What Zaydas said is not completely right. Kokabiel was misunderstood, to say the least. Although he's not the most powerful Fallen Angel, his power was still there.
However, he met Vali who caught him off guard, and by suppressing his power, it became easy to defeat him. Until then, he treated Issei, even when he had the half-dragon form, like an adult playing with a baby. That shows the difference in power between the two.
Even if Issei gained more power, it was said that he wouldn't stand a chance against Kokabiel. In other words, it's not really that he was weak.
Still… Even so, his strength was at most close to Grayfia's.
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Rias suddenly asked, "Where is the person the Orthodox Church sent?"
Xenovia answered the question: "They put that person on standby for this case. They're planning to protect the last Excalibur if Irina and I fail."
"So it's just you two? You're going to retrieve the Excaliburs from the leader of the fallen angels with just the two of you? How reckless. Are you trying to die?" Rias said this with a shocked voice.
But Shidou Irina said with serious eyes, "Yes."
"I share the same opinion as Irina, but if possible, I don't want to die." Xenovia replied.
"...You came here to Japan prepared to die?" Rias seemed like she wanted to laugh: "Your belief in your teachings is as extreme as always."
"Don't speak ill of our beliefs, Rias Gremory. Right, Xenovia?" Irina looked at her.
"Right. The Church also decided that it would be better to eliminate all the Excaliburs than let them be used by the fallen angels." Xenovia: "Our minimum objective is to take the Excaliburs from the fallen angels. To achieve that, it's fine if we die. The only way to fight against the Excaliburs is with the Excaliburs. That's why I'm not really sad about the destruction of Excalibur Destruction."
Rias was skeptical: "Is it possible with just the two of you?"
"Well, we won't die in vain." Xenovia fearlessly answered Rias's question.
Rias raised an eyebrow: "You seem confident. Do you have a secret weapon?"
Xenovia answered mysteriously: "Maybe. I'll leave that to your imagination."
'Who is she trying to impress?' Zaydas shook his head.
Shidou Irina and Xenovia looked at each other and stood up.
"Then let's go now. Come on, Irina."
"I'm sorry. See you."
Shidou Irina also said goodbye with a wave. And then they both looked in the same direction. It was Asia.
Seeing that, Zaydas sighed.
'They're not going to do it, are they? They can't be that dumb, right?' He wanted to believe they weren't, but...
"I had noticed you before, but I wasn't certain..." Xenovia began while looking at Asia.
"Yes?" Asia seemed surprised to feel that Xenovia was talking to her.
"You're the 'Witch' Asia Argento, right?" Xenovia said: "I never expected to meet you in a place like this."
Irina seemed to notice too and looked at Asia: "You're the 'witch' from the rumors? The former holy maiden? They say you have the power that can also heal demons and fallen angels, right? I heard you were sent somewhere after being exiled, but I never thought you'd become a demon."
"Hehe~" Unlike what everyone thought, even Zaydas, Asia let out a small giggle in response to the question.
Finding it strange, Xenovia and Irina looked at her oddly.
"What are you laughing at?" Xenovia asked.
"Just now." Asia said: "You admit to being a mere pawn and knew you were being used as an object to die, and accepted it willingly."
Even though it was true, Xenovia especially felt a pang in her heart.
"Yes, so what?" Xenovia pretended to be indifferent.
"Hehe. Don't you think that's funny?" Asia asked: "I mean, not even Devils usually do that, but the 'Good' simply sent two girls faithful to their ideals to die for them so they could profit... Is that really something worthy of praise?"
"You..."
Xenovia clenched her teeth in anger. That hit the most painful part.
However, she didn't back down: "Isn't it an honor to die for God? What is there to fear?"
"Yes, yes, Xenovia is right." Irina, who had a silly expression before, said, adding: "Amen~"
Xenovia didn't give up and continued: "But to become a demon. The one who was called the 'holy maiden'. You fell to the lowest place you could. Do you still believe in our God?"
"Fell to the lowest?" Asia was still smiling as she shook her head: "You're mistaken. The best thing that happened to me was becoming a Devil. It not only strengthened my beliefs, but I no longer feel lost. Besides..." She smiled mysteriously, and then a pair of Angel wings emerged from her back.
The appearance of Angel wings shocked both Xenovia and Irina.
The shock was so great their mouths opened wide enough to fit a whole egg inside...
"As for whether I believe in God..." Asia didn't wait for their shock to pass, saying as she joined her hands: "It's not that I stopped believing. But yes, my faith is in the one I truly idolize." She looked at Zaydas.
'It seems that in the time that has passed, her mindset has changed a lot...' Zaydas thought, smiling back at her.
For Zaydas, Asia's change was a good thing. Believing in a God who's already dead and, even those who now rule the 'heavens' in His place, did nothing in the face of her injustice, isn't worth it.
"Blasphemy!" Xenovia shouted.
"Hehehe. You said it yourself earlier." Asia let out a small giggle: "I became a Devil and I idolize my Lord. What's blasphemous about that? And..." Asia's expression darkened: "When I needed God the most, even though I had faith in Him my entire life, He didn't appear, and I was humiliated and abandoned as a 'witch' just like you yourself said. If they didn't think twice before abandoning me, why can't I do the same?"
Xenovia was speechless again. She wasn't the only one.
Making the pair of Angel wings return, Asia was still smiling, but there was a coldness in her smile directed at Irina and Xenovia.
'Is this still my sweet and lovely Asia?' Zaydas thought with a smile: 'But... I like it~'
Victimizing herself and idolizing a God who 'abandoned' her was a foolish thing to do. Especially for someone like her who spent her entire life healing people and spreading the word of God as the "Holy Maiden", only to be repaid with betrayal.
Zaydas finally stepped in: "You two say so much, but you don't know anything."
"What do you mean by that?" Irina pointed at Asia while looking at him: "And how can she possess Angel wings?"
"First. The church Asia was part of conspired against her with a Devil. I've already investigated this matter and I know who Diodora Astaroth is."
"A sick Devil who loves breaking the faith of nuns and then turning them into Devils to do whatever he pleases with them, bought the 'faithful' who were supposed to protect Asia. Second."
"As I said, what happened to Asia is not an isolated case. Diodora Astaroth did this with several other nuns, with the church helping while he gave them money. Do you understand where I'm going with this?"
"Impossible?!" Irina denied it.
"Haha, you deny it, but in your heart you know it's true. I can hear it, your heart beats wildly because deep down you know it's true. And Xenovia over there, knows it's even more true. That's why she went silent and lowered her head~" Zaydas said softly.
"Is that true, Zaydas-san?" Asia looked at him.
"Yes, Asia." Zaydas looked at her: "I wanted to tell you about it later, but..."
Interrupting, she smiled beautifully and said: "I understand, thank you~"
Irina in particular didn't seem to want to accept it, but even as her face twisted in reluctance, she was simply caught off guard and couldn't think straight at that moment.
"That may be true, but not everyone is like that." Xenovia said.
"Yes, yes!" Like a light at the end of the tunnel, Irina clung to that.
Zaydas let out a small chuckle again: "Funny. Mistake after mistake happens and your excuses are always the same: Not everyone is like that. And you never give a satisfactory explanation and continue making the same mistakes. Just like the closed case of the Church creating the project called 'The Holy Sword Project'. I believe you know about that, right?"
"Of course we know, but." Xenovia replied: "What happened was truly regrettable and those responsible were held accountable."
"Tsk, tsk. Worthy of being a brainless servant of the Church." Zaydas scoffed: "Okay, I won't argue with you anymore. It's a waste of my precious time. If that's all you wanted to say, the door is right there. You may leave while I'm still being nice."
Irina wanted to say something, but didn't know what, and fell silent. And Xenovia, even though she was arrogant, at least knew when to retreat. She pulled Irina and left with her.
After they left, everyone turned to look in Zaydas's direction.