Chapter 48: Alduin's Undercover Escapade
After concluding my call with Serafall, I approached my bedroom mirror and slipped out of my kimono, not before giving Sylvie a moment to slither out and coil up on the mattress, of course, and switched into an outfit most devils wouldn't even dream of adorning.
A priest's ensemble.
Specifically, the one Freed had worn.
Before turning his corpse into a pile of Stray Exorcist ash with the snap of my fingers, I decided to loot his outfit and gear, which consisted of a strange lightsaber-like weapon infused with Light Magic, and a handgun reminiscent of a Desert Eagle that came with a magazine of silver bullets, which if basic fantasy logic is to be believed, are probably enchanted with Holy Power.
As I discussed with Serafall, I'm continuing my investigation into what the Fallen Angels have planned in Kuoh. However, I've decided to take it a step further than before, now that Freed's dead, I've got a far more intrusive option than mere eavesdropping from afar.
I'm going to disguise myself as him.
I'm not capable of using Partial Hypnosis to coat my aura in Light Magic, since I've basically done no in-depth research into the power source at all. But I've already figured out a workaround.
Freed's a human, which I'm more than capable of making myself appear as even without Partial Hypnosis's help, especially when the people I'm fooling are so laughably weak. All I have to do is mask everything supernatural about my presence with Senjutsu, and bam, they'll see me as naught but a mere mortal.
Then comes step two, making my body emit a faint, but noticeable signature of Light Magic. I've already established that as of present, I'm incapable of creating an aura of Light Magic from scratch. Which isn't surprising, I mean, today's literally the first time I've ever been exposed to it up close.
However, that doesn't mean I can't intensify an already-existing Light Magic signature, which Freed's weaponry happens to emit. There's no need for me to create anything from thin air, I just need to stretch their minuscule aura to the point where it's coating my body.
Sure, Light Magic is technically harmful towards devils, but that fact scales. A High-Class Devil could effortlessly negate the effect of Low-Class and even Middle-Class Light Magic if they're skilled enough.
I'm Ultimate-Class, Freed's weaponry could hit me at point-blank range for all I cared, it'd just bounce right off me.
As for step three, that's naturally my appearance.
Partial Hypnosis can solve that no problemo', like lesser-Tiamat could during the trial, I'm currently capable of manipulating two senses at a time. I'm using half of that power to solve my presence's lack of Light Magic, and the other half will be used to manipulate the Fallen Angel's vision to make me look like good ol' badboy Freed. Hehe.
And last but not least, there's his voice.
I've already got a talent for mimicking voices, even though I could always tweak it a little with Wind Magic to alternate my pitch and bass. I honestly doubt I'll be needing any magical assistance. Fortunately for me, Freed proved to be quite the chatterbox, I've already got his mannerisms and whatnot committed to memory.
Despite all my preparations, is there still a chance I could get found out because of my incomplete knowledge?
Yeah, 100%.
But so what? They're ants in comparison to me. They aren't capable of causing me any harm. If everything devolves into a confrontation, I'll just tie 'em up and interrogate them the old-fashioned way.
Point being, this is a chance for me to have a little fun with my job, there's no way I'm going to let it go simply because of a 'what-if.'
Right as I finished getting myself set up, save for actually activating Partial Hypnosis, I heard a knocking at my door.
"Young Lord, may I come in?" It was none other than Thora.
"Of course," I watched as she entered with a distinct look on her face, one that was desperate for answers I couldn't give her earlier since I was kinda caught in the rush of investigating, executing, and protecting.
Upon opening the door and observing my understandably jarring outfit of choice, Thora paused, wordlessly opening her mouth as if she were momentarily at a loss for words.
"I can't really afford the luxury of time at the moment, so I'm just going to go ahead and give you the long story short," I said while buttoning up my coat, earning a slow, stiff nod from her in return. "With Rias' help, I discovered a cell of Fallen Angels operating in town, without authorization, of course. And I'm heading out to investigate them until I receive further orders from Serafall."
"…Fallen Angels? You're certain?" She muttered, narrowing her eyes as she mulled over my words. I didn't need to explain any of the Stray Exorcist stuff since she had been listening in on my conversation with Toshio.
"Mhm," I affirmed plainly, adjusting my collar and doing my final checks to make sure my uniform was on properly. "Shocking, isn't it? Who would've thought the weakest of us three could be so daring?" By three, I'm referring to the three Biblical Factions. "Serafall's communicating with them as we speak, but there's a pretty good chance they aren't going to give her any worthwhile information. Which is why I'm going to snoop through what they have going on in their base before they have a chance to do any covering-up."
"I see…" Though she was a little taken aback, it only took a few seconds for Thora's composed professionalism to kick back in full swing. "How can I be of assistance?"
I breathed a regretful sigh, her eagerness clear as day to me.
"Sorry, if this mission were search and destroy, I'd be more than happy to bring you along. Unfortunately, this mission's exclusively searching." She masked the dejection on her face, but I could still sense it through her aura, causing me to experience a pang of guilt. "Besides… they're weak, like really, reallyweak… having someone of your strength there as well would be excessive."
I did what I could to try to cheer her up, but I knew it wasn't the mission itself that concerned her, it was the fact that I was doing it on my lonesome.
"…Yes, I suppose that's logical." She nodded in resignation. "Stay safe out there, Young Lord. Should you find yourself in any trouble—"
"I know, I'll call for you," I chuckled lightly. "Don't worry, unless a Cadre pops out, this will all probably be handled before dawn." I've got Sylvie with me too. Safety-wise, I'm feeling exceptionally confident.
===
Rias was anxious. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop her leg from jittering up and down while she remained seated at her desk.
It had been almost an hour since Alduin had departed to go investigate the alleged Light Magic signature her familiar detected at Kuoh's abandoned church, and she had yet to hear so much as a peep back from him.
Had something happened? Had a confrontation transpired? Had Alduin been injured? Was he alright?
She had no way of knowing.
Part of her wanted to assemble her peerage and march over there right this instant to make sure everything was in order, however, she knew now was a terrible time to disturb her subordinates. All of them were either in the midst of crucial training or much-needed self-reflection.
Besides, if there was indeed a threat present, and one that Alduin was incapable of handling. What chance did she and her peerage have?
Still, I could just send my familiar over to be safe—!
"Don't move," a deep, almost regal, womanly voice interrupted her train of thought.
A pale, frigid hand cupped itself over Rias' mouth, holding her in place with a frightening amount of brute strength, and causing her face to whiten in dread.
Her clubroom had been infiltrated once more, only this time, the intruder's hostility didn't appear to be feigned like Alduin's was.
"If you scream, I'll snap your neck. If you try to resist, I'll paralyze you in place, and the effect probably won't wear off for at least a month. If you try to turn around and look at me, well, I'll also snap your neck. If you understand, don't say anything, just nod."
After spending a few moments frozen in fear and beginning to feel the intruder's grip tighten with impatience, she started nodding in a hurried, shaky fashion. Survival being the only thing on her mind.
"Good girl," the intruder said, removing her hand and allowing Rias to inhale a big, desperate gulp of air before keeling over her desk.
The Gremory Princess was quick to put her hand on her chest, feeling her heartbeat wildly soar with abandon, as if it were about to burst right out of her skin. Bullets of sweat began to trickle down her skin in tandem.
It wasn't just the fact she had been caught off-guard like this that instilled her with such gut-wrenching terror.
No. It was the hate. The sheer animosity radiating off the person standing mere inches behind her, someone who didn't give off the presence of a human, devil, fallen angel, or any other existence she recognized.
It was a cold presence. Somewhat reptilian in nature, like Alduin's, but lacking any and all semblance of warmth.
Like a snake.
Whatever motive the intruder had, it was evidently personal.
She breathed a deep, disappointed sigh. "It appears you've done some investigating as of late, haven't you? Rias Gremory."
"I-Investigating…? I'm not sure what you're talking about…" The trembling in her fingers worsened with each word she had to force out of her throat.
"No? So your request to pull up files on House Sallos was just a figment of the Lady's imagination?" She neared Rias, her head looming right above hers, the Gremory not daring to look up. "My Lady's a liar, is she?"
Rias felt the intruder's bloodlust quadruple, the pressure created a suffocating air around her, forcing her to gasp for air as she felt her consciousness begin to wane.
She needed to do something to appease the woman's anger, and quickly.
"N-No! You're Lady isn't a liar! I deeply apologize for my statement…" Rias stammered, unaware of just how palpable her desperation was to her aggressor.
"Mm," the woman let out a deliberative hum. "I know you're just saying that to cling onto your pathetic little life," Rias felt her heart sink. "However, killing you would create problems for the Young Lord, and you aren't nearly worth committing such a grave offense for."
The woman's hostility started to settle, not to the point where Rias was able to relax, not even remotely, but at the very least, the Gremory no longer felt like she was about to have a knife plunged through her heart at a moment's notice.
Young Lord…? She pondered, quickly realizing that there could only be one person who fit the bill of House Sallos' Young Lord.
"Uhm, are you talking about Aldui—"
"Do NOT speak his name so casually," her inquiry was met with immediate, ice-cold admonishment. "The only reason you've been afforded the luxury of the Young Lord's assistance is because of your older brother's spoon-feeding. Nothing more. Never forget that, girl."
"Y-Yes…!" For the sake of survival, Rias made the wise choice to remain obedient.
"Good. Now then, as for why I'm here," her tone grew more professional. "The Lady's decided to graciously let you off with a warning. Your first and last one, mind you. From this point on, you will not make any attempt whatsoever to investigate her house's background. And that includes asking or requesting any details from the Young Lord, not just attempting to obtain certain documents," she said, assuming that the Young Lord was aware of his maternal family's history. "Am. I. Clear?"
"C-Crystal!"
A faint gust passed through the clubroom, and with it, the intruder's presence disappeared. Finally allowing Rias a moment's respite, and giving her the chance to cautiously glance behind her, and confirm the figure's absence.
Fuck me… I've really gone ahead and gotten myself involved in something quite troublesome… haven't I?
She put her hand on her forehead and slumped back into her chair, holding her rapidly rising chest to calm her breathing.
Rias Gremory had just survived her first true near-death experience.
===
After enjoying a momentary stroll around Kuoh in the name of stress relief, Raynare returned to the abandoned church, choosing to remain on the surface and make herself comfortable on one of the benches instead of entering the hidden basement level.
It's not like anyone bothered to visit the long-since decommissioned structure in the first place.
Soon. Soon, everything will come together, all for Lord Azazel's sake! She thought to herself gleefully, unable to contain her self-satisfied smile.
And after spending a few minutes absorbed in her fanciful train of thought, her ears picked up on the sound of wings fluttering in her direction.
"You're late," Raynare chided while glancing at her watch.
"Sure, by a few minutes," a dismissive, womanly voice replied. "Big deal."
She was a tall, buxom woman with beige-colored eyes and navy hair that covered her right eye. Her attire consisted of a maroon trenchcoat with a wide, open collar that offered a generous view of her considerable breasts and cleavage.
"Kalawarna," Raynare narrowed her eyes, not a fan of her subordinate's averse attitude. "How many times am I going to have to remind you that we're not operating on home soil anymore? Timeliness when we're conducting our business is of great importance if we want to return to Grigori without a target on our backs."
Kalawarna scoffed, taking a seat of her own and crossing one leg over the other. "Gosh, who would've thought the great Raynare would be sweating over a few baby devils? How the mighty have fallen."
Raynare rolled her eyes. "It's a matter of politics, you know that."
"Mhm," she hummed idly while inspecting her nails, making it abundantly clear that she couldn't care less. "So, do you want to hear my report or not?"
Raynare sighed, pushing her knuckles against her cheek. "Go on then."
Kalawarna pulled out her phone, opening the image of a blonde-haired boy, probably around seventeen years of age, and threw it towards Raynare, who effortlessly caught it with one hand.
"Who am I looking at?"
"A potential Sacred Gear possessor, just like you wanted," Kalawarna shrugged. "His name's Genshirou Saji. Two Younger Siblings. Both parents were killed in a car crash. He currently lives with his grandfather, but that geezer doesn't look like he has long left. Soon enough, he'll be out on his own and up to his neck in financial troubles." There was no sympathy in her voice, just plain indifference.
"Which makes him a prime target for devil recruitment," Raynare concluded, cupping her fingers around her chin.
"Yeah, pretty much," Kalawarna flicked her eyebrows. "What do you want to do with him?"
"Well, it'd be rather irresponsible of us to stand back and allow the Underworld to amass more power, wouldn't it?" Raynare's gaze sharpened in a dark, ominous fashion. "Especially taking into account our already weakened position."
"Oh?" Finally, her cerulean-haired subordinate expressed some intrigue, immediately realizing what Raynare was suggesting. "Do you really plan on following through with that? Despite Lord Azazel's orders?"
Raynare's face twisted with a glimmer of hesitation before speaking.
"Lord Azazel may not have ordered such a thing… but sometimes it's up to people like us to take drastic measures when they're necessary. For Grigori's sake." She steeled herself, falling deeper and deeper into her delusion, supported by Kokabiel's words of support.
"I'm not so sure Grigori will share the sentiment, Raynare." A gruff, male voice spoke from the church's entrance. "However, if you're truly intent on proceeding with such an immensely reckless plan. I'd suggest you account for two."
"Dohnaseek," Raynare acknowledged her fedora-wearing, far more even-tempered subordinate. "Have you found something?" She asked, choosing to completely ignore his words of caution and focus entirely on those of suggestion.
"I have," like Kalawarna, he opened the photo of a teenage boy on his phone, one with chestnut, bizarrely styled hair, and tossed it towards Raynare. "Hyoudou Issei. Currently attending Kuoh Academy as a second-year student. Lives with both his parents. No siblings. And has quite the notorious reputation for being a pervert, which should make luring him an effortless task."
Raynare hummed her approval. "Kuoh Academy might prove to be a bit of an issue, though. That's the devil's base of operations, isn't it?"
"It is," Dohanseek affirmed, leaning against one of the church's stone pillars and making himself comfortable.
"Whoopsie! Looks like I'm the last one to arrive!" An exceptionally high-pitched feminine voice chimed in. Followed by the arrival of a petite, blonde-haired, twin-tailed sporting girl clad in a Gothic Lolita ensemble.
"Mittelt," Raynare groaned. "Have you found anything?" She asked, with a stark lack of expectancy in her voice.
"Nope!" Mittelt beamed, all too proud of her inefficiency. "I was gonna go searching, but then I found an ice-cream shop and got distracted! Tee-hee! Sowwy!" She cartoonishly tapped her knuckles against her head, wiping off mint chocolate chip stains from her mouth.
Thwack!
Dohnaseek handed her a swift chop to the scalp.
"OW! That's mean Dohna! You can't just go and hit a girl like that! It's abuse! Hmph!"
"Idiot," he sighed, pinching his nosebridge.
"Enough," Raynare grumbled. "Mittelt, I want you to go out again and at least try to make yourself useful," she ignored her subordinate's pouting and redirected her attention to the two who bore some semblance of competence. "As for the two of you, I want you to start making preparations to get rid of those Sacred Gear possessors."
They replied with a firm nod, beginning to follow Raynare down into the church's hidden lair to start planning.
"O-TO-TO! The gang's all here!" A familiar, hoarse voice made its fashionably late entrance before they could do so. "You lovely ladies, and gentleman, wouldn't happen to have room for one more, would ya?"
"Freed," Raynare narrowed her eyes, eyeing the Stray Exorcist with her usual mix of caution and disdain. "You're back early."
"Of course I am Ray-Ray! I told you, didn't I? I'm efficient!" He cackled, approaching the descending trio with his typical flamboyance, causing them all to shuffle somewhat uncomfortably. "Besides, it'd be a bit shameful if a genius, super-strong, ultra-handsome Exorcist—"
"Stray Exorcist."
Freed's eye twitched.
"—like me struggled to deal with one measly devil-worshipper." He ultimately chose to ignore his partner's interruption.
Raynare lifted her brow. "You didn't leave behind any evidence, did you? The point is to keep the devil's scrambling, not to give them a precise target to hunt down." If they were to detect any Light Magic at the scene of the crime, they'd immediately be able to draw a link to a Fallen Angel and Exorcist.
"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! How many times must I remind you, Ray-Ray?" He dramatically wagged his finger at her. "I. AM. EFFICIENT! I can give you my one-hundred-and-one percent guarantee that I haven't left so much as a shred of evidence behind!" He folded his arms and pouted. "Honestly, I'm insulted you even felt the need to ask."
"Uh-huh," she deadpanned with a stark lack of amusement. "Whatever, if you've dealt with that, then you shouldn't have any reason to be here. I agreed to give you one hit per day, nothing more."
"Yes, yes, I'm well aware of our deal, thank you very much." Freed waved her off as a slow grin crawled up his face. "It's just… I happened to hear some bits and pieces of the riveting conversation you all were having… including the part where you said you were going to deal a blow to the two pampered little devil princesses lurking here, and I couldn't help but find myself a little… intrigued."
"Oh?" Raynare scoffed. "Let me guess, you want to help out of the pure kindness of your own heart, right?" Her posture was practically brimming with ambiguity.
"Is that really so hard to believe?" He smouldered. "Our beloved former Holy Maiden has yet to grace us with her presence, and like you said, I won't have another filthy devil-worshipper to hunt down until tomorrow…" He straightened his posture. "C'mon, help a dear pal satiate a bit of his boredom! Kekeke! I'll make it worth your while. Exorcist's promise—!"
"Stray Exorcist."
"…You're never going to get tired of that, are you?" Freed's shoulders slumped.
"Nope," she replied with a self-satisfied grin. "As for your proposition," she hummed, exchanging a glance with her subordinates before continuing. "I suppose we have space for an extra pair of helping hands, as a human, it'll be easier for you to move around Kuoh without being detected by the devils anyway."
"Excellent!" He threw his arms up, happily kicking the altar aside and revealing the downwards-leading staircase.
"Raynare," Dohnaseek narrowed his eyes, muttering into his leader's voice. "Are you sure he can be trusted?"
"Freed himself? Not a chance," she snickered. "However, I do trust his love for tormenting devils, and for our plans, that'll suffice."
===
Well, that was about as easy as I expected it to be. I grinned inwardly, descending the lair's staircase with a trio of Fallen Angels following behind me, all of whom were practically staring holes into the back of my head.
Can't say I blame them, though, even from my brief observation of Freed's mannerisms alone, I can immediately tell that the word 'generous' most certainly isn't a part of his character description.
Fortunately, I was able to use his deep-rooted love for tormenting devils to my advantage, and justified my generosity with a sadistic motive they'd undoubtedly expect from Freed.
As for the conversation they just had, I obviously heard a little more than just bits and pieces of it. I was waiting in the distance the whole time, using my enhanced hearing to listen to what they were planning and pick a suitable time for my grand entrance.
Genshirou Saji and Hyoudou Issei. Two potential Sacred Gear possessors, and apparent targets for execution by Raynare and her stooges.
At first, I thought it was strange that an organization so intent on collecting Sacred Gears would be attempting to get rid of them, but as it would turn out, what they're doing isn't actually sanctioned by Grigori.
I guess that means there's a divide among them.
Oh well, that's not my problem.
"Freed," Raynare called me. "Take this," she handed me a photo of a teenage boy, with oddly fashioned spiky chestnut hair. "That's Hyoudou Issei, he's a possible Sacred Gear wielder we're looking into."
I allowed my face to light up dramatically. "O-Hoh! So this is the lucky fellow who'll get to experience the honour of being felled by the renowned Freed Sellzen's mighty blade of justice—!"
"No, you are not to harm him in any capacity whatsoever," she swiftly cut me off, glaring at me with a stern, authoritative look on her face.
"Ehhhh? What gives?" I slouched my posture, looking at her like a puppy that had just been denied a treat. "He's gonna make those devil princesses stronger, isn't he? You should just let me get rid of 'em before they get the chance!" I stomped.
She breathed a deep exhale before taking a step closer to me.
"Allow me to make one thing crystal clear between us," the deep, violet hue of her irises intensified. "You do not call the shots between us. I do. The only time you're allowed to shoot is when I point you at something to shoot. If I find that you even remotely deviated from that term. I. Will. Kill you." Her Light Magic started to passively emanate from her body, presumably in an attempt to intimidate me. "Understood?"
Hehe. Honestly, it's kinda cute.
"Hai! Hai! Freed understands perfectly well Boss-Lady!" I leapt up and saluted, still smiling. Earning myself an unamused eyeroll.
Not once did Freed display any semblance of fear in Raynare's presence, if I did so now, they'd probably get suspicious. Besides, strength-wise, I'm quite certain Freed's above Raynare.
I mean, they're both ants, but one's a summer ant, and the other's a bullet ant. Believe it or not, I can tell the difference.
"But if you don't want me to slice-and-dice 'em, then what exactly do you want me to do with Hyoudou?" I questioned.
"I need you to spy on him. Figure out his routine. Hobbies. Interests. And most importantly," her tone lowered to add emphasis. "Whether he is or isn't already on the devil's radar. He attends the same school as them, so the chances of them being aware of his presence aren't in our favour."
Good grief, going after a human child whose yet to awaken strength he may not even possess in the first place. Have some shame.
"Roger-Dodger!" I gave her a jubilant thumbs-up. "I'll get right on it, Boss-Lady!"
I proceeded to 'make my departure', exiting the hidden lair as the Fallen Angel group's gazes were fixated on my back.
At least, that's what it looked like to them. In truth, my departure was just an illusion.
I decided to proceed further into their lair to do some snooping around, which I had to pass on last time I was here. The size of this place suggests that it's designed to be more than just a mere meeting spot for them, and I fully intend on finding out what secrets it holds.
Oh, and I also went ahead and took the liberty of snatching a dossier I saw lying around their lair with some handy sleight-of-hand, one with the Vatican's seal attached to it rather than Grigori's. Judging from where it was positioned and its wear-and-tear, I'm certain it's a file they've been frequently looking at.
I have an inkling it might have something to do with the "Holy Maiden" they were mentioning.
I opened the dossier, finding myself staring at the picture of a gentle-looking young girl with long blonde hair and emerald eyes, clad from head to toe in a nun's uniform.
Name: Asia Argento
Age: 17
Rank: Laity* (Excommunicated as of 02/09/2008.)
Status: Alive* (No observation order has been issued since excommunication.)
Description:
Found abandoned at the doorstep of the local Church as an infant in her hometown of Vernazza, Liguria, Italy. Taken into the sisterhood as a nun until being conscripted into the Catholic Church's Medical Division upon awakening the Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing, during childhood. The awakening was spotted by the local Priest, Father Thomas, when he saw her using the Sacred Gear to heal an injured puppy. Argento was handed the monicker of "Holy Maiden" once her abilities were put into use by treating Exorcists injured in the line of duty, and members of the Catholic Church seeking treatment for ailments of varying degrees.
Note: Father Thomas reported that Argento experienced a noticeable amount of alienation among her peers because of Twilight Healing's power. Father Thomas hypothesized that her abilities drew a significant amount of envy her way.
Reason for Excommunication:
Spotted treating a wounded devil that had appeared near her local Church. Bishop Monaldo, acting Head of the Medical Division at the time, decided to issue immediate excommunication upon hearing of the incident.
I let out a deep sigh, rubbing my nosebridge as I closed the file.
I can't help but pity the poor girl, the Vatican seemed to value her kindness and abilities, however, only as long as they were used solely on their behalf. The second it touched someone else, she was tossed aside regardless of the good I imagine she did, for their sake no less.
However, I'd be lying if I said I was surprised. The Church probably interpreted the incident as a personal incident from Asia to them, it's no wonder that they dismissed her without a second thought.
But from looking at her photo and reading her description, she really doesn't strike me as the spiteful type. Unless it was a product of the alienization this 'Father Thomas' mentioned, I can imagine how that'd make her lose faith in the Church.
Granted, looks can be deceiving. Maybe she was a double agent working for the Underworld that whole time. Hah, wouldn't that be a twist?
Regardless of her past, Freed confirmed that she'll be arriving in Kuoh Town sometime this week, and now that I have a name and face, I should probably keep a lookout for her.
Although, I'm not sure I really have the resources to spare on setting up a surveillance detail. I'm occupied with training five people at the same time. Thora's keeping watch over Gasper around the clock. And while Sylvie could patrol Kuoh alongside her clones, I prefer to have her near me if I can help it. Her detection abilities are immensely useful, and she's also helping me ensure Shirone's Nekomata powers don't go out of control.
Hmm. I may have to get Rias involved, the help of her and her peerage's familiars would be quite useful. But I'll handle that after this Fallen Angel situation has been handled.
I continued further into the lair. For the most part, all I saw were empty file cabinets that would probably be filled with reports from the observation missions they were doing in Kuoh. I also noticed a few arsenals here and there, containing Light-Magic-infused weaponry that was of little interest to me.
But eventually… I did find something that was worth my attention, located at the farthest end of the lair.
A room. An awfully spacious one, with a descending staircase situated at the entrance, and a fair amount of empty flooring that led up to an ascending one that was connected to an elevated platform, and sitting atop that platform was a… strange… object of sorts.
I tilted my head, examining a large, mechanical-looking cross with a myriad of strange, illuminated verdant characters and symbols running through its technological surface. None of which I could even begin to try comprehending.
Whatever the hell it is they've cooked up here… it's definitely something that's more up Lord Beelzebub's alley.
Upon closer examination, I noticed a pair of chains attached to the cross, one on the left and right side, and two near the base of the structure as if it were intended for a… person.
Don't tell me they're trying to crucify someone? Shouldn't that be the Church's specialty? Fallen Angels should abhor doing anything they're synonymous with… although, it might be a little foolish of me to assume that taking into consideration this thing's jarringly mechanical appearance.
I should send Serafall a picture, maybe she knows someth—
"Revolting, isn't it?"
I froze.
A voice… had just spoken to me, even though neither I nor Sylvie sensed anyone's presence beforehand.
It was the second time in my life someone's ever managed to sneak up on me… the honour of the first going to my fiancée's Knight, Halibel.
Slowly, with a faint tremor running through my appendages, I turned to my side. Coming face to face with a tall, middle-aged, dark-haired man with a blond streak at the front… whose aura I was only now capable of perceiving.
One that exceeded mine, by leaps and bounds.
Which meant… I was in the presence… of a Satan-Class existence.
"Good afternoon, agent of Serafall," he greeted me with a voice chalk-full of venom, though strangely enough, that venom didn't seem to be directed at me. "I presume that's who you are? Since she informed me that the Stray Exorcist my idiot subordinates were working with had been killed." He folded his hands behind his back. "I'm Azazel, Grigori's Governor-General. If it's alright with you… I'd like to have a conversation."
———
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