Even as some of the girls let go of Abaddon, Rias was still clinging tightly to him.
"You are spending the next month with me, no matter what," She whispered in his ear furiously, "You taught Akeno so many new things that I feel like she's left me in the dust. And I'm her king …"
"Calm your tits," Abaddon squeezed her butt, "I was planning on doing a month-long training session with you as well. I need some special training with my Draconic energy and you are the only one who can work with me on that."
"Really?" Rias asked excitedly, "Just the two of us?"
"Just the two of us," Abaddon nodded. Rias was going to help him not only perfect teleporting Destruction Spells, but she was the one he would be training his use of Draconic energy with. Her energy was the most compatible with his and she would serve as the optimal training partner for him despite the huge difference in their strength.
"You're the best …" She tightly hugged his head, burying his face in her chest.
As Abaddon enjoyed the comfortable embrace for a few seconds, "You should talk to Michael about Irina," He said, "She's been looking at us like a jealous wife who just saw her husband cheating on her."
Rias lightly laughed before pulling back from the hug, "I'll come back quickly," She said before leaving to talk to Michael. Irina noticed Rias' actions and quickly stood up before dusting herself off and following her.
As for Abaddon, he looked at the complicated expression on Xenovia's face and approached her, "Deep in thought?" He asked her.
She quickly stood up from her seat, "My lord," She greeted him respectfully.
"Come here," Abaddon grabbed her hand and sat on her seat. He then pulled her, making her sit on his lap, "What are you thinking about?" He asked while caressing her bare stomach. Some parts of her uniform had been ripped during the previous battle, leaving her somewhat exposed, but not too much.
Xenovia shuddered at his touch, "Nothing much, my lord …" She said.
"Xenovia," Abaddon said with a gentle yet firm voice, "Answer my question," He told her.
Xenovia bit her lower lip due to her hesitation before opening her mouth, "I am unsure about how I am supposed to face Irina, my lord."
"Why is that?" He asked her as he rested his other hand on her thigh, lightly stroking her bare skin.
Xenovia felt herself loosening up in Abaddon's arms and spent a few seconds thinking, "My lord …" She spoke while turning to look into Abaddon's eyes with a vulnerable expression, "When I pleaded to you to accept me as your vassal. I completely renounced my faith. After spending most of my life following the religion of the Heavenly Father," Xenovia didn't even flinch from the pain of calling out to God, "I completely renounced all of that, putting all of my faith in my lord instead."
"I know," Abaddon nodded with a light smile, "You are mine. Your faith. Your trust. Your beginning and your end. Everything is me. And I am grateful for that."
Hearing Abaddon's words seemed to untie a knot within Xenovia's heart as she visibly melted in his arms, "My lord~" She purred while rubbing herself on him as her emotions took control of her rationality.
"You were talking to me about not being able to face Irina?" Abaddon asked while continuing to lightly caress Xenovia.
His words brought her back to reality, "Yes, my lord," She spoke with a gulp as she controlled her arousal. "Irina has been like a sister to me for a long time now," She told Abaddon, "But now that I've renounced the faith that we've both followed for so long … I don't know how to face her, who has still maintained her faith, even through the tribulations."
"You know in your heart whether or not she will forgive you or not don't you, Xenovia?" Abaddon asked her.
The blue-haired girl clenched her fists, "I do …" She said, "But I still don't know how I could ever face her."
"That is something that you can only leap into," He told her, "If you are really afraid of her reaction, I can administer a special situation for the both of you."
Xenovia didn't need to look at Abaddon's face to know about the devious smile on his face. He was planning on corrupting Irina just as he'd done with her. "You really are insatiable, aren't you, my lord?" She asked with a light laugh.
"Something like that," He said, "Maybe I'm just trying to give you some incentive to talk to her before I get my greedy hands on her."
His words along with the comforting caresses seemed to lift Xenovia's spirits as she gave him a loving kiss on his lips, "Thank you, my lord." She said, "I am truly happy that you accepted my request on that day."
"You can show me your appreciation tonight," Abaddon gave her an aggressive kiss that made her yelp as his lips pushed against hers. He grabbed her lower lip between his lips before pulling it away, "Understood?" He asked after letting go of her lip.
"Yes, my lord …" Xenovia said with a beautiful blush on her face.
…
Meanwhile, on Michael's side.
"Rias Gremory," Michael spoke with his usual kind voice, "What brings you to me?"
"Michael-sama," Rias addressed the leader of the angels with a respectful greeting, "I had a request if it's not too much." She said.
"Your help today has been invaluable, Miss Rias," He spoke, "As long as your request is reasonable, then I have no problems in agreeing to it."
Rias grabbed Irina's hand and pulled her forward as the chestnut-haired girl just looked down, unable to meet Michael's eyes, "This is Irina," Rias spoke, "During the incident with Kokabiel, she and Xenovia — Abaddon's current knight — were acting as the emissaries of the church."
As Rias paused, Michael spoke, "Their knowledge of the loss of God caused them to be excommunicated by the church," He said, "I am aware."
"Th-Then why?" Irina finally looked up with reddened eyes and asked with a tremble, "Why? Aren't you supposed to be the symbol of compassion and generosity?"
"Actually, Michael represents charity and Gabriel represents diligence if I remember correctly," Rias spoke, 'helpfully'.
"All angels represent compassion and generosity," Irina spoke the words of her heart, "Then why did you allow the church to forsake us? Both Xenovia and I were cast out like useless pawns. Why?" She was straight up bawling her eyes out as she spoke those words. Michael seemed like he was forcing himself to look at Irina's state while Gabriel was already looking away with tears in her eyes, unable to face Irina.
Michael raised his hand to put it on Irina's head but then hesitated. He clenched his palm into a fist and pulled it away, "I know what was done seems unfair and feels like you have been betrayed by those you hold dear in your heart," He said, "But believe me, they had no choice. People's faith in God is already dwindling and if the knowledge of his loss becomes widespread, the consequences would have been catastrophic."
"I can keep a secret!" Irina cried out, "The higher-ups are obviously aware and they aren't being excommunicated, then why me? What sins did I commit?"
"I do feel immense guilt toward your situation, Miss Irina Shido," Michael spoke, "But the decision has already been made and executed. It cannot be changed now."
"So-so …" She choked out confusedly, not knowing what to say.
"If you still wish to associate with heaven, there is a way," Michael said. Irina's face took a complex yet confused expression as she looked up at the angel with pain in her eyes. He explained, "Due to the impossibility of creating new angels after the loss of the Heavenly Father, we have created a new Brave Saints system that works on a similar principle as the Devils' Evil Pieces."
"W-what do you mean?" Irina asked.
"Exactly as I said," Michael said, "Would you like to become an angel of Heaven, Irina Shido? The Brave Saint, Ace of Spades."
"I …" Irina didn't know what to say.
"Or she could stay with us," Rias tightened her hold over Irina's hand, "I would be ecstatic if she was to become my knight."
"Rias-san …" Irina looked at Rias with a confused expression.
"The final choice is in your hands, Irina," Rias told her. Hearing those words, Irina went silent for a few seconds while deep in thought.
The girl looked between both Michael and Rias as she thought of tens of things, confused about what she should decide. After being stuck in indecision for more than just a minute, her gaze inadvertently caught Abaddon and Xenovia flirting with each other as they looked like two lovers on a picnic. That seemed to help her make her decision.
She looked up at Michael with a determined gaze, "I don't like the current state of Heaven. The heavenly father whom I have spent my life praying to does not represent the current state of heaven," She said, her words only serving to make both. Michael and Gabriel more and more guilty, "I cannot, in good conscience, join heaven."
"So you're willing to be my knight?" Rias asked, hints of impatience filling her tone. After losing Xenovia to Abaddon, she desperately wanted a competent knight.
"I wouldn't mind joining your family, Rias-san …" Irina said, "But being a devil will not allow me to pray to my god. Without praying to him, I will feel incomplete."
"I think we can do something about that," Rias said, "Would it be possible to create an exception in the system of heaven to allow Irina and Asia to pray to god?" She asked Michael.
Michael sighed, "Since I was unable to give Miss Irina a satisfactory answer, then this is the least I can do." He agreed.
"Wait …" Irina interjected, "What about Xenovia?"
Rias told Irina, "She doesn't need that permission. You should talk to her about that."
Irina had a frown on her face, but nodded nonetheless, "As long as I am allowed to pray to God, I would be grateful to join your family, Rias-san."
"Even with the knowledge that God is not there to receive your prayers," Gabriel asked curiously from the side, "Are you willing to have faith?"
"I am," Irina said, "I have spent my whole life believing in the Heavenly Father. Simply reading his commandments and sermons is enough for me to feel connected to him."
"We have lost a very devout faithful today, Michael," Gabriel spoke.
"This was our fault," Michael said regretfully, "The church and the Angels have had a complex relationship as of late. I need to mediate and fix it now."
***
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