It has been one week since Azrael went to Kuoh town. This week has been rather peaceful. 

Right now, Azrael was seated in the library and was browsing a book about documents about the distribution of power in Japan. It was a very detailed book and showed most of the place to avoid for a novice exorcist such as Kyoto were one of the strongest Youkai, the nine tails Kitsune Yasaka was stationed. 

The Youkai were divided into two factions with Yasaka in the west, and NurarihyonIt in the east. It was truly interesting. There were so many strong beings in Japan. He couldn't help but let out a grin.

Azrael wasn't particularly hurried about questioning Shidou on the events that have happened. He didn't come here to punish him. After all, while he wasn't okay with it, he could only lament the fact that the way Shidou had acted and resolved the situation was how most exorcists in his place would have had they been in his place.

No, he simply came because of his curiosity and because he needed an excuse to get out of the Vatican.

For Azrael, the Vatican was a place he could call home without a problem. He was very happy there. The priest respected him, the sister babied him, and the children loved him. He didn't need to fear for his life, nor did he ever suffer from a lack of food. In short, the Vatican was the very definition of heaven.

But for Azrael, this heaven was nothing more than a golden prison. He could have simply lived there without a worry, but his dream would never be realized if he stayed coped behind the cage of his home. He needed to deploy his wings and see more of this world.

Another reason why he didn't begin questioning Shidou was that he liked the current situation very much. The moment he began the questioning, Shidou would understand that he wasn't just a child or a trainee exorcist.

"AZ!!! AZ!!!"

A childish voice called to him, pulling him out of his thoughts. In this house, only one would scream his name like that. 

*Snap*

He closed the book and turned to face the door, 

*Bang*

A chestnut colored bolt rushed into the library without slowing down. It was of course Irina. Behind her, two other children could be seen. One was Xenovia, wearing her sister's clothes and the other was a little boy with brown colored hair.

Az's eyes lingered a little on the boy before going back to Irina. He sternly talked to her,

"How many times did I tell you that a young lady shouldn't be running around like that? How could you be surprised that Issei took you for a boy all this time?"

Irina blushed heavily, while Issei awkwardly scratched the back of his head. Az smiled while looking at their interactions. Frankly, he also thought that Irina was a boy at first. But, well, who cares. It was one of the advantages of being the eldest and it was fine as long as no one knew it. 

"Anyways, why did you come today?"

It might sound weird how the position of host and visitor was turned around since technically this was Irina's house while Azrael was nothing more than a visitor. Still, during this week, the library becomes a little like Azrael's own territory. 

"Ah!! I remember!!!!"

This question immediately brought back Irina from her awkward mood, she immediately reached Az and began to pull him by the hand,

"Az, you promised that you'll teach us how to fight. Come, come, it was so cool yesterday."

Azrael let out a bitter smile. Yesterday, Irina had intruded during his training session with Xenovia. Since then she had been pestering him about learning how to fight. He sighed before letting himself pulled out of his comfy chair,

"Ok, but firstly let's change into more appropriate clothing."

"YES!!!!"

Irina made a gut pose and began running toward her room while Xenovia bowed before following behind her. He didn't even bother correcting them this time. He faced the boy, 

"Issei, you come with me."

"Yes."

---

Issei looked curiously and with surprise as this new big brother changed out of his black priest robe. If before he thought that Irina was a boy, then he seriously thought that this one was a girl. But, seeing him only in pants drove home that despite his slender physique, he was very much a man.

Azrael's body was the result of years of continuous foundation training. He had no one to teach him the kind of skill he should have learned, but simple martial art and sword art were things that could be easily taught. Even more so with people like Dulio and Vasco at his side. 

The result was that, underneath his large priest clothes, Azrael's body was surprisingly muscular and well-toned. His solid six-packs were proof enough.

Seeing such a body, Issei's eyes began to sparkle. He asked,

"Hey, onii-chan. If I train, can I obtain a body like that?"

Issei's reaction was only natural. In reality, there was basically no man in this world who wouldn't dream of having a solid six-pack as well as a well proportioned and muscular body. 

Azrael looked curiously at Issei's body. Now that they were alone, he could feel it more clearly. This boy wasn't normal.

(A sacred gear? Hum. A little weak aura and a faint dragon power. Is it a [TWICE CRITICAL]? .)

He couldn't help but be surprised. How lucky was he to directly meet a potential sacred gear holder just after reaching Japan?

Even though [TWICE CRITICAL] was a rather common sacred gear. He never considered them weak. That arrogant bastard back at home was the proof that there was no weak sacred gear. Only weak users. What more nothing said it must necessarily be it. It could be another kind. 

He smiled and patted the head of the boy, 

"Of course you can. Frankly, since you're only ten years old, it's basically the ideal moment for you to begin training. Anyways, let's change fast."

---

"*Huff* *Huff* This isn't cool at all."

"*Huff* Yes…"

Xenovia snickered as she watched the two fellow next to her gasp for breath as if they were dying. 

When they came to train, she already knew what would be their destiny. Az was someone very strict when he came to training. There's no way he would simply begin to teach them some sort of super awesome moves.

"You shouldn't stop so suddenly, walk around a little."

Xenovia decided to give them some advice. After doing some laps in the neighborhood, with them, Az went toward the garden to prepare the training sword while the two were recuperating some energy.

Irina, seeing how Xenovia didn't even seem that sweaty couldn't help but ask,

"How come you aren't tired? I also remember that Az didn't even sweat after running. How is it possible?"

Xenovia was genuinely surprised at this question,

"Tired? If I was already tired after this light warming up, what would I do later?"

Irina and Xenovia also become surprised by those words. Issei began to feel a bad feeling in his guts

"Hum...What do you mean exactly?"

Xenovia looked at Issei and Irina before snickering once again, afterward she began to walk in the direction of the garden. She could now understand why the exorcists were always so happy when a newbie joined them, 

"If I were you. I would give up now. You're about to know the true meaning of hell."

Issei and Irina looked at each other, they were seriously scared a little now. But, children being children, the more you dissuaded them, the more they wanted to try.

That day, they understood the meaning of the quotes, "Curiosity killed the cat."

----

Azrael looked at the two children who seemed to have gone to the world of the dead with satisfaction. They looked like fish out of the water with the way they tried to take in more air in their lungs. 

Well, in the end, he never went past their limits. He just pushed them to the very limits in order to gauge their resolve.

No way he would waste his time with people who would give up on the first adversity. The fact that they were children didn't matter. Now that they passed his test, the other sessions should be more relaxed. But no way he would say that to them. 

Irina was quite talented. While Issei made up his lack of talent with determination. 

Still, for Issei, the sword training was just for him to get some basics. Later he would train him in unarmed combat. 

*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*

"Let's stop for today."

For Irina and Issei. Those words were like a benediction from the heaven. 

----

As he was passing through the main hall in order to reach his room and take his toiletries in order to take a bath, he paused a little as he eyed a sword next to the chimney. 

It was a beautiful sword sheathed in a white scabbard inlaid with gold and a green gem. The handle was also of the same green. 

This sword always disturbed him a little. It looked like a Holy sword. But the energy it emanated was even lower than some light sword used by the exorcist. Most likely it was a broken holy sword. 

Nowadays. The number of holy weapons remaining was quite pitiful. Most were either broken, lost or became sacred gear. It was truly a great loss to the church's power. 

Azrael shook his head and resumed his earlier activity. He could always ask more about this sword later.