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[POV - Irina Shidou]
Clang-clang-clang.
The bells of St. Peter's Basilica echoed through the Roman morning like a divine call, each toll carrying the weight of the mission that was to come. The sound reverberated through the marble corridors of the Vatican like an ancient promise whispered by angels.
Step-step-step.
I walked through the sacred corridors alongside Xenovia, our military boots hitting the floor in perfect synchrony. Damn, how good it was to have her back! After becoming Brave Saints, it felt like we had gained a second chance to work together — only now with angelic power flowing through our veins.
— Nervous? — asked Xenovia, adjusting the sword on her back as if it were a casual accessory.
— Anxious — I corrected, feeling the angelic wings tingling under my skin. — It's been a while since I received a mission directly from Archangel Michael.
Swoosh.
A celestial breeze passed through the corridor, carrying that unmistakable scent of incense and holiness. It was as if Heaven itself was blessing us before departure.
[Audience Hall - Vatican]
Knock-knock.
We knocked on the ornate door of the audience hall, the sound echoing like distant thunder.
— Enter — Michael's voice reverberated from within, loaded with that authority that made even veteran angels tremble.
Creak.
The door opened slowly, revealing the Archangel in all his glory. Damn, even after becoming a Brave Saint, it still impressed me to see Michael in person. It was like looking directly at the sun — breathtakingly beautiful, but too powerful to fully comprehend. Those green eyes seemed to see through people's souls.
— Irina Shidou, Xenovia Quarta — he greeted, analyzing us as if he could read our most intimate thoughts. — My newest Brave Saints.
We made our respectful bows. Old exorcist habits never die, right?
— Michael-sama — I replied, keeping my head down. — We're ready for any mission you designate.
A subtle smile passed across his lips, as if he knew something we didn't.
— Your mission — he began, rising from the angelic throne — is of extreme importance. And extreme... delicacy.
Gulp.
I swallowed hard. When Michael spoke of "delicacy," it usually meant things were going to go to hell in biblical proportions.
— You're going to Sainan, in Japan — he continued, walking to a table covered with maps and documents. — There are... signs... of angelic activity in the region.
— Angelic activity? — Xenovia repeated, confused. — But, Michael-sama, all angels are accounted for. Unless...
She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening as if she had understood something terrible.
— Unless? — I pressed.
— Unless it's someone who shouldn't exist — Michael completed grimly. — Or someone who has returned.
Chill.
A cold ran up my spine. In angelic mythology, there were only a few possibilities for that, and none of them were good news.
— Michael-sama — I began cautiously — are you suggesting that...
— I'm suggesting — he interrupted me — that you go investigate. Discreetly. And that, when you find this... individual... you make peaceful contact.
Peaceful?
Xenovia and I looked at each other. Michael asking for peaceful contact? That was rarer than rain in the desert.
— And if he's hostile? — asked Xenovia, always practical.
— If he's who I suspect he is — Michael replied — you won't have to worry about hostility. The problem will be convincing him that you're not a threat.
What?
— Excuse me? — I stammered. — WE won't be a threat to HIM?
— Irina — Michael approached, placing a paternal hand on my shoulder — you're going to meet someone who may very well be the most powerful being that has ever set foot on Earth. Someone whose mere presence made Lord Astaroth disappear from existence.
Holy shit.
— So... — I swallowed hard — it's not an extermination mission.
— It's a diplomatic mission — he confirmed. — And possibly reconnaissance. If this being decides we're enemies...
He didn't need to finish the sentence. Everyone understood perfectly.
— Understood, Michael-sama — I nodded, trying to seem more confident than I felt. — When do we leave?
— Now — he replied, extending two sealed envelopes. — Your travel documents and cover identities are here. You'll go as exchange students.
Students?
— Michael-sama, with all respect — said Xenovia, always direct — why specifically us two? We're newly created Brave Saints, we're still adapting to angelic powers.
— Precisely because of that — he replied. — You're young, you have the right age to blend into the school environment without raising suspicions. And, more importantly, you have the... flexibility... necessary for this mission.
[Rome Airport - A few hours later]
Vroooom.
The noise of planes taking off and landing created a mechanical symphony that echoed through the terminal. I carried our luggage — which basically consisted of sacred weapons disguised as sports equipment — as we headed to the boarding gate.
— I still can't believe we're going to pretend to be students — Xenovia grumbled, adjusting the school uniform Michael had given us. — This is ridiculous.
— Oh, come on — I laughed, trying to lighten the tension. — It'll be fun! When was the last time we had a vacation?
— This isn't a vacation, Irina — she reprimanded me. — It's a mission that could determine the future of Heaven-Earth relations.
Gulp.
I swallowed hard again. Sometimes I hated when Xenovia was so direct.
Ding-dong.
The flight announcement echoed through the terminal in Japanese and English.
— JAL Flight 405 to Tokyo is now boarding at gate 12.
— That's ours — I murmured, grabbing my carry-on bag.
We walked to the boarding gate in silence, each lost in our own thoughts. What kind of being could make a demon Lord disappear? And why was Michael so cautious? It was strange to think that, despite still being teenagers, we were being sent on a mission that could change everything.
Step-step-step.
Our footsteps echoed through the boarding corridor like martial drumbeats. It was as if we were marching to war... or to diplomacy. In our profession, sometimes it was hard to distinguish the difference.
[On the plane - Heading to Japan]
Whoooosh.
The plane cut through the clouds like a hot knife through butter, taking us away from Europe toward the unknown. I looked out the window and saw the ocean stretching infinitely, blue like Michael's green eyes when he was truly worried.
— Irina — Xenovia nudged me — did you read the files about Sainan?
— I did — I replied, opening the folder Michael had given us. — Small city, normal population, nothing too special. Except for...
— Except for? — she pressed.
— Except for the reports of "anomalous phenomena" in recent months — I completed, frowning. — Strange lights in the sky, spiritual energy fluctuations, witnesses reporting "angels" flying over the city.
— And you think our target is responsible for this? — asked Xenovia.
— I'm almost certain — I replied, closing the folder. — The question is: is he hiding or showing off?
Ding.
The seatbelt sign lit up, and the flight attendant's voice echoed through the cabin.
— Ladies and gentlemen, in approximately two hours we will be landing at Narita International Airport.
Two hours. Two hours until we arrived in potentially hostile territory to meet a being who could be more powerful than anything we'd ever faced.
— Xenovia — I called quietly.
— Yes?
— If things go wrong there... if this guy is really dangerous...
— Then we do what we've always done — she replied with that determination I so admired. — We fulfill our mission and protect the innocent.
I smiled. No matter how much things had changed — from exorcists to Brave Saints, from hunters to diplomats — some things never changed. We were still God's warriors.
And if Yuuki Rito was indeed who Michael suspected he was... well, we'd soon find out if we were diplomats or survivors.
Sigh.
I sighed, closing my eyes and trying to rest before landing. I had a feeling I'd need all the energy possible for what was to come.
After all, it's not every day you go to meet someone who may very well be God's answer to all the world's problems.
Or the problem that will end everything.