|:[Reuniting With Change II]:|
- :|: - Morning : Irina - :|: - Principles x Sanctified - :|: -
A simple room filled with just a bit more than the bare necessities and contained two thirteen-year-old pre-teens. On the white bed, the female had her arms in an embrace around the male. They were faced towards one another. The light spring blanket, which once covered them sometime during the night, fell down to both their legs in a tangled mess.
"Uuuwwahhh~" With a heavy, nonetheless, endearing yawn, Irina rubbed her eyelids, before she actually took in her surroundings. When she did, her nightress-colored eyes took in something that went beyond her wildest dreams.
I-Ise!
The windows only let a small glance of morning's divine radiance peek into the room. It just so happened to fall upon Issei's figure.
In front of her face, Irina blushed as saw morning first light spray itself against Issei's face. The light seemed so focused over his body that she truly believed that, if she hadn't yet, he was an angel among angels. Soon, Irina found it in herself to move. Hesitantly, she let her free left hand, which caused her to blush when she realized it was behind the sleeping boy in a mutual cuddle, come up to his face. Shakily, her hand brushed his silky yet messy chocolate hair from his unblemished and adorable resting face. She feared she would disturb the masterpiece that was her best friend.
"Chu~"
Before she knew it, her world turned dark as her eyes closed and yet... She felt somewhere on her body befall so whole, warm, so cherished, she couldn't help but have a small resistant against the sinful temptation to repeat her sinfully delightful action.
Slowly, she pulled back; her actions had yet to reach her.
With her right pointer finger, she caressed her lips as her body touched a height of a warmth so high, she swore she could see the pearly gates of heaven.
Finally, her thoughts began wondering as her ears released streams of steam.
"Fuuuaah!" Madly, she shook her head. God please forgive me for having such sinful thoughts!
The noise Irina made finally caused Issei to wake. However, what he saw caused him to be utterly confused. "I-Irina?" Issei wasn't sure what exactly Irina was doing. She looked somewhere between having a seizure and an external exorcism.
"Kaaah!" With a great deal of surprise, she tried to hit him with the ribbon-turned sword by an impulse.
"H-Hey!" He grabbed the sword with a strong gust following.
...
"Irina, what were you doing this morning?" Besides a blushing Irina, Issei asked with an innocent confusion.
"J-Just f-forget that!" Irina said, as grabbing the sides of her face with pure embarrassment.
"O-Okay." Issei decided to drop the subject and watched as her twin tails shook with her every step. He sighed, pulled out a card from his pocket.
"What is this?" Issei asked as the card was brought before him.
Touji put the card into his hands. "Has Irina told you about who I am?" Issei nodded, slowly, bringing the memory of yesterday to his mind. "Today, Irina will start a different training. However, with you there, and no one but her knows you—I am allowed to pull some strings as a high-ranking exorcist, myself."
Issei still wasn't sure what he was talking about, but read the card.
[I allowed Hyoudou Issei to join the joint training between Irina Shidou & Xenovia Quarta –Touji Shdou]
"You are going to be with Irina all day, right?"
At that Issei stole a glance towards the eating Irina who was a room away, oblivious to the very meeting, "I w-want to."
"Then you will get to because of that." He gestured toward the card once again. "Watch her for me." With a smile, Touji patted the growing boy by on his head.
"R-Right! I definitely will!"
Atop a small set of stair that led to a large church, a sudden breeze blew through the area. Issei couldn't help but stare in awe as Irina's image filled his vision. The breeze tugged at her checkered green and brown skirt and at her amber twin tails. Thus, Irina grabbed at her hair and pushed down her skirt.
Irina is pretty like Okaa-san!
"Mou! Issei, hurry already!" With her cheeks cutely enlarged, she yelled towards Issei.
"Sorry!" Irina by then had already turned and headed inside the church.
The front of the grand church was six pure white pillars separated equally across the length of the building. Seating in between the middle two, the main entrance's gate-like doors were already opened. Two men in pure silver armor guarded the entrance with a shield and spear by their sides.
"Card?" Issei blinked as he saw the left guard stop Irina. So even she needs a card? From with her shoe, she pulled a small slip and passed it to the scarred guard. Irina's face was straight and almost bored looking. Responsibilities... "You may enter."
Then the guard turned his way. "I, uh," he fumbled with the card, since he was unused to talking to people besides the ones he knew as he casted a spell to translate his words, "have it right, here." With that, he passed it to the guard.
"Shidou, huh?" The guard didn't really seem to mind what was on the card or the lack of information. "You may enter."
...
"Hi! I'm Irina Shidou!" Cheerfully, Irina greeted the girl, which was awfully familiar to Issei.
The girl was dressed in a battle get-up and was further covered by a white, hooded and full-body robe, lined with a green outline. On her back, beneath the robe, a large great sword stuck out the head opening and was covered with a sealing fabric, like a mummy.
A small distance behind Irina, Issei was still catching up to Irina, taking in every detail of the church's walls.
"...We're not here to make friends," was the blue haired girl's blunt and cool response.
Irina opened her mouth but didn't say anything. She realized she only acted in such a way because Issei and the excitement that came along with him was simply contagious. When she closed her mouth, she bit down on her lip and scolded herself. Then, she brought up her usual emotionless façade.
When she was told she was going to work with the prodigy, Xenovia Quarta, Irina was excited for getting a partner, a strong and famous one at that. However, her personality was, perhaps, to be expected. She sadly noted.
Issei's expression twisted with surprise when he saw the girl from yesterday. However, hearing her tone of speaking, and her words, he didn't stay surprise. He did doubt that his words would have an immediate effect on her.
"—But, it's good to get along with your comrades." Issei injected, his surprise long gone from his expression.
Xenovia shifted her line of sight from Irina to the brown haired boy. "One does not need friendship." She repeated, observing the boy. He looked awfully familiar but there was no way that he was an angel. While the angel did have a similar hairstyle, his hair was blond and he had emerald green eyes, not maple brown hair and eyes. Besides, the angels haven't been seen or heard from for years, or at least, that's what she has been told. Whatever happened yesterday, she disregarded. "You are?" She spat back.
"Issei Hyoudou, wielder of a holy sword, created and blessed by God." In other words, he carried a "true" holy weapon.
Irina suddenly turned his way when she heard his response in surprise. Invertly, it meant the Heavenly Father blessed him!
"—Never heard of you." Xenovia removed herself from the leaning position against the wall and began walking towards yet another hallway. "I'm Xenovia Quarta, but let's move."
"R-Right." Both Issei and Irina wasn't sure what to think of the girl. And so, the journey to the training area began and remained in silence.
...
*—Shhk!*
With a powerful swing, the sealing fabric flew right off and into the Xenovia's hand, wrapping itself, masterfully, around her wrist.
"Excalibur: Destruction," Issei heard Irina mumbled. What about Durandal?
As Xenovia took her robe off, she said, "I heard you also have an Excalibur. Mimic, I believe."
"Y-Yeah, I have Excalibur: Mimic." The ribbon on her wrist shifted and twirled, turning itself into a golden katana with an intricate azure design.
"I want to test your strength, your faith." Again, her blunt words put up a silence.
Issei moved to say something, but was stopped from Irina's hand. Once she turned his way, she smiled. "I got it, Issei-kun." However, her smile seemed a bit sad. She knew she was going to lose, but... wasn't going to back down!
"Just watch for now, ne?"
...
Leaning on a bluish-grey wall behind Irina, Issei watched the two exorcists face off in the large dirt training grounds.
"I shall take first move." Xenovia said at the same moment her legs kicked off the ground.
It was barely meager two seconds when Xenovia reached a similar dressed Irina.
In pure strength, Destruction outmatched Mimic in every way. However, with Mimic having the ability to transform, Irina had technique on her side. And most importantly, she had Issei behind her! She couldn't hit him, yes, but, she could still show him the fruits of her training with better vigor!
Yesterday was a f-fluke! Y-Yes! A fluke!
—Issei-kun watch me!
Her sharp blade morphed into a ten-tailed whip and with a flick of her wrist, the whip slapped and wrapped around Xenovia's wrist. With her simple counter, she pulled her odd weapon so that Xenovia would either miss or release her grip on her weapon.
Xenovia smirked when the sword drew closer towards the ground, near her opponent and continued pushing the swing not care if the swing didn't hit Irina, in fact she looked to push the sword with even more strength. It seemed that Irina didn't know the full extent of Xenovia's weapon, Xenovia noted.
Once the great blue blade touched the ground, an explosion occurred and blew them both away. However, unprepared, Irina took the attack almost headfirst without properly adjusting herself. Xenovia smirked to herself, using the friction between her feet and the rough terrain to slow her to a stop only a small distance away.
"Kaaah!" Irina was sent tumbling against the harsh dirt ground. Small clouds of dust and dirt followed each bounce.
Irina... Issei bit his lip. He wanted to stop it but he knew Irina wouldn't want that. He immediately searched her for wounds as she stood up. She only had minor bruises causing him to sigh in relief.
The multi-tailed whip morphed back into a katana. However, instead of her usual open stance, she took up a Japanese stance, spreading her legs apart and her blade up to her eyes. The blade's flat edge aimed down as she prepared for her next strike.
"Here I go!" With that, she kicked off, lunging forward at an incredible speed for a human.
*—Clang!*
"Oh," Xenovia gained an amused expression as she barely blocked the strike. "That was a good strike."
Irina knew that given time, Xenovia could turn her block into an attack simply with the amount brute force Xenovia had, from observing Xenovia's first swing. With that in mind, she paid close attention to Xenovia as she morphed her sword once more.
It was like a joust lance. However, it was as if it curved around a lance to make a hollowed drill/spiral shape.
*Kiiich!*
Irina pulled back from the sword lock and watched in horror as Xenovia's blade came in contact with the ground once more. As fast as she could, she forced the sword to change into a circular shield. However, she was not aware of her hands glowing a heavenly yellow as she did so. The attack, while harsh, barely grazed, thanks to her transforming shield. It morphed back its former drill shape.
If she was in the crater and hadn't moved back, she doubted she would have survived to continue the fight.
"Never seen a weapon like yours," Xenovia noted a bit weary. Irina didn't say again. But, instead Irina eyed Xenovia's loaf stance that had Xenovia place her sword on her right shoulder and other hand on her hip. "Have you used the 'element?'"
"The what?"
"I take it as a no then." With a yellowish-white glow, her sword gained a massive and overwhelming aura, which forced a sense of dread over her.
"W-What is this?" Nervously, she eyed the sword. It was like the normal exorcist light sabers but the sword was not a work of the church's "light catching" but of Xenovia's own person, as she could see the latter's body also gaining the glow.
Just h-how did she gather that 'element?'
"Holy-infusing or using the holy element" was all she simply said as she gathered her powerful sword for an overhead swing. "It doesn't matter how great a distance. I will win." With pure determination in her words, she swung down with yellow metaphysical slash tearing through its path at a ferocious pace.
"Checkmate."
[—Blade]
Ascalon appeared out of nowhere at Ddriag's voice. Seeing his weapon emerge, Issei gripped his sword with a tight hold.
"That's enough." Issei's voice was thick with disapproval. He didn't approve the fact Xenovia attacked Irina with something of such a high level attack to someone, who quite literally just learned of the holy element.
*Fssssh!*
The holy attack dissipated with one swing of Issei's sword.
"Oh," Xenovia's brow rose as noticed Issei's strength to put out her attack with a simple swing. She observed his so-called God blessed blade.
It was a long sword based on its length and its grip. It was mostly a pleasant gold with a white fuller. The grip was covered in a red strap that contrasted with most of the sword. However, the guard that was just above the grip it had was odd. It was curve, not vertical down or simply straight but vertical upwards like golden-scaled claws. When it shined by the lighting, it wasn't just with the blinding glare, but it radiated an elliptical rainbow.
"That's... Saint George's... sword." Saint George was one of the most venerated saints and used as a symbol of protection and strength in the Christianity faith. He was also one of few that have killed a dragon. While it was a young dragon the size of a large horse, it was a dragon, nonetheless. After all, he was simply human.
However, to be allowed to brandish the sword, she couldn't imagine what hardships he had to do in order to even be allowed to touch one of the most protected swords of the Church.
The only reason she was allowed to use/carry Durandal was that she, unlike most people, was simply one of the chosen few. Besides, there was literally no one else but one aging, nonetheless, headstrong human person that could touch the sword without so much as feeling harsh repercussions.
She was simply chosen for a fate she never chose. So, in the end, she just went with the flow of her life, a puppet to its strings.
If only she knew the truth...
Issei snapped his finger, watching as his sword disappear in mystical white mist to its confinements within the [Boosted Gear]. He then glanced towards the weak-willed Irina who sat on the ground on her thighs and legs.
"Are you okay, Irina?" Issei crouched down and examined Irina once more.
Irina didn't say anything.
The two great people before her were way out of her league. The strength, faith, they wielded was far more than she had. Irina was conflicted. She didn't find it right that she was someone to hold a sword that was supposed to be among the same 'strength' of her new comrade and Issei. She felt like she didn't deserve to wield such a great sword when the gap of strength, talent, faith was far too great.
But, she didn't want to give up on her dream. Especially when Issei... became an Angel. It just made her dream, all the more real. "Thank you, Ise." She almost whispered. However, she hoped she didn't have to say it so early; she wanted to put up a better fight. But perhaps, it was just because she was up against the prodigy among three others. She hoped, wished that Issei wouldn't leave her for being so weak. She didn't have a right to stand by them.
"Irina?" He couldn't understand why Irina was so... deflated. She had an incredible amount of energy just before, but where did it all go?
"I'm fine," but her tone was blank, like the facade that recaptured her face.
...I don't know what to do.
"—Fight me," Interjected Xenovia with resolve to defeat someone looked to be on par with her. Xenovia was going to have her fight one way or another.
"Huh?" was Issei's smart answer before Xenovia kicked off the ground.
Vorpal: Yo.
Free time, yada, yada, yada... Just felt like posting something...
Last chapter's various and more numerous (than usual) mistakes were... even "much" on my part. Sorry.
But I couldn't find where I wrote that he had four wings or two pair of wing... Unless, you didn't know there was a time-skip?
Xenovia's not becoming a devil. And her personality, it will change back into her canon self. So please bear with some of the OOC moments.
Since it is a fic, I could always make it so Rias wasn't engaged to Riser... but I don't like that idea either... Doesn't seem natural either.
They seemed damn powerful for only preteens... Besides Issei, he truly is powerful cuz he's got like... eight wings, two pairs away from becoming a league of a Seraph without boosting...
Please go to the bottom of ch4 and 6, I've edited Gabriel's and Sariel's description and added something. There's a lot of new "stuff." I think it's pretty cool.
I'm going to go work my other stories... so, uh...
'Till next update, ne?
"Have a Nice Day."
-Vorpal
[Words: 3,143]