In the council chamber of the Vatican, rows of men in ceremonial robes sat behind a massive crescent-shaped desk.
At the center of the room, Dulio stood with a toothpick dancing between his teeth, twirling it playfully as he tuned out most of the self-righteous droning around him.
His eyes scanned the chamber lazily as various councilmen took turns berating Arthur Pendragon's performance in Ireland for half an hour.
"…and not only was his approach reckless, but he endangered the lives of innocent civilians-"
"... he acted without sufficient planning-"
"... demonstrates unchecked power could cause this-"
Dulio sighed loudly through his nose, tapping his foot in rhythm to the hypocrisy echoing from the room.
One of the older councilmen noticed the casual smirk curling on Dulio's face.
"Something amusing, Gesualdo?"
The man asked sharply, his tone prickly with authority.
Dulio flicked the toothpick out of his mouth, and it zipped through the air and stuck into the desk right in front of the councilman's hands, making him flinch.
"Yeah, there is. This whole shitshow is pretty hilarious."
Dulio said, stretching lazily, his smile widening.
The council erupted into scattered murmurs of offense and disbelief.
A few stood up, slamming their palms onto the desk.
"What did you say!?"
"How dare you speak to us like that?"
"This is disrespectful of you, Gesualdo!"
Dulio held up a hand, waving lazily.
"Come on, don't give me that crap. Let's not pretend we don't know what's really going on here."
The room quieted slightly, tension creeping in like a chill.
"You see, we all know you all tried to get rid of Arthur ever since the helipad incident. That whole mission to Ireland wasn't about stopping rogue exorcists or something, it was a convenient little setup for an assassination attempt. A rogue priest, unknown territory, and a high-risk target you hoped would kill him before it became a scandal. Neat, clean, no blood on your hands."
Dulio continued, his tone light but laced with steel.
"But it backfired, didn't it?"
Dulio said with a chuckle, stepping forward slowly.
"The half-devil kid you all hate not only survived… he even made a name for himself by killing a god. You know, one of those ancient beings impossible for any human to bring down?"
He clapped his hands mockingly.
"Bravo. Truly. Your plan failed so hard it looped around, and now you're scrambling to claim his success as the Church's own. How fucking typical."
Several councilmen visibly paled, and others looked to each other uneasily.
"Outrageous!"
"You are out of line!"
"How dare you accuse-!"
"Shut it."
Dulio's smile vanished.
The temperature in the chamber dropped like a stone.
He didn't raise his voice, didn't unleash any power, he simply stared at them with eyes devoid of his usual warmth.
And it was enough to silence the entire room.
"I already talked to Arthur a while ago, and told him what you prunes tried to pull off."
Dulio said calmly.
A few councilmen stiffened.
"Surprisingly, he already had an idea what you were pulling off... and he didn't care. Said he was grateful because he got to fight a god and come out victorious. Called it a 'fun experience.' Said it helped him understand just how far he's come and helped with his epic debut towards the supernatural community."
He took a step closer, his voice quieter now.
"You should all thank God he still finds this place useful."
Several of the councilmen shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
A few exchanged whispers, while others simply looked down, avoiding eye contact with the man standing before them.
Dulio tilted his head.
"If it had been me in his shoes… I wouldn't have been so forgiving. I would've turned this entire place into a crater. And believe me... I wouldn't have needed more than a flick of my wrist."
He said calmly as the silence was deafening.
"But, that'd be a pain in the ass and its too much work. Also, the cleanup crew would hate my guts for making a huge mess. So for now, see ya never."
He added with a shrug.
With that, he turned and began walking toward the doors of the council chamber, hands in his pockets like it was just another lazy stroll.
"Oh, and one more thing..."
Dulio said over his shoulder, pausing at the threshold.
"Arthur's gonna be away for a whole year. Said he wants to explore the world, fight strong opponents, maybe take on important missions that don't involve being used as bait."
He looked back, his gaze sharp at them.
"So do yourselves a favor and don't pull this stunt again. Not on him, and especially not on anyone connected to him. Because if you do…"
Dulio's smile returned, but there was no humor in it.
"…I'll turn this place into your tomb and leave you all to rot in hell."
He opened the door with a gentle push and stepped out, letting the doors close behind him with a heavy thud that echoed across the silent room.
Dulio strolled through the hallways of the Vatican headquarters, hands tucked lazily behind his head as his mind was still replaying his verbal beatdown of the council.
A smirk played on his lips as he turned a corner.
"Man. I'm one awesome senior."
He then spotted three familiar faces standing near the archway that led to the courtyard.
Jeanne was leaning against a pillar, arms crossed and hair tied into a loose ponytail, while Siegfried was sharpening his Balmung.
Standing between them, adjusting the collar of his freshly issued exorcist coat, was Connla, looking much cleaner than he was when first introduced.
Dulio raised his hand casually.
"Yo, problem children."
Jeanne glanced over her shoulder.
"Oh, it's you."
Siegfried offered a lazy two-finger salute.
"The hell took you so long?"
Connla gave a respectful nod, his shades glinting in the light.
"Good morning, Dulio."
Dulio gave them a smug grin.
"Sorry, I'm late, had to talk to some crusty old relics. You know... classified stuff. Only badasses like me get that clearance."
He points his thumb at himself.
Jeanne rolled her eyes.
"You're such a humble one, aren't you?"
Siegfried chuckled.
"Heh. I'm sure the council was shaking in their knees."
"They kinda were, actually."
Dulio said with a wink.
He stepped toward Connla and gave the younger boy a friendly clap on the shoulder.
"So, how's the new job doing you, Connla? You holding up okay?
Connla nodded, brushing his gloved hand over his sleeves.
"It's… a big change compared to my former lifestyle. Not exactly what I'm used to, but I'll get used to it. My room's nice too. I'm also neighbors with Arthur."
"Oho? Nice."
Dulio blinked, then gave a knowing grin.
Connla nodded again, his expression calm but sincere.
"Yeah. I've got a lot to make up for. Arthur gave me a second chance. I want to prove I'm worth it."
Connla adjusted his shades again, then looked down slightly, his tone softer.
"By the way, is Arthur going to be okay?"
Dulio turned quiet for a moment as he responded with a smile.
"He'll be fine. He's got the Strongest Exorcist in the Church training him, remember?"
Siegfried snorted.
"Yeah, and what did you teach the guy? How to sleep through your problems and flirt with every nun in the canteen?"
Connla struggled not to laugh as Dulio had a depressed aura around him.
Siegfried stretched his arms, letting his joints crack.
"Still not fair though. Arthur gets to explore the world for a whole year while we're stuck in here doing nothing and hunting weaklings."
Dulio waved a finger.
"Well, there are other things you kids could do before Arthur gets back... train hard and get stronger. So that when Arthur comes back, he's blown away by how badass his friends have become... and NOT end up being deadweights."
The three of them shared a glance.
Siegfried scoffed but nodded, Jeanne gave a small nod, and Connla smiled determinedly.
"We will, but it's gonna be tough to catch up to him."
Jeanne said.
"So? I'm not planning on getting left behind by that redhead."
Siegfried added.
Connla then spoke.
"If it's possible, then I want to stand alongside him."
Dulio looked at them proudly, letting out a satisfied hum.
"That's the spirit."
The group was now determined to catch up to their friend.
Jeanne crossed her arms again and gazed at the sky thoughtfully.
"I wonder, how Arthur's doing right now…"
She murmured.
DxD
In a rural village nestled deep in the southern mountains of China, the air was thick with the aroma of spices and incense, the chatter of locals weaving through the narrow paths of the bustling street market.
Among them, cloaked in a dark, ragged robe, a boy with unkempt black hair and sharp blue eyes weaved silently between stalls.
His steps were light, practiced, deliberate, his eyes never lingered too long on any one vendor, always scanning for opportunity.
As he walked past a stand selling buns, his hand subtly dipped under the stall's cloth and emerged with a few apples.
No one noticed.
A few paces later, his nimble fingers slipped a leather wallet from a distracted tourist's back pocket.
Another clean swipe.
Moments later, he ducked into a shadowed alleyway between two clay-brick buildings, crouching behind old, discarded boxes.
He took a moment to breathe away from the crowd.
He pulled out his modest haul with a faint smile.
Two apples, a steamed bun, a half-full wallet, and what looked like a foreigner's hotel key card.
"Jackpot. With this, I might just make it out of this country."
He whispered to himself, a spark of pride in his voice.
As he prepared to take a bite, his body suddenly tensed, and his instincts screamed.
He dropped the food and twisted his torso.
An arrow tore through the air and embedded itself in the crate beside him with a heavy thunk.
The boy's eyes sharpened as he rolled forward, springing to his feet.
Dust kicked up around his shoes as he landed, one foot skidding on gravel.
He turned toward the alley's entrance and there they were.
Six burly men stepped into view, weapons drawn.
Swords, axes, bows, and dark, greedy eyes.
"Well, well, the rat finally runs out of holes to hide."
One of them grinned, spinning a jagged magic sword in his hand.
"You've been running for too long, brat. Our clients paid a lot for a specimen like you. You're coming with us."
Another added.
The boy bared his teeth, his heart pounding in anger and defiance.
"Why can't you bastards just leave me alone?!"
His right hand began to glow brightly, and then a beautiful, ornate spear appeared.
Its handle was a blue rod, and the broad spearhead shimmered with golden chains and a divine aura running along the flat.
The traffickers paused, momentarily wary, but not enough.
He gripped the spear tight, set his stance, and roared.
"Come on then! I'm not afraid of you!"
The men charged, steel clashed against enchanted metal, and sparks flew.
The boy's frame gave him speed, and though he was outnumbered, he was no amateur.
He weaved between attacks, parried with his spear, and countered hard.
With a sharp cry, he drove his spear through one man's shoulder, flipping over his collapsing body and slashing the ground with an arc of light that kicked up a thick dust cloud.
He broke away, sprinting through the alley into the edge of a nearby forest.
Behind him, the remaining men roared and gave chase, shouting threats, closing in fast.
But just as he reached the trees, he stopped.
In front of him stood a massive man, easily over two meters tall, muscles like boulders and two heavy axes slung over his shoulders.
Behind him, more armed men stepped into view, cutting off the boy's escape.
He was surrounded.
He whipped his spear around, breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his brow.
"Nowhere left to run, boy. You've cost us time, money, and men. But it ends here. We'll make our money back… through your pretty little body if we have to."
The large man sneered and licked his lips creepily.
The boy's lip curled in hatred and disgust.
"Filthy bastards…"
He readied his spear.
He wouldn't back down, not after all he's been through to survived.
The man took one step forward, only to freeze to a loud *crack* echoed through the forest.
Then came the thud of something heavy hitting the earth.
The massive man staggered and he looked down at his chest.
A fist-sized hole had been punched through his torso and blood gushed out in a burst.
He blinked, wordless, and collapsed with a thud.
Everyone stopped.
"What the hell?!"
From the treetops, a red blur flashed past, slicing through the air.
Five heads rolled clean off their shoulders before their owners even knew what hit them.
Panic erupted as the men screamed, some dropped weapons and ran, others drew spells and fired blindly.
But then, three of them suddenly burst into flames.
Their bodies convulsed as they burned alive, screaming.
The boy's eyes widened in awe and a trace of fear.
Then silence fell, broken only by the whimpering of one last survivor, a man crawling backward on his hands, face drenched in sweat and tears.
A figure stepped out from the trees and landed right in front of him.
Crimson red hair, emerald green eyes, and a red hoodie around his form.
A pair of red gauntlets on both hands and a radiant holy sword on his back.
He looked down at the trembling man.
"Do you want to live?"
The man frantically nodded, begging, muttering prayers.
The figure gestured with his thumb over his shoulder.
"Then leave. Go. Tell your employer the boy's dead. And if I ever hear of you hunting this dude again…"
He leaned closer, eyes narrowing.
"I'll peel your skin off, slowly and painfully. Clear?"
The man nodded violently, then scrambled to his feet and ran, tripping once, urine soaking his pants as he vanished into the trees.
The figure exhaled and stretched his neck with a satisfying crack. "
Man… this is the umpteenth time I've faced humans doing something stupid to innocents."
He turned, eyes landing on the blue-eyed boy who still stood frozen, spear in hand, mouth slightly open.
The figure gave him a relaxed salute with two fingers.
"Yo. The name's Arthur. We're gonna have a long chat."
DxD
Hello readers!
This is the final chapter of Volume 1.
Now... I need somebody to switch brains with me because mine is slowly losing braincells... and i need more Sower Ptones... (yes i spelled it incorrectly on purpose)
Thank you everyone and see you later!