Xenovia didn't interrupt her this time as she can see how much she treasures those memories. It's one of the rare instances that they can be at peace aside from praying and meditating.
"We entered the abandoned factory but it isn't scary at all. It only has a creepy atmosphere due to the state of the building and some items that were left behind to degrade. Although I remember Issei-kun shaking his toes.
"Everything went on normally until a man in a white suit entered the premise. He said something but I can't remember it anymore. What I can clearly recall is his wide creepy smile and the malevolent aura that would come to know in the future... A Devil's aura.
"I didn't know what to do. I'm shaking all over and the world felt like it slowed down as the man in a white suit suffocate me with his overbearing presence.
"At the corner of my field of vision, I can see Issei shaking with a terrified face. I'm probably also making a face like that. I wanted to move my body to run away but I can't. I don't know how long I'm in that state but I suddenly lost my consciousness."
Xenovia was intrigued at her story and urge her to continue, "Then? What happened?"
"I just woke up with the building barely standing, all alone... Thinking about it now, with my experience, I can tell those damages are from a fierce battle.
"I panicked, obviously. I looked around to look for Kisuke and Issei-kun. When I can't find them anywhere, I started to remove the rubbles and stones with my bare hands thinking that they might have been buried. I wanted to call someone's help but at that time, I didn't know what's the right thing to do and I also didn't want to leave them if they are really in there.
"I searched for a few minutes and that time, I also couldn't hold back my tears anymore. Just as I was about to descend into a crying pit, Kisuke came back... I ran into his embrace due to how scared I was and felt relief for his safety that I didn't even notice that I sprained my foot.
"I asked him where Issei-kun is, but it turns out that he already carried him home and only came back to get me. I got so pissed that I forgot how scared I was... Maybe that's also his way of comforting me?" Irina sighed recalling the face Kisuke is making trying hard to find an excuse for leaving her alone.
"Did you ask him for an explanation of what happened?"
"I did... And he told me a story that I believed and hidden until my 'first' encounter with a Devil." Irina started fidgetting as she knew how ridiculous the story she believed for long.
"What story?"
Irina hesitated for a bit for telling her the truth, "He told me that man is an alien from a faraway galaxy and he came here to take children... But his biggest weakness is water and Kisuke conveniently have a bottle of water with him and used it to defeat and drove it away, swearing not coming back again to this planet..."
Xenovia's mouth is twitching when she heard the end of her story, "...A-and you believed him?"
"I'm just a little kid, you know!!!" Irina blushed due to embarrassment and tried defending herself but it isn't very effective.
"Setting that aside, for now, you're suspecting that he's the one who fought the Devil?"
Irina nodded at her question, "You're right, but that might not be the truth. Someone else might have fought the Devil and a possibility that he's also unconscious when some drove the Devil away."
"I see... Where is he staying then? I also kinda want to meet him now, but since this is a Devil's territory, I won't raise my expectations and neither you should. If he's someone with capability, he's already probably taken in by one of those guys."
Irina shook her head and said, "It's alright... I'm already not expecting much after seeing Issei-kun again..." They kept walking for a few more minutes before Irina pointed to a certain place, "That's his place if he didn't move anywhere. It's only him and his mother, Sakura-kaasan should be there."
"You're calling her your mother?"
"That's what I got used to since I always come to his place to play. Sakura-kaasan ended up becoming my second mother if my parents are too busy with work. My parents are also grateful for her for taking care of me."
They walked for a few more seconds and reached the gate of the house, but just as Irina was about to press the doorbell, she and Xenovia suddenly felt an aura that irritates them, a Devil's aura.
"Looks like he got the same ending as your other childhood friend..."
Irina's face became complicated but she wanted to greet him regardless. She can't back down now. The Devil inside should have also felt their presence due to the Holy Swords they are carrying. Pressing the doorbell, she waited for either Sakura or Kisuke to come out, but contrary to their expectations, a beautiful young woman with black hair tied in a ponytail while wearing a maid uniform opened the door of the house.
Knowing their identities, the maid glared at them, "What do you need?"
Xenovia took hold of her weapon but didn't do anything else and waited for Irina to speak, "Good evening, is the Urahara family still living here~?" Despite facing a Devil, Irina didn't lose her cool and kept her cheerful demeanor, though deep inside her, she's wishing that they moved and only the Devil maid is living here. But seeing the plate that says 'Urahara', that's very unlikely.
"Who are you looking for specifically?" Akeno came out with a stressed aura.
"Kisuke Urahara. Tell him that his childhood friend is here~!"
"He isn't here. You may go now." She immediately answered.
Irina stared at her for a bit before asking again, "...Then how about Sakura-kaasan?"
'S-Sakura-kaasan?' Akeno staggered a bit after hearing her calling Sakura with such familiarity, "S-she isn't here too."
Irina took the maid's stuttering the wrong way, 'Is she hiding them?' "Then do you have Sakura-kaasan or Kisuke's number? I want to make a call to them."
"No." A simple rejection. Akeno truly didn't know their contact information but she acted like she didn't want to give it to them.
That word, however, became the last straw to Irina's patience and she unwittingly released her aura. Xenovia beside her also supported her actions.
Akeno felt the sudden surge of their aura and emitted her own Devil Power to offset it.
A stand-off between the two opposing factions, but Akeno forgot that this is Kisuke's territory and their auras clashing is enough to activate certain magic sequences placed in the whole house by Kisuke.
Three magic circles suddenly appeared above their heads and they looked up. They wanted to react to it but the magic is strangely fast as three stainless steel buckets materialized from the magic circles and dropped down to their faces without being able to dodge. A series of drumming sounds were heard and silence claimed the place thereafter.
With all of their noses bleeding, a note dropped down from the magic circles before disappearing with each of them taking one.
"If you want to fight, do it somewhere else! --From your lovable candy store owner~!
"P.S. Don't let your blood drop on the tatamis. It's a pain in the ass to clean it." Is what is written on the note with a stamp of caricatured grinning Kisuke while wearing a striped bucket hat.
The first one to react is, obviously, Akeno, "Ahhh!!! Fuck!!! Why is this house full of traps!!! What are you trying to achieve you perverted bastard!!!"