*CLANG!*
The sounds of metal clashing reached them from outside.
"Do you think they'll be fine?" Rias, a little worried asked Akeno as she stood up from her desk.
"What's there to worry about? I mean, aside from Yuuto going crazy. But that'd only happen if he saw that gross priest or a holy sword." Akeno shrugged, waving off her worry.
"....Ah, I knew I forgot something." Rias broke out into a cold sweat.
"..You're kidding me. Damn it! I was so distracted by their outfits I didn't pay attention to their swords. I thought he was pissed because they insulted our adorable healer." Akeno facepalmed shamefully.
"Okay, I'll go be the referee. Just make sure Raynare doesn't try and move before she's done being healed." Akeno stated before leaving the ORC room.
"Y-Yes!" Asia replied, almost saluting her as she left.
'Ah.. it seems even Asia took a little mental damage from Akeno's training.' Rias decided not to say anything, knowing Akeno would probably take such news hard.
As Akeno walked down into the field, she saw the fight. Though calling it a 'fight' would be pushing it. Issei was getting his ass kicked by Irina. She was using one of the Holy Swords to keep him at a distance, given Issei was a melee specialist.
Thankfully, Kiba was pressuring Xenovia while casting disdainful looks at her blade. Koneko looked at Akeno with a look of worry while Gasper focused on the fight, ready to stop any lethal blows from connecting.
"Kiba's starting to slip. We should probably end the fight soon." Akeno sighed, ready to call the fight off until she heard Irina speak again.
"You seem so upset. Why? Death is a mercy! She would never get into Heaven as a Devil but surely it is better than living so long as a hated enemy of God." Irina stated, more so confused than harboring any true malice.
"Haah.. Yup.." Akeno felt a surge of irritation upon hearing that. But Issei was pissed.
"Issei. Beat her ass." Akeno ordered with a fake smile.
"I'm trying.. But this damn sword is so annoying!" Issei replied as he dodged away from Excalibur Mimic's whip form.
"Sacred Gears work off willpower. Which essentially just means you're not motivated enough. So here's your motivation." Akeno then cleared her throat, getting his, Koneko's and Gasper's attention.
"If you lose to Irina, that means you're gay."
Issei stopped, feeling the words echo in his mind on repeat. His fists clenched as he walked forward with purpose.
"Clench your teeth, Irina." Issei's body glowed red as a full suit of armor appeared on him.
"Balance Brea- How did that awaken his Balance Breaker!?" Gasper nearly stumbled as he watched Issei.
"Eh? Why doesn't Excalibur Mimic work..?" Irina said moments before getting a punch to her stomach that smacked her into a tree trunk nearby.
"Never underestimate the determination of a guy who invokes that kind of curse.." Akeno replied, totally ignoring she was the one who invoked it.
Xenovia and Kiba locked blades and both looked over, seeing Issei soundly defeat Irina once he activated his Scale Mail.
"It seems Irina lost. Personally, I would like to fight that woman who insulted our holy garments. But I'll do so after I lay you flat." Xenovia stated while pressuring the blond knight.
"That's not a good idea. She's already this irritated already. I can't guarantee you'd make it out with your dignity intact. After all, if you're having this hard a time with me.." Kiba pushed back and the two separated by a few meters.
"Woo! Yeah! Did you see that!? Oh man.. this is tight as hell!" Issei remarked while looking at his red armor.
Meanwhile Kiba created a new blade. A brittle, white colored light greatsword he leveled to face Xenovia.
"Is that blade supposed to be impressive? Your earlier one was at least durable." Xenovia's eyes narrowed, feeling as if she was being looked down on.
Kiba chuckled but decided not to respond.
"Time I wrap this up too." Kiba confidently stated, both darting at each other quickly.
Kiba's blade and Xenovia's Excalibur Destruction met. Kiba's blade, as expected, shattered into a million pieces. But once it had, a blinding light was released from within, immediately stunning Xenovia for a moment.
*CLANG!*
Which gave Kiba just enough time to disarm her with a new blade before pointing the tip at her neck.
"That.. That was dirty. You call yourself a Knight!?" Xenovia grunted, holding her now numb wrist.
Kiba smirked and dismissed his blade, noticing Akeno's smile of approval.
"I shouldn't have expected differently from Devils, I suppose. Come, Irina." Xenovia glanced at her blonde teammate, who had just picked herself up.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Kiba growled, staring at the swords.
"Ah, Kiba. Just let them take the blades back. I have some information for you. The kind you'd be interested in." Akeno said, grabbing the boy's attention.
"Is it..." Kiba swallowed a lump in his throat.
"He's very likely with Kokabiel, yeah. Soon." Akeno replied, watching as Kiba clenched his fists and nodded back at her.
Then she turned her attention to Xenovia and Irina, who had simply turned to leave. They had lost to Devils, something rather shameful for them. But Akeno wasn't keen on letting them off so easily.
"You know. I don't quite understand. How you be so stupid. Judging Asia like that. But I suppose in a world full of other Pantheons and Gods, you'd have to be stupid to believe in 'God' in the first place." Akeno's words instantly agitated the two, who turned back to stare angrily at her.
"Your Religion's whole thing is that 'God' is the only true God, no? I can understand Asia's persisting Faith. She believes in the spirit of your Religion and doesn't quite know about the other Gods. But you? Agents of the Church? It's laughable." Xenovia took out Excalibur Destruction once more and stared defiantly at Akeno.
"Those Gods are false. There is only one 'true' God and he resides in Heaven as we speak." Xenovia denied her words.
Then Irina pressed her hands together.
"Yes. As you said. Even that Witch believes in him. He is a being of love and goodness. But we shouldn't expect a Devil to understand such things." Though she smiled, her words were dripping with mockery.
"Hah.. Hahaha! Really? So a being of purity and love huh? Then why does he have a 'hated enemy'? Would a being of love and purity drown countless innocents in a world wide flood? Would a being of love and purity enforce such rules like 'If a man rapes a woman who is not in a relationship, he must marry the woman and pay her Father handsomely'?" Akeno started to walk toward them, her black wings sprouting from her back, one by one.
"Would a being of Love and purity torture a man at the behest of a Devil, to see if he would remain faithful to him? Face it. Your God is kind of an asshole. And before you go the other angle, where he is the creator of all? Check with the other Pantheons. Honestly.. 'Love and Purity'? Yet you have so much hate for someone you don't know." Akeno spat derisively, seeing their expressions go from defiance to shock.
"S-Seraphim..? But there wasn't..." Xenovia muttered in disbelief as Akeno turned around and met back up with Kiba, Issei, Koneko and Gasper.
"Let's head back inside. We should talk about a few things." Akeno stifled a sigh as her wings once more hid themselves within her.
"Haha... I'm glad Asia didn't hear you say all that." Issei mumbled.
"I told you. Asia believes and practices in the Spirit of the religion. Treat others with kindness, be humble, be a good samaritan and... I guess just don't be a dick?" Akeno mused as they made their way back to the ORC room.
-Twenty minutes later-
"-annnd that's how things went down." Akeno explained to Rias, while Issei covered Asia's ears when she started to poke holes in their faith.
"Mn. Mn. Good. But you did mention to Yuuto earlier.." Rias looked to Kiba, who huffed and nodded.
"Valper Galilei. The lead researcher on the Holy Sword Project. You were implying he was working under Kokabiel?" Kiba asked Akeno as she sat down next to a resting Raynare.
"He was excommunicated from the church. With nowhere to turn to, he sucked the nearest dick he could. Kokabiel. God's very own crack baby himself." Akeno explained in a way that instantly drained the tension from the room.
"Er... so what do we do now?" Issei asked, his attention on Rias.
Rias shared a few looks with Akeno, prompting her to act like the King she was pretending to be.
"For now, it'll be business as usual. Which means we'll be training, doing contracts and attending school. But nobody aside from Akeno should be outside alone. Kokabiel is going to try something at some point, but I'll leave dealing with him to my lovely girlfriend." Rias finished, smiling as she said the last part.
"...Huh?" Issei's jaw dropped.
"Oh yeah.. We've been so busy we haven't even made that official yet. But yes, stay in groups of two at the very least. If he shows up, I'll go kick his jagged teeth in." Akeno added with a small chuckle.
Strangely, it seemed only Issei and Asia were surprised by Rias' sudden reveal they were dating. Kiba, Gasper, Koneko and Risette all knew. While Raynare, who was resting beside Akeno, clung to her with some small hope she too would be accepted.
-That Night-
After all you've been through, all the struggles you faced, the lives you took, the lives you've saved, you have earned the privilidge of power. Though your body is gone, naught but dust now. Your soul is eternal. It is through your soul that you will gain power.
But you will lose something important temporarily. Your 'heart'. It is the process of recovering it where you will gain immeasurable power. Over an extensive period of time, you will evolve. Adapt and overcome your obstacles as you always have.
You are a fascinating existence. I have peered into worlds of all kinds. Parallel and not. I have gazed into the void and seen horrors beyond understanding. But it will always fascinate me to no end. Your human spirit.
Now I must ask. When will you wake up and entertain me once more? How much deeper must I go? I feel as if I have only scratched the surfa-
*GASP*
"Ahhh..." Akeno blinked, staring out the window of her shared room with Rias. It was dark out.
"Sleepwalking again..? And that look.." Rias' voice called out behind her.
Akeno looked down at herself. The white plates previously on her body were still there. They were fading into dust once more, but slower this time. Akeno felt a strange sense of familiarity from watching the white particles fade into nothing.
"Ara.. Sorry about that. Strange dreams again, I suppose." Akeno shrugged before entering the bed with Rias once more and embracing her naked form and looking into her worried eyes.
"What if it's something serious? I can't say I dislike the look but if it's doing something negative.." Rias said before finding her lips sealed by Akeno's.
"It's not. I promise. It feels more like.. Someone is trying to talk to me. Ah, let's forget about it for now. I just want to enjoy your presence before falling asleep again." Akeno stated while running her hand through her lover's Crimson hair.
"You're a sweet talker, you know that? Hmm.. fine. But we'll have to address this if it gets any worse." Rias replied while resting her own hand on Akeno's face.
"Promise."