Chapter 21: Crestia Bell

AN: I was actually planning on writing another chap after this one, but for some reason this whole chap was suddenly erased!? FFUCCCKKKK! I WAS SO PISSED OFF I HESITATED ON CONTINUING THIS AND JUST DROP IT! Shit! Shit! I don't know what the fuck happened but this chapter was erased so I had to rewrite it again, I don't have time to write another chapter.

Edit just now: Fuck earthquake! shit! shit! shit! power's out again, I'm only 15% shit! shit!

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"Maa~n, today's work is more tiring than usual, don't you think so Emi?"

"Yeah, I guess."

Rika and Emi were currently walking on the city after a day of exhausting work. They plan to rest in Sinfully Delicious Café, and possibly eat something there.

Emi really doesn't want to go there though, for some reason. But Rika just keep on insisting on it, Emi wondered if Rika likes the food or she wanted to see someone there.

"Hmm~ Hmm~"

Emi observed Rika's expression who was happily humming as if she's a highschool girl who was about to see her crush.

Her eyes narrowed, "Rika, don't tell me you want to go the café because you wanted to meet a certain someone."

By a certain someone, it means that Emi really doesn't know who is she planning to meet, and also she wasn't really sure if Rika really wanted to see someone.

But for Rika?

"W-W-W-What are y-y-you talking about Emi?! Th-There's no way I p-p-plan to go there to m-m-meet A-Ashiya-san you know?!"

Emi became even more convinced, "I haven't even said a name."

"I...I..Uwawa~" Rika turned her face away as she put her hands on her cheeks, "this is so embarrassing."

Emi narrowed her eyes, "Rika, before you fall even deeper, I suggest you to stop. You do not know the real Ashiya, you do not know Alsiel, he is a bloodthirsty demon who slaughtered thousands of innocent people! He is not a man you should get involved with."

Rika's blush faded away as she faced Emi with a smile, "You're right, I don't know Alsiel, I don't know how cruel or bloodthirsty he is...."

"Then st—"

"But I do know a man named Ashiya Shirou," Rika cut Emi off before she could finish her words, "He is kind, gentle, and considerate person. He is loyal to his lord, and someone who wouldn't turn his back to someone he calls a friend. I may only know him for a week, but I know this much. Even in his work, I saw him taking responsibly for every mistake made by his workers."

Rika walked towards her friend and enveloped her to a hug, "I may not know him in the past, but I at least know that the kindness he shows is not just a facade. You said that he is a bloodthirsty demon who slaughtered thousands of people. But Emi, how are humans any different?"

"Eh?"

"There's no way in telling what would people do if their world turned upside down. There will be people who will try and take advantage of the chaos and try to take everything for themselves, and nice people who will try and help others even before worrying about themselves. People's heart is fickle like that, if they wanted to, they can even become Angels or Demons themselves."

"Ri...ka." Emi's eyes widened as she stared at her friend who was looking at her with a smile.

"You understand right, Emi? You did fall in love with a Demon King and even have his child."

Emi was about to deny her claim when she suddenly remembered Olba, that old man who even used her friend as a hostage just to take her down.

Olba's words about the people she protected destroying the fields of her father, the one which she spend a lot of time to take care of after she took back the continent and freed it from the demons.

All of it was because of the words from the church. She smiled mockingly at herself, 'People's heart, are truly fickle thing. The people praised me when I went to fight the demons, but a word from the church and they—'

"Emi? Are you okay?" Rika asked as she stared at her worriedly.

Emi snap out of her thoughts and gave her friend a weak smile as she nodded, "Yeah, I was just lost in thought."

Rika still looked doubtful, but did not asked any more questions as she just smile at her friend, "Well, let's go to the café now! We can ask Ashiya-san for a discount!"

"I doubt he'll agree though."

"Emi-dono? Rika-dono?"

A voice suddenly attracted the two as they turned around. There, they saw Suzuno in her usual kimono holding a shopping bag.

"Suzuno-chan! Over here! Come quick!" Rika waved her hand as she called Suzuno over.

Suzuno smiled and hasten her steps before stopping beside them, "Emi-dono, Rika-dono, what a coincidence to run into you two. Are you perhaps heading back as well? Let's go together!"

Emi shook her head, "No, Rika still wanted to go to Alexander's café to eat some snacks."

"Yeah, that, ahaha~" Rika just gave an awkward laugh. That was totally reason why she wanted to go there.

"I see." Suzuno nodded, "then, may I go with you? I am also curious about the café of Alexander-dono, I heard its pretty famous all over the city."

"Yep!" Rika smirked, "And I heard Ashiya-san talking to Alexander-san about making some branches for the café, I'm sure it won't be long before they took over Japan with just that!"

"Stop exaggerating. If I know Alexander as much I think, then he'll probably just say that its too troublesome."

"Oh come on Emi! You got to admit that their cakes there are delicious! I remember you moa—hmph?!" Rika's mouth was shut close by Emi whose face was as red as her hair.

"I told you not to talk about that?!" Emi hissed, "This is why I don't want to go there!"

Suzuno smiled seeing their interaction, however she immediately pause on her steps as she looked at the top of a building on the other side of the road.

There, she saw a short man wearing a hood as her eyes immediately widened in shock, 'Sar..iel-dono?'

A pair of white wings appeared on the man's back before he vanished, leaving only a message for her.

'It's time.' Hearing that, Suzuno's eyes immediately turned cold.

"Come on Emi! You could use your cute and adorable teary-puppy-eyes to persuade Alexander-san into letting us eat there everyday for free!"

"I doubt it'll work, why don't you try and do it to Ashiya?"

"Wha-? How could I—hm? Suzuno-chan! What are you doing there at the back?! Come here quick! Or we'll leave you!" Rika waves her hand at Suzuno.

Emi, just stood at the side with a resigned expression.

Suzuno ignored her and just look at Emi, "Hero Emilia, is that girl really your daughter? Did you truly betray the people you vowed to protect?"

Emi's eyes immediately turned serious a she stood in front of Rika as if to protect her before summoning her Sword.

"Ah, as expected, I already suspected you from the start. I can feel traces of Celestial Force in your body but I just couldn't be sure. But now you finally stop hiding yourself huh? So? What's the church planning now?"

"E-Eh? Emi wha—?"

"Stand back Rika," Emi commanded as she glared at Suzuno, "This woman is an enemy, just like that bald priest."

Rika gulped as she took a step back. She still remembered how that priest stabbed her friend, she still couldn't forget that.

It was because of that experience that she stops going to shrines and tend to avoid it.

"Bald priest? Olba?" Suzuno muttered, "So did you kill her Hero Emilia?"

"...I gave no mercy to my foes."

"Isn't he a member of your party? How could you easily kill him? When you are still on your quest to free the continents, I admired you, I thought that if its you, you would surely bring peace....Why betray us, Emilia?"

Emi narrowed her eyes, "I wonder about that. Am I really the one to betray you all? Or are you all the one to betray me?"

Suzuno closed her eyes and remained silent. She does not know the answer to that. Even her, she did not fully believe the words of the old people who just sat comfortably on their seats while letting others do their dirty work.

Emi seems to notice this as she sighed, "You should leave. You know it yourself that you can't beat me. I will allow you to leave since you haven't harm anyone close to me."

Suzuno opened her eyes as she stared at Emi with her cold eyes. Slowly, her hands reached towards the red flower clip that holds her hair to a side-ponytail and pulled it, letting her hair flow down as it swayed with the wind.

She twirled her clip as it changes into a giant mallet.

"It's too late for that now."

Emi's eyes widened for a second seeing the giant mallet before her face showed an expression of realization.

"I see." Emi's eyes turned cold, "I remember it now. When I was still training, I heard some rumors about you. A woman who assassinated the leaders of the Allied Knights Order, crucified and burned countless of people and accused them of being a heretic. Chief Inquisitor, Crestia Bell."

Suzuno remained silent. In truth, she tried to stop Olba, her superior at that time, from doing any more killings, but she was met with cold rejection.

It was a few days after that where she heard her superiors talking about using her as a scapegoat due to the loss of support of the church due to their senseless killings.

However, since she did not really participate in a lot of execution, they put the blame on Olba and kick him out of the Inquisitors, and gave her the position of Chief Inquisitor.

That was the moment where she began to lose her faith to the church.

"I wanted to let you leave but, as expected, you really won't go down without a fight?" Emi snarled.

Suzuno remained silent as her Celestial Force bursts out of her body.

Emi noticed that there was already a bounded field so she did hesitate on unleashing her own Celestial Force.

Her hair turned silver, her eyes turned purple, and silver armor covered her body. Her sword also enlarged.

"Very well, since you wished to be my enemy, I will bring you down."