[Perspective: Issei]
We defeated Walburga and successfully suppressed Qlippoth's interference completely.
The only one left now is Valus, who is still facing off against Old Man Maurice...
Valus created some distance between himself and Maurice, then slowly sheathed his sword.
"So, the woman of purple flame has been defeated. That leaves only me. While the idea of staying here and continuing to swing my sword is appealing..."
Valus's gaze locked onto Old Man Maurice.
In response, Maurice sheathed his dual blades as well.
"That's enough for today. Get going, brother. Even if you are an enemy, I don't hate guys like you. If the opportunity comes around again, let's go another round, one-on-one."
"Indeed. To hear such words from you is a point of pride for me as a swordsman, Sword Saint-dono. ...Well then, I shall take my leave."
Valus held his hand out in front of him.
Space distorted, and a magic circle expanded. The glow intensified, illuminating the surroundings.
By the time the light faded and I opened my eyes, Valus was gone.
"...He went home, huh? Wait, why was he even here in the first place?"
Kiba answered my question.
"Umm... apparently, he just came to spectate our battle?"
"Hah...?"
"When he first appeared, he was holding an empty beer can and a bag of snacks."
"Was he mocking us—?!?!"
My full-force retort echoed across the empty field.
With Valus returning to Assem, everything was finally over.
The warriors of the rebel faction who had been fighting Rias and the others threw down their weapons and surrendered peacefully. The ringleaders—Ewald Cristaldi, Vasco Strada, and Teodoro Legrenzi—surrendered as well.
"This is our defeat. We will not resist."
Old Man Strada walked toward the designated magic circle to face his inquisition. Ewald Cristaldi and Teodoro Legrenzi followed him.
As for Walburga, whom Xenovia defeated: just before the direct hit, she apparently deployed a defensive magic circle. She was battered and beaten, but alive. We bound her while she was unconscious and transferred her to the Netherworld's specialized agency.
When we captured Walburga, we noticed a purple ember floating beside her.
Seeing it, Ikuse-san called for a special lantern and collected it.
According to Ikuse-san:
"This Sacred Gear is distinct from the usual inheritance process where it moves to the next wielder upon death. It can wander from host to host by its own will. Rumor has it that a consciousness resides within the artifact itself, allowing it to swap hosts one after another. If we don't collect it like this, even if it leaves her, it will just wander off seeking a new master."
That's what he said.
I've heard stories from Azazel-sensei, but there really are all kinds of Sacred Gears. Just like their abilities vary, there are some like this purple flame that choose their own owners...
A consciousness residing within...
Come to think of it, Cao Cao's Holy Spear also harbored the will of the 'God of the Bible.' Perhaps there are other mysteries hidden within Holy Relics.
"Looks like things didn't go quite as planned over there."
The voice came from Old Man Maurice.
He had taken off his cape and shirt and was wiping sweat from his bare upper body. His physique was as honed and muscular as ever.
Looking closely, I noticed a few slight cuts on his body. The clothes he had draped over his shoulder were also torn in several places. None of them were deep—hardly wounds worth mentioning—but still...
"...He actually managed to wound you, Old Man?"
"Well, scratches like this don't really count as wounds... but that brother was strong. It's been a long time since someone managed to reach me with their sword."
The expression on the Old Man's face as he said this was incredibly joyful; he seemed exhilarated by the appearance of a strong enemy.
He really is a swordsman to the bone...
Even if it's an enemy, he welcomes a powerhouse like Valus who challenges him head-on and actually manages to land a hit.
For the record, I have never once managed to put a scratch on the Old Man. Well, I've only ever used my normal Balance Breaker against him, but still...
Valus managed to wound him, however slightly.
Maurice continued.
"That brother changed his movements drastically in the second half. He started adapting to my sword. Next time we fight, he might bring even more power to the table."
"You look like you're having way too much fun, Old Man."
"Of course. When you get to be an old man, playing with the young ones becomes the highlight of your day."
...I don't think that exchange of high-speed sword slashes can be categorized as "playing," though...
As we were having that conversation, Old Man Strada stopped beside us.
"There is something I must do before I leave this place."
Saying that, Strada reached into his robes. He pulled out a bundle of envelopes.
Strada called out to Asia.
"Saint Asia. Do you remember me?"
"Yes, we exchanged greetings once."
"Mm. You were truly a devout believer and a kind girl. —Please, accept these."
Strada handed over the envelopes.
Asia took them with a puzzled expression.
"This is..."
"Those are letters of gratitude from the people you healed with your power."
"———!"
Asia's eyes widened, and she lost her voice.
People healed by Asia's power... In other words, letters from the people Asia saved during her time as a Saint.
Strada continued.
"Even after you were gone from the Church, those letters kept arriving. I held onto them, hoping to give them to you someday... and finally, that day has come."
Strada took Asia's hand and smiled gently.
"...When I heard you were to be exiled, I tried to find a place for you to hide... but I did not make it in time. I am truly sorry."
At those words, tears spilled from Asia's eyes. Her shoulders trembled as she hugged the bundle of envelopes tight against her chest.
Strada patted Asia's head.
"Take your time. Once you have settled down, I hope you will reply to the authors of those letters. Or perhaps you could even visit them. There are many who were saved by your kindness. They will surely be delighted. I have already made the arrangements. If you speak to the Church, a meeting can be arranged at any time."
Asia was sobbing too hard to speak.
Asia's healing, her kindness—it had reached them.
This bundle of letters was the proof. There were so many people who were saved by Asia and were grateful to her.
Just knowing that made me happy.
And Strada, who had kept these letters safe for her. Even though he didn't make it in time, he had tried to save Asia. There really were people in the Church who understood her.
Just then, Azazel-sensei appeared.
Sensei had been moving around doing something after the battle ended...
Maurice asked Azazel-sensei.
"Yo, finished on your end?"
"More or less... Or rather, Maurice. Thanks to you pulling that stunt, my workload just increased."
Sensei gave a wry smile.
Strada responded to Sensei's words.
"Former Governor-General. Judging by your demeanor, it seems you were able to flush out the traitor within our ranks."
"Yeah, thanks to you."
Sensei nodded and explained the situation to us again.
"I mentioned a bit earlier that that bastard Rizevim was instigating the coup, right? Well, that implies there was a traitor inside the Church communicating with him. We used this coup and the brawl to flush that person out. As expected, Walburga entered the field, didn't she? That means the traitor leaked the magic circle codes to enter the field to them. We anticipated that much, prepared for it, and let them dance until we could pinpoint exactly who the traitor was."
Strada continued.
"Part of the reason we let things go this far was to expose that individual."
"I see... So, Azazel. What about Maurice? You could have told us, you know."
Rias looked at Sensei with half-lidded eyes, though she seemed to accept the explanation.
W-Well, he did keep quiet about it until the very end. I hadn't told them either.
Azazel-sensei scratched his cheek.
"If you want to fool your enemies, start with your allies. In a way, I wanted to keep Maurice and Lisha as a trump card. We didn't know what kind of hand the enemy held, so I wanted to keep as much information hidden as possible."
"...Is that really the only reason?"
"If I'm being honest, I wanted to see the look of shock on your faces."
"Azazel... honestly, you are..."
Rias put a hand to her forehead and let out a grand sigh, while the rest of the group chuckled.
Among them, however, there was one person who was visibly depressed...
"...To think the field was cut... I need to review the formula..."
It was Rose.
That field was supposed to be impossibly robust, woven with Rose's sealing and barrier arts...
"Sorry for cutting it. But hey, all's well that ends well, right?"
Old Man Maurice had sliced the field clean in half. It was only okay because Azazel-sensei and the others repaired it from behind the scenes...
Actually, this Old Man doesn't feel guilty at all!
Lisha placed her hands on Rose's shoulders.
"Now, now. This is just how Maurice is. It is better not to worry about it too much. A little while ago, he caused a huge uproar by cutting the sky and the sea."
"Our young ones had a hell of a time cleaning that up. Man, I really messed up that time!"
" " " "..." " " "
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