Chapter 40 - Cleanse

Author : 🙃🛌 Too lazy to re read it the second time, boys, sorry.

Chapter 39 

"Xenovia, can you remind me why we are still here ?" Irina Shidou asks while sulking on her bed. A few meters away, Xenovia sits reading a book about some sort of battle tactic that Irina isn't personally fond of.

"Because we are told to wait and not to wander off," Xenovia says, still with her eyes glued to the book she was reading.

"Mooo," Irina wails as she turns and kicks, making a mess out of her own bed for the third time today. After kicking around a bit, she still didn't feel satisfied, so she 'reluctantly' reached her hand out to take a few of Xenovia's snacks. To help and defend her friend from the candy monsters that inhabit every sweet in the whole world. 

Yes, monsters that inhabit every possible delicious thing in the world and attack the teeth of every person who dares to put it in their mouth.

Her hands inch closer every second as the tip of her finger almost brushes against it. 

"Irina," a voice of Xenovia calls out, halting her movement and her glumness that started releasing extra saliva and her whole body from reaching their own goal. 

"Mmmm, what?" Irina uncertainly asks, still with the tips of her fingers touching the chocolate bar. "Irina," Xenovia says again, still with her head glued to the book she was reading.

"Ok," Irina nods as she reluctantly takes her hand off the delicious and appetizing candy—no, from the candy demon's body. Then she silently turns around and wraps the blanket around her body, with the edges of her cheeks pink in embarrassment.

Then, after. A deep silence lingered in the quiet room as the only sound that was apparent in the room became the clock that was hanging on the wall and Xenovia's occasional rustling of her book.

One minute.

Two minutes

But alas, Irina couldn't wait three minutes as she opened her mouth. "How did you know ?" She asks, half expecting her to say that she saw in some ways like a mirror or reflection through the window. But no, the answer she got was something that she entirely didn't expect.

Xenovia, without her body moving an inch, turned her face to her, still with her neutral, calm expression etched onto her face. "Because the only time you don't make a sound for more than ten seconds is when you are plotting something. And the sudden quietness was suspicious." Her eyes were shining in piercing light, and her head tilted the slightest bit upwards in pride and in a motion that is akin to how a master detective found the culprit. Then, in the next second, she nodded in a confirming way, tilting her head in a normal range of motion. "Though sometimes, you do that because you are sleeping, so it isn't that valid of an approach." She muttered.

Hearing her, any normal person would say, What are you muttering about? Or did you eat something wrong today?" But not Irina, as she immediately starts squealing like she saw something amazing, with her eyes glistening like stars. "WOW, you are so smart, XENOVIAAA..." she squealed.

And in sync with her squeal, Xenovia's nose lengthens, and her head tilts a slight bit backward in a practiced motion in satisfaction and pride. But fortunately or unfortunately, she still had her ever-serious expression, so if one didn't look closely, they wouldn't notice the change much.

Toc toc toc

A quiet knocking on the door rang out, interrupting the next words that Irina was about to say as she turned to the door. Her head turned sideways in a questioning gesture, and a massive question mark appeared on top of her head. Then she rapidly got up and ran to open the door. 

"Irina, wait, your clothes!" Xenovia shouts as she dashes to the bedside chair, grabs her clothes, and then runs after her a second later, for Irina was only in her underwear. But unfortunately, Xenovia was a step too late.

But fortunately for Irina, the one that knocked on their door wasn't a man; instead, it was a gigantic two-meter-tall woman, fully covered head to toe in heavy armor, with only the shape of the armor being the only indication of her gender. 

"Irina ?" The stranger asks, tilting her head downwards towards Irina, her yellow, piercing gaze that shone in the dark helmet silently digging a hole through her face as she indifferently asks.

"Yes, what can I do for you, Sister ?" Irina says, completely ignoring the calm to almost indifferent tone she just used to address her.

Then, from beside her, Xenovia's voice rang out. "An angel?" She spoke, instantly causing a fog of confusion to descend onto Irina's head as her eyes immediately darted to the massive, pristine white wings behind her. Its length and height were extremely big to the point that it almost covered the whole hallway; unconsciously, Irina's brain ignored it, for it assumed that the white thing was the wall paint.

The immediate muscle memory that was drilled into them kicks in as they immediately bow. "Holy angel," they both said in unison.

While they both bowed, the unknown angel just stood there quietly, observing their action with her own piercing yellow eyes that now officially drilled a hole through Irina's choice of clothes.

But fortunately for her, the angel didn't say anything about it; instead, she just turned around and said,. "Get to the field in five minutes, for there shall be a test."

And in sync with her words, a massive explosion happened as screams of a few people rang out; their wails tore through the very fabric of the air as it jolted both Irina and Xenovia. On instinct, Irina and Xenovia turned around to rush to help, but the angel stopped them. "Stop .... Just go to the field, ignore all of them; it is just a sinner." She spoke silently as she turned around the next second and walked away. Her footsteps shook the very ground as she slowly disappeared. Making some part of Irina question why they didn't hear her approach.

"Ummm," Irina spoke, unsure of what she should do since on one hand, an angel said, Don't go towards it, just head to the field, and on the other hand, there was the voice of people, begging and crying out in pain and agony, and it was still ringing true. Her discipline and instinct struggled with each other as she silently stood. But fortunately for Irina, she was partnered with Xenovia, the Sureblade. The one who always knew what to do and that they shouldn't. So the struggle didn't last long, as she just turned to Xenovia, who was right beside her.

"Dress up, then let's go to the field," Xenovia said as she walked to the room to tidy it up a bit before ultimately leaving. "Ok." Irina followed soon after, wearing her clothes, then doing makeshift cleaning, then going to the field to see what was going on.

And the walk to the field was one that was filled with more ... brutality than she would have liked.

There were knights and priests with pure golden eyes, dragging other priests by their throats or dragging them to the field; following along was a trail of blood as they marched. And sometimes, Irina saw angels killing or crippling those who resisted too much or were cursing, questioning their loyalty.

All of the angels she saw today were fully covered head to toe in armor with glowing eyes, mercilessly killing or indifferently watching.

"Please, MARK, STOP IT. We are friends; don't." She heard one of the priests scream as he was being dragged.

But his friend and the Mark in question just calmly shoved him from behind. "Go forward, my friend." His voice was calm, soft, and gentle. No, all of the priests with golden eyes that she saw had golden eyes and were gentle and kind in voice and gesture, yet cruel in their actions.

"Is Xenovia going to the field the correct decision ?" Irina unconsciously asks, her hand unconsciously tightening. As a small part of her started questioning if they really are angels, the messengers and servants of God. The beings who should best represent his kindness and mercy.

Xenovia, upon hearing her question, stops for a brief moment before continuing, this time with a bit more stiff movement as she continues. "Yes, I am sure. Let's... Let's go." She said, and Irina didn't like that she paused for a second on the word "Let's," as it made her even more unsure, but ultimately she followed and soon reached the field.

Half expecting a massacre or angels killing everything, she was strangely greeted by a sight that she was not expecting. Instead, she saw a range of exorcists, knights, and priests standing there, not with yellow eyes but with their normal eye color. Huddled as they all conversed quietly, while the higher-ups of the church stood a bit distant from them, conversing with some sort of big angel with four pairs of wings.

"Sir Thamior, it has been going as expected. There is almost no resistance or any third party in the city, and we should be finished in a few hours."

"Mmm, do be wary, Archbishop Andrea; look out for any ambush or for any sort of tricks any other faction would do." She heard the angel say. But she couldn't hear the rest of the conversation because the distance between them had increased.

"Stop, Child of Man," one of the angels said as he stopped them in their tracks, but this angel had a soft and soothing tone that was akin to a gentle spring. "Please, do not worry, child; we are only cleansing and purifying the cancer of the Church," he said with a gentle smile and all-too-familiar warmth that she saw along the way, as every priest or knight with golden eyes had this soft and gentle tone and way to make one unconsciously relax their guard, and she started to grow wary due to the ...experience.

"Understood," Xenovia said from beside her as she nodded her head confidently, moving with the calmness of a flowing river and steady like an ancient old tree as ever. Unknowingly reassuring Irina as she continued. Though unknown to her, Xenovia was just as clueless and confused as she, a fact that she unfortunately doesn't know due to the unforgiving stoic face of Xenovia.

"Walk towards her," he said as he motioned towards a group of angels who were surrounding some sort of building. "Building? Wait," Xenovia thought as she stared wide-eyed at the massive five-meter-tall angelic being who was extending some sort of yellow tendril and was playing with little children. The children laughed and played like it was any other day, as if they couldn't see the blood that was dripping and the head that was rolling just a hundred meters away.

"Hurry, young one," the angel said as he patted her back, though the pat was quite strong relative to a normal one. So she, following the slight momentum that the angel gave, walked towards the massive angel, while her friend Irina quietly followed behind her.

When she came face-to-face with the massive being, which resembled an angel but had a strange shape and was covered in armor, she stopped.

"Hello, little one." A joyous, motherly sound came out of the massive being, a sharp contrast that unknowingly cracked a small part of her worldview, but Xenovia didn't show it on the outside. "Don't worry about my appearance, child; I know I am not the best-looking and quite intimidating to most, but I promise you, I won't eat you." She jovially said with a small bit of joking tone as she extended some sort of tendril to Xenovia. 

Tendril was golden in color yet radiating holy energy that was a combination of platinum and liquid gold, a thing that Xenovia unknowingly liked quite a bit as it was different from the yellow that she saw along the way. And slowly and gently, the tendril landed on her head.

Then it was pure white. Not in a mindless white but a relaxing white where you don't want to do anything and just lie there, calmly and gently, for you would desire nothing more than to spend eternity in that moment, relaxing. If Xenovia were to give a comparison, it would be similar to how, on winter nights, especially on colder nights where snowstorms blasted like there was no tomorrow, there is that small hole in the window that lets cold wind seep in. So you, to both conserve your warmth and sleep comfortably, would wrap the blanket around yourself.

But with a jolt and a lung that desperately needed air, she woke from her little nap. 

Gasp

Gasp

Gasp

Xenovia took desperate, deep breaths, breaths that she needed as her lungs worked overtime to accommodate the rapid exertion, yet despite the fullness of her lungs, there was that desperate feeling and phantom pain that told her just how long she had been without breathing.

"There, there." A gentle voice spoke as a nun, about forty years old, spoke as she gently patted her back.

"How long? What happened ?" Xenovia asked the nun.

Nun cast a compassionate gaze that seemed to speak that she had been just like her, and told her slowly. "It has only been a minute, my dear." Nun pulled out a cup of water and gave it to her, then continued explaining. "Miss Angel over there looked through your memories to determine if you are a sinner or not, and fortunately, you are not, for you have never sinned in your entire life," the nun explained.

But just as she explained it, from beside her, her friend Irina's gasping sound echoed as she, much like her, darted upwards with a pale face.

"Gasp, gasp." She gasped while Xenovia waited as she also, following the example of the nun, patted her friend's back. It should make her better, right? Since it made her better, though she doesn't know if she is doing it right.

"XENOVIA!" Irina screamed as she jumped to Xenovia; her joyful voice sounded as she hugged her. "I was so worried," Irina said as she hugged her even tighter.

"Ummm, calm down, Irina," Xenovia spoke hesitantly as she, with hesitation, put her hand around Irina in the form of a hug.

Then the next few hours that continued were ones of screams and pain, along with relieved sighs or happy hugs as angels, the messengers of the Lord, punished those who had sinned despite their vow and promise to the Lord.

The angels would bring in servants of God before that massive angel, and that angel would read their memories and the life they led from the moment of their birth to determine if they had sinned. If they had not, they would fall asleep and wake up a minute later, but if they had, the sinner's very soul itself would be tortured dissected till their physical body's throat was hoarse and broken and they would cry rivers of blood, while the angel would display their sin to the pure one to show what they had done.

After a relentless torture that would endure after they had been confirmed to have sinned worthy enough to be discarded by the lord, the massive angel would extend a tendril made of the oh-so-familiar holy energy of pure yellow color that she saw along the way and turn them into the 'Atoners.' The ones whose life goal is to atone for their sins by executing the Lord's will to the best of their ability—no, even beyond it.

The night that continued was long, cold, and seemingly endless as 'pure ones', no, survivors, huddled together for warmth as they all silently observed the sin that the people they once called brothers and sisters had committed.

A nun, Sister Clara, had enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh once while in the church and had even spread her liquid onto the statue of Jesus Christ, blaspheming the son of God and, in prospect, the Lord himself. A priest had accepted a bride from a devil and sold a few holy objects, all just for a pitiful thing called money, therefore selling away the forgiveness and love of the Lord.

Even some of the prestigious exorcists weren't spared, as all of their sinful life stories were on full display in the hologram that the big angel materialized. Throughout the night that continued, both Irina and Xenovia had their worldviews and mentalities brutally clawed until they turned into a pitiful tatter, an unsightly sight, as their eyes listlessly looked at their once-admired heroes and role models doing things that made them question if they were really humans.