章節 106: 100. Holy Sword and the Four Divine Beasts!
Omniscient POV
Italy,
In a rural town's high school in an outlying province, an exorcist was taking decisive action. This old school building had become a stronghold for a devil and its peerage, gathering night after night.
They enticed the surrounding residents with sweet words, granted their desires, and exacted compensation in return.
Detecting such activities near the heart of Christianity—the Vatican, the Catholic headquarters—was something the devout, who had been combating devils and fallen angels for years, could not overlook.
The Vatican had immediately dispatched an agent, a warrior, an exorcist, who then performed an exorcism ceremony on the devils.
The ceremony, in other words, to destroy the devil.
The interior of the old school building that had become the devil's stronghold was soaked in blood.
The corridor, walls, chairs, and desks—everything was covered in it.
The cause was a sword emitting holy waves, wielded by a male Catholic priest, who had brought 'salvation' by exterminating the devils.
This ancient longsword, radiating a powerful holy aura, effortlessly cleared away the devil's peerage that had taken over the old school building, annihilating them completely.
The devils, slain by the specialized weapon that converted holiness into divine protection, were not high-class beings and were reduced to nothing before vanishing.
The powerful aura of the legendary armaments known as 'Holy Swords' could vanquish even high-class beings.
The sword wielded by the male Catholic priest was among these legendary 'Holy Swords'.
For that reason, even though the devil in this old school building was of High Class, they couldn't avoid a fatal wound once struck.
The male Catholic priest, a mid-thirty-year-old of Italian lineage, stroked the growing beard on his chin with his left hand as he cornered the king of the peerage inside a room on the second floor of the old school building.
The devil who was the king of the peerage was a female devil. By appearance, she looked like a girl of about eighteen, but since devils could alter their appearance, one couldn't ascertain their age at a glance.
The Catholic priest spoke, "It's regrettable, but your entire peerage has been destroyed. What's left...is only you."
The girl, a devil, glared at the Catholic priest and shrieked, "How dare you murder my peerage, you annoying pest!"
Her eyes released a perilous brilliance, and a blue-colored aura gathered around her hand.
She aimed her hand at him and fired the demonic power. If it scored a direct hit, even the Catholic priest wouldn't come away unscathed.
But the Catholic priest easily evaded it. Quickly sneaking into the female devil's reach, he performed a sweeping swing with the holy sword.
An instant later, the female devil raised a cry of deadly agony. Smoke rose from her whole body as her figure crumbled little by little until it finally vanished.
Having completely slaughtered the devils in the old school building, the male Catholic priest gave the holy sword a single swing before returning it to its scabbard.
Exiting the old school building after completing his mission, the Catholic priest found his assistant waiting for him at the gate.
The assistant, a white-haired boy of fourteen who was also his disciple, wore a mischievous expression. He was dressed in a priest's clothing for boys.
The boy, seeing his teacher return essentially uninjured, was in high spirits.
"Hey there, if it isn't Teach David! Even with fiendish, heinous devils as opponents, you beautifully, invincibly smashed them completely! I also placed a barrier around the old school building just as instructed."
Before his merry pupil, the male Catholic priest, David Cerro, rapidly confirmed the contents of the next job from a note in his pocket.
His orders were written on it. The note contained information about suspicious activity in Japan involving the fallen angels, Akatsuki, and a group of magicians, with the directive to head there.
The young boy, peering at the note, inquired eagerly, "Teach David, Teach David! As expected, it turns out we're going there, right?"
David confirmed the orders and placed the note back in his pocket. "Yes, that's our next destination. Prepare yourself; we leave soon."
The male Catholic priest, David Cerro, was a Vatican exorcist—a church warrior. He was a middle-aged man in his mid-thirties of Italian lineage with dark brown hair slicked back, and a growing beard and mustache. He dressed in the typical clothing of an exorcist and priest.
He was a serious man, often self-righteous, and a stern believer in the Christian religion. He believed that Sacred Gears, such as the Longinus, should be under the sole control of the Church.
Thus far, he had not only slain fiendish devils and fallen angels but also completely eradicated evil monsters. The 'Holy Sword' that he possessed was his greatest strength. He was also a natural-born holy sword wielder.
"Yeah, on top of that, we're to investigate the location of a conflict between the Akatsuki, Grigori, and the magicians of Wizards of Oz. Let us prepare. For now, we'll head back to the subdivision and then immediately leave this country," David declared.
At David's statement, the boy raised a clamor.
"Hyahahaah! A foreign country! Let's go beat down the heretics of a foreign country! I should give praise to the Archangel Gabriel-sama's breasts for once again slowly raising my faith!"
"Watch your tongue. Don't be rude to Gabriel-sama!" David admonished, chopping Freed on the head.
Freed moaned in pain, covering his head and rubbing it as he stared at David, mouthing, "Sorry."
*sigh*
"See here, Freed. Our goal is only to investigate the fallen angels and the magicians in Japan and exterminate them depending on the situation. According to intelligence, those guys appear to be carrying out a dangerous plot in that country."
"I understand, I understand. So, depending on the circumstances, we should execute judgment with that 'Galatine' of yours, huh, Teach?"
The boy—Freed Sellzen—directed his gaze at the 'Holy Sword Galatine' hanging from his teacher's waist.
Gelatine was one of the Holy Swords and the Sibling Sword of Excalibur. It is said to be an extremely tenacious sword whose blade would never get nicked.
"You should also remember that judgment is done under the justification of compassion, Freed," David admonished.
Freed made a salute pose. "Yessir, Teach. We shall beat them down with restraint~."
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Himejima Clan Territory, Japan
[A/N: This occurred after the defeat of Hanezu Himejima, with Tobio Ikuse and the Utsusemi Agency now being known among the foolish Five Principal Clans. I'll reveal more in the upcoming chapters—I might just be building suspense, and everyone knows the story already! 🤣 But, things will still be a bit different with Kouske in the mix. Freed was thirteen during Slash Dog events, but I changed it a bit.]
At a certain place—the main shrine of the Himejima Clan—members of the family gathered in the outer sanctum. Each member wore a stern expression, fully aware of the truth behind recent events.
One of the bases of the 'Utsusemi Agency' had fallen under their control. Despite several fugitives managing to escape, the remains of one of the masterminds—those belonging to Himejima Hanezu—had been retrieved.
In the complete and utter silence, an aging man with a grim face, squatting before the inner sanctum, whispered softly.
"... It would be nice if our ties to the Grigori fate were finally severed. But now, there's even..."
With that single sentence, the outer sanctum erupted into a cacophony. Members of the clan all began voicing their views simultaneously.
"Suou-sama, is that acceptable? We've observed that one matter—negotiations regarding Akeno have already been concluded, but..."
The aging man, head of the Himejima clan, sighed once, as if disinterested.
"That was settled through a clandestine agreement with the Duke Family of the Seventy-Two Pillars. However, with that black-winged faction persistently encroaching upon Himejima territory, we cannot afford to remain passive."
"Protecting this country since antiquity, we are one of the five families, the Himejima."
These were resolute words, devoid of hesitation. A strong, unwavering determination filled the minds and bodies of everyone present. Soon after, members of the clan began expressing their opinions on the matter.
"We should seize this opportunity to narrow the gap with the other families. They too have unexpected Sacred Gear bearers, and fortunately, all the Sacred Gear wielders from their family were taken away by the Grigori."
"Even on the Shinra side, I've heard they had a daughter with a mirror-type Sacred Gear that allows contact with devils."
"It's evident that these calamities striking the Five Principal Families simultaneously are no mere coincidence."
[A/N: Mirror Alice cannot summon devils. It's just the propaganda of these racist geezers!]
"The Akatsuki organization—have we been approached by them to form a cooperative relationship regarding this matter?"
Upon hearing these words, the clan head retrieved a single piece of paper. It bore magical characters, clearly a request for cooperation from the magician organization known as 'Akatsuki'.
With an impassive expression, the clan head conjured a flame in his hand, swiftly reducing the paper to ash along with its contents.
"There's no need to collaborate with foreign practitioners. We must maintain a clear distance from that Evil Dragon who leads Akatsuki, as well as from Azazel, who is nothing more than a con."
That statement summed up the sentiment of the Clan members.
"As for that group with black wings... the Vatican may also take action."
"We'll maintain mutual nonintervention. If conflict arises, we'll condemn their actions."
The clan head's response was firm, and the discussion among the members continued earnestly.
"However, there is the matter of 'Oz'... a world akin to that of a picture book."
"...Grigori, Oz, and those who have rebelled against the Five Principal Clans keep appearing one after another..."
*sigh*
The unease among the clan members was palpable and understandable. They were already aware of the fallen angels and the magician association, not to mention the betrayal by the 'Utsusemi Agency'. However, the involvement of 'Oz' in these events came as a genuine surprise.
Until now, none among the Five Principal Clans knew of such a place's existence. Even among those gathered here, some harbored doubts.
Nevertheless, the Himejima clan head, Suou Himejima, made a decisive statement.
"Regardless, if these evils dare to set foot in Japan and bring disaster, it is our duty to eradicate them completely."
Everyone silently nodded in agreement. Yet, Suou Himejima sighed deeply and continued.
"Truly, the 'child' born from the lineage of my elder sister, who was exiled from the family... The incident with the 'lightning' was enough; what sort of strange curse has befallen this family?"
Decades earlier, Suou's sister Ageha had been exiled from the Clan. Since then, contact between them has been nonexistent. However, Suou never imagined that such an anomaly would arise from her lineage. Was it a flaw in the Himejima bloodline? Or perhaps the result of a pact with a mischievous pagan deity?
"Nevertheless, we cannot change what has emerged from the Himejima bloodline... Suzaku."
At the clan head's summons, a figure appeared.
"Yes."
It was a young girl with beautiful, glossy black hair that seemed perpetually wet. She exuded a cold, disciplined aura, showing no signs of hesitation.
Regarding the age of Himejima Suzaku, she had recently turned seventeen. She was the granddaughter of another elder sister of Himejima Suou, fittingly carrying the lineage of the sacred beast 'Suzaku' traditionally associated with the Himejima Clan.
In recent years, the heirs inheriting the sacred beasts of each of the Five Principal Clans had been notably youthful, a testament to the success of efforts to preserve their bloodlines.
However, beyond her lineage, Suou, as the clan head, held a special sentiment towards Suzaku. She bore a striking resemblance to the first one he had nurtured—Shuri, who had departed from them. Shuri, Suzaku's biological aunt, had fallen prey to the black-winged adversaries and tragically lost her life.
Reflecting on these memories, Suou addressed Suzaku after a moment of silent contemplation.
"I ask of you, the future herald of the Himejima clan... As the representative of those bearing the 'Red' name, can you perform the sacred Fire Dance for us?"
[A/N: Many of the Himejima's first names start with the character for red. This includes Suzaku herself as well as Suou, Ageha, Shuri, and even Akeno. But it seems Hanezu was rejected.]
She, Suzaku, bowed deeply.
"I would be honored to, Ojii-sama," she replied respectfully.
Upon hearing Suzaku's words, Suou nodded calmly. However, he then narrowed his eyes and looked down at the floor.
"However... Towards the daughter aligned with lightning and the devils. Towards the dog aligned with darkness and the fallen angels..."
He spoke in a hushed tone. "For now, let us designate him as 'The Fallen Dog God'."
[A/N: It somehow feels embarrassing if I had to say that in front of everyone. Kinda feels like a Chuunibyou thing. Btw, Suzaku talked about wanting to marry Tobio to make the other clan members accept him in Slash Dog volume 3! Canon Tobio with his harem, is a thousand times better MC than the pervert (Issei)!]
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Having been honored by the order from the clan head at the main shrine, Himejima Suzaku was walking through the grounds.
"Yo."
A cry pierced the air. It came from a boy in spectacles, seemingly her age. He possessed long, slender limbs and an aura that rivaled Suzaku's own, if not exceeded it.
"What's your business here, Seiryuu-kun?" Suzaku inquired.
Kushihashi Seiryuu shrugged. "Just wondering if it'll turn into a four-way brawl with the fallen angels and those magicians from the picture book."
As Suzaku resumed walking, she remarked, "It does get hectic around here. Not like you won't be putting in the effort as well."
Following behind her, Seiryuu replied, "It's the family's decision too, so we'll have to go along. By the way, I rushed over when I heard the Himejima clan had birthed the 'Dog God'. Isn't it amazing that it's a Longinus?"
Suzaku halted, speaking without turning. "Isn't it ironic? A dark blade born from the Himejima, guardians of Shintoism."
Sensing Suzaku's mood, Seiryuu forced a bitter smile. "Scary, scary..."
Changing the subject, he continued, "Do you even know, Suzaku? Its mere presence attracts the Four Fiends."
"—The 'Four Fiends' and the 'Dog God'. The old man of the Himejima clan must be furious."
"The Himejima clan is quite intriguing, isn't it? From dealing with fallen angels' misconduct to birthing the Dog God. And you alone are its savior?" Seiryuu remarked.
"No, I too originated from the dark side. I've only been forgiven for those days," Suzaku replied. "Seiryuu, despite the transgressions, prepare a meeting place for the other Four Divine Beasts and Nakagami-dono."
Seiryuu smiled cheerfully at Suzaku's directive. "——That's your move huh? This ought to be fun. However, aside from Genbu-chan and that rambunctious Byakko, are you really going to go as far as to summon Ouryuu? That person is far harder to please than you can guess."
Suzaku gathered her long hair into a ponytail at the back. "I must oversee this personally. Not just the 'Four Fiends', but also Ikuse Tobio... Eventually, even in Tobio and Akeno's situation, I will ensure they are recognized as part of this family. ——I will accept even the family's darkness!"
The Dog, the 'Four Fiends', the 'Four Divine Beasts', and the 'Yellow Dragon' were all about to converge. But...
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