Chapter 28: Reluctance
After calming her down and relocating someplace less public, Asia and Vahn got to experience their first taste of fast food before she confided in him and Issei what the Stray Exorcists and Fallen Angels had planned for her. She was the possessor of a rare and exceedingly useful Sacred Gear known as Twilight Healing, granting its owner the ability to treat virtually any non-fatal injury or illness, so the Fallen Angels were preparing a ritual to extract it from her body, one which would invariably result in her death.
Understandably, Vahn and Issei were incensed to learn the truth, but the former couldn't help remarking, "That doesn't make sense..." with a deep, contemplative frown.
"What do you mean...?" asked Issei, staring at Vahn as if he had lost his mind.
"The Sacred Gear System was developed by God and has been around for thousands of years, evening the playing field between humans and the supernatural..." reminded Vahn. "If bad guys could just extract them from their original wielders to use as their own, there wouldn't be much reason for Devils, Fallen Angels, or Angels to recruit or kill them. They could just kidnap anyone they suspect to have a Sacred Gear, extract it, and entrust it to one of their existing subordinates..."
"Oh...when you put it like that, it is kind of odd..." muttered Issei, recalling his interaction with the Fallen Angel, Raynare. If she hadn't revealed what she was and tried to kill him, he could have easily been persuaded to side with the Fallen Angels. If what Asia was saying was true, he was basically killed for no reason...
Smiling wryly, Asia conceded, "Well, if I'm being honest, I don't know the specifics. That's just what they told me before letting me go, telling me I should enjoy my final day on Earth and prepare my heart to meet with the Father..."
"And is that something you want...?" asked Vahn, his expression stern and focused.
Shaking her head, Asia lowered her head and smiled shyly as she replied, "What I want is to make friends and share wonderful memories with them. But my—"
"Then that's what you should do," said Vahn, leaving Asia no room to offer excuses or somehow justify allowing herself to be sacrificed to further the aims of people she knew to be cruel and wicked.
"Vahn's right," appended Issei, his expression serious and his brown eyes blazing with passion as he asserted, "You and I are already friends, Asia. I won't just stand and allow you to be sacrificed. I would rather die fighting to prevent it than live with the knowledge I didn't even try..."
"Issei-san...Vahn-san..." muttered Asia, her mouth forming a deep, chin-wrinkling frown and her eyes, once again, becoming moist as a precursor to tears. She didn't feel she had done anything to warrant their kindness and consideration, but she was deeply touched, compelling her to clasp her hands together in prayer. Issei felt discomfort due to his existence as a Devil, but he still managed to smile despite the cold sweat breaking out across his body.