurin." She turned to Rias. "We have an urgent discussion. In private. We can discuss it in my house along with our queens." She said, surprising the redhead. From the tone in the council president's voice, it was very important. Rias knew that she cannot delay this. It had slightly miffed her that she'd have to hold off their meeting today, but she understood that it must be done. An urgent message coming from a fellow Devil always bore something of utmost importance. Not to mention, she has a message of her own to give to the Sitri heir.

Rias stood up. "Alright. This must be very important." She turned to the others and bowed. "Sorry to leave on such short notice. I'll see you all tomorrow."

"It's okay, Rias-chan. We'll see you tomorrow." Kurin said, standing up, approaching her, and kissing her on her right cheek. Rias smiled at that, and the four of them left.

"Time to go home." Kurin said. He then felt a strange feeling come over him. He felt the same energy from earlier. He narrowed his eyes.

'I have a feeling something...or someone, is waiting for me at home.' He thought, both in anticipation and in slight anger and worry. He hoped that Kalawarner and Xuelan weren't hurt.


"Kurin has a Holy Sword?!" Sona said in surprise. A human owning a Holy Sword, much less actually using one, especially for one who has never engaged much in religion like Kurin was surprising.

"As hard to believe as it is, he does. It's also one of the Excaliburs, albeit he says that it's the 'shadow' fragment of the sword." Rias said.

"What does he plan to do with it? You know that he knows that Holy Swords could harm and even kill devils." Tsubaki said.

"Tsubaki, he's not going to just turn on us like that. If he had, he would've already killed us a long time ago, even if it would bring the wrath of our siblings. I know him a lot, and I know he wouldn't ever betray us." Rias said. She sat in silence for half a minute. "He wants to destroy it. He said it brought him no use to it. With"

"Either way, tomorrow's meeting with the church affiliates should explain their presence here. And with a Holy Sword...it is a little concerning, if I must admit." Akeno said. It was then that the club president had experienced a realization, and it wasn't easing her mind. The church affiliates were here in Kuoh, and that meant that...

"Oh no." Rias said. She stood up, Akeno following. "Excuse us, Sona. They may be in danger." The two left to head back.


"Well." Kurin said with a smirk. "It's been over two years now, Xenovia." The two hooded girls stood across him. Kalawarner and Xuelan were standing on the side, and Asia and Raynare stood behind the boy.

He approached the bluenette, and she smiled and embraced him. "It's good to see you again, Kurin-kun. But...where is your aunt and uncle?"

The boy sighed. "They died some time after you left."

Xenovia gasped. "O-oh. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay."

"Kurin-kun, how do you know her?" Raynare asked.

"You never told me you had a boyfriend, Xenovia!" Irina teased. She lightly blushed at that, but said no words, her stoic expression replacing her smile.

"She's not exactly my girlfriend. To be honest, I don't know exactly what we are."

Xenovia raised a hand, and the boy let her speak. "Irina...this is Kurin-sensei. He's the one who taught me all I knew about swordfighting."

Upon hearing her explanation, everyone's eyes widened, even Irina's.

"WHAAAAAAT?!"

He chuckled. "Never exactly had a reason to tell this part because I didn't expect her to come back. But..." He then embraced the girl, who blushed harder. "I am glad you came back."

"However, I know you aren't here on a whim. You're here for a reason. I saw you and...um..."

"Irina. Irina Shidou. Nice to meet you, Kurin-san!"

"Ah, Irina. Nice to meet you too. Anyways, both of you were talking to Sona earlier. It's something of importance, isn't it?"

"As deductive as always." Xenovia said. "We'll be meeting with Rias Gremory tomorrow."

That drew surprised looks from everyone other than Irina.

"You're not thinking of harming her, are you? Adding to that, did you harm Kala-chan and Xuelan-chan?" He asked, eyes staring intensely at the bluenette. The exorcist knew he would fight her if she harmed any of them. No matter what, she was still in his home. That meant that anyone under his roof was under his protection. And based on her training all those years ago, he would fight back hard to protect them.

"No. You will learn more tomorrow, and that's that." She said with a tone of finality. Not even he could wrest that out of her. What she says is usually final.

Kurin sighed. "Fine. Nothing's ever going to come out of you with that tone of voice." He rested his head on top of hers. "At least you're okay."

"I did kinda miss you." She said after a minute of silence.

Surprised, but nonetheless pleased, he gripped her tighter. All that time, he never ever heard her say that she missed anyone. "Never thought I'd hear you say that. First time for everything."

"Shut up, Kurin-kun." She said jokingly. That was a first time too.

Raynare looked at the two with a smile. 'Hmmmm, looks like someone else now has their eyes on Kurin-kun too.'

Rias had arrived not long after the two left. She felt very relieved upon seeing them safe.

While Kurin would've loved to stay a bit more, he had a contract to continue fulfilling tonight.

Orchintia had a new recipe to try out.


"Are you sure this cheesecake will not explode in our faces?" He asked as he inserted the mix into the oven. The purple-clad woman giggled.

"Of course not. I made sure this time it won't." At a prior time, inexplicably, Orchintia had used the wrong ingredients to make one of her desserts, and as a result, while they were taking it out of the oven, it had exploded on their faces. It tasted nice, though, so that was a plus. The cleaning, however, was not. It took them three hours to fully clean the kitchen of its mess and smell.

"Alright. Hoping it won't." Kurin said, still shaky from that time. The woman placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Kurin-kun, there's nothing to be afraid of. I promise."

Both continued on, watching the oven.

"Orchintia..." He called out.

"Yes, Kurin?"

He was unsure to ask. Asking someone who is as a mystery as Orchintia unnerved him. Still, no one else would be there to answer for him. "What would you do if you had a lot of power at the palm of your hands? Like, the power to kill a god, let's say."

The older woman was at a loss for words. She had immediately gotten a thought upon hearing his question, but his words from their prior meetings made her rethink. If she had been asked that in their first initial meetings, she would say that she would hunt down all those who wronged her and robbed her of what was hers. But the young man got to her, really. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered if vengeance was really that much sweet to her mind. She began to grow conflicted with her true mission.

Kurin called out to her again, halting her deep thinking. She looked back at the human with soft eyes.

"You don't have to answer my question, if you want. I was only wondering."

She shook her head. She felt she has to answer this.

"I do have an answer, Kurin. If it were up to me, I would simply give up that power. If I cannot, then I'd protect the people I care for. In the end, no one should have that much power."

He looked at her, unconvinced. "Are you sure that's your answer?"

"Would I give any reason to lie to you?" She asked in return.

At that moment Kurin's eyes narrowed. But then his face softened. "You looked like you were about to say something different from the words you just said. It's about what we had talked about sometime before, wasn't it?"

Upon the long silence, he knew he was right. "I'm not mad, if that's what you're thinking. You've changed, even if just a little." He smiled. "And I'm happy for that."

They heard the sound coming from the oven. He still smiled, but he began to look nervous. "Let's hope you're right about the cake not exploding in our faces this time."

Needless to say, Kurin came home with cheesecake slices to share for everyone else. Before that, however, he visited another certain contract.


"So, you checked on the status of the swords?" Kurin asked as he stood up on the edge of the concrete ground, while Azazel fished.

"That I have. It seems three of them have been stolen, though I do not know which ones were." He said.

"You suspect Kokabiel's behind this-No, we both know the answer to that question."

A ghost of a smirk was formed on the Grigori leader's expression, but it vanished just as quickly. "The only missing answer left is who he is working with. I've tried to attain more information on him, but the bastard's been sneaky as always. I still can't be able to arrest him on just our words, and our evidence is still lacking. In light of this, I want you to stop him. His desire for war has become too great. Let them know about my absolute displeasure in one of my commanders, so that hopefully, your Devil companions won't be too worried about the whole faction attacking either side."

Kurin nodded. He looked up to the full moon. "I'm not too worried about tomorrow, to be perfectly honest."

"As you should be. You'll surprise the lot of them, as usual."

"Understand this, kid. The time will come when conflict with Kokabiel is inevitable. You'll need all the help you can get."

"I know. I'll tell them sooner or later."

"Hm?" Azazel looked up to see the kid.

He was gone. What was left of him was a plate with a cheesecake slice on it.

Azazel chuckled. "What an interesting kid." He took the cheesecake and returned home.


After their classes the next day, the whole club (sans Yumi, who still was nowhere to be seen) sat down in their main building, waiting for the two girls. It didn't take long for them to arrive.

Once everyone had settled in, Rias felt that it was time. With a nod, she motioned Xenovia to begin.

"The both of us would like to give our thanks for your cooperation. My name is Xenovia Quarta."

"I'm Irina Shidou."

"So, what brings two representatives of the church to an area that is being monitored by Devils? For that matter, why ask for a meeting with me?" Rias asked.

"A simple request. Of course, we have an explanation behind that request." Xenovia said. She held out the wrapped up item in front of them.

"One has yet to be found. However, the remaining six Excalibur swords were kept by the three divisions of the church. Key word is 'were' because unfortunately, three of those have been stolen. By Fallen Angels."

A bevy of surprised looks faced the two exorcists. "Stolen?!"

"By my own kind?!"

"Which of the swords do you still have? I know for a fact that what you have, Xenovia, is Excalibur Destruction."

"You're right, Kurin-san. As for myself, I have Excalibur Mimic." Irina answered.

Kurin placed a hand under his chin. "The Holy Swords of Destruction and Mimicry. Obviously you'll follow this, but make sure you both keep those safe."

The exorcists nodded.

"So...what is it that you want from us?" Rias asked.

"Simple. Our conflict is with the Fallen Angels. We cannot afford to deal with the Devils as we deal with this difficulty." Xenovia answered.

"You think we'd side with the Fallen Angels?" Rias asked, her eyes glowing red. Kurin immediately detected that aura. She had let her power flow out.

"What would you do when you have the Holy Swords at your disposal? For you Devils who despise these swords, what would you do? The answer to that would be simple." Xenovia stated. "If we must, we will end you, even though you are the sister of a Maou."

Rias crossed her arms. "Then you should know this: with the exception of Raynare here, who, if I may, sided with me in the first place, I will never side with a Fallen Angel. To humiliate my own clan by siding with a Fallen Angel is an extremely foolish choice."

The blue-haired exorcist gave a satisfied grin. "Good. That was the answer we're hoping for."

"Then you must know that I won't ever side with you, the Church, nor your God, correct?"

"Of course. What we ask is for you to simply pledge that you will not intervene in our activities as we fulfill the mission sent to the two of us."

"Understood."

The exorcists stood up, but then took notice of Asia. Kurin himself took notice of this. 'Oh no.'

"You are...Asia Argento, correct?"

She shakily nodded. "I never expected a witch here. I did not expect to see a Fallen Angel amongst the Devils here either." Xenovia said.

Irina then turned to the blonde girl. "You mean she's the ex-nun? The one that became a witch?"

In shame, Asia lowered her head.

Irina continued to talk. "I heard that you were ex-communicated because you could also heal Devils and Fallen Angels. I didn't expect that you would become a Devil yourself!"

Asia was still too shaken to speak.

Xenovia shook her head, as if embarrassed by the former nun's actions. "From saint to Devil...how far the mighty have fallen. There's nothing I can do about that. Not everyone is perfect, I guess."

Kurin crossed his arms. Raynare quickly saw and held his arm. It was a sign that he wasn't very happy.

"Tell me, Asia Argento." The bluenette called out, causing her to snap out of her steadily cracking demeanor to look up at her.

"Do you still believe in our God?" The question shocked the poor girl.

"Xenovia, she's a Devil. I don't think it would make sense for her to still believe in God." Irina retorted to the question.

"While that is true, there are still some who feel their guilt becoming a Devil. As such, they still hold whatever little faith they have. I can sense that in her."

Irina's eyes widened in understanding. "Is that so? Then Asia-san, you still believe, even though you are now a Devil?"

Slowly, she nodded. "I just...could never let that go. I have always believed in God. All my life. Even now, I still hold onto that faith."

"Hmmm, I see." Xenovia nodded at that. "It is...astonishing. In that case...you would not mind if we cut you down, would you?"

All of them gasped at that.

"For all the sins done, God will always forgive you. For that, you must be punished in the name of God."

Kurin's power flared, and everyone felt a wave of fire pass over them.

His power returned to its normal level, and facepalmed, groaning. "This is why I became an atheist..."

That shocked Xenovia, her hand gripping her chest tightly.

"You couldn't have known." He paused. "You couldn't have known what happened to her. The lonely life she lived. How, even though she had been anointed a saint, she still felt so lonely."

"Then she is not worthy of sainthood." She said, easing herself up.

"Then you need to—you know what, I'm not gonna bother with that." He stopped, took a deep breath, and began. "She witnessed the very individual she healed kill an exorcist. She was shunned immediately because that person was a Devil. The very people that had loved and respected her had turned their backs on her. Do you know how backwards that is? That when Asia heals a human, she's loved, and when she heals a Devil, she's reviled? Do you think humans own her? That's not the worst of it. Did you think she had a choice becoming a Devil?" He marched closer to the bluenette. And then his power flared again. "She didn't. She never did. Why? SHE! DIED! FOR US! We didn't want to let her go. We couldn't accept that it was the end for her. Rias had came up with the solution, but even when she became a Devil, she never lost that faith. She prayed as fervently as she had been before she died, despite the pain. We were always okay with it, because we loved her so much. Never doubt in Asia-chan's faith, even though it causes her pain. Remember this, Xenovia: as you said, all humans have flaws. That includes those who were anointed sainthood, because they were humans too. You never knew, so who are you to have the right to be the judge of who Asia was, is, and has become?"

The whole room stood in silence after his rant. "Tell me, Kurin. Who are you to Asia?" Xenovia asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Simple. I'm her brother. Her ally. Her friend." He smiled. "I've grown to care for Asia as someone to protect with my life."

"Will you fight for her life?"

"Of course."

She took out her sword, fiercely looking up at her fellow human friend. "Then prove to me your dedication. We fight."

He looked back at her for a few seconds, and then sighed. "You've changed so little, Xen-chan." He chuckled. "Alright. I'll take both you and Irina on."

"Hold that, Kurin-kun."

They all turned to the voice. There stood Yumi Kiba, who had entered the room. "Let me fight with you."

"And who are you?" Irina asked.

"None of your concern." She answered. "Only that I'll be your opponent."

"So be it."

Kurin, in his mind, felt immense relief. 'Glad to see you have returned, Yumi-chan.'

Rias, however, looked at her knight in concern.


At the field, the four combatants were facing each other.

"Should we be worried about this?" Asia asked.

Raynare shook her head. "As far as everything goes, this is an unofficial spar. It doesn't mean much in the long run." She said as they looked at the four.

"So, at long last, I finally come face-to-face with the weapon I need to destroy." Yumi said. Swords rose up from the ground.

"You're the escapee. They said that the escapee had Sword Birth."

"That so? Then I guess I might finally-" Yumi felt a hand on her shoulder, which caused her to look to her friend.

"I have to face her, Yumi-chan. I need to experience it for myself if my student had grown."

She immediately got the gist of what he was saying. "You mentored her?!"

He nodded, smiling. "Surprised, aren't you?" She nodded in response.

He turned to Xenovia. "Time to see what you're made of now, Xen-chan." Gripping its hilt, he unsheathed his sword, in which the blade glowed red. Then, it stopped glowing brightly, but retained its red glow.

Both exorcists looked with shocked eyes at the weapon he was holding. "Impossible...!" The two realized that

"This is Excalibur Desolator." Kurin said. At that, Yumi turned to him, shocked as well.

"We thought that it was just a myth." Irina said.

"Real as it is. Now, put your feelings aside. It's time."

Xenovia barely blocked his quick strike in time. She was quickly dropped onto her knees as she pushed against the Desolator.

"How much power did you apply to this?!"

"A lot, let's say. I didn't sit on my ass and not improve just for you to kick mine." He disarmed her by swinging his sword up, the force causing her to release her grip on the hilt of hers, the sword up in the air. Xenovia was then kicked on her stomach, sending her back a few feet. She pushed a hand against the spot, looking at him, winded.

"You got a lot stronger. That kick was a lot more painful than it was on our last spar." She said. She caught her sword, which was thrown back to her courtesy of the young man. This time she initiated the clash, and they kept themselves on equal footing.

"For Devils, even one hit of a Holy Sword on any part of the body could be very devastating. Kurin has no concerns over that. In addition, Kurin himself trained her, which means he knows her moves. Unless Xenovia surprises her mentor, she is at a very distinct disadvantage." Rias noted as she watched the two fight, with Xenovia slowly being overwhelmed. She turned to the other battle.

"As for Yumi, even though she herself is at a disadvantage with Shidou-san wielding a Holy Sword, he has had much experience in swordfighting, and in addition, his speed can help compensate it." She said.

"Do you think Yumi-chan and Irina are evenly matched?" Raynare asked. She nodded.

"You're aware of my Gear, right?" Kurin asked.

"Of course I am. I saw you die twice, both by accident." Xenovia answered, shuddering at the memory of the first time she saw him die and come back to life. "Hey, don't distract me like that!" She surprised him by pushing him back with her own strength. Then she jumped on his sword and turned to kick him at his back.

He recovered by rolling to his feet. He looked at her and nodded. "That was good. Not enough, though. If you want to beat me, you're gonna have to force my hands out of this sword. You may have a chance, albeit a little one, my student." He said, grinning.

"Don't underestimate me!" She yelled, springing up and raising her sword up. He retaliated by rising up to meet her, kneeing her stomach. Hard. She coughed heavily, though the force was not enough that she coughed out blood, to his relief. However, she was still able to land a hit, with a slash onto his shoulder, leaving a deep cut. Still, the knee was a very hard hit for the exorcist, as she struggled to get up herself after crashing to the ground.

"So she's also seen it." Akeno said. "It's also another thing to consider. Although Kurin dying once in this battle may count as a loss, his Gear is very unpredictable. Any power may come out and even he might not know what it is."

Kurin fell to his knees. He laughed. "That was a hell of a hit! I almost can't use my left arm because of that now." He gripped his bleeding left shoulder with his right hand, which started to glow orange. The skin started to burn.

"Is he...cauterizing the wound?" Asia asked.

"It looks like it." Koneko said.

Kurin slowly stood up. The wound had stopped bleeding at that point, but he struggled to raise his sword up a bit. "I'm lucky I use my right arm most of the time, or else I would've had a real chance at losing to you." He grinned. "Come at me again."

Xenovia huffed. She shakily stood. She slowly walked, then ran, then sprinted, and she swung her sword sideways, meeting the Desolator against her blade. Unfortunately, she felt her grip weakening, as the hit from earlier still affected her body. She crashed onto her knees, her sword falling out of her hands, her hands circled around her stomach. Kurin lowered his sword carefully and knelt down to her. The sword's red glow dimmed, indicating that Kurin's stored power in the sword returned to him.

"I...concede." She said.

"Are you okay?" He asked. He motioned for Asia to approach the two, to which she hurriedly went and applied her healing on both. The bluenette looked down in anguish.

"Even...after two years...I still can't...surpass you, Kurin. I thought I could at least match up with you, but..." She trailed off.

"It's alright, Xen-chan. You have improved, I can say. However, I'm sure in time, you'll be able to at least match my prowess. I am your teacher, after all." He reassuringly said. He turned to Asia, who nodded back, letting him know that she was done. He then helped her up, and handed her back the Holy Sword, all bandaged up. He turned to the other battle, where Irina proudly stood tall while Yumi was lying down on the ground, being helped by Asia who was healing the slash wound on her abdomen.

Kurin sighed. "Still consumed with rage, I see."

'I can't help but empathize with her. I used to be so angry with everything.' He thought.

[And then you learned one of the biggest surprises in your life, and that's when you began to adopt a better, calmer personality. She's like the past you. You must help her with this.] Sellorion said before fading out.

"I appreciate that you didn't finish off one of my servants with your Holy Sword, Shidou-san." He heard Rias say.

"As you said, it was just a spar. There wasn't any need to really kill anyone, even if they're Devils."

He turned back to the two exorcists. "So, I assume you'll be heading out?"

Irina nodded. "Thanks for the spar. I hope I could fight against you sometime soon, Kurin-san!" She waved as she helped Xenovia walk away with her.

"There's one more thing I'd like to know." Rias called out. The two turned back to her. "Do you know which of the Fallen Angels stole the Holy Swords?"

Before either could respond, Kurin answered it for them. "That would be Kokabiel, one of the Grigori's commanders. If you're wondering how I know that name, you two...well, you will soon enough. I'll find you guys soon." Despite the surprise, both slowly nodded, and then left the whole area.

He sighed, covering his face with his right hand. Hopefully, he could find a way to assist the two the next day. It didn't take long, though, for him to come up with a crazy idea. He just hoped that it could really convince the two girls into accepting this help, even though it would be very risky for the reinforcements involved. Knowing Xenovia's convictions, she would be difficult to convince. Irina, he didn't have much of a problem with, but Xenovia's a very stubborn person. Of course, he knew that firsthand from her living with him.

Little did he know how a small issue would end up working huge in his favor.


AN: Probably two or three chapters more until the Excalibur arc is finished. I've also been working on a few other stories that I haven't published. Might get to releasing them in a few more months. I want to at least finish a few chapters before putting them up. Some of the questions I've been given through PMs or reviews won't really be answered in the long term until I get to that, but I have been thinking as to how to answer them ever since they've been sent to me.

So, as usual, leave a review below to tell me your thoughts on the chapter.