Can I Eat You?

[THIRD PERSON POV]

As Belladonna opened the door to their shared hotel room, she let out a tired sigh.

Today had left her drained, and all she wanted now was to enjoy her bucket of fried chicken in peace.

But as she closed the door and turned around, her breath caught in her throat. 

She froze, her face immediately flushing a deep red. 

Standing by the mirror was Arthur who was fully awake.

Only... he didn't look like the Arthur she remembered two days ago. 

He was much taller, probably a few inches, and his frame had transformed.

His lean physique had been replaced with a well-defined, muscular build that pressed against his shirt, and a thick light bluish aura surrounding his figure.

His jawline was sharp, his posture confident, and his once childlike features now resembled those of a young teen, as though he'd aged a few more years overnight. 

Arthur was casually examining his reflection, flexing his fingers and rolling his shoulders as though testing the limits of his body.

He seemed completely unaware of Belladonna's presence, lost in thought. 

The bucket of chicken slipped from her hands, hitting the floor with a soft thud. 

*Thud*

Startled, Arthur turned to her, his expression calm but curious.

"Oh, hey Belladonna. I didn't see you there. Were you just standing there this whole time?"

He greeted, his voice carrying an attractive tone.

"..."

Belladonna didn't answer.

Her wide eyes were glued to his abdominals, her mind racing as she processed the sight before her.

Her lips parted slightly, and before she realized it, a single thought escaped her in a dazed murmur.

"Can I eat you?" 

Arthur blinked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Uh... no?" 

Her face turned an even darker shade of red as the words registered.

"N-no! I meant-!"

She stammered, her hands flailing as she tried to backtrack.

"I was talking about the chicken! You know, like, can I eat my chicken now? Because I'm hungry! Not that I'd-!" 

"Pfft! Hahahahaha!"

Arthur laughed, his lips curling into a faint smirk.

"Relax, Belladonna. I get it. No need to explain." 

She quickly bent down to retrieve the chicken bucket, avoiding his amused gaze as her heart raced.

"Welcome back, I guess."

She mumbled, though her voice cracked slightly. 

Arthur gave her an easy smile.

"Thanks. It's good to be back." 

A couple of minutes later, the two sat across from each other, sharing dinner at the small table in their hotel room.

As usual, Belladonna devoured her chicken with gusto, while Arthur picked at his food thoughtfully. 

Between bites, Belladonna began recounting her findings from the past two days.

"I managed to track some sightings of patterns. Disappearances and attacks seem to follow a specific route. But I couldn't find any clear leads on the vampires' actual base of operations."

She explained, licking her fingers before continuing. 

Arthur nodded, listening intently.

"That's still progress. Anything else?" 

Belladonna hesitated, then added.

"There's also... this nun. I met her earlier tonight in the hallway. She knew something about Absalom and offered to help us." 

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

"A nun? Did she say who she was with?" 

Belladonna shook her head.

"She didn't give a name, but she said if we needed help, we should find her." 

Arthur leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms.

"Hmm, interesting." 

"So, what should we do?"

Belladonna asked, biting into another piece of chicken. 

Arthur smirked.

"Let's hear her out tomorrow. If she's legit, we'll need all the help we can get." 

Belladonna nodded, her focus returning to her meal.

Arthur watched her for a moment, then asked with a small sigh.

"Belladonna, I gotta ask, but have you been eating only fried chicken these past two days?" 

She looked up at him, completely unfazed.

"Yeah. Why?" 

Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.

"Never mind."

[THE NEXT DAY]

[ARTHUR'S POV]

The next morning, Belladonna and I stood in front of a quaint little café.

I glanced at her and asked.

"This the place?" 

She sniffed the air subtly and nodded.

"Yeah, her scent is in there."

"Alright, let's go then."

I said, pushing open the door.

"And remember, let me do the talking." 

She huffed but agreed, trailing behind me as we stepped inside.

The café was warm and inviting, with the soft hum of conversation filling the air.

As I scanned the room, I saw a woman in a nun's habit, smiling and calmly waving us over from a corner booth. 

We approached her table, and as we sat down, she greeted us warmly.

"I had a feeling you two would arrive today."

She said, gesturing to the table.

"So I went ahead and ordered three cappuccinos." 

As if on cue, the waitress appeared with our drinks.

While setting them down, she glanced at Belladonna and teased.

"Aren't you a little young to be drinking coffee?" 

I couldn't help but smirk, earning an annoyed glare from Belladonna. 

"I'm 18 years old."

She shot back indignantly, which seemed to genuinely surprise the waitress. 

"Well, enjoy."

The waitress said politely before walking off. 

The nun giggled softly, taking a sip of her cappuccino.

Belladonna grumbled under her breath, glaring at her cup. 

"Thank you for the coffee, but I think we have other pressing matters to discuss."

I said, ignoring Belladonna's sulking.

"Before we start, I think introductions are in order. My name is Arthur, no last name." 

I introduced myself first, keeping it simple.

Belladonna, still annoyed, muttered her introduction begrudgingly.

"Belladonna."

The nun smiled and gave a small nod.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Griselda Quarta. I'm an Exorcist, tasked by the Vatican to investigate and eliminate this vampire threat." 

Belladonna's eyes widened slightly.

"An Exorcist..." 

While she processed the information, I casually sipped my cappuccino and used Observe.

The results confirmed her words, and her stats were nothing short of impressive. 

XxX

Name: Griselda Quarta

Race: Human

Level: 821 [High-Class]

Health: 80,000/80,000

Mana: 9,000/9,000

Stats:

- Strength: 97,621

- Dexterity: 101,168

- Constitution: 99,876

XxX

From my past life, Griselda is Gabriel's aid and a future member of her Brave Saints. 

After sipping from my cup, I asked.

"So, what do you know about the vampires' plans?" 

Griselda set her cup down, her expression growing serious.

"The vampires are trying to resurrect Absalom, the Blood God. To do so, they require a thousand human sacrifices."

She added, raising a finger.

"But if that's all it took, they would have brought him back long ago. There's more to it than just sacrifices. A key ingredient for the resurrection of Absalom." 

I nodded, following her logic.

"An artifact, perhaps? Something they need to complete the ritual?" 

"Exactly. Your quite sharp for a 5 year old."

She said, smiling faintly. 

I blinked, surprised.

"You know my real age?" 

She chuckled.

"I did some digging before deciding to approach you two. I had to be sure on who I would potentially collaborate with. And..."

She turned to Belladonna, her voice softening.

"My apologies for what you've gone through." 

Belladonna's expression faltered, and she looked down at her cup.

"It's fine, it doesn't matter anymore." 

She said quietly.

Griselda gave her a sympathetic look but didn't press further. 

I decided to steer the conversation back on track.

"Do you have any idea what artifact they might be after?" 

Griselda leaned back slightly, finishing her drink.

"There's a story. You may already know some of it." 

I nodded for her to continue. 

"Absalom was slain by the Original Archangels, but as you're likely aware, gods can't truly die as long as even one person still worships them. So, to prevent his return, God Himself sealed Absalom's soul away." 

She paused for emphasis before adding.

"That seal can only be broken in two ways. Either God Himself removes it, or..." 

The pieces clicked in my mind.

"Or a Holy Relic is needed to break the seal. After all, Holy Relics are known for their ability to break seals."

Griselda smiled, impressed.

"You're well-informed. Who taught you?" 

I shrugged.

"A very old lady who's more annoying than she has any right to be." 

Gaia's voice rang indignantly in my head.

(Hey, that's not nice! I'll have you know, I'm a youthful woman at heart!)

Griselda chuckled, taking the jab in stride.

"You're correct, though. If the vampires have managed to acquire a Holy Relic, the situation is far more dire than we imagined. The question is, which relic? And how did they get it?" 

I frowned, sifting through my thoughts.

All of a sudden surfaced from my memories.

'Valerie Tepes.'

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table as I looked Griselda in the eyes.

"Can you tell us more about the Holy Relics?" 

Her brow arched slightly at my request.

"Why do you ask?" 

"I need to confirm something."

I replied, my tone steady. 

Griselda studied me for a moment before giving a small nod.

She folded her hands on the table, her expression turning serious.

"Very well. But this is knowledge should not be freely shared by the common people." 

She paused, as if deciding where to begin, then continued.

"As you may know, God created the Sacred Gears to perform miracles and empower humans. But before those, there were the Ten Holy Relics. They were originally prototypes, if you will, meant to be the predecessors of Sacred Gears. The Holy Relics are among the most sacred and blessed artifacts ever created, with the first three evolving into Longinus and the other seven becoming high-tier Sacred Gears. They originate from the Arma Christi, the tools used during the Passion of Jesus Christ."

I sat back, processing her words.

That was already more lore than I expected. 

Griselda began listing them, her voice taking on a reverent tone. 

"The first and most powerful of them all is the True Longinus, the Holy Spear that pierced Christ's side. Its immense power makes it the pinnacle of Sacred Gears and Holy Relics, known to many as the first Longinus."

"Second is the Sephiroth Graal, the Holy Grail. It possesses the ability to manipulate life and death, an artifact that grants one knowledge of the soul." 

"The Incinerate Anthem, also known as the Holy Cross, is third. It is said to house purple flames capable of purging even the most unholy beings."

"The fourth is Alphecca Tyrant, a Sacred Gear forged from the Holy Nails used during the Crucifixion. Its powers are often associated with manipulation of those struck by the nails."

"Next is the Agnus Raiment, the Holy Shroud, with the power of weaving transparent threads that erase any and all abilities."

"The Unknown Dictator comes sixth, known as the Holy Crown. It can control any and all metals and technology."

"Seventh is the Empyrean Atlas, the Holy Pillar, said to be able to depend on the user's strength, which is looked down upon as the weakest Holy Relic for some reason."

"Then there's the Flagellum Scourge, the Holy Whip. It embodies the power of seals and curses. It's a pretty dangerous relic in my opinion."

"The Veronica Requiem, the Holy Veil, is ninth. It is said to have the power to mimic individuals and their abilities, which is the perfect tool for double agents and assassins. 

"And finally, the Enigma Nexus, the Holy Sponge. Though the least understood, it is only known to have the power of absorption and transference." 

I blinked, my mind reeling as I absorbed the information.

Each of these relics sounded absurdly powerful, even compared to the Sacred Gears I knew about. 

Griselda continued, her voice calm but firm.

"These relics have been integrated into the Sacred Gear System. All ten have been sought by the Church and were tasked with safeguarding them for centuries. Currently, the Church has custody of four out of the ten relics. If the vampires have managed to acquire one, it would explain them attempting Absalom's resurrection." 

I tapped my fingers against the table, trying to piece everything together.

This development was beyond anything I expected when I reincarnated into this world. 

"The Ten Holy Relics. This changes things."

I muttered, half to myself. 

Griselda tilted her head slightly, watching me with curiosity.

"You seem surprised by this knowledge. Were you unaware of their existence?" 

I met her gaze and gave her a wry smile.

"Let's just say... the world keeps giving me more surprises." 

[AUTHOR'S NOTE]

Hello readers!

I NEED MORE POWER... stones.

Also, comment on whether I should remake my JJK fanfic or not.

Thank you everyone and see you later!