Chapter 61: Stance
"Then I will be blunt," said Xenovia, kicking off Vahn's interrogation by asking, "Do you believe in God?"
"I do," responded Vahn, shaking his head as he appended, "Maybe not in the same way as some members of the Church, but I know he exists and believe him to be a force of good in the world."
"Then why do you choose to consort with Devils?" asked Xenovia. "Even if some have respectable personalities, it doesn't change the fact that, on a rudimentary level, they are forces of corruption. Humans require a guiding hand to avoid succumbing to sin and temptation. Devils are the root cause of the many inequities in the world..."
"I don't believe that," stated Vahn, pointing out, "Because that belief is an inequity you're forcing onto Devils by your own volition or at the behest of another. No one chooses the circumstances of their birth, and one of the very first acts of the Biblical God was to give humans free will, the right to decide their own path. I believe it's fair to punish people for their sins, but attempting to limit their freedoms in direct opposition to God's will...how is that not sacrilege?"
"Eradicating Devils isn't restricting people's freedoms or ability to choose between good and evil. It's removing a factor that often supersedes their ability to choose," responded Xenovia, her eyes narrowing as she argued, "Devil Magic is influenced by and directly influences the mind. Even the barrier covering this Academy manipulates human perception, and if it is tweaked with malicious intent, this school could become a playground for Devils who regard humans as little more than playthings. I'm not implying that's something the heiress of House Gremory would do, but if you were to ask her and she responded truthfully, you would know compassion and restraint aren't exactly the norm among Devils..."
"I can't deny that some Devils misuse their powers," conceded Rias. "But current Devil society is almost a direct reflection of the human world. The majority of Devils simply wish to live in peace, and those who behave like what you describe are imprisoned or eliminated."
"Perhaps if they're what you call Strays..." conceded Xenovia. "But if they happen to be affiliated with a powerful household, there is very little they can't get away with in the current three-way deadlock..."
"That argument might hold some weight if it didn't apply to the Church in equal measure," countered Rias. "And, just like us, you try to keep things in-house and resolve them without external influence. Condemning us for our lack of control over our people when the Church is rife with corruption wholly unrelated to Devils is...fascinating."
"Hmph..."
Deciding not to engage Rias in a tit-for-tat, Xenovia returned her gaze to Vahn, asking, "More to the point, are the rumors regarding your intent to marry the heiresses of the Gremory and Sitri Houses true? And, if so, why so suddenly? You should have only come to know them fairly recently, yet you're already considering marriage? That's suspicious..."
"Well, if you think I'm being manipulated against my will, you're mistaken," rebutted Vahn, causing Rias to tense and flush slightly as he declared, "I fell in love with Rias at first sight. I can't deny that things escalated a little quickly after that, but my feelings are my own, and I'm determined to help her and her people..."