Ello! I don't have much to explain my absence. I did mean to come back earlier but... Four years passed before I knew it.
Sorry.
: Reuniting with Change V :
—Simply, it was amazing that that nun could do it, almost, just like—that.
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[:|Lovely Angel|:]
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- :|: - Sunday Afternoon : Issei - :|: -
Xenovia blinked as the revered Holy Maiden fainted. Her surprise only lasted just short of Asia almost dropping to the floor. However, she stopped herself from advancing forward to catch. Issei was already gathering her into his arms with a frown. "She started to draw from her own life force, unnecessarily..."
Her mind racked for reasons.
She opened her mouth, only to shut it a moment later.
Xenovia knew not the innerworkings to God's gifts, [Sacred Gears]. Ultimately, she decided it wasn't important if she couldn't figure it out or if no one could tell her. Such was the life of hers. It was better to forget than to question. She had no qualms about it unlike most her age. Her curiosity lied in a different place, one the church was all too happy to oblige. She wasn't blind to it.
Although, she knew that was starting to change... For better or for worse, she did not know. It was something to ask her sister about, maybe.
"Could you carry her?" While it was stated as a question, he already outstretched his arms towards her as if her answer was obvious. His gaze was towards the stabilized exorcist, "I'll carry him and we can move back towards the rendezvous point early."
She didn't have her usual rigid confidence with the idea of carrying the injured safely, so she accommodated his request with a nod. When the weight of the girl settled onto her, there was a moment of silent surprise. The Holy Maiden was scarily light.
From her peripheral vision, Issei noticed it. "Oh, I enacted a- a weightless miracle."
She made herself not react. She neither felt or saw any usage of holy energy. That caused her cold sweat, which she hoped he didn't notice. A feat such as that only belong to the best of exorcist after decades of training, where calling upon Miracles of God was a trained muscle.
Unless, he held an artifact for something like this... It was rather unlikely though, since he was given a sword. The church didn't like having so much power in one place or one person... Herself being one of the few exceptions with her all-natural affinity combined with her (older sister's) connections and orphan past. Nonetheless, she knew nothing about him and indulged the mindless thought as she ran after him.
...
It would be another 30 minutes before Xenovia would say anything, "Hyoudou."
The boy blinked, stopping before her, "Yeah?"
"Who are you?"
At that, the brunet could only tilt his head in visible confusion, "Issei Hyoudou?" Furrowing his brows, he set the man down on an especially green patch of grass. There was a glow emitting from the man—the aura felt comforting. "Should keep him stable."
Again, there was an unpleasant pang from Xenovia seeing his sheer aptitude for the Holy element. With it, the memory of his sword mastery came.
'Just who is "Issei Hyoudou?"'
Slinging off his pack, he dug into it. "Hungry?"
"A little." Similarly, Asia was set onto her cloak atop the grass.
"Oh, Irina's mom made me something! I really missed her cooking..." European food was rather rare in his area of Kouh. In heaven, he only ate Mittlet's Japanese cooking or Gabriel's baking. The latter was actually quite bad at cooking….
'Who are you' wasn't a good way to ask for answers, the bluenette supposed. So, with that in mind, she asked another, "Irina's file said she was from, some place like... Kohee, Japan or something. Is that where you're from?"
He passed her a small plating, "Yeah, Kouh, Japan." Xenovia wasn't quite sure how to read his expression before he continued, "She was- is still my childhood friend, one of my few friends."
There was silence as they continued eating.
Finishing the last of her portion, she glanced back to her companion, "Friends." She rolled the word over her tongue, tying her long hair back. "What would you deem a 'friend?' Comrades?"
He bit the noodles he was slurping on, "Not necessarily. A friend can be many things. Irina was my playmate and really the only person I interacted with as a child before I met Gabr— Gabriela. Someone you enjoy being around and vice versa, I guess."
There was a bit of silence before a familiar voice reverbed through his soulscape.
[For an angel, you sure lie a lot.]
'What am I supposed to do?'
[I don't know, Partner. The Red Dragon Emperor hasn't... ever been an angel before. Just thought I should mention the impure nature of your words, I guess.]
He frowned.
"What exactly makes Irina and Gabriel—?"
"Hey, Xenovia?" If she was surprised at the sudden words, she didn't show it as she nodded, bouncing her blue ponytail, "Sorry to deceive you." Issei stood, eyes closed, and his jacket forgotten in the wind, "Forgive me for I would not feel right to hide myself from this one who has seen me, Gabriel, Father."
Xenovia's bright brown eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Issei's brown hair peeled away, flecks of light disappearing in the air, to reveal a regal blond. Once his hair finished changing, a halo, blinding in the shade of the trees, appeared before eight white wings unfurled themselves with two great beats.
He was the Angel, after all.
She focused onto his face. It took everything she had to not gasp as glowing emerald eyes stared down her.
"Forgive me, Xenovia." He approached her, blinking at her in bewilderment. "Your eyes-" he wiped her tears once again, "are golden..."
Xenovia didn't know how to interpret that since her eyes were always a vibrant brown. However, she simply brushed it aside as her knees felt like they've suddenly turned to dust. There was an unfamiliar... throbbing in the air. —Her eyes widened as she realized it was Durandal who was calling to her from the alternate space that was its sheath.
It wasn't much longer until she buckled before falling, dragging him down with her, unintentionally. "F-Forgive me, Milord."
Although, him being an Angel explained a lot.
"You're quite alright." Issei's many wings shielded her from the outside world while he held her, helping her down. The angel moved to kneel before her, matching but opposite to her. Upon his expression sat a pleased smile, "You'll be okay, Xenovia."
Said girl couldn't remember the last time she went without blinking for so long... The fact he had been with her the whole time... Her hands trembled at the implications.
Before she knew it, a familiar pommel was in her right hand, waking get from her stupor. In her left, the blade laid still, which was unlike any other time. It was at peace in her hands for once. "Durandal," Issei gave a small nudge, "it wanted to comfort you."
...Of course, he would be able to pull it from a space only she should be able to reach into.
She was neither spiteful or jealous at his ability to do so as her left hand slid near the edge. The action marred her reflection with dirt. It, however, did not dirty the radiance or beauty of the golden edge.
"Thank you, Milord..."
His voice was soft with sternness, "Holy swords such as these are a part of you as the air we breathe. Ingrain Durandal's being into your soul and it'll come to accept you. It'll take a while," He withheld his wry smile. Maybe, it didn't work how the [Boosted Gear] and by extension his soul, accepted Ascalon and vice versa... "Like it did for Ascalon and I." He patted her head identical to the ones Gabriel would do to him. "Do not forget this feeling."
"Of course, Milord." She welled the feeling together and seared it into her mind. It would be something to dissect and figure out later. The bluenette then gathered the selfishness into her throat, "May I ask one more question—?"
He cut her off, "Of course."
She brushed it off. A hand went to rub fondly her inherited sword to gather courage, "Can I be your friend?"
His smile widened. His hair faded to brown. His eyes followed in suit. And, he threw the question right back at her, "Can I be your friend?" He didn't wait for an answer as he packed up his supplies, jacket, and picked the man right up. He put a finger to his smiling lips, "Shhh! Come, let's continue."
Their path was towards the meeting point. Hopefully, Griselda and Irina weren't having any trouble.
"Sister Quarta, I see them..." Irina trailed off, noticing the strange shape of who she assumed to be Issei. The brunette felt Xenovia, rather than saw. Such was based on the tingle of her Excalibur Mimic sensing another Excalibur shard. She could only strain her eyes uselessly at the distance, awaiting her orders.
The older Sister thanked the younger girl, beckoning her to follow the Sword master towards them.
As they did, Griselda voiced their descriptions, "They're both carrying a person each: Young Hyoudou with a male exorcist, Young Ouarta with a nun... Correction, Young Quarta with the missing Holy Maiden." She turned to the flabbergasted Irina, "Faster, Young Shidou."
"Y-Yes, Instructor!" Griselda withheld the urge to correct her as they neared.
Not before long, the two mystery people were laid out before the group. Irina passed a water bottle to her fellow trainees. The bluenette downed her water in one go. Keeping pace with Issei was harder than she'd ever admit.
However, the "competition," in her eyes, was worth it.
Issei sat beside Irina, listening to her report as he watched their senior exorcist examine the bodies and talk to her younger sister.
"At first, there was nothing, which of itself isn't anything really..." she slapped his shoulder, "Don't give me that face, mister!" There was a huff before she continued, "Then, we ran into a Nun, Sister Francine, who had been looking for the Holy Maiden. Imagine my surprise when she said she's been missing for two days and she pops up with you guys… Well, thankfully you found her. So, anyway, we asked about any weird things, she said there hadn't been anything too. We added searching for the Holy Maiden to our checklist of things of interest. Oh, oh, Sister Griselda taught me some stuff, so I have some new things to try out while training.
"So then, cut into an hour so later, there were a few upset spirits. We calmed them by asking them what was wrong and rectifying a child's mistake. Thankfully, it was just children being a little naughty..." Issei glanced at her reminiscing smile with his own, "H-Hey, I'm not the bad one!"
He rolled his eyes.
"Why aren't you talking?"
"Oh I-"Suddenly, he felt shy, feeling multiple pairs of eyes on him. His gaze drifted over to the trees, where the sun was setting. "I wanted to hear you talk."
"O-Oh." Her hands went to one of her twin tails, fumbling hair between her fingers, "It's your turn to share..." Her violet eyes gestured out to their other companions.
"I'm curious to hear your side too, Young Hyoudou." The older woman gestured out to Xenovia, "Young Xenovia is quite awful at reporting." Said girl only grimaced into her third water bottle, turned away. However, she would listen and take mental notes of what her fellow trainees said and how they said it. She truly was bad at reporting.
"It's not too different from your story, really." A hand went up to his hands to scratch at his cheek. "We, Xenovia and I, just ran around for an hour." He racked his brain on how he smelled the blood as a totally normal human... "With my heightened senses, I smelled blood. And so, I just— took off in that direction because there was a bad feeling." Although true, it was more like a lingering scent of a Devil which was mostly overpowered by the other aforementioned smell. "While I was checking over the injured exorcist, an exhausted Holy Maiden stumbled out from vegetation. I'm glad she could heal him... I would've had to carry him to the nearest hospital or church pretty quickly if he was going to make it."
Gesturing to said Maiden, he continued, "However, healing him from such- a mortal wound, plus the drained state she was in, the Sister couldn't continue healing him without hurting herself. Refusing to stop, I stepped in and knocked her out after she got him stabilized. I imagine in her exhausted state, she won't be up for a while longer..." He coughed into his hand, deciding to summarize the rest, "We carried them back here, stopping once for a quick lunch break.
"So yeah..."
A hand went over his, "Are you okay, Ise?" Irina's grip tightened slightly, glancing back to the exorcist, who was covered in a lot of blood then to him in concern.
He smiled, "Yeah." It wasn't his first time seeing that much blood after all. It wouldn't hold him back. However, Irina neither needed to know or worry about him. He was the Angel here. He grew immensely strong so no one would worry about him and so he could protect his family. 'His treasures' Ddraig liked to say instead. "I'm okay."
From the corner of his eyes, Griselda was grilling Xenovia for something. Unlike Xenovia, who couldn't look at her older sister, Issei saw her proud expression. While he didn't know the true relationship of the two, they seemed close.
His friend noticed the curiosity on his face. "They're sisters."
He blinked at Irina's input, "Huh."
...
Dinner was even stranger than the night before, Issei thought so at least. Xenovia had joined Issei and Irina from the bidding of their mentor. Later of which had a red embarrassed face as she admonished her parents for the endless questions, they asked the upcoming Sword Maiden and other totally unnecessary things about the brunette.
It was cute to watch was Issei thought. Xenovia, who was initially taken aback by the parents' manners, had found it in herself to relax. She seemed pleased even while she politely answered questions.
Needless to say, but Irina was always cute. As he had assumed, her pouty face was the cherry on the cake.
- :|: - Monday Morning : Issei - :|: -
"I'll go ask the Father for directions!"
Issei felt his left hand twitch.
As he watched Irina walk up to the priest, he had a sinking feeling that he knew wasn't just his possessiveness since he really no reason to feel as such. They were both none the wiser as the clergyman made a joke at which Irina giggled. It helped him to calm down a little.
But, he couldn't stamp down the bad feeling he had of the smiling man.
[Partner, calm down.]
'What's wrong with me?'
[You're maturing, Issei.]
He averted his eyes from Irina's figure, feeling guilty, 'I-I know that!' His mom and dad had already given him the talk. Mittlet too!
[It's a little different for a dragon... Although, as an angel-human hybrid, which are already rare to begin with, nevermind your dragon arm, not even I can guess how it'll be for you.]
An unusual anger bubbled in his core. 'It's not that! Something's wrong but I don't know what!'
Ddraig huffed. He could only assume Issei's angelic biology was messing with the dragon's connection to the world through the boy. Maybe it had to do with the card that had revived Issei. After all, it was still in its testing phase when the dragon forced it into Issei's soul through the gateway in the [Boosted Gear]. So, he wouldn't be any help to the brunet. However, if the boy was so adamant, something must be up.
It could also be the lack of Gabriel's calming aura, which was finally allowing his dragon energy to act out.
[Sorry. I'm still having issues with our connection, even after all these years. But, do note your maturing state. You should check in with Gabriel when you see her. It has been a while since she's drained your arm after all.]
The broken connection and himself awakening while Issei was just shy of an infant were both major red flags to a "bad end."
'Will do.'
The dragon only grunted before closing his eyes in the void of the [Boosted Gear].
Talking to Ddraig served to calm him mentally. However, the boy just couldn't shake off the feeling nor the strain of his left arm, which he hid behind his back. His right hand was holding the arm still.
—There was a tap on his nose. "Issei, why are you so tense?" So, focused on calming his arm, he lost sight of his surroundings and where he was a moment. He waited till the clergyman closed the door behind before he revealed his throbbing left arm. His eyes were still closed as he pulled up his sleeve.
Irina gasped at his veiny arm. Unable to help herself, she gathered his trembling fist into her hands. Her touch was light but warm. "Is there anything I can do?"
He gritted out a harsh "No."
"Do you think the Holy Maiden can help?"
That was assuming she awake. Either way, he did not know. "I don't know."
Holding him by his tense hand, she led him. The purple-eyed girl was oblivious to the effort it took for him to not crush her fragile hand in his grasp.
He absolutely refused to do so. It wasn't a matter of if, when or but.
"It wouldn't hurt to try."
...
*Knock knock*
"Oh! Yes, come in." Asia's lovely voice rang out.
"Excuse us," Irina said for the pair as they entered. She noticed the tenseness in Issei's jaw and decided it would be best to talk for him as well.
The nearly barren room had just a simple desk, bed and window. Beside the bed, an out of place chair sat facing away. On the bed, a girl tilted her head at them, "Uh, you both missed Miss Quarta?"
"Oh- No no, my friend is in pain." Irina stepped out away from in front of Issei, who couldn't describe his feelings.
The calming aura she seemed to exude only affected him. He didn't know why, and it made him feel oddly shy. "M— "
"Oh, I remember you!" The healer slid out of the bed. The first thing she did was grasp both of his hands into her own pair. Then, her innocent eyes blasted him with an awesome amount of purity. "Thank you for helping me out of the forest!"
Through it all, he realized, his arm was still tense but no longer throbbing feverishly.
"Miss Quarta told me you carried me out of the forest t—that, I uh," she blushed slightly, "that I got lost in after getting chased by a monster..." Her line of sight trailed down to their hands, "Uwah! Excuse me!"
"It's okay."
He glanced down to his left hand. The dragon energy seeping out of it, invisible to the eyes, was pooling around Asia's hands. Never had he seen such a magical moment.
Seeing his gaze, Asia blinked, feeling some kind of mystic sensation around her palm. It reminded her of the few sessions she had to learn a better way of using [Twilight Healing]. However, unlike the complicated math and willing her 'will,' it felt like impossibly fine sand; aggressive as it left her and "easy" in her palms. She wasn't sure what to call the feeling of it in her hand. However, she didn't dislike it.
On a whim, she activated her rings. The light from it encased the energy, revealing it to Irina's stunned eyes. "Mister Issei?" Her expression was in curious wonderment as it peered up to the said boy.
"I-"
[Hoh? I know this feeling... One so strong, I can feel it through our broken link. You're in the presence of a "Dragon Tamer."]
"I'm feeling better already."
The energy dispersed into the air around Asia, as she deactivated her rings, "Oh, how wonderful!" Fortunately for Issei, the Maiden didn't prod him for info.
"Thank you!" Irina cried out as she inspected his arm up and down. "You wouldn't believe his crazy tense face... although, it vanished as soon as he saw you." Issei wasn't sure how to read her expression— "Do you have a crush on her?"
"No! I just met her!" The immense blush that bloomed on his face didn't help his case.
She poked his cheek, "Are you suuure?"
He swatted her offending hand away, "Yeah!"
"...U-Uhm, what is a 'crush?'"
The two bickering teens froze.
" "I-It's nothing..." "
Whether Asia knew or not, her lips formed a pout as she turned away from them. Interacting with people her age like this was rare. She honestly didn't know how she should be acting around them. Yet, she knew she wanted to get along with them, especially the boy. There was just something else about him...
Lost in her thoughts, she was jolted out when a hand reached her shoulder. "Sorry for startling you." The warm boy smiled, "I just wanted to say thanks." He bowed, "Thank you, Holy Maiden!"
She wasn't sure what had overcome her, but the words forced themselves out her throat, "C-Call me Asia!"
"Eh?"
"Uh- please call me, A-Asia?" she tried. Her fortitude faltered as she fiddled with her fingers.
He glanced to Irina, who feverishly nodded, "O-, Okay, Asia." He rubbed his arm, "You don't have to call me, 'Mister Issei.' We're of similar ages, no?" He offered a hand, "Just 'Ise' is fine, Asia. Let's be friends."
As expected, as someone as socially awkward as he was, Asia shook it with both hands and a vigor that surprised even herself. "Mhm!"
"Uuu! I'm feeling left out!"
"P-Please don't!"
"I won't~" The warrior-nun threw an arm over Issei's shoulder, "I'm Irina Shidou!"
Issei laughed first. Asia's giggles followed as she took Irina's hands into her own. Irina only grinned wider, shaking Asia's hands, "Tehe!" However, Irina froze in realization, "I-Ise! We need to go!"
"O-Oh right!"
"B-bye bye!"
"See ya, Asia!"
"Bye Friend~"
With that, they took off.
Out the door, which was already near the infirmary the Head Priest had said Griselda was in, they advanced quickly
"...Sorry, f-for acting weirdly lately, I mean..." His gaze was away from her as he scratched his cheek.
In response, the girl could only tackle-hug him from behind in his embarrassment, "Hehe, I'm just happy you're back to being Issei." At that moment, she felt especially giddy. The tiny hint of jealousy she felt back in the room long forgotten.
He whispered something so low below his breathe that Irina could only catch the end of it. "—py to be with you." The smile on her face hurt for next few moments.
...
"Sir, you must stay in bed!"
This startled the the teen pair. So much so, they chose not to knock but instead, listen in on the conversation.
"I must warn the Holy Maiden! She's in danger!"
Griselda's voice cut into the recovering exorcist, "She is safe."
"S-Sister Quarta!" He sounded surprised. "...Sorry." There was shuffling heard from the room, "The da- darn devils wiped out my squad..."
Hearing that from outside the room in the hallway, Issei closed his eyes, sending a prayer with a moment of silence. Irina followed his lead, withholding her tears as she mentally placed herself in the exorcist's shoes.
Xenovia was strangely absent since he couldn't sense Durandal's hidden presence or the Destruction Excalibur fragment, which would've been sealed within the holy cloth anyway.
He shook his head and tapped his best friend's shoulder, "We can wait for Sister Griselda in the coffee room..." He didn't want her to listen to all of that anymore. It would only worry her unnecessarily.
He bit his lip, seeing it across her sad face.
The brunette only released a small sound of affirmation, "Mh." Then, to his surprise, she reached for his hand as he took the lead. "Is your arm really okay now?"
"Yeah."
They traveled in silence.
...
The "coffee room" was more like a mini kitchen and seemed like an afterthought. It was wide enough for two people to walk by one another; three if they really squeezed by one another. One side had all the counters and utilities. The other side was just a long wall of various verses. At the end of the room, there was a small square table with three chairs and one window looking on northeast. The fourth chair Issei had noticed in the Holy Maiden's room.
Issei let go of Irina's hand to open the fridge, "There's some apple juice. Want some?"
"Yeah," she replied, absentmindedly, on her way to the table.
He frowned internally as he made his way towards the paper cups. "You know Irina, I will always be there in your darkest moments..." The edge of his vision saw the sitting girl glance up to him then back down to her lap. He got no response otherwise.
The tension only seemed to thicken as he approached with the cups in hand. "Here you go, Iri-chan..." He trailed, noticing he defaulted to her childhood nickname.
"Thank you, Ise," Irina started with the cup hiding behind her lips, "for everything, I mean."
The angel couldn't stop the blinding smile from his expression. "Ehehe, it wasn't much."
At that, the newly appointed warrior-nun averted her amethyst eyes. She wasn't quite done... "But you're leaving tomorrow, right?"
The smile didn't so much as twitch before he responded with "Yep, but I promise to visit again!" Following that, he downed his cup in one go. Irina watched as he crushed the cup with ease before recycling it. "I'll miss your mom's cooking—" She tuned him out, unintentionally, drowning in her worries and thoughts.
Being a warrior-nun gave her even more responsibilities. She had heard of a few stories, some from her dad, others from her teachers or books. A few stuck out as they hadn't ended well. Except for the fact, they had been reincarnated. However, it was no secret angels—or even the Father himself—haven't been as... active as had once been. People like the Holy Maiden or even Xenovia (to a lesser degree) were so revered because of this. They just had to be blessed.
She, Irina Shidou, on the other hand, was just another girl from... a Far East country. Some of her classmates or fellow mentees had teased her for it. Always, she'd ignore it all. But, in her heart, she agreed. She was no one special. She didn't deserve the Excalibur fragment. She didn't deserve learning under the Griselda Quarta. She didn't deserve partnering up with the upcoming Sword Maiden, Xenovia.
Because she was no one special in her position, people would die. Comrades would die. She would die.
Irina looked up to Issei's concerned face. She didn't deserve this... Angel.
"Irina? What's wrong?"
Like Issei, she downed the cup in one gulp, then clapped both her cheeks before crushing the cup.
She'd be darned if she didn't work herself raw to the bone so she could stand by each and every one of them, proudly. She'd right by them. It would take a lot of time, a ton of heavy lifting, and a lot of mistakes to reach the top of the mountain to the pearly gates she set for herself. However, she'd gladly do it.
Issei had done it, after all.
Or well, she assumed, anyway.
"Sorry sorry! I'm a-okay now!" Her eyes sparkled in the rays of the rising sun, as her smile lit the whole (albeit small) room. "Yosh! I got a lot of work to do!"
Issei couldn't say anything when his eight wings unfurled themselves and his Halo replaced itself over his head. His hair and eyes, however, did not change this time.
He could feel Irina as he now stood across from her. Wave after wave, her faith washed over him in droves. It was such an enlightening feeling that his body reacted without him any the wiser. Such has never happened before. He needed to reach the source.
Ddraig awoke, feeling his partner's power flare slightly.
[Partner...]
"Irina..." His eyes, still their soft chocolate color, stared her down. He could feel Irina's potential. Her dreams. Her worries. Her devotion. Her everything.
He furled his wings into his back and hid his halo so he wouldn't knock anything over or be revealed as an angel. The living hybrid made his way towards Irina.
"I-Issei..." The girl's knees were on the verge of giving once more.
To catch her, Issei brought her into his arms and embraced her. "I got you." Even though his eyes were closed, their glow leaked, fading into nothingness after a short distance.
His left hand twitched.
With that notice going unquestioned, he shoved Irina behind him, spun on a heel and threw up a quick barrier before him with a flick of his wrist. Then, the entrance of the room exploded. The dark energy that had destroyed it continued until it hit Issei's barrier, which only flickered once on impact.
The feeling it irradiated was nearly exact to the description Michael had given him. "Irina, there's a devil." He ignored her gasp, holding up her wrist that had Excalibur: Mimic in a cutesy bracelet form, "Don't reveal it yet." She nodded and he stepped out his barrier, "Stay here! This devil-san is pretty strong!" He was pretty strong himself, Michael, Mittelt, and Gabriel had said so. However, this was his first time fighting an actual devil. His arms went behind him to hide the [Boosted Gear] appearance as he summoned his sword.
[Blade]
With a flex, the scarlet [Sacred Gear] dematerialized as fast as it appeared. With that done, he focused on fighting and protecting. Mittelt sometimes compared him to a robot with his laser focus.
...Oh how I miss her...
"Ho? I thought only the Sword master, Sword Maiden and Holy Maiden were here..." As the dust started to settle, a feminine shadow appeared, approaching them slowly. The figure was odd, given that the voice distinctively belonged to a male. "No matter, you're just a boy and g—"
Only to be blasted by a ray of holy energies.
It wasn't Issei's light though.
Leading the charge at the other end of the room, Griselda stood with her knees bend, one hand behind her—holding some sword Issei assumed—and one arm outstretched towards the shadowy figure, charging more holy energies. Behind her, the formerly injured exorcist drew out his holy light sword and light pistol. To his side, stood the young nurse and the Holy Maiden, both covered in blood but seemingly unharmed, just rattled.
The Sword master's blast was just a distraction. It was weak enough that it wouldn't destabilize the room further nor pierce through and hit Issei. With the opening her attack made, Griselda yelled out, "Young Hyoudou, is Young Shidou still with you?"
"Yes!"
"I'm safe!" Said girl called out from behind him.
Her eyes never leaving the figure, Griselda continued, "The situation: The Head Priest was killed, and a fake took over. He's captured now—"
"Bah, that's you get for relying on humans, am I right?" the figure turned out to be some kind of 3D shadow familiar in the vague shape of a tall women. Its voice was to be assumed to be its master's voice.
'That assumption seems off though.' Issei thought, furrowing his brows.
The living shadow took a step—
A wave of holy energy flew from Ascalon in that instant. However, unlike Griselda's blast, it didn't have an actual impact. Instead, it burned away the shadow. Although, not his intention, the act served to reveal a woman in a nun's outfit.
It wasn't a familiar but a Devil.
His grip on his holy sword faltered.
The crosses on her skin were burning into her otherwise flawless skin. If that wasn't a sign of being a devil, her scent was a dead giveaway. That wasn't what made him hesitate. He could still feel the faint thrumming of her faith. It was on the edge of hopelessness. It was just nauseating to bask in. Then, a realization hit him again.
She was a devil.
As an angel, there was nothing he could do. As a junior exorcist in training, there was nothing he could do. As a young teen, there was nothing he could do. As another living being, there was absolutely nothing he could do help her.
"Young Hyoudou!"
He met her eyes. Hers were wide in fright and yet awfully dull. Her hopelessness wasn't unwarranted, but it broke his heart to even think so. He averted his eyes first, turned away as he threw her towards Griselda, dislocating her arm. He didn't even need to try to block the nun's fist with his throbbing left hand. But, he did so anyway, mustering just enough motivation to do so.
He felt sick just touching her.
He was unsuccessful in tuning out Griselda's takedown as the devil fought only halfheartedly. Not once did she gasp, groan or spit in pain. She seemed to however pant heavily through her nose. Although, now with said nose broken the devil-nun struggled to even breath while she stood before Griselda once more.
He blocked Irina's view of the fight further by getting into a faux stance.
"Why?" He watched a frustrated Saint put away her weapons. The devil-nun only brought her trembling and bruised fists up for another punch that they all knew wouldn't land. Griselda folded the young lady over her fist and slammed her into the ground with an elbow. "To repent, I'll give you one more chance." The devil didn't stir but was still breathing. Griselda bent at her knees and watched a wisp of shadow write something into the ground. Against her better judgement and teachings, she refrained from blasting both the she-devil and the wisp.
'Get awa—'
"ISSEI GET AWAY!"
In his mind, Mittelt's scream of his name broke his heart once more. She was telling him to go. He nor Gabriel never saw her again.
Issei shot forward, but he knew with his distance, it would be in vain.
'...Just like last time.' The hesitation he showed should've tripped him, but he had just shoved his foot through the flooring and caught himself, smashing said foot down—only for the explosion to crash into him. It swallowed the kitchen, blasting Issei against his barrier and Griselda's hasty shielding shattered, leaving her body and enchanted clothing to protect her charges.
"Sister!" The exorcist Issei had carried, however, had recognized this scene and pulled Griselda before throwing her towards the two girls behind them. Truly, it was amazing for hin to do so while injured in an instant. However, what the exorcist didn't know was that he had disrupted Griselda's focus. It caused her to drop the wards on her body and fail to crack the first seal of many across her back.
Never mind the idea of yet another person throwing their life away.
"No! You-"
...
"...Issei! Issei! Issei!"
Issei shot to his feet. His gaze swept over Irina, who stopped banging against his cracked barrier. Her face gained a red hue and she could only point at his lower body, looking away. It caused him to blink, taking in his body. He had a few scratches, covered in blood and was mostly naked—the whole front portion of his body was revealed. Otherwise, he was in fighting condition.
Explosions made from a person's lifeforce were never a joke.
'Okay, Irina's safe and I'm fine. Where are the others?'
He tore a piece of the curtain from the window within his barrier. Ignoring his friend's wishes to release her once she got over her embarrassment, he covered his crotch. Then, he stepped back out after reinforcing his cracked barrier. Hurrying towards the direction he saw Griselda last, his eyes spotted another figure. Another devil-nun. She was standing over the injured and too, nearly naked Griselda. The senior warrior-nun's legs were punctured with long pieces of stone from the building. The devil's expression was blank during the whole ordeal. A beam sword made from devilish energies flickered in her hands, pointed towards the unimpressed swordmaster.
Some distance behind them, Asia scrambled onto her feet and ran as fast as she could to shield her savior with her body.
There was a sound of a chain breaking as the glowing wing seal on Issei's chest reappeared. Two feathers of the seven lost their glow. Then, it vanished as fast as it appeared. Paying it no mind, he picked up his sword. He wouldn't make the same mistakes thrice.
He sucked in a breath—just before his presence flickered forward.
A beam of light swallowed the devil-nun as Issei beheaded the devil with a wide swing. In it all, no traces of the she-devil remained. The angel closed his eyes, spreading out his awareness of the world. The only sounds were the crackling of electronics and outlets exposed to spraying water from broken pipes and the blood-covered bricks still falling apart around them. Finding nothing else he let his sword fade into mist.
All of that was done on an instant. Forcing the speed in his current state was pushing himself a bit. It caused his chest to heave with heavy breaths.
That, however, also led to Griselda to believe he was pressuring himself to do such outrageous feats. "Sister Asia, please go help Young Issei." Her reasoning was that healing her legs would take too long. She was already stabilized... as well as a person could be with fragments piercing through her nimble legs. They needed Issei to be in top condition just in case other devils served as reinforcements.
The healer looked conflicted.
Griselda was rapidly losing blood, nearly nude in her paleness and probably a little delirious... But it was Asia's duty to listen to a higher up. It would be a first for her to have second-thoughts about a request. To her, the boy the Blessed Nun of White, a title akin to her moniker, wanted her to heal seemed to be fine.
He ignored his left arm's slight throbbing. It was much more manageable with one seal of four released. At that moment, it was absorbing all his locked emotions and turning it into dragon energy. Instead, he looked up to the disheveled Asia, then to the nurse, "Help Griselda first, please."
The blond healer who had already decided to do so, nodded vigorously. The nurse quickly made her way towards the injured exorcist, who showed no signs of pain. Instead, Griselda only gave him a leveled look. He ignored it. He waved a hand towards his barrier, finally dispelling it.
Irina, finally seeing the barrier dissipate, rapidly approached him.
SLAP
Issei allowed his face to turn with Irina's bruised hand.
"You idiot! I didn't—"
"Young Shidou," Irina's tearful gaze ripped itself from his being, "come here." The Sword master patted the space besides her.
"Yes, Sister Quarta..."
Griselda's sharp gaze watched the girl kneel beside her. Satisfied with that, she raised her gaze back onto Issei. "You too, Hyoudou," she patted the other side.
He nodded, welding his eyes shut before kneeling besides Asia, who watched the ordeal from the corners of her eyes. The sheltered nun neither knew what to if she should say anything... it was her first time in an uninitiated combat zone during combat. But she knew friends weren't supposed to fight.
The elder Sister pulled Issei into her bosom. "I've prayed many times over that people like you two will never have to go through this. It's just a fleeting wish, I suppose..." She ruffled Issei's wild hair, "Thank you, Issei Hyoudou."
She felt him stiffen, "I just—"
"You can let it out."
His whole body shuddered, "W-Why?" He wasn't questioning her words, but rather, the devils. Their attire, more importantly. He's never killed a human, whether reincarnated or not...
It was similar to her own "Why" earlier.
"...I don't know..." Griselda hid her wince when Issei wrapped his strong arms around her. Then, her line of sight shifted back to Irina, who began burying herself in guilt once more. The Sword master reached for Irina's hand, the one she used to slap Issei. "I understand it was unfair of him, but he was really scared."
"But..." Was she not allowed to be afraid for him as well?! She literally watched on uselessly as he was blasted against his own barrier. It cracked against his body whereas her enhanced strength could do nothing to it.
"There's no question that he's much stronger than you or even Xenovia, dear." The [First Saint] pulled Irina's head beside Issei's, brushing a hand through her untouched hair. "Hah, he fell asleep, but refused to cry... Just how strong is he?"
She paused to let her words sink into Irina. "Did you know he's the type to always be on edge? I don't think he sleeps much with all his twitching I see from him..." Irina didn't say anything as she thought about how easily he sl—No, she hadn't seen him sleep. It was her who practically passed out upon hitting the bed. Her heart dropped. She had even selfishly decided to wake him up.
It didn't occur to her that in this case, it was the excitement of just being with her.
"For someone his age, he must've been through something truly heartbreaking." Irina felt her eyes water, but the suddenly motherly Sister continued undeterred, "He needs you more than he'd like to admit, Irina. This one time please forgive him." All the while, her slender hands brushed through both their mixed-matched brown locks.
Irina's amethyst eyes, peeking over Griselda's breast, met her mentor's azure eyes.
The teenager gulped. "I used to be stronger and faster than Issei. He was just a—" she bit down the exact word her mentor had used to describe him, "a civilian. My previous mentor said it best to cut off all contact with him, so I did... I should be asking for forgiveness instead." Never mind the fact, she dared to raise a hand to an Angel. That fact she hid behind her determined look. "Now, he's shining so bright. I need to catch up."
"And you will, or am I wrong?" The older woman's expression seemed to say, 'I'm never wrong.'
"N-No, I will get stronger."
There was a small smile on the elder's lip, "Indeed." She pulled Irina back into her bosom, "I had made sure this place was safe but asking others but clearly, the information was all wrong. I fear there's even more defectors." The devil-nuns wouldn't go unremembered. "While it's not completely my fault, I still ask for forgiveness as well."
"Y-You're of no fault, Sister Griselda!"
At that, said exorcist gave a small chuckle before glancing to her legs. The nurse who had left to get some supplies was now wrapping her legs with bandages. The blond user of [Twilight Healing] was catching her breath.
"Thank you both as well."
" "Thank you, Sister Quarta!" "
Said woman closed her eyes. "Irina?" There was a small sound of affirmation, "I do have two requests. I need you to stay alert and to wake Issei at any sign of danger." Her legs were already feeling better. While it was possible for her force herself to walk, it might come with unforeseen consequences.
She, as powerful as she was, was but human. The night before she spent prodding Xenovia for information on the boy and preparing for the next article and video for her bi-daily schedule.
She hadn't expected uncovering a kidnapped Holy Maiden nor fairly strong Devil-nuns of all kinds of Devils. The "angel" her younger sister met in the forest that killed the beast had reinforced the fact that there were strong people at work. And so, she decided to focus solely on their training. Even going as far as to seal herself two nights before so she wouldn't hurt Irina unnecessarily. As the young Shidou learned under her, she would release her seals.
Xenovia, on the other hand, was used to the bruises and brushes with death. However, it wouldn't be fair to compare the two.
"I- I need to rest for a bit." Irina was released from her hold.
"Of course, Mentor Quarta! Leave it to me!"
...
A ping resounded through her dreams.
'Xenovia!'
Surprising the girls, one of which was still working on her legs, the swordmaster shot up. Her hand that was still holding Issei waved over him, washing a miracle over him. He wouldn't waking up any time soon unless she allowed it. She tossed him over her left shoulder. Through the ordeal, the boy twitched only once.
If he was a normal trainee, she wouldn't be so lenient. Especially since he was a temporary addition and one made on the whims of her fellow Saint, "Underground Saint Shidou." She assumed the second part at least. She could understand why he would expedite the chain of command for Issei though.
The strongest Nun of the Church felt her first step wobble. By her second, she showed no sign of weakness. "Come. We need to relocate to the inn; Xenovia is in trouble."
The three girls nodded.
She ignored the surprise cry of the nurse, who was tossed over her other shoulder. "Irina, carry the Holy Maiden!"
"Y-Yes!"
The girl ended up holding the flustered blond in a bridal hold, aided by a concealed, weightless miracle from the swordmaster. As stated before, Irina's speed was one not to be underestimated for her age. Griselda would rely on it.
"Good. I hope you can keep up, dear." As they ran, the First Saint of the Modern Age relayed her plan. "I will 'switch' with Xenovia, leaving both of you to protect these three, okay?"
"Yes!"
Through it all, an area above her nether regions panged with a phantom pain that served as a reminder worse than any pain she felt before. It was something that drove her to become a nun (different from warrior-nun), the strongest or even the Blessed Nun of the Storm people would say.
"—You cannot bear children."
She refused to let her next step to falter at the memory. Instead, she released two seals out of seven that lay still hidden across her back. It would be time to get serious; training was over, and the wellbeing of her charges took precedence. With just two seals deactivated, her divine presence and energies started to trickle from her. However, it was only noticeable if Griselda stayed put for a few minutes. It would gather and visibly cloud the area. Otherwise, it didn't relay her presence unless one was sensitive to it or actively searched for. Given that the devils seem to brainwash humans (she hoped) in such a way to bypass her passive inhuman scouter, they might be. It was a chance she'd take.
The ping echoed once more.
Her dear sister needed her.
She hoped Xenovia would survive long enough like the day the foolish girl decided to train alone after being told not to. Her younger sister was lucky there was some wandering exorcist culling the forest.
Griselda refused to believe the outrageous claim that an Angel revealed themselves to Xenovia. Noting it mentally as something the blue-haired girl made up, feeling embarrassed. Like, a dog eating her homework.
She, however, was blind to Issei's leaking divinity.
"...Arrgh..."
Issei froze mid-stretch at the sound of Asia's unfamiliar voice. "Oh, good evening, Ise!"
His eyes flew open, "E-Evening?!"
The weight on his legs shifted before it- she groaned, "Ise, it's too—" Irina's frame shot up, before bowing at his bedside, "I- I'm so sorry for slapping you, Ise..."
The slap hadn't hurt physically as it did mentally. But he could understand her frustration with him, to a degree. He hadn't mean to undermine her drive and strength by shielding her. He simply couldn't stomach seeing Irina nor anyone he knew intimately in pain. Not again. At his many thoughts, his left arm throbbed, turning his emotions into dragon energy. "I forgive you." He patted her head, lightly. "A-Ah, I'm sorry, too..."
Irina surprised him with a hug. "You have nothing to sorry for Ise." Feeling him return it, she giggled. She couldn't help it! Hugging him just... felt so elating. And, she missed it greatly. Her giggles reverberated through him. The feeling was reminiscent of when he felt Irina's soul but this time, he felt it physically. It caused him to giggle right along.
Iri-chan's giggles are always contagious...
Unbeknownst to him, his left arm was no longer throbbing.
Meanwhile, Asia was trying her hardest to force her sneeze down. Crinkling her nose cutely in every which way, she slammed her eyes shut, held her breathe. Nothing was working...
'O-Oh no!'
"Chu!" Her eyes widened as she flushed harshly at their frozen figures, "U-Uwa- Sorry!"
Suddenly, two pairs of hands held hers, "Thank you for your hard work." Irina's amethyst eyes peered into her moss green eyes. In each other, they both liked what they saw, smiling at one another.
'What a beautiful soul...'
"Good evening, friend!" She looked up to Issei's smiling eyes, which she was sure was previously brown... but were currently emerald.
The girl withheld the urge to hold her still heating cheeks with her hand that she just noticed was in a boy's hand. "U-Uh, good evening- a-again I guess, I-Ise." At her mistake, she averted her eyes, shyly, unsure if she should draw her hands away.
...S-So cute...
The two trainees glanced at one another. As Irina's eyes turned away, they twinkled, "How is it to be the 'Holy Maiden?'" She thought she'd be less nervous if the blond talked about herself...
"E-Erm..." The girl shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She didn't know where to begin nor what she could say.
"A-Ah, did I ask something insensitive?"
"N-No! –Err, sorry, I just..." The Nun really tried to keep eye contact with Irina but to avail. However, in averting her gaze, she met Issei's and his smile. He gave a small nod. "T-, There's a lot to say?" She offered, meekly.
"We have all day! W-Well, I mean, if you don't mind telling us about yourself."
"I don't mind," pumping a mental fist up at her lack of stuttering, she continued with the added confidence that only trickled in continuing, "if you t-tell me about you..."
Once more the exorcist-in-training shared a look and gaze. Irina's joyous personality infected them all. "Of course!"
After all, Asia could feel the smile on her lips. "Well..."
- :|: - Late Night : Issei - :|: -
Standing ahead of Issei, his best friend stood, hands clasped together behind her. "W-Well, this is it, Irina..."
"Mhm, Issei..." The way the words rolled off his tongue made his skin tingle.
"I-Irina?"
...
"Issei? Psst Issei?"
His nose crinkled at the offending object touching it–until realized he was suddenly brought out of his sleep. However, the familiar smell made his reaction much more docile.
Irina watched her childhood recoil harshly into his pillow behind him. It would've been if not for the near vice grip on her wrist. However, unconsciously, he had released her while blinking up at her in question. Perhaps, Sister Griselda was onto something... The ugly feeling of guilt enflamed her core again. She hid in behind her back, ignoring the pain and brushing off the guilt for it wasn't her fault, like Griselda said. Instead, she would smile. "Good morning, sleepyhead!" It was part of her that Issei was always looking out for.
His cheeks went warm at the sight of Irina, "U-Uh, good morning."
Her false smile widened slightly seeing him advert his eyes. Although, she could feel her cheek grow warm at the implications. Her dad already gave her the talk and made sure she knew to watch out for boys, even if she was already stronger than most of them. She wasn't blind to them or the growing jealousy from other girls her age... which was why she requested to join the mentorship program. Unlike them, Issei wouldn't stare or ogle at her budding body in her loose-fitting tank top and soft pajama shorts.
She ignored her embarrassment, "Sorry to wake you..."
"It's okay." The last memory of his dreams returned to him.
To Irina, she thought the darkening of his blush was due to one of the straps falling over her shoulder.
"It's just that you're leaving tomorrow, right?" The girl got a nod and she continued as she pulled shirt back over her slim shoulder, "I wanted to show you something on the roof- if you mind."
The boy slipped off the covers and shot to his feet, "Oh sure!" Immediately, he took her wrist and dragged her off in such an Issei-like manner Irina couldn't help but giggle even if stifled. Even if through the pain. It helped that he joined her in her quieted laughter.
Suddenly, he came to a stop ahead of her. As he turned to her, his other hand came up to his cheek, "I don't know how to get to the roof." That fact slipped her mind too. Again, she couldn't stop the giggle bubbling up her throat. "I-It's not funny." It only worsened the laughter she was struggling to contain.
"Pfft, sorry sorry," she totally wasn't sorry, "It just reminded me of our first sleepover."
"Oh geez, that was so long ago," Issei paused, as Irina took the lead. "We're so old..."
"Hehe, we're not! You're not even like the same height as Papa!"
"W-Well, he's actually super tall, you know!"
"Well—yea, you got me there."
"It's been like seven years and four months. I know cuz I counted as I waited for a letter back besides that one..." The hand holding his tightened. The physical contact between them changed. He didn't mean to make her sad. "Uh, sorry?"
"I'm sorry, Ise..." As guilty as he felt for the current atmosphere, it did feel nice to hear an apology at her silence through the years. He decided not to question her about it. However, he didn't know what to say now.
The rest of the way to the roof was as silent as it was uneventful.
Once the pair made it there, Irina took a seat upon the tiles and patted next to her. Without a thought, he joined her. Although, unlike her, he lay back, washing his glowing gaze over the night sky. Because that, he missed her rubbing her wrist. Seeing the movement of her arms, he thought she was instead fiddling with her fingers. Something like a nervous habit, he supposed.
"My instructor, before Sister Quarta, was really really strict and told me that only becoming a nun mattered... My dad didn't like her, but I told him not to worry and that I could handle myself. I think I got pretty strong because of her. I'm not using it as an excuse." She turned her whole body to face him, still hiding the wrist from view. Her tearful gaze, unlike the one from earlier that day, met his glowing eyes, "I really missed you a lot." She bowed. It was so deep her forehead touch the tiles besides him, "I'm sorry, Issei."
He bit his lip. He had almost responded to it immediately, brushing it off. He had gotten over it by promising to himself to see her again. But to brush it off would undermine her heartfelt apology and emotions, those of which he understood were under lock and key before he came. While it seemed like an hour had passed in silence, it was but a few seconds before he decided.
He pulled her into his chest, his arms holding her very loosely, "You have no excuse now, do you?" Her head shook side-to-side against him. "I forgive you."
There was no hiccups or heavy sobs as his pajama shirt became wet against his chest. To it, he said nothing; just holding her still.
His arms allowed her to leave him, "S-Sorry about your shirt." Although, immediately, goosebumps trickled onto her skin. It was rather chilly out. Her cheeks reddened at her next thought.
And, Issei is always warm...
His warm hand suddenly latched against her wrist. Her eyes widened—she had forgotten! "A-Ah, this is just..." He didn't respond to her words, focusing his piercing gaze on the purple skin. Shortly after, the warmth from his hand expanded, encasing her bruised wrist.
"Sorry."
"It's okay, really, Issei." She held his hand between both of hers, "Don't beat yourself up for something you can't control." He seemed to freeze at her words.
"...Okay."
She clapped both his cheeks, "Let's finally get to the thing I wanted to while up here!" The playful smile on her lips tugged a tiny bit wider at the sight of his smaller one.
"Okay!" The boy went to rise, but she pushed him back down, which was actually harder than she thought it would be for two reasons. The first was that without even trying he was actually just as strong as she was. And the second...
Oh my days, his abs...
She was a growing teen girl after all.
The purple-eyed girl hadn't noticed it earlier. While forcing him down, she lost the concentration needed to draw the strength to do so, thinking her cheek-reddening thoughts. Ultimately, it was Issei who let her force her down. However, she wouldn't and didn't let the disparity of their strength get to her. She was passed that now.
She lay next to him, "I learned a lot about the stars..."
Issei hid his grimace. Gabriel had taught him about them too. "Me too."
"Oh- Oh, right." She had forgotten she was speaking to an Angel. Her amethyst eyes widened suddenly and her whole face flushed. She had essentially felt up and seduced an Angel! "Oh no-"
A forehead met hers.
"Irina, is something wrong?" Thankfully, he was as oblivious as he was socially awkward (won't always be that way). That fact brought up a fond memory, one that would never fail to make her laugh. And laugh she did. "Eh?" The physical contact between them flooding him with her emotions once more.
"Sorry- I just-"
And so, they shared their memories, the old and new, the good and bad, and reconnected even further. On her wrist, the Excalibur fragment glowed very dimly, absorbing the leaking from Issei and their emotions.
[Tuesday]
"Bye everyone!"
" "Bye Issei!" " The Shidou Family waved him off as the winds of his beating great wings lifted him.
Over it all, Irina could still make out a "I'll miss you!"
At that, she mouthed it back, refusing to yell it back in front of her parents. It would be too embarrassing to do so in front of her parents... even if she would eventually tell them what happen and what didn't happen between them. She knew he saw it because he was always watching over her in their time together.
'Ugh, that means, Mommy's gonna know I kissed hi—'
...
If possible, the smile was widener than the one he had coming to see Irina.
[Remember, go seek Gabriel]
'Yup!' There was relative silence as he raced through the afternoon sky.
Until, Ddraig spoke up once more.
[I've been busy fixing our connection... Apparently, one major problem is that you haven't completely matured yet? Maybe, it has to do with your Angelic physiology.]
'I see. Thank you for your hard work!'
That explained why he was sleeping so much, the boy supposed.
The dragon only grunted at the honest gratitude. Gabriel, Issei's parents and himself still haven't mentioned how hard he worked to keep him alive. The ancient creature preferred it that way.
Nevertheless, it was humbling to have the child thank him.
.
[:|Lovely Angel|:]
.
Aes: Long A/N, a little over 1k words. Most of it is explanations for the story that I'm not sure I'll fit in later without awkwardly forcing it in... like anime/manga/LNs I'd still watch and read despite being basic trash.
Sorry to make you wait. I kinda want to restart this story, but if I had decided to do so, I probably won't ever get to it until another year or so to be honest. Instead, I might overhaul the previous chapters in a soft reboot. Or not and just keep moving forward with better quality.
Honestly, I forgot I gave Issei four pairs of wings. I thought I gave him two pairs, three at most before I reread. Holy shit, he's a monster at the age of fourteen.
Should I add Freed's "sister" into the harem? I like how I had an OC sister for Freed before she was announced... I guess I was onto something, lol.
Warrior-nuns: are training nuns who decide to give themselves up to battle. They are above typical exorcist in terms of status but below someone deemed as a High-Lord Paladin. Unlike the typical exorcist, their Nun training makes more susceptible to greater Holy energies. They aren't as sexually constraining as being a typical Nun since passing on their genes of those who survive the battlefield after many years (tradition) is important. Falling and staying in love tends to be the hard part, which is why its deemed improper. Nevermind going against one of the rules of being a Nun.
Sword Maidens: are women with high sword affinity and progressed through training that only sword masters usually undertake to get where they are. Often, they're disciplines of a sword master, surpassing them greatly in their primes. They rival even the strongest of Angels. Their male counterparts are called "Sword Saints" not to be confused with Sword Saints of other religions/factions. They're often so rare that only two (Sword Maiden and/or Sword Saint) tend to live in the same lifespan.
Griselda Quarta: is of the 11 nuns who became a saint with a title. Having one puts her on the level of historic True Saints, unlike Vasco Strada, a modern True Saint (ironic because their age difference). She's known as a sword master/mistress, the"Blessed Nun of the Storm," "The First Saint" of the modern age, by those in high positions in the church, and the "Ultimate White Nun" by her enemies. She, like Issei, is shackled with seals as a way to hide her near-divine presence that leaks from her hallowed human body. She lacks Strada's experience to withhold her overwhelming presence. Unlike those in high positions similar to hers, she knows how to use the internet. She usually uploads bi-daily articles and videos.
(I'm not sure if DxD ever stated her age but I may be aging her on the younger)
Saints: are those revered by the people. So much so, they gain power from prayers of others, similarly to Angels, Gods or religions as a whole. Most historic saints are True Saints based on their continued relevance. Modern True Sainthood is a status given by the Vatican and is mostly an act to spread their name/title and inspire others. Thus, it also serves to increase their power in a minor Holy (Spirit) Awakening, boosting the recipient's power. Though, this is possible without the ritual. Griselda is the first in hundreds of years for that to happen. They are the closest to an Angel as reverence continually changes their bodies. She is nearly the equivalent of a Super-Devil for the church, and currently matched by only two others in the church.
(Yes, if the church wasn't so conservative, they would've taken the world by storm with idols. This also serves to convey just how popular Griselda is and why Irina was so excited to meet her and Xenovia. Omake?)
Holy Energies: why not just "energy?" Unlike demonic/devil magic/energy (closely related), there were many ways to obtain Holy Energy that do not combine as one to empower but rather work together towards a goal. As an Exorcist, they draw from themselves, their prayers and often times with foci/conduits which can "bend" the light. Variable such as purity and the energy's duty, determine the strength. A much more restricting system compared to the devil's, more flexible than the Magician's mathematical systems but less numeral in uses. It favored those of pure heart like Asia. It was so rare in fact that Asia's affinity for the system was the secondary reasoning to make her into the youngest True Modern Saint, which officially announced her as the "Holy Maiden" to the world. An angel's holy Spirit energy is different as all their energy gained from prayers or natural regeneration is filter through their body and turned into one unique color. Griselda is one of the few who can replicate this.
His Dragon Arm: is something he got "off-screen," and an indication of another traumatic event. With the lack the calming presence of home and of constant exposure to Gabriel, after just nearly two days, it's power would accumulate to massive proportions with his unadulterated emotions which is seen to be in constant flux. The throbbing was due to constant suppression of it and his affinity for being dragon-like in nature (in canon that was explained with his lust; here in "greed"). It was something I was supposed to introduce in an earlier chapter. That was my bad. This filters his negative emotions, and the other thoughts that would otherwise make him fall. But even this "filter" isn't perfect.
(I had almost written a scene with Irina draining it similar to Akeno's lewd scene before I remembered their age and the rating lol which was too bad cuz I thought it was really cute... in a sensual way I guess)
Anything else you deem important enough for explanation? I won't answer if it's too much of a spoiler or if its plan is to be explained later in detail. I hope I haven't completely butchered anything...
In the future, I might bump up the rating though, not just cuz "vanillas."
Hopefully, this chapter was up to par to, if not better than, the previous chapters. I'm testing a few things while I write. I was actually shooting for 14k words for this chapter, but I lost a lot of steam and decided yall waited long enough... Sorry if all the negativity (or something) in this chapter was a little off-putting, to say the least. This should be the last of most of it!
Next chapter: Some of the stuff I cut out of this chapter from Irina, Xenovia and/or Griselda's POV. A bit of Xenovia and Irina adventures (with a hint of Asia and Mittelt) without Issei and another time skip before I start the next act, a year before canon.
Edits:
Reviews:
gamor4: yes, if you still wish to. I wouldn't mind. And that also goes for anyone else as well. All I really did was toss up an idea with a certain pairing in mind and formulated how that idea would come into fruition after writing smut, lol.
EquippedSword99: Thank you for the praise! Even if I don't really agree to it... I actually did start this chapter because of the season but couldn't bring myself to do much more than 500 words with the lack of quality (in my opinion) and irl troubles during the time.
Guest/Not-Quite-Flamer: Haha, sorry for the cringy "lyrics." To give a little insight/spoiler, it was in Issei's thoughts towards Sariel about another angel. I was a little (much.. edgier(?) and 100% cringy back then. Like with all the badly added weeb-talk I drenched some of the earlier chapters with...
Guest/has LN recommendations: Thank you for the kind words and recommendation! After I wrote that chapter, I had actually drowned myself in reading. Taking up writing was a way to cope with the lack of reading material and games and I had an interest of the English language when I was younger... Can you guess why I'm suddenly back?
Thank you all for the support. I still can't believe this is one of my most popular stories even if dead for a few years.
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