It was unusual for the branches of the Abrahamic Faiths to be gathered in one room. Most of the branches would try to tear each other's throat out but for now that was not the case. There was something far more sinister afoot and all of them were united in a single purpose. Around a perfectly circular table, there sat various heads of religious institutions and two Angels sat at the very head of it.
Bea stood behind one of them, biding her time as the room erupted into cries of outrage and fear.
The data Klein had sent her about the attack had her worried for the first time in a long time. Sure, she had been worried about a few things since then but they were all minor annoyances. This was the first time she had felt genuine worry since that day.
Her red eyes stared into the surveillance footage as it replayed over and over again.
The mutilated, mangled corpses of the Exorcists guarding the facility containing Excalibur Transparency. Each one of them ripped apart and violated as if a wild animal had torn its way through the facility in an attempt to escape.
"This is unacceptable! Lord Michael, we must do something about this! These attacks— Valper! He must be stopped! He has gone too far!" one of the Priests from one of the Protestant denominations said. The rolls of fat under his chin jostled and his snappy business suit barely contained the amount of lard he hid on his body.
"As if people like you care," an Orthodox Nun scoffed. "People like you only rip money from your flock. What was it one of your own say about why he uses his flock's money to buy a private jet?"
The obese man scoffed and sat back down, clenching and unclenching his fists.
"I do have to agree," another man said. An elderly priest with a body that belonged to a bodybuilder 60 years his junior. He looked up at the two Angels seated at the very head of the table. "We cannot allow this to stand. We've already lost three facilities to Valper and his allies. If this continues, I fear that he may be bold enough to send someone to attack the Church directly. Lady Uriel, Lord Michael."
Bea's eyes drifted down to Uriel, who had her eyes closed. She brushed aside her long blonde hair, eyes opening revealing deep pits of green that radiated divine power on a scale none of the Exorcists could hope to match. She shifted in her seat, causing her black dress to move with her.
"From the information Sophia gathered, that is certainly within the realm of possibility, Vasco," Uriel said, calmly picking up her tablet to swipe through the images to a single recording. "This was done during the mission to apprehend and gather information from Father Marco."
The word "Kokabiel" sent waves through the meeting room.
Cries erupted from the different members of the clergy, who cried that the Fallen Angels were starting a war by invading Church territory. Vasco remained calm, watching as all of his fellow clergymen descended into a blind panic, all of them clamoring to be heard.
"Enough."
A powerful voice ripped through the commotion, causing any and all noises to cease immediately. The Angel next to Uriel, Michael, stood up from his seat.
"We are not here to panic like mice. Uriel, do you have updates on our current situation?" Michael asked.
"Of course. As of now, Excalibur Rapidly, Nightmare, and Transparency have been taken. Valper appears to have moved them from Italy," Uriel replied. "While Sophia and her team gathered information on motives and Valper's possible allies, we've been tracking the fragments. This is how we determined the facility where Transparency was being held was attacked by none other than Freed Sellzen and a woman in a mask."
"Have you determined the location of the fragments, Griselda?" Michael asked, glancing at a nun with silver hair and blue eyes.
Griselda nodded. "Yes, Lord Michael. Valper has fled Italy. I believe they have gotten what they needed—"
"No, they haven't," Bea interrupted.
All eyes fell on her. Bea sighed and answered their collective question. "Project Daybreak."
The entire room went silent. Uriel glanced at Bea, who remained steadfast and calm, even under the Archangel's gaze.
"We employed independent contractors for this. Shinku Faulkner, Contractor of Vivian, acquired this information for us at nearly the cost of his own life. I'm sure I don't need to remind any of you of what the Vermillion Star would do to this place if she found out her brother was killed," Bea said.
The mere mention of the "Vermillion Star" was enough for most of the occupants to almost soil themselves.
"Are you saying Valper is still here for Project Daybreak's details?" Michael asked. His expression was unreadable but Bea could tell there was a storm brewing in the Chief Archangel's mind.
"Only a speculation," Bea said.
"Speculation?" Griselda asked.
"Based on what Father Marco's statements from the reports, I can only speculate that Project Daybreak is… the bargaining chip and that he and Kokabiel employed outsiders to steal the fragments."
The entire room erupted into a clamor once more, all of them expressing their fears and concerns that the enemy had been selling their secrets.
"ENOUGH!" Uriel summoned her sword and slammed it into the ground, sending a wave of heat across the room that silenced the chaos.
Michael, unfazed by Uriel's display of power, rubbed his chin and turned to Bea, his eyes gleaming with interest and concern. "And have you determined what the outsiders want with this information?"
"No. As of right now, I do not. Abbess Maria's results cannot be replicated by conventional means. We all know that of the subjects created by Project Daybreak… only CM-002 and MS-621 inherited Abbess Maria's Miracle Amplification.," Bea said, closing her eyes.
Michael eyed her carefully before looking at Griselda. "Do we have an idea of where the Excaliburs are heading?
Griselda's eyes flicked between Michael and Uriel before nodding. "Yes, we do. Based on their current trajectory… I assume they're heading to Japan."
Vasco crossed his arms. "Japan? There's nothing in Japan except—"
Michael nodded gravely. "That's right. The sisters of the Satan Lucifer and Leviathan."
"So… what level am I?" Ichika asked.
Shin glanced over at the man, Klein, leaning against the wall next to a set of massive double doors. He and Irina were forced to drag Sophia out of the room just as she was about to pore over more recordings. And now, the five, along with Asia and Klein were waiting for the meeting to end.
When Bea said to gather all of them, Shin never expected for them to have to wait 5 hours just to talk to her.
Klein placed a finger on his chin as he gave her a once over.
"Level 22," he replied.
Ichika visibly deflated, causing Irina and Asia to rush to her comfort.
"Come on, Ichi. That man doesn't know what he's talking about. You're way above Level 22."
"Y-Yes, Ichika. I think you're stronger but… isn't Level 22 strong already?"
Klein laughed a little. "My bad, my bad. It's just how my Sacred Gear perceives you."
"Sacred Gear? One that lets you see levels?" Ichika asked.
"Levels is a weird way of putting it. Warning System is a Sacred Gear that lets me get a rough estimate of fighting ability. For me, it displays it as levels and information about what I see. Like for you, you're level 22 and have the Boosted Gear. Or rather a subspecies of it," Klein said.
Ichika's eyes lit up. "What else can it tell you?"
"Well, it can tell me your three sizes—"
Sophia rushed over and slammed her laptop on his skull.
Klein grabbed the top of his head and stumbled back. "Ow! That really hurt, Sophia!"
"Bea told me to hit you if I caught you sexually harassing my friends," Sophia glowered at him, holding her laptop tightly.
The doors suddenly opened and clergymen began to file out. Some of them looked frustrated while others looked as if they didn't care and were just glad to leave. As the high-ranking members of three Monotheistic religions left, Bea walked out, looking more haggard than any of them had ever seen her. She rubbed her temples as the doors closed behind her.
"Sis," Sophia called out.
Bea looked up at her, and the mental fatigue was evident in her eyes.
"Bea, what happened? What do they want to do about the Excaliburs?" Shin asked as the group walked over.
Bea closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I need to talk to Sophia, Irina, and Xenovia. Alone."
Shin raised an eyebrow. "Wait, why not me and Ichika? Don't we have to be there? We're part of this too—"
"You two are done here. Your jobs are over and thus, I see fit to end this partnership on behalf of my superiors. I will send the payment over in a little bit," Bea said.
Shin and Ichika looked at her in stunned silence.
"Wait! What? No! I hired them. Even Mom was—"
"Mother told me we didn't need them anymore. This is a Church issue now," Bea said.
"Well, I don't care what Mom says! Shin and Ichika aren't going! Just because they don't need them doesn't mean I don't! Shin and I have worked together for years! This isn't anything new!" Sophia argued.
"If it is a Church issue, I don't see why Ichika and I can't stay. If it's about the Excaliburs, then you guys sort of need me right? Vivi can track the fragments down—"
"The Church has already located where they're going," Bea said.
Shin stopped talking, his only argument having been shot down before it could even hit.
"The reason Shin and Ichika were here was so you could get help to find Father Marco and now that you've found him, there's no reason for them to stay," Bea turned her attention back to Sophia, who was glaring at her older sister.
"I—"
Bea raised her hand, interrupting her sister. "Don't talk until I'm done talking. I have things to tell you and Irina so keep your mouth shut until I'm done. Now, let's go. I want to talk to you two alone. And get Xenovia, Irina. Meet me in my office at the Inquisition's Headquarters."
Irina nodded and walked off to retrieve Xenovia.
"W-What about us, Shishou? Are Shin and I going back today?" Ichika asked hesitantly. She still hadn't finished her training with Bea and now it was getting cut short.
"Just wait for me, Ichika. I'll explain things to you and Shin later. Now, go get some rest," Bea said.
Shin and Ichika exchanged glances. Not wanting to test the waters with Beatrix, the two nodded and walked away. Sophia huffed angrily, refusing to look her older sister in the eye as Bea gestured for the younger girl to follow.
Shin sat on the ground, legs crossed and eyes closed. The prickly feeling of each individual grain of gravel through the fabric of his pants soon became a non-issue. His breathing came in deep, even rhythms and he felt all unnecessary thoughts fade slowly into the void. The sound of Ichika going through her training soon slowly faded away. The only thing he could hear was the calm stillness of his mind and the soothing sound of Vivi's voice.
"Remember… focus on the image. Draw upon the sea of memories. Imagine it down to its frame and the embellishments that it had. Was it a straight sword? A greatsword? Did it have a foil and epee because it was a rapier?" Vivi said as she guided him through it.
Shin's brow furrowed as he concentrated on the image.
In front of him, a series of pixels began to form a line, tracing the faint image of a sword. For a moment, it seemed as if the sword would come into existence. However, a memory came to the forefront of Shin's mind.
The Masked Woman stood within the blackness of his mindscape. The image of her was so clear that he felt that he could recreate her likeness if he was able to. The woman pulled a black talisman from her sleeve. She held it up, causing streams of blue-violet light to swirl around her.
"「...」"
The light swirled and coalesced into the design of an ever-familiar weapon. That chokuto's name was—
Just then, the swords around him shattered into swirls of blue pixelated lights and faded into nothing. His mind was sent reeling from his sudden break in concentration.
His eyes shot open as he panted.
"Hmmm…" Vivi manifested. Her appearance had changed significantly from her last manifestation. A white and blue dress was draped over her body, with portions that exposed parts of her stomach and chest. Her blue hair had turned silver with blue streaks, flowing down her back.
It had been years since Shin had seen her in this form. Her manifestations either consisted of the twin-tailed variant he was used to or the rare theatrical blue-suited variant with a similar color scheme for the hair.
"You're distracted," Vivi said as she sat in the air before him. "That's not like you. What's on your mind?
"You're in that form. This is… your real body this time, isn't it? Not just avatars you send to check on me," Shin said, looking up at her.
Vivi smiled wryly. "You're dodging my question." Her eyes flicked over to Ichika, who was training intensely with the dummy.
"Bea is sending me and Ichika home," Shin said.
Vivi remained silent.
"She said that this is a church issue now and that Ichika and I didn't need to worry about it anymore. But… something about this is bothering me. It's about how she said it. Bea looked… worried," Shin said.
Vivi sighed and leaned back in the air. She crossed her legs and held her hand out. "Do you remember what Father Marco said about one of Valper's benefactors?"
Shin looked up at her oddly, wondering why she was asking such a question.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"Kokabiel. I believe it might have something to do about him," Vivi said. "Especially if… I'm sensing things correctly."
"Sensing what?" he asked.
"I'll let Beatrix answer that question for you. For now, focus on your training. If what I think is about to happen will happen, you'll need to be on your A-game." Vivi held her arms out, causing swirls of flickering blue pixels to appear in the air before him. "The Authority of a Divine Spirit stems from the root of that I have the right to interfere with the world. I will for it and so it happens. You have barely scratched the surface of the Covenant I gave you. Slacking for four years means you're more behind than I'd like."
"Right, you've explained this to me before. Master explained this to me too," Shin said.
Vivi waved her hand, causing the pixels to coalesce and clump together, forming different weapons. Some of the weapons Shin recognized such as Clarent and Failnacht. Others he vaguely knew about. His eyes settled on one sword in the mix. A lump formed in his throat and he unconsciously reached out for it. Vivi, having noticed this, dispelled the weapons. "At this point, I'd expect you to have more than Clarent, Failnacht, the Orb, and that blade," Vivi said.
Shin sighed and cycled through the weapons he recreated. His eyes rested on one sword in particular. The sword's icy blue scabbard and form gleamed within the light.
"Which sword is that?" Ichika said breathlessly as she walked over. Sweat dripped from her brow onto the ground.
"I haven't used this sword since before Hungary," Shin said, reaching out to hold it. "This was Lancelot's first sword. This was the last sword I made before… I went into semi-retirement."
"Oh," was all Ichika could manage to say.
"Yeah," Shin said as he dispelled the sword and all the other weapons.
"You're going to have to draw that sword again. You can't keep relying on Clarent forever," Vivi said.
"I have Hirume. If anything happens, I can always just summon Hirume," Shin said.
"Shin—"
"I know. I know… Hirume's too dangerous for most situations," Shin said. He closed his eyes and began recreating more weapons. As a myriad of different weapons appeared behind Shin, he opened his eyes to see that sword among them once more.
"The way things are currently unfolding. Kokabiel being involved and now three of the Excalibur Fragments have gone missing, you might have to pull out all the stops for this, including that," Vivi said, eyeing Shin with a worried gaze.
Ichika raised an eyebrow. "That? What is that?"
"You'll need to use her Stigmata—"
"No. No. Absolutely not," Shin said. The lapse in his concentration caused the weapons he was creating to be dispelled. "Using that sword is one thing but using her Stigmata is another!"
"Would you rather have everyone you love die?" Vivi replied.
"No, I'll find another way. I can't…. Vivi, you know what she did! You know why I refuse to use her Covenant!" Shin argued.
"If that were true, then why did you use it when you were at the ball?"
Shin froze. He clenched his fists, biting down on his cheek. "I—"
"Had no choice?" Vivi said.
"..."
"You and I know that Kokabiel is involved. There will be a chance that you will encounter him during this job. You will need everything at your disposal. Especially if you want to protect Ichika. Do you want her to end up like Tala? Or… Mio?" Vivi said.
Shin looked as if he had been struck across the face.
Ichika couldn't keep herself quiet anymore. She stood up and glared at Vivi fiercely. "That was uncalled for! It wasn't Shin's fault—"
"I know it's not his fault. But the sooner he can accept that fact, the sooner he can take that step forward and stop holding himself back," Vivi retorted.
Ichika's jaw tightened. "You can't honestly expect him to just forget what happened."
"I'm not expecting him to. I'm expecting you to stop wallowing in your guilt," Vivi turned back to Shin.
Shin's gaze remained fixated on the sword. He glanced at Vivi, who had a worried yet encouraging look on her face. Shin sighed and dispelled the blades around him before getting up and dusting himself off.
"Shin?" Vivi said.
"I can't… I can't bring myself to use her Authority. It's… too much right now. But using Secace," Shin said, recreating the ice-blue sword in front of him. He held it, feeling a rush of warmth filling him as he held the sword for the first time in four years. "...that I can do."
Vivi sighed, realizing this might be the best she could get. "I'll take it."
Ichika glowered at Vivi, not happy with how she talked to Shin. However, in the end, if Shin was willing to try and move on, she'd support him. "I'm still not happy."
Vivi smiled softly. "I don't expect you to be. But as someone who's lived with their regrets for over a thousand years, I don't want to see what happened to me happen to Shin."
Shin gazed at his Sponsor intently.
"So please… do this one thing for me when you retrieve the fragments of Excalibur," Vivi said.
Shin raised an eyebrow. He had never seen such a look of guilt and regret on her face before.
"Put her back together."
Ichika and Shin stood outside the door to Bea's office. The two had been unceremoniously pulled from their training session downstairs. Ichika tried to dry her damp hair as best she could, having just gotten out of a quick shower. Bea's message had said for them to come as soon as possible and in the few days Ichika had worked with her master, Bea was not fond of people who came in late.
As Shin was about to open the Bea's office, the two heard shouting from behind the door.
"I don't care what you or Mom say!"
"Sophia, calm down and listen to me. I—"
"We can't keep running away from this Bea! It's not what Mama would want! Mama didn't die so you can bury this forever!"
"Sophia… this is more than just—"
"THE HELL IT IS! Screw you, Sis! I won't let you bench me and send these two to die just so we can prioritize some pointy fucking sticks! We all know what that crow wants! That facility, that's where he was being kept, wasn't he!?"
"Sophia… you…"
The door swung open as Sophia stormed out, grumbling beneath her breath. Her jaw was tight and her eyes twisted into a furious glare. She brushed past them, not even acknowledging their presence.
Ichika and Shin blinked. They'd never seen Sophia that angry before. The two looked inside to see Xenovia and Irina sitting awkwardly inside the office. The two looked between the door and the very calm Bea, who sat in her office chair and watched Sophia's retreating back.
"Irina. Xenovia. Go and prepare for the mission. I need to talk to Shin and Ichika alone. And make sure Asia is prepared as well," Bea ordered.
Irina and Xenovia exchanged quick looks. A silent understanding passed between them as they got up.
Irina shot Shin a glance. "It's… not pretty," she said as she passed by Shin.
Shin raised an eyebrow before stepping into the office after Ichika. He closed the door behind him and sat in one of the chairs by Bea's desk.
"What's wrong with Sophia?" Shin asked.
"Not now," Bea said, rubbing her temples. She grabbed her coffee mug and took a sip, only to find it empty. An annoyed look crossed over her features as she set it down.
"Are you sending us home, Shishou?" Ichika asked.
"In a way, yes," Bea said, looking up at her with tired eyes.
"In a way?" Shin echoed.
"Yes. I know Mom gave Sophia the greenlight to bring you and Ichika aboard this job but now this job has taken a turn," Bea said.
"It took a turn when I got stabbed. How much further can it turn?" Shin said.
"A lot further than you can imagine," Bea replied.
A moment of silence passed between the three before Bea began talking again. "I'm not going to sugarcoat this. I was against this mission but it seems that Sophia has her heart dead set on seeing this through to the end, even if it means going behind my back."
Shin and Ichika remained silent.
"Which is why I'm putting you two on as her personal babysitters," she said.
"Eh? Us, babysit Sophia? Usually with me, it's the other way around," Shin said.
Ichika nodded. "Sophia doesn't really need us to babysit her… She's plenty good on her own."
Bea shook her head and folded her hands. "This mission is getting to her… Especially since some aspects of this mission are… getting to her more than she'd like to admit."
"What things?" Ichika asked.
"It's not my place to say. Just know that Sophia and I went through a lot before we got where we were. We lost… a lot of people, our biological mother included," she said. Bea took a cigarette out of her drawer and lit it in front of them. She inhaled and let out a puff of smoke. "Mother wanted to send you two back but what's the point? So I'm putting you two on as the additions. The Traditional Faction wanted to send Dulio but Mother argued that it's unnecessary. Then again, this entire proposal was unnecessary."
"What proposal?" Shin asked.
"Did the Lake Spirit tell you where the Fragments are heading to?" Bea asked, a bit curious as to how much Shin knew.
"She told me that you would tell me," he answered.
Bea nodded. "The fragments are heading to Kuoh."
Shin and Ichika's eyes widened. Ichika stood up abruptly, slamming her hands on Bea's desk with a loud slam. "K- Kuoh!? Why are they going to Kuoh!? Kuoh's a town in the middle of nowhere Japan! There's nothing worth looking into there, much less bringing a Holy Sword!"
"We only have working theories so far… but I can see the gears turning in your head, Shin," Bea said, seeing the contemplative look on Shin's face.
"I have one but… I don't like it," he said.
"What? What is it?" Ichika asked.
"Our working theories are based on their current destination. The higher-ups seem to think this might either be a way to cripple the Church or…"
"War."
Ichika turned to face Shin, who had a dark look on his face. "He wants to start a war."
Bea said nothing more and remained silent.
"I don't want to send my own sister to war but it seems that Sophia is hellbent on seeing this through to the bitter end. It doesn't help that the damn higher-ups are all resolved to send children to die against a monster," Bea said, clasping her hands together. "You two. Do whatever you need to do. Do not let my sister die."
Shin and Ichika turned to face her, nodding in response.
"Five days. You move out in five days," Bea said, standing from her seat. "I'm going to expedite your training, Ichika. Be sure to meet me in the morning at 4 AM. We need to get you ready."
Ichika nodded.
"And Shin. Go find my sister," Bea said.
Shin blinked before nodding. "Where is she?"
"Teutonic Cemetery. She's at the same place as usual."
Shin nodded before looking over to Ichika.
"Go. I'll be fine. Go make sure she's okay."
Shin nodded and left the office.
The Teutonic Cemetery was a place Shin had been to a few times. It was located at the center of the courtyard of the College Teutonico, a pontifical college located on the southeastern portion of Vatican City.
The times Shin had stepped foot within the campus was mostly with Sophia back whenever he had stayed in the Vatican, following jobs that the two took together. Navigating the place was difficult, especially after closing hours. Scaling the walls of the College Teutonico after hours was more difficult than it looked. Trying to avoid the Exorcists who patrolled the college was hard enough with scaling a giant wall that had no places to hide.
He landed silently on the path. The light of the Moon was blocked by the trees grown within the college's courtyard. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the dark before he made his way down a path he had taken a total of 3 times in his life.
After a minute or so of walking, Shin found Sophia standing in front of a white cross-shaped headstone. It was unmarked but Sophia seemed to know who was buried there. He never pried into the identity of the person buried there.
"Did Bea send you?" Sophia asked as she placed another white camellia down on the headstone.
"Was it that obvious?" Shin asked.
"Tell her I'm going. There's nothing she can do to stop me from going on this job," she said.
Shin said nothing and simply stood behind her.
"I'm not going to stop you from going," Shin said softly.
Sophia glanced over her shoulder, wiping away a few tears from her eyes. Shin noticed that she wasn't wearing her gloves like usual. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying.
"But I won't let you do anything stupid like run off to Kuoh by yourself," he added. "I promised Bea that much at least."
Sophia scoffed. "Typical…"
"I'm not going to ask why you're so bent out of shape over this mission. You and I both know to never pry into each other's secrets in this line of work but know that I'm going to be with you all the way on this," he said.
Sophia's gaze softened and she gripped her arm tightly. "You're really bad at comforting girls, you know."
"I know. Ichika tells me that all the time."
Sophia's lips curved into a small smile. "Thanks for not prying. I promise I'll tell you everything—"
"You don't have to," Shin replied, giving her a small smile in return. "I don't want you to feel obligated to tell me anything just to get me to help you."
Sophia's eyes widened slightly and she smiled softly. "But… I really want to tell you after all this is over. I never expected for it to come up during this job. But the past has a weird way of coming back to you."
Shin nodded. "If you really want to."
"I do. I really do. You… deserve to know after getting stabbed," Sophia said with a watery laugh.
"I guess I do," Shin said as he puffed his chest.
"Pfft… thanks. Thanks for not prying into this," she replied. Her soft voice was barely above a whisper but Shin heard it.
"No problem," he said.
"Come on. Let's go. I need to talk to Bea about something and you should probably get back to Ichika," she said, walking toward the gate.
"Hey, wait up!" Shin jogged after her, as the two made their way back into the glowing lights of the Holy See.
Blood had not seen the grounds of the Roman Colosseum for the better part of 2000 years. What used to be a pit where people watched gladiators fight for their lives had been reduced to nothing more than a historical landmark, free of the bloodshed that had plagued it in the days of the Roman Empire. However, now, rather than the chatter of tourists, the Colosseum had been filled with the sound of agonized screams.
It was ironic. The golden lights that shone on the Colosseum's walls in protest of the death penalty were now bearing witness to a merciless execution inside.
A Fallen Angel attempted to crawl away from the assailant. His fingers gripped the gravel but he was quickly pulled back by his wings.
"No, no! Please! I'm sorry— AGGGHHHH!"
The sound of bone slowly being broken off, intermixed with the wet, tearing sounds as flesh and muscle were violently torn, was heard as the Fallen Angel's wings were torn off. It was torn brutally off the back, taking a massive chunk of skin with it.
"You're so loud," she said, throwing the wings to the side. They landed on the gravel with a wet crunch. Blood flowed freely from the stumps. Shards of broken bone lay scattered on the ground. Her violet eyes gazed down on the Fallen's spasming form.
"P-Please…," the Fallen Angel begged, his voice barely above a whisper. He reached for the sky, trying to find a way to escape. "Spare me…"
"Didn't you try to kill me first?" she asked, grabbing a fistful of his hair and pulling him up.
"I was just following orders…," he said. His voice was hoarse from screaming.
"Pretty shit orders if you ask me," she said.
"Please… don't kill me." Tears began to stream down his face as the feeling of impending doom suddenly fell on him. He looked into her violet eyes, trying to see any sense of the humanity he had heard so much about humans. But he saw nothing but the sight of faint amusement and bottomless malice that not even Devils were capable of. "I'll tell you anything…"
"I would've let you do that five minutes ago. I was in a good mood before you all tried to kill me~," she said. Her other hand gently wrapped around his throat. Her fingernails slowly dug into his flesh, breaking past his skin.
The sound of bones being ground to dust echoed through the empty colosseum. The sound resembled the shell of a crab being split open with a shell cracker. She sighed as she dropped the body. She dusted her hands and spared the other corpses a glance. She waved her hand, creating small red watery rifts in the ground. Translucent red hands wrapped around the bodies and dragged them inside, sending them to an unknown location.
She pulled her phone out and dialed a number. "Second. This is Alisa."
"Oh~? Sixth? That was fast. I expected it to last a bit longer than that. Was the exchange successful?"
"No," Alisa said, stepping over the corpse and making her way to one of the exits. "Valper has betrayed us."
The Second went silent for a few seconds before speaking. "I see. It was only a matter of time, I guess. They made off with the fragment, didn't they?"
Alisa ran a hand through her blonde hair and nodded. "Yeah. He sent 5 Fallen Angels to try and kill me. I assume he thought you were going to be here again instead of me," Alisa said as she checked her perfectly manicured nails for blood and dirt.
"And is your little priest toy still with Valper right now?" The Second asked.
"Freed? Yeah, he is. Do you want me to order him to steal the fragments back and kill Valper?" Alisa asked. She made a zipping motion in the air before her, tearing open a crimson rift in space.
The Second's soft laugh of amusement echoed from the phone line. "No. Not now. Let's let them relish in their victory. Plus, I don't think Freed will be able to do much considering Valper has a big backer on his side. But it will all work out, we'll get what we want in the end. Besides, we already have a backup plan just in case. The First's little side mission when we went to go retrieve Excalibur went really well."
Alisa paused before stepping into the portal. "About that, the First said that the Onyx Star was at the facility and the Alabaster Star is in the Vatican. How are you going to get the data? The ones Valper gave us are copies."
"Oh don't worry. I have my ways," she replied in a sickly sweet tone.
Alisa felt a shiver run down her spine. If the Second was going to get personally involved, then that meant people were going to die en masse.
"Oh, and I have direct orders from the top. The Red King, she wants you to go manage our other pet project. Have them be ready to move the moment this is all over, kay~!" The Second said.
Alisa raised an eyebrow. "The Red King wants it?"
"I was surprised myself. She usually lets me handle the day-to-day operations but I guess she's sensed the White Queen's awakening already," The Second said.
"I get it. I'll send word to my other dolls to be ready. I'll head back to Korea in the meantime," Alisa said, before hanging up the phone.
She disappeared into the rift as it closed around her, leaving no trace of her existence save for a few black feathers.
RoyalRain20xx: I hate to break it to you man but it's just bad news on top of bad news. Children being sent off to track down the Excaliburs because sending the top brass is the same as declaring war on the enemy. You know how supernatural paramilitary organizations are, always send the kids to die first. That's a rule of any military organization in anime... ever. It's kind of weird.
As for Ichika bleeding, heh, you'll see those two bleed a lot more to the point where it's almost absurd. At least Shin almost died from getting stabbed multiple times by the Masked Woman's knives.
About Sophia's past, I can't say much yet but... it will all be revealed later. I just hope that this chapter, on top of the last one, gave some small clues to start connecting the dots about it.
And thank you, I always love mixing in science with magic whenever it happens to project stuff like this. I'm planning to do that more later down the line but it won't show up again for while. It mostly has to do with some Project stuff in a later arc. Everything you'll hear about this Project will show up again in the way you least expect, believe it or not.
Now with housekeeping done for now. We are moving deeper and deeper into the arc and so, I'd like to nip this in the bud now. Akane is not coming to save Shin like she did in the original run of Azure. Hahahaha, not this time no. I'd rather have them solve this by themselves rather than have a walking trump card solve everything for them. And to answer another question, I won't go too much into Yuuto. While he is an important character in the canon sword arc, this isn't the canon sword arc. Most of his problems are gonna be solved as per canon but off-screen since they'll be mostly doing their own thing separate from Rias and co. That's not a spoiler by the way, that's just my overall plan.
Anyway, we're 8 chapters into an arc that I estimated to be about 15-20 chapters so we're almost halfway there.
I thank you all for continuing to read this. I know it was weird of me to reboot Azure after 40+ something chapters but... hey, life happens.
See you guys next time, if I remember to write a chapter. Hah. Anyway...