- :|: - Late Noon : Irina - :|: - Reconcile x Inclusion - :|: -
"Irina, is something the matter?" Issei delicately inquired, as they followed behind Xenovia and Sister Griselda, towards their mission, whatever that meant.
...Issei-kun... The said girl glanced away, unable to find it within herself to look at Issei. Her unnecessary emotions were worrying Issei. She knew that... but, seeing her childhood friend, she couldn't help but feel... whatever emotions! She didn't blame him, and it wasn't solely because he was an angel. If anything, it made Issei all the more pure.
"...Issei-kun," she started softly, "am I weak?"
The question caused Issei to frown slightly, before he raked his mind for an answer. "Honestly, Irina, everyone starts out weak. Compared to me, you're weak. Compared to Xenovia, you're weak."
Irina felt her eyes water at his words. "T-Then I—"
"But, Irina, compared to other humans—from what I've seen, at least—especially at our age, you're pretty strong." Issei smiled brightly. "Surely, if you always look at what's important, you'll get strong. I know it's not Xenovia's strength you need, it's not my powers either. Irina just needs to be Iri-chan in order to become strong." Those words to Issei felt right, and came directly from his heart. He just hoped it reached Irina's conflicted heart. "I certainly believe that with faith!"
"Yes..." She nodded to herself, reaching some sort of conclusion, "Yes, thank you, Issei." Her troubled tears fell, however, they didn't fall because of conflicting thoughts but rather because of her joy. "Then," her smile positively provoked Issei's radiance, as she wiped at her tears from her beautiful face, "Issei-kun will you always be Ise?"
Issei's smile grew, "Yep! Always! Pinky-swear—for old time's sake?"
"Un!" Irina nodded, encouragingly, "For old time's sake."
With that, their pinky's interlocked, inadvertently bringing the two of them closer in order to show their determination. And thus, divine amethyst orbs met it's brilliant maple-brown counterpart.
"Issei..."
"Irina..."
"—See, Xenovia, this is the type of bond one must have with close comrades." Griselda's voice pierced through the lovey-dovey atmosphere between Issei and Irina, like an epic holy sword to a sinister devil. "Then, one can grow stronger."
Xenovia, her expression completely serious, nodded, studying the two of them with a hand upon her chin. "This more difficult than I thought!" She exclaimed in a deadpanned tone.
It went without saying that Issei and Irina had separated with blushing faces, although closer than ever before.
...
The four exorcists stood around a map, their focus on an area encircled in red. Griselda pointed to one section of the enclosed area, the darker section. "Young Irina will come with me, and," the older Sister shifted her slender finger to an lighter area, "Young Xenovia with go with... Young Issei over by the recent fire and the other ruins nearby. Does that sound fine?"
The three of them nodded, but Issei's was slower than the others.
Hearing the pair up, Issei felt something within himself wanting to be paired up with Irina. It was a selfish wish he knew. Yet, it didn't help that fact. Especially more so that he felt his left arm tingling, causing him to grab it, tensing a little. However, Irina had felt his gaze.
'I'll be fine.' She mouthed, a bright and adorable smile etched across her expression. One that didn't match a normal exorcist. Nonetheless, she had gotten back her drive!
Issei simply nodded, gripping his arm a bit looser. For now, he would trust Griselda. Besides if he worried too much, Irina would probably get mad (with a cute pouty face! For sure! But, he didn't want Irina to be mad it him!) because she couldn't and wouldn't get stronger, like she wanted to, if he doted on her too much! Waah! He realized he couldn't be her shining knight in armor! Or her guardian angel! His face twisted in despair as he slumped forward. Strong-willed women are... "hard."
Unnoticing to Issei's dejected atmosphere, the four of them parted in pairs.
"Hyoudou, is something the... matter?" She was unfamiliar to his way of walking—slumping forward, arms hung listlessly, and dragging one's feet. Was it perhaps a secret technique to be unnoticed by evil! Or was it a technique to sense evil! Or...
"No... nothing, nothing at all..." Irinaaaa!
Their mission: Investigate the supernatural's unnaturally high activity in the area, the mysterious disappearance/deaths of various exorcists/holy men and protect the people in the area.
...
Spiriting at high speeds, Xenovia trailed behind Issei. She wasn't sure of his motive of diverging from the path but he had muttered something about blood.
What with his senses? I... don't smell anything!
Suddenly he came to a stop, "...A-Are you okay?!" Issei called out seeing a bloodied exorcist, a tree branch through the side of his chest, struggling to live. Behind him, Xenovia's eyes narrowed, paying close attention to the shadows around... slumping forward in the same position as Issei had once taken ...She wasn't sure what the stance was for, but it seemed that it was rather good for analyzing! The positioning was simply amazing!
The exorcist's eyes glittered with hope as he tried to communicate. "Grraah, gurah!"
Issei's eyes narrowed, a shadow shifting in the shade of the trees. "Watch over there by the trees," he whispered to warn his blue-haired companion. The blue-haired girl nodded, however, instead of simply watching, she strolled up the spot, readying her unrevealed sword by holding it as laid against her back. "Xenovia! What are you doing! We should be helping this injured man!"
But why? ...I'm only good at fighting, and with a fatal wound like his... he's... She didn't voice her thoughts, but her face steeled with fierce determination. She would take revenge. "Come out Devil—!"
A young blond girl rolled out the brushes, surprising Xenovia into instantly drawing her sword.
"Woah-Woah! Hold up!" Issei jumped in front of the blade, stopping it with his left hand, and protecting the young girl who looked to be around their age.
"Uuu~ I heard noises and I was—Oh no! Look at that man!" Without hesitation, the blond girl quickly but clumsily ran to the pierced man.
...With the help of Issei, the girl got the man down and placed her hands together in a prayer. A position a devil can't take without getting hurt. However, what mostly persuaded Xenovia that the girl before wasn't one of evil was the fact that there was a healing green light released from her hands and prayers.
Even Issei was shocked at the rate the man was healing.
"T... The Holy Maiden." Xenovia kneeled behind the the girl, her hands in the same stance, in order to strengthen the "Holy Maiden's" prayer. We... I should've helped the man first! She was beginning to acknowledge her head-headedness and her narrow mind. Did Issei, perhaps, have some way to help him?
After long moments, the blond girl fell back into Issei's quick arms, exhausted but satisfied as the man was healed enough that he wasn't in mortal danger. "T-Thank you, Mister Exorcist." She blushed inwardly, unused to being so close to the opposite sex around her age.
"N-No, it's really all fine." Issei felt his heart thump and his left arm throb once more. He didn't realize it, but the girl had a great affinity with the draconic. "Instead, I should be thanking you for healing a fellow exorcist." He bowed, impulsively. "Thank you for your kindness." For all his knowledge he had gather over time, Issei doubted he would be able to heal the person even if he used his powers. He frankly wasn't a person for anything other than overwhelming offensive abilities but he still could try to latent the death! —Simply, it was amazing that that nun could do it, almost, just like—that.
STORY NOT MY ALL CREDIT AND RIGHT GO FOR AEREX THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR
JE LEEST
Lovely Angel (High School DxD)
Fanfictie(Issei X Irina X Heavenly Harem) It took the last day of their childhood together for Issei to realize his best friend was not a boy but a girl, even so, he didn't let that bother him. As he wallowed in his sadness, he did not meet an old perverted...
