Tension

After a little more than a day of exploration, Vahn and Asia exited the Corridor around 3:40 AM. They could have stayed longer, but after his frustration settled, Vahn couldn't help wanting to see how things were going back in reality.

"Welcome back, Goshujin-sama, Asia-san," expressed Grayfia, offering Vahn a bow as he and Asia appeared in the club room.

"What's the situation? Did anything happen while we were away...?" asked Vahn, his expression and tone serious, producing a palpable tension.

Raising her head, Grayfia dutifully responded, "We were able to ascertain that the individuals investigating the former den of the Fallen Angels were high-ranking Exorcists and Enforcers from the Church's Zeroth Parish, the Church of Necessarius. They have arranged to speak with Rias-sama later today."

"Are they here for me...?" asked Vahn, his expression easing somewhat as, while he didn't approve of how they handled Asia's case, he didn't believe the Church was evil.

"We suspect establishing contact with you is one of their objectives, but they seem to be investigating the recent theft of several fragments of the Holy Sword, Excalibur," answered Grayfia.

"Necessarius..." muttered Asia, her blue eyes filled with concern as Vahn looked at her, prompting her to explain, "They're the branch of the Church that specializes in investigating and eliminating the occult. They were the sister branch to the one I belonged to, the Church of Sacramentum..."

"Do you think they came here to pick a fight...?" asked Vahn.

"Unlikely," responded Grayfia, shaking her head before explaining, "As Goshujin-sama is aware, Kuoh Town and its surroundings are a neutral zone. And while the Executors of the Church of Necessarius are decently powerful, they would find it difficult to defeat a High-Class Devil without superior numbers and preparation. Their visit will likely involve introducing themselves, asking for information, and requesting that we not interfere in their investigation."

"If so, isn't that a little pretentious of them...?" asked Vahn, pointing out, "Kuoh Town is under the protection and supervision of the Gremory and Sitri Houses. The people who stole the fragments of Excalibur wouldn't have come here without a reason, so asking us not to intervene when the matter directly concerns us is absurd..."

"I can't deny it," responded Grayfia. "But the Church has been obsessed with its image and authority for millennia. They have mellowed publically since the conclusion of the Great War, but behind the scenes, they're the most antagonistic of the Three Factions."

"Mmm...I see..." muttered Vahn. At the same time, he couldn't help being reminded of Throne's comment about God's absence. The population of Earth had exploded in the aftermath of the Great War, so if God were still around, wouldn't Heaven have a near-absolute advantage? It was strange that no one noticed this...incongruence. Either that or those in power were deliberately keeping it a secret...

Shaking his head to dismiss such thoughts, Vahn met Grayfia's gaze and asserted, "I will meet these Executors when they arrive," before adopting a less forceful tone as he asked, "Is Rias in her room...?"

"She is with Sona-sama," revealed Grayfia, explaining, "She presumed Goshujin-sama would remain in the Corridor a while longer, so she and Sona-sama are likely discussing the matter of the Executors' arrival and how to address the situation moving forward."

"That makes sense..." affirmed Vahn, nodding. Then, assuming Grayfia had been waiting patiently for his and Asia's return, he deliberated briefly before ordering, "Prepare the bath and parlor. I would have you wash my back and massage me..."

"It would be my pleasure, Goshujin-sama..." stated Grayfia, adopting a slight smile as she bowed low and respectfully with her hands folded over her lap. During the lessons meant to prepare him for Lordship, Vahn had been taught the importance of providing his servants with opportunities to serve as a means to build rapport and reward them. They didn't tell him he needed to adopt a similar practice, but after Rias used the example of her letting him and Akeno brush her hair and help with her clothes despite being able to manage both using Magic, he did so naturally. Thus, before releasing her to tend to and spend time with her son, Millicas, he allowed her to wash and massage his back, leaving his front to Asia...

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With their foray into the Corridor canceled or, at the very least, delayed, Vahn spent the morning relaxing with his eyes closed and Koneko sitting in his lap, hugging him as Issei sat on the opposite sofa, busying himself with the canceled sequel to a game he enjoyed from a publisher that had gone out of business years prior.

"It looks like our guests have arrived," said Rias, sitting behind her desk with her eyes closed, her senses linked with her Familiar and the barrier around the Academy.

Opening her eyes and rising to her feet, Rias looked between Vahn and Issei, prompting the latter to turn off his hand-held game console as she smiled faintly and said, "Just in case, I'm going to ask that the two of you be on your best behavior. We may not be on good terms, but we're not trying to pick a fight with the Church."

"I'm just curious to see what a proper Exorcist is like," expressed Issei, adopting a wry smile as he admitted, "Though, I do kind of want to give them a piece of my mind regarding what happened with Asia..."

"Please, don't," said Asia, exhaling faintly from her nose before looking at Vahn and smiling radiantly as she attested, "I believe that what happened to me had to happen. If it hadn't, I would never have come to Japan. Now, I'm happier than I've ever been..."

"That's good..." remarked Kiba, standing near the window with his arms crossed and gaze focused on the outside as he appended, "But I'm with Issei-kun on this one. If these Executors are truly Holy-sword wielders, I would like to see how my skills compare..."

"Can't it wait until you've matured into a High-Class Devil...?" asked Rias, understanding Kiba's reasons for wanting to challenge the Executors. She just felt it was much too soon...

"That would probably be the wisest course of action..." conceded Kiba, his usually friendly smile failing to reach his eyes as he exhaled a faintly exasperated sigh. Under ordinary circumstances, he wouldn't be able to restrain himself if he knew a pair of Holy-sword wielders were coming to visit Kuoh, but the arrival of Vahn, Asia's words, and the existence of the Corridor of Intertwined Fates had changed things...

"If it makes things easier, you don't need to be present for the meeting," offered Rias, passing her gaze over everyone in the room as she added, "This is ultimately a matter the ORC won't, or at the very least shouldn't get involved with. Not when the balance between the Three Factions is as tenuous as it is..."

With Rias directing the final few words at him, Vahn's expression became serious. She, Sona, and Grayfia had made it exceedingly clear that his existence and power were a threat to the three-way deadlock that had been in effect since the end of the Great War, so if he gave the Church or the Fallen reason to believe he would upend that tentative balance, they would have no choice but to respond accordingly...

"I will stay," responded Vahn, his tone firm.

"Yeah, same here!" appended Issei, raising his left fist and holding his bicep with his right hand as he added, "Besides, wasn't it said that the people visiting us were girls? I need to see them...!"

"Oh, Issei..." sighed Rias, closing her eyes and shaking her head but with a faint smile adorning her lips. He was markedly different from Vahn, but she appreciated his simple and straightforward nature. If nothing else, it added a bit of levity to nearly every situation, regardless of its severity...

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With Issei, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko standing behind them and Grayfia and Asia observing from afar, Vahn sat next to Rias across from a pair of beautiful young women, one with short and exceptionally blue hair with a notable green tuft and the other with long chestnut hair fixed into twin-tails, both possessing distinctive violet eyes.

"I am Xenovia Quarta, Executor First-Class of the Church of Necessarius," said the blue-haired woman, her eyes sharp and tone curt as she added, "I would say it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, but I do not make a habit of establishing friendly relations with Devils..."

"And I'm Shidou Irina~!" appended the chestnut-haired girl, offering a smile and a wave, notably directed at Issei as she stated, "It's good to see you again, Issei-kun! Well, it would have been. I never imagined you would do something like becoming a Devil. How tragic."

"Huh? You know me...?" asked Issei, standing with his arms crossed and a notably perplexed expression. After all, there was no way in Hell he could forget such a cute and busty girl.

"Aww...do you really not remember me?" asked Irina, adopting a look of faux sadness as she reminded, "We used to play all the time when we were kids. You used to spend the night at my house and even went to Church with my family a few times, remember?"

Recalling his sole childhood friend, a boy with purple eyes and spiky, chestnut-brown hair that was usually fixed in a ponytail, Issei's mouth briefly dropped before he pointed to Irina and exclaimed, "There's no way! You were a girl that entire time...!?"

"Wait, you thought I was a boy...?" asked Irina, smiling awkwardly and scratching her cheek as she conceded, "I admit I was a bit of a tomboy, but didn't we bathe together multiple times? How could you not notice?"

"Irina, we didn't travel all this way so you could catch up with your former childhood friend..." interposed Xenovia, narrowing her eyes and casting a sidelong look at her partner.

"Oops, my bad~" responded Irina, rubbing the back of her head as she looked at Issei, adding, "Let's catch up later, Issei-kun. Then, if you feel bad for what you've done, I'll help you repent."

Feeling a chill permeate his body when Irina mentioned repenting, Issei adopted a cramped smile and responded, "I don't mind catching up, but I'll pass on the latter..."

"Let's cut to the chase," said Rias, sitting with her arms folded under her breasts and her left leg crossed over her right as she asked, "Why did you arrange this meeting?"

Though her eyes briefly flickered to Vahn, Xenovia held Rias's gaze as she answered, "As we explained previously, we came to Kuoh Town in pursuit of a group of Fallen Angels who stole three of the six Excalibur fragments. As for why we are here, it is to ensure you will not interfere and to confirm the status of the Saint Candidate, Vahn Mason..."

"Confirm my status...?" asked Vahn, prompting Xenovia to nod, direct a narrow-eyed gaze at Asia, and reveal, "It is rumored that the Devils have been targetting and corrupting Saints to weaken the Church and harm its image. After all, there is no greater insult to God and His believers than to have His Chosen succumb to evil influence..."

"No one here is evil..." asserted Vahn, his expression and tone firm as he preempted Xenovia's response by stating, "And I won't abide hearing you insinuate otherwise. Evil is measured in the harm one does to others, and no one here has done anything to warrant your condemnation..."

"That's debatable, but I did not come here to argue or pick a fight," stated Xenovia, quickly supplanting, "But we were tasked with asking you, God's Chosen, a handful of questions. Once we are done here, you would honor us with your presence, preferably someplace private..."

"I regard everyone here as my family..." asserted Vahn, causing Xenovia's brows to furrow slightly as he contended, "Anything we talk about will be relayed to them, so if you have questions for me, you might as well ask in front of them..."

"I see..." muttered Xenovia, closing her eyes and sighing. She had been urged not to make an enemy out of Vahn, no matter what, but if there was a chance of him siding with the Devils in their conflict, she felt it would be best to annihilate him before the power that made him a Saint Candidate reached full maturity...

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