The arrival: they are not the only ones who have appeared
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"Remember this and remember it well: no matter the adversities, no matter the enemies, as long as you remain steadfast, no one will be able to defeat you, for he who has willpower will always be the strongest."
He remained calm as he watched people walking through the park. It was a dream, mixed with an old memory, until she opened her eyes, realizing she had fallen asleep during the journey to Japan, now seeing the night lights illuminating the ground from the plane.
"It's good that you're awake, we're almost there," —Irina said softly, her usual positivity shining through—. "I received an updated message. Apparently, this is a bit more serious than we thought."
She simply bowed her head, seeming hesitant to say what remained unsaid.
"Irina, what do you mean by more serious?"— Xenovia asked, her eyes narrowing as she looked seriously at her friend. —"Were they hiding information from us?"
"Not at all," —she responded with a hint of doubt, pulling out her phone and showing the message—. "This is what it says."
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Some informants indicate that there has been an increase in relic thefts from Shintoism, specifically in the area of Japan where you're headed. We will send two more exorcists to join the three of you. Your companion is already in Japan, though we haven't been able to contact him. Please, do not act rashly.
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Xenovia calmly looked at the message before watching the device's screen go black. She gently massaged her face with her right hand, then let out a soft sigh.
"Well, there's no use lamenting. All we can do is wait for the others and hope our companion is still alive,—" she said, recalling what had happened to her brother and the near-death experiences she had endured during her three years of training. —"Remind me, Irina, we need to take a train, right?"
"That's right, we'll arrive in Shibuya and then take a train to Ochita (Kuoh). The train is faster, so at most, it will take an hour or two,—" Irina explained, sounding like some kind of scientific genius discussing an interesting topic—. "I can't wait to see Issei-kun!"
As the minutes passed, they watched the plane slowly descend until they finally landed. Fortunately, they weren't carrying any luggage. However, when they arrived at the airport, no one was waiting for them. This felt strange, and Xenovia's sharp eyes immediately became wary. Slowly, both began walking toward the nearest train station. They had to catch a train to Shibuya, from which they would continue to their destination. As they walked through the streets toward the station, they noticed the curious looks from passersby—exorcists in Japan were an unusual sight, especially ones cloaked in white robes concealing their battle gear. Xenovia's sword, wrapped in bandages and conspicuously large, only added to the attention.
[-The next station is Shibuya-]
A woman's voice came from somewhere on the train, announcing the next stop. Moments later, the train came to a halt. Both got off and walked toward the exit stairs, ready to walk once again, this time in the bustling city of Shibuya.
"Wow, it's beautiful!"— Irina exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she looked around the vibrant city, teeming with people, screens, and all sorts of technology—. "I didn't think Japan would change so much while I was away."
They stopped for a few moments, taking in the splendor of Shibuya, a place uniquely different from parts of Europe and even other regions of Japan.
"Can we eat there?"— Irina pointed to a restaurant named Rogamasteak Arcanum —. "We have enough funds, and if my calculations are right, we'll have just enough time to eat for an hour and still catch the last train."
Xenovia gave her a serious look, but Irina, with puppy-dog eyes, tried to convince her. The blue-haired girl turned her head, trying not to give in to the temptation of those pleading eyes.
Slowly, Xenovia's resolve began to falter, her face softening until she finally sighed in defeat.
"Fine, fine,"— she relented, and both entered the restaurant, which looked quite expensive yet traditional—. "I want an Okonomiyaki."
Seated at a table, they glanced over the menu. Xenovia placed her order with the waiter, and Irina followed suit. After the waiter left, they found themselves staring at each other in silence.
"It was around this time, wasn't it?"— Irina asked, her tone more serious than usual—. "When he did that, right?"
Xenovia lowered her head, visibly tired, her eyes swelling with tears. Even after three years of mental and physical fortification, the pain remained. The sadness, the anger, it all built up again, especially since that day was only a week away—three years since it had all happened.
"I know it hurts, what happened that day, but you have to keep moving forward. For Sister Griselda, for yourself. And don't forget, I'll always be here for you,"— Irina reassured, walking over to give her best friend a gentle hug as Xenovia cried in her arms—. "Don't worry, I'll be here for you."
They stayed like that for a few minutes until the food finally arrived. Irina returned to her seat, and they both began eating. True to the city's reputation, the food was delicious. They enjoyed their meal and, after paying, headed out to the nocturnal streets of Shibuya, walking toward the train station, watching people chat and seeing young groups having fun.
"His name is Xenerōs Quarta,"— Xenovia said softly, smiling as she finally revealed her brother's name to Irina—. "Don't forget it, in case you ever hear it."
Irina took a moment to process the information as they waited for the train.
"Why does he have the last name Quarta?"— she asked curiously—. "It sounds feminine."
Xenovia smiled more broadly, a rare, sincere smile after such a long time.
"Quarta is Sister Griselda's last name. When she adopted us as our legal guardian, we automatically took her name. Although, my brother sometimes introduced himself as Cuásar,"— Xenovia explained as the train tracks lit up, and moments later, the train arrived, stopping to let them board—. "Remember, he's stronger than I am… or at least he was when he was fifteen."
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First-Person Perspective: Xenovia
I don't like crying because it always reminds me of the weakness I felt when I couldn't protect Sister Griselda from my brother. But I couldn't hold it in anymore and collapsed. Thankfully, Irina was there to comfort me—she's my best friend, the only person who has been able to support me through this, aside from Sister Griselda.
As I watch the darkness outside the window, I see us moving on the train. I don't like talking about my brother, or even mentioning his name, but I had to tell her so she could be cautious if she ever hears it. I don't want her to worry about me anymore. I trained for three years, nearly losing my life multiple times. How many times did I have to tear my own muscles so they would heal stronger? How many times was my body covered in wounds? How many limbs were destroyed, only for me to restore them with sacred power to prove I could get stronger? I won't let him win. My brother was a monster and an expert at wielding sacred power.
But I still don't understand why the one hailed as the strongest exorcist of his time betrayed the Church, betrayed his family, and yet could still keep that smile on his face.
A man with abnormal strength, a master of sacred swords, capable of wielding the second most powerful sacred sword, Durandal, and an unknown Sacred Gear user. How could he do all that and still appear kind?
But those words still haunt me—what he saw, what he endured. Is there something I still don't understand?
[-The next station is Ochita-]
This time, the voice of a man was heard. Glancing to the side, I saw my friend Irina asleep.
"Hey!"— I began shaking her shoulder to wake her—. "Don't fall asleep, we've arrived."
I scolded her gently as we walked off the train and made our way to the station's exit. There, I saw what looked like a small town or, rather, a modest city with a somewhat old yet traditional appearance.
"This is where I used to live,"—Irina said, smiling as she looked at the city illuminated by the lights of homes. It was still night, but though it was late, perhaps we could still find the house of her old friend—."Come on, Xenovia."
Unable to contain herself, Irina started running, and I had no choice but to follow. She was fast, but the new me was even faster.
We ran for a few minutes until we arrived at a small house that exuded warmth. Irina knocked twice, and the door was opened by two middle-aged adults who looked at her with surprise.
"Hi, I'm Irina Shido. It's been a while,"— she said, pulling down the hood that was part of her Church vestment, meant to hide her face—. "Is Issei-kun home?"
Somehow, Irina managed to chat with them, and they even invited us inside. She seemed to know them well, but I remained quiet, unfamiliar with them. After a few minutes, someone else entered the conversation. The door opened to reveal a young man with brown hair,
--
I could see how the boy seemed confused until my companion, Irina, pulled out an old photograph from her clothing. I had already seen it before; apparently, the photograph had been taken by her father when they were still children.
When the boy recognized the photograph, he looked surprised to realize that Irina was actually a girl, which made me chuckle slightly. This caused him to look at me.
"I'm Xenovia, it's a pleasure to meet Irina's friend,"— I said, extending my right hand towards him, which he shook in return —. "It was nice meeting you, but we have to go; we have some things to do."
"But Xenovia,"— I saw how my companion pouted, but this time I wasn't going to give in. —"We need to find a good place to stay, so we can't waste any time. Remember, it's already late."
She seemed to understand for a moment, so we had to say goodbye to the nice people who were the boy's parents. However, there was something strange about the boy that I didn't like.
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Another place
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A blonde woman with glasses was brutally hitting what seemed to be a monster with such force that blood splattered, and the monster's head exploded into a mess of flesh.
"It seems there aren't any interesting opponents in this damned town, and they don't even have any information on what I'm looking for,"— she said while casually cracking her neck—. "I hope this place gets interesting, or I'm going to have to beat the hell out of Yuuki."
She lit a cigarette, casting some light in the abandoned warehouse.
She was Yusurija Kintoki, a descendant of the Japanese hero Sakata no Kintoki.
"So it was you I sensed. I can still feel that dark essence within you that runs through your family,"— a young woman dressed in traditional Chinese clothing appeared from the shadows, smiling kindly—. "It seems you've picked up the bad habit of smoking."
When Yusurija turned her head, she frowned, irritated to see the woman so close.
"Xuanzang Mei? What are you doing here, and more specifically, in my territory, Japan?"— Yusurija said angrily, practically shouting at the woman while pointing at her—. "The last time I saw you, I told you I'd kill you if we crossed paths again."
"Calm down, there's no need for us to fight each other. I overheard part of your monologue, and it seems we're on the same mission. Apparently, we're not the only ones; it seems doves from the Church have arrived too,"— she spoke softly, referring to the Vatican envoys as doves, as they always dressed in white and were beautiful creatures that she liked—. "It seems we've had some thefts by the crows."
Yusurija narrowed her eyes at her while an axe, seemingly made of various metals, appeared in one of her hands.
Author's note: Small introductory chapters for what is coming, And for those wondering, indeed some aspects and even some characters from the Fate franchise will be added, but I will do it in such a way that it is consistent with the story.
Yusurija Kintoki: https/pin.it/5KHxKi2XU
Xuanzang Mei: https/images.app.goo.gl/MkSHbJu58WQUWiJT8