Arc 7.1: Chapter 67
“Ahahahahaha! This is so much fun, I can’t stop!”
Misora Kasuga was an unassuming girl, most of the time. Far from the eccentricities of the rest of 3-A, she lived her life fairly modestly and quietly. As befitted a young nun-in-training of the Catholic church. Though she spent plenty of time out with her friends, she was also devoted to her religious studies and training - as well as her more secret training as a mage. Ordinarily fairly pious, she did struggle with two particular temptations: gossip and mischief.
So when she had been cleaning the priest’s side of the confession booth and Asuna Kagurazaka had stepped in and mistaken her for the Father of their church, she hadn’t been able to resist altering her voice so she could sus out what Negi’s violent older-sister figure had weighing on her mind. And when Nodoka Miyazaki had entered moments after Asuna had left, she’d gotten hooked.
The next day had been a grand haul. On Nodoka’s recommendation, many of her classmates had come in one after the other to seek everything from absolution to advice to a listening ear for their complaints - a number of them seemed to misunderstand what a “confession” was.
The Narutaki twins had just left after a joint confession where they’d admitted to a whole year’s worth of pranks, and Misora was having the time of her life.
“But man, the people in class are all airheads after all. Barely anyone with serious problems! Hm, but it’s weird that the young man who looks the most worry-prone didn’t-”
*knock knock*
“Bless me Father, for I have sinned.”
Misora paled. Nichibotsu Hikaru. One of the biggest anomalies in a class full of eccentrics. Rumor was going around that she was far more experienced than she seemed, a rumor that her massive amount of ki and exceptional skill with magic supported. Misora was one of several mage students who had been taken aback when this newcomer on the magical scene had shown off power and combat experience beyond what any of them were capable of in the Martial Arts Tournament. Honestly, she scared her a little.
And now she’s here. In confession. And actually saying what she’s supposed to say. If she finds out I’m not actually a priest… Misora swallowed nervously. “Ah, welcome, my daughter.”
She saw Nichibotsu nod through the screen. “It has been five years, two months since my last confession. …I have lied. Both directly and by omission. To my teachers, my friends, and my classmates.”
“I see.” Crap! This is way too heavy! “Well, I’m sure-”
“You see,” Misora swore in her head as Nichibotsu continued. “You see, I make it seem as if I’m an ordinary student. But I’m not.”
Wait a minute, Nichi-chan! Misora thought, panicked. Yes, the priest here knows about magic, but you have no way to know that! You’re about to risk revealing magic so soon after the Chao Lingshen incident! You can’t-
“You see, I’m a killer.”
“That isn’t the sort of thing you should be…” Misora blinked. “Wait, what?”
“I’m a killer,” Sunset confessed. “I was a child soldier in another country for several years. An assassin, really. I hunted down dangerous targets and disposed of them. Murdered them.”
Misora cleared her throat, mind reeling from this revelation. “W-well, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If they were evil men and women who were going to hurt other people, it’s understandable that you-”
“That’s not the problem, Father,” Sunset interrupted. “I know that some people must die for the good of everyone. The commandment is ‘thou shalt not shed innocent blood.’ But… there is a problem with the killing that I did.”
Misora swallowed nervously. “A-and, and what is that? Er, my child?”
Sunset took a deep shuddering breath. And released a sigh that sounded almost euphoric.
“I liked it.”
A shudder ran down Misora’s spine.
“No. I LOVED it! Their cries of agony. The terror in their eyes. Their pleas for mercy, and then for death. The smell of flesh slowly melting off of bones, the taste of ash as their hair disintegrates. I use fire, you see, as my weapon of choice. It’s a truly agonizing way to go. I should know. I suffered horrible burns when I accidentally immolated my family.”
“...wh-what?”
“Ah, such a blessed, wonderful accident! I should have been horrified, you know? Should have tried to save them or run to call the fire department. But I just sat there, covered in terrible burns, listening to that beautiful symphony as my parents burned alive. Why, if I’d never heard that sweet music, I might never have set my best friend’s house on fire with her tied up inside.”
“Y-y-y-y-y-you what?!”
“I just had to hear it again!” Sunset was breathing heavily now, her voice raw and husky. “I had to hear it! And it was even better than my parents’ screams! Ah, I was always so grateful to my superiors when they gave me young targets, especially young women and girls. They always make the most beautiful screams
“So you see, Father, I face a problem. I’ve felt safe to indulge in these sinful delights for years, because my victims were the worst of the worst and deserved every moment of delicious agony I could give them. But now? Now I’m surrendered by beautiful, nubile, innocent girls. Girls who would surely make the most beautiful screams, their bodies writhing in agony as their mortal beauty melts away, fueling the divine beauty of flames. Beauties like Ayaka and Chizuru. Spunky girls like Yuna and Makie. Reserved cuties like Honya and Satsuki. And of course, best of all, girls like my dearest, darling Ako. So shy. So adorable. Never drawing attention to herself. Heeheehee, she’ll draw plenty of attention when I turn her into a human torch.
“Hm. But then, all of that describes you pretty well too, doesn’t it? Mi. So. Ra.”
*****
Sunset burst out laughing as Misora ran screaming from the church. “Hoo, that was great! That’ll teach her to take advantage of Honya like that. Hah! I just wish I could have seen the look on her face!”
“It was rather entertaining.”
Sunset’s chuckles cut off as she heard the door on the priest’s side close. “That said,” the elderly voice continued, “I’m not sure I can approve of such mischief in the house of God. Though from what Sister Misora has told me of your reputation, I suppose I should be content that you at least restricted yourself to a private venue for your reciprocation, Nichibotsu-san.”
Sunset winced. She’d never actually been very religious - seeing the Goddess of the Sun grumpily sipping coffee on the rare bad morning tended to dampen one’s religious fervor - but she still tried to give due respect to religious figures, if only because failure to do so was the easiest way to get a lot of people angry with you. “Er, my apologies, Father. I just figured I should cut her off before she got any more victims.”
“I do not condemn your motivation, child. Nor do I truly condemn your tactics. I merely ask that you restrict yourself to less irreverent methods in the future.”
“Of course. Thank you for understanding.” Sunset grunted as she stood. “Well, I guess I should get out of your hair.”
“You have nothing to unburden yourself of?”
Sunset chuckled. “Plenty. But it’s not the sort of thing I can talk about here of all places.”
“I think you would be surprised at the sort of things you could talk about here, mage.”
“...doesn’t your holy book have a line about not letting witches live?”
“False prophets and those who use the power of the Devil to lead the lambs of God’s fold astray. The Church has no issue with mages as a whole; a hammer may be used to bludgeon a man or build a house.”
“...I’m not Catholic. Or religious at all.”
“I have a Graduate degree in Psychology from Yale.”
Sunset snorted. “Impressive. Still, I think I’ll take my leave for now. Good day, Father.”
“Good day, Nichibotsu-san.”
*****
School the next day provided Sunset with plenty of entertainment. Misora refused to meet her eye and tried desperately to pretend she didn’t notice Sunset’s predatory gaze on the back of her head all day. Sunset was starting to worry towards the end of the day that she’d lost her touch. That is, until class ended and Misora fled the room like a bat out of Hell.
“I assume you had something to do with why Kasuga-chan was so tense all day?” Ako asked her.
“Perhaps,” Sunset snickered. “Perhaps I gave her a bit of a scare yesterday. Serves her right for pretending to be a priest in the confession booth.”
“EH!”
The cry rang out from most of the class, those who had visited the church over the last two days. Expressions ranged from the impressed - Yuna - to the angry - Ayaka - to the embarrassed - Nodoka. Negi, strangely, seemed confused.
“Ahaha!” Yuna laughed. “She got us good! I never would have expected that!”
“I’m impressed, Kasuga-chan,” Haruna muttered. “Maybe I should-”
“Don’t.” Sunset’s voice was firm. “Just don’t. You shouldn’t mess around with people’s faith. Misora is lucky that it was just a bunch of religiously apathetic schoolgirls seeking advice or a listening ear rather than anyone with a serious Confession.”
“Eh?” Makie tilted her head. “That’s not what it’s for?”
Sunset sighed. Why is it that the otherworlder understands this world’s religions better than any of you? “No, Makie. The Confession booth is not designed for impromptu therapy sessions. It is a place for people to confess their sins to a priest who stands as a representative of God. The priest then offers advice, comfort, and instructions for repentance. It is a solemn and sacred affair for believers.”
An awkward silence descended on the classroom. “Oh.” Yuna rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “That… kinda makes me feel bad for talking about, well…”
Sunset chuckled. “Don’t worry. I met the actual priest after my ‘Confession’ with Misora yesterday. He seems remarkably patient where shenanigans are concerned. But I’m sure he’d rather not act as a sounding board for the collective inanity of our class.”
“I’m not so sure.” The class turned to Negi who turned to Sunset. “Nichibotsu, do you know what time you, er, encountered Kasuga-san?”
Sunset raised an eyebrow. “A little after noon. Why?” Her other eyebrow joined its sister. “Wait, you too?”
Negi nodded. “As I thought. My session was after yours. I guess I was the only one who got the actual priest.”
“Really?” Makie asked. “What was he like?”
Negi crossed his arms and closed his eyes as he thought back. “Patient, like Nichibotsu said. And very kind and understanding. He let me talk for as long as I needed to, even when I got a bit rambling. He didn’t dismiss my worries or treat me like a child. And his advice was…” A soft smile flitted across his face, gone after a moment. “He gave me a lot to think about. I… actually made an appointment to talk with him again outside of the church.”
Sunset’s eyes widened. Wow. I know I said you needed to talk to someone, Wildfire, but I didn’t think you’d find a match that easily. Maybe…
***
That Sunday found Sunset in an unusual situation, sat at the back of the church. The congregation was surprisingly small for the small cathedral’s size, and Sunset found herself enduring several conversations with the regular congregants trying to gauge her interest in the church. Finally, the sermon started and Sunset was left alone.
In truth, Sunset had little interest in the particulars of the priest’s sermon - something about a guy who got eaten by a fish - but was very interested in his delivery. On how he applied and interpreted the story. On how he talked about the people involved in it.
This Jonah the priest spoke of didn’t sound to Sunset like the most honorable of prophets. Running away from his duties and later watching eagerly for a people’s destruction. Yet, the priest expounded on the culture that Jonah came from. On the history of Nineveh. On the culture and teachings that Jonah would have grown up with and how those would have influenced his choices. It could easily have become an apologist lecture, but it wasn’t. At no point did the priest condone Jonah’s actions, nor did he say that they were reasonable. He understood and acknowledged Jonah’s perspective and where he was coming from, but he refused to say that Jonah was in any way right.
Kind. Patient. Empathetic. But uncompromising on what was right and what was wrong.
Give him a military bearing, Sunset thought as she left the church after his sermon, and he’d be almost like…
***
“I was surprised to see you in the congregation yesterday.”
“Yeah, well, Wildfire - er, Negi Springfield - gave you a good review.”
Sunset was sat once again in the confession booth. She’d asked the priest if it might not be more appropriate to meet elsewhere, but he’d pointed out that she was already there and it was a place where no-one would disturb them.
“Ah yes, Springfield-san,” the priest said. “Such a pleasant young man. Very mature for his age. He will be very wise once he’s gained more experience with the world.”
“And until then he’s an idiot kid with way more power than is healthy for him.” Sunset shook her head. “But he’s not what I came here to talk to you about.”
“Indeed, not.” The priest paused for a moment. “Though if you don’t mind, I am curious as to why you decided to take me up on my offer.”
Sunset nodded, for all he couldn’t see her. “Wildfire told me - the whole class, really - about his ‘Confession’ with you the other day. His impression of you struck a familiar chord with me. One that resonated even more powerfully when I heard you speak yesterday. You remind me a lot of my old therapist. I… I guess that convinced me to give you a shot.”
“I see. Well, I am happy to offer you my services, Nichibotsu-sa-”
“Hikaru.”
“...I had heard from Sister Kasuga that you prefer to be addressed by your given name.”
“Usually,” Sunset agreed. “But my old therapist called me by my surname without honorifics. If it isn’t too much to ask, I think that familiarity might make this more comfortable for me.”
“I suppose that is what’s most important,” the priest acknowledged. “Very well, Hikaru. Where would you like to start?”
Sunset was quiet for a moment. “First of all, I should clear up that I’m not a pyromaniac sociopath; my slight inclination towards pyromania is perfectly healthy. I do not enjoy burning people alive. I don’t even like burning corpses; the smell is atrocious.”
“And yet you are familiar enough with the smell to know this.” It wasn’t a question.
“I have not lived a sheltered life,” Sunset answered. “My parents did perish in a fire of my own making. And I have served time as a soldier. But I’ve been through all of that with my past therapists and am, if not fully recovered, equipped to tend to the remaining scars myself.”
“If you are sure.” There was a pregnant pause. “And how is your romantic relationship?”
Sunset turned scarlet. “Right,” she muttered. “I did mention Ako. It’s not a… the relationship isn’t romantic, even if I’d like it to be. She hasn’t reciprocated my affections, and I’m not pushing her to.”
“And you are alright with that?”
“Of course I…” Sunset bit back her impulsive response. “I’m… trying to be. I need to be. I… don’t have any real romantic experience myself, but I had a colleague who was an expert on the subject. Pushing the object of your affections to give an answer when they aren’t ready is a sure-fire way to push them away. That’s what she claims. It even makes sense. But… lust is a powerful emotion, I guess.” She chuckled. “I guess that’s one of the sins I’d confess if I were here for that.”
“I wouldn’t be so quick to attribute your feelings to lust,” the priest reassured. “Love is even more powerful, and desires to express your feelings physically can be either one. In any case, lust is not itself a sin so long as you do not indulge or entertain the thoughts it inspires. So long as you push the thoughts aside when they arise, there is nothing to confess.”
Sunset snorted. “And If I just suppress them until I’m in bed at night?”
There was a sound of a clearing throat. “As a priest, I cannot necessarily condone that. As a therapist, I can only say that there are those who cannot simply push their lust aside and need some form of distraction or outlet.” He chuckled. “Then again, I suppose as a priest, I shouldn’t be too supportive of a sapphic attraction to begin with.”
They shared a laugh before Sunset continued. “So yeah, she doesn’t reciprocate. And I’ve been keeping myself in check. But it’s hard sometimes. I… I guess it is more love than lust, most of the time. Even if the Japanese weren’t physical-affection-fearing prudes, I would still want to embrace her for too long. To hold her hand too tight. To look too intently into her eyes, her face cupped tenderly in my hands.” Sunset’s face was scarlet again and she thanked God - assuming He existed - for designing confession booths such that the priest couldn’t see her face. “And I guess… I’m afraid I’ll slip up. Do something that puts the strength and type of my feelings on display and drive her away. Or at least drive a wedge between us. And of course, even if she did want to reciprocate, Japan isn’t exactly tolerant of sapphic relationships. I… I don’t want to hurt her. And… I might not even be able to blame her if she rejected me for that reason.”
The priest’s voice was kind. “You truly care for her, don’t you? I wouldn’t be too concerned about driving her away. You have already confessed your feelings, and you don’t seem the sort to downplay something like that. If you haven’t already driven her away, then I’m willing to bet that she isn’t the sort to flee at an accidental display of inappropriate affection, especially if you are contrite and repentant once you recognize her discomfort.”
“I… yeah, I guess. Ako… she isn’t the type to just abandon me or hate me because of something like that.”
“Which means that there’s another fear at play. Some other concern eating at you.”
Sunset was silent for a long moment. Her shoulders grew heavier and she lifted her feet onto the small bench. Pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. Another minute passed.
“I’m going to get tired of waiting. I’m impatient. I… I’m going to get angry with her for taking so long or being indecisive or whatever. And… if she rejects me after that, I can’t even imagine how angry I might get at her for… wasting my time. Leading me on. It… it won’t make sense. It won’t be her fault. But my temper… it burns hot. I… I say a lot of stuff when I’m angry. I lash out. I look for weak points and insecurities. I aim to hurt. To say the absolute worst things I can think of. To bring up her worst mistakes. Her greatest failings. The way she hurt the one who was closest to her. Frame it as a power grab or an act of indulgent cruelty. Accuse her of tyranny and aloof detachment and that she n-never cared and j-just wanted to- to make herself look b-better and… and…”
The priest was silent as Sunset sobbed into her knees. He waited as her muffled sobs slowly quieted into sniffles and from there into silence. Finally, he spoke. “Child, would you like to confess your sins?”
Sunset was silent for another minute before nodding, forgetting for a moment that he couldn’t see her. “My teacher. My mentor. Tenko. She took me in after I killed my- after my parents died. She… she was more than just a teacher. She had plenty of students, but what we had was different. More intimate. She watched over my physical recovery as much as my studies. She supported me emotionally. Tucked me into bed at night. Let me… let me sleep with her whenever I had a nightmare about that fire. Worried herself sick over me when I went out in the field. She was… she was…
“But then something happened. Various politics led her to adopt a stranger with great potential and some fame as her niece. A child, far younger than me. And I… I was blinded by jealousy. Tenko… she treated this newcomer with affection, sure, but not much more than she gave to any of her ordinary students. Their relationship was never more than professional. Not even really friendly by the time I left. But my jealousy blinded me. I saw her as trying to take my place as Tenko’s… And so I threw myself into my studies. Tried to one-up those traits that had led to this child being discovered and acclaimed in the first place. Pushed everyone away as I grew more and more desperate. Until Tenko couldn’t ignore it anymore. Until she had to confront me. And I… I said the most horrible things to her. I accused her of the worst crimes and faults. Took every mistake she ever made and turned them into weapons. I… I hurt her so much. She… she was sobbing between her righteous condemnations. I didn’t care. No, I reveled in her anguish. I…”
The confession booth was silent again. “Pride and wrath are terrible sins,” the priest eventually said. “Pride cloaks you in arrogance and self-righteousness, while wrath blinds us and enflames our worst impulses. Pride is so hard to recognize for what it is, wrath so difficult to fight when it arises. The Lord forgives all our sins when we repent. And no matter what insults and accusations you leveled against her, no mother abandons her beloved child so easily.”
Another sob wracked Sunset’s body. “B-but, what if I do it again? Ako… I can’t do that to her! I can’t! I can’t hurt her like that. And I don’t want her to see that… that revolting vileness I’m capable of. If… if I ever did… I… I might…” Sunset jerked forward. Clasped her hands over her mouth. Tasted bile before she forced it back down.
“Hikaru!”
“I-I’m fine!” Sunset shivered in her seat. “I… I’m okay. I… oh sweet Tenko, I can’t do this. I can’t love someone like that. Not again. Never again! I can’t do that to them! I’m a monster! A villain and a blackguard! I don’t deserve to-”
“HIKARU NICHIBOTSU!!!”
The priest’s shout shocked Sunset almost to her feet. Sharp and commanding and demanding attention. Sunset’s hand was halfway to a salute before she caught herself. “There is no-one - NO-ONE - in this world who is unworthy of love.”
“B-but, I’m a-”
“You are NOT a monster, Hikaru. You are human. Or mortal, at least, despite your power. A flawed, imperfect mortal who made a horrible mistake. But you are no villain, Hikaru. No villain feels such remorse for her sins. No blackguard would even consider them such.” His tone softened significantly. “You are someone who feels powerfully and passionately, and that is no ill trait. It signifies a powerful heart, one which may yet be a great force for good in this world. Even with your anger and jealousy, you still love Tenko-san powerfully enough to weep for your trespasses against her. Even with so much distance in time and space between the two of you, you refuse to abandon that bond, even if doing so would guarantee less agony of heart. You care for Ako-san enough to know that you will not be able to hide it from her completely, and so you confessed your feelings so that she would not be discomforted or confused by your actions. You are doing all that you can to not pressure her, and your greatest concern is that you will bring her pain or grief. Hikaru, these are not the traits of a monster. This is not the heart of one who is unworthy of love.”
Sunset stared in stunned silence at the small screen which hid the priest from view even as it allowed his passionate and compassionate words through. Tears began to fall again. “But… but what if I…”
“I cannot promise that you will never misstep, my child. I cannot promise that your anger will remain restrained until it may be unleashed constructively. I cannot promise that you will always recognize your pride before it leads you astray. I cannot promise that you will not bring any harm upon your beloved. But Hikaru, your heart is full of love. Your mind is sharp and your will is strong. And you are not alone. Lean on your friends. Tell them of your fears. Open your heart to them. And this I do promise: they will not abandon you. They will stand by you and help you to overcome the worst of your demons. And - if you let them - they will keep you on the path of righteousness.”
Sunset bowed her head, letting the tears flow as the priest’s words washed over her. Could she do this? Could she trust her friends with these demons? Could she lay her heart bare before Honya? Before Yue and Haruna and Konoka? Before Ako?
No. Not them. Not yet. They wouldn’t understand - couldn’t understand - the weight of what she had to confess. But… perhaps she could confide in others. Setsuna, naive as she was about romance, knew enough of the world to understand the weight of her confession and plea for help. Kaede might be an idiot, but she had proven her wisdom despite that. And then there was…
“Aw, shit.”
*****
“...you’re asking for his help?”
“Yes.”
“With your wrath problem.”
“Yes.”
“His help.”
“Yes.”
“...”
“If you don’t wipe that stupid smirk off your face right now-!”
Kotarou burst out laughing while Negi continued to stare at Sunset in shock. “Sorry, Fire-anesan. It’s just ironic, you know? I mean, you literally beat him into the ground because of his anger issues, and you’re telling us that you have it just as bad?”
“It does stink a little of hypocrisy,” Evangeline quipped from where she was lounging on a couch nearby.
Sunset sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose. She was starting to regret having this conversation in the Villa. “Okay, first of all, my problem isn’t nearly as bad as Wildfire’s. Apart from my wrath manifesting in a non-violent manner, it also builds over time. There are signs that people can look for to head me off and talk me down before I say something I’ll regret. As for hypocrisy…” She winced. “...I can’t really refute that. I guess I owe you another apology, Wildfire.”
Negi snapped out of his stupor and started waving his arms frantically. “N-n-n-no! It’s fine! I’m just surprised that you would choose me of all people to talk to about this. I would think that Ako-san or Nodoka-san would be-”
“Not a chance!” Negi flinched, and Sunset softened her tone. “Sorry. It’s just, this isn’t the sort of thing they could understand. They’ve got good heads on their shoulders, but what I did - what I’m capable of - they just can’t understand it. Not really. But you… you’ve been through Hell. In some respects, you’re a lot more mature than most of the class. And like Dog-boy said, you’ve got your own demons, so you can understand mine better than most. I’m also going to talk to Setsuna and Kaede and ask them to keep an eye on me, but you get this in a way that they can’t.”
Negi hesitated. “I don’t know, Nichibotsu. I mean, what if I miss the signs? What if I’m not able to talk you down? And besides, I’m not going to be your teacher forever.”
“Considering she spends your classtime converting her horse magic into human spells, you’re barely her teacher now.”
Sunset ignored Evangeline and waved off Negi’s concern. “I doubt you’ll miss the signs. Everyone in Canterlot could see I was getting more irritable and unpleasant long before I blew my top. And by the time we part ways for good, I’m sure I’ll have other people to watch my back. Besides, this might all be for nothing. I’m aware of the danger this time around, and who knows? Ako might figure out her feelings for me one way or the other before I have the chance to get impatient. This is all just hedging my bets and, well…” Her cheeks colored and she looked away. “To be honest, I don’t really have any other confidants. Even with what’s happened between us, you’re still the closest thing I have to a friend that I can talk to about this kind of thing. My actual friends’ sensibilities are too delicate for problems this heavy.”
Negi let slip a chuckle before clearing his throat. “Well, I’m honored that you still consider me a ‘not really a friend,’ Nichibotsu. I’ll do what I can to help.”
Sunset let out a relieved sigh. “Thanks. Now then…” She turned to Kotarou and pounded a fist into her palm, flaring her ki. “I believe you were my sparring partner for today?”
Kotarou’s ears flattened as he gave her a deadpan glare. “This is revenge for me laughing at you, isn’t it?”
“How perceptive. Good boy.”
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Ah yes, beat up that puppy!
I like this guy. As a Catholic I thank you for the respectable representation.
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Quickly becoming one of Sunset's favorite pastimes. To be fair, this puppy bites back.
11869743
*shrugs* I'm a Mormon. I try to treat religion in general with respect.
Not always so with my characters, naturally, but one does what one can.
Lapsed Catholic here. And I see you've represented the priest as the kind they're SUPPOSED to be. Their best (I have met two priests like this before others made me realize how too many of the hierarchy are, and one was also a biology professor. And a good one). I suppose it's refreshing to see their best in a story, rather than their worst. Also...
I take you know Catholic doctrine better than most? Because this actually reflects actual Catholic doctrine: from their point of view, aside for a brief period, magic would be nothing more than a particularly weird science to be explored, and the Catholic Church is surprisingly supportive of scientific research.
Sure, Galileo got in serious trouble, but that was because his Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems doubled as a long insult to anyone who supposed Geocentrism, including the reigning Pope (an admitted Geocentrist, who nonetheless didn't try and impose his view and even initially authorized the publication) and he was already on thin ice.
More generally the Catholic Church funds scientific experiments on large scale, before deploying exorcists they have the supposedly possessed person examined by medics to exclude any known scientific reason, before declaring a miracle they have the event examined for any known scientific explanation, and for a long time considered the very idea of witchcraft heretic (and one could be burned at the stake for it), as there was just no logical explanation. Always found the latter very funny.
Though they followed the Roman practice on the use of magic, and chemistry was assimilated to magic... And the Roman practice was that using magic to harm someone was punished with death (according to one story about Saint Peter's death, that's why he was executed: he was having a magical contest with Simon the Mage in front of Nero and many Senators, and exorcising the demons that were making Simon fly and causing his death counted... And Nero, supreme authority of the Empire of the Romans, applied the law for the capital crime he had just witnessed), but IT WASN'T ANY BUSINESS OF THE RELIGIOUS AUTHORITIES unless the accuded party was a member of the Church (then the religious authorities conducted the trial themselves). If they stumbled on someone using poisons or other forms of "magic" to harm, they just warned the secular authorities and showed up at the trial as witnesses.
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I was unaware of most of that information regarding Catholic history; the explanation I had him give is just what was explained to me when I asked about that "not suffer a witch to live" line.
As for portreying priests at their best, there were a few influences. 1) I've been fortunate enough to have had several amazing Bishops (our church's congregational leaders) who I felt safe talking with about anything. They're the sorts of people who immediately come to mind when I think about local religious leaders. 2) The general portrayal of priests and nuns in anime and manga (with the exception of those types of anime and manga) is very positive; I assume that - Christians being a distinct and highly visible minority in Japan - they see more of a need than the average Christian leader to be sterling examples of what a Christian should be. One bad priest gets lost in the crowd in New York, Sacramento, or Dallas; one bad priest may be the only one for many miles in Kyoto. 3) Misora - in the manga - has a very positive impression of the priest, and some of her advise - the good parts, specifically - is drawn from what she's heard him say. And if cannon suggests that he's a good guy, I see no need to mess with that.
to be fair, i think she can argue the hypocrisy thing.
it was less about negi being wrathful in and of itself, and more about the context in which he did it.
sure sunny can be a malicious bitch, but negi could get people killed or kill someone himself by losing situational awareness when throwing potentially lethal attacks around in a combat situation.
sunset isn't snapping and spraying an automatic towards the enemy, heedless of the crowd of bystanders behind that enemy.
she just gets bitchy and vicious.
yeah, both rooted in wrath, but not the same problem.