Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Those Who Obstruct Will Be Eliminated
In the early morning, Haru opened his eyes and instantly appeared in his living room, gazing at the uninvited guest before him.
A middle-aged man with a half golden and black hair and a black beard, dressed in a dark gray kimono, stood there. Behind him trembled twelve large wings of a fallen angel. He held a bottle of red wine and two glasses, which he was gently swirling.
This was Azazel, the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels, the leader of the Fallen Angel faction among the three forces of the biblical mythology. Known for his obsession with women, he fell from grace due to his desires.
"Care for a drink, old friend?" Azazel placed the glasses on the coffee table in front of the sofa and smiled.
"I'm not your old friend, Azazel. But since it's the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels offering a drink, it's worth a taste," Haru replied with a grin, seating himself on the sofa opposite Azazel.
With a soft pop, Azazel uncorked the wine bottle and poured half a glass for each of them. As he poured, he said, "Honestly, I was quite surprised to hear news of your return. Looking at you now, it seems you've been Reincarnated... I can sense a hint of the cycle of rebirth in you."
Haru picked up his glass, took a light sip, and said impatiently, "Let's get straight to the point. Are you here because of the weakling who recently arrived in town?"
Azazel paused for a moment, then sensed the familiar presence in the town's church. Smirking, he said dismissively, "Weakling? You mean Kokabiel? Indeed, he's just a minor character."
He then took his glass, downed it in one gulp, and said seriously, "I've come to ascertain your stance, Bael!"
"War or peace! Give me an answer!"
Haru's expression remained unchanged as magical energy surged around him. He looked at Azazel's serious face and then chuckled softly. "Do you think you can win?"
"No, the moment I saw you, I knew, you've reached that level, haven't you?" Azazel replied with a bitter smile.
Unlike Sirzechs and the other Devils, Azazel, as one of the original fallen angels, had vast knowledge and experience.
Just by sensing Haru's magical energy for an instant, he judged that Haru was a monster on the same level as the Infinite Dragon God, Ophis, whom he had met before.
"I want the data you've researched on Sacred Gears, as well as some samples of the Sacred Gears themselves. In exchange, I won't eradicate the fallen angels," Haru said calmly, issuing a thinly veiled threat.
Azazel was silent for a long moment. Then he grabbed the half-full wine bottle beside him, took a hefty swig, and slumped on the sofa with a sigh of resignation. "Deal!"
With that, Azazel vanished from the living room.
Later that afternoon, after school, Haru received a text from Rias asking everyone to gather. Pushing open the door to the Occult Research Club, he was met with a tense standoff.
Rias and Himejima Akeno sat on the sofa, with Asia Argento and Toujou Koneko standing behind them, alongside Kiba Yuuto, who had drawn his demonic sword.
Opposite them stood two girls in white robes, each wielding large swords emitting a powerful holy light, facing off against Rias and her group.
As Haru opened the clubroom door, both sides turned their gaze toward him. One of the girls in white showed a look of surprise.
Before she could call out, Haru instantly appeared behind her, scooped her into his arms, and carried her over to a nearby sofa.
As she was lifted, the brim of her hooded robe fell back due to gravity, revealing chestnut-colored hair tied in twin tails.
The girl's amber eyes reflected astonishment. Her delicate, heart-shaped face flushed slightly with shyness. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around Haru's neck as she was lifted, her ample figure pressing against him.
With a smile, Haru sat on the sofa, holding the girl close. "Irina? You came back without telling me?"
The chestnut-haired girl was Irina Shidou, the daughter of the former priest of Kuoh Town. She was the childhood friend of Haru's current incarnation. Ten years ago, they had parted ways when Irina's father was reassigned, and they hadn't seen each other since.
After a brief pause, Irina ignored Haru's playful hands and exclaimed joyfully, "I knew you'd recognize me!"
Except for Rias, everyone else stared dumbfounded at Irina, who was happily reunited with her childhood friend, and at the silver-haired scoundrel making moves on her.
Even with her somewhat oblivious nature, Irina noticed the odd stares. Then she saw Haru's hand misbehaving on her front.
Slap! A crisp sound echoed.
Irina sat on the sofa, blowing on her reddened palm. Next to her was another girl who had removed her hood.
This girl was tall and well-built, draped in a white robe. She had short blue hair that reached her shoulders, with a strand dyed green over her forehead.
Introducing herself as Xenovia, she and Irina had come to Kuoh Town as envoys from the Church to carry out a special mission and were here to negotiate with Rias.
Xenovia fixed her gaze on Rias and spoke first.
"First, I must tell you that our mission is closely related to the Holy Swords."
At the mention of Holy Swords, Kiba Yuuto's eyes widened. He stared at the sacred sword emanating divine power behind Xenovia, his gaze filled with intense resentment.
Xenovia unfastened the Holy Sword on her back, a double-edged greatsword larger than a typical longsword, with arcs of light flickering along its blade.
She held it flat in her hands and said softly, "This is one of the seven fragments of the Holy Sword Excalibur, the Holy Sword of Destruction."
"Um, um! Haru, mine is the Holy Sword of Mimicry. It can transform into any shape! Do you want to see?" Irina eagerly handed her Holy Sword to Haru.
Xenovia's face darkened as she shouted at Irina, "What do you think you're doing, handing such a precious Holy Sword to a Devil!!!"
Startled, Irina quickly tried to explain, "It's okay! Haru used to play with it all the time when we were kids..."
Seeing Xenovia's increasingly stern expression, Irina stuck out her tongue and fell silent.
Turning back, Xenovia addressed everyone with a serious expression. "Not long ago, three of the Holy Swords safeguarded by the Church were stolen by a fallen angel cadre named Kokabiel!"
"Our mission in this town is to retrieve the three Holy Swords that fell into the hands of the fallen angels. At the very least, we must destroy them to prevent the enemy from using them!"
"So, if you don't want this to escalate into a massive conflict involving Devils, angels, and fallen angels, do not interfere with our mission!"
Irina gripped her Holy Sword of Mimicry tightly and pointed it at everyone, declaring seriously, "If you get in our way, we'll eliminate you all!"
Then she stuck out her tongue at Haru and said playfully, "But of course, Haru, I'll let you off the hook!"
With a swift flick to Irina's forehead, Xenovia scolded, "Whose side are you on exactly?!"
She then turned back to Rias, her face stern and slightly out of breath from her agitation.
"So, what's your decision, Rias Gremory?"
Rias and her group's gazes shifted to Haru, who was lounging on the sofa with an unreadable expression.
Xenovia and Irina followed their gaze and looked at Haru's face.
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