If you want to read ahead by 25 chapters from her you can visit my Patre-on.
{P} {A} {T} {R} {E} {O} {N}
https://patreon.com/Playerfanfic
-----------
"Please give blessings unto the lost lamb…" the taller one called out in accented Japanese, her tone making it clear she honestly didn't expect anything from the assembled masses and was slowly losing her temper.
"Please give charity on behalf of the Father in Heaven!" the shorter of the pair pleaded, her tone more energetic and her hands clasped before her in prayer while the other held a donation box.
It went without saying that they had garnered quite a crowd, mostly rubberneckers hanging around to see if there was going to be a performance, though Shirou could spot the odd disapproving old biddies and even the stereotypical pointing child and mother combo loitering about.
'I don't know how or why, but Zelretch is probably responsible for this.' He muttered. He didn't know who the man was, only that he had seemingly played a key role in several events in Archer's life that had wound up screwing the Counter-Guardian over down the line for no reason other than his own amusement.
"So this is the reality of Japan's Economy…" the exorcist holding the donation box muttered condescendingly "This is precisely why I hate Pagan countries, not a whiff of faith to be seen anywhere…"
"Don't say that, Xenovia." Her partner chastised even as Shirou glared for the insult. One of his best friends was heir to a successful temple, albeit in another world, but the point remained that Japan had plenty of faith thank you very much "Just look at it as a trial from God~!"
"A trial from God you say?" Xenovia muttered, her tone bitter as she pointed at a shady looking statue behind the pair "I wonder if you can really call spending all our money on that suspicious-looking painting a 'Trial'."
Shirou grimaced, unable to help feeling sorry for the taller of the two women even as her partner leapt to defend the seemingly 'holy' artefact which anyone with a brain could tell, even without employing structural analysis, was simply an expensive forgery.
"How can you say that, Xenovia?" the shorter of the two demanded, her voice laced with hurt reproval "The nice man at the exhibition assured me that this indeed the painting of a Saint!"
'Hook, line and sinker…' Shirou sighed, palming his face in exasperation at the girl's naiveté alongside her partner 'Good grief, I'd heard that some faiths keep themselves secluded in monasteries, but how the hell did someone like this make it to the rank of Exorcist?'
"Oh? Is that so?" Xenovia demanded, and despite her thick hood concealing her features, Shirou was absolutely certain the woman's brow was twitching "Which Saint then? He certainly doesn't look like one I know."
"…I think it's…" the shorter of the4 pair stammered, peering at the poorly garbed figure in the poorly designed painting desperately for a few seconds before turning to face her waiting partner "Saint…Peter…?"
"Don't mess around! Saint Peter wouldn't look anything like that!" Xenovia snapped, only to groan as her partner persisted in defending her purchase "Good grief…the only 'Trial' here is that I had to partner up with a damned Protestant of all things…"
"Oh as if you Catholics are any better!" her partner huffed, hands on her hips, causing the front of her cloak to bounce slightly "You're so caught up in the old ways you can't even adapt to the times!"
'Just walk away, Emiya Shirou.' The Faker muttered, willing his feet to move past the pair, who by now had devolved to simply hurling the word 'Heretic' at one another like they were playing badminton 'Just ignore the weirdos and go on with your life…nothing to see here…'
GROWL
He froze, muscles tensing as what he first mistook for the snarl of a beast, only to blink as the two clergywomen froze mid-rant, only to collapse bonelessly to the floor, clutching their growling stomachs.
"…In any case, we need to find something to eat soon." Xenovia muttered, her teeth grit from either embarrassment or starvation "Otherwise we won't be able to continue searching for the Excaliburs."
"Hey...I have an idea…!" her partner chirped, gesturing her over conspiratorially "How about we shake some people down for money? Since they're heretics, God will totally forgive us!"
'And this is where it stops being funny…' Shirou sighed, shaking his head in exasperation as he stepped forward, cutting off Xenovia's suggestion that they simply steal a temple's offering box with a cough "Excuse me, ladies, sorry to interrupt your…conversation," he shivered at the suspicious looks being sent his way before gesturing over his shoulder towards a bicycle cop that had been listening nearby "but if you're looking for somewhere to eat, I know a decent place."
A few minutes later...
For as long as she could remember, Xenovia Quarta had dedicated her Soul and Body to God, throwing herself into her studies and training so that she may properly wield the Holy Swords that were the instruments of Faith he had bestowed upon man in their fight against the Pagans, Heretics and Devils that dared to defile his garden.
Not once had she ever been rewarded for her faith, not once had she ever hesitated to sacrifice in the name of their God. Even her hair, which had been something of a pride for her, had been cut short after it endangered her life during one of her earlier missions, an act Xenovia felt symbolized her casting aside her pride for God.
Now, however, she faced a foe which shook the very foundations of her faith, a foe which assaulted all her senses, belied all her teachings of restraint, and threatened to drag her common sense kicking and screaming into the darkness.
"Soooooo Goooooooood~!" Irina moaned, the Protestant's resolve having already broken beneath the assault, a pile of plates stacked messily beside her "I can't stop eating, it's just so good!"
"I'm glad to hear it." The Devil, or his proxy at least, offered with a smile that had likely drawn in weaker minded fools, but only managed to set Xenovia on edge "Will you be wanting more then?"
"Yes please!" Irina chirped, raising her hand in the air, her eyes literally sparkling while Xenovia fought the urge to slap her upside the head. The daft bitch nearly made her spill her plate!
'Wait! That's not the issue here!' a panicked Xenovia gasped, shaking her head to clear it of such petty thoughts as she panted for breath 'The food is not important! I could care less if it spilled-!'
-----------
If you want to read ahead by 25 chapters from her you can visit my Patre-on.
{P} {A} {T} {R} {E} {O} {N}
https://patreon.com/Playerfanfic