Chapter 13: Priests and Nuns
Hibiki is extremely giddy with how her night is turning out thus far. Not only was she able to get a sale on her delicious fried squid in the supermarket, but she even ran into her precious Onee-Sama there as well. The day had started rather harshly for the petite girl, but things are finally starting to take a turn for the better. As the girl in question can be seen humming in glee, the girl beside her continues to walk forward, her thoughts keeping her preoccupied as well. After the commotion with the big ogre that damn near almost destroyed their house, Wendy was left to clean up the mess after they had taken Scyron away back to their facility here in Japan for a private meeting. Spending the rest of her day by herself, she decided to go stock up on her necessities to prepare to head to the church the next day, but after running into the petite girl in one of the aisles, she decided what better time than the present to involve herself with the church's current affairs. The Madam, or Scyron's mother, had informed the two of them that the Egyptian Orthodox Church was looking to expand its reach much further across the nations. After going over the details, she understood that a good number of individuals working in the main facility within Cairo had relocated here to Japan, resonating in a newly opened cathedral.
Now Walking into the church together, Wendy is met with the eyes of the various Sisters around the church's interiors. Hibiki, still excited over the prior news, puts down all the groceries and clears her throat. "Everyone, may I have your attention, please? I'd like to introduce you all to someone very important!" She turns around so she may showcase the blue-headed maiden behind her, "This woman is Wendy Tategami! She is a member of the New Ogdoad! And as well as my Onee-Sama!"
The sisters continue to gaze upon the girl in question as she timidly stares back at them. "Uhm Hiya! It's nice to meet all of you." After her attempt at clearing the air, the sisters immediately line up and start bowing their heads, "We welcome you to our church, Spirit Goddess." Wendy, shocked by the authoritarian respect showcased sees a man in a dark robe walk down the church's aisle. "I see the sisters have already taken a liking to you." The man who just entered says referring to Wendy.
"Oh yeah, I presume you're The Priest then?" The man in question shows no emotion on his face and yet carries himself with a friendly attitude before responding to the young adult. "That would be correct, my name is Issac, and I am in fact the Priest designated to this Church. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Wendy Tategami." The man bows his head to her while Wendy waives her hands in dismay back and forth. "Oh no, that won't be necessary! Please just call me Wendy, it's a pleasure to meet all of you too!" The Priest lifts his head to speak.
"I see then, shall I have the nuns prepare dinner then? How about some tea or coffee?" Wendy, who is infamously known to have never turned down a free cup of coffee her whole life responds. "I mean if you're already brewing…" Hibiki chimes in " Onee-Sama, it's six-thirty! You can't have caffeine at this time!" Without hesitation, the blue-haired woman chops the silver-haired girl in the head with the ease one would swat away a bothersome fly.
"Hold it right there!" A voice from behind the established group calls out to them. "Standing behind them seems to be a trio of sisters. The sister to the left is a new face, a woman with dark red hair as well as a slightly bigger-than-average bosom. To the right of the group was sister Silvia, the sister Wendy met back in Cairo. and at the center was a newly registered face unrecognizable to Wendy. This girl, wearing a more scandalous version of the church's traditional sister outfits had blonde curly hair and sported a determined look on her face, this girl presumably being to one that had yelled out before.
"You there! You think you can just walk into our church without a formal introduction! Who do you think you are!" The loud and abrasive woman yells out to Wendy, who is immediately ticked by the sisters' attitude. "Ehhh!? And just who exactly do you think you are speaking to me that way!" Wendy, who had never got any sense of superiority amongst herself is suddenly filled with a feeling of self-entitlement.
"It's about time you'd ask! My name is Gilda! And I'm a long-lasting member of the Egyptian Orthodox Church! And my problem is, One should not enter a church without giving their prayers to our almighty lord! Not once did you give Praise to Ra! Not even Osiris or Isis! Have you no shame! A Demigoddess such as yourself should know better!" Wendy is seen with a ticked-off expression, "Look lady, I didn't even know any of those deities existed more than a few months ago. I'm not exactly pining to start kneeling in front of any of them, now if you don't mind, I was kind of in the middle of something here so…"
"Ho ho ho~ Yes I could see, but in any case, what business could you have come here for wearing such a skimpy outfit~," Says Gilda with a smug look. "To show up here in the house of the lord with such a tightly fitted and erotic outfit should be shamed upon if not anything else! Only a girl who's desperate to entice the gaze of passing men would ever dress herself up in something so unrefined!"
This truly was a new sensation for the blue-haired girl. Sure there were times when she often felt feelings of anger and embarrassment, but she had often been easily provoked by her peers, edging her to engage in fistfights. However, this is the first time another girl was able to get under her skin, attacking her femininity was a Shockingly powerful hit to her. She looks down at her outfit and examines the spunky girl's previous claims. She was still wearing the same outfit as she had in the Vatican, a white button-up shirt a black tie, and black dress pants, but to her dismay, the outfit did in fact stick tight to her much like her blue spandex SuperHero outfit.
"Ehh! What's it to you what I choose to wear!?"
"Ho ho ho~ Aw if I'd expect a woman who lacks faith to understand the appeal of a woman's concealed physic. Revealing your entire figure for the world to see shows you have no confidence in yourself as a woman. How can a woman like that ever have the confidence to excel as a goddess is beyond me!" Gilda says, her hand to her hips as she feels rather proud of herself.
"As you can see a sister outfit is anything But enticing, concealing a woman's figure and showing minimal skin, and yet I radiate with such everlasting elegance and Beauty! Something most people can't even pull off, not even a goddess, though I suppose it's fine for you to rely on other methods, albeit… Sluty''
That was the last straw.
Wendy had officially lost it, now charging straight towards the cocky sister she immediately puts her in a chokehold on the floor. "TAKE IT BACK RIGHT NOW YOU HUSSY!" Wendy says, showing no signs of handing out any form of mercy. "Waa! What in heaven's sake do you think you're doing? You Barbarian! I'm a sister for crying out loud! Sister Silvia Help me!!!" Silvia, who had been nose-deep into her book this whole time, responds, "You got yourself into this, get yourself out." The big-busted sister also speaks up, "My my, Sister Gilda is as entertaining as usual~" Wendy's great around the young girl's neck tightens as the two are locked on the floor, her chest presses against the girl's back as Gilda starts to blush and Pant from the contact.
"Gah okay okay I give!!! I'm sorry! Please let go of me!" After hearing this, Wendy reluctantly lets go, feeling satisfied.
"Good, now you better have learned your lesson…" Wendy says as she gets up leaving the girl whimpering on the floor muttering something under her breath as she lays dramatized and defeated. After watching the whole provocative exchange take place, Issac leads Wendy and Hibiki over to his private sector so they can continue their meeting without any more interruptions.
Now drinking comfortably together at the priest's office, they continue their prior conversation. "So, what brings you here to our church, come for a prayer, or confession by any chance?" Wendy giggles, then takes a sip of her coffee before continuing, "Oh no nothing like that. I'm here for what you'd call, official business." The priest also takes a small sip of his cup before responding. "Oh, do tell then~"
Wendy, now putting on a serious expression responded, "They should be emerging soon, the Seven Deadly Sins, am I correct?" Issac, understanding the sudden mood change, answers her. "Not soon, they already have." Wendy, shocked by this revelation, decides to stay silent. "The truth of the matter is, there have been reports of Highly intelligent demons appearing all around the world. As you know, a demon that can obtain a sense of self-awareness is not exactly common. So the recent occurrences happening right now are not to be slated as a mere coincidence…"
Hibiki looking between the two decides to mention something, "If that is true then why hasn't any of the other churches been made aware of this, surely there are other gods that might be able to uncover their whereabouts!'' Isaac looks over at the small nun, "their whereabouts aren't the main concern, these demons are intelligent enough to understand they are nowhere near the level of strength they had 300 years ago. The people of the sin cult can summon them now thanks to their seals being broken within the spirit world. The cultists are probably doing their part in restoring the demons to their full power." Now looking over at Wendy he continues, "That's why we need you here, Ms. Wendy."
"Just Wendy, and what do you mean?" She responds.
"Before these Sins gain their full power and fully awaken, the Egyptian Orthodox Church has been relocated here to this location, in hopes you will be somewhat of a magnetism to them." Wendy looks back at the man with a perplexed face. "The sin cult has been directly opposing us for centuries, but moreover than our religious sect, their true spite is with the Egyptian Deities this church so heavily praises. This church was formed from the followers of the ennead, composed of Isis, Osiris, Nephthys, and Set. The cultist must be aware of your Egyptian connections, and seek to snuff you out. So using you as a magnet to attract them all here was the church's ideal conclusion."
"Seriously, I'm just a fucking guinea pig!?" Angered by this, Wendy immediately calms herself down and takes a breath. "Not that I'm happy about this arrangement, but I do suppose that this is probably the best course of action, especially considering the possible casualties that would ensue if these Demons are left to their own devices." The Priest nods and then continues, "Yes, it is better to draw them all here before they become too powerful. With that said, I have also acquired an advantage to overcome the upcoming obstacles."
Hibiki, who had previously left the room, comes back right on cue carrying with her a giant pile of books. "I got them, Father Issac! These are the Gospels you acquired, right?" the priest looks over at the small girl and responds. "Yes, those gospels will be the key to defeating these demons once and for all." The books are then laid out on the table, and the room's eyes gaze down upon the five books with a single word engraved on each cover. "Greed, lust, sloth, envy, pride… wait, these are the seven sins!?"
"Issac grabs one of the books and looks over at Wendy, "These are the Gospels, books that contain sacred scriptures inscribed by the God of Knowledge, Thot." Upon hearing this, Wendy could not help herself but let out a small little chuckle under her breath, Issac pays no mind to this and continues.
"After we made a trip to his Ancient Library, he created and delivered these Gospels to the church. After the Dragon God's sealed those demons in the spirit temple, Thot has been working for the last 100 years to create these coded texts that would aid us in destroying these demons once and for all." Wendy looks across the Gospels, reaching out and touching one. "I see, so how are these supposed to come in handy exactly?" The Priest responds, "It's quite simple, each book will be given to a member of the church, and they will use the Gospels' power to bind the demons by their selective sin. Destroying the root of the Sin must be part of the process when combating the demons, if not they will simply reincarnate into even more powerful monsters. Once bound to these books, we will exorcize them by burning them with your holy flames."
Wendy, understanding the situation, asks one more question that's pondering her. "I see but they're only five books here, where are the other two?" Issac looks a bit hesitant but responds, "As you may recall, the heretic John had stolen one of these gospels, that's how he was able to control the sand demon, otherwise known as Pride." Wendy thinks back to the previous battle as things start aligning in her head.
"Though that man had used the gospel to control the demon, he had inadvertently sealed his sin's effect of Pride, making him far weaker than his full potential. As for the last book, I was instructed by the Pope to not disclose that one." Wendy isn't convinced by this blatant excuse but decides not to press any further. "Well anyway, who are the lucky five to obtain the demon books?" Issac, now putting the book in his hand, replies. "The Gospel for Gluttony will remain with me. Sister Hibiki, I would like to entrust the Gospel for Envy to you."
"Me!?"
"Yes, you have more than proven yourself to be loyal to the Egyptian Orthodox Church, not to mention you have the highest affinity with the spirits here, considering you a sp-"
"Aaaaahh!"
The room is brought to an abrupt silence as the pair stare at the silver-haired sister, who on top of making that loud noise struck an exasperated pose, drawing all eyes on her. "Sorry, I thought I saw a spider…" Hibiki says, attempting to change the subject, not wanting to admit she's nervous at such a responsibility falling onto her, as well as not wanting to reveal the truth of her spiritual origins. After clearing her throat, she puts on a more serious tone. "O-okay yes! I gladly take possession of this Gospel!" Nodding his head towards her, the Priest continues. "As for the Books of Lust, Sloth, and Greed. They shall be given to a group of sisters I've selected.''Understanding the situation, the blue-haired girl stands up from her seat. "Alright, perfect! I'm glad we got all that cleared up. We'll use the gospels to bind and combat these demons, using my spiritual presence to leer them here, and then kick their asses one by one, your classic monster of the week formula!" Not understanding her reference, Hibiki responds in kind.
"If everything goes according to plan then yes, I suppose you could say we will, "kick their asses."
"Language!" The priest responds to the indecent-mouthed pair. "Hehee~ well now that that's all taken care of, I really better get going! I'm only a few blocks away so I'll check back tomorrow for an update, chou~" As Wendy begins to leave she is stopped by a desperate call. "Wait! Onee-Sama, I uhm…!" Turning back, looking over at the petite girl with kind eyes, "Yes?" Hibiki looking down at her feet is blushing from ear to ear.
"It's just that I uhm… I just wanted… Your number… To exchange numbers!" She says bringing her phone out and presenting it forward bowing her head in embarrassment. Wendy blinks twice before letting out a laugh of amusement.
"My number? Of course, we can exchange numbers silly. Honestly, I should have offered it to you before, how else would you guys reach me if something happened." Wendy thinks to herself that they possibly could reach out to one another via the spirits, but decided to push that out of her mind. The two girls bump their phones together, connecting their Line accounts. Hibiki looked at the notification on her screen, contact info being successfully transferred between the two; she couldn't help but let out a muffled girlish squeal. "Okay, that should be it right, I'll be heading out now, have a good night you two." Wendy excused herself from the conference, as the silver-eyed girl stared back at her with dreamy eyes. "You sure you didn't want to take a picture of her?" Isaac says, enticing a blush on the young sister's face.
Within the contours of the church, The scene changes over to a sister with platinum green hair as she views the blue-haired goddess leaving the church's gate from her bedroom window. "I see, so she's already leaving." She says out loud while her face is still nose-deep in her book. "It's a shame, I would've liked to speak with her some more…" Silvia thinks to herself before her mind gets interrupted by a more high and obnoxious voice.
"Ho ho ho~ She must have been intimidated by my spiritual presence and ran away in fear!" Says Gilda, who shares a room with her sister. "I doubt that after the way she manhandled you…" Silvia responds.
"SHUT UP! She simply caught me off guard!" The girl responds with what one would call a tsundere expression. "I'm in no mood for your delusions, Gilda." Letting out a pouty face, Gilda gets angry at her sister's disregard for her emotions.
"Just You wait sister! I show up as that wannabe goddess, then I'll be recognized by all my fellow sisters as a true holy maiden, then I can even gain the title of a Goddess!" Silvia flips a page in her book,
"Yes, whatever you say, Gilda." The older sister says while flipping a page in her book.
In a secluded location within Japan, held a dome-like structure that emitted divine energy. For the last 100 years, this corporation has existed to moderate celestial activities. Founded by the Norse God Thor and his wife Mut, the U.O.C.B(Universal organization of celestial beings) has been a safeguard for chosen candidates who gain divine powers. They provide aid and resources to the demigods with their various locations around the world and assist in the political side of the events they partake in. Scyron Tategami was instructed to inform everything that has transpired to him since the day he became a demigod over six months ago. He stands before his father wearing a tie and a button-down shirt, giving his report.
"I see, so after the wind Goddess Boreas had rescued you, that's when you parted with Wendy." Scyron nods his head, allowing his father to continue his evaluation.
"You spent a hunk of your time in Paris, training and getting to know other demigods I see. Even being able to stop the invasion the demons attempted to start over there. In the short time you've entered this world, you've already accomplished some great feats." The demigod known as Thor says from his desk, holding a monotone face as he looks at his son, the recently reincarnated demigod.
"Thank you, Father, you honor me."
"The phoenix spirit chose both you and your childhood friend as its host, making her the Spirit Goddess, and you the God of Gold. I've been struggling to find the connection between you two, could it have been a coincidence… In any case, you've been doing a great job accustoming yourself to this situation, dealing with demons, and aiding the innocent wherever evil brews..." Scyron smiles at this before replying.
"Hehe, well it wasn't just me, I doubt I could have accomplished anything post my resurrection if it wasn't for Basey."
"Basey?"
"Oh sorry, I mean Bastet." Thor looks over his reports before continuing.
"Ah, I see, that girl has been sticking rather close to you, it seems to me she's taken quite a liking to you."
When Scyron Tategami was reincarnated post separating from Wendy, he had met some unique individuals on his exploits. One is a girl given powers of the Egyptian god of death Anubis, along with her twin brother. Aside from them, he was met with two feline women known as the cat goddesses, Bastet and Sekhmet. These two Egyptian goddesses are some of the few who remain in this world after the ennead's departure.
"Yea I suppose you're right, Bastet's pretty clingy, not that I mind."
Thor smiles at this, happy that his son is able to experience some prepubescent youth during this supernatural ordeal.
"There is one thing though…" At this, Thor looks down at his son.
"Yes?"
"Well, she keeps referring to me by this name…"
"?" Thor edges his son to continue, perplexed by his current predicament.
"She calls me… Amun."