"Fragile, aren't you? Fainting so easily? If you're going to challenge the younger generation of devils, stop dreaming and hide in your elde
"Fragile, aren't you? Fainting so easily? If you're going to challenge the younger generation of devils, stop dreaming and hide in your elders' arms back at the Vatican."
"As Sword Empresses, Excalibur is as important as life itself. Why did Xenovia faint, you bastard?"
Irina, tears welling, glared at Arthas, her voice laced with anger.
"Hey, hey, what are you looking at me like that for? I didn't destroy her Excalibur; she was simply overconfident."
Arthas turned, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips.
"'Nothing can withstand my blade'… who said that again?"
Irina fell silent, speechless. Arthas was right; Xenovia's downfall was entirely self-inflicted.
"Alright, alright, out with the old, in with the new. Didn't I give you a holy sword? It's ready to use." Arthas said, unable to bear Irina's intense gaze any longer.
He hadn't intended to keep the sword taken from Genshirou Saji; he'd given it to the girls.
"You think Sword Empresses are common cabbages? Anyone can use them? If that were true, there wouldn't be a 'Holy Sword Adaptation Project.' Different swords have different requirements." Irina retorted.
"Holy swords have requirements? I didn't see any. I, a devil, used it without any problem." Arthas shrugged, smiling.
"Well… it's because… because…" Irina stammered. Holy swords were incredibly demanding of their wielders. That's why Yuuto had endured such cruel experiments.
But last night, they'd seen Arthas, a devil, wield Excalibur freely, without any rejection.
"Alright, let's get Miss Xenovia to a comfortable place to rest." Rias approached, Yuuto having recovered.
Looking at the unconscious Xenovia, he felt no triumphant joy. Yuuto and Xenovia had no personal feud; his hatred was solely directed at Excalibur.
Seeing Xenovia unconscious after losing her holy sword, they were, in a way, victims of the holy sword as well.
So much innocent blood… this holy sword had no reason to exist!
"Should we have Asia treat her? Devilish healing, I wonder if it'll corrupt you clergywomen."
Looking at Asia, then at the unconscious Xenovia, Irina nodded.
Xenovia slowly opened her eyes, looking around in confusion, instinctively reaching out, but finding nothing.
Right… her holy sword was destroyed…
How ironic. The Excalibur·Destruction, which she so proudly believed could destroy everything, had destroyed itself.
"Xenovia, you're awake!" Irina's familiar voice reached her ears.
"Irina? Where are we?" Xenovia asked, seeing Irina enter.
"We're in the Occult Research Club room." Irina said, approaching with a tray of food.
"You've been unconscious for hours. You must be hungry. Here's some food." Irina placed the tray on the bedside table.
"Hmph, what are you doing here? Is this food… devilish?" Xenovia grumbled.
Her stomach betrayed her with a loud rumble.
"Hungry? You haven't eaten since last night. You must be starving," Irina chuckled.
"It's all your fault! You're so clumsy, you got scammed out of all our money because of a painting! That's why we're in this mess, with no food or place to stay!" Xenovia grumbled.
"Well, let's not talk about that now."
Irina looked embarrassed. Xenovia stubbornly turned away.
"I'm not eating it anyway. Accepting a devil's charity might corrupt me!" Despite her rumbling stomach, Xenovia defiantly refused the food Irina offered.
"Such resolve. Eating our food would corrupt you? Sleeping in our room would corrupt you, too?" The door burst open, Arthas entering with raised eyebrows.
"Hmph…" Seeing the culprit who'd destroyed her holy sword, Xenovia snorted and rolled off the bed.
Xenovia's injuries weren't serious; she'd fainted from grief and was treated by Asia. Except for hunger, she was fine.
"Oh, this clubroom is also a devil's hangout, you know? The entire Kuoh Academy is, too." Arthas smirked, looking at Xenovia, who'd gotten out of bed without a word.
"Hmph, when did Kuoh Academy become a devil's territory? You're just pathetic devils hiding on campus." Xenovia scoffed.
"True, but you were treated by Asia. That's undeniably devilish power." Arthas smiled, pulling Asia closer.
"Ah…" Asia looked at the stunned Xenovia.
"Th… this…" Xenovia, speechless, stood there awkwardly.
"Lord, forgive your faithful servant. I was saved by a devil." Xenovia made the sign of the cross and began to pray.
"Here, eat. You were treated by a devil, so a little devilish food won't hurt. Our faith is strong; the Lord will forgive us." Irina smiled, placing the tray before Xenovia.
"Fi… fine!" Xenovia's stomach rumbled again. Blushing, she snatched the tray and crawled under the covers.
"Isn't she much cuter now? She should have been like this earlier."
Watching Xenovia, now docile and endearing, compared to her earlier self, Arthas chuckled, thinking: Look what this holy sword has done to a perfectly good girl. It was truly a harmful thing.
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