"Today, I'm going to introduce my collaborator to everyone. This is Irina Shidou, a former exorcist who is now a freelancer. She's a human, but her skills are just as good as ours, so don't look down on her." Says the president of Occult Research Club.
"Rias, we were mostly human too, you know. We don't look down on anyone just because they're human. Right, Asia and Koneko?"
The black-haired woman addressed the blonde girl who was drinking tea nearby and the white-haired girl who was eating sweets.
Today's sweets were brought by the newly introduced Irina Shidou, from a popular shop where you have to line up during the day to buy their products.
"When you say exorcist, do you mean from the church?" says Asia.
"Well, I was. But I didn't expect to meet you here in Kuoh, Asia. You, who were called a saint and then a witch... Oh, don't take it the wrong way. I don't think of you as a witch. If you could heal demons, it's just another effect of the Sacred Gear created by the Lord. But the people at the church..." Irina tried to explain.
"Thank you," Asia replied to her kind words.
"Irina, why did you become President Rias's collaborator?"
"For some personal reasons, I quit being a church warrior. To survive and protect what I wanted to, I decided to team up with Rias. The old me would have said teaming up with devils was impossible, but not anymore." Irina scratched her cheek with a wry smile.
The white-haired girl who had asked the question, Koneko Toujou, went back to eating sweets once her curiosity was satisfied. Even though she loved sweets, she hadn't eaten many this time. Now, she ate eagerly. The cookies were crispy, and the balance of chocolate chips inside was perfect.
"When you say exorcist, does that mean you have a holy sword?"
"Yuuto! I'm sorry, Irina. He has a strong attachment to holy swords." Says Rias.
Irina replied, "It's okay. Well..."
"I'm Yuuto Kiba." Kiba introduced himself.
"I don't know if it's exactly what you're looking for, but I do have a holy sword. However, it's not one bestowed by the church. It's an original holy sword I've been able to handle for just about a month. It's called Galatine, the sister sword of Excalibur, which was said to be owned by King Arthur."
The holy sword, believed to have been wielded by Sir Gawain, one of King Arthur's knights, and known as the Knight of the Sun, had an artificial sun embedded in the hilt. Anything cut by Galatine would feel a burning heat.
"Galatine... Even knowing it's different, I still can't process it. I'm sorry, President. I'll leave early today."
"Alright. Don't push yourself. Rest well."
The handsome blond boy with short hair, Yuuto Kiba, said that and left the club room with his belongings.
"Now, let me introduce my peerage. The one who just left was Yuuto Kiba. He holds the Knight piece. This is my Queen and the club's vice president, Akeno Himejima."
"Please call me Akeno, Irina."
"Nice to meet you. You can call me Irina as well, Akeno."
They shook hands and naturally gauged each other's strength. Recently, Akeno's demonic powers were boosted, thanks to the red dragon being beside her most of the time she became more powerful and had a terrifying aura, while Irina had become a natural holy sword user.
They both had potential and looked forward to growing in the future.
"And this is Asia Argento. As you mentioned, she used to be a sister in the church. She almost died due to a certain fallen angel's scheme, and after that, I turned her into one of my peerage with her own will. Because of her Healing Sacred Gear, I gave her the Bishop piece."
"I'm Asia Argento. Um... is it alright if I call you Irina?"
"Of course. You can call me Irina. You've had a tough time, haven't you? After you were branded a witch by the church, I didn't hear any more about you. So, other church members might not only call you a witch but also a witch who sold herself to devils. If you have any trouble, feel free to consult with me. I may not be able to help much, but I can listen." Irina said with a kind smile.
"Yes! Thank you very much."
When she heard about the other church members, a sharp pain pierced Asia's heart. However, knowing that there was at least another person, Irina, who understood her situation, made her happy.
Besides her clubmates and Irina, there was also a very important person who truly understood her. So, there was no need for her to feel pessimistic.
"Lastly, this is Koneko Toujou. She's been eating sweets nonstop. She's not a former human; she used to be a youkai called a Nekomata. Due to various circumstances, she's now one of my subordinates. Her piece is Rook. You wouldn't think that such a petite girl would be a powerhouse in close combat, but her fighting style is entirely focused on close-range combat, which suits her perfectly." Rias said looking at Koneko.
"I'm Koneko Toujou. I'm younger than you by a year, so you can call me just Koneko."
"Alright, nice to meet you, Koneko. You can call me Irina."
Despite her small frame, Koneko had a strong grip. As expected of a youkai, she was fundamentally different from humans. Having defeated many stray devils, Irina realized she needed to adjust her perspective a bit more.
"There's actually one more boy, but he's currently in remedial classes and doesn't come to the club much. I'm sorry I couldn't introduce him today."
"No problem. I think I know who he is."
"Oh? What's your relationship with Issei Hyoudou?"
"We're just childhood friends. I recognized him from a distance, but he probably wouldn't recognize me."
"Oh, I see… And of course, I see you already know my Pawn Takashi Mitarai, the Red Dragon Emperor of this generation" says Rias in a love-stricken tone.
Irina Shidou blushed and nodded with understanding at the new information she just received 'So he's not just a devil, but also a dragon' she thought as her face turned into a tomato.
"Well, it's good that I could introduce everyone today. Recently, there's been a Holy Sword thief hiding in Kuoh. Although we've requested assistance from the Maou, as the nominal overseer, I want to identify the culprit and their hiding place. Irina, could you scout suspicious places during the day? We'll discreetly check them out at night."
With Rias's words, the discussion about work came to an end, and they indulged in girl talk in the clubroom for the first time in a while.
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Read Early at: [email protected]/Cid_Kun
20 Advanced chapters already published at:[email protected]/Cid_Kun