Once the peerage had gathered their equipment, Azaezel passed over the coordinates to the sight, allowing a portal to be generated directly. Azaezel also handed his energy reader to Rias.
The peerage arrived at the centre of the site; it was pitch black at sight, and to any average human, you would be functionally blind, but to a devil's eyes, this was no issue, which was made apparent by how clearly the peerage could make out the ruins structure, down to the individual bricks and colours which where strewn across the land.
"So where does the detector say the magical signal is coming from?" Koneko asked as the peerage stayed close to one another as they walked into the remains of the church.
"It seems to be pointing towards that wooden structure there." Rias pointed to the stump of wood, and the rest of the peerage went over to check on it, and as if they had planned it, Asia and Xenovia both gave the same answer simultaneously.
"It's a lectern."
The area behind the lectern had the remains of what looked like a large stained glass window and a semi-circle of light grey and white stone on the floor behind the lectern. At the centre of the semi-circle was a sizeable gilded cross embossed into the stone, which was still covered in a layer of dirt from the centuries of being buried.
"A what?" Issei stated, confused, as he scanned the semi-rotten piece of wood.
"A lectern is where a minister gives his sermons to Issei. Honestly, you should know that." Rias scowled, surprised that even after all this time, Issei had not learned this already, resulting in her shaking her head as she also took in the fact that peerage had two former church members in their ranks, which made Issei's ignorance even more arduous
"Well, I...I have better things to remember." Issei replied, trying to come up with a response. Instead, his mind instantly created an image of Rias and her boobs at numerous angles.
"Yeah, like the feeling and shape of Rias's shirt breakers, haha", Issei mumbled to himself, thinking it was an internal monologue.
"I heard that, Issei," Rias grumbled as she turned away from him, allowing Ddraig to mock his wielder.
"Real smooth, Issei. Real smooth."
"Shut up."
As the group scanned the ruin, looking for any, Rias moved around the area behind the lectern and noticed the detector glow brighter and beep louder as she scanned the area behind the lectern.
"Hmmm, that's strange; the detector is showing that the signal is at its strongest here, but there's nothing here," Rias stated, catching the ears of the peerage who came over to investigate
"Maybe the signals are a decoy or a fake to lure us into a trap?" Kiba suggested as he scanned the area for any signs of a foe reading himself by keeping his hand to his side, should he need to draw his blade.
"I don't think so; why someone would use such powerful magic for a simple decoy..." Rossweisse replied.
As Rossweisse spoke, Gasper looked around the area and walked past a Verdigris-coated statue of a saint holding a candle, her eyes closed in an eternal slumber. As Gaoser was about to walk past the statue, he noticed a strange set of marks on the figure that stopped him from walking past the saint.
"What's this?" Gasper thought as he noticed that the arm that held the candle had a well-hidden hinge joint at the elbow of the statue, which had been made so smooth that it was almost invisible to the naked eye.
"I think ive found something!" Gasper yelped, causing the rest of the group to rush over
"What did you find, Gaspie?" Koneko asked, looking the statue up and down.
"I think this statue does something; I think its arm moves. Gasper pointed to the hinge joint of the statue's left arm.
"Hmmm, looks like it might open something?" Xenovia mumbled as she scanned the statue before looking around the area close to the statue to find what could potentially be opened by the statute
"Okay, Issei, pull the arm," Rias stated, looking at her beloved pawn.
Sure thing, president!" Issei saluted Rias before he summoned Ddraig's gauntlet and pulled the arm down, causing the large I circle to slowly split itself in half, the cross at the centre of the circle to break apart.
The peerage cautiously walked towards the open area, spells and weapons prepared, should there be an ambush. Only to see as the semi-curdle of stones spread apart and reveal a descending pathway.
"Hmmm, a set of stairs... ominous," Rias mumbled,
"A hidden passage...this is so Indiana Jones," Issei whispered excitedly.
"Uhhhhhh, nothing good happens when you see stairs like this," Gasper yelped, his legs starting to shake as he peered into the darkness of the stairway.
"It's not very big...what do you want to do, Rias?" Koneko asked as she peeked into the passageway, noting that it was just wide enough to fully train your arms at your sides without hitting the walls.
It's very tight..." Rias said as she checked the width of the passageway, only for Issei to say.
"That's what she said, oww!" Issei joked only to get a smack from Koneko, which caused him to see stars, which stopped Rias from speaking for a few seconds.
"As I was about to say. The passage is very narrow, so it would be best for a small group to go down...Issei, Asia, do you want to come down with me?"
"No problem, Rias!" Issei stated confidently, walking towards the entrance,
"Ummm, uh, sure." Asia nervously whimpered, her hands shaking, which she tried to stop by holding her hands together.
"Why don't I go down in Asia's place?" Kiba suggested that he had noticed that Asia was already dubious of the passageway before she was even asked, which became even more apparent when her trembling became more prominent.
"That's kind of you to offer, but if there is a dangerous threat, Asia's healing will come in handy, and if we have any problems on the surface, I can trust you will protect this area," Rias spoke in her soft but commanding tone, as Kida gave a small nod of acknowledgement before Rias turned to talk to Asia.
"Are you okay with going down to Asia? If you're not comfortable, you can stay with everyone else. "
"No! It's fine. It's a bit dark and cramped, but ive got you and Issei, so I know I'll be safe." Asia started to blush as she had the group's gaze focused on her
"I promise to make sure you are safe," Rias said reassuringly, giving Asia a quick hug, with Issei following up by saying.
"Same! I'll make sure nothing hurts you. You have my word." Issei smiled as he spoke, summoning Ddriag gauntlet.
"Let's go down," Rias stated authoritatively as Issei and Asia followed her into the darkness.
"We'll hold the fort while you're down there. See you all soon," Akeno stated with a smile, waving the trio as they deadened down the dark passageway. But before they were fully enveloped in the darkness, Akeno had some parting words.
"Sure thing... Issei replied, turning to wave off Akenko, only to be interrupted by her.
"Oh, Issei. One thing.." Akeno said in a sweet and innocent tone.
"Yes, Akeno?"
"Just shout if you want to play a game in the dark." Akeno winked, her voice heavy with sensual energy, leaving Issei stupified with him mumbling incoherently, leaving Rias and Asia more than a little flustered
"Come on, bonehead," Rias grumbled as she took Issei by the wrist and pulled him down the stairway, giving Akeno a quick death stare, which Akeno simply chuckled at. After this, Rias turned back to focus on the steps before her.
10 minutes passed, and with every 30 steps, a small blue light would appear from the sides of the walls, lighting the way until they met the next 30th step. Issei had deactivated his gauntlet when he realised that nothing in the area could be considered a threat.
"Hmmm, torchlight spells. No one would waste time and magical energy to light an area unless it leads to something important. " Rias thought as she analysed the available data she had been presented in order to have a theory as to what could be kept in such a place.
"This is just getting weirder and weirder; we haven't reached the bottom yet..." Issei grumbled, looking behind him to see the entrance growing smaller with each step, only stopping when he felt his shirt being tugged;
"Issei." Asia nervously said
"Yeah, Asia, you okay?" ' Issei asked
"I'm scared. Could you hold me for a little bit?" Asia asked sheepishly, playing with her fingers, which Issei could make out thanks to the blue hue of the magical lights.
"Sure, Asia." Issei raised his arm, allowing Asia to snuggle in.
"This is nice." Asia sighed as she felt the worry she had in her chest melt away
There was silence between everyone while Issei and Asia enjoyed the warmth shared by one another, only for Rias to catch sight of the pair.
"Issei, what are you doing!" Rias stated in an annoyed tone, which was amplified by the narrow structure of the stairway, which caused the small group to stop
"What? I haven't done anything!" Issei yelped, confused by Rias and her reaction, which forced him to think of what he had done.
"I did not fondle, grope, or accidentally touch anything; what the hell have I done wrong!" In his mind, Issei listed off each of the things he did not do, with every activity being marked by a mental image of the action being scored out with a bright red X.
"Why have you not offered this service to me? I am your master and should be offered this before anyone else," Rias stated in her famous authoritative tone, but the vagueness of her question only confused Issei further.
"I'm confused?"
Rias, in response, said in a disgruntled tone.
"Why have you not given me a reassuring hug?."
Despite the darkness, Issei could see, thanks to the hue of the torchlight, that Rias was pouting, her arms crossed in front of her, with a saddened look in her eyes.
"But, you didn't ask me, and besides your Rias Gremory. You're never afraid." Issei started, trying to assure Rias, but she stopped a few steps step below the pair and turned to look at Issei
"That's not true... to be honest, I'm worried at this moment." Rias's resolve melted away momentarily as she spoke, with her eyes and expression showing worry.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Rias. I should have realised; come in, there's still room, "Issei raised his arm, allowing Rias to walk a few steps up and snuggle next to him, with Asia on the other side. This meant that the group's ability to move at speed was severely restricted, and they were very close to the walls on either side of the passage.
"It's okay, Issei... a warm hug from you eases my nerves." Rias snuggled into Issei's shoulder, holding him tighter.
"I'm glad to be there for you...you okay, Asia?" Issei smiled and turned his gaze to Asia
"Oh yes, Issei, I'm fortunate to have someone who would do this for me, and I would do the same for you, Issei." Asia snuggled in closer to Issei, inadvertently causing Rias's jealous side to kick in, seeing that Asia had more of Issei to hug than her.
"As would I. Besides, I think Ive known Issei long enough to know who he would rather snuggle into." Rias's gaze turned to Asia as she pulled herself closer to Issei, pushing Asia out of her position as she had been holding onto Issei's back.
"That's not true. I may have known Issei for a shorter time than you, but we have a sacred bond that's more than just physical!" Asia protested, pulling Issei tighter into her snuggle, which only fired Rias up even more, leaving Issei in an awkward position
"Hey, come on, don't fight; we have to focus on the important stuff right now...I can't believe those words came out of me." Issei tried to plead, but his words fell on deaf ears.
"You seem to forget that Issei is mine. He is my servant, and he risked his life to save me...Besides, I have two very big reasons that prove he is mine." Rias proclaimed, opening one button on her school shirt and pulling Issei back to her, squeezing his arm and chest into her ample bosom.
Issei was silent as he felt the sensation many men could only dream of, his face growing redder.
"That's not true! Issei risked his life to save me as well, and Issei loves my two reasons no matter their size!" Asia fired back, copying Rias and pulling Issei back into her, resulting in the two girls pulling Issei back and forth between them, leaving Issei confused and off balance as they took each step.
"Asia, Rias, come on, if you keep this up, we will...AHHHHHHHHHH," Issei again pleaded, but as he was about to say it, he missed his step and tumbled down the stairs, and due to Rias and Asia being attached to him, they went down with him.
After a while, the tumbling group came to a stop when they landed in a flat area.
"Man, that was sore...Rias, Asia, are you alright." Issei rubbed his head, only to get to his feet to check on his partners.
"I'm fine", Asia sheepishly stated, rubbing the back of her head, followed swiftly by Rias.
"Same here, a little dazed, but fine."
"Phew...what the hell. Where are we?" Issei sighed with relief, only to realise that they were the end of the passage,
"We're in a tomb," Rias stated as she looked around the dimly lit room.
The tomb was relativity large, around the size of a large dining room, but the ceiling was just high enough to avoid your head colliding with the beams that held the room up. On the walls was a mixture of Christian crosses and statues of saints, which had been locked away for centuries. Alongside these was a large wooden carving of a man covered in leaves, the wood covered in checkering cracks from centuries without moisture. Pieces of stone carved with what resembled Norse artwork, but it was predominantly made up of knots and vines, covered the walls.
"Whoever was buried here, they must have been of utmost importance to not only be buried on church soil but to be buried in such a unique location directly below the church itself." Asia pondered as she looked around the room at the artefacts and relics, which, based on the amount of dust and grime, had been there for at least a few centuries.
"Thus implying that whatever is creating the signal must have been valuable to the church if they hid it down here," Rias added.
"Look! A coffin." Issei cried as the sight of the structure caught his eye, as he rushed over to investigate it, with Rias and Asia following suit.
The structure was large and carved from the same stone as that used to construct the church, dark grey in complexion, which, upon close inspection, had flecks of white, which made the stone resemble the night sky when it was clear. It was, however, not a simple structure as on the lid was a lifesize stone effigy of a knight in full regalia, lying as if he was sleeping, his gauntleted hands set as if he was praying, his head rested on a pillow, and his feet lay upon the pelt of a lion, his sword sheathed and placed at his side.
"He was a knight...is there a name?" Rias asked as she and Asia checked the coffin for an inscription or engraving. With a bit of searching, Asia managed to find a preserved stone carving on the side of the casket. Thanks to Asia being taught how to read multiple translations of the bible from her time in the church, she was able to read and translate the text,
"His name was Galahad..." Asia stated softly, pausing once she said the name of the knight
"That's impossible," Rias spoke under her breath as soon as she heard the name of the knight buried here, causing her to tremble.
"What?! What's wrong, Rias?" Issei asked with worry in his voice, and Asia continued reading the carving and all the titles attributed to him
"Son of Lancelot du Lac. Knight to King Arthur and Councillor of the Round Table.
"Shit," Issei exclaimed as his mind flicked back to when he was a little kid and his parents read to him the stories of Lancelot and King Arthur.
"The Knight of Truth, God's light in the coming darkness, the Blessed Knight and Righteous Defender," Asia stated in shocked awe as she read the titles. She had been told of the great deeds he had achieved in his life, in service to both King Arthur and the church.
All the while, Rias felt an overwhelming sense of terror rise in her chest. Her eyes grew wider with every second that passed. Like Asia, she had heard the stories involving Galahad and knew what was at stake with this discovery.
"This is Galahad, thee Galahad...if he's buried here. No, it can't be."
"What, Rias?"Issei said as his worry grew.
"We won't know unless we look. Issei, I need you to do something." Rias said before turning to Issei to continue speaking, her facial features hardened with concern
"Yes, Rias"
"Open his sarcophagus."
"Sure thing, wait, what! Open that!" Issei said at first confidently, only to realise what he had been asked to do, causing him to yelp.
"Yes." Rias nodded, causing Issei to gulp
"But isn't that desecration?" Asia sheepishly asked, with Rias following up by explaining her position
"Under normal circumstances, I would not violate his peace, but if what I think is in there, then it is better to be safe in our hands than left to be found by those who do not know. "
"Alight...here goes." Issei shook his head and smacked his face to prepare himself before summoning his scale mail gauntlets and grabbing the lid to push it off, but it would not budge.
"Damn it, it's stuck...Ddriag, give me a boost."
"Sure, BOOST, BOOST, BOOST."
"Alright, come on!, damn it," Issei growled as he struggled to move the lid, as a vein bulged from his head before he gave up and stretched off his fingers.
"It must be magically sealed?" Rias assessed based on how much Issei had struggled, even with a power boost.
"But there are no symbols. " Issei replied
"Unless the seal isn't on the outside...ah ha, there it is," Rias lowered herself and noticed a slight glow of a symbol in the lid's seam. It was a feight shade of grey, which to someone standing was unnoticeable, but if seen at the right angle, it became visible.
"So, how do we get it off?" Asia asked as she looked to Rias, who was thinking of a way to bypass the seal, but Issei, to the pair's surprise, had a plan.
"I have an idea: Divine Dividing." Issei raised his left hand and summoned the white fist of the vanishing dragon. After which he placed his hand on the seam and activated the dividing ability, and a few moments later, he removed his hand
"That should work...okay, three, two, one push!" Issei pushed the lid, and thanks to his divine, the magical seal shattered with a simple push, allowing the lid to slide off.
And what the trio saw shocked them to their very core.
"It can not be."
"My god."
"Holy shit."
The contents were clear once the lid was removed, and the centuries of dust were blown away. There were the remains of a partially mummified body, with the remains of his armour on his body. The face was covered with the remains of a great helm revealing a sunken skull, with pieces of grey hair and paper-thin skin? His linen gambeson was as thin and fragile as tissue paper, which Showed his skeletal structure. His mail hauberk was now a pile of rusted chains that would turn to dust with a touch. On his left-hand side were the remains of a sword, the blade as brown as mud and broken into pieces, with the only remaining remnants of the sword's former glory being its red hilt.
At the centrepiece of the coffin was a golden chalice, which glowed with a shine that would rival a star, with small gems inset around it. The chalice had a multitude of engravings, from Celtic knots to an early Christian cross.
"The Sangreal", Asia mumbled, her eyes wide as saucers unblinking despite the brightness.
"The what?"
"That Issei is the Holy Grail, one of if not the most powerful relics ever created by god, and it is right in front of us..." Rias explained, slowly moving the magic detector Azazel had given her closer to the grail until it short-circuited and sparked, breaking Azazel's invention.
Its output before the detector broke was matching your crimson cardinal promotion.
"So, uh, What should we do with it?" Issei mumbled, still shocked that something so small could have so much power.
"We need to take it and give it to my brother. He can then decide how it should be dealt with." Rias replied, her hands shaking and her voice weaker than usual due to the raw magical presence of the grail causing her to tremble.
"Sure...Ddraig, let's suit up." Issei nodded to Rias and then spoke to Ddraig. He reasoned quickly
"With pleasure...Boosted Gear! Balance Breaker!"
In mere seconds, Issei was encased in his iconic blood-red armour; not wanting to risk any damage to such a holy item to cause him, he grabbed the grail in his left hand.
"Wait a second, if this thing is so powerful with holy magic, why aren't we dead?" Issei raised his brow as he looked closely at the grail and placed it into his right hand, feeling no burning or pain.
I'm not sure, Issei? Perhaps it has not been activated?" Rias said, looking at the item, and like Issei, was shocked that they were all unharmed despite being in the presence of such a powerful holy relic.
"Alright, let's go," Rias ordered, and the small group hurried up the stairs.
Rias called out once they were within reach of the exit, highlighted by the full moon.
"We're back!
"You won't believe what. We. Found?" Issei cried, only for his cheerful call to turn to a confused mumble when he realised that no one had called back to Rias
"Where is everyone?" Asia worriedly asked, looking around the ruined church area to find that everyone else had vanished.
"Somethings wrong. They wouldn't leave without us." Issei said, scanning the area looking for potential threats,
Prepare yourselves; we may have to fight." Rias sternly stated, summoning her destruction magic, ready for battle. Issei summoned Ascalon from his gauntlet.
"Asia, get behind me," Issei said sternly, waving the blonde priestess to his back. Once she was behind, Issei activated her sacred gear in the event they were harmed.
"So the Ruin Princess and her pawns have been left behind by those they trust. Whatever shall she do, hahaha?" a voice called, the location not discernible, but Rias did not care for this and yelled into the forest.
"What have you done to my friends! I swear you will suffer a thousand deaths if you have harmed them!"
"Hahahah, you in no place to make such threats, Rias Gremory."
"Show yourself, you coward! Or are you a pussy!" Issei roared, his trademark insults on full display as he deactivated his helmet to ensure he could be heard by his hidden foe
"Always the vulgar insults, Issei; I expect my foes to be more civil in our conflicts, but what can I expect from the bastard that took my eye." the voice called, which by the end of his statement was filled with venom.
He's missing an eye...oh shit." Issei clicked on the comment from the voice, causing his heart to drop when he realised who they were about to face.
"Who is it, Issei?" Rias said, seeing the fear in Issei's eyes.
"It's Cao Cao," Issei mumbled, realising that he and Rias were in grave danger as they looked into the forest, awaiting the oncoming threat of Cao Cao.