Chapter 33
P.S this story starts a few years before the start of our favorite DXD verse!
AND I DON'T OWN ANY DXD MATERIAL, ALL CREDIT TO THE ORIGINAL WRITERS!
"Talking out aloud"
'Thinking with ones mind'
"Spirits inside the sacred gears talking"
Kuoh Academy
The school had just ended and the students were walking their way out of school, except for students who had after school clubs to attend. Part of two such groups were the Devils belonging to Student Council and Occult Research Club, all of whom were assembled in the ORC clubroom. All 18 Devils including three Kings were in the clubroom, awaiting their guest, guest no one asked for…
It was the day after the stray Devil incident and the atmosphere in the room was intense to say the least. All the Devils in the room could think about was why would three Exorcist would be coming to their town? It was a question no one had an answer to.
There was another question that plagued mainly the three Kings in the room, which was why they were informed about the visit through one of Marids contacts rather than through official channels? They knew that because as soon as Sona and Marid informed Rias about the situation, the three Kings got onto an emergency call with both Lucifer and Leviathan Satans to confirm the arrival of exorcist. It was only until a few hours ago that the Satans were able to confirm the arrival of the exorcist through Angels of Heaven, and even that took this long because Heaven themselves weren't aware of such movement of church exorcist to put it simply. It was only until Heaven pressed on their counterparts for answers, only then they found out about it.
To the surprise of Heaven, and eventually the Satans, the reason behind Church sneaking exorcist to Kuoh was because someone had stolen two of the seven Excalibur fragments from the church and they were believed to be hidden in Kuoh.
Marid, Sona and Rias were already aware of that little fact considering they were informed about Freed and his apparent use of Excalibur Rapidly to kill a church Exorcist, by Yumi and Kiba.
This situation was borderline concerning, to the point that ever since the morning, Sona and Rias had spend considerable time putting up defensive and isolation wards at the clubhouse to ensure the safety of the Devils and the humans should these exorcist turn out to have less than pleasant intentions.
However, so far only the three young Devil Kings and their second in command, Yumi in Marids case, were told about the whole situation, others were left in the dark. This was not out of distrust but rather to spread panic considering out of the eighteen Devils in Kuoh, 3 of them would be leaving for Olympus meeting later that evening.
"Do we have any updates on the exorcists arrival?" Marid asked curiously as he lounged around in the clubroom.
"They had come to school grounds during the middle of the day. I informed them to meet us over here in the ORC Clubroom after the end of the school day. Tsubaki and Momo should be bringing them over soon enough" Sona replied seriously.
"How many exorcists were there?" Rias asked.
"Three" Sona replied simply, but her answer left both Marid and Rias stunned.
To send three highly trained exorcists in the territory of Devils either meant the Church didn't respect the Devils ownership of Kuoh or they are prepared for a fight. Something if not handled right could ignite a war.
*Knock* *Knock*
Sound of a polite knock on the clubroom door echoed through the room, seizing all conversations at the moment as well.
"Come in!" Rias spoke authoritatively, letting Tsubaki enter with the three exorcists in.
"Kaicho, Lady Rias and Lord Marid, I have brought the three exorcists from the church who have requested an audience with you all" Tsubaki bowed to the three Kings before moving out of the way letting the group of Devils see the clothed exorcist.
Despite being shrouded in a white cloth, the group of Devils could easily identify that they were two women and a man part of the group, judging by the outline of their body under the cloth.
Another interesting thing the group of Devils noticed was that out of the three exorcist, only two of them showed any signs of a weapon with the lady in the middle having a massive sword on her back covered in a heavily enchanted cloth with the only man of the trio sporting a sword on his hostler belt.
The room stilled for a second before a loud shrill echoed through the room.
"What are you doing here?" the woman in the middle with a massive sword hung to her back pointed at Marid, rage filling through her tone.
"Ahhhh, do I know you?" Marid asked in genuine confusion.
"Don't act coy, it must be you who attacked the church" the lady in the middle raged further before attempting to reach for her sword only to stop by a hand on her shoulder.
"No Xenovia!" the only man in the group warned her seriously before looking at the confused Devils.
"What is going on over here?" Rias asked angrily, first her Kiba and Yumi were attacked in the night and now Marid was threatened by exorcist. She needed answers now!
"I would like to know that as well" Sona asked coldly as she adjusted her glasses.
"It was him! He is the one who attacked the church and stole the Excaliburs from us" The lady known as Xenovia angrily pointed at Marid.
What she didn't noticed or couldn't care to notice was that her statement caused every Devil in the room to gasp and the other two exorcist to frown and look at their feisty partner in consternation.
"Wait what??!?" Marid spluttered out in shock at the accusation. "Where did this come from, and I haven't even been to Europe in the last few years"
"Perhaps we can start this meeting by introducing each other instead of throwing baseless accusations around" Rias spoke in a clipped tone. This feisty female exorcist was clearly getting on her nerves now. It was a surprise that none of her servants, more in particularly Kiba, hadn't done anything yet but at the looks of it their willingness to stand by will not last long if this tone continued.
Before Xenovia could retort, she found her getting a firm hand on her shoulder by her male colleague, "I agree with Rias Gremory on this one" the man spoke evenly before taking off his hood, an act that was followed by his female counterparts, albeit grudgingly.
With faces of the exorcist finally visible, the group of Devils took in the sight of two young girls and a man in his mid twenty's dressed in exorcists clothing with all three of them armed with Holy swords.
"Our names are Masomi, Xenovia and Irina and we have been sent to Kuoh on a special mission by the church" Masomi spoke for the group seeing his other two counter parts were uncomfortable to introduce themselves to a group who essentially are their enemies.
The group of Devils first noticed the solo man of the trio of exorcist named Masomi. He had jet black matted hair that were tied neatly together at the back. He had vigilant dark brown eyes that looked at the group of Devils in suspicion and to some extent curiosity. He was armed with a holy sword as well which got him glares from Kiba, something he had noticed and was keeping an extra eye on.
The next person the group took notice on…. Or perhaps glared at in this instance was the feisty exorcist named Xenovia. Xenovia is a beautiful young woman with chin-length, blue hair with a dyed green fringe on the right side and brown eyes. Adorn in her battle attire is her Church battle suit, which consists of a black, skin-tight, short sleeve leotard with pauldrons, matching fingerless gloves that extend to her biceps, and thigh-high boots, all of which are adorned with straps. This attire is worn under a white hooded cloak with gold and blue accents. She also wore a crucifix around her neck.
Followed by the other two exorcist was perhaps the only exorcist who had yet to utter a single word named Irina. Irina is a beautiful young woman with violet eyes. She has long chestnut hair tied into twin tails, each held with a blue scrunchy, but on some occasions, she lets her hair down. She wears the standard Church battle attire, same as Xenovia's with some slight differences.
"Its you both!!!" This time it was Marid who broke the decorum of the room by his own exclamation before starting to laugh uncontrollably. Both Rias and Sona were confused by this reaction, but it was clear from their reaction Marid and Xenovia knew each other from before. Yumi's shocked reaction at Xenovia identity all but confirmed their suspicion.
'Wait both' Both Sona and Rias picked up on Marids exclamation at the same time.
"You both, Marid Gremory?" Masomi asked the same question both heiresses were wondering as well, it wasn't accusation but rather a curious questions.
"Its not just him we know. Its good to see you after so long Issie-kun" Twin tailed Irina replied as well.
"Wait you know me as well?" Issie exclaimed in horror and then confusion. After all he would have remembered coming across a cute girl like Irina.
"Oh my! You don't remember me?" Irina replied sadly as if genuinely hurt.
At that point Issie nodded negatively while doing best to remember where had he seen Irina.
"Well it is clear we have some people here that know each other. Lets start this whole meeting explaining each others background" Sona spoke in a clipped tone, making sure she wouldn't take no for an answer which caused the entire room to go silent. Well except for Marid who was still trying to get over his laughter, for which he got a glare from Xenovia, Sona and Rias.
In the end, it was Irina who broke the silence, "I know Issie-kun from my childhood. We both used to live in the same neighborhood" Irina explained, with a slight blush on her cheeks.
"Wait…. RIN-Chan???" Issie pointed a finger at Irina in shock, as if he cant believe what his eyes were showing him, "You are a girl? I always thought you were a boy"
"You what???!?" Irina exclaimed in shock, her cheeks now truly pink at the embarrassment that her childhood truly thought of her as a boy than a girl.
"I mean I did used to be a little tomboyish back in the day" Irina admitted with some embarrassment.
"And as far as he is concerned" Xenovia rudely pointed her finger at Marid, ignoring the glares she received from Marids peerage, "He is the one who unlawfully entered British Isles with nefarious intentions"
Marid just laughed at the accusation, "Correction, I lawfully entered the British Isles to kill a stray Devil but ended up unlawfully attacked by two jumped up exorcist"
"Why you!" Xenovia's hand twitched towards her sword threateningly, something that had no effect on Marid.
"Would you like to differ from my statement Miss Xenovia Quarta?" Marid asked with a smug grin as Xenovia looked like she was ready to lash out at Marid, despite knowing what Marid had said was essentially the truth.
Flashback
It was a cold yet foggy day in London where a young Yumi and Marid found themselves walking through Wembley in search of their latest assignment, to kill a stray Devil.
Marid, now 14 years old, still his lanky self however, unlike from during his time during his battle with his aunt Rias over the heirship of Gremory house, Marid looked to have put on some muscle. However that is where similarity ended with Marid from before. Marid of now roughish hands, clear signs of hard training and burns that indicate of his involvement in certain experiments in alchemy. His Crimson hair, now grown out a little was now tied up sharply like in a man bun while his lightning blue eyes still showcased his curiosity but mostly mischievous behavior.
Yumi on the other hand, looked petite, underfed-looking girl, around 5'1"–5'2", noticeably thin from her years in the Holy Sword Project — slight frame, delicate wrists, little muscle on her. Her blond hair was cut short and uneven, church-practical, only beginning to grow out toward the long lower-back length she'd have at Kuoh. Pale skin that rarely saw the sun, a soft Japanese-featured face that would later mature into Akeno-like classical beauty, but at fourteen still gaunt-cheeked, with large wary eyes that seemed too big for her face.
Their latest, yet only assignment Marid had gotten ever since he had departed the underworld had truly troubled the young Devil. After all he truly thought he had got the slip and was away from the prying eyes of the underworld, yet sudden message from the Great Satan Faction to eliminate the stray Devil was very telling. It had showed the young Devil that he still was being watched by the underworld, at least in some capacity.
"Lord Marid I think we are being followed" Yumi quickly pointed out to her master.
Marid briefly turned around in a way as if he was admiring the architecture of the building around him. That is where he saw three cloaked figures following him closely. It didn't help that they were each carrying holy swords, despite them being covered with black cloth.
"Jeez they are not being subtle about it are they" Marid spoke quietly to Yumi.
"What are we going to do about it?" Yumi asked worriedly. Even though it had been a few years she was converted to a Devil, yet she still held some kind of attachment towards the church and hence wasn't too keen towards fighting them in any capacity unless truly forced.
"Lets change streets a few times, maybe it's a coincidence that we both are in the same place. Considering where we are, its not really surprising to see exorcist over here" Marid informed Yumi of their new plan.
After spending 30 minutes changing streets and blocks, Marid and Yumi knew that these Exorcist were truly after them.
"What do we do now?" Yumi asked again.
"Lets confront them" Marid sighed at the end before grabbing Yumi and quickly running into a abandoned alley from where they teleported away.
"After them!" was all the two young Devils heard as the teleportation circle closed.
A few minutes later, the trio of Exorcist found themselves at the edge of St Kilda, one of the most isolated places in Europe, waiting them were the two Devils they were originally following.
"Can I help any of you" Marid asked, his tone clipped and his hands folded in front of him, showcasing his displeasure at being followed.
"We are the ones that should be asking that question Devils" oldest of the three cloaked figures responded in an even tone.
It was after this that the younger Marid looked at the three exorcists more closely and found out that not only the three exorcists were carrying holy swords but also were women as well. Two younger women, probably around his age while the oldest one who was clearly the spokesperson for the exorcist older than, probably around her early thirties.
"My name is Marid and this here is my Associate named Yumi and we are here on behalf of our race to kill a stray Devil who had escaped somewhere in the British Isles. Their last known location was in central London which is where you guys saw us" Marid responded diplomatically while ensuring to not use his last name just yet.
"It is the responsibility of the Church and the Heaven to protect the whole of Europe" one of the younger exorcist, the one with Blue hair, snapped back sharply.
"True but in some cases exceptions have been made. This is one such situation where Devils were given a exception to visit the British Isles to kill the stray Devil on our own accord before it could harm any humans" Marid responded calmly, not really showing his rising anger at the blatant disrespect the younger exorcist was showing him.
He looked around at the trio of exorcist and found an interesting sight. The blunette was the most angry one out of them while the chestnut haired exorcist was showing more horror by the second while the oldest exorcist in the trio looked like she was going over all the details in her mind as if to double check everything mentally to ensure no loopholes.
"Then why would I teleport to St Kilda, one of the most isolated places in the world with the closes town being about 40 miles away from us instead of "
However, before Marid could complete his sentence, he was rudely interrupted by the bluenette.
"I don't know about it Devil but I will put an end to you!"
"Wait didn't you say your name was Marid" the chestnut haired girl finally spoke with a look of pure horror on her face.
"Yeah"
"Marid is also the name of the son of Lucifer" the bluenette completed the sentence before rushing with her holy sword out alongside her partner.
"Xenovia! Irina! Wait!" The last exorcist shouted but it was already too late, her charges had already rushed in to attack the Lucifer with their holy swords. Speaking of holy swords, those swords caused a stir with Yumi and Marid as well after they realized that they weren't any holy swords but the Excalibur's themselves.
"Those are the Excalibur!" Yumi exclaimed in fear as her body stiffened, her memory of the holy sword experiment still fresh in her mind.
"Yumi stay back and let me deal with this" Marid commanded to his Bishop before summoning two regular demonic swords from his magical storage circle and enhancing them with his magic.
"Take this!!" Xenovia exclaimed as she used all of her strength in the vertical slash to end the fight in one go.
Much to the shock of both Excalibur holders, Marid calmly blocked the attack with his magically enhanced magical sword before kicking Xenovia away to gain some distance.
"Those swords while extremely dangerous to my kind, are only as good as their Wielders. Now show me what you both can do!" Marid said with a grin before rushing the two Excalibur wielders who suddenly weren't looking too confident.
"Lord Marid be careful, the blue haired exorcist is wielding the Excalibur Destruction, it allows its wielder great power output which the wielder could technically use it to cause a small explosion of holy energy while the chestnut haired exorcist is wielding Excalibur Mimic which allows its wielder to change its shape in anything they want. In theory it can be used as a whip" Yumi spoke urgently as she shook herself out of her stupor.
The three Exorcist in return couldn't help but frown heavily at the information being disclosed so openly which basically removed their upper hand over their enemy.
"Good information, thanks Yumi" Marid nodded seriously as he readied himself against two jumped up exorcist carrying legendary weapons.
"Its not like the information is going to help you out son of Lucifer! You will die here and now!" Xenovia exclaimed angrily.
Marid sighed. It wasn't annoyed. It wasn't angry. Just… tired.
"I see," he said quietly. "Despite so this is a misunderstanding." Marid spoke but others didn't listen.
Xenovia didn't hesitate. "Attack."
The ground shattered beneath her feet as she launched forward, Excalibur Destruction screaming as it cut through the air. The sheer pressure of the swing alone split the stone floor before the blade even connected.
Irina followed half a second later, her movements precise, controlled—Excalibur Mimic shifting subtly as it adapted to complement Xenovia's assault.
A flawless two-pronged attack.
Deadly.
Coordinated.
Overwhelming.
And completely ineffective.
Marid moved.
Not with speed. Not with force. But with absolute ease.
His body shifted just enough to let Xenovia's blade tear past him, the violent arc of destruction missing him by inches. At the same time, one of his demonic swords rose—not to clash head-on with Irina's strike, but to gently redirect it.
The sound of metal meeting metal rang out.
Irina's eyes widened.
That shouldn't have been possible.
Her blade—holy, adaptive, divine—was being guided away like it weighed nothing.
Marid stepped between them.
"Your coordination is good," he remarked.
Then he struck.
Not hard.
Not fast.
Just precise.
The pommel of one sword tapped Xenovia's wrist.
Her grip broke instantly.
Excalibur Destruction slipped from her hand, embedding itself into the ground with a violent surge of energy.
A second motion—barely visible—struck Irina's side.
She collapsed.
The entire exchange had taken less than five seconds.
Silence followed.
Xenovia staggered back, her eyes wide with disbelief. Irina struggled to push herself up, her breathing uneven.
"What…?" Irina whispered.
Marid tilted his head slightly.
"You've never used those swords in real combat before, have you?"
Xenovia clenched her teeth.
"We don't need experience to kill a Devil."
Marid shook his head faintly.
"No," he said calmly. "But you need experience to survive one."
"This is not possible! Our Excalibur's should have sliced through your swords with ease" Irina spoke in shock as she saw her sword in her hand.
"Weapon, no matter how great are only as good as the wielders who uses them. You move around such legendary blades like wooden sticks while I move my basic magical swords like they are meant to be used" Marid said with a sage like attitude as he arrogantly showcased his swords to the two exorcist who only now saw the light blue magical hue emitting off the swords.
'He is using his magic to magically reinforce his swords' both swordswomen came to the correct conclusion at the same time.
Xenovia roared, charging again—this time retrieving Excalibur Destruction mid-motion. The blade flared violently, its power surging far beyond before.
Irina followed, forcing herself up and rejoining the attack, her movements more desperate now.
This time, they attacked without restraint.
Explosive.
Relentless.
Unrefined.
And that was the problem.
Marid's eyes sharpened—not with effort, but with clarity.
He stepped into their assault.
Every strike they made—every swing, every thrust—was met not with force, but with understanding. He read them. Predicted them. Broke them apart piece by piece.
Marid moved with fluidity that only surprised the two exorcists he was fighting but also their master Griselda Quarta, who now was looking Marid with a calculating look in her eyes.
She had been a high ranking Exorcist for a long time and with her rank came knowledge, knowledge that most people in the church were privy too. She had realized early on that this Devil was not the son of the Original Lucifer but the son of the current Lucifer, a man who was said to be mightier than the original Satans but was said to be more peaceful than his predecessor, if a Devil could be peaceful that is.
She continued observing Marid as he used his swords, which were enhanced by his own magic, to gently redirect the Excalibur's when he could, completely dodging them if the opportunity presents themselves while using his elbows and legs to mainly attack the exorcist. Something that had raised a eyebrow with Griselda Quarta, who had not been expecting a Devil of that caliber taking no lethal actions during combat against opponents who were openly demonstrating their killing intent against the said Devil.
She saw Xenovia's overwhelming power becoming a liability—too wild, too uncontrolled. While Irina's adaptability faltering—her lack of real combat instinct leaving gaps in her timing.
Within moments Xenovia's blade was knocked aside and Irina was disarmed yet again.
Both were on the ground.
Defeated.
Completely.
Marid exhaled softly, "…That should be enough". He looked down at them—not with disdain, but with quiet assessment. "They're strong," he murmured. "But not ready."
Marid turned slightly, already considering his next move until he saw someone move towards him.
Griselda Quarta stepped forward. Her gaze moved immediately to Xenovia, then to Irina, then to Marid. "I see," she said quietly.
Her hand moved to her blade, the Holy Sword Galantine.
Unlike the chaotic brilliance of Excalibur Destruction, Galantine radiated something far more refined—focused, disciplined, honed through years of mastery.
"You've made your point," Griselda said.
Marid regarded her.
"You don't seem like someone who would attack without reason."
"I'm not," she replied.
Then she drew her sword.
"But I am someone who corrects failures." She moved.
And everything changed.
Where Xenovia had been raw power…
Where Irina had been untested potential…
Griselda was mastery.
Griselda without wasting anytime rushed in with speed that took Marid by surprise for a moment, her first strike came fast.
Not overwhelmingly so—but perfectly timed.
Marid's blade met hers.
And for the first time—
There was resistance.
A sharp metallic clash echoed through the area.
Marid's eyes narrowed slightly at the slight chip he saw appear on his sword despite the magical reinforcement he applied to his sword. "I see…. So that's the difference between magical sword and a legendary sword of the history" Marid admitted it to no one in particular before he changed his stance in an effort to deflect Galantine from now on instead of meeting it head on.
While he was not a skilled swordsman in any regard and preferably likes to rely on his magic and hand fist in a fight, he had been taught enough by Souji Okita, his fathers knight, that any strike taken head on with Galantine with a wielder like Grieselda Quarta was certain death. No amount of magical reinforcement of his swords will protect him from a full power attack from the Galantine.
Griselda didn't respond though, she attacked again and this time faster… Sharper.
Every movement calculated, every strike carrying intent—not just to hit, but to control the flow of battle.
Marid kept adjusting his style.
For the first time, his stance shifted.
The fight escalated.
Steel clashed repeatedly, sparks flying with each impact. The air itself seemed to ripple as holy and demonic energies collided.
Griselda pressed him.
Not recklessly.
But deliberately.
Testing.
Measuring.
Pushing.
Marid responded in kind.
The fight was no longer one-sided.
But it wasn't desperate either.
It was… controlled.
A conversation.
One spoken through blades.
Both knew the other was only testing the others might and skills yet they didn't give a inch of space to each other. Even when Marid landed a elbow on Griselda Quarta's face that caused a trickle of blood to ooze out of her nose or when Griselda precisely landed a strike on Marids sword that almost caused to give out completely and holy aura that caused him constant discomfort due to his nature as a Devil.
Minutes passed.
Then with a sudden yet with a brilliant burst of golden light filled the area.
Both fighters stopped instantly.
A massive magical cross materialized in the air, radiant and overwhelming. From within it, figures descended—a contingent of Angels and a sole human.
At their center stood a female goddess carrying 12 Angels wings on her back. The said angel had an appearance of an extremely beautiful woman with curly blonde hair and a voluptuous figure that would make any man drool and woman look at her in envy.
The said woman was Seraph Gabriel.
Her presence alone silenced the battlefield.
Alongside her was her bodyguard, Vasco Strada. The strongest exorcist to be ever produced by the Church. Vasco Strada was an imposing elderly man with a broad, heavily muscular build that seemed more fitting for a veteran knight than a priest. His short silver-white hair and weathered face bore the marks of countless battles, while his sharp eyes carried the unwavering resolve of a lifelong warrior of God. Despite his age, he stood tall and powerful, radiating an intimidating presence that could make even experienced fighters hesitate. Every movement reflected decades of discipline and combat experience, giving him the aura of a living legend among exorcists.
Beside Seraph Gaberial and Vasco Strada, whose gaze sharp and unyielding, stood a formation of two-winged angels.
Gabriel looked around once.
Taking everything in.
Her eyes settled on Marid who had a calculating look in his face while he inched closer towards another Devil, presumably his servant. He held two magical swords in his hands that were near ruin. Griselda Quarta, one of the strongest female exorcist of the current generation, someone she had heard quite a lot about, looking up at her reverence and apology as if knowing what had happened was partially her fault. Beside Griselda, on the floor lay two defeated exorcists, each holding a fragment of the original Excalibur, looking at her wide eyes. Now this was something that shocked her yet she didn't allow that shock to appear on her face.
'These must be the two newly discovered Excalibur wielders the Church informed us about. Ms. Xenovia Quarta and Ms. Irina Shidou. But for such inexperienced warriors in such a situation is preposterous' the Seraph noted with frown. Storing the information to further investigate once the situation has been dealt with.
While observing the scene she saw a figure at the back. A teenager with blonde hair and green eyes standing way in the back. Not close enough to be noticed but far enough to get involved if necessary. She gave the teenager a gentle nod as well, as if recognizing and appreciating his intentions before redirecting her gaze towards the scene that demanded her immediate attention.
"…My deepest apologies. My name is Gabriel and I am one of the Seraphs dispatched from the Heaven to handle such a… misunderstanding" she begin gently.
'Attacked by two jumped up Excalibur wielders and she is calling it a misunderstanding. I wonder what she would call the situation if me or Yumi had been genuinely hurt' Marid snorted inside his mindscape yet kept his guard up. After all appearance of Gabriel doesn't necessarily mean peace for fight. She could have been sent to finish the job by the God of the Bible.
"The actions of these exorcists were based on a grave misunderstanding Marid Gremory. Your presence had been approved by both Heaven and the Church under specific conditions that the stray Devil in the British Isles be dealt with without any harm on the humans, condition you had respected ever since you arrived in England. This misunderstanding… should not have happened."
Then Gabriel turned her gaze toward Xenovia, Irina, and Griselda. Her expression didn't harden. But the disappointment was unmistakable. "Explain."
Irina lowered her head.
"…We received information that he was the son of the original Lucifer," she said quietly. "We acted… according to our duty."
Gabriel closed her eyes briefly. "I see."
She opened them again and looked at Griselda Quarta, "I hope this serves as a lesson not only for your charges but also for you as well. While Marid Gremory entry into the British Isles lawful and his actions here were an act of self-defense meaning had he decided to kill your charges, the heaven and church could put no fault on Lord Gremory as the sole issue was caused by us" Gabriel proceeded to gently scolded them. '
Xenovia opened her mouth to respond to the Seraphs gentle scolding with her rightful indignation but before she could say anything she was cut off by her own legal guardian who was giving her a sharp look, "I am sorry Lady Gabriel for this incident. I should have been more careful knowing my charges characters. I will take the responsibility for this incident and would accept any punishment that you deem worthy on me" Griselda Quarta bowed her head deeply.
"Lady Griselda you shouldn't bow your head, this incident was our fault" Irina and Xenovia tried to interject but Griselda just shook her head lightly, "It was my fault dear, I should have shown more maturity and restraint in a situation like this"
"What do you mean? Everyone would have done what we had! I can't imagine any of the other exorcist wouldn't have stopped themselves if they had been told that son of the Lucifer was infiltrating the British Isles. I don't doubt someone like Lord Dulio would have taken action on this as well"
"Dulio Gesualdo showed restraint young child" she added, her tone slightly sharper. "Had he acted as well, this situation may have escalated into war." Gaberiel interjected as she pointed behind Xenovia.
Her action caused all three exorcist to turn around only to find handsome young man with blond hair, green eyes, and dressed in priest clothes and small cross hung neatly around his chest lazily sitting on a nearby rock eating fruits and waving at them with a bright smile. As if not acknowledging the fact that he had almost seen the start of another Great War between the three Biblical Factions. The said teenager in question was Dulio Gesualdo, the strongest Exorcist of the current generation and the only exorcist in service apart from Vasco Strada to be tasked with solo missions when it comes to dealing with high class Devils and strays.
The weight of that statement settled heavily over everyone present.
Then Gabriel looked back at Marid who simply shrugged, "I understand," he said. "They acted according to their beliefs and incomplete information provided to them"
His gaze shifted briefly toward Griselda Quarta.
"And her," he added, "She acted like a protective mother."
Xenovia froze.
Then immediately flushed red.
"T-That's not—!"
Griselda said nothing.
But her grip on Galantine relaxed slightly.
Marid continued.
"That said…" his tone shifted just a fraction, "if I had even the slightest indication that this wasn't a mistake and genuine attempt on my life… I would have killed them all, damn the consequences"
The words were calm. Simple and Absolute.
Silence followed.
Marids words angered all the church members and angels present but no one dared say a word. Gaberial on the other hand just looked at Marid, as if trying to see if he was lying or showing fake bravado. When she realized that there wasn't an ounce of deception in his voice she nodded slowly.
"…Thank you," she said. "For your restraint."
Marid waved it off.
"There's no need to make this bigger than it is," he replied. "In fact… it would be best if this incident wasn't reported in detail."
Vasco frowned immediately.
"That's a bold request," he said. "You're speaking to—"
"I know who I'm speaking to," Marid interrupted calmly. "I just don't care."
The statement landed heavily.
"I'm not here for politics," Marid continued. "I'm here to learn. To explore. War would be… inconvenient."
Vasco stared at him.
Then… slowly… his expression shifted.
Not agreement.
But understanding.
"…You're not lying," Vasco muttered.
"I am not, a war is something I don't aspire towards. A millennial long feud that no one even remembers why it truly started is something I don't want to reignite" Marid reaffirmed his words to the group.
"True, such a war is something that is not needed in this world. Especially not when the world has finally started to heal" Gaberial agreed with a small smile, something that caused all the church members and Angels in her entourage to be in shock.
Before continuing, "There is no need for war especially since all members who started and were in the hopes continuing the war are now gone as well".
Marid couldn't be sure but he could swear there was sadness in her eyes despite the diplomatic expression the Seraph wore on her face.
"Truly, but in this case, I have been wronged though" Marid continued on, moving away from the topic. Despite him wanting to know the reason behind her expression, Marid knew he would never get an answer to that question.
"I can promise you on this matter Marid Gremory, I will personally investigate this matter and ensure justice is served"
Marid lightly snorted, what good is justice to a Devils nature after all.
"Until the said justice is granted, would you consider granting a gesture of goodwill in the meantime considering the incident that happened today was Church, and by extension responsibility of the Heaven?"
Gabriel blinked, clearly not expecting these words from the young Devil, "What do you have in mind?"
Marid looked toward the fallen Excalibur.
"I'd like to inspect it."
The reaction was immediate.
Outrage.
Shock.
Protest.
The angels stirred, the exorcists bristled—. Some even drawing out light spears and holy weapons. An action that put both the Devils on high alert.
But Gabriel raised her hand and silence returned.
"…That is not something I can easily permit," she said carefully. "God may not allow—"
"I'm not asking to use it," Marid replied calmly despite the pain he felt due to GODs name being spoken. "Just to look."
He smiled faintly.
"And as for God of Bible is concerned… I don't think He'd object."
One of the angels stepped forward angrily.
"You presume too much Devil!" Angel roared, clearly angered by the words of the Devil who claimed to know more about the Leader of Heaven than the Angel of Heaven who in its life has yet to meet the Heavenly Father himself.
"Do I?" Marid asked calmly. "His actions suggest otherwise." Marid gestured slightly.
"Firstly, The God of Bible didn't restart the war after the death of the original Satans despite both Devils and Fallen Angel were in much weaker position and now sending Lady Gaberial here to resolve this misunderstanding peacefully. That doesn't sound like someone who is unreasonable." Marids words caused silence across the area.
While Angels and the Exorcist looked at Marid with some form of anger and resentment, Gabriel simply studied him.
After a long minute of studying the said Devil, Gaberial finally spoke, "Very well… I will allow it"
Shock rippled through everyone present but none dared oppose the Seraph in front of the Devils.
"You may inspect it," she added. "Under supervision." At that moment, Gaberial motioned to Vasco Strada who took it upon himself to grab the nearest Excalibur to him, since Irina had already retrieved her Excalibur Mimic, his former sword the Excalibur Destruction.
Considering his past, other than Gaberial herself, Vasco Strada was the most capable person to act as a sword keeper in this instance, especially since to many he was the greatest wielder of the Excalibur's in history, perhaps even at the level of King Arthur himself.
Marid nodded in understanding, "Of course."
He approached Excalibur Mimic slowly as Vasco Strada took hold of the sword as its keeper. His old eyes trained sharply at Marid, as if waiting for the Devil to make a nefarious move towards either him, sword or anyone else. If such happen, Vasco steeled himself to do what was necessary, even if it restarted the war. That was his determination to protect one of Church and Heaven greatest relic.
Marid approached the sword calmly.
But as he neared the sword reacted again. A surge of holy energy erupted from it, radiant and sharp—like a warning. The light extended toward him; stopping just short of contact.
Everyone tensed.
But Marid didn't move. He didn't flinch nor did he resist. He simply watched quietly.
As if reading the Devils intention, much to the shock of the people present around them, the light receded.
The blade calmed.
And for the first time Marid's expression shifted not into a smile nor into arrogance but into something rare; Genuine curiosity.
"…Interesting," he murmured.
Marid exhaled slowly before leaning over into the blade, knowledge-hunger overpowering whatever self-preservation he had left. His hands traced the air above different parts of the sword, as if to feel the sword without touching it yet he never conjured any magic circles to run any diagnostics lest he didn't care about his life and didn't mind himself and Yumi getting killed off due to Heaven getting another misunderstanding, only this time the misunderstanding would be of him trying to steal Heavenly Factions most prized relic.
When he finally rose, his expression was uncharacteristically shaken.
"This holy essence…" he began quietly, "it isn't the product of whatever alchemical rituals the Lady of the Lake or the God of the Bible wove into the metal as the legends speaks. The enchantments are there, certainly — masterful work — but beneath them is something else. Something older yet powerful" He paused, jaw tightening. "There is something sentient inside that sword. It feels intention. It watched me… judged me when I approached it. I felt it."
Stunned silence gripped the surrounding. While Yumi covered her face in horror, her mind clearly taking this new information and comparing it to her past in the Holy sword experiment, the others on the other hand grabber their crosses in shock.
Only Gabriel remained untouched by the shock, her gentle smile never wavering. It was one of the secrets Father had entrusted solely to the higher-ranking Seraphs at the holy swords' creation. 'I wonder how far he will manage to understand these swords,' she mused — though in truth, even she and her siblings had never been told everything. Father had kept secrets from Heaven itself.
"Fascinating as this is," Marid said, shaking off his unease and rolling his shoulders, "However, I believe I still have a stray to kill" Marid spoke calmly, or as calmly as he could. He knew what he felt was too overwhelming and he didn't want to push his luck today… anymore than he already had. He just wanted to kill the stray and get out of there.
"I agree" Gabrial agreed before giving Vasco and Dulio a silent command.
Vasco and Dulio walked calmly upto the two Devils as Gabrial took charge of Excalibur Destruction.
"Due to this unfortunate events of today, I think it would be wise to have Dulio and Vasco accompany you and your peerage member today. This way we can ensure the Stray can be killed effectively and no further harm is brought onto you by another misunderstanding" Gabrial said diplomatically.
Marid nodded in understanding while standing alongside Yumi who looked at the two exorcist, that were due to shadow them from on, cautiously.
"Well lets hope we meet again in better situation" Marid waved before disappearing in a teleportation circle alongside Yumi. Vasco and Dulio followed in their own magical circles leaving behind Griselda, Xenovia, Irina, Gabrial and her contingent.
After the Vasco, Dulio, Marid and Yumi had teleported away to kill the stray Devil, something that had been the original intentions of the Devils in question, Gabriel turned around and looked at her escort and the trio of exorcist that now looked at her with varying degree of fear in their eyes.
"Despite the innocence of your actions I must reprimand you for your actions today. Not only did your actions almost started the war but also needlessly risked your lives in abandon" Gaberial looked at the trio of exorcist with a serene smile yet her eyes had seriousness in them.
"We apologize for our actions. It was always taught to us at the church about the ways of the Devils" Xenovia and Irina apologized profusely.
"Which is exactly why your punishment won't be as severe as you think" Gaberial spoke with a smile.
Her answer caught the attention of all three exorcist.
"It wont?" Griselda asked cautiously.
"No it wont, however you three will undergo a more comprehensive training session about politics of the supernatural world and rules of engagement once we all return to Vatican before you all are reinduced back in the field" Gaberial responded as she looked at Griselda Quarta in particular.
Gabrial admitted to herself that she did smile at the expense of the looks of horror that appeared on the faces of the three exorcist.
At that point, Gaberial decided to head to the Vatican City to order a investigation on the events that had transpired today.
After all what had Marid had said earlier was true… if the word got out that Son of the Lucifer was attacked with cause, then no matter the outcome there was nothing that would stop the three Biblical Factions to go into another Biblical war and not it was up to her to lead the investigation on who was the one who gave these three exorcist incomplete information that almost landed them to such a situation.
Chapter End
I plan to write a separate chapters/story that will purely focus on the narration of the events such as the one mentioned in this chapter, 'Marid, Yumi, Vasco and Dulio going out to kill the Stray Devil and such'. I don't exactly know what I will be doing but I already have plans of what I want to write in these chapters the only thing I am missing is the time to write them…
The Next chapter we return to trio of exorcists in the clubroom with the groups of Devils as Marid Gleefully was retelling the story of his initial encounter with Xenovia and Irina.
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