"Today, I'll be introducing my collaborator to everyone. This is Shidou Irina, a former exorcist now working freelance. She's human, but her skills are on par with ours, so don't look down on her for that."
"Rias, really… Most of us were originally human, too, you know. We wouldn't look down on someone for being 'just human.' Right, Asia-chan, Koneko-chan?"
The black-haired woman called out to the blonde girl drinking tea nearby and the silver-haired girl eating sweets.
Today's tea sweets were brought by the newly introduced Shidou Irina, products from a shop so popular you'd have to line up during the day to get them.
"An exorcist… so you're from the Church?"
"Hmm, former, I'd say. But more importantly, I never thought I'd meet you here in Kuoh, Asia-san. You, who were called a witch after being a saint… Ah, please don't take that the wrong way. I personally don't think of you as a witch. If you could heal a devil, that's just one effect of the Sacred Gears created by God. And yet, those from the Church…"
"A-ah, thank you."
"…Irina-san, why did you become President Rias's collaborator?"
"Well, due to some personal circumstances, I quit being a warrior of the Church. So, to make a living and to protect what I want to protect, I decided to join forces with Rias-san. The me from before would have said teaming up with a devil is unthinkable, though."
Irina gave a wry smile and scratched her cheek.
The silver-haired girl who asked the question—Toujou Koneko—returned to the task of eating sweets once her doubt was resolved.
Even for her, who loves sweets, she wasn't eating many of today's offerings at first. But now she dug in heartily. The crisp cookie and the perfect balance of the chocolate chips inside were exquisite.
"…An exorcist… so do you wield a Holy Sword?"
"Yuto! I'm sorry, Irina. That boy has… exceptional feelings regarding Holy Swords."
"It's quite alright. Let's see…"
"Kiba Yuuto."
"I don't know if it's the same one you're hoping for, but yes, I do possess a Holy Sword. However, this one wasn't bestowed by the Church. It's an original Holy Sword I became able to wield just about a month ago. Its name is Galatine. The sister sword to Excalibur, said to have been wielded by the King of Knights, Arthur."
A Holy Sword said to have been wielded by Sir Gawain, the Knight of the Sun, one of King Arthur's knights. The sword's hilt contains a pseudo-sun, and those struck by Galatine feel a scorching heat.
"Galatine… I'm sorry. Even knowing it's a different one… I still can't sort out my feelings. Sorry, President, I'll take my leave for today."
"I see… I won't force you. Please, get some rest."
The beautiful, short-haired blonde boy—Kiba Yuuto—said only that, picked up his things, and left the club room.
"Now then, let me introduce my peerage next. The one who just left was Kiba Yuuto. I gave him a Knight piece. This is my Queen and the club's vice-president, Himejima Akeno."
"Please just call me Akeno, Irina-san."
"Likewise, pleased to meet you. You may call me Irina without any honorifics as well, Akeno-san."
They shook hands, naturally gauging each other's strength. Akeno, who had recently begun using her father's power, and Irina, who had become a natural Holy Sword user.
Both still had plenty of room to grow, and their future development was something to look forward to.
"And this is Asia Argento. As you said, she was formerly a sister in the Church. She lost her life due to a Fallen Angel's scheme, and I reincarnated her as my servant. Given her Sacred Gear, I gave her a Bishop piece."
"I'm Asia Argento. Um… may I call you Irina-san?"
"Of course. I'll call you Asia as well. But my, you had it rough, didn't you? After being labeled a witch, no information reached us in the Church. So, most other Church affiliates might not only call you a witch but a witch who sold her soul to a devil. So if you ever have any troubles, please consult me. I don't know if I can help, but I can listen."
"Yes! Pleased to meet you!"
When she heard about other Church affiliates, a sharp pain shot through Asia's chest. But knowing that at least one person, Irina, understood her circumstances made her feel happy.
Moreover, not just her clubmates and Irina, but that most important person was also her understanding ally. So, she had no reason to be pessimistic.
"And Takashi Mitarai, the Red Dragon Emperor, he's my Pawn. I reincarnated him as a devil after a fallen angel named Raynare almost killed him." As she said this, Mitarai smiled at both Irina and Rias.
"Finally, Toujou Koneko. She's been eating nothing but sweets since earlier. She alone wasn't originally human; she's a youkai called a Nekomata. Well, due to various circumstances, she's serving as my servant. Her piece is Rook. You wouldn't think this petite girl is a close-combat brawler, would you? Her fighting style is all close-quarters, so it was a perfect fit."
"…I'm Toujou Koneko. I'm told I'm a year younger, so you may call me Koneko without honorifics."
"Mm, pleased to meet you, Koneko. You may call me Irina as well."
Her grip strength was strong, belying her small, petite frame. She was a devil, after all.
'Were they fundamentally different from humans?' Having defeated many stray devils, Irina thought she should perhaps revise her thinking a bit more.
"There's actually one more boy, but he's in supplementary lessons right now. So I'm sorry I can't introduce him today."
"No, it's quite alright. If my memory serves, he's Issei Hyoudou."
"Oh my? …What is your relationship with Issei?"
"Just childhood friends. I could tell even from a distance, though he probably wouldn't recognize me."
"I see… Well, that's fine. At any rate, I'm glad we managed the introductions today. Recently, the Holy Sword thief has been hiding here in Kuoh. I've sent a request for support to the Satans, but as the manager—even if only in name—I want to identify the culprit and their hideout."
"…Irina, I'd like you to scout suspicious places during the day, and we'll sneak in to check them out at night."
After discussing work, they immersed themselves in girl talk in the clubroom, a rare gathering of only girls after Mitarai left.
Two and a half weeks passed…
Kiba Yuuto, one of Rias's servants, went missing. Given his personal feelings toward Holy Swords, the possibility of him acting alone had been considered. But the Gremory peerage never truly believed he would actually do it.
The four who received training from Rias's sister-in-law, Grayfia, gained power that made them almost unrecognizable. They no longer needed to shake hands like at their first meeting to gauge each other's general strength, and Irina was taught how to wield a greatsword.
Galatine was originally a one-handed sword, but it was too heavy for the female Irina to wield single-handedly, so she ended up swinging it like a greatsword with both hands.
"Here you go, Takashi-kun. Today's lunch."
"Mm, thanks. I'm off then."
"Have a good day."
After seeing Mitarai off to school, she briskly finished the housework. She wanted to enjoy more time with him, but she couldn't afford to overlook the hiding place of the thief, the fallen angel Kokabiel, recorded in the Bible. While the culprit had been identified, his hiding spot remained undiscovered.
>>><<<<
Advanced 10 chapters available at: https://ko-fi.com/ereh_kun
I've also opened a [Ko-fi Commissions] check it out: https://ko-fi.com/ereh_kun/commissions