Highschool Dxd Fate Unbound - Chapter 7 Time Flies

-3 years later-

In the training field of the church there were three silhouettes that were fighting against eachother, more accurately two silhouettes fighting against one but strangely the one being attacked wasn’t overwhelmed by the barrage of sword strikes.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG

Suddenly the male redirected a powerful sword slash from one of the oppenents and quickly disarmed her by a stroke of his sword, after swiftly dodging a vertical slash from his other oppenent he immediately locked his sword with hers and used force to knock the sword out of her grasp and immediately slashed towards her neck only stopping one inch from it.

Haruto: Haha It’s my win again Xenovia, Irina.

Xenovia: Haah…..Haah….Don’t get cocky!(Heavy breathing)

Irina: Haah…this is what…Haah the 7th win!

The people were actually the trio of friends Haruto Dremurr, Xenovia Quarta and their latest addition Irina Shidou.

Xenovia’s cute appearance was slowly gone and replacing it was her up and coming beauty, she was slowly becoming like her future self only difference was that she still had her long hair and she was already showing nice development body wise since she already started to have well defined curves.

Irina was a girl with brown hair tied In pig tails unlike Xenovia she was a sociable, fun loving and happy go lucky girl and in terms of beauty or bodily development she was in no way inferior to Xenovia, she appeared a few months after Haruto and Xenovia started their training as a joint program between Vatican and the Protestent Church for training talented Holy sword users and even though she was sociable even she was a little nervous around Xenovia’s stoic expression but after meeting Haruto and getting to know Xenovia she quickly loosened up and became friends, now she spends most of her time with Haruto and Xenovia rather than her other church friends.

These two girls had the title of [Church Twin Flowers] because of their beauty and charisma and their admirers weren’t few but most of the time these two turned them down or they themselves backed down, Why? the reason was standing with them.

After three years of training under Griselda aside from his strenght growth, Haruto’s appearance also took a change his cute face as well as his baby fat was gone replacing it was a handsome face adorned with black (a little spiky) hair and azure blue eyes, that added with his default smile made him look charming whether in the normal world or even in the supernatural world.

Aside from looks Haruto strenght was also well known since only with three years of training along with not going to the academy and only being privately tutored he already became the strongest among his peers as well as seniors and was already eligible to go into the field along with Xenovia and Irina.

With these qualities along with being the adopted son of Griselda Quarta was enough to discourage a lot of admirers vice versa Haruto himself had many admirers but instead of being annoyed Haruto was always friendly with people especially people he liked this caused the people he usually meets to have good first impressions which in turn gives him a good reputation in the church.

As for people that wanted to get close to him for quick benefits or malicious intents, well a Silent Glare or a smile that promises pain was enough to get rid of them before Haruto could even do something about these people.

Haruto: It is! Congrats for improving once again guys Xenovia if i didn’t redirect your strike that would have really hurt and Irina your decisiveness is also very good, that sneak attack could have got me if i didn’t train my reflexes and senses.

In most of the spars these three had Haruto would always sometimes lose purposely or actually lose especially if they improved on something they were originally weak on to give their confidence a boost, he believed that “A lot of wins could make one arrogant but a lot of loses will without a doudth dwindle someone confidence” so even though he won most matches he always carried a fair share of “loses” to encourage his two friends but will without a doudth tell them their weakness.

Haruto: Xenovia your technique is still weak, I’m not telling you to only focus on it since your fighting style mostly focuses on “Destruction” but because of it your oppenents can find openings in your fighting style at least be proficient enough to hide these openings. Irina your style and techniques are without a doudth versatile but your strikes aren’t generally carrying much power allowing your enemies to beat you in front line assaults try to increase the power of your strikes as well as explosiveness.

Irina: Sometimes i really want to know who the teacher is among us. (sarcastic)

Xenovia: (nods)

Raymond: Lady Xenovia and Irina It’s not like you aren’t talented or how would you have already surpassed your peers it is just the one you are facing that is the “oddity” (smile)

Raymond appeared in the field, along the years this strict [Church Marshal] had become equivalent to and Uncle for these kids.

Trio: Uncle!

Haruto: Hey who’s an Oddity!

Raymond: Haha well enough of that i came pass a message, Xenovia and Irina you two make your way to the altar for the ceremony as for you young master, Lady Griselda has first called you to meet her.

The trio complied and made their way to their respective locations.

Haruto: (Light what do you think is going on)

Light: (Don’t know, but there is no harm)

After walking a few minutes and reaching Griselda’s office Haruto knocked and entered, upon also seeing someone familiar.

Haruto: Mom?

The one that was sitting with Griselda inside the office was none other than Maria Dremurr, the woman who had raised Haruto for a good 7 years, who unlike in the past now looked to be in her early twenties all thanks to magic, since even though humans don’t have long lifespans they were able to maintain their youthful appearance by magic training but only increase lifespan past 100, the wonders of magic. Nevertheless Haruto didn’t dwell what happened to his Mother to make her seem older but trusted that one day she will tell him, for him this woman regardless of appearance will always occupy a special place in his heart.

Haruto: Mother I’m sorry i wasn’t able to visit you last month (apologetic)

Mary: It’s fine, i know you were at a crucial point in your training.

Griselda: Let us please put the apologizes for later, Haruto unlike Xenovia and Irina the rest of the Church don’t have much say in the matter how you are trained, we made sure of it so we want to at least inform you of what we had decided. (Nods to Mary)

Mary: Haru me and Griselda have decided to put you in the [Red Cross Guards]

Haruto was suprised but calmed down quickly, with his talent and strenght combined with his young age it won’t be farfetched to say he has a very bright future so it would be necessary to put him in a department where his talent could flourish and [Red Cross] was one of the best if not “the” best combat department in the Churches, at first it was just a normal team of excorcist but under the leadership and training of Griselda it quickly became an official combat Legion and finally to today’s [Red Cross], A department that houses most of the Church’s elite personnel.

Red Cross ranking is simple but each Rank is worlds aparts and the amount of Respect and power given is also different:

[Bronze Cross Guards] These Guards are the majority of the Legion and their power differ but even the most average or lowest Guards are able to take on Mid-Class beings, their symbol is a Red Cross with Bronze outline.

[Silver Cross Lieutenant] Seasoned Excorcists that have the combat strenght of a High-Class being, their symbol is a Red Cross with Silver Outline.

[Gold Cross Captains/Guard Captains] The highest Rank just below the Captain Commander, all these individuals have Ultimate-Class Powers! and their authority isn’t below church Cardinals, their symbol is a Red Cross with Golden Outline.

Haruto: What about Xenovia and Irina?

Griselda: (sigh) sadly Haru even though I am Xenovia’s Guardian as well as her and Irina’s teacher after finding about how much of a vice grip i have on you those old fools of the Church are determined not to hand both of them over to us as well.

Haruto frowned but could understand his mother’s predicament, the different Churches also had different factions that are vying for power and his mother’s faction is very strong already having two Holy sword user candidates will only be harmful for the others.

Mary: Well we can think of this another time for now we only wanted you tell you this Haru, now the next thing we want to discuss is related to Excalibur.

Haruto’s ears perked up, Could it be this is actually the time Xenovia and Irina receive their Excalibur fragments.

Griselda: Those two might already be waiting for us at the Altar, you will also participate in the selection ceremony for the Fragments and it would be good if you get one, there is just one thing some Cardinals and Bishops want to make things a bit difficult for you so you will have to go through a test to be eligible to wield a fragment of Excalibur.

Mary: Thats Why i am here, i will initiate the test for you, with Griselda, Vasco, Ewald and a few other trustworthy people will be there for spectation.

Haruto: Grandpa is gonna be there.

Haruto was suprised that Vasco was going to also be their in the selection as for his address as “Grandpa” Vasco was like Griselda a former member of [Red Cross] as a Captain, their first meeting was actually Haruto being a bit intimidated by the giant of a muscular man in front of him but nevertheless these two had a good impression of eachother and quickly Haruto found out Vasco strada was like a giant big teddy bear and soon those two started treating eachother as Grandfather and Grandson, Vasco was also a great teacher, he was very patient, gentle and observant in training and helped Haruto a lot in these 3 years of training, that Haruto was on the verge of tears since his tortorous training with Griselda, Vasco’s training was like a kind Grandpa helping his Grandson out in his homework, this caused Haruto to like Vasco very much.

For others this was very strange since even though Vasco Strada was known as a Kind and Righteous individual in the church for his enemies he was known as [Violence of the Church] or [True Demon] for his own Destructive Powers especially with his former Sword Durandal.

But seeing this man being extra kind and caring to another was very suprising, cementing Haruto status as a [Holy Child] even further. (The cover he was given to Protect his other secrets like Senjutsu, Enhanced healing etc but even this cover is strictly known by upper echelon of Church and trusted individuals for others it was only a rumor of Haruto being a Holy Child)