"The glow of that sword!" Yuuto exclaimed, "It can't be!"

"Ooh! You have a sharp eye, Princess!" Freed replied. "I'm dying to find out who will win. Your mass-produced pocket knives? Angelface's umbrella? Or this holy sword EXCALIBUR!"

Yuuto scowled and summoned one of his swords. "Enough! I'm not in the mood to deal with your shit! Holy Eraser!"

He charged at him as his blade was engulfed in darkness.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth, pretty boy!?" Freed said as his blade clashed with Yuuto's blade of darkness.

However, this time it was the darkness that ended up being fizzled out instead of the light of Freed's sword.

Freed made a buzzer sound. "Sorry! But this isn't some cheap sword of light like last time."

"So, it's a genuine article after all. I now have free reign to end you and that cursed blade!"

Yuuto swiftly elbowed Freed in the face and knocked him into the mud.

"Tch! I wanted to deal with Angelface first for ejecting me out a window. But now that you've ruined my robes, you're first!"

He leapt at him and his Holy Sword shattered Yuuto's blade.

I rushed to get between them before he could get in a blow on Yuuto, which I knew would be fatal to him.

His blade clashed with my umbrella-sword.

It seems like a flimsy blade, but it somehow held up against what's presumably an Excalibur much better than one of Yuuto's.

Nice to see you've finally graduated from Taking-The-Bullet Academy, Angelface!"

"With honors, to boot. You'll pay for what you did to Asia!"

My sword began to glow in a way not dissimilar from his Excalibur as its aura knocked him back.

"Time out!" Freed said. "Gabriel made a Holy Sword out of an umbrella!?"

I glanced at my blade. "Mom made a Holy Sword out of an umbrella!?"

Then Xenovia rushed out wearing her cloak with her Excalibur Destruction. Irina was close behind, turning Excalibur Mimic into a katana.

"Well, shit. Looks like the rozzers are onto me! Good night everyone!"

As Freed said that, he dropped a flashbang and vanished.

Yuuto dashed off at him as the other two rushed to my aid.

"You're not injured, are you!?" Irina asked me.

"No. I'm fine."

"Let's get you inside," Xenovia said.

"So Yuuto is gone?" Koneko said, with much more concern in her voice than usual.

"He ran off after that exorcist," Rias replied. "I was unable to stop him…"

"Then we should go after him!" Aika exclaimed. "Freed has a Holy Sword. He's gonna get killed!"

"Absolutely not!" Rias said, with a much harsher tone than usual. "I can't afford to have another one of you risk their lives like that! Any contact with the swords can be fatal!"

Aika looked furious, Koneko looked frustrated, and Asia looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Rias sighed, she looked frustrated as well. "We should trust these exorcists. They are our best bet of getting Yuuto back."

"Why is Freed Sellzen even working with the Purist Faction, anyway? Wasn't he in cahoots with the Khaos Brigade last time we saw him?"

As I said that, everyone glanced at me as I was soaking wet from the rain.

"Bath. Now," Rias told me.

"Okay…"

I began warming up the bath.

Since I was alone, I had to ask Albion something.

"Hey, Dragon."

"What is it, partner?"

"I heard my mother mention Halja having a Balance Breaker as well. What is that about?"

"Funny you should ask. The Goddess of Death has the power of my arch-rival, the Red Dragon, Ddraig."

"So, she's not only a powerful goddess, but she has a Sacred Gear of the same type as me!?"

"Normally, only a human like yourself can obtain a Sacred Gear, but she obtained a shard from its previous owner and, after retconning him and the other Longinus users out, she has the dragon under her subjugation. That's why your mother insisted on stopping her before she could use her Balance Breaker. By that point, especially with your incomplete transformation, she would have been unstoppable."

"So, if that wasn't a full transformation, how am I supposed to get to the next level?"

"I don't know what to tell you except that you have to get stronger. She won't make the same mistake of holding back the next time you meet."

On that note, I began stripping my clothes off until I heard the doorknob click and instinctively protected my privates with a towel.

"Don't fret. It's just me." I heard Rias say. "I'm wearing a towel. So, don't worry."

I was still on the defensive. The towel is still dangerous.

"C'mon," she said as she entered. "It can't be much worse than what Akeno has been up to in your little sessions with her."

I sighed. "You have a point."

"I'll help wash you. I owe you an explanation about Yuuto."

I reluctantly sat down as she began washing my back.

"He was an orphan who was experimented on by a rogue priest named Valper Galilei to wield the Holy Sword Excalibur. When the experiments proved to be unsuccessful, they attempted to dispose of him along with his fellow test subjects, who helped him escape."

"So that's why he wants to destroy Excalibur. Because of it, his friends were killed, and he nearly joined them."

It's the same reason that I want to defeat Halja.

"However, when I found him, he was on the verge of death from the toxic gas, so I took him in as one of my servants."

"I wish I was as cool as you. Always coming to people's rescue like that…"

"But you did that very thing against Halja. A Goddess of Death, for that matter. Even I wouldn't be brave enough to do that, let alone powerful enough to stand against her as well as you did."

"I still feel that I'm stuck in your shadow, though. Everyone thinks you're the coolest person in school and I'm still that weird loner."

"Give them some time. I know for a fact you caught a lot of attention at the Sports Festival. I, for one, think you're cool. The whole club thinks so too."

"Thanks for the support, Rias. I would literally be dead without you."

As she finished washing my back, I suddenly noticed she had created a magic circle in the bathroom.

"Now, I do believe it's my turn to spoil you. Hold out your right hand."

As I was heading to bed, something was bothering me.

No. It wasn't the spirit-scattering session with Rias. In fact, she was a lot more discrete and delicate than Akeno.

No, what was bothering me was Yuuto.

Even with those two exorcists, Yuma said that a powerful fallen angel was in charge of the Purist Faction.

I struggled to fight Yuma and this dude is likely 10 times stronger than her at least. I doubt the Holy Swords they possess will be enough.

Not to mention we have Freed Sellzen with his Holy Sword. Yuuto struggled to fight against that thing and the next time he fights it may be his last.

We also have that rogue priest Valper that Rias mentioned. He probably has a legion of exorcists under his employ and they likely have the other two stolen pieces.

I'm sorry, Rias. But I have to help save him!

"Big bro! It's morning! Time to get up! If you don't I'll have to tickle you to death! Tickle tickle tickle-"

I had set my alarm for the buttcrack of dawn and began heading out the front door until-.

"Where do think you're going?"

I was confronted by Xenovia and Irina.

"Well, now that I've been caught, I'm going back to bed…" I answered Xenovia.

"Don't stop on our account, Makoto!" Irina said. "We'd be glad to have your help!"

"Didn't you say that you didn't want our club's help?"

"The Church didn't want the Underworld potentially getting their hands on Excalibur," Xenovia clarified, "I don't see the problem with Lady Gabriel's son assisting us, though!"

"Well, I'm glad you're willing to help me find Yuuto," I said. "I would probably end up getting killed 100 times without your help. So, what's our first move?"

"Well, we need to look for a man known as the Legendary Sage," Irina said. "He may have information on where to find Valper Galilei, who's the most likely culprit who stole the Excalibur pieces."

"Isn't there another reason you want to track down this Legendary Sage?" Xenovia questioned Irina.

"Well, um… You see…"

"We have reason to believe that he stole Irina's underwear," Xenovia finished for her.

"Xenovia! You don't have to say that out loud!"

"We encountered a monster on our way here that was likely under his control and it used its powers to steal them. Thankfully, Lady Gabriel got her some extras when we told her about it."

"Xenovia!"

"So, the mysterious panty thief is real after all…" I mused.

"Makoto! Not you too!"

"There's no avoiding it, Irina." I said. "Besides, going after him could kill two birds with one stone. We get information about the stolen holy swords and we get your undies back."

Irina went from embarrassed to motivated. "Yeah! You're right!"

"All we have to do now is track him down," said Xenovia. "He could be anywhere."

"I have an idea where he might be," I said.

I led them to the abandoned building where we, or rather, Enrico Stark, took down that stray devil.

"Why this place?" Irina asked me.

"Rias has located numerous stray devils here in the past. This seems to be a hotspot for magical vagrants who don't want to be found."

I noticed a door in the back that appeared to emanate some sort of magical aura.

"This door seems to be sealed shut with some sort of magic," Irina said. "We might be onto something."

Xenovia busted out Excalibur Destruction and was about to ram through the door.

"Hold up, Xenovia," I interrupted. "Even if that worked, we would certainly draw too much attention if we just went through like that. Akeno taught me a few magic tricks for stuff such as this."

I held up my hand and the door began to glow as a magic seal appeared on the door and it opened up.

"Oh. I see." Xenovia said, lowering her sword.

"Not everything has to be solved with brute force, Xenovia." Irina said.

We walked down some stairs that led down to a dark basement. As we approached a faint light source, we heard someone muttering to himself, which was becoming clearer as we got closer.

"Useless… Wiring's cheap…"

Is he talking about some sort of electronic?

However, as we saw him through the opening of the dimly lit chamber, we found out he was not talking about electronics.

"Now this one's beautiful!" he said as he put a pair of panties in some sort of chest.

"That's some collection," I muttered. "Someone needs a hobby."

"I think that is his hobby." Xenovia replied. "That must be the guy we're looking for."

"That's magnificent!" he exclaimed as he held up a frilly, pink bra.

"Wait! That's mine!" Irina exclaimed.

"Ah. So, you must be the rats scurrying about in the shadows." he turned to us and said as he laid the chest in the middle of a magic circle that was drawn on the floor.

"Way to give away our position, Irina…" I muttered.

I approached the man. "And you must be this 'Legendary Sage' I've been hearing about. No need for alarm. I just need to ask you a few questions."

"And we're here to turn you into the Church for your hedonistic acts," Xenovia added as she raised her blade.

"Amen!" Irina exclaimed.

"Okay, you could have told me that bit before we got here," I commented.

"He's been a fugitive of the Church for many years," Xenovia replied. "And to think he was one of our own once."

"Oh, yes. It all started when I was passing by one of my Sisters when, all of a sudden… my arm, by chance, happened to brush against her chest!

I was never the same! The sensation of her soft breasts were like nothing I've ever experienced before! I struggled to keep my mind pure as I pondered why the Lord has forbidden us from them. But then he sent me a vision at night telling me that I must embrace those feelings! And ever since then, in spite of the Church's persecution, I seek to carry out God's work!"

Irina and Xenovia looked absolutely flabbergasted by the Sage's anecdote.

"Well, that was… interesting…" I commented. "But that doesn't answer my question. What do you know about the whereabouts of Valper Galilei?"

"I- I don't know a thing!" he exclaimed.

"Oh really!?" I said as I approached him. I summoned my Diving Gear and tapped him on the shoulder.

"DIVIDE!"

I stretched out my right arm as I followed through with the transformation.

"VANISHING DRAGON BALANCE BREAKER!"

"Wait. Vanishing Dragon!?" Irina exclaimed.

He was petrified in fear "Okay! Okay! I'll tell!" he exclaimed as my Scale Mail faded away.

"He's working within this town. His master said something about using Excalibur to wipe out the devils' presence here. That's all I know, I swear."

So, Freed's appearance here was no coincidence. The Purist Faction is here.

"One more thing," I added. "I'm gonna need you to return this young lady's underwear to her. The pink ones with the frills."

"Here! Just take them!" he exclaimed as he tossed me Irina's panties. She swiftly snatched them from my hand and caught her bra shortly after.

He then swiftly grabbed his treasure chest and exclaimed, "But I won't let you stop me from fulfilling the Lord's will!" as he made haste towards the exit.

I reached out with my left hand and, suddenly his hands and feet were bound with rope and he collapsed to the floor, the chest he dropped scattering his stolen underwear over the floor.

"Can I borrow your phone?" Irina asked me. "I need to report our capture to the Church,"

"That was a bit different than her intended use, but I'm glad Akeno taught me that technique!" I said as I handed Irina my phone.

"So, you're affiliated with the Priestess of Thunder? I envy you," the Sage commented "Being surrounded by such well-endowed women like her and her friend Rias Gremory."

"I'm flattered."

"Don't listen to him, Makoto." Xenovia replied.

"Hey, a man of chivalry can still appreciate a fine pair of breasts," I replied. "But you, 'Legendary Sage,' went too far. And it looks like you'll be doing your panty thievery in Prison from now on."

Irina handed my phone back to me. "The Church will handle this from here, including the return of the rest of the underwear he stole," she said as we began heading out.

"Boobies And Peace!" the Sage exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah. Boobies and peace," I responded.

"Do you have any idea what what he planning to use all those panties for?" Xenovia asked me.

"Who knows?"

"So, it's true that you have the power of the White Dragon?" Irina added

"With that kind of power, we'll be able to take down Kokabiel for sure!"

"Oh. That was just a bluff. The power I took from the Sage only gave me about one second of transformation."

"Still. We may only need a second or two to take him down with that kind of power!" Irina said.

"So, Valper is in this town, huh?"

Yuuto was waiting for us outside the stairway doors.

"You tracked down this Sage as well?" I asked.

"My search for Freed Sellzen's whereabouts reached a dead end," he commented. "So, I followed you three here."

"Whatever works," I said. "From now on, we stick together, okay? I was seriously worried about you."

"I want to apologize for what I said to you earlier," Yuuto told me. "I said some things I really shouldn't have said."

"No. I didn't fully understand what you were going through. I'm the one who should be apologizing."

"I just want to give you a heads up," Yuuto told the exorcists. "I plan on destroying those Excaliburs and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"You don't have to warn us," Xenovia said. "If destroying Excalibur means that it's not in the hands of our enemies, then it's fine by us."

"Well, now that we got that out of way," I said. "Now that we know where those swords are, we can't afford to rest until we track them down and destroy them.

Now let's grab some lunch. I'm starving."