radicalducati Page 206
Page 206
"Until then, all you have to do is follow orders and survive."
"Can it be done?"
Kiba Yuto raised his head and looked into Zhou Ye's unfathomable eyes, as if he saw the weakness that he had always been unable to face.
He slowly loosened his clenched fist, and then bowed deeply to Zhou Ye.
"Yes! I understand!"
Chapter 175 The Church's Messenger
Looking at Kiba Yuto, whose attitude had completely changed, Zhou Ye nodded in satisfaction.
This child is teachable.
Rather than letting him get stuck in a rut, it's better to block his path outright and then show him a clear way forward.
Hatred is the cheapest motivation, but also the easiest to lose control of; only the desire for power is the purest driving force.
He withdrew his hand, sat back down on the sofa, picked up the half-finished glass of iced soda, and leisurely took a sip.
The stagnant atmosphere in the office was finally broken by his actions.
Rias looked at Zhou Ye with an extremely complicated expression.
He felt relieved that the problem of his family had been solved, but also a little annoyed that his authority as "king" had been challenged.
But more than anything, it's a strange sense of security.
This man always manages to take control of the situation at the most crucial moments, using the most unexpected yet most effective methods.
"Ahem." Cang Na pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light that drew everyone's attention back.
"Now that the internal problems are solved, let's talk about the external enemies."
She placed a new document on the table, which had three photos of women printed on it.
"According to our latest intelligence, the Vatican has sent three people this time."
"The two are the Holy Sword Wielders you already know, Xenovia Quata and Irina Wisteria."
“And the third person…” Cang Na paused, his expression becoming more serious than ever before.
“It’s Griseldaquata.”
"what?!"
Rias could no longer maintain her composure and abruptly stood up from the sofa, her wine-red eyes filled with shock.
"Saintess Griselda of the Church? Why would she come to a small place like Kuoh Town? For a few Excalibur fragments? That's impossible!"
[Griselda? Another new character has appeared?]
Judging from this title and Rias's reaction, this person seems to have quite a background.
[Is the wind from my little butterfly flapping its wings a bit too strong? Even something from later in the original story has been blown out of the picture early?]
Zhou Ye silently took another sip of his soda, feeling that things were getting more and more interesting.
Cang Na's expression remained grave: "The specific reason is unknown, but her appearance has directly raised the danger level of this incident by two levels. We may be facing not only fallen angels and a few holy sword wielders, but also a deeper power struggle within the church."
She looked at Rias: "Didn't your brother, Demon Lord Sirzechs, give you any hints?"
Rias's face was grim. She shook her head. "My brother only told me to handle it myself and to train my abilities. He didn't mention that Griselda would be coming!"
A thought arose in the minds of Nami and the other women.
[Goodness, the classic family trial segment.]
Free-range parenting: either you become a dragon or you become a worm.
That guy Sadex really has a big heart.
Meanwhile, in a shopping street in Kooh-cho.
Amid the bustling crowd, three women dressed casually, yet still exuding a unique charm, stood on a street corner.
"Irina, you just took one look and left?"
A woman with a mature charm and calm demeanor asked the question.
Her voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable power.
She is Griseldaquata.
The orange-haired twin-tailed girl, named Irina, still had a hint of melancholy on her face.
She had just spotted her childhood friend, Hyoudou Issei, from afar. He was arm in arm with two friends, excitedly discussing girls.
“Sister Griselda, there’s nothing we can do about it.” Irina shook her head, trying to make her tone sound lighter.
"Issei is ultimately not a member of the mystical side, so let him live his life as an ordinary person."
She paused, her eyes hardening.
"Moreover, we are facing a legendary fallen angel executive, such as Kirkbor."
"Even so, you don't regret it?" Griselda pressed.
Irina straightened her chest and answered loudly, as if making a vow.
"For the Lord, I have no regrets!"
The blue-haired girl standing to the side, Xenovia Quarta, echoed, "Me too."
Her expression was cold and hard, like a block of ice that never melts, seemingly uninterested in such sentimental matters.
Looking at the two young and devout juniors before her, a complex and indescribable emotion flashed in Griselda's calm eyes.
“Your faith is commendable.” Her tone suddenly shifted, becoming sharp. “But those old men in the Vatican are using your pure faith to send you here to your deaths.”
“Sister Griselda!” Irina was shocked by her blunt words. “How could you say that! We are fighting for the Lord, it is an honor!”
“Glory?” Griselda’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Using a few broken holy swords to fight against a fallen angel executive who has survived since the age of mythology? That’s not glory, that’s a foolish sacrifice. They just want to use your lives to test Kirkbor’s bottom line and see how these two demon upstarts from Kuoh Town react.”
Xenovia's brow furrowed deeply; though warlike, she was not foolish.
"You mean, from the very beginning, we were just pawns who were abandoned?"
“Otherwise?” Griceda retorted. “Why do you think I’m here? Just to come with you and collect a few scraps of metal?”
She reached out and gently stroked Irina's head, her movements tender, but her words were icy and chilling.
“I serve the Lord, not those politicians in the Vatican who are obsessed with political struggles. I am here because I cannot stand by and watch the Lord’s faithful believers be sacrificed like expendable resources.”
Irina and Xenovia both fell silent.
Although they were devout, they also experienced the infighting and coldness within the church.
Griselda's words were like a key, unlocking the dark side they had never dared to confront.
"Then... what should we do now?" Irina asked, somewhat confused.
"What should we do?" Griselda's gaze turned to the distant direction of Kuoh Academy, becoming deep and thoughtful.
"This mission is far more complicated than you imagine. Kirkbor is just the visible threat; the real force stirring up trouble is someone else."
"Someone else?" Genovia asked, puzzled.
“A variable,” Griselda said slowly, “a variable that even the Vatican is uneasy about. Our intelligence indicates that a mysterious and powerful figure has appeared among the Gremory family’s retinue. He is not a demon, but he possesses unimaginable power. My main purpose in coming here is to confirm this person’s existence with my own eyes.”
She looked at her two juniors and solemnly warned them, "Remember, from now on, follow my instructions. Don't be misled by the devil's words, and don't easily get into conflict with anyone, especially that variable."
“Let’s go.” Greta straightened her collar, regaining her calm and gentle demeanor.
"Let's go and meet with the administrators of this land."
"The next leaders of the future Gremory and Sidi."
Chapter 176 Negotiation
Kooh Academy, old school building, Supernatural Research Department.
The air was filled with the aroma of black tea carefully brewed by Akeno Himejima, but instead of easing the atmosphere, the aroma was like a taut string that could snap at any moment.
On the sofa, Rias and Sona sat side by side, forming the main negotiating force on the demon side. Opposite them were three uninvited guests, envoys from the Vatican.
The leading woman, Griselda Quarta, possessed a calm demeanor and wore casual clothes, yet she exuded a more imposing aura than the two fully armed combat nuns beside her.
Zhou Ye leaned against the wall a little distance away, still holding that glass of iced soda he couldn't finish, watching coldly from the sidelines.
The negotiations between demons and angels are essentially like underworld negotiations—first courtesy, then force; if they can't reach an agreement, they'll flip the table. I just don't know how these charlatans plan to negotiate.
"Tea, please."
Rias picked up her teacup and made an elegant gesture.
"You three can rest assured that I, Rias Gremory, would never stoop to poisoning the tea of visitors, not even those from the church."
His tone was flat, but anyone could hear the barb in it.
[Wow, Rias's opening line is pretty aggressive. She starts with a taunt, immediately applying a debuff to the opponent.]
Griselda Quata picked up the black tea that Junai had brewed, gently blew on it, and moved with unhurried ease.
"That's natural. If the next leader of Gremory is just a devil who knows how to use such methods, he probably won't be able to shoulder the responsibility of revitalizing Gremory."
She effortlessly defused Rias's provocation, and even turned the tables on her.
A glint flashed in Sona's glasses, but she remained silent.
Griselda's gaze passed over Rias and landed on the two people standing behind them.
One is the blond handsome guy, Kiba Yuto, and the other is the blond little nun, Elsa Alget.
"It's truly a pity."
There was no emotion in Griselda's voice.
"Both of them were outstanding talents in the church and had bright futures. Unfortunately, due to the corruption within the church, they eventually became the devil's right-hand men."
Her gaze lingered on Aisha for a couple more seconds.
“Especially Miss Elsa, your divine artifact, the ‘Smile of the Virgin Mary,’ should have been a gift from the Lord, but now…”