Chapter 13

"A what now?" Larkin asked, feeling a sense of disbelief clouding his thoughts. *There's no way in hell I heard that right.* Collin let out a sigh, attempting to convince Larkin, "A demon, our current priest is a demon, literally." Larkin waved him off dismissively, "Yea, yea, stop kiddin' around, tell me the actual reason you all were worried for," he said with a chuckle, convinced that it was just a joke. *They're just messing with me.*

As another villager prepared to persuade him, she suddenly caught sight of something from the corner of her eye. With a scream, she drew everyone's attention, and upon seeing what it was, Larkin's disbelief turned into panic. "What the fuck!?" he exclaimed as he saw an injured and bloodied Xain and Zee walking towards them.

"Don't swear, Larkin; there are children around," Zee scolded, her tone firm, as Xain helped her walk. Xain managed a wry smile despite his visibly deteriorating condition—pale skin and profuse sweating due to blood loss.

"I don't think swearing in front of kids is our main issue right now, Zee," Xain quipped, his attempt at humor thinly veiling the gravity of his situation.

"What the fu-" Larkin was about to exclaim, but Zee shot him a stern look. Larkin corrected himself, "What the heck happened?" Zee acknowledged his use of milder language with a nod.

"An angel crashed through the church window and attacked me, the demon priest, and Zee," Xain explained, leaving Larkin and the villagers bewildered. "Excuse me, what?" Larkin asked in utter confusion, his expression mirroring that of the villagers. Collin added, "An angel... did you just say an angel?" Xain nodded with a grim certainty. "Yep, now, is there a doctor among you by any chance? Because my friend over here really needs one." Zee looked at him, shocked. "Xain, you're much mo-" she got cut off mid-sentence.

"I'm used to this level of pain at this point, and my bones are fine, unlike yours," Xain lied as easily as he breathed.

One of the villagers, a middle-aged demi-human man with cat ears and a tail, approached Xain and Zee. "I can lend a hand; let me carry her to my house," he offered. Xain nodded in agreement, and the man carefully lifted Zee, her arms draped over his shoulders. Zee wanted to protest, but she realized there was little point.

"You look very injured as well. Are you sure you don't need help?" the man asked, concern etched on his feline features. Xain shook his head, a wry smile on his face. "I'm fine; most of my blood is still in me anyway," he quipped. The man shook his head at the jest but wasted no more time, carrying Zee to his house for treatment.

As they left, Larkin turned to the remaining villagers, still trying to grasp the situation. "Wait, were you all being serious when you said your priest is a demon?" he questioned, incredulity written all over his face. Collin affirmed, "Yes, we were. Now, Xain, did you actually get attacked by an angel?" he asked, still in disbelief. Xain nodded, massaging his temples. "Yes, goddess, my head hurts."

The villagers exchanged uncertain glances, struggling to process this unexpected turn of events. "So right now, our priest is fighting an angel alone?" Collin sought clarification. Xain shook his head, correcting, "Nope, I'm going back, and Grace is helping the demon right now." As he shared this information, Collin and the villagers released a collective sigh of relief. "What's with your reactions?" Xain asked, puzzled. Collin smiled, explaining, "If our priest wasn't around, then the one protecting us currently would be Grace because she's the strongest person all of us know."

*Back at the church*

Grace ran up, attempting to kick the angel's face. However, the angel managed to flap his wings, creating some distance. As he did, he felt an attack coming from behind and heard the demon whirling up its drill hand. The angel, quick to react, blocked the impending attack with the sturdy protection of his wings.

Seizing the opportunity, the angel counterattacked, swinging the sword-shaped holy light towards the demon. The gleaming weapon arced through the air, targeting the demon's midsection. But before the blow could land, the angel heard a snap, and he found himself teleported to a different part of the church.

Once again, he heard a snap, and before he could react, a jump kick struck his face, launching him backward. This time, he managed to roll back to his feet. Frustrated, he exclaimed, "What the hell is that ability!" glaring at Grace, who had kicked him.

"Why should I tell you?" she teased, snapping her fingers with her left hand, and in an instant, she disappeared. Before the angel could comprehend, Grace kicked the back of his knee, causing him to buckle. Despite this, he swung his sword backward. Another snap echoed, and his sword hit nothing as Grace reappeared next to the demon. Both stood in the middle of the church.

"Are you okay?" Grace asked the demon, who calmly replied, "Do not concern yourself, Grace. I only risk injury if that celestial blade finds its mark; otherwise, I remain unharmed." Grace nonchalantly shrugged before placing her hand on the demon's back. Much like Grace, the demon started to emit a faint glow.

"Hey, birdy! Do you want to keep going? Don't want to break some of those hollow bones, right?" Grace taunted, causing the angel to grit his teeth in frustration. "Shut up, brat! I'm an angel of heaven, not some common bird!" the angel retorted, his anger palpable.

"Oh, really? I couldn't tell because of how utterly shit your fighting skills are. Then again, that's an insult to birds. I've seen roosters put up better fights than you," Grace continued her taunts. The angel wanted to unleash his fury, but he hesitated, knowing that Grace's taunts were calculated. He pondered the nature of her mysterious ability, wondering if it was some property of light magic.

*What is that ability of hers? Is it some property of light magic? Shit, I don't know enough about light magic to understand all its applications,* the angel thought, attempting to decipher Grace's powers. Frustrated, he decided to abandon overthinking. *Ah, screw it! I don't need to decipher anything! I'll just keep attacking her until she runs out of mana. As long as I keep my wings out, I'll heal anyway,* he resolved, preparing for another assault.