In short, Xenovia's entire life up until that point had been based upon a bed of lies and deceit. How could she, in good faith, judge the so-called 'Pagans' and 'Heretics' when they, at the very least, still had Gods to pray to? How many of her former targets had been truly guilty of their 'crimes', and how many had simply been branded as 'sinners' for learning the truth?
It had been a crushing blow, not just to her faith, but also her pride and her sanity, to the point she hadn't even questioned it when word reached her from the Vatican that she'd been excommunicated for the sin of 'consorting with Devils and Heretics'. She'd simply entrusted Excalibur (Hah!) Destruction to Irina, hoping against hope that at least by returning it she could spare her partner from suffering her fate before going into hiding with Durandal.
You might be wondering, if she truly wished to sever all ties with the Church, then why not return Durandal to them as well? After all, unlike the so-called 'Excaliburs', Durandal was a True Holy Sword forged by God himself, one of the few that currently remained within the Church's arsenal, and one they would most certainly try to reclaim by any means necessary, even if a new wielder might not show up for centuries.
The reasoning behind her keeping the blade was actually two-fold. For starters, as much as it hurt to admit, having something that had been personally forged by her beloved God close to her made the pain of learning the truth more bearable, as if by keeping it by her side, she hadn't truly cast aside her beliefs.
As for the second reason? Well, the simple fact remained that Durandal was HERS. Out of countless other Holy Swordsmen, including die-hard fanatics that held close ties to high-ranking members of the clergy, none had been able to so much as touch Durandal.
It was only to be expected really, as a True Holy Sword forged by God, Durandal could not be wielded by just anyone. Much like how Excalibur, or Caliburn rather, had only accepted King Arthur, Durandal had been entrusted solely to Sir Roland, and following his death no-one had been able to wield the blade properly until centuries later, when the now Legendary Vasco Strada laid his hands upon it.
If there was a single person Xenovia would openly admit to admiring to the point of idol-worship, it would have to be Vasco Strada. And how could she not? Was he not the prime example of what a true Exorcist should be? Not only that, but despite his overwhelming power and influence, despite Devils and Heathens alike shuddering at the mere mention of his name, the man in question was not only as gentle as a lamb, but possessed of the compassion of a saint.
It was these traits that had earned him the undying loyalty of all those placed under his authority, with many of those who studied under him rising to become high-ranking members of the clergy. Unfortunately, despite all of his saintly traits, at the end of the day Father Strada was but a mere mortal, and like all mortals he could not cast aside the shackles of old age, and so it was that, despite numerous pleas to reconsider, he was forced to relinquish the blade when it became apparent his skills had begun to decline.
Though he remained a valued member of the clergy, even reaching the position of Cardinal, his absence from active duty, and Durandal's refusal to acknowledge another wielder, had been a harsh blow to the Exorcist forces. And could you really blame them for being so despondent? After all, who in their right mind honestly believed they could step up to the legacy of the man hailed behind closed doors as the 'Fist of God?'.
Now that Xenovia thought about it, Cardinal Strada's retirement from active duty had probably been one of the many factors that led to Valper Galilei's Holy Sword project being green-lit. As amusing as it was to imagine the collective soiling of robes the old men had suffered once they realized that not only had they lost their strongest warrior, but his weapon had essentially been reduced to a decorative ornament, she could still understand their desperation to produce a warrior even half as competent as Father Strada.
That being said, while the Vatican had eventually realized just what sort of monster Valper was and reacted accordingly, the fact they were content to use the insane Archbishop's research to further their own agendas only served to remind her of how corrupt the Vatican had become. And in the end, just what had the research afforded them? Even with Lord Michael supervising the extraction and implantation of Holy element into candidates, none of their acolytes were deemed worthy enough to wield one of the few remaining True Holy Swords.
And then Xenovia had come of age.
Like many potential exorcists from the current generation, Xenovia had been one of many orphans entrusted to the Vatican that was deemed capable of undergoing the trials necessary to become a Blade of the Church. As a result, her earliest memories involved indoctrination and harsh training in the combat arts, as was typical of all Pages prior to accepting a particular path.
While the agents of the Church were collectively referred to as 'Exorcists', they were actually divided into several 'castes' in order to maximize efficiency by covering a variety of fields. The first and arguably the most iconic caste were the Knights, those who excelled in close quarters combat with Holy Swords. Though their prestige had fallen somewhat following Cardinal Strada's retirement, the implementation of Valper Galilei's Holy Sword Project had resulted in a recent influx of new members, though few were deemed worthy of wielding a 'True' Holy Sword, not even Irina, who hailed from a long line of Exorcists herself.
--------------------
If you want to read ahead by advance chapters from her you can visit my Patre-on.
{P} {A} {T} {R} {E} {O} {N}
https://patreon.com/Playerfanfic
🎁 Patreon Benefits:
📚 Access to 50+ advance chapters
👥 Join a private fan community
📖 Exclusive unreleased novels
🌟 Ad-free reading experience
⏰ Early access to all new chapters
By joining a tier, you're supporting my writing through a creative donation, not a purchase. New patrons are charged the day they subscribe.
---
💡 Important Notice:
⚠️ Avoid joining via the iOS app: Apple delays access for 75 days due to transaction policies. Use a browser or desktop instead.
💵 Tier 1: $10/month (includes general support and extra perks)
💵 Tier 2: $25/month (includes general support and extra perks)