"Xenovia… Have you ever seen your heart outside of your body?"
Her eyes widened, not from fear, but from sheer disbelief at the words I had spoken. She coughed, blood spotting her lips, but before she could respond—
The cold steel of a blade touched my neck.
I tilted my head just slightly and found myself staring down the length of Excalibur Mimic, wielded by Irena. Her gaze was sharp, a predator's, and the holy aura from the blade hummed menacingly against my skin.
"Let her go," she said firmly, though I could see the tension in her grip.
I didn't flinch. I didn't move my hand from Xenovia's chest. I just met Irena's eyes, unblinking, my expression saying exactly what my words didn't need to: Come at me if you dare.
The tension between us was thick enough to choke on—until a sharp, commanding voice cut through it.
"Back off, Issei."
It was Rias.
Her crimson hair framed her face like fire, her eyes unwavering as she stepped forward between us. Her magic swirled faintly around her like heat waves.
She turned her attention on the Church girls, her voice calm but edged with steel.
"You two may be here on your own mission, but you do not get to talk to my servant like that—especially not when you're insulting Asia."
Both Xenovia and Irena froze at her words, their eyes shifting briefly toward the timid blonde standing behind Rias. Asia was clutching her hands together, clearly shaken, but her gaze held a flicker of hurt.
"Asia is one of us," Rias continued. "She's part of my peerage. That makes her family. And if you think I'm going to stand by while you insult my family, then you've made a serious mistake."
Irena's jaw tightened, but she didn't lower her sword. Xenovia, still catching her breath, pushed herself up from the ground. She winced, one hand over the fresh wound in her chest.
Her eyes locked onto mine—cold, iron-hard, but also filled with something unspoken. Not fear. Not exactly hate. Something between challenge and understanding.
She coughed once more before straightening to her full height. Without a word, she turned her back on me and began walking away. Irena hesitated for a moment, clearly unhappy about leaving things like this, but eventually she stepped back, the sword vanishing into light.
Neither of them spoke as they left.
After the door closed behind Xenovia and Irina, I let out a long, slow breath and sat onto the couch.
Oh, fuck, I think I gone too far now. I should just talk it through. I am sure after this Xenovia hates me to the core.
I ran my hands through my hair and stared at the floor, lost in thought. Xenovia… she was one of my favorite characters back when I only knew this world from the outside. Along with Akeno, I'd been looking forward to the day she'd join Rias's peerage. That was supposed to be a good moment—a happy moment. But instead, I'd probably made sure she'd hate me for life.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Asia sitting stiffly as Rias spoke to her in a calm but serious tone. Asia's expression was somewhere between nervous and ashamed, and I knew the whole thing had probably shaken her more than she let on.
"You okay, man?" Kiba's voice pulled me out of my spiral.
"Yeah," I said automatically.
He gave me a slow nod, since I was preoccupied with my thoughts, I couldn't catch a glimpse of his angry face.
"Tell Buchou that I left," he said, voice clipped.
"Alright," I replied without looking at him. I heard the faint creak of the door as he walked out, leaving behind an air that felt heavier than before.
Rias finished her talk with Asia and then walked over to me. Her presence had a way of filling the room, and right now, it wasn't the warm, teasing energy she usually carried—it was the weight of a leader about to hold someone accountable.
I really hate this.
"What was that, Issei?" she asked, her voice calm but edged with disappointment.
I looked up at her, and for a moment I wanted to justify myself—then I thought no matter what I said it wouldn't change my past actions, so instead to making excuses I should accept the consequences.
"I know you care about Asia," Rias continued, her eyes narrowing slightly, "but don't you think what you did was excessive?"
The words hit harder than I expected, probably because she wasn't yelling—she was simply stating the truth. Rias had seen me at my best and worst, but even she looked… unsettled by what she'd witnessed.
"Maybe," I admitted after a pause, my voice low.
Her gaze softened slightly, but she didn't smile. "We're a family here, Issei. That means we protect each other, yes—but it also means we don't harm potential allies over a misunderstanding."
I leaned back against the couch, exhaling slowly. "Yeah… I get it."
Was my anger really because Xenovia said something about Asia, or is it something else? That thought came into my mind.
~~~
(Volume 1: life as Issei is over in my Patreon and Vol 2: Rise of God has started. If you are interested check it out.)
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