Chapitre 81: Chapter 74
"P-Please give blessings to the lost lamb-"
"Please give charity to us on behalf of the father in heaven!"
Lint watched on as Irina and Xenovia respectively stood in the center of the walkway on what looks like one of Kuoh's highest traffic areas.
All around them, the Japanese people walked past, giving the two white-cloaked girls looks ranging from the odd raising of the eyebrow to full-on apathetic, if not outright annoyed, glares.
No one said anything to them though, or even spared the two a second glance.
At Lint's side, Asia, their blonde little nun, clasped her hands together and held them close to her chest, looking at the two doing their best to garner charity from the people with hope in her eyes.
They've been at this for at least a couple of hours by now, but still, nothing.
Still, good on the blonde for never losing hope, she supposed internally.
Lint leaned back with a sigh, her back pressing against the cold hard stone of some building that looks like a shop, but can't tell for sure since she can't read the damn writing there.
…Well, at least it's been far more fun than the Institute, that's for sure.
It was funny at first, and that in its way made the group's shenanigans kind of endearing, but at this point, she's starting to get rather annoyed.
Lint practically tackled Xenovia earlier to stop her from really summoning her sword in the middle of a fairly crowded airport, and after holding her down for several minutes to get her to calm down, she had suggested they take the march over to the Church Headquarters located in the next town over to explain the…situation.
It'd be much quicker in the long run, rather than try and run from here to Kyoto…since without money, they can't pay for a train ticket, much less food.
Oh yeah. Xenovia had said it was over half the budget.
When they checked, it was instead most of the budget.
Turns out, they got less money than the blue and chestnut-haired partners usually do for this mission in particular.
Or rather, had. For some reason, a bunch of it was already spent.
Lint hasn't gone on many missions before so she couldn't say, but Irina then helpfully suggested that it was likely due to their chaperone.
Apparently, that guy has a habit of running around with the budget, buying up sweets and dishes from whatever country he's sent to.
This means Dulio ate up a chunk of their budget pretty much before they even got here, and Irina proceeded to throw away the rest.
Joy.
Well, for Irina, since she couldn't be blamed for his spending habits, and thus was spared possibly being crucified.
So, rather than summon her sword and try to bisect her in two, Xenovia instead headbutted her.
It was quick, so unexpected, that Lint couldn't stop her in time…which is why if one looked very closely at the chestnut-haired girl, they saw the slightest streak of red peeking out from the top of her head.
Where already, unlike her partner, her cloak was pulled further down over her forehead, as if to cover something.
That, and if you pay close attention to her speech, it's slightly labored.
Asia had, of course, offered to heal it almost immediately, but Xenovia denied her the chance, and Irina graciously didn't object.
Lint nearly scowled as that part of this early morning played in her head but didn't so she wouldn't worry the blonde next to her.
In any event, after all that, and her suggestion, she was promptly shot down.
Apparently, the two girls didn't want to embarrass themselves by admitting to their seniors the situation.
Lint couldn't care less of course. She's hungry, they all are, and it's slowly starting to get to them.
Sure, they could try and bolt it straight to Kyoto, but Asia wouldn't be able to physically keep up with them, and the lack of food would weaken them to the point that travel would become dangerous.
This time, Lint scowls, the video of the Red Dragon Emperor's attack on this town replaying through her head.
If something like that can happen here, who knows what else is out there?
And then, to top it all off, they have no idea when, or even if, Dulio is going to come and check on them. The original plan was for them to meet him in Kyoto and start searching, but they haven't heard anything from him since they got to the country.
This has culminated in their current situation, a suggestion that Irina came up with and that Xenovia somehow agreed with.
Begging the Japanese people for money.
And it's going just splendidly.
All of a sudden Xenovia stopped, and clicked her tongue, "How can this be?" She started, switching from English back to their usual Italian, "Is this really the reality in a developed country like Japan…?" She huffed, "This is why I don't like countries that don't have the smell of our beliefs."
"Xenovia…" Asia piped up for once, chidingly, "That's not nice! I-I'm sure they have their reasons!"
Xenovia quickly looked away from the blonde, unable to meet her faith-filled gaze.
Lint almost snorted. Asia truly is a bastion of purity and heart, huh?
Irina though, nodded along with Asia's words, stopping herself and switching languages just the same, "Hmm hmm! That's right Asia-chan! Just because they're heretics doesn't make them bad people! They're just lost is all"
Xenovia snorted, "You would say that considering you came from said heretics, wouldn't you?"
Lint, if she had a drink, would have spat it out right there.
Instead, she simply wheezed, as Irina turned and gawked with outrage at her partner.
"You old-timey brute! You didn't just insinuate that I'm a heretic!" Irina immediately fired back.
"Old timey!?" Xenovia whirled around, walking right up to Irina with a strained glare, "What's that supposed to mean!?"
…Lint wanted to point out how she just completely glossed over the brute part there, but alright.
"What else am I supposed to call a Catholic who still follows the old ways!" Irina returned fire, unwilling to back down.
They were practically head to head at this point, foreheads about ready to slam against each other.
"Oh yeah? What else am I supposed to call a Protestant who doesn't even know what the Lord and Savior looks like besides a filthy heretic!?"
"Filthy!?"
O-kay! Maybe it is about time she stepped in here-
Except, before she could, the blonde at her side stepped forward, nearly right in between the two.
"Irina! Xenovia!"
"What!?" The two girls both whirled on the blonde at the same time as they shouted in unison at her.
Asia flinched, and at that moment, the brief mask of bravery she donned to approach them appeared to crack.
At that though, the two girls seemed to realize who they just snapped on, and their faces softened considerably.
"Sorry, Asia…" Xenovia apologized, looking away.
Irina bowed her head in shame, "Y-Yeah…sorry."
Emboldened by this enough, Asia barely managed to get out, "You two…we're making a scene in front of all these p-people…please don't fight, we've got other things to worry about right now…"
That managed to make the two look even more downcast.
Lint approached now, patting the blonde's head as she stepped up.
"Asia's right, you know. This, nor your guy's spats, are helping here. It's just making people avoid us more." Lint waved a hand to their surroundings.
Which were devoid of people waking past entirely at this point. Looks like they explicitly started avoiding and going around the group entirely.
Irina's expression somehow fell further, while Xenovia steeled her gaze and watched as everyone took the long way around them.
"...Would God forgive us if we threaten the heretics for money?" She abruptly asked, completely serious.
…During her time in the Institute, she had a brother.
He was very foul-mouthed. No one knows where he learned half the shit he spout.
Lint can say for sure she never expected she'd pull from that vocabulary…until now.
On reflex she didn't know she had, Lint looked right at Xenovia and plainly asked, "...Are you retarded?"
Asia didn't even get a chance to shut down Xenovia, she just turned and gawked at her instead, "L-Lint! Language!"
Xenovia just stared back at her, completely gobsmacked.
Irina wheezed, loudly, tears prickling the corners of her eyes as she forced herself to stop from breaking out in uproarious laughter.
"O-Okay! I…I wouldn't put it like that, Lint-chan, but, no…no attacking the shrines and stealing their offerings, okay? That is a stupid thing to do." Irina wiped away her tears, and put a hand on her chest, her breathing steadying, "Okay. I've got a better idea! Let's use our swords and put on a show!" She exclaimed, enthused, "That's the type of entertainment that works in every country!"
Xenovia's face immediately brightened, her insult immediately forgotten as her tone spiked with enthusiasm as well, "That's an excellent idea! If we cut fruits with our Excaliburs, we can get…what's it called again here, yen?"
Irina nodded along, her excitement building.
Lint watched on with the blankest possible expression.
She amends her previous question into a statement.
They are, in fact, both retarded.
Silently, Lint gives a prayer of thanks to her long-departed elder brother for warning her about such people.
Unfortunately, it's far too late now, she's stuck with them.
Thankfully though, there's no way Asia thinks this is also a good id-
She turns, looking at the blonde.
Her face drops even harder as she sees her eyes practically sparkling along with the other two.
…Ah well, it was a nice short life while it lasted!
"Oh." Xenovia suddenly blinked, the wind in her sails slightly abated, "Wait, we don't have any fruits."
No duh!
"Well, I suppose it can't be helped." Her gaze swivels towards and locks onto the portrait, which was leaning against the building much like Lint was earlier, still covered by a cloth, "Let's cut up that false idol."
"E-Eh!?" Irina exclaimed in shock, "Wait! No! You can't destroy it!"
"Why not?!" Xenovia immediately questioned, hackles raising.
"It'd be a waste of money!'
"It already was a waste of money!"
Lint stepped forward this time, as Asia was starting to look increasingly distraught, "O-kay!" She sounded out, sternly, "That's enough you two. We're not swinging around our swords in public. That's…"
She looks back at Asia, to see her glaring at her very cutely.
With a sigh, she turned back to them.
"Stupid. Very stupid. We all know Devils live in this town, along with some Pagan God. You all remember the video of the Red Dragon attack here, don't you?"
"...Ah." Irina made a noise, and just sort of started staring off into the distance.
Lint stared back at her.
She forgot, didn't she?
Xenovia rubbed the back of her head, "It…probably wouldn't be a good idea to agitate the local devils and pagans…"
Finally! A sensible statement!
Lint nodded, before focusing her gaze on Irina, "Iri."
"Eh?" Irina perked up, "Y-Yeah, Lint-chan?"
Lint crossed her arms, "You mentioned something about having a childhood friend here on the plane, right? Why don't we go ask them for help."
For a moment, Irina just stared back at her, before realization dawned in her eyes.
"O-Oh! Yeah, yeah! Alright! They should still live in this town…I think…but it wouldn't hurt to at least go see!" Irina pumped her fist into the air.
"...I'm still skeptical you even lived here before." Xenovia voiced her discontent, "But, alright. Let's go see what this childhood friend stuff is all about."
Irina nodded, arrogant smile clear, "Hmm hmm! Just you wait! I'll prove that I really did live here!"
At this point, Lint doesn't even have the heart to tell them that's not what they're going there for, but maybe they'll figure it out on the way there…?
Ah, who's she kidding?
~ A New Sun ~
…Of course they won't.
Firstly, it somehow took them hours to reach their supposed destination.
It was absolute insanity. They walked through residential blocks for hours. Some Lint was fairly sure, they went through several times in a row.
By the time they made it to their destination, or at least where Irina claimed their destination was, guess what they found?
"E-Eh…?"
They, although it was Irina first, had stopped in front of a small two-story Japanese home. A little cramped, at least in Lint's personal opinion, but otherwise it doesn't look too bad.
There was a sign out front of it though, that none of them besides Irina could read.
The chestnut-haired girl herself approached the sign gingerly, her hand brushing against the foreign symbols with a slight tremble.
"For Sale…and Sold." She muttered, nearly dispassionately, "That's…" she let out a sigh, before turning to the rest of them with a weak chuckle, "Well, uh, eheh, it seems they don't exactly…live here anymore?"
All three girls stared at the chestnut-haired girl back.
Then, as one, all their stomachs growled. Loudly.
Asia nearly keeled over whilst holding her gut. Xenovia simply grimaces, and Irina's chuckles grew even weaker and more nervous.
Lint, meanwhile, was internally fuming.
"Well…I suppose it's time to add 'Self Proclaimed Japanese Girl' to the list." Xenovia responded after a beat of cold dead silence.
Irina almost immediately gawked at her partner, "T-That's…! Xenova! I was born in this country! I swear!"
Xenovia snorted, crossing her arms with a knowing smirk, "Seems to have taken you a while just to find this one house. And I'm not seeing anyone here to back you up…"
"T-T-That!" Irina sputtered out, "That's just not fair! I haven't been here since I was 6! Of course it took me a little while to get my bearings! That's just natural!"
Xenovia rolled her eyes, "And I haven't set foot in an Orthodox Church before, but I could certainly find the altar in under 5 minutes."
"That is not a similar comparison!" Irina shrieked back in response.
"Hmm? Are you su-"
"Enough."
The two arguing Church girls instantly stilled, and shut their mouths.
The third, the blonde nun, looked up from her pains, at the fourth who spoke.
'
Lint spoke, and with each word, the cold in the increasingly late evening grew warmer and warmer. Around her, a thin purple heat haze was building. Her ruby red eyes, though she couldn't see them right now, she knew they were glowing with Holy Flames.
"Alright. Yeah, no more of this." She spoke now with less force, but her tone was still clipped, "I'm pulling rank. It was fun at first, but If you two don't shut up this instant, I'll stuff you both in the nearest Churches basement and let you rot there while me and Asia do our jobs."
Irina almost opened her mouth.
Lint looked at her.
"No. Don't speak. From here on out, I'm in charge. We're starving. We didn't eat on the plane. We missed breakfast and lunch, and our circadian rhythm is likely also all out of whack." Each of her words now was like nails being hammered in, nailing her mouth shut, "We have no money, and may as well all be in a foreign country that we have no way to properly navigate, and we can't contact our superior because he, like you two, require handholding."
Their faces both scrunched up at that, yet they didn't test her.
Good, they can learn.
"So." She began, her leaking aura settling, "Here's what we're going to do. We will head to the next town over where the Headquarters here in Japan is. You two are gonna carry Asia here." They nearly opened their mouths again, but she powered through, "When we get there, we're going to explain the whole situation. Get some damn food, some proper rest, and only then are we going to head out and do the mission we were assigned to do."
Her scathing gaze swept over the most dysfunctional partner pair the Church has likely ever produced, "Do you understand?"
Something about the way she said that seemed to make Xenovia freeze up in a small amount of dread, as she quickly bowed her head, "Y-Yes, Mo-...I mean! Lint…"
"U-Umu…Uh…Lint-ch, I mean! Lint-san…" She gulped.
Lint's gaze narrowed. "What?"
Irina points, down by her feet, "There's a…cat right there."
Xenovia raised her head quickly at her words, absolutely appalled by her partner's random statement.
Asia, who was watching all this looking damn near ready to cry, shifted to immense confusion and whiplash.
Lint though? She blinked, and completely blindsided as she was, immediately looked down to her side and checked.
Turns out? There…was?
It was a rather plump black cat, just sitting there, staring up at her.
It didn't have a collar or anything, so she assumed it was just a stray.
Still, it is kind of weird how it's just sitting there…and that she didn't even sense it.
Even if it is just a small mundane animal, she should have felt or heard something, right?
Then, all of a sudden, the cat jumps.
Not for her though exactly, but rather, something on her.
Her jacket blew out behind her as the cat passed by and landed on the other side of her.
In its mouth?
Her Light Gun.
Her special Light Gun, which was modified specifically to work with her Gear.
However, she could admit…the way the small cat had the not so small glock-like pistol in its mouth was both the most adorable, yet at the same time the stupidest thing she'd ever seen.
"Ah…uh, here kitty kitty…" Lint started walking over to it slowly, holding her hands up before her chest, palms facing out, to not startle it, "...you can't have that, ya know? It kind of a dangerous weapon, so why don't you just…hand that back to me, an-"
The cat promptly turned and bolted.
"Uh!? Hey! HEY!" With a rapidly fuming Lint quickly gave chase.
"Eh!? Lint!" Asia called out behind her, before yelping, as further calls of shock and surprise mixed with the rapid sounds of footsteps began following behind her.
Two pairs, specifically. One of them is carrying Asia.
Good. She's stronger than them both by a wide margin, but they should be able to keep up.
It shouldn't take long to chase down a cat of all things, right?
Wrong. For some reason, the cat is faster than her.
Easily keeping pace ahead of her, no matter how hard she pushes her tired body.
For a split second, she considers outright torching the feline, but then turns against the idea seeing as how they are still in the residential area… and she doesn't want to kill such a cute, if annoying, cat.
On the other hand, maybe she can scare it into dropping her gun.
If they do leave the residential district, then maybe…
Very quickly, she's given a chance, as the cat chase leads them out of the housing area.
"Holy Cross…" Lint utters under her breath, her footsteps burning the concrete beneath her feet, as she summons just a portion of the might of her Gear.
The Sacred Gear that holds the Holy Cross, the Longinus Incinerate Anthem.
Purple flames, Holy Fire, burst from the ground beneath her feet, and roared across the ground, arcing as they traveled, and erecting a burning purple wall before and around the cat.
Who, with no fear whatsoever, jumps over the flames with ease.
[...demon…]
Lint clicks her tongue, as the spirit within Incinerate Anthem, the Chief Mourner, mutters solemnly in the back of her head.
Calling anything not mundane a demon is a bit much though, isn't it? Especially because if it was a demon, just being near the flames would have sapped the demon's power, and could have been harmful by itself.
Still, she can admit…this cat is very weird. Definitely not normal.
So she keeps following, and vaguely, she can tell the others are getting further and further away from her, their voices becoming distant and duller.
The cat starts tucking through tight spaces and taking sharp turns, making the usage of her gear actively more difficult if she doesn't want to just burn a whole part of the town down.
Which she doesn't, but it's increasingly becoming an increasingly tempting idea as time goes on.
Then, the cat runs into a building, an abandoned and very hunted-looking…mansion. Only then does she realize how far out they've gone.
They ran all the way out to the outskirts of the town practically.
Lint burst in, and came sliding to a screeching halt as dust and darkness greeted her within, the cat simply gone.
Though her gun? Just laying there on the floor.
"What the hell…" She muttered, a chill sweeping up her back as she looked around, finding…nothing. Nothing at all.
She walked forward and scooped up her Light Gun with a single hand.
Yet nothing happened, even as she continued looking around.
The windows let in the light of twilight easily, illuminating the dust in the air that was hidden by the darkness.
Lint breathed and found it just as easy to do as walking in.
…Why is she thinking that?
There's nothing here, anyway, right?
Nothing in the air, nothing in this place, nothing on the floor…
Well, besides her of course, as she fell face forward, right onto the ground.
Like this, the strangely purple dust in the air looks rather…nice.
And the two pairs of golden eyes that stare at her from the darkness are just tricks in her head.
Right?
Right.
Lint closed her eyes, glad to finally be able to rest away from…everything today.
~ A New Sun ~
"...I think we lost her." Xenovia oh so helpfully stated, as they stood in the middle of the charred road where they last saw their fourth.
Irina gave her the side eye, and was about to say something rather scathing - and right might she add! - but was stopped by a…feeling.
She'd know this feeling, and she knows the other girls know it well too.
This presence is similar to Him, their God, but of course, nothing can truly compare, just feel similar.
The presence of other gods, Pagan Gods, tended to feel that way…or so she's heard! Irina has never actually encountered another deity before.
"Well now…what do we have here?"
But, well, there's a first time for everything!
A male's voice, smooth, with a good deepness, but uncaring tone, broke through their senses.
Xenovia was the first to well and truly react, whirling toward and facing the source, Asia, who was slung under her partner's arm, flailed around at the sudden movement.
"W-Wahh!?"
…She also made that noise.
Irina was quick to follow, her hands reaching for the silver ribbon wrapped around her left forearm.
Excalibur Mimic in its disguised state.
Standing before them now, was a young man, he looked shocking around their age, if only a year or two older, with obsidian black hair, golden eyes that glowed like two small suns in the encroaching night, and a scar on his cheek.
He was wearing a lackadaisical smile, along with a…simple black bathrobe.
She knows she's been away from Japan for a while, and that she's not really all that aware of her native homeland's folklore…
But is there a God of Bathrobes? Is that a thing?
Well, the more you know, she supposes!
"That is none of your concern." Xenovia responded with a stern voice, showing no emotion as usual.
…And a lack of awareness as usual.
Before Irina could even say anything else, the Pagan God smiled.
A smile that made all the girls shiver with a small amount of impending…something.
"...On the contrary, when someone comes in and starts throwing around divine flames…"
Flames began to flicker around his form, a rich and deep crimson-colored fire, growing off an increasingly growing golden aura.
He shrugged, "It might be just a little bit of concern to me, you know?"
Oh.
Oh he's not some God of Bathrobes, is he?
He's some kind of Fire God.
And, in fact, he looks kind of familiar, doesn't he?
Irina feels like she's seen him before, those flames…but that can't be right, could it?
While Irina was trying to parse this nagging feeling in her mind, Xenovia turned defensively, holding Asia so Xenovia's body was in front of the blondes.
"...The matters of the Church, aren't for some Pagan God to intervene on." She held her free arm and hand out to the side, "If you understand that, leave us to our good work. Now." Xenovia bit out through gritted teeth, as the cold evening air slowly began to turn hot.
His smile only widened, making his face look very punchable.
"Make me then, dumb Church pig."
That was pretty much all Xenovia needed to hear.
"Saint Peter. Saint Basil the Great. Saint Denis. Holy-mother Mary. Please hear my voice! In the names of the saints who reside within this blade…"
Oh, Lord…what did she do to deserve Xenovia as a partner!?
L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
Karmic_Wizard
Karmic_Wizard Holy shit, look at the time! It's...well, I mean, the sun just fell instead of having been down for several hours, so that's better than normal, yeah?
I had a ton of fun writing this one, could you tell?
A bunch of stuff, especially early dialogue and such, was taken directly from Volume 3.
Yup, Irina and Xenovia really are that dysfunctional outside of combat. It's a wonder the two haven't legit killed each other yet.
On the other hand, Lint might handle that for both of them, so no need to worry.
Also, yeah, Lint has the Cross far earlier then she should...that bodes well for the who was supposed to at this point.
Wonder how the Crown user is doing?
Anyway, next time, Nori personally gets to bulli the church girls!
Until then?
Peace, ya'll.
— Un nouveau chapitre arrive bientôt — Écrire un avis
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone