"What did he steal for the Church to send two of you after him?" Rias asked with a frown. "We need to know if it could pose a threat to this town."
"He shouldn't be able to harm normal humans with it, but..." Xenovia paused, her tone darkening. "It could pose a significant risk to devils. What the heretic took was... the Saint's Coffin."
"As in... the coffin where the Saint's body is kept?" Issei asked, furrowing his brow.
"Yes. The Vatican developed a special method of preserving holy corpses. No matter how long ago the Saint passed, their body would appear untouched—as if not even a day had passed."
"Wow, what could possibly go wrong keeping a fresh corpse around? I sure hope some necromancer didn't get their hands on it," Kousuke said sarcastically.
"...That's exactly what we're worried about," Xenovia replied grimly. "There's no known reason for anyone to steal the Saint's Coffin—unless he knows something we don't. Either way, he's committed sacrilege of the highest order."
"That said, if you find any information about him, please let us know." Irina stepped forward and handed them a slip of paper that glowed faintly with magic—clearly a communication talisman. Xenovia stood as if preparing to leave.
"Wait. Before you go…" Issei spoke up, his expression stern. "Can you apologize to Asia?"
Xenovia froze, turning slightly to glance over her shoulder.
"You came here, accused her of being a witch, and attacked her for no good reason," Issei continued. "You don't get to walk away like nothing happened."
"...You should be grateful that we decided not to pursue this further," Xenovia replied flatly. Her gaze slid toward Kiba. "Otherwise, we might also have taken issue with that knight. I can sense something heretical about him."
Kiba's fists clenched at his sides as he glared at her—not just at her, but at the holy sword she carried. Its very presence dragged painful memories to the surface.
"Heresy this, heresy that…" Kousuke muttered, shrugging. "Guess they skipped 'basic human decency' in Vatican training. You can't just swing your sword at people and expect them to thank you later—even if they're devils."
"At the very least, the devils in this room don't deserve your contempt," Issei said, echoing his frustration. "Especially not someone as kind as Asia."
"Issei-kun..." Asia whispered, her eyes softening as she looked at him.
"Oh! Are we going to spar?" Irina asked excitedly. Kousuke's smile mischievously, "I'd rather do that on be—"
"Don't mind him." Tsubaki calmly silenced Kousuke with a hand over his mouth before he could finish whatever shameless comment was coming next.
"If I have to fight you to get an apology for Asia," Issei said, stepping forward as his left arm transformed into the gauntlet of his Sacred Gear, "then I won't back down."
"Why should I do that?" Xenovia scoffed. "There's nothing in it for me."
Her disinterest dulled Irina's rising excitement—until Rias stepped in.
"Then how about this?" Rias offered with a composed smile. "If you win, we'll assist you with your mission. Two hands are better than one, right?"
Sona, standing quietly nearby, nodded in agreement.
"Fine. I accept."
"I'll be the judge," Kousuke declared, clapping his hands once. "I'm the only one here who's unbiased."
Everyone went silent. Their gazes shifted to his left—where Tsubaki was leaning her head lovingly on his shoulder. Then to his lap—where Koneko was curled up like a smug little cat, enjoying endless head pats.
"…Unbiased, huh?" Akeno muttered. The rest of the room seemed to silently agree.
...
On the open field...
"Alright! On my left—representing Team Dragon-Oppai, we have the Red Dragon Emperor himself!" Kousuke announced, dramatically pointing to Issei.
Then he turned to his right. "And on my right—representing Team Oppai-No-Brain, we have the Church's Sharpest Sword!"
"...What did you call me?" Xenovia asked, her eye twitching.
"Church Team."
"I swear you said something else."
"You must be hearing things." Kousuke casually waved her off. "Now take your positions."
He then pulled a mic out of nowhere and spoke with mock gravity. "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the ultimate showdown between Dragon-Oppai Team and Oppai-No-Brain Team! Place your bets now!"
His voice, though low, seemed to echo across the field as if carried by magic.
"And I'll take this rare opportunity to shout out my love for the glass-hearted beauty over there!"
"You said it again!" Xenovia snapped, fuming—but her words fell on deaf ears as Kousuke threw flirty glances toward Tsubaki, who merely rolled her eyes.
"Wooo! Oppai-No-Brain Team, go! Go!" Irina cheered from the sidelines, clearly swept up by the ridiculous energy.
Xenovia inhaled deeply, her brow twitching as she forced herself to breathe through her frustration.
"Looks like we've got a big fan of the Oppai-No-Brain Team over there!" Kousuke quipped, making Irina cheer even louder as if competing with the announcer's antics.
Xenovia drew her sword in a single, fluid motion, the holy blade gleaming unnaturally bright beneath the sun. The energy it gave off was palpable—like standing too close to a bonfire that wanted to judge your sins.
Issei stood across from her, breathing steadily. His left arm, now fully clad in crimson armor, pulsed faintly with draconic power. The green gem embedded in the gauntlet flickered like a heartbeat.
"Are both sides ready?" Kousuke asked, raising a hand.
Xenovia nodded, cool and composed.
"I was born ready," Issei replied with a grin—though sweat traced the edge of his brow.
Kousuke's hand dropped. "Then—begin!"
In a flash, Xenovia vanished.
Issei barely managed to react, raising his gauntlet just in time to block a heavy swing from her sword. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the field, rattling the trees at the edge.
"She's fast!" Issei muttered, skidding back. He crouched low and lunged forward again, fist glowing with power.
"Boost!"
The Sacred Gear's chant echoed across the field as power surged through him. He feinted right, dodged under Xenovia's next slash, and went for a body blow—only to hit nothing but air.
She twisted mid-air and landed behind him, swinging horizontally in a flash of light. Issei raised his gauntlet again to block, but the force of her strike sent him flying.
He hit the dirt, rolled twice, then sprang back up with a determined growl.
"Boost!"
Another surge of power coursed through his arm. This time, he launched himself forward with greater speed, his aura flaring with draconic energy. The air crackled around him as he closed the distance between them in a heartbeat.
Their clash sent out another shockwave—stronger than before. Grass flattened, pebbles scattered. The watching group shielded their faces from the wind.
From the sidelines, Kousuke was now seated on a summoned folding chair, munching popcorn with sunglasses on. "Now this is a holy war I can enjoy."
"Tsubaki... where did he even get sunglasses and popcorn from?" Sona whispered, more confused than irritated.
"Don't ask," Tsubaki replied flatly, not looking away.