Back at the apartment, Asia finally breathed a sigh of relief; only here did she feel at ease.
At that moment, Yolda happened to walk by.
"Asia, did you manage to buy everything?"
"I did, Yolda-san."
"That's wonderful. Thank you so much, Asia, for making the extra trip."
"It's no trouble at all. It's a great blessing to be accepted by the Lord August."
"It's truly heartwarming, Asia."
"Hehe~"
Asia chuckled, and Yolda ruffled her hair affectionately.
Asia, so gentle and fragile, stirred protective instincts in everyone, Yolda included.
Taking the vegetables, Yolda headed towards the kitchen, where Hilda was still busy. With everything now assembled, she needed assistance.
As Yolda left, Asia's smile vanished, replaced by a look of concern.
Two Holy Sword Wielders from the church had arrived in this town with a confidential mission. This information left her hesitant, unsure whether to inform August.
On one hand, despite being excommunicated by the church, she harbored no resentment towards anyone; she merely felt she hadn't done well enough.
Now faced with this situation, she wanted to protect the church's secrets, yet also repay August's kindness in sheltering her. The conflicting desires left her conflicted and hesitant.
"What are you doing here, Asia~?"
Just as Asia stood at the door in turmoil, several people walked in.
They were Sona's peerage, led by Tsubaki.
August's place has long been their gathering place.
"Nothing, I just got back."
"Then let's go in together. I brought some snacks; you should pick first, or else there won't be any left when they start eating."
"Thank you, Tsubaki-san."
"No need to thank me, Asia."
If Koneko were Rias's mascot, then Asia was now August's mascot.
Soon, everyone gathered in the dining room, where a variety of delicious dishes adorned the table.
Currently August held Sona in his arms in the living room; at this moment, no one dared to disturb them.
In less than twenty minutes, all the dishes were brought out, and the table was filled with a variety of delicacies.
"My lord, dinner is served."
"Good."
Upon hearing Hilda's call, August responded and led Sona to the dining table like a newlywed couple.
Tomoe and her companions watched in envy at Sona's 'ample assets,' all wearing expressions of admiration. Before, Sona had been among the less prominent ones, but now, she had soared to the top.
"Everything looks so delicious, Hilda. Your culinary skills have improved a lot."
"As long as my lord enjoys it."
"My lord, I also made something."
"Everything is good, and what Yolda made is excellent too."
This pair of sisters was truly adorable and endearing.
Others also smiled at Hilda and Yolda, the pair of maids evoking envy in everyone's hearts.
Even Sona felt the same; having such maids serve by her side was simply too good to be true.
"Alright, stop staring and start eating."
"Yeah, chicken drumstick, here I come."
"Pass me the braised beef."
"It's so delicious."
"Really tasty."
"Mine, this is mine."
In an instant, the whole table turned into a feast, but of course, the main characters were just the five of them from the Kuoh Academy.
As August enjoyed the dishes carefully prepared by Hilda, he was quite satisfied. Despite her only learning for a short time, this cuisine was already good.
Everyone at the table was happy, except for one person.
Because she had something on her mind, Asia's spirits were not high, and she only picked at the food in front of her.
Her abnormal behavior caught Sona's attention, and she felt a slight unease in her heart.
Seeing her like this, it was clear she had something bothering her. But what could be troubling Asia? Her face couldn't hide her worries.
While August and the others were happily enjoying their lunch, on the other side, at Kuoh Academy, Rias and the others welcomed the arrival of the two church members.
In the Occult Research Club room, Rias sat at her desk, watching the two people in front of her.
As a devil, Rias was extremely sensitive to the holy aura emanating from the two, after all, they were the natural enemies of devils.
In this world, any Holy Sword was a natural enemy of devils. Once struck by one, devils would at least be lightly wounded, and in severe cases, they might even be seriously injured. That's how effective they were at restraining demons.
"You must be the devil in charge of Kuoh Town, the princess of the House of Gremory, Rias Gremory."
Looking at Rias, Xenovia first spoke, her disdain and disgust for devils evident in her tone.
Rias and the others were not surprised by this. Angels and devils were mortal enemies, and as members of the church under the command of angels, they naturally would not be friendly with devils. When enemies meet, there's no chance of being amicable.
"Are you here to provoke me? If that's the case, can I take it as a declaration of war against the House of Gremory?"
"Rias Gremory, we are here on a mission, and besides that, nothing else concerns us. Moreover, as Holy Sword Wielders of the church, we won't be afraid of you devils."
"Oh? Quite bold, aren't you?"
Rumble
The demonic pressure of the High-Class Devil instantly descended, directly pressing down on Xenovia and Irina.
A surge of holy power emanated from both of them, dispelling Rias's pressure.
Then, they saw Xenoviaa and Irina each draw a weapon. The holy power emitted from these weapons made everyone with Rias feel extremely uncomfortable.
In the great war among the three factions, the Holy Sword Excalibur was shattered, leaving only seven fragments.
Later, alchemists were commissioned to remake it, creating seven new Holy Swords. Though not as powerful as Excalibur once was, each of these Holy Swords was still a divine weapon.
And Xenovia and Irina were the wielders of two of these Holy Swords: the Excalibur Destruction and the Excalibur Mimic.
On the side, Yuuto Kiba felt the surge of holy energy and saw the two new Holy Swords. Instantly, a murderous intent that he couldn't suppress emanated from him.
While the knot in his heart was untied, it didn't mean he would forget the Holy Swords and the tragedy that he and his companions had suffered because of them.
"Who are you?"
The killing intent from Yuuto Kiba startled Xenovia, who then gazed at him.
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