Chapter 16 -:16. Xenovia muttered
"A Genuine Saint can survive on the love of God alone." Xenovia shot back, matching the Devil glare for glare "For her to desire anything other than his blessings simply meant she was never fit to be a Saint."
"You're saying that if Asia had truly loved God, then nothing would have happened to her?" Issei shot back hotly, pissed as all hell at her declaration "Funny, I don't recall God's so-called love doing his SON any good."
"Issei-san!" Asia gasped, a sentiment shared by Irina while Xenovia's eyes widened in outrage at the blasphemy the Devil had just voiced, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her sword almost instinctively "You shouldn't-!"
"God didn't do Jack Shit to save Asia, one of the kindest, most innocent people in the world, when the Fallen Angels tried to steal her Sacred Gear." Issei persisted, too high on vitriol and righteous anger to care what he was saying "If you assholes even THINK of harming a hair on her head after she finally got to live the life she wanted, I'll spend the rest of my life making you regret it!"
"Tough words from a low-class devil." Xenovia muttered, her eyes narrowing at the challenge in the Pawn's words "Should I take that as a declaration of war against the entire Church?"
"Even if it isn't, I'll take you all on." A familiar voice called out, Issei's eyes widening as he spied Kiba leaning against the wall, his damnably handsome features set in a fierce scowl as he glared at Xenovia's Holy Sword with murder in his eyes.
"Who are you?" Xenovia demanded, her own eyes narrowing at the animosity she sensed from the Knight, even Irina's perpetual good cheer vanishing in the fact of such open hostility.
"I suppose you could call me your Sempai." Kiba mused, the smile on his lips belying the cold look in his eyes as he glared not at the nun, but her sword "Though truth be told, I was apparently considered a failure."
"I see..." Xenovia muttered, her expression unreadable as she glanced between Kiba and Issei "It seems you've been lax in disciplining your servants, Rias Gremory. I hope you don't mind if I teach them a little lesson in manners?"
"Just take it outside." Rias sighed, holding the bridge of her nose as if fighting back a headache "Also, I'm sure I don't need to remind you of what will happen if you harm them permanently."
"Oh rest assured, we won't need to go all out." Xenovia replied confidently, her tone mocking as she smirked "They'd better come at us with intent to kill, however, otherwise this won't last long."
One Epic Beatdown later...
And in truth, it hadn't. Even going full throttle, neither Issei nor Kiba had managed to land a decisive blow on either Holy Sword Wielder, though Issei blamed his loss solely on Koneko's interference.
'Seriously, what the fuck Koneko-chan?' he muttered, glaring at the white haired Rook even as she levelled a deadpan glare of her own right back at him 'It wasn't as if I purposefully destroyed your clothes earlier. If you hadn't warned Irina, she never would have known my dress break was coming!'
Not that the sight of his childhood friend in her battle outfit lacked a certain appeal mind you. For the battle garb of a Holy Sword wielder, the scandalously tight black outfit left very little to the imagination. Well, to the normal imagination that is. Issei's was currently working overtime as he recorded every detail to memory.
"I suggest the next time we cross swords, you endeavour to keep your cool, Sempai." Xenovia warned as she walked away from Kiba's prone form, ignoring the look of hatred the Knight was levelling at her back as she knelt to pick up her cloak "I trust you're satisfied, Rias Gremory?"
"Yes, I'm grateful for your diligence in ensuring they suffered no permanent injury." Rias returned as Xenovia replaced her cloak "Just out of curiosity, were you able to determine the name of the Fallen who stole the Excaliburs?"
"We have confirmation that the culprit is a leader of the Grigori Faction." Xenovia replied, her tone grim "More accurately, the culprit has been conformed to have been Kokabiel, the Fallen Star of Heaven."
"Kokabiel...?" Rias exclaimed, even Kiba looking alarmed by the revelation from his prone position on the grass "Wait, don't tell me knowing that, the Church only sent the two of you? Are you trying to die?"
"We will do all that is necessary to keep the Excaliburs out of the hands of the Fallen." Xenovia shot back, her expression cold in the face of the Devils' concern "Even if it means throwing our lives away."
"We understand the dangers all too well, Gremory-san." Irina assured them with a wan smile "There's already been a casualty: a priest from the Orthodox Church who came to scout ahead was murdered last night."
"I know the man you're talking about." Kiba grit out as he struggled to his knees, teeth clenched from the pain of his wound "He was killed by Freed Sellzen...wielding an Excalibur in the shape of a Kris."
"Freed Sellzen..." Xenovia muttered, her expression turning grim even as Issei and Asia voiced their alarm at the lunatic's name "And Excalibur Rapidly...that complicates matters somewhat."
"Maybe not as much as you think." Kiba countered, smirking mockingly at the pair "I don't particularly care if you believe me, but during my fight with Freed, a third party joined in and destroyed the Excalibur."
"What?!" Irina gasped, the Protestant Battle Nun gaping at the Knight in alarm whereas Xenovia chose to instead march forward, grabbing him by the collar and hoisting him to his feet despite the protests of the Devils.
"Who was it?" the blue-haired Battle Nun demanded, pressing the wrapped edge of Destruction against the blonde's throat, clearly in no mood for games "Where did they go? Answer me!"