Some time had passed as the ORC had prepared for the ball tournament. Issei's Servants had been keeping an eye out for Fallen Angel activity, with little results. It seems after Georgios' interference they had been keeping a low profile. In the meantime, Issei had been having a better time at school with Murayama now interacting with him in a friendly way, which baffled the entire class. But once she started doing that the class stopped acting like Issei was a problem to be avoided, although the perverted duo were still quiet, and not bothering anyone. It was clear they wanted to apologize to Issei but weren't sure how to go about it. Issei didn't show any signs of caring about them either so it was a bit of a stalemate in terms of their interaction. Kiryuu still talked to the duo but she was a bit colder to them than before.
Eventually the day of the ball tournament came and the ORC practically swept through the competition. The most intense was the match between the ORC and the Student Council where Sona and Rias showed off their rivalry. It was a close match but the ORC came out on top, but as to why it was close…
Slap! A loud sound rang out in the gymnasium after the match and everyone else left. Kiba was standing with a red mark now on his face. Rias was staring angrily at him and had slapped him across the face. "Are you awake now Kiba?" she asked angrily. The reason the match was so close was the same reason everyone was worried about Kiba for a while. Kiba had not been paying attention and had almost cost the club the match multiple times.
Kiba looked at his glowering King before putting on his usual refreshing smile. "Are we done now? Since the ball tournament is over I was hoping to take some time off. Sorry about today, guess I just wasn't feeling well."
Issei walked up beside Rias and spoke to Kiba. "Kiba, what's wrong? You've been acting strange ever since you saw that picture at my house."
"That is none of your concern," he said coldly but still maintaining his smile.
"Kiba, your comrades are worried about you. Let us help."
Kiba's smile dropped from his face. "Comrades huh… No Issei-kun, there is nothing for them to help with. I just remembered what I am fighting for."
Issei showed a confused look. "So you are not fighting for Rias?"
Kiba's look became slightly irritated. "No, I am living for revenge. My only purpose in life is to destroy the Holy Sword Excalibur," he said, then he turned and walked off.
Issei after hearing that made a strained expression. Things just got more complicated. He thought to himself.
Issei was currently in his room mulling over the information he was given. After Kiba left Issei asked Rias if she knew what he meant. Rias told Issei Kiba's backstory about how he was a survivor of the Holy Sword Project which was an experiment to create people for the Church that can wield holy swords, in particular Excalibur. That in of itself isn't particularly bad, it was what they did with the failures that was the problem. The ones that were tested on were children and when they were deemed failures they were disposed of. Kiba managed to escape, barely clinging onto life and was found by Rias and became her servant. After hearing all of this, Issei was now even less sure the Church was a faction he wanted to be interacting with. The more I learn about the church the less I want anything to do with them. Issei thought. He came out of his thoughts and spoke. "What do all of you think?"
In the room with Issei were multiple versions of Artoria including Arthur (Prototype), Mysterious Heroine X, and Mysterious Heroine X Alter. Issei had called them and told them the situation with the Fallen and Kiba's backstory. They all had various reactions but were all in the same camp of being unhappy with the Church and the disrespect for the blade they all wield. "While I don't particularly care about the sword itself I find issue with those who would abuse its power for their own gain," said Artoria (Saber).
"I find greater issue with the Church's methods for creating more adept soldiers for themselves," said Artoria (Lancer).
"I'm vaguely aware that the Church in our world is less than trustworthy but it seems the one in this world is just as bad," said Arthur.
Issei sighed deeply. "It's bad to jump to conclusions based off what we've heard but the only information I have on them isn't exactly helping their case," said Issei.
Saber Alter showed a slightly surprised look. "I'm surprised you're not more upset Master. I figured since the Church acted horribly to your comrades you would be more hostile to them."
Issei showed an annoyed face. "I'm doing my best to keep a cool head but what happens next will depend on them, because I'm one bad interaction away from destroying them all myself," he said in an angry tone and slightly gritted teeth.
The other Servants were a bit surprised at how aggressive their Master had become but couldn't blame him considering the circumstances. Lancer Alter showed a small smile. "If that does end up happening just point me towards the enemy Master. I will show them the power of the King of the Storm."
"Me too Master! I won't let them get away with using my sword as they please!" said MHX energetically.
"N-now now, we shouldn't jump ahead here. We should be focusing on the stolen Excalibur and the invading Fallen first," said Artoria Lily.
MHX Alter looked at Issei. "What do you want to do about them Master?"
Issei folded his hands in front of him. "Naturally, I want them gone from my town. Chances are we are gonna have to wipe them out like last time. The main issue is Kiba," he said solemnly.
The Artorias and Arthur showed a look of understanding. "He needs closure of some kind, otherwise it will haunt him even if we resolve the situation," said Artoria (Saber).
"We're not really one to talk are we?" said Saber Alter. Artoria (Saber) showed a slight scowl.
"It would be bad to have you guys directly involved only because it would distract Kiba. Even if he knows that your Excaliburs are not the ones he's after, it could still build up resentment in him," said Issei.
"So what is the plan?" asked Lily.
Issei looked around the room. "I'm thinking of having Mordred handle this," he said with his eyes narrowed. There was stirring from the Artorias at the mention of their child doing this job.
"Are you sure that's wise? You don't think Mordred will try to claim the sword for herself?" asked Artoria (Lancer).
Issei just sighed. "Look, I know you all have your misgivings about Mordred, and rightfully so, but I believe she will be able to complete this task without issue. Rather, she would probably be furious that someone other than you all would dare lay a hand on the blade," said Issei wryly.
The Artorias didn't look convinced but someone else spoke in favor of the plan. "I think it's a good idea. In all honesty I think this is a good opportunity to try and start over with Mordred, even if she isn't my Mordred," said Arthur.
"I-I also agree. I know I haven't reached the point of what happened with all of you and Mordred but, I think we should give her a second chance! In the end, isn't what happened between us started because of a miscommunication. At least that's how I understand it from what Master told me," said Lily.
The Artorias had sour looks on their faces so Issei decided to speak up. "I won't force you all to get along but I think it's worth a shot. As things stand now you don't have a kingdom to manage, you are all knights under my employ, and there are no people here trying to get on your good side or take something from you. It's just you all and Mordred, and Mordred, despite what happened, still holds great respect for you. I think if you give it a chance you will be quite surprised."
They all sat in contemplation at their Master's words. Saber Alter was the first to speak. "I don't care either way. As long as she is useful then I don't care what our relationship is."
"I'm inclined to agree. My only purpose is to serve you and be your spear. Everything else is irrelevant," said Lancer Alter.
The other Artorias looked at the Alter duo but didn't say anything. After a bit of silence one finally spoke. "Alright. I will give Mordred a chance. But if this goes wrong I won't make a second attempt," said Artoria (Saber).
Finally! Some progress! I've been trying to repair this relationship for forever! Issei thought to himself. "Don't place this all on her. You have to make an attempt to be better with her too," said Issei sternly. Artoria showed an uncomfortable look. "Putting that aside for now I won't send out Mordred alone or right now. I will have her and another accompany Kiba both to protect him from the reckless situation he will no doubt be involved in and solve the problem alongside him. In this case they will have similar goals which will have them work together well… hopefully." The others in the room had unsure looks but left it at that for now. They all turned to magic particles except Saber Alter. "You're not leaving?"
"I'm gonna stick around for this case. Between this situation and what happened with you before, I have decided that I'm going to stay close by to make sure I respond to danger at a moment's notice."
Issei felt happy and embarrassed that she cared so much. He still felt guilty to worry them before when he lost his cool but knew there was nothing to be done when she gets like this. As he was thinking he saw that Saber Alter changed into her maid outfit. "Salter, what are you doing?"
"Since I'm staying I might as well be useful so I will help clean around the house Master," she said matter of factly.
Issei showed a wry smile and went to head towards the kitchen with Salter following behind. When they reached the dining room he saw someone he wasn't expecting in there. "Jealter? What are you doing here?"
Jeanne Alter gave an annoyed look. "What? Am I not allowed here or something?" she asked.
"N-no it's not that. I just wasn't expecting you is all."
Issei went to go into the kitchen when Saber Alter spoke to Jeanne Alter. "So the country bumpkin is here as well," she said condescendingly.
Jealter scowled at Salter. "Oh look. The Ice Bitch Queen is here too," she bit back.
"No fighting in the house you two. I can't afford to replace anything if you break something," warned Issei. The pair just huffed and looked away.
As that was happening Asia walked in with a tray with three cups of tea on it. She walked up to Issei and Salter and offered some tea, which both took. She then walked over to Jealter. As she offered her a drink, Jealter took notice of Asia's nun attire. "Are you a nun?" she asked with disdain.
Asia slightly stiffened both at her tone and from slight sadness. She looked down with a slightly ashamed look. "I… was a nun," she said sadly.
Jealter just had a confused look while Issei spoke sternly to her. "Jealter, watch your tone with Asia. She's been through a lot and I don't need you bringing down her mood." Issei knew he was being unfair considering how much both versions of Jeanne have been through but he couldn't stay quiet at someone talking negatively to Asia.
Asia quickly shook her head. "I-It's fine Issei-san. I know she didn't mean anything by it," she said, trying to assuage his worries.
Jeanne looked at Asia now seemingly interested in what happened to make her a former nun. "So? What happened?" she asked insensitively.
Issei was now staring daggers at her but she ignored it while Asia was gathering herself. She told Jealter the same story she told Issei and Mash and at the end of it went quiet. Issei was watching the pair intently with Salter taking in the story as well. She didn't know the details but was aware of Asia's circumstances because of Issei's distrust of the church. Jealter on the other hand was quiet. Issei wasn't sure what was going through her mind until she finally spoke up. "I don't know what I was expecting from the church. Whether in this world or our own, the church is the same. Greedy people who use their Lord's name as an excuse to do as they please. Although if they think that you are a witch then they don't know what a real witch is in the first place," she said with a vicious smile. She looked directly at Asia. "Small minded people like them shouldn't be considered. You're better off not caring about them because they were using you as a tool from the start. I would say abandon the religion entirely, but it seems to have more evidence that the religion is real than in our own world, although I don't know if that makes this situation better or worse," she stated bluntly.
Asia had a look of surprise on her face. She wasn't expecting her to give any kind of support considering her attitude a moment ago, although she was grateful. She shook her head at Jealter. "Even if they are as you say, I can't abandon my faith in the Lord and his teachings. They are all I know and if it wasn't for that I would have never met Issei-san and everyone. I don't regret my life one bit," she said with an innocent smile.
Jealter stared at Asia for a bit then clicked her tongue. "Sheesh. You're just like her. Your unwavering faith makes me sick. But you're at least interesting to watch. A devil who has faith in God, that is a paradox that might prove entertaining. If those people from the church come for you let me know. I will show them what it really means to be a witch," she said.
Issei and Salter were staring at Jealter, Issei with a small wry smile and Salter with an annoyed look. Seems like Asia has grabbed Jealter's heart too. She seems to have that effect on people. I wonder if Jealter being the Dragon Witch has something to do with it also? Issei thought to himself. Asia was surprised again but smiled and nodded gratefully to Jealter. Jealter just clicked her tongue again and drank the tea Asia gave her earlier.
A couple days went by and Issei, Mash, and Asia were currently walking home. Due to recent events with the priests in the town Rias had to stay late at the clubroom to discuss how to move forward with Sona. Since there was nothing for the others to do they went home early. "Rias-senpai seems busier than usual," said Mash.
"Well, considering what's been going on recently I can't say I'm surprised. Between the priests being attacked and Freed running around unchecked I imagine that she has her plate full," said Issei. As the three got closer to their home Asia suddenly held the hem of Issei's sleeve. He looked at her confused and saw that she had a scared look on her face as she was looking at the house. Issei went on alert thinking something was wrong. Did someone infiltrate the house? No, one of my servants would have purged the intruder, or at least alerted me. So what is scaring Asia? he thought. Mash also went on alert as the three walked up to the door. Issei opened it and went in and could hear his mom talking to someone. As he rounded the corner to the living room he saw two girls in white cloaks sitting on the couch next to his mom who had the photo albums out again and was showing them to the girls. The first girl had chestnut colored hair in twintails while the second girl had short blue hair with a green highlight in the front. Next to her was something giant wrapped in cloth. Now that he was looking for it he could sense holy magic power coming from it, and based off of its shape it was clearly a brutal looking greatsword. That is what most likely scared Asia since holy magic is harmful to devils.
As he was thinking that his mother was joyfully talking to the girls. "And here is a picture of Issei in 3rd grade. He used to make such messes," she said playfully. The chestnut haired girl was smiling happily while the other girl looked on stoically.
Issei, whose eyebrow was twitching a bit from embarrassment, spoke up. "Kaa-san?"
Issei's mom looked up along with the girls. "Oh! Welcome home Issei. Come on in, we have guests. What's the matter Mashu? Asia? You both look unwell," she asked worriedly.
"It's nothing Kaa-san. It's just been a long day," Mash said, trying to assuage her worries. Behind her Asia was breathing a sigh of relief that nothing bad had happened to Issei's mom.
The three of them came in and sat down across from the two girls and Issei's mom. Martha came in also with drinks for everyone and then sat in a chair to the side of them. The two girls were observing the three, with them both looking wary of Asia and the chestnut haired one looking happy to see Issei. "Hiya, Hyoudou Issei-kun," she said.
Issei smiled slightly at her. "Nice to meet you," he said. He was surprised when her expression changed to one of confusion.
"D-do you not remember me?" she asked in almost a sad tone.
Issei gave his own confused look and shook his head. His mother held up a picture and pointed at it. It was the same picture that had caused Kiba to be in his current state of mind. "This is her, Shidou Irina-chan. I was surprised too. She used to look so much like a boy. It's quite the difference," she said.
Issei looked between the picture and the girl sitting across from him who was slightly blushing from embarrassment. "Eh? Ehhhhhhh?!" Issei couldn't hide his shock.
Irina was embarrassed by his reaction. "W-well, I guess it can't be helped. I used to be such a tomboy when we were younger that I guess I shouldn't be surprised you didn't notice," she said shyly. "Although I guess we both changed since back then," she said as she got up and gave Issei a hug.
Issei was surprised but smiled and returned the hug. "Yeah, I guess that's true. You never know what will happen in life," he said airily. He then turned to the other girl who had been silently observing them. "I'm sorry. We were so caught up in our reunion that we never got to formally introduce ourselves. I'm Issei and they are Mashu, Asia, and on the side there is Martha," Issei introduced everyone. Mash nodded while Asia slightly bowed and Martha just waved with a smile.
"Nice to meet you. I am Xenovia Quarta, Irina's partner. I've heard a bit about you from Irina so it's nice to finally meet you," the now named Xenovia said stoically.
Issei nodded to her and sat back down. After a bit of small talk Issei noticed that the girls were continuously glancing at Asia. They can probably tell she is a devil. I guess it's time to get down to business, he thought to himself. He took on a slightly more serious look and turned to his mother. "Kaa-san, would you mind letting us talk for a while?"
Issei's mom seemed confused at first but once she saw the look on his face she got the memo. "A-alright sweetie. Just let me know if you kids need anything, alright?" she said, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
Issei nodded and she left the room. Irina looked confused as to what was going on while Xenovia was observing Issei intently. After a bit of time, Issei finally spoke. "So. What do two members of the church want with me? I doubt you came here just to visit an old friend," he said, implying that he knew who they were and why they were here.
Irina just continued to look confused while Xenovia seemed to have gone on alert a little bit. "Huh? What are you talking about Issei-kun?" asked Irina.
"Come on. With all the priests going missing in this town I don't think it's too crazy to think that someone like me would figure out what two members of the church lugging around a very obvious holy sword are here for."
Xenovia's eyes narrowed while Irina's widened in surprise. "Issei-kun, you know about the supernatural?"
Is it really that shocking? Wouldn't it be obvious that I know since you can tell I'm hanging around a devil? Issei thought to himself. He observed their expressions a bit more and suddenly had a thought. Wait a sec… Did they really just stop by here on a whim and not because they figured out who I am? He decided to ask them directly. "Irina. Did you stop by just because you were in town?"
"Yeah. It had been so long since I had seen you and I didn't want to miss this opportunity. I had to convince Xenovia to come take this detour with me. I just, really wanted to see you again," she said, slightly embarrassed.
Issei put a hand on his forehead as if he was fighting back a headache. I really blundered this one. I should have remembered that Irina is a bit of an airhead. She would do this back when we were kids too, just doing something in the heat of the moment while ignoring everything else. Issei was cursing himself for overthinking the situation. Now he let the cat out of the bag and had to recover the situation. "I guess I should have known better than to assume you thought this through Irina," he said.
Irina puffed her cheeks a bit. "What's that supposed to mean?" she said, a bit upset.
Xenovia decided to take over the conversation. "What do you know about the situation?" she asked seriously.
Straight and to the point huh? Well, I guess that makes things easier for me. "Which would you like to hear first? What was stolen, who stole it, or what the people from the church are doing here?" Issei was being evasive with answering in order to see if he could get more info out of them.
Xenovia seemed to have a dissatisfied look on her face while Irina looked surprised again. "Issei-kun, how do you know about this?" asked Irina.
"Is it because of her?" Xenovia accused Asia while looking upset.
Issei now was angered. "Leave Asia out of this. I found out on my own, with my own information network. Don't think I will take kindly to you hurting Asia," he said aggressively. The church duo were surprised at his actions while Asia looked happy at Issei defending her. Mash was doing her best to remain stoic but she narrowed her eyes a bit when the accusation came up. Martha was frowning on the side as well.
"But Issei-kun, she's a-"
"A devil? I'm more than well aware of that. That is inconsequential. She is someone who I promised to protect and I will do that no matter who the enemy is."
"Do you realize what you're saying? Do you plan to make the whole church your enemy?" asked Xenovia.
"And for what reason would I need to align myself with people who treat others so poorly while preaching kindness and understanding?"
That statement seemed to shake the pair but their faces showed that they didn't know what he was talking about. Things seemed to be heating up when Mash stepped in. "We are getting off track Senpai. I understand how you feel but we should focus on the problem at hand instead of creating a new one."
Issei looked at his Kouhai and sighed. He took a deep breath and calmed down. "Right, well anyways I assume you're in Kuoh to try and get back the Excalibur fragments from the Grigori."
"That's right. We were sent here with the purpose of either retrieving or destroying the fragments so that they won't be in the Fallen's hands anymore." stated Xenovia.
Destroy them? I get their line of thinking but that sword is too important to not be around. "Well let's not be hasty with option two. Excalibur is an important sword in more than one sense so we should focus on retrieving it," Issei suggested.
"We?" mimicked Xenovia with an eyebrow raised.
"You want to help us Issei-kun?" asked Irina.
"Well, it's less about helping you and more about keeping a dangerous tool out of the hands of someone who is likely to abuse it."
The duo nodded their heads in agreement with his assessment. "While I agree retrieving it will be preferable, we can't rule out the second option," stated Xenovia.
"Especially when it's in the hands of someone like Freed!" said Irina, upset.
"Right. I should apologize for that part." The two looked at him confused. "There was an incident in this town earlier involving the Fallen and my group along with the devils that live here fought and defeated them. Freed was a part of that group and even though we beat him we didn't make sure he was dead and he ended up escaping. Now he is causing problems again with something more dangerous than he could possibly know."
The church duo were surprised to hear that Issei had already fought the Fallen once. Not only that but the devils apparently helped him in that fight, which explained why he seemed chummy with a devil. "Issei-kun, how did you become acquainted with the devils?" asked Irina worriedly.
Issei just rubbed the back of his head. "It's a long story but basically the short version is that I was attacked by the previously mentioned Fallen and they came to my rescue. After that, we talked for a bit and worked together to take out the Fallen who were out to eliminate me."
The pair were stunned again, with Irina being concerned that the Fallen had apparently put a hit out on her childhood friend. What also concerned the two was the devils saving someone for seemingly no reason. That left them suspicious. "No offense, but why would the devils go out of their way to save you?" asked Xenovia.
Issei and Mash looked at each other before Issei turned back to the girls. "That's a different story. Sorry but the circumstances are long and involved and we don't have time to trade life stories right now."
The two seemed unsatisfied with that answer but consented to his reasoning. "Just one more thing, Issei-kun. Why were the Fallen after you?" asked Irina.
Issei stared at the pair for a bit before sighing. He could tell Irina was asking because she was worried rather than because she was fishing for info. "It's because I have a Sacred Gear and the Fallen considered me a danger."
Once he said that everything he said before started to make more sense. Him fighting, being associated with devils without being one himself, and his intimate knowledge of Excalibur seemed to add up now. "You have a Sacred Gear Issei-kun?!" asked Irina shocked. Issei nodded. "Which one do you have?"
"Sorry, but you're gonna have to earn my trust if you wanna know that. Or if we end up working together you will see it eventually."
Irina seemed slightly taken aback by his statement while Xenovia seemed only slightly perturbed. "Do the devils know?" asked Xenovia.
"Yes they do, but like you, they had to earn that knowledge. Just so you know, I'm giving you as rough a time as I did them when I first met them, so don't think I'm being biased or anything by being evasive."
"It's only fair. That is the smart way to do things if you're trying to make allies." Xenovia accepted his reasoning. "With that said you might be able to help us with something else."
"And what might that be?"
"We want to meet with the devils in charge of this town," Xenovia said stoically.
Her statement surprised everyone except Irina. "Why do you want to meet with them?" Issei asked, slightly suspicious.
"As this is their territory, if we act without informing them we might raise tensions between Factions. While I personally don't care, the church doesn't want a fight on two fronts right now."
Issei narrowed his eyes at the bluenette at her statement but put that to the side for now. "I'm sure that can be arranged. If you're willing to wait we can set it up tonight since one of the leaders of this town will be here soon."
The pair made surprised expressions again although there were so many tonight that they were starting to become tired of every little thing he brought up. "Why would they be coming here?" asked Irina.
""""Because she lives here,"""" all four said at the same time.
As if on cue the door opened. "I'm home!" said Rias.
"Welcome home Rias! How was your meeting?" asked Issei's mom from another room.
"Busy, but I'm glad to be back, thanks," she said tiredly.
"By the way, we have guests. They are currently in the living room with Issei, Mashu, Asia, and Martha."
Rias seemed to pause and when she focused she could sense holy magic different from Issei's Servants. She rushed into the living room where she saw everyone sitting. When she entered the doorway everyone looked at her. Issei smiled and got up to greet her. "Welcome home Rias," he said gently.
Rias looked at the two newcomers then at Issei. "What is this about?" she asked sternly. Issei explained the situation and about them wanting to have a meeting. "All right, I understand the gist of it. I can set up a meeting with you two tomorrow that way Sona can also take part. We can talk about the problem with the Grigori then," she said tiredly.
The pair nodded and prepared to leave but Irina stopped to ask something. "Uhm, excuse me but if you don't mind my asking, what are you two to each other exactly?"
Issei and Rias looked at each other then back at Irina. ""We're going out."" they both said at the same time.
That seemed to shock Irina as she almost lost balance. Xenovia just raised an eyebrow. "G-going out… Issei-kun and a devil… How could this be…?" Irina was speaking incoherently. Issei was slightly confused but the other girls knew immediately what was going on.
Ahhh. She was in love with Issei(san) as well. Suddenly hearing he has a girlfriend, what a pity, was a thought had by all the girls in the room except Xenovia and Irina. They gave her sympathetic gazes as she and Xenovia left.
Rias looked to Issei after they left. "I get back and suddenly you give me more work to do. At this rate you're going to run me ragged."
Issei put on a wry smile. "Well, when that happens I will be happy to let you rest on my lap." Rias blushed at Issei's flirting.
"In any case, I'm glad you weren't hurt," said Rias as she walked over to Asia and hugged her.
"I'm fine, Rias-buchou. Everyone was here to protect me," said Asia comfortingly.
As that was happening Martha got up from her spot in the living room and walked up to Rias. "If it's not too much trouble, may I come to this meeting as well?"
This took everyone by surprise. "I don't mind, but what for, if I may ask?"
"Well, seeing how those people from the church were acting, it made me worried about the state of the believers in this world. I know it's common sense to be wary of devils in our religion, but the blatant hostility they showed Asia, even though she didn't do anything made me want to confirm some things for myself," she said sternly.
Rias looked to Issei who seemed to have a serious look of his own then back at Martha. "All right. If that's what you want then it shouldn't be a problem." Martha smiled gratefully to Rias. Tomorrow is gonna be a busy day.
The next day after classes had ended the ORC, the Student Council President and Vice President, along with Martha were in the clubroom with Irina and Xenovia. The talks had been proceeding smoothly about the current situation as well as all parties involved. Issei and Mash were standing on both sides of Kiba since he had been glaring at the exorcists since they walked in. He was looking at the covered up blade with an especially dark hunger for a while now. Issei asked Mash to help make sure he didn't do anything rash so that's why they were on both sides of him. Since Issei talked to the girls the night before he let Rias and Sona do most of the talking for now, but the conversation had gotten past the info exchange phase.
"So, the only thing we have yet to figure out is why they are doing this here," said Sona.
"That we don't know. Although we do know who is running this operation. It's Kokabeil, one of the leaders of the Grigori." The devils had shocked looks on their faces while Issei narrowed his eyes. "He has been known to want to reignite the war for centuries. Maybe he was hoping to use you devils as cover for their schemes and then pit the church against you," suggested Xenovia.
"Could be payback too, considering that we foiled their plans before, sanctioned or not," suggested Issei.
"Don't worry Issei-kun. If they are here to get back at you we will definitely stop them!" said Irina energetically.
Well, at least she seems better than when she left last night. Issei thought to himself. "Thank you for the concern Irina but I can take care of myself." He looked to Xenovia. "How do you plan on fighting them?"
"The Grigori have three of the fragments and according to your information, someone who can wield them. Since that's the case we simply have to fight them with equal force," she said while pulling her sword to her. "This is another fragment of Excalibur known as Excalibur Destruction that was with the Catholic church."
Irina grabbed something that seemed like a ribbon tied around her arm. It started to elongate and straightened out into a Katana. "And this is Excalibur Mimic, that was with the Protistant church. It has the power to take on any shape I wish."
Issei was now looking at the blades with interest while Kiba's glare grew fiercer. I see. So this is what happened to Excalibur in this world. Well, despite the circumstances if the threat that appeared in the other Earth's history were to appear here we would need Excalibur at full power to fend it off, just like back then. Issei thought to himself. "And besides that? What else do you have to fight them? Are more exorcists coming to help you?"
"No it's just the two of us," answered Xenovia.
The entire room stared at the pair in stupefaction. "No offense but is the church run by morons?" asked Issei skeptically.
Xenovia furrowed her brow at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, clearly offended.
"Why would the church send only two agents to deal with this? Not only that, they are sending said agents with two of the weapons they are looking for. Are they trying to make the Fallen stronger?" said Sona matter of factly.
"We can handle this. Not just anyone can wield a holy sword. The fact that Irina and I can proves our ability. That was also part of the reason we came to talk to you. The devils in this town are to stay out of the battle," said Xenovia sternly.
The devils narrowed their eyes while Issei was staring at the bluenette like he was looking at an idiot. "I see. So the church wants us to stay out of the way in fear that we might side with the Fallen against them," stated Rias coldly.
"These are holy swords we're talking about. They are the weapons used to fight devils most effectively. It would only make sense for you to side with them," said Xenovia in an accusing tone.
"Small problem with that thought process. Even if we did side with them, what would stop them from turning around and using the holy swords against us? On top of that you're in no position to be telling us what to do on our own turf. So instead of acting like it's your right to tell us what to do, you should be trying to cooperate with us," said Issei, annoyed.
Xenovia shot Issei a glare. "We can't trust the devils to not betray us. Even if you are enemies with the Fallen the same is true of us and you. Besides, we aren't completely alone on this mission." Everyone took a break from exchanging glares and gave the exorcist a curious look. "One of our exorcists that survived being attacked told us he was saved by a believer named Georgios who was stationed in this town. He told our comrade that his Master would be willing to help us in our mission."
Immediately everyone in the ORC turned to Issei. Sona and Tsubaki were confused for a moment but got the picture when they saw where everyone was looking and decided to stare at Issei as well. The exorcists were confused at why everyone was suddenly staring at Issei while the man in question had a hand on his head as if to fight back a headache. "I'm Georgios' Master. He works for me," Issei said, almost deadpan.
The faces of the exorcists immediately changed to shock. "But, why would a believer work for you, let alone working with devils?!" asked Xenovia, shocked.
"Because he understands that petty grudges is not the way of believers of the Lord. As a fellow believer, I also agree with this sentiment," said Martha, speaking for the first time since the meeting began.
The exorcists turned to her, not sure what her deal was. "You were at Issei-kun's house right? Who are you?" asked Irina.
"And you said you're a believer as well?" probed Xenovia.
"I am also a Servant of Master's, like Georgios." Light shown in the room as Martha changed from her casual outfit to her combat one. In her hand her staff appeared with a golden cross at the top. She was also releasing a bit of holy power to prove her faith. The devils in the room, minus Asia, shirked away from her as even though she was an ally her power made their instincts as devils tell them to keep away. Asia and the exorcists on the other hand were staring at her in awe. Once she saw that she had their undivided attention she continued. "I am Martha. Saint Martha to be exact."
The two exorcists' jaws nearly hit the floor. "Saint Martha?! But that's impossible! Saint Martha has been dead for centuries!" exclaimed Xenovia.
"True. It is through the power of Master's magecraft, as well as his allies' support, that I am reborn in the present," she said stoically.
Once that information was processed the pair got down into a prayer stance toward Martha. The others in the room were watching on in slight amusement as Issei's Servant was handling the problem for them. "I-it's an honor to meet you in person Saint Martha!" said Irina frantically.
"If you're the real Saint Martha, does that mean the man named Georgios is actually the real Saint Geroge as well?" asked Xenovia.
"Yes, he is the real Saint George. He, along with myself and other Saints have sworn loyalty to our Master," said Martha.
Her words left the pair with confused looks. "Excuse my rudeness Saint, but isn't it against God's teachings to serve another?" asked Xenovia.
"If our work is in service to the Lord then it should not matter if we work for another. My Master's goal is the protection and prosperity of humanity. I believe that is well within the bounds of the Lord's wishes," said Martha with a kind smile.
Xenovia glanced at the others before looking back at Martha. "Even if that means working with devils, the sworn enemy of the church?"
Martha sighed, seeing what Xenovia was trying to imply. "I can tell your faith is strong, but you are unfortunately misguided." Xenovia only gave her a confused look. "While such a simple understanding would have been true in the past, if I've learned anything from my time alive again, it's that nothing is how it once was. This is true not just of modern conveniences but of the people as well. Humanity has grown far beyond what it was back in the days of Jesus and my time. And having seen Rias and the others endeavors these past months, I can see that is true of them as well. They, just like humans, grow and change with the times. This is a new generation of beings who will shape the future of this world, and while the old ways must not be forgotten, they must not be chains that prevent people from moving forward. It's not just them either. Master has many Servants from all walks of life and from different ages, whether they are human, demon, saint, heretic, god, or beast, they all came under Master to achieve the same goal. Master does not discriminate nor does he show preferential treatment. He puts his faith in us to stand beside him and unite for a better future. With such a force driving us, what is the point of fighting over what we are?"
As Martha spoke everyone in the room was entranced by her passionate speech. Issei became a bit embarrassed when Martha started singing his praises a bit but was grateful for her honest feelings. Xenovia on the other hand seemed unsure how to process this. "So then, what? Are you saying that the church's current teachings are wrong? If so then what should I do?"
"I can't say for sure whether or not their teachings are wrong, seeing as how I don't know what they have been saying to you exactly. But I can say if it makes you shun believers like her, then something is wrong," Martha said as she pointed to Asia.
Xenovia looked at Asia who flinched at her stare. After a moment she looked back to Martha. "But she is a witch who has the power to heal devils. No power that could heal them could be a gift from God."
Suddenly there was an intense pressure in the room as everyone looked to its source. Issei was angered again, with his magic power flowing off him. He made sure this time not to alert his Servants so as not to worry them. "Don't call her a witch! It was you people who arbitrarily made her into a Holy Maiden! Then when she healed someone you didn't like you tossed her aside! And you think you have a right to judge her when she was only doing what your church preached, which was to help those in need! Some just and understanding people you are!"
Everyone except Martha and Mash flinched at Issei's intensity, with the church duo shirking back slightly from having that force directed at them. Xenovia though tried to stand her ground. "The church is trying to defend humanity from evil. A member healing a devil is akin to blasphemy! Even from a logical standpoint, who in their right mind heals an enemy?!"
"That's easy to say after everything has already happened! Asia had no idea that they were a devil until after she already did it! Even if she had known she would have done so out of the kindness of her heart. Because that is what the church teaches, or am I wrong?!" Issei shot back.
The two glared at each other until Martha lifted her staff between them. "Master is correct. Asia did the right thing. Not only that, she has continued to do the right thing even after she was cast out. I can tell, her faith is as strong as mine. I know Jesus would have been proud to know her." Martha said in a kind tone. Asia had her hands over her mouth with happy tears coming down her face while Xenovia and Irina almost couldn't believe what they just heard. "As I said earlier, what you are is irrelevant. It is about who you are that makes you worthy in the Lord's eyes. I have met humans that would put most demons to shame with their darkness and have also met some demons that could qualify for saints themselves considering their self-sacrificial acts. If all you need to believe is that someone is evil simply based on what they are rather than who they are then you have not understood what the Lord has been trying to teach you."
With those words it seemed like all the strength was sucked out of Xenovia. Her face showed conflict between what she was raised to believe and the words of the Saint in front of her. Issei had calmed down after Martha intervened and Kiba had also calmed down seeing as how the exorcists were having their world shattered and Issei's rage made his anger from before seem small by comparison. He was still glaring at the swords the two exorcists were holding. A few moments passed as everyone recollected themselves. Akeno got tea ready for everyone to help calm things down and soon the conversation got back on track. "So, how do you wish to proceed?" asked Sona.
Xenovia shook her head. "I can't ask for your help otherwise it will cause problems for the church if something goes wrong."
"Even if you say that, we are going to get involved. We have our own reasons to fight them as well and we would have a better chance together than apart," said Issei.
Xenovia didn't know what to say. At this point it would be the right thing to do, but her pride as an exorcist was getting in the way. Irina looked at her and saw that she was troubled. "Hey Xenovia. Why don't we work together?"
Xenovia made an uncomfortable expression. "I can't decide at this time. Give us some time to think it over."
Rias and Sona nodded and the pair left the clubroom. After a bit of time Issei finally spoke. "Well, that was fun," he said sarcastically.
Everyone gave him an exasperated look with Kiba making his way towards the door. "Kiba, where are you going?" asked Rias sternly.
Kiba looked back at Rias before turning back to the door. "I need some time to think," was all he said before leaving.
Rias had an upset look on her face and Issei decided to follow him out. "Leave him to me Rias," he said and walked out the door. After he got outside he summoned Salter to join him and caught up with Kiba. "Hey Kiba! Hold on a sec."
Kiba looked back at Issei, annoyed. "What do you want? I need some time to myself," he said dismissively.
"Look Kiba. I'm not going to stop you. On the contrary, I'm going to help you." Kiba gave him a confused look. "I understand that you won't be able to move forward without resolving this issue so instead of trying to just move past it like Rias wants you to, I'm going to help with your goal by providing you with some backup." After he said that two flashes of light appeared between them and there stood Edmond Dantés and Mordred. "These two are the Count of Monté Cristo and Mordred the Treacherous Knight of the Round Table. They will be helping you on your, revenge quest."
The Count nodded but Mordred looked bothered. "Oi, Master. Why do I gotta be involved in something like this?"
"Because it is an order not only from your Master, but your King as well," stated Salter stoically.
Mordred then took notice of Salter standing behind Issei and suddenly her posture got straighter. "F-father! You're here too!"
"That's right and I'm here on behalf of all the other Artorias as well," Salter said, staring directly at Mordred.
"The other Fathers too?" Mordred echoed, sweating nervously.
"After much consideration as well as a request from Master, we are going to give you a second chance." Mordred's expression almost went blank. Issei shot Salter a look which she noticed and rolled her eyes. "Since we no longer have a kingdom to rule and we both serve Master it is only fair that we put the past behind us. With that said however, it's not like what you did was anything light that can just be laughed off, so we are going to test you."
Mordred was now listening intently to Salter. "What do you need Father?"
Salter explained the situation with the Excalibur shards and the Fallen and how Kiba was going after them for the sake of his revenge. "Seeing as how this is a sensitive issue for the knight, Master has suggested that we Artoria stay out of this as to not distract him from his goal. Your task is to bring Master and I back those shards of Excalibur. Do you understand?"
"Yes Father! I understand! I promise I won't fail you!" Mordred said with the dignity of a knight. That soon changed however to an angered look. "How dare someone other than Father try and wield Excalibur! I will break their arms and feed them to themselves for even laying a hand on the blade!" she was ranting to herself.
I knew this would happen. Despite how she acts, she has always wanted to have a good relationship with her Father. She was just too stubborn to say it, even if there was a good reason it was bad in the first place. Issei thought to himself. He then nudged Salter which caused her to sigh.
"I will say this to you as well, Mordred." Mordred's attention returned to Salter. "Myself and Lancer Alter don't particularly care about our relationship one way or the other, as long as you are useful to Master. But the others want to try and start over as parent and child since we failed to do so in our previous life. This test will show us whether or not you want the same. Show us what you want."
Mordred stared at Salter as if processing her words, then she nodded and moved to Kiba's side. Kiba, who had been silently watching, looked to Issei since it seem the other conversation was over. "Artoria was King Arthur?"
Issei smirked. "Yeah. It's a long story," he said almost jokingly.
Kiba gave Issei a look as if he was staring at a troublesome child. "While I appreciate what you're trying to do, I don't need help. This is my mission."
"Kiba don't be dense. This isn't just about you anymore." Kiba shot Issei a glare but he continued. "The moment you became Rias' knight your life no longer belonged to just you. Not only that, we are your friends and comrades. Do you think we are just gonna back off cause you get moody and yell at us? I'm trying to offer you the best chance of achieving your goal. If you go and get yourself killed do you really think none of us are going to care?" Kiba looked away. He knew in his head he was right but he couldn't say it. "Look, my giving you these two to help is my way of giving you the space to act on your own while keeping you safe. If something happens to you it would destroy Rias. Do you expect me to let something that would make her cry happen?" he said smugly.
Kiba finally relented as Issei was piling on the emotional stuff on his conscience. "Fine. I will accept your help."
"Good! Keep your cell phone charged so that I can contact you when I get new information." Kiba nodded and with that he walked off with Mordred and the Count.
Salter looked to her Master. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
Issei looked to the Saber. "I do. It's not the most effective if that's what you're asking, but I think this way will solve the most problems at once."
"Or create some more," she said pessimistically.
Issei turned around and began walking back to the clubroom. "Oh ye of little faith," he said playfully as he went back to the others.
Hey everyone. Sorry to disappoint but I'm not anywhere near done with the volume yet. I was originally going to upload the rest when it was done but I ran into a writing block and stopped writing for a few weeks. I didn't want to force myself to write cause then it wouldn't be as good but I also didn't want to keep you all waiting so I came to a decision. I will post at least once a month but my intention is to still write it all and then upload it when it is completed. So I will keep things to a minimum of one chapter a month but will try to do more than that. This way I won't drop the story because I'm the type of person who will leave something behind if I don't make a commitment to it. Sorry again that it took so long to post but be assured that I will not drop this story. Even when I wasn't writing I was still coming up with ideas and scenarios, I just couldn't bring myself to write. Anyways as far as this chapter goes if it feels off in terms of pacing that's probably because I started writing the chapter after my last post then stopped and started again a few days ago so if it seems weird it's probably because of that. Hope you will enjoy as always and I can't wait to see the comments.