Dxd: A demon Among Devils
Chapter 76: [76]:Knights Templar

Chapter 76: [76]:Knights Templar

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Xenovia smiled at him. It was not the considerate type of smile he had been hoping for.

"I am sure the Archdemon has a way of dealing with such mundane things as timesheets."

Their intended destination was a cathedral. Its roof jutted with gothic spires, their exteriors adorned with ornamented windows. At their tallest point a bronze hued dome sat, a statue of the Cross etched onto its metallic surface. Encircled by the drab shapes of apartment blocks and shopping malls, its surroundings made the building stand out even more than its already grandiose architecture suggested. The road that led to its arched entrance was well-kept, and the trees that lined the meandering path could technically be considered pleasing to the eye.

Honestly, he had not known such a structure existed in this city. But then again, sightseeing was not exactly high on his to-do list in the past. It was not in the foreseeable future either if he could help it.

"It was built years ago," Irina had explained in response to the questioning gazes she received, "It is still maintained these days, but hardly any people use it as it was meant to be used. It has become more like a park instead of a place of worship."

There had been something close to reproach in her tone.

They stopped at the beginning of the path, gazing warily towards the entrance that was their destination.

"It might be problematic if we go in there," Kiba frowned.

"If you are worried about holy symbols, there shouldn’t be an issue," Irina replied, "All of them were removed long ago. They were distributed to other churches in the city when it became clear the cathedral was losing its appeal."

That explained the tone then.

"And they are in there?" Issei asked.

"As far as we know," said Xenovia, "What few pieces of intelligence we gathered suggested they are using this place as a sort of headquarters."

"They have extravagant tastes," Koneko stated as she eyed the building looming before them.

"They want to start a war," Xenovia replied curtly, "The fact the thieves have an inflated ego of themselves should be of no surprise."

"It might be an ambush," Kiba pointed out.

"It very well might be," Irina admitted, "But we have surprises of our own," she smiled at her fellow exorcist before nodding towards him, "and an Archdemon."

He sighed and allowed Belial’s presence to enter his mind. He supposed he might as well act the part.

"Let’s get going then," the sword-user gestured and the long, straightened forms of demon swords materialized in his hands, "The sooner we get to the bottom of this the better."

They nodded at that and proceeded through the winding trail that led to cathedral’s entrance. They passed under the archway before hesitating in front of the wooden doors. It was unlocked and Xenovia pushed them open. They entered, blinking at their new surroundings.

It was, as Irina said, close to abandoned. He could see the holes in the stone floor where once pews had been bolted to the ground. The immense columns of granite that had long ago lost their veneer. The lines of mildew ran down the walls, and draped from wooden balconies. The staircases that led said balconies, missing steps from rot and decay. These were secondary details, however. As soon as they stepped into the antechamber, his eyes as well as theirs were drawn to the immense doors that lay at the back. They were bronze-plated, burnished yellow in color, and across their surface were etched elaborate symbols he could not understand but guessed were of some importance. They were more gates than doors, and along with the columns that sprouted from the floor and extended to the ceiling, cast dark shadows against the walls that moved like ghosts in the moon’s light.

He had to admit it was an eerie setting. It was made all the more eerie by the two figures that stood in one of the few spots that was marked by light.

"Well, hello there," the first figure smiled, "it’s a fine night for bloodshed, don’t you think?"

One amongst them started in recognition.

"Freed," Issei snarled. Raynare’s warning flashed in his head. He frowned.

"Ah, familiar faces," the man continued smiling, "I like that. And how are you, Asia?"

The former priestess regarded the cloaked figure with wide eyes before hiding behind Issei’s back.

"You really need to be more assertive, my dear," Freed sighed, "But then again you always were an annoying little shit."

He had braced himself for something like this, but the sheer vulgarity that came from their foe’s mouth was still surprising. Beside him, Issei gritted his teeth.

"Shut up you monster!"

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