Chapter 71: New Knight

Beta read by Shigiya

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-Kuoh Academy-

To say these last few days were hectic would be an understatement.

We were all so very exhausted and we were reaching our limits. Especially after what Serafall did to the Kuoh. A third of the city had turned into a wasteland that needed the combined efforts of all thousands of Fallen Angels from Azazel and Devils to defrost.

Rias was at the front and center, using her power of destruction to become a glorified cleaner. I helped, of course, her powers couldn't even melt the ice until I weakened it with many… MANY instances of using Delete Field and Blaze Black Flare.

Fortunately, none of the people died, Serafall somehow managed to encase them in a literal coffin of ice which preserved their bodies perfectly for days, like some magical cryo tube.

Why wasn't she helping us by dismissing her own powers? Because she couldn't, at least according to her words. I was just convinced that she was just being lazy and wanted to spend her remaining days in Kuoh with her sister, but I wasn't going to say that to a Maou.

"Haa… I'm tired!"

I fell onto a patch of grass in the middle of the school garden. I used my Sacred Gear a total of 472 times in less than a week, constantly emptying my reserves and drinking Momo's homemade mana potions to recover quickly.

"Sorry to say this Vritra, but I don't want to see your black armor anytime soon. Just the thought of using Delete Field even once makes me want to vomit." I said, watching the leaves on the tree in front of my eyes move from the breeze.

"I do not blame you, even though I had to take regular naps recently. I never thought I would say this but I rather go further inside our soul and just relax for a few decades."

I wouldn't go that far, but yeah, we both needed a vacation.

"Oh yeah, I did promise to take Rias on a date. Maybe I can do it tomorrow as she's been working the most these last few days."

"True, the heiress has taken her role as the protector of this town seriously. She deserves this, both of you do. Take your rest, partner, I shall take my leave for now." He spoke before going quiet, I could sense his presence sink deeper and deeper till he vanished.

Hmm, where should I bring Rias? Unfortunately, I couldn't bring her to Saizeriya… by this point, I nearly brought everyone there. Worst of all, none of them seemed impressed by the restaurant, aside from Asia and Ophis. What a missed opportunity, they didn't know what was good for them.

Maybe I could bring her for a picnic, I don't think she wants to walk around the city any more after having done so constantly for the entire week. Or maybe I can put my cooking skills to use after so long time and prepare a dinner or something.

Content with that idea, I decided to sleep and slowly close my eyes, waiting for my mind to slowly drift to the realm of Morpheus.

Step

Step

I heard the sound of someone's gentle feet thumping over the grass. Hopefully, whoever it was would recognize that by being here with my eyes closed meant that I didn't want to be disturbed.

To my dismay, this person came closer till I felt the rays of the sun get blocked by their figure most likely. I still refused to give them any attention or even open my eyes. I was also too lazy and tired to speak, expecting my silence to be a clear answer for them to just fuck off.

Rustle

To my relief, this person moved away, but before I could celebrate — I heard them sit beside me.

Now, this was awkward, they obviously didn't get the hint and just thought it would be okay to invade my personal space and just sit there quietly like a creep. Well too bad, I wasn't going to budge or give whoever this was any sort of attention and continue to pretend to be sleeping.

Snore…

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This continued on for the next half an hour, I didn't even move or open my eyes once. To my surprise, I could still sense that person beside me, and they even lay down a few minutes ago.

Was it Akeno?

No, she was helping Azazel and to hypnotize many people who witnessed the event with Kokabiel and also those who were frozen in ice for days. Not only did she need to make them forget, but also replace those memories with something believable.

Maybe it was Kiba or Koneko, I hadn't seen the Knight and Rook for a while. They disappeared for the last few days, Kiba having finally unlocked his Sacred Gear Balance Breaker seemed to have tired him out more than he expected and Koneko was helping him get better.

Gasper? Ha! As if…

As I was in the middle of my thoughts, I suddenly felt someone poke my cheeks.

Oi, this person was definitely messing with me. Was it weird to mention that I liked the scent of perfume that wafted over my nose?

Reaching the limit of my patience, I conceded and carefully opened my eyes.

"Mmnn," I groaned, feeling frustrated over my ruined nap time. Whoever this person was, I would give them a piece of my mind—!!!

My eyes immediately opened wide in a stupor as I saw the familiar face of a woman with golden luscious hair cascading down her face. Bright eyes and a smile would captivate any man, including me.

"Gabriel?" I whispered, unsure what this Seraph was doing sleeping on her stomach and looking like a child who was caught stealing cooking.

"A-Ah, good morning Hikigaya Hachiman…"

"...it's late in the evening," I said, seeing her freeze up for a bit. "Why were you poking my cheeks?"

A faint blush formed on her cheeks when I asked her the question. I mean, trying to do that on someone who was sleeping would obviously wake them up, what did she expect to happen?

"Well… I was getting bored and…"

"..."

For a Seraph who lived for thousands of years, she sure was quite childlike. Her attitude now was vastly different from our first meeting in the church.

"Alright, let's just forget this happened," she eagerly nodded her head. "Why are you here?"

"I came to check up on you and Asia-chan. When I got news of Kokabiel's unexpected attack on Kuoh, I tried to rush here as fast as I could but Michael stopped me before I even teleported. I'm glad to see that everyone is safe and sound. I nearly hurled my spear from heaven when I saw Nemain appear on the battlefield. Fortunately, Sera-chan was there to protect you all, I knew I could count on her."

More like nearly killing all of us along with Nemain. I knew Maous were broken beings but her freezing a third of Kuoh with a single finger tap was the most bullshit display of power I'd seen in my life. It was up there with Scáthach eating off my runes attacks point blank. Still, it was weird to hear her call Serafall as Sera-chan… it was like a name one would give a close friend or something.

"Wait a minute, you were actually going to throw a spear from Heaven? How does that even work? From what I know, Heaven isn't exactly above the clouds."

She nodded, understanding my confusion.

"If I use a large part of my powers, I can open up a direct portal to Kuoh. It would be small, but big enough to have a spear pass through it. Though I never used it, not even during the war… as I couldn't bring myself to harm my brothers and sisters." She spoke, sadness escaping from her voice. "But Nemain isn't related to me and she's a bit of a meanie, I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I failed a second time to save Asia-chan and even you."

The power of a Cadre was already terrifying enough, and to suddenly have a Seraph do something similar gave me a terrible foreboding feeling. Just imagining the sheer destructive capabilities and the release of Holy Energy made me grateful that Michael stopped her in time.

"Did you meet Asia?" I asked.

"Yes, she's in the middle of packing her belongings," Gabriel answered with hesitance, as if unsure how I would react to this news.

So it finally happened, she made her decision to become an Angel… I felt happy, she deserved this. With beings like Kokabiel starting to pop out from every corner, this path would ensure her survival. Unlike me, her Sacred Gear offered no offensive or defensive abilities, and if one day she were to be captured or cornered by an enemy — then her chances of survival were nonexistent. But as an Angel, at least she had the option to escape.

"Good for her, I hope you'll take good care of the girl."

After that, our conversation became quiet as we were both aware of the big elephant in the room

So I decided to bring it up, "Kokabiel mentioned about God's death."

As soon as I said that, her face went somber before she sighed.

"I know, both Michael and I had a meeting about this issue. Irina and Xenovia came back to the Vatican and confronted this with the higher-ups." Her tone was no longer cheerful, so I could guess how this went down.

"They got excommunicated," I stated, knowing full well how such things would proceed with the Vatican. "You don't need to explain to me, though you are a Seraph, I can understand that this doesn't mean you have absolute control over anything. Humans are dicks, that's a given with our nature. Even when faced with absolute authority, some of us will always try to create an even ground between you and them."

She did not look happy even with my acceptance of the situation.

"Keeping this secret from the public is very critical, if even a small rumor were to spread them it might cause irreparable damage. Michael told me how this was one of the few reasons he couldn't keep them around as Exorcists, for they had other plans as well."

That was surprising, I thought Xenovia and Irina would give everything to continue as an exorcist. This reaction was the complete opposite of what I thought would happen.

"And the Excaliburs? I guess the higher-ups took it back." I asked, inquiring about the swords.

This time, Gabriel smiled mischievously, almost making me dread her answer.

"Fufufu, nope! I decided to go behind Michael's back and give them the swords back!" She exclaimed, looking very proud of her actions. "I had Griselda lie for me while I ran here when Michael tried to ask me about it!"

Now, this was the REAL reason why she was here! I thought the woman was being nice and decided to pay me a visit — but she was only escaping her brother!

'I guess Vritra wasn't lying when he mentioned that she was incapable of lying.'

My body froze up when I felt Gabriel move herself and placed her head right on my stomach, using me as a pillow. I began sweating profusely from the unexpected contact and intimate move. Too close! Wasn't she a bit too friendly here!?

"I'm sorry, you must hate me for what I'm doing."

Hate her? No, it was impossible to hate someone like her. Just like Vritra said, hating Gabriel was something very few could actually do. The Seraph only had the best intentions for Asia, she wasn't going to harm her or anything like that.

I sighed, putting my hands behind my head and looking up at the blue sky.

"Don't say that, I never said or even hinted that I was against your suggestion. Sure I am sad that Asia will no longer be close to me, but I know she's with someone trustworthy."

I trusted Vritra with my life and if the dragon said that Gabriel was someone reliable then I would believe him. And it wasn't like I wouldn't see the nun after this, we'd meet again in the near future.

"Really? You trust me?" I felt she turned her head around and looked at me. "This is only our second meeting."

I peeked open an eye and gazed at the blonde.

"Sometimes, a single meeting is enough for a person to judge someone else's true nature. I can see when someone is acting nice when they are truly not, I can feel the dark nature of those who try to fool the world. Azazel acts all relaxed and friendly but he's always under a lot of pressure. If he crumbles then everyone else will lose hope, the man is great at hiding it… took me a while to notice as well. Sirzechs has a perfect poker face, he has absolute control over his emotions in every aspect and can become a truly cruel Maou when needed. He's a monster disguised as a Devil, just like Serafall and both of them have a single glaring weakness. You, on the other hand, gave me the impression of being a mature and kind woman. Now I know that you're secretly a brat."

The woman was slightly caught off guard by my explanation. I couldn't give any explanation for Michael for I never met him, though for someone who had to take on the place of God while keeping everything under wraps must have been excruciatingly stressful.

Gabriel placed her hand on my chest, I could feel the warmth coming from her, and she looked at me with a beautiful smile.

I was a bit worried that she would feel my heart beating wildly. Her dress barely hid her figure, and from my angle, I could see the forbidden valleys Azazel wouldn't stop talking about. Her entire body's silhouette was visible with the sun's rays over the thin fabric.

Oh, a certain question came to mind as I recalled her previous words.

"What is your relationship with Serafall? You mention her so familiarly as if you were friends."

"We are friends!" Gabriel exclaimed excitedly. "I've known her for many centuries, she's such a charming and fun person to be around. Though for some reason she doesn't like it when I call her my best friend, preferring to address me as her rival. But I think she's just shy, she always has been."

Shy? Serafall? Were we talking about the same person? My first meeting with this 'shy' person nearly turned me and the entire school into a popsicle! And given how loud she was in our second meeting and the fact that she had her own TV show with herself as the main protagonist, shy would be the last thing I would use to describe her.

It was best for me to leave it for now, Gabriel was clearly delusional and there was nothing I could do about it. And I didn't even want to meddle between these two.

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"Do you mind if I stay a bit longer? It feels nice over here…," she suddenly asked.

"Couldn't you bring a pillow? I would rather not have a thick head like yours on me the entire time." I said sarcastically, expecting some sort of rebuttal or chiding, but the complete opposite happened.

"Ah," she touched her head before getting up immediately. "Please forgive me, I did not want to cause you any pain—kya!"

My god, she was basically Asia 2.0… The girl even had teary eyes as she spoke! Never had my big brother's feelings reacted so violently and I had to suppress the urge to mercilessly hit myself.

Regretting my actions, I quickly grabbed her hands and pulled her back. She was confused by my actions, wondering why I did that.

"I was just joking, you can sleep as long as you want."

She smiled, "Thank you, Hachiman."

With that said, we both stopped talking and went completely silent. The silent breeze and calming feeling of nature slowly made both of us close our eyes. This time, it didn't take long for me to fall asleep, my hands unconsciously stroking the head of the Angel sleeping next to me.

{Break}

(A few hours later)

After I woke up, the sky had already turned a deep orange color and Gabriel was nowhere to be seen. What was up with her, showing up out of nowhere and leaving without saying goodbye?

"I should check up on Rias," I said, forcing my drowsiness away and pushing my body upwards with a groan. "I should nap here more often."

A few minutes later, I walked inside the service club to take my stuff. But I nearly fell to the floor from a foreign girl sitting in my seat.

"You're late, Hikigaya Hachiman."

A girl with blue hair with a green lock, Xenovia, was there wearing the official Kuoh Academy girl's uniform.

"Why… why, are you here?" I whispered, feeling the peace of mind I just got from that nap already leaving me.

I couldn't hide my unrest and already started rubbing my temples.

The girl looked at me weirdly, tilting her head at my reaction.

"Following the news about God's death, I decided to follow your words and took the opportunity to rethink my life. A part of me wanted to turn into a Devil as a show of self-abandonment. I did get an offer of a Knight piece from Rias Gremory, but I declined." She got up from the chair and looked me straight in the eyes. "Hikigaya Hachiman, you have taught me during the little time we spent together. You opened my eyes to the truth! You've proven your worth as a warrior in battle and even a Phoenix and Fallen Angel come to join you in battle. Only the true might if a valiant knight with a heart of gold could accomplish such a thing!"

The blue haired girl walked up to me, getting on her knees and presenting me with Excalibur Destruction with both of her hands.

"For this reason alone, I have found another purpose in life — to become a savior! One who seeks the betterment of all living beings, human, Angels or Devils. For God loved all of his creations, and it is my sworn duty to protect what he held dear. But for that, I need to become strong… a feat only possible through the guidance of a master like you. Please, see this sword as an offering, a gift from me. As I seek to become your sworn knight!" She finally stopped speaking after that, still waiting for me to pick up the sword.

"..."

What the fuck was this medieval bullshit!?

"So let me get this straight, you want to become my knight instead of becoming Rias' Knight. You know, something that will ACTUALLY make you stronger in a matter of seconds? Don't forget, I'm a human without any evil pieces! You still want to lose such an opportunity?" I said dryly.

Xenovia looked unperturbed.

"I hold no doubts in my mind!"

'You know what? Fuck it,' I was not in the mood to get into another argument and basically force her to rethink her descision.

"Fine, whatever, as long as you stop acting like a knight in the middle of school. Just do whatever you want."

"Thank you, my lord!"

"Oh for the love of—" Deep breath, I needed to calm down. "Just call me Hachiman."

Xenovia nodded her head, "Also, I'm a 2nd year student and wish to join the service club to help those in need." Xenovia says, while huffing once with her nose.

"…Don't make such a cute sound with a serious face."

"I tried to copy Irina, but it looks like it's not easy."

Yeah, trying to imagine Xenovia acting like Irina was just more nightmare fuel for me. Not that she would succeed given how bad she already was at it. Her timing was perfect in a sense, now that Asia was temporarily gone, my club was down one member. Aika would feel lonely, which was something I didn't want to happen. So Xenovia being here was a good thing in the end.

"Well, your fine the way you are. There's no need for you to act like a fake. And, hey, I can boast to Rias that I now have a stoic Durandal wielder in my group. What happened to Irina?"

She shrugged, "I think she went to meet the heiresses. She was the most touched by God's death, so I told her to spend more time with people she cares about and she went to meet Hyoudou Issei. I heard that Rias invited her again for tea a few minutes ago, so she's probably there."

Someone was moving fast, at least she would have a new Knight now. Sona was going to be pissed for a while at Rias' greedy attitude. But wait… how would she even use Excalibur Rapidly if Irina were to turn into a Devil?

Question for another time.

No matter the end result, Rias will enjoy having a new member. But certainly having a swordsman who could wield a legendary holy-sword, felt reliable. If she could keep the blade, then during the Rating Game, their opponents would be Devils, so the holy-sword would grant her a ridiculous advantage.

"I heard you two got thrown from the Church. I hope you don't take their words too seriously."

"I appreciate your concern, but I am fine. When I mentioned God's death to them, they became silent. They then labeled me as an outsider for knowing the absence of God. The Church hates outsiders and heresy very much. Even if that person is still the wielder of Durandal, they cut me off without hesitation. Exactly the same way as the incident with Asia Argento."

She laughed at herself. I patted her shoulders to tell her that everything would be alright. After that, we went to visit Rias' clubroom. Just as I was about to open the door, a bright red light shined from the other side.

I opened the door just in time for both Xenovia and I to see a shining red Knight piece slowly phase inside Irina's chest with Rias standing right in front of her. After that, the former exorcist looked at her body, expecting some kind of change.

"Huh… I don't feel any different." She said, wondering if something went wrong with the process.

Rias chuckled, obviously happy that she now had a new member to her family.

"Don't worry, the changes will take a day or two to fully show. You'll get stronger, faster and be able to fly. But I'm not sure whether you'll be able to use Excalibur Rapidly."

"Let's just see if I can right now!"

Without even giving Rias time to reply, the girl removed the strap on her arm which slithered around before turning into a long katana.

"Oh, I can still use it!" Irina shouted with glee, jumping around the room with joy.

Rias meanwhile looked like she was having a panic attack with how her new Knight was handling the sword. It hasn't even been a single minute yet this girl was already bringing her trouble.

"This turned out better than I imagined," Xenovia commented by my side. "Though the offer to fly wherever I want is quite appealing."

"Well be my guest and join her peerage if you want it so much."

She smirked, "No thank you, I'd rather continue being human for a bit longer. And as your Knight, I'll only turn when you become a Devil first."

"How loyal of you."

I walked next to Rias and gently tapped her on the shoulders. Xenovia went to Irina as the latter immediately hugged her.

"Yo," I greeted the redhead like usual. "Congratulations on your second Knight."

"Oh, Hachi-kun?"

I didn't let her continue as I had one thing to tell her.

"By the way, are you free tomorrow? I want to take you on a date."

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"Finally!"

Now it was Rias who mimicked Irina and jumped towards me for a hug.

I felt like these two would get along nicely.

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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, Harry Potter and my 3 other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, ??????, and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post monthly commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.