Chapter 71 : Ethan to his death…

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"Have you considered a rogue element?"

"Yes, but I just don't think it would have made sense for a small faction of fallen angels to do something so bold…"

"Shelving that conversation for now," Michael directed, "Have you and your men traced the Excalibur's signal?"

"Yes, yes, of course!" Harcreutz smiled, "The unique energy of the Excalibur's are very hard to mask through traditional measures, so using our instruments, we've determined one possible location where he could have fled to: the Town of Kuoh in Japan."

Michael bit his lip, muttering, "Gremory and Sitri's domain… Harcreutz, this situation just became a lot more volatile."

"Yes," Harcreutz solemnly nodded, "An area governed by the siblings of the Devil Kings… We can't just send Dulio into this."

"Of course, that'd practically be an act of war," Lint nodded.

"It'd be seen as a hostile takeover if we sent either you or Griselda either," Harcreutz paused for a moment, "Say, Griselda; what's Xenovia's progress with wielding Durandal?"

Both Griselda and the other Exorcist's gazes shot up.

"No. No, you cannot be serious," Griselda stammered.

"This could be our only option, Griselda," Harecreutz stressed, "We need to get those holy swords back."

"You're not sending her against a leader-class alone."

"I never said she'd be alone," Harcreutz turned to face the exorcists, "We could possibly send in any of the able-bodied exorcists here as well."

"Do you realize how bad an idea that is?!" Lint butt in, fuming, "These kids just fought against that thing; one of their own just died during that encounter, and you want to send them back in against him!"

"Damn it, Lint!" Harcreutz yelled, "Do you think I really want to send children into battle; I'm not Valper! But the simple fact of the matter is that we have no other people who can possibly do this."

"Do you really think this is anything short of sending a group of kids to their deaths?" Lint demanded, "From reading the reports, they probably couldn't land a scratch on them."

"Actually, they did," Michael interjected, "The new boy… Vin, was it? That power he displayed was… extraordinary. It actually managed to draw blood on Kokabiel."

"Really? I thought it was just a defensive Gear," Lint asked.

"It changed forms during the battle," All eyes turned to a heavily bandaged Xenovia, "Something changed, I can speak from experience with that. His Sacred Gear was never that powerful before."

"There," Harcreutz huffed, "That right there may just be the thing we need. The second that the boy wakes up, we need to perform the ritual, grant him Rapidly, and get him prepared for the mission."

"No…"

"I beg your pardon?"

Griselda's eyes finally locked with Harcreutz's, a new intensity burning within them.

"I already lost one child, I'm not about to lose more to a suicide mission."

"It's your call, Lord Michael," Harcreutz announced.

"..." Michael looked deep in thought.

"Lord Michael! Please reconsider!" Griselda begged, her eyes prickling with tears, "You can't just send these people off to their deaths like that! Please!"

Michael looked over at Griselda with a defeated and remorseful expression on his face.

"...I'm sorry Griselda… It's the only way."

Vanessa couldn't believe it, even several hours later…

This was the church's true colors, she was right, she was always right. They were going to use them all until they died, because they didn't care, as long as they got their results.

Even if their results were just a fucking body count.

She couldn't stay here, she couldn't… These last few days had pulled their veil of lies away for her, and now she could see the church for what it truly was…

Good people turned puppets to fight a little chess match for higher powers. A pointless clash, where the only species with anything to lose is humanity itself. Without the Devils, the church could actually send someone proper to stop this conflict. Without the Angels, the church wouldn't have to bend over backwards, and send children on a damn martyr. Without the Fallen…

… She couldn't bring herself to complete that thought.

Hoisting her overstuffed bag onto her shoulders, complete with only the bare essentials, her wallet, phone, a few scant belongings, and some clothes, she made her way towards the door. Exiting, she made her way up the elevator, and into the main chapel. It was well past eleven at night, and Vanessa hated how the cathedral still looked so much like it did a few days prior.

But she had to move quickly, if she was going to pull this off, she would need to get out of there, and take out as much money from her bank card with the church before it got terminated. Then, with as much money as she could grab, she could begin a new life, separated from all of this… She could make the world right again. A right world, where not only would Ethan have still been with her, but their parent's would've been too.

Vanessa was about ten feet to the door, when the sounds of footsteps made her freeze, and for the first time in days, she'd heard a voice she'd grown to miss so incredibly much.

"Vanessa."

Turning around, the girl was faced with Jafar, his voice rough and raw from disuse, and his expression conveying a level of emotional exhaustion that she'd never seen on him before. All anger had burnt out of him, and now, all that was left was the defeated and grief-filled shell of a man who lost his purpose for fighting.

"Are you leaving?" Jafar asked, "Usually, we wouldn't pack bags that big for a small walk around the courtyard."

Oh well, no use in denying it… "I can't stay here anymore, Jafar. Not in good faith, anyway."

Vanessa turned and gazed at one of the stained glass murals, showing a bright sky teeming with angels descending onto the humans below. To her, the sight grew revolting.

"They made us fight battles for them, they led Ethan to his death…" Vanessa sniffed, "I need to leave, I know that Ethan wouldn't want me to stay here."

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