Accession

«Thank you so much, Ichika! - Irina hugged her with a squeal of delight. - I had no idea you were so strong!

«Yes I... - The Longinus bearer didn't know what to say to that out of embarrassment. - You're welcome...

After the battle was over, with all the captured fallen and exorcists tied up, the trio from the Vatican quickly called in reinforcements that reside somewhere outside the city. Rather not reinforcements, but simply a special force that transported the captives to separate prisons. Zenovia, Irina, and Izaya still acted as the main and only strike force.

She tried not to think about the few people who would never get up again. Her new dragon nature roared that she was undoubtedly right, but her inner young girl was horrified by it. The present dissonance within her subconscious was loading her brain knowledgeably. It would have to be a long time before she would get used to the victims, let alone her own murders. Anyway, Ichika chased all those thoughts away.

She concentrated as hard as she could on the current situation.

«How's your wound? - Ichika instinctively tried to touch the red spot, but pulled her hand away. She didn't want to hurt her friend's wounds. - Does it hurt?

«No," Irina shook her head cheerfully at her worries. - She just looks so scary, it's nothing serious.... - Irina tried to calm her down. - I'm sorry I called you...

«I actually liked it... - Ichika shot her eyes at the covered bodies, not intentionally, more like instinctively. - Mostly...

Irina smiled sadly, but understandingly. The red-haired exorcist had been used to such things for a long time. She had memorized the various biblical dogmas and precepts since she was in diapers. The Bible, of course, contains "Thou shalt not kill", but someone has to do this kind of work. She didn't regret her work, even though it sometimes gave her the creeps.

Zenovia, who had finished cleaning her equipment of signs of battle, joined the conversation:

«You're an excellent warrior and comrade in arms," Zenovia, who was usually stingy in that aspect, praised her sincerely, causing her embarrassment. There, in the heat of battle, such a thing was easy to accept, but here it was embarrassing, though pleasant. - Not to mention your short experience in the supernatural world. And you haven't practiced in two months... - Zenovia shook her head in amazement. - The Celestial Dragons fully lived up to their reputation after all....

«Я... - Ichika didn't know what to say to something like that right away. - Thank you. But it's not my merit, but my king's, who gives a lot of effort to my training. Not to mention my 'opponent'... She really is a monster...

«Albion," Zenovia nodded in conjecture. - Is she really that strong...?

«She... - Ichika chewed her lips. - I don't think this company would have caused her to yawn.... - Numerous images of Valerie beating the crap out of her came to her mind. Some childish resentment immediately began to rule her mouth, she didn't want to, honestly. - Generally frantic... She even has a gimmick that 'induces' artificial periods in her to be more vicious in battle...

«This can't be happening! - Irina said in astonishment as Zenovia gulped for air.

«There's nothing human about her, ahem.... - Ichika swallowed her chuckle, the one that was appropriate in this situation. For some reason, she thought of the picture of the President, whose style was to release such "revelations". - Why do you think she wasn't at our club meeting? It's the aftermath of her "super" reception.....

«The horror! - Irina summed it up, and Zenovia only took hold of the cross, praying for their common well-being. Ichika's stories caused a superstitious fear. In her head, somehow by herself drew pictures of some fat, under a few centimeters, a woman who shrieks all over the neighborhood and carries ten packs of tampons. Irina had already joined in the prayer.....

Izaya, who had been on the phone until then, walked over to their hushed company and began to speak:

«Everything went well, the prisoners have been taken to their cells," Izaya addressed her directly. - Ms. Hyodo, will you have any problems helping us? If necessary, we'll try to talk to Mr. Gremory about it....

Ichika bit her lip, roughly imagining the consequences of her disobedience. More accurately, she had no idea if she had done anything wrong. Emeric had already said that they weren't going to get involved in Grigori and the Church's squabbles, but what would he do when he found out about her 'adventures'? Somehow it seemed like she might be able to get away with it, given his recent emotional state.

Honestly, another thought had crossed her mind. Totally not rational or logical, but completely supported by her inner dragon...

«In fact," Ichika glanced over to the entire trio in turn. - I want to help you in your mission...

«Uh-this... - The first to react was Izaya, the nominal leader of the entire company. - I'm afraid that would be undesirable, Ms. Hyodo....

«Why? She can really help us perfectly well, right? - Irina sided with her friend.

Irina was all for joining her childhood friend. She had originally thought that their friendship was probably over, but now was the chance to revive it. It didn't matter to her that Ichika had become a demon, Irina was already convinced that her friend was still the same. Active, not at all shy, but ready to lend a helping hand at any time.

Izaya pondered intensely as he looked at the three girls. Ichika was pleased that even the ever-straight Zenovia had silently sided with them. Apparently, for the blue-haired girl, the shared camaraderie of the battle was a great argument that outweighed even her affiliation with Hell.

«First of all," he finally deigned to answer them. - I am not sure what Senor Gremory would say to such a thing ...

«I'll take care of it! - Ichika interrupted him confidently, though she didn't have the slightest bit of confidence in her.

She has no idea what the President will say, but he won't remove her from the entourage. He wouldn't, would he?!

The inner desire for action, reinforced by his success in this field, was pressing too hard on his brain. Ichika's recent stagnation in her daily routine had also contributed to it. The battle that had just taken place had awakened something very, very active in her....

Ichika hoped that the President wouldn't punish her too much for helping her friend. Or rather, that's exactly what she would tell him, really Ichika just wanted to punch someone in the face and practice. While the latter didn't preclude the former, Irina's injury had only strengthened her resolve.

«Are you sure? - Izaya himself wasn't so sure at her speech.

«You can assume he's already authorized it... - Because in her head she had already thought of a way where Emeric wouldn't know she was involved at all.

«Okay," Izaiah nodded slowly. - I can think of many more reasons why you can't join our team, but... - He looked into the eyes of his waiting girlfriends with a sigh. - Welcome, to our little team...

«Hooray!" Irina pounced on Ichika again with a hug while Zenovia gave her a friendly smile.

Izaya had nothing against Ichika, but she was a demon after all. The last few battles had shown that they weren't as prepared for Kokabiel's small army as they'd hoped. They didn't have any serious losses, but it wasn't a sure victory either. The Draig bearer should be of great help.

The whole friendly bunch went to their new hideout. A small abandoned house on the outskirts of town. To their shame, they had to borrow money from Ichika to buy some minimal equipment, just the bare necessities. Soap and water, sleeping bags and other small things, and not to starve to death. If you look at it that way, Ichika has already helped them a lot. The trio feels that they already owe her a lot, though Ichika didn't care, she helped them because she wanted to.

«You probably need to understand our capabilities," Zenovia took the floor while they made themselves ramen cups. So much for the company of the Vatican, first you punch apostates in the face, then you eat biscuit packs. In the Vatican's defense, these three are the ones to blame. You don't just give away money meant for missions. - The three of us are swordsmen. I have Excalibur of Destruction," Zenovia pointed to her sheathed sword. - It can destroy matter it comes in contact with.

«I have Excalibur Mimic," Irina smiled at her, pointing to the black ribbon that was wrapped around her arm. - I can change its shape at will.

«Two Sacred Mechanisms," Izaya answered Ichika's non-verbal question. - The Sword Parent and the Sword Forge. In their tandem, they can create swords with different properties. Elements, holiness, and even swords with demonic properties...

«Wow," Ichika looked around at the group. The Vatican didn't send just anyone on this mission after all. - I have the Amplification Mechanism... You probably know what it can do," she saw their ironic nods. - So... What do we do next?

«We're looking for traces of Valper Gagilel... - Izaya continued to tell us. - He is most likely the one who has all the lost Excaliburs. It was his research that was at the forefront of this field....

It seemed to Ichika that Izaya was acting strangely on the subject. Was it some kind of personal involvement?

«Project Holy Sword, isn't it? - Izaya nodded discreetly. - I didn't quite understand during the last conversation.... If that scholar had achieved so much, why was he kicked out...?

Izaya didn't answer right away. He looked at her with a testing gaze, then looked back at his companions, who nodded in response.

«In order to find the 'holiness' factor, the factor that allows one to wield a holy sword...'' - He lightly clenched his fists with tension. - Valper Gagilei had 'sacrificed' many children...

«He killed children?! - Ichika asked, shocked to the core.

«Yes," Izaya nodded. - "He was doing experiments on them that were trying to 'pull' this very factor out of them....

«Did... - Ichika's questioning continued at a loss. - This isn't the Church?! You're supposed to be the kindest! I expected this from demons, but not from you....

«Ichika, the Church didn't know about these experiments! - A worried Irina intervened. Zenovia lowered her gaze shamefully. - As soon as we found out, we immediately tried to bring this madman to justice, but... - She lost her fuse again. - He managed to escape, before killing all the 'witnesses', i.e. the remaining children...

«I... - Ichika looked around at the company with a lost look. - Couldn't anyone be saved...?

«No... - Izaya met her dead, dead man's gaze. - No survivors...

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