Chapter 27 - Unfortunate Anticlimax?

"I thought it was strange when you weren't with your little party members earlier. I always took you for the overprotective type." The voice of Anna sounded in the ears of Cebrail. As she approached the Angel who was sitting with her back against a tree lounging casually.

She had followed the two girls to make sure they wouldn't be killed since she didn't want to make an enemy out of one of Solomon's king candidates. She felt as though Cebrail would probably go out of her way to make Anna's life a living hell if such a thing happened.

Anna was a businesswoman so she was quite confident in her ability to judge people. After Cebrail had paid for the little Valkyries gift despite not needing it at all and then accompanied her to investigate the Holy Sword Project despite having only known the girl for less than a day. Anna knew the Angel had a far bigger heart than she let on.

"I just have free time since my plans for today were canceled last minute." Cebrail stated simply opening a box of donuts and taking out one with white frosting and pink sprinkles.

She wasn't lying, she previously had actually had planned to help Serafall by playing a role in her new magical girl show. It was meant to star Sona and have herself as the primary rival/deuteragonist. However, when Cebrail arrived there Sera revealed that yet again she had postponed the shooting in order to redesign the costumes and rewrite the script with a new writer. She claimed that they "weren't reaching the essence of what a magical girl is" whatever that means.

So Cebrail left Sona behind to suffer having to try on all of Serafall's various designs and childish machinations. She didn't feel like being a dress up doll, her mother and maids already do that enough.

"Free time huh… by the way I've been hearing from the townsfolk about a strange white haired girl that keeps showing up and helping people with chores." Anna said casually looking at the various stickers on Cebrail's body along with the bag of sweets right next to her box of donuts.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Cebrail responds flatly, finishing the pink sprinkled donut in her hand.

"I was really curious how an Angel even if half Human could be so gluttonous, I even almost mistook you for a hedonist you know! Especially with all those erotic novels you keep buying." Anna leaned down close to the lounging Angel and picked up a chocolate frosted donut with chocolate sprinkles and took a seat leisurely next to her.

"A wise man once said 'You get to know a person best when you're both naked.' I only purchase those books for the sake of my research. People are hard to understand as you know." Cebrail defended herself slightly with her eyebrows furrowed in a cutely serious expression. Anna honestly couldn't tell if the girl was lying to cover up her actions or if that was actually the reasoning she used to justify herself so she changed the topic.

"If you keep accepting gifts from people you'll keep getting more and more of them." Anna took a bite out of her donut and found it to be intensely sweet with just a tinge of bitterness that maybe most children wouldn't appreciate. "I doubt you feel good after eating all of that stuff."

She pointed towards all of the stuff Cebrail had as if to emphasize her point.

"They're gifts. People don't just give gifts out of the kindness of their heart but also often to relieve themselves of their perceived guilt. People by nature don't enjoy owing others anything." Cebrail stated with a maturity unlike that of her age. She was like every other person Anna had met with Solomon's ring, she had a very different, almost alien or obsessive way of looking at the world. Who in their right mind keeps EVERY gift people give to them? Especially with how many she gets on a daily basis.

While Anna could see this pretty easily she couldn't pin down what exactly Cebrail's obsession was, unlike the others she didn't constantly go around recruiting others by gathering them around her ideals, nor did she run around yelling about them on a constant basis.

The Vampire Princess desired a world where everyone was obedient.

The current "Merlin" wishes for a world of purity.

The big boss of the Stray Devil Faction wishes for equal justice.

And even that Cadre Princess Anna had met recently had flat out told her that she wants a world where lies don't exist.

Anna was sure the others she had yet to meet also had clear and easily identifiable goals but Cebrail was very much different.

She simply seemed as though she had no end goal at all.

(Although she often complains about work… could her ideology be something like, "a world where people don't need to work"?)

Cebrail stared at the battle taking place and the beast like man paused giving Reginleif the chance to gain some distance. Anna threw away that thought upon seeing this. While Cebrail acted lazy and lethargic Anna could guess based on the very fact that she was watching over her party members that Cebrail wasn't someone that actually hated work.

It was probably more like she hated the idea of work, like an old man working at a convenience store that just so badly wants to retire but doesn't have any kids to help take care of him.

"They can't win you know." Anna commented looking towards the battle as well and finishing her donut.

"Indeed that does seem to be the case."

"You aren't going to help them?" Anna questioned reaching past Cebrail and grabbing a jelly filled donut. She took a big bite, though she didn't love jelly since it was messy, the donut was free and Anna couldn't help but love that kind of price tag.

"It's best if they learn against a real opponent that won't kill them. This is a rare situation after all." Cebrail had fought very often in her past life and only against Mary Sue was she ever in a situation in which an opponent despite their goals and willpower refused to attack with the intent to kill.

It was probably the experience most people had when fighting her as she never had killing intent and still does not. It was still a very close feeling to being pushed onto the edge.

Fighting against an opponent you know for a fact could kill you but refuses to does indeed change one's perspective. Maybe not always drastically but still, a change occurs nonetheless. At least this is what Cebrail observed in her previous lifetime.

"Oh? That's the girl that bought the food stand from me." Anna commented seeing Kojika plunge her sword directly into Buffy's back. "Pheww Wee~ who knew she had it in her?"

"Hmm? That sword seems strange…" Cebrail comments.

"You think so? It doesn't look that strange to me, not a drop of holy or demonic power in it from what I can tell." Anna had finished eating another donut and grabbed another ignoring Cebrail's dry look.

She didn't exactly mind sharing however Anna was no doubt taking advantage of her generosity.

"The rest are for Reginleif and Tosca." Cebrail stated somewhat coldly, closing the box after Anna finished taking a regular glazed donut.

"Awww~ how stingy! What's that last name of yours for if you won't let your good pall Anna in on all your treats!"

Cebrail ignored her turning her attention back to the fight, the man previously seemed to have changed into a wolf. She had heard of them but she never realized they were a part of the DxD universe.

Werewolves.

They weren't as cool nor featured as prominently in her "romance" novels so she wasn't all that familiar with them as she was with Vampires.

"Is that trouble?" She questions Anna.

"For you or me? Nah~ but for them? Big trouble."

"I see…" Cebrail seemed to contemplate for a few moments before standing up with her bag in one hand and her box of donuts in the other. "I guess I better step in then…"

Anna stood as well with her hands behind her head casually. She didn't think there was much to be worried about, the Stray Devil Buffy was a high class Werewolf capable of controlling his transformation even during the day. He wouldn't lose himself to blood lust… probably.

–

Reginleif standing in front of the Werewolf even with Tosca in front of her couldn't help but feel incredibly unsafe.

Werewolves were not only highly durable but their physical parameters were off the charts.

In their wolf form, this power was only further increased to levels mimicking absurdity.

The Werewolf stared at Tosca and Reginleif and let out multiple labored breaths before reaching behind his back and ripping out the sword. Instantly as he touched it shallow cuts began appearing all over his arm ignoring all of his defense. This effect forces him to throw it away hastily to avoid having his arm completely torn to pieces.

(What a terrifying curse. How the h*ll can that kid even hold that thing?) Buffy thinks before sniffing the air his head whipped to the side where he saw a young child with her arms full of snacks.

She wore a jacket that was left open, a white t-shirt, sneakers, shorts, and a hat. It didn't really seem to fit the air of coldness she gave off as the outfit was amazingly casual.

(An Angel…) Buffy growled at Cebrail and her red headed companion but the Seraphim Princess continued her approach getting so close to him that he felt a small bead of sweat on his forehead. However much to his own surprise and rage before he could even think about attacking her she walked right past him without a second glance.

His eyes widened at this and his sharp teeth were gritted in anger.

Her ignoring him was an obvious statement in his eyes. He was someone not even worth more than the background. A nobody too weak to even look towards. This, of course, wasn't true, he had been a high class Werewolf before he was turned into a Devil by the Evil Pieces.

While as a Werewolf she wouldn't have very many ways of killing him, due to his new weakness to holy powers it was unlikely he could fight her all that well.

Still however twisting his body he sent a slash of Demonic Power towards Cebrail but a defensive magic circle appeared behind her blocking his attack completely. Cebrail didn't even so much as look back towards him in any sort of acknowledgment of his attempt as if to spare him of the embarrassment.

"Reginleif, Tosca, you guys did well, take some sweets." Cebrail congratulated her two subordinates before presenting them with the box of donuts.

"H-Huh?" Tosca was confused by this sudden appearance and somehow she felt as if the level of danger had gone down substantially even with the Werewolf just right there in front of her.

Reginleif however was a bit agitated. She had wanted to impress Cebrail and accomplish this mission on her own. Being saved all the time wasn't the way of the Valkyries! Still, however she took a donut and Tosca seeing this followed in her seniors' footsteps taking one herself. Sneakily Anna also took another one before Cebrail could close the box.

Suddenly a battle cry drew the attention of the group and looking over they saw Kojika had picked up her sword and was charging toward Buffy with it raised high in preparation for a slash.

"How irrational…" Cebrail chastised quietly, it was clear the blue haired girl was completely acting on emotion and it would indeed cost her.

Before Kojika could even finish her swing her arm was grabbed by the Werewolf and she was lifted up so her feet weren't even touching the ground.

Lifting her up higher and higher they watched as finally the growling and pissed off Buffy slammed her to the ground with enough force to send cracks throughout the ground.

Instantly Kojika's body went limp and the group didn't see her so much as twitch again.