Disclaimer: I do not own High School DxD
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Underneath a purple, sunless sky three armies could be seen facing each other. Although they weren't fighting at the moment, the situation gave off the kind of feeling that if even one person made the wrong move they would go right back to killing each other all over again.
The ground, scorched and marked with craters, was a testament to the fierce battle that had occurred there not long ago. The corpses of various beings were strewn throughout the battlefield but they were ignored by those who were still alive. Their attention was focused towards the center of the battlefield where a tense standoff between the most powerful beings in the war was happening.
Just moments before, the Three Factions were fighting it out with each other in the fiercest battle yet to take place during the Great War. However, right now they were observing each other during a lull in the fighting and were preparing to do battle once more. In such a tense situation where a single move from any side would provide the spark to reignite the battle, all of the attention was being focused upon the leaders of the factions who were in the center of it all.
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The Three Factions were once considered to be the mightiest powers in the world. Countless years of fighting in the Great War, however, had reduced them to mere shadows of their former selves.
The first faction consisted of the Angels who were led by the Biblical God and his Seraphim.
The second faction consisted of the Devils who were commanded by the Four Great Satans: Lucifer, Beelzebub, Leviathan, and Asmodeus.
And the third faction consisted of the Fallen Angels and their organization called the Grigori, which was governed by Azazel.
Although the Three Factions originally had a strong mutual dislike for each other, it had never reached the point of open conflict until the start of the Great War.
The Great War swept up all Three Factions into a never-ending cycle of slaughter and destruction that had absolutely no end in sight. They were forced into a situation where they had to kill or be killed and to show weakness for even a single moment was to invite death. With no other choice, the Three Factions were compelled to keep fighting with only mutually assured destruction as their fate.
And so they fought. For decades, and then for centuries, they fought with no other thought than to annihilate their enemies. In such bleak circumstances, to expect anything but a tragic ending and despair from the current situation would be absurd. There would be no peace, no reprieve, and no mercy. The end would only come when all sides were completely obliterated; devastated to the extent that they lose the will to fight any longer.
...Well, that's how the Great War should have ended, anyways.
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The center of the battlefield was dominated by an oppressive silence as the strongest of each of the Three Factions looked out at each other and gauged the strength of their opponents. Although they had engaged in a fierce fight just moments before, that was merely an opening skirmish between them to gather information for the true battle that lay ahead.
Glowing with a radiant light was the Biblical God, along with his trusted Seraphim who were standing a little ways behind him. He looked over at the leaders of the other factions with a stoic face but on the inside he sighed wearily as he thought about the current situation.
He never imagined that the relationship between the Three Factions could have deteriorated so quickly and so terribly and truly underestimated the consequences of such a war between them.
By the time he realized it the situation was already beyond salvaging and had devolved into a brutal fight for survival between the Three Factions.
How long has it been? He wondered as he prepared himself for the fiercest fight of his life. It was hard for him to remember the relatively peaceful times before the Great War, and it only became increasingly difficult to recall as the decades passed.
How many have died? He thought to himself as he looked around at the various beings that surrounded him and the others.
Behind him, of course, were the Seraphim, his most powerful and trusted Angels. Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael, Metatron, Sandalphon, Raguel, Raziel, Sariel, and Remiel. By some miracle they had each survived thus far in the Great War and he was immensely thankful of that fact.
Further behind them were the rest of his children. Floating in the air, a far distance away, were countless Angels of varying ranks and positions who knew better than to come near the veritable powerhouses that were just a hairsbreadth away from clashing. Although they dearly wanted to help their Father in the coming clash they knew that they would only be a hindrance at best. The fight ahead would be a place where only the strongest belonged and there was no room for those without enough power.
Ahead and to his left he spotted the Four Great Satans, each one of them observing the battlefield with sharp eyes. For a moment all four pairs of their eyes fell onto him. He stared back and they broke off their gazes to look elsewhere. Behind them were the Devil hordes, also flying in the air far away from the battlefield.
Then, as he moved his gaze ahead and to his right, he felt a brief pang of sadness as he looked upon his other children. The Fallen Angels were one of his greatest regrets, having fallen from his grace. As he looked upon the leaders of the Grigori, he thought back to the time when they fell; the disappointment, anger, and shame that he had felt when he learned that they had been tempted by humans. The leaders were Azazel, Shemhazai, Baraqiel, Kokabiel, Armaros, Sahariel, Penemue, and Tamiel. As he looked sadly at them they noticed his gaze and he looked away. Flying above and behind them were the legions of Fallen Angels, all of whom had accompanied the leaders of Grigori and chosen to follow them.
He inwardly sighed again as he checked his condition in preparation for the battle ahead.
I still haven't fully recovered from sealing away Trihexa. He thought as he frowned internally.
Ugh. He shivered as he thought back to how he sealed away the Apocalyptic Beast.
At first he was skeptical that Trihexa even existed. It was rumored to be as strong as Great Red, the Dragon of Dragons, the strongest being in the world and therefore immensely dangerous. He was shocked and terrified when he confirmed that Trihexa actually existed and immediately came up with the idea to seal it away, seeing as it was much too powerful to do anything else. He somehow managed to catch Trihexa by surprise, and even then he barely survived the process of placing thousands of seals on it. He emerged victorious but he was injured and exhausted most of his power in the process.
I have no choice. He thought. Retreat is not an option. And should I fall here today...
He looked towards his side at one of his Seraphim, Michael, who had stepped forward to give a fearless glare towards the other combatants.
"Are you nervous, Michael?" He asked quietly, moving his gaze back towards the battlefield.
Michael instantly replied. "Of course not, Father. With you here along with my brothers and sisters there is no chance of us tasting defeat this day."
The Biblical God chuckled at Michael's predictable answer but inwardly thought that this day would probably be his last.
"Would you please listen to my request, Michael?"
"Of course Father. Anything you wish."
"If I do not survive this battle, I want you to take over as leader of Heaven."
He could hear Michael take a sharp intake of breath and gasps coming from the Seraphim behind him as they heard his request.
"...Don't be ridiculous, Father. There will be no need for me to fulfill that request because you will definitely survive this battle."
He knew that Michael was angry that he had even brought up the request, but insisted on it nevertheless.
Looking at Michael directly in his eyes he repeated himself. "I am not invincible Michael, so I need you to promise me to look after Heaven if I do not make it."
Michael was about to respond when he saw the look in his Father's eyes. It was a look of fierce determination and it silenced any words that were about to come out of his mouth.
After a brief silence Michael answered him. "...I promise, Father."
The Biblical God gave his son a relieved smile as he thanked him and turned back to face his enemies.
Although he resigned himself to dying in battle this day, he was determined to take as many of his enemies down with him. Hopefully with his and the other leaders' deaths, the Three Factions would finally bring an end to the Great War.
He prepared himself for battle, shifting his stance and gathering his power.
The Four Great Satans and the Grigori leaders did the same as the tension skyrocketed; each of them waiting for an unknown signal to start the battle that would decide the outcome of the Great War.
The members of the Three Factions surrounding their leaders held their breath as they waited to see who would make the first move.
Tensing their bodies, the leaders of the Three Factions prepared to attack, about to make history in a battle that ended the Great War along with the lives of the Four Great Satans and the Biblical God—
But they were interrupted when a blue portal suddenly materialized dead center between each of the leaders.
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The leaders of the Three Factions were all taken aback as they stared with wide eyes at the portal that swirled and hummed with energy. Their confusion only grew further when they confirmed that the other leaders were as surprised as they were, meaning that none of them had expected this to happen.
As the leaders continued to look at the portal, murmurs broke out among the Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels surrounding them as they also tried to figure out what was happening. Even the leaders themselves began to whisper amongst one other as they tried to analyze the baffling event.
However, the attention of every single being within that battlefield snapped back to the portal when a hand shot out of it and gripped the edge of the portal.
Everyone watched transfixed as a man walked out of the portal, with it slowly fading from existence shortly afterwards.
Surprisingly enough, the man appeared to be a human somewhere in his twenties. He stood at a fairly tall height and had the brightest crimson-colored hair that any of them had ever seen. It reached down to the back of his neck, with his bangs covering his forehead and running down the sides of his head to his cheeks. His eyes were a striking shade of blue, like sapphires which sparkled in the light. Equally as eye-catching as his hair and eyes was the smile on his face. It was so natural and genuine, that it gave everyone the impression that it belonged there; the feeling that to see anything else but a smile would be unnatural.
However, as he exited the portal his smile changed to an expression of surprise as he looked around at the numerous supernatural beings that he found were surrounding him.
He took a closer look around at the situation he found himself in, taking in the tense and volatile atmosphere and the craters and bodies that dotted the landscape.
Apparently coming to some kind of a conclusion, his face gained a sheepish-looking smile as he asked a question that wasn't particularly directed at anybody.
"Am I interrupting something?"
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"Am I interrupting something?"
They all stared back in befuddlement at the human who had just interrupted the start to the most important battle in the Great War.
Compared to their subordinates' thoughts, the leaders who were closest to the man were cautious and on high alert. When they inspected him closely they couldn't feel a trace of any power, or aura, or anything coming from him, which immediately set off alarm bells in their heads. This person just exited a portal that opened up in the middle of the fiercest battle to take place in the Great War, in the Underworld, no less, and they couldn't sense a single thing from him? That they couldn't sense anything from him could probably be attributed to the fact that he was a human—a fact that opens up a whole other can of worms—but the way the man was acting, even after seeing the scarred battlefield and the powerful beings surrounding him, made all of the leaders highly suspicious of this individual.
Possessing the highest amount of curiosity among any of them, Azazel spoke up first, ending the silence that was caused by the appearance of the man by asking him a question. "Who are you?"
Turning around to face the person who asked him the question, the man regained his smile as he answered it. "My name's Fengo. What's your name?"
Smiling amusedly at his simple and honest response, Azazel responded in kind. "I'm Azazel."
"It's nice to meet you, Azazel."
"Likewise, Fengo."
The casual conversation between the two of them, which was occurring right in front of all of the leaders, garnered various reactions from all of them.
The other Fallen Angel leaders looked at Azazel with a small amount of frustration, but mostly resignation, as they sighed in unison. Something like this wasn't surprising at all when it came to him and his curiosity about things which caught his interest. When this man, Fengo, appeared out of nowhere, Azazel immediately entered a state where he focused all of his attention on discovering who he was, ignoring everything else around him. When Azazel was in this state there wasn't anything that could interrupt him and he would put aside anything, even the most important battle of the Great War, to satisfy his curiosity. This was hardly the first time they had seen him like this; in fact they had seen it so many times that they were more or less used to it by now.
The Biblical God and his Seraphim were in the same boat as the Fallen Angel leaders, having known him before his fall from grace. They remembered that even when he was still an Angel of Heaven his curiosity was unmatched by anyone else. In his time as a Fallen Angel it seemed as if his curiosity only grew as evidenced by his willingness to put aside the battle for the sake of finding out more about this man. While thinking about all of this, the Biblical God was looking at Azazel with a wry smile on his face, like he always did. Gabriel was giggling at his antics, like she always did, and Michael was looking at him with a distasteful frown—like he always did.
On the other side of the battlefield, the Four Great Satans were looking a little nonplussed. Although they knew who Azazel was, they were never as close to him as the others were so they were completely taken aback at his sudden change in behavior. Once they got over their initial surprise though, they each reacted in their own different ways. Leviathan had a wide smile on her face as she looked at the scene with an amused and mischievous glint in her eyes. Asmodeus looked confused about the situation, which wasn't really a surprise at all, but he also seemed to be inexplicably excited at the thought of fighting the man who had shown up out of nowhere. Beelzebub, once he had calmed down, went back to analyzing the current situation that he and his closest friends now found themselves in. Lucifer, however, was sporting a tick mark on his forehead, revealing how angry he was at what was happening. Those two in front him had the gall to converse so casually and completely ignore him at the same time? Completely unacceptable!
Lucifer tried to assert his presence by speaking out. "Either you are very brave, or very foolish, human—"
"So mind telling me what's going on around here Azazel?"
But he was interrupted when Fengo asked his question.
"How dare you interrupt m—"
"Well," Lucifer, now becoming angry, tried to insert himself into the conversation but was once again ignored. "Some other guys and I were about to clash in an epic battle for the ages that would have likely determined the outcome of the Great War and probably resulted in most of our deaths." Azazel paused to take a breath. "When you appeared out of thin air, literally, and interrupted us."
By this point Lucifer's face was looking quite apocalyptic. It was now an angry shade of red which, when accompanied by a twitching eye and the tic mark, made for quite the terrifying visage.
Just when he was about ready to attack the two out of sheer frustration he heard giggling and snickering coming from beside him. Whipping his head over to look at the offenders, he found himself glaring at Leviathan and Asmodeus who weren't even trying to hide their mirth at the state that he was in. Keeping up his glare, the two eventually tried stifling their laughter, though they had a hard time doing it and were obviously still amused. Beelzebub just rolled his eyes at his friends' behaviors when he saw them looking at him, clearly accustomed to their antics by now.
Thanks to his fellows Satans and friends Lucifer was able to calm down. Crossing his arms petulantly he decided he would graciously allow the two to continue with their conversation.
"Huh. Really. No kidding?" Fengo showed no shock or surprise to Azazel's answer; rather, he seemed pretty blasé about the whole thing.
"Yeah, no joke. I'm being totally serious right now."
While Azazel was talking with Fengo, he was also observing him carefully and paying close attention to his reactions because he was interested in how Fengo would take this revelation. It wasn't every day that information like this was divulged, after all, and doing so might reveal some more insight on Fengo depending on how he would respond to it.
It was only because Azazel had been carefully watching Fengo that he was able to catch the minute changes in his countenance, which he would have otherwise missed completely because of how quickly Fengo managed to conceal them.
For just a moment Fengo's smile turned bitter; his eyes seemed weary and resigned and his shoulders slumped ever so slightly. However, before Azazel even had a chance to blink, all the changes he had just observed vanished, replaced with determination and a look of resolve, and it was only because he had been intently focusing on Fengo that he didn't play it off as a trick of his eyes.
Azazel stored that piece of information away in his mind for a later time, deciding not to comment on it, and instead asked Fengo another question. "So what about you, Fengo?"
"Hm? What about me?"
"How about starting with how you got here and why you decided to interrupt us?"
"I arrived here by walking through a portal." Everyone who heard his answer just stared at him blankly.
Grinning, Fengo continued without missing a beat.
"And I wasn't planning on interrupting you; it just happened to turn out that way. What a coincidence, huh?"
No one there believed him when he said that it was just a coincidence, the look on his face only fueling their suspicions.
Skeptical of Fengo's response, Azazel decided to call him out on it. "So your appearance in the middle of the most important fight of the most important battle of the most important war of our lives was just a 'coincidence'?"
Fengo's grin only grew wider as Azazel spoke disbelievingly.
"Yup." Fengo answered, casually popping the 'p' at the end of the word.
Azazel took a long look at Fengo but was unsettled when he found that he couldn't determine one way or the other if he was lying to them or not. As the leader of the Fallen Angels, Azazel considered himself to be one of the best judges of character and manipulators in the Three Factions and frequently put those skills to use during the war to devastating effect. This only made the fact that he couldn't get a read on Fengo, apparently just a human, that much more disconcerting.
An awkward silence followed Fengo's response as everyone mulled over his answer and exchange with Azazel.
Finally the Biblical God spoke up, breaking the silence.
"Whatever the case may be, it would be best for you to leave, my child." The Biblical God said in a solemn tone, advising the young human.
Both Fengo and Azazel paused for a moment, before simultaneously turning to face the Biblical God.
Both parties stared at each other unblinkingly before Fengo glanced over at Azazel.
"Hey, Azzy, was he talking to you or me?"
"'Azzy'?" He parroted back towards Fengo, looking at him strangely.
Fengo beamed at Azazel as he said, "Mhm. Azazel is a pretty nice name, but 'Azzy' rolls off the tongue, yeah?"
Azazel was about to disagree, but after he saw how pleased Fengo was he sighed and decided to just let it go.
"By the way, he was talking to you, Fengo."
Fengo turned to face the Biblical God who spoke again after patiently waiting for the two to finish. "As I said before, you should leave before you get hurt. This is no place for a human such as you, my child."
"Ah, please, just call me Fengo. Also, thanks for the concern, but I can take care of myself just fine."
The Biblical God scrutinized the human who called himself Fengo as he listened to his audacious claim. He wasn't boastful about it, nor did he seem to be putting on a brave front for the sake of those who were watching him. Even though he was surrounded by beings with power that defied comprehension, Fengo was calm and his statement was delivered with what he would describe as "confident certainty". The Biblical God didn't know what to make of him, so he tried one last time to persuade him to leave.
"You will be caught up in the fighting once it begins so, for your own sake, Fengo, please leave while you still have the chance." The Biblical God pleaded to him, trying his best to save one last human before his end.
Everyone there was stunned to see the Biblical God so determined to save this one human, to the point where he was practically begging him to live. Most of them couldn't understand his desire to save human lives and to see them prosper. This was especially true of his Seraphim who were baffled and angered that their Father would lower himself to such a degree just to see this human live.
Fengo didn't respond and instead studied the Biblical God in silence, seeming to be searching for something in him.
When the Biblical God felt Fengo's gaze on him he stiffened for reasons unknown to him. It was as if Fengo could see through his entire being and he felt as if he was being analyzed and judged under Fengo's eyes. Above all else, however, was the overwhelming feeling of pure unease that Fengo was inciting within him through such a mundane action.
After what seemed like an eternity, Fengo finally shifted his gaze away after apparently finding what he had been looking for. This caused the Biblical God to loosen up almost involuntarily, as if in relief. Wondering exactly what had just happened, the Biblical God watched on as Fengo surveyed the other leaders. To his disbelief, he saw every single one of them flinch as Fengo's eyes landed on them one by one. The entire process was surreal to see and confirmed the Biblical God's suspicion that there was more to Fengo than any of them had originally assumed.
After Fengo's gaze returned to him the Biblical God listened to the words that followed, no longer treating him as carelessly as he did before.
"If I leave, you guys will just go back to fighting each other, right?"
The Biblical God was slightly taken aback at Fengo's question but answered it with a hardened expression on his face. "We will. There is no other choice if we are to survive and everyone here has resolved themselves for it. One way or another, this detestable war will end today."
His last statement was delivered with a tone of finality that had not only his Seraphim looking at him alarmingly but the other leaders as well.
However, as if expecting it, Fengo showed no reaction as he continued to ask the Biblical God further questions. "Have you truly never considered any other options? In your eyes is fighting in a war you despise the only way out?"
"What are you trying to say?" The Biblical God said, beginning to anger. "We have fought this war for centuries, we have lost thousands and—!"
"And you think that you are the only ones who have suffered?"
Before the Biblical God could continue, Fengo interrupted him with a question that pierced him to the very core of his being. The Biblical God was shocked into silence but Fengo continued on.
"There appears to be two other sides in this war, you know? They have fought for just as long as you have; they have lost just as many as you have, and yet you never once thought that they would want this war to end as well?"
This time addressing the other leaders as well he asked, "Have any of you ever once stopped to think that none of you wanted this war to continue?"
In the stillness that followed Fengo's questions the leaders of the Three Factions took the opportunity to gauge each other's reactions. The masks that each of the leaders crafted over the course of the war to hide their emotions were slowly starting to slip off in the current situation, and what they revealed surprised them all.
Regret. Exhaustion. Bitterness. Hopelessness. Showing none of the emotions of typical warmongers and all of the emotions of leaders with lifetimes' worth of regrets, not a single leader there presented a front which advocated for the perpetuation of the war. Seeing their fellow leaders express feelings which mirrored their own made Fengo's statement about none of them wanting to continue the war that much more believable. This revelation combined with the myriad of events which had occurred that day left them ill-prepared for what came next.
"So," Fengo said, drawing the attention back to him. Looking at his face they could see a large smile which only seemed to grow with his next words. "Now that it's clear that no one wants to fight any longer..." At this point his smile was positively cat-like.
"How about you guys end the Great War?"
For the faction leaders who had already had a hell of day, this suggestion from Fengo was simply too much and their jaws were left hanging in shock.
Meanwhile, Fengo was content to just watch them with the same mischievous smile on his face as their brains attempted to reboot and make sense of what he had just suggested.
After yet another lengthy silence, Lucifer was the first one to regain his state of mind and to respond to Fengo. "Human, do you not understand the absurdity of what you have just suggested?"
Tilting his head, Fengo countered Lucifer's dazed reply. "Is it really? Not only have you guys conveniently gathered together in one place, but you've also all seen that none of you have any desire to continue fighting. From where I'm standing, there is no better chance to end the Great War than right now."
Lucifer paused at that, and after thinking it over had to grudgingly agree with what the human had pointed out.
This time, Azazel, who had had a wide smile on his face ever since recovering from Fengo's casual proposal to end the Great War, said, "So what are you proposing? That the Three Factions just make peace?"
"No, no, no." Fengo denied, waving his hands about. "Expecting that of the Three Factions would be a little too much to ask too soon. I think that 'making peace' after you guys have been killing each other for so long would just be a recipe for disaster."
Azazel let out a bitter smile after hearing that, finding that he had to agree with Fengo's reasoning.
"Buuut..." Fengo said with a grin. "A ceasefire wouldn't be too much to ask for, would it?"
All of the leaders mulled over that proposal, thinking it over in their heads.
Even though they were all tired of the Great War, attempting to negotiate for peace between the Three Factions would not be a wise decision at this point in time. Besides their own thoughts, they also had to take into account the thoughts of their own people who were as much a part of the Great War as they were. Suddenly announcing to them that the Great War was over would be a big enough shock to them on its own, but calling for peace between factions that had been fighting for as long as they have? At best their people would believe that it was a trick their leaders were playing on them. At worst the lingering feelings from the Great War would lead to outrage over the peace and then to another war.
However, a ceasefire could be the solution to their problems. If all Three Factions could show to each other that none of them had any desire to continue fighting any longer, bringing up the idea of a peace treaty between them wouldn't sound as farfetched anymore. The ceasefire would also bring an end to all current fighting between the Three Factions, if nothing else, and possibly create opportunities for them to interact with one another in a way other than attacking and trying to kill each other on sight. Through those interactions they could possibly come to more of an understanding with one another; enough of an understanding to the point where peace would be seen as a possibility and maybe even as desirable.
Well, that would be the hope at least. Whether or not it will actually turn out that way remains to be seen.
The idea of a ceasefire was an attractive one that they all thought was feasible. But they could see that it also carried with it a great deal of risk which could lead to the destruction of their faction if they were careless. One of them being they would have to trust that the other factions would not try and use this opportunity to attack them while their guard was down to annihilate them. Another issue would be in the communications between the Three Factions in order to facilitate negotiations and talks among other things.
Bringing these complications up, the Biblical God spoke out to Fengo. "Although the idea of a ceasefire is appealing and preferable, there are many ways in which it could be derailed. To achieve a ceasefire between the Three Factions would be a monumental undertaking."
"You're right. But isn't it worth it to at least try to achieve a better future, no matter how difficult it might be?"
On that point the leaders could all agree.
"And besides, I'll help out and make sure that it definitely succeeds." He said with a bright smile, in a tone full of certainty.
And on this point the leaders all looked at Fengo strangely.
The nonchalant way in which he said that made it seem like it was natural for him to aid in negotiating a ceasefire between three immensely powerful supernatural factions who had been warring for centuries and the confidence he spoke with made it seem like success was already a foregone conclusion.
In the stillness that followed Fengo's declaration, the faction leaders all continued to look at him with the same odd expression on their faces, as if they had just heard something utterly ridiculous. Which, in fact, they had, although the man himself apparently didn't think so.
Eventually, as the silence dragged on and it became evident that Fengo was in fact serious about what he had just said, the Biblical God spoke up disbelievingly. "Are you saying that you will personally aid in the process?"
"But of course." Fengo affirmed. "Since I was the one who interrupted your glorious battle to the death and suggested ending the Great War in the first place, I insist that I also take responsibility for my actions."
"You seem pretty confident that it'll all work out, but how would you even contribute, Fengo?" Azazel asked, thoroughly entertained by now.
"Well, first off, I could be the middle-man, acting as an intermediary between the Three Factions. Since I've just arrived here, I have no affiliations whatsoever to any group or faction and would be unbiased in any negotiations."
Listening to Fengo the leaders all agreed in their head that he made a good point. In the future it would be beneficial to have a neutral party through which they could communicate with the other factions. This would help in eliminating some of the problems that would arise when they would begin to negotiate with each other.
"Most importantly, though, would be my task of keeping the peace between the Three Factions and making sure the Great War doesn't start up all over again. That will be crucial." Fengo said decisively, crossing his arms and nodding his head.
Yet again the leaders all looked at Fengo strangely.
Struck with a case of déjà vu, the faction leaders all continued to look at him with the same odd expression on their faces, as if they had just heard something utterly ridiculous. Which, in fact, they had, although the man himself apparently didn't think so.
This time however, instead of a lull in which the leaders tried to process his statement, Lucifer immediately burst out laughing.
As his mocking laughter rang out across the battlefield, the Biblical God frowned while the most intense look of interest yet had appeared on Azazel's face.
Fengo just gave an amused smile towards Lucifer as he waited for him to calm down.
"Human," Lucifer said, highly amused. "I must praise you for giving me the first good laugh I've had in a while." He smiled derisively. "The thought of a mere human like you 'keeping the peace' between the Three Factions is the most entertaining thing I have heard in a long time."
"I think that I'm pretty capable for a human, though." Fengo responded with a mysterious smile.
Sneering, Lucifer disparaged Fengo's remark. "You can think whatever you want. But it won't change the fact that you're just a weak human who will soon discover that he is utterly outclassed within the world of the supernatural." Lucifer derided. "When compared to the likes of us humans are only insects to be trampled on."
Although they would have stated it differently, the other leaders agreed with Lucifer's notion that Fengo was being presumptuous when he declared his intent to maintain order between the Three Factions. Even leaving aside the matter that Fengo was just a human, for any being to make an announcement as audacious as his was just absurd.
Looking around at the other leaders Fengo scratched the back of his head as he spoke to them. "It seems like you're all in agreement with him, huh?"
"Well, it's not like I don't understand why..." He said quietly to himself. "And this is as good a time as any I guess..." As Fengo mumbled to himself, Lucifer took that as a sign that Fengo was reflecting on the statement that he made.
Scoffing, Lucifer said, "Have you finally seen the foolishness of—"
"So," Fengo interrupted by clapping his hands together, cutting off Lucifer yet again and causing him to twitch. "Why don't I just demonstrate for all of you, then?"
"What are you possibly talking about now, human?" Lucifer asked incredulously.
Ignoring him completely, Fengo instead addressed Asmodeus, pointing at him. "Hey, you."
"How dare you ignore me?!" Lucifer was outraged at being casually dismissed by Fengo—which Asmodeus also overlooked just as easily as Fengo had ignored Lucifer.
"Me?" He inquired, pointing to himself.
While Lucifer was taking deep breaths and trying to calm himself down in order to avoid strangling his friend, Fengo confirmed Asmodeus' question.
"Yeah. You seem like a pretty strong guy and some sort of leader or something."
"I guess you could call me that." Asmodeus said simply.
"You also look like you're bored out of your mind right now and you've wanted to fight me ever since I showed up, right?"
Giving a challenging smile, Asmodeus answered him. "What about it?"
"That's perfect then." Fengo responded by giving Asmodeus a challenging smile of his own. "I'll use you as proof; come at me with all that you have."
While the other leaders gaped in shock at Fengo's latest declaration, Asmodeus only smiled wider as excitement began to bubble within him.
"Did I hear you correctly? You want to fight?" Even as he was saying this tremendous magical power was already being gathered by him in preparation.
"Yeah, it's simple. After I beat you, there shouldn't be any questioning of my power anymore." Fengo replied.
The Biblical God was alarmed by the recent development and tried to intervene. "You can't Fengo! He's too—!"
"Hahahaha!" Asmodeus interrupted him when he suddenly laughed.
At the same time that he did so there was a massive explosion of demonic power as magical energy spilled from Asmodeus. It chaotically swirled around him causing the ground to shake and fracture from the sheer volume and density of it. Then it started to coalesce around him, forming itself into a sort of aura that surrounded him in a dense layer of energy that flowed over his entire body.
"'After' you beat me huh?" He said with a broad smile.
"I like the way you think, Fengo! My name is Asmodeus!" Declaring this to Fengo, Asmodeus readied himself.
Fengo raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued when Asmodeus displayed his power. But when he heard Asmodeus' response Fengo acknowledged it with a smile of his own.
Beelzebub tried to stop his friend. "Asmodeus wai—!"
But he failed as Asmodeus shouted at Fengo. "Here I come!"
Cratering the ground where he once stood, Asmodeus shot off towards Fengo. He flew along the ground at such high speeds that he seemed to all but disappear to those who were watching, reappearing right in front of Fengo. His arm was pulled back and his fist was glowing with all of the energy that he had focused there.
Twisting his body, he rotated his arm and threw his fist towards Fengo. There was an explosion of energy as the land was rocked by Asmodeus' powerful attack impacting Fengo head on, kicking up dust as the ground was shattered.
The other leaders could only watch on numbly as his body was sent flying across the battlefield; there was absolutely nothing they could have done in that situation.
It was all over in an instant.
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The Devil known as "Asmodeus" was an interesting existence, to say the least.
Asmodeus was one of the Four Great Satans: the rulers of the Underworld and the leaders of the Devils. As befitting of a Devil holding one of the four greatest positions in the Devil race, he possessed peerless strength which was recognized both by his own kind and by his enemies. This was shown through the various informal titles he received: "The Dogged Devil" and "The Juggernaut" being a couple of them.
However, as a Great Satan—rather, as a Devil—Asmodeus was seen as... eccentric, or perhaps even abnormal. Unlike most other Devils who relied on their demonic powers to cast spells or on their special traits which they inherited from their clans, Asmodeus fought using his own body. Were it any other Devil, he or she would have been ridiculed and humiliated for their way of fighting which was perceived as "lower-class". But Asmodeus was a Devil whose strength placed him in a class of his own; equaled only by three others whose power was as absurd as his. Against such overwhelming force any negative thoughts towards him were snuffed out, or, at the very least, were kept inside the minds of those who thought them.
Asmodeus' fighting-style was based around the use of his body. Compared to most Devils his physique was absolutely herculean; a result of the dedication and training he devoted to it, which was another rarity among Devils. This gave Asmodeus a monstrous boost to his physical attributes which were already enhanced due to the fact of the entire Devil race having superhuman strength, endurance, and senses. With his bare hands and physical strength alone Asmodeus was capable of taking down Ultimate-Class Devils and their equivalents in the other factions.
However, the powers which wrought terror in the hearts of Fallen Angels and Angels and made his fellow Devils—above all else—revere him as their Satan were achieved when he combined his physical strength with his astounding demonic power. Instead of casting spells, he used his demonic power directly on his body, improving his physical capabilities including his durability, strength, and speed, while at the same time forming a dense aura that covered him in his entirety. Composed completely out of his demonic power, the aura acted like a barrier which could lessen or even outright nullify attacks that impacted it. He could even utilize the aura to augment his offensive potential by focusing it into different parts of his body and then attacking with them. This combination of a highly trained and forged body and unique use of his vast demonic powers enabled him to tear apart Ultimate-Class ranked enemies with ease.
Many different assumptions were made on why he fought that way. One of those assumptions had to do with the fact that the use of demonic powers by Devils required them to have the power of imagination, creation, and sensation. So some theorized that Asmodeus could not cast spells because he lacked one of those three attributes and thus had to resort to coming up with a new way to fight.
The problem with that theory was that Asmodeus could, in fact, cast spells. It had been such a long time since he had casted a spell, however, that the only Devils who even remembered that he could cast them were his friends, the other Great Satans. Even though he has the ability to cast spells, at this point his current fighting-style is far more powerful and so much time has passed, anyways, that relying on spells would be detrimental to him.
The real reason why he chose to create this method of fighting was rather simple. As a Devil he initially relied on his demonic power like conventional Devils. He eventually found that fighting this way, at least for him personally, was completely and utterly boring. This event left Asmodeus, who was a battle maniac, unsatisfied and motivated him to find a different way to fight in which it would be fun for him, culminating in the style he has now. When his friends, the other Great Satans, found out about it, they just shook their heads and dismissed it fondly, like they did with many other things, as Asmodeus "just being Asmodeus".
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The eyes of all the leaders on the battlefield focused on Asmodeus who had just been sent flying.
It wasn't clear to them exactly what had happened and they could only watch detachedly as his body skipped across the ground at ludicrous speeds, tearing great chunks out of it whenever he bounced. To them, it seemed as if Asmodeus' attack had landed perfectly on Fengo and they had all expected for him to be absolutely destroyed by it. Instead, Asmodeus was flung back and a powerful shockwave was created which smashed the ground around them in a wide arc.
Asmodeus would have continued rag-dolling across the ground if it wasn't for Lucifer and Leviathan catching him. Even though they used their bodies and braced for it, the two of them were still pushed back. They let out a grunt when Asmodeus slammed into them and their feet dug a long trench into the ground as they attempted to stop his momentum.
When the three of them finally stopped, both Lucifer and Leviathan voiced their concern for their friend.
""Asmodeus!""
Falling to his knees, Asmodeus coughed up blood as his body shook from the damage he had taken. His consciousness was wavering as he struggled to regain his senses after receiving that tremendous hit. Looking over at where Fengo was standing, all he could see at the moment was the dust which had swirled up from their exchange.
Thinking back to what had transpired, Asmodeus would have had trouble believing the reality of it had it not been for the injuries which he sustained.
For some reason, when he had heard Fengo calling him out he had a feeling that it was going to be a challenge to fight him. That was why, when Fengo actually did challenge him, his excitement overcame him and he charged towards Fengo immediately. Cloaking himself in his aura he ran towards Fengo without a second thought and launched a powerful attack at him without holding anything back. It was an attack which could have taken out almost any opponent he went up against, whether it was Devil, Angel, or Fallen Angel. It should have killed Fengo and completely broken his body, reducing it to a fine red mist.
But it didn't. Because Fengo caught the attack. With one hand.
When Asmodeus arrived in front of Fengo at a speed he thought was imperceptible for him, he was proven wrong when he found Fengo looking directly at him, apparently able to keep up with his speed. That should have been a sign to Asmodeus that something was amiss but he brushed it off and continued with his attack.
When Fengo caught Asmodeus' attack his feet dug into the ground which cracked apart under the force it was subjected to. As his fist closed around Asmodeus' the energy that he gathered for his attack discharged but didn't harm Fengo at all.
Asmodeus, however, was not given any time to think about the ridiculousness of the situation. Before he could even widen his eyes in shock he was hit with the same fist that Fengo used to stop his attack. The punch came so fast that Asmodeus could not even react to it; he only felt it impacting the center of his body with such force that he could feel his bones shattering and his body bending around it; with such force that a shockwave was created as he was flung back at a tremendous speed. It sheared through his protective aura which seemingly offered no resistance at all to Fengo. The defense and endurance that he was so proud of, that had allowed him to survive up until this point, was rendered absolutely useless by a single punch.
Even as Asmodeus was recalling what had transpired, he never took his eyes away from the dust cloud that was obscuring Fengo. As the wind picked up and blew away the dust, it revealed Fengo who was perfectly fine after their exchange. Curiously, he wore a concerned expression on his face.
"Hey, Asmo, are you all right? I didn't hit you too hard, did I?"
Readily taking in the nickname he was given, Asmodeus was struck by the genuine worry that he could hear in Fengo's voice. Apparently Fengo was more troubled about Asmodeus' condition rather than the fact that Asmodeus had just attempted to end his life.
Meanwhile, Lucifer and Leviathan, who were supporting Asmodeus' body, were still attempting to make sense of what they had just witnessed. They weren't the only ones with their mouths hanging wide open, as every single being present there was looking at Fengo and trying to rationalize what they just saw with their own common sense. Unfortunately for them the only thing their minds could come up with was a big, fat, ERROR.
Not paying any attention to the other leaders who had smoke coming out of their ears, Asmodeus gave his reply in an attempt to reassure Fengo. "I'm fine. Don't worry ab—Ack!"
It failed badly, though, when in the middle of it he coughed up more blood.
Giving him a wry smile, Fengo said, "If you're trying to convince someone you're not badly hurt, it would help if you don't, you know, cough up blood in the middle of your sentence?"
Asmodeus put on a dauntless smile as he gave a hearty laugh.
"Gahaha! A little bit of blood is nothing to worry about! This level of injury is nothing compared to the ones I give myself when I train!"
Beelzebub, who had rushed over to Asmodeus immediately, listened and gave him a severe look when he said that. Lucifer and Leviathan also knew that what he said was mere bravado as they were supporting his body to keep him from keeling over on them. In fact, just by looking at Asmodeus the other leaders could tell that he was barely holding himself together.
Although Asmodeus was putting on a brave front, he came to the realization already that he had sustained significant damage and would have to rest for the next couple of days at the bare minimum. Judging by the look in Fengo's eyes, Asmodeus could tell that he knew this as well.
"Well, I guess if you still have the energy to be so cheeky you can't be too badly hurt." Shaking his head, Fengo directed a grin at Asmodeus who returned it with his own.
Leaving Asmodeus in the care of his two other friends, Lucifer stood up in absolute fury.
"You worthless human! How dare you—!"
"Asmodeus, stop!"
As Lucifer prepared to attack Fengo for harming his friend, Asmodeus forced himself up, despite the protests of Leviathan, in order to stop him.
"I was the one who attacked him first, Lucifer. Besides," Giving Fengo a knowing look, Asmodeus continued. "I get the feeling that he was holding back."
Lucifer and the other leaders were alarmed by what Asmodeus said and looked to Fengo who gave a shrug.
"It was just meant to be a demonstration for all of you. I wasn't aiming to kill Asmo, but it was kind of hard to determine how much it would take to bring him down and I ended up overdoing it a bit."
Falling back onto his knees, Asmodeus let out a groan.
"Just 'a bit', huh?"
Fengo put on an apologetic smile when he heard that.
"Yeah, sorry about that. But are you convinced now?"
Asmodeus quieted when he was asked that. Before, when Fengo announced his intention to keep the peace between the Three Factions, he was incredulous. He couldn't believe that anyone, let alone a human, had the power to do what he claimed. He was pleasantly surprised when Fengo suddenly challenged him and he found himself liking that kind of personality, which was why he thought it a shame that he was going to die. He never could have imagined in his wildest dreams what would happen next and now he found himself believing in Fengo. The possibility of an end to the Great War and peace between the Three Factions now seemed to be more than just an unrealistic hope.
Making up his mind, Asmodeus directed a wide smile at Fengo.
"Yes, I am. You have shown me your power, and you have my full cooperation in ending the Great War."
All of the leaders were stunned with Asmodeus' frank declaration but none more so than the other Great Satans. Lucifer, Leviathan, and Beelzebub looked at their friend and saw neither hesitance nor doubt in his expression.
Looking intensely at his friend Beelzebub spoke up, questioning him. "Are you sure about this Asmodeus?"
Releasing a weary sigh, Asmodeus replied to him. "I'm tired, Beelzebub. I'm tired of fighting this war; I'm tired of seeing our fellow Devils die in this pointless conflict and I'm tired of seeing our children being born, fighting, and dying in it. I once believed that the Three Factions were doomed to mutual extermination and that all that awaited our race was death. I had lost all hope... until now." Even though Asmodeus was kneeling on the ground and was in terrible shape, he was exuding a presence in this moment that commanded the attentions of all who were present with indomitable power and charisma; a presence which designated him as nothing less than the Devil's greatest: a Great Satan. "This man showed me that I was not alone in my thinking; that, of all people, my enemies wanted to end this war as much as I did. He showed us a path to a better future, volunteering to help us in the process and proved to me that he has the power to see it through. For the Devils—for the sake of a better future—I will place my full effort towards ending the Great War and place my trust in Fengo."
Asmodeus' powerful words captured the full attentions of all of the faction leaders present. His heartfelt speech struck a chord with what they all felt but were too afraid to speak out loud for fear of appearing weak in this crucial situation. Because Asmodeus took the plunge, the pressure that was on the leaders disappeared and the mood shifted, becoming more optimistic as the end to the Great War appeared closer than ever.
Lucifer, Beelzebub, and Leviathan closely listened to their friend, being the ones who understood him the most out of everyone there. His words hit them especially hard because they went through what he went through and shared their feelings and experiences with each other. As they looked into each other's eyes and silently communicated, they all came to an agreement, nodding to one another.
Lucifer looked towards the other leaders before glaring at Fengo. When Fengo only responded by smiling widely at him with innocent eyes full of expectation he clicked his tongue. For some reason he didn't like the look on Fengo's face and had the feeling that Fengo was around messing with him. Brushing aside his annoyance with the human Lucifer made a declaration that changed the course of history forever.
"Speaking on behalf of the Great Satans and the Devil Faction, I, Lucifer, declare our full cooperation with Fengo on ending the Great War."
Starting with the other leaders who heard him there was a surge of shock which spread to the Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels who surrounded them, like the ripples on a pond. Shocked exclamations and excited murmurs broke out among the forces of the Three Factions as they began to understand the full reality of the situation and the implications this moment would have for the future.
Azazel quickly recovered from his shock and the smile that grew on his face went from ear to ear. Like a child in a candy store his body started to vibrate in place from the excitement and emotions he was feeling as these events unfolded in front of him. He couldn't believe that an end to the Great War was so close at hand and turned around to look at his fellow Grigori Leaders' reactions.
They fared no better than Azazel when they realized what was happening and the new direction the future was heading towards. Their eyes shined brightly with hope as their spirits were finally lifted after countless years of constant warfare. The bleak fate that awaited them and their fellow Fallen Angels could be defied; it could be changed for the better. They were just as excited as Azazel was at the prospect of a ceasefire to end the Great War and they showed it by smiling and nodding their heads at him, giving their consent.
Well, most of them did, anyways.
Finding the reactions he had been expecting, Azazel turned back around and announced his declaration with a jubilant smile.
"Speaking on behalf of the Grigori Leaders and the Fallen Angel Faction, I, Azazel, declare our full cooperation with Fengo, and the Devil Faction, on ending the Great War."
As his surroundings erupted in a cacophony of shouts and noises coming from all Three Factions, Azazel looked straight on at Lucifer with a cocky grin on his face.
Ignoring the reactions of his and the other factions' soldiers, Lucifer met Azazel's gaze with a distasteful look in his eyes. When Azazel replied by crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow, Lucifer pursed his lips and inclined his head towards him. Receiving Lucifer's positive response Azazel pumped his fist, prompting Lucifer to roll his eyes at him.
Together they turned to face the Biblical God, plunging the battlefield once more into silence.
The mood took a drastic turn as the tension skyrocketed. On one side were the forces of the Devils and Fallen Angels who watched the Angels on the other side.
As his Angelic forces shifted uncomfortably behind him, the Biblical God's mind was whirling with activity.
He couldn't believe that they somehow went from killing each other to the Devils and Fallen Angels agreeing to cooperate together with some random human to end the Great War. It was just too ridiculous and any moment now he was expecting for the other shoe to drop them straight into their graves. He was also struck with profound irony when he thought about how the Devils of all beings were the first to declare their decision to end the Great War peacefully. It just went to show how little he actually knew and understood the other factions.
However, he smiled when he thought about the fact that the opportunities to better understand them would soon come.
"Speaking on behalf of Heaven and the Angel Faction, I, the Biblical God, declare our full cooperation with Fengo, the Devil Faction, and the Fallen Angel Faction, on ending the Great War."
His voice rang clear across the battlefield. Everyone there heard it but in that moment could not decide on what to do or how to react. The faction leaders just continued to look back and forth amongst each other as their soldiers appeared to be unable to process the situation.
In the stilted and awkward silence Fengo spoke up, drawing all of the attention back towards him.
"Then with the compliance of the Devils, Fallen Angels, and Angels," He said casually, as if speaking about the weather.
"The Great War is over."
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It was all well and good to proclaim that the Great War had ended but now it was time for the Three Factions to actually perform the necessary steps to achieve it.
The Biblical God began by stating that he would pull back all of his Angels from the Underworld back into Heaven and that the Devils and Fallen Angels would be notified if any Angels would return for whatever reason. Lucifer and Azazel followed up by saying that they would pull their own forces back to their respective territories, creating neutral zones that had once been occupied by the forces of the Three Factions. Those areas in the Underworld would not be intruded upon by any faction and any entry into either Fallen Angel or Devil territory would be preceded by a notification beforehand.
For now this is what they all decided on and would carry out immediately, the purpose of this being to stop all of the current conflict and battles going on between them. This would also be a test to see if a ceasefire between the Three Factions was possible or not and, more importantly, set the stage for improved relations among them.
After deciding on their plan of action, the leaders all began to head back to their homes to inform their people of everything that had happened and was going to happen in the near future. They were all excited to announce to their people that the Great War was over and optimistic at what was to come.
Azazel was enjoying the bewildered expressions on the faces of his and the other factions' forces as they were told to go back and that they no longer needed to fight anymore. Seeing these veteran soldiers acting like disoriented children brought an impish smile to his face and he noticed some of the other leaders enjoying themselves as well. As he explained the situation to them and saw them off, he looked back towards Fengo who was silently watching all of this with a small smile and eyes that seemed unfocused and lost in thought.
Noticing Azazel's gaze on him Fengo's eyes regained their vitality as he looked back.
Azazel was curious about Fengo's state just now but decided not to pursue it at the moment.
"What is it Azzy?"
"I was just wondering what you were planning on doing now."
As Fengo tilted his head in thought the other faction leaders, hearing Azazel's question, listened in.
"I'll give all of you some time to notify your people and to get everything in order. After that I'll make my way around to each of the factions."
The leaders accepted his response but Azazel raised a concern. "Will you be okay? And how will you locate us?"
"I'll be fine." Fengo said, dismissing Azazel's worry.
Azazel and some of the leaders raised their eyebrow at this but shrugged it off in the end. If he said so then it'd be fine. Probably.
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Fengo watched as the last of the Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels teleported away, leaving him alone on the scarred battlefield. Looking around at the various damages that were inflicted on the land around him he shook his head and sighed.
"What a mess they made..."
Kneeling on one leg, he placed his hand with his palm facing down on the ground and closed his eyes.
Very quickly an ephemeral figure materialized in front of him. It was a beautiful woman wearing a loose, flowing dress, looking down at him with gentle eyes and a kind smile.
When she appeared it was as if nature itself responded to her presence; the air around them became more pure and fresh and the environment they were in was revitalized.
Opening his eyes and meeting hers, Fengo smiled back.
Bending down she stroked his cheek with her hand and gave him a kiss on it before disappearing.
Standing up and looking around again, he could see that the damage the land had sustained was being repaired rapidly and soon it was as if the battlefield wasn't marred in the first place. He gave a nod once he saw that his work was done.
"So what do you think, Cali?"
If there was anyone left to watch him they would have been treated to the sight of Fengo apparently talking to himself.
[I am constantly amazed at the situations you always seem to find yourself in.]
"You and me both." He said, chuckling when he heard the melodic voice in his head.
[Well it's not as if we haven't been through something like this before. And this time around it started out pretty well.]
"I know, right? Compared to some of those other times this is going swimmingly. No one has even died yet!" He exclaimed cheerfully.
Their conversation ending there, Fengo looked up at the beautiful purple sky of the Underworld as multiple thoughts and feelings ran through his mind.
"Three factions fighting in an eternal war where their only options were to fight or die. Trapped on an endless path of despair they fought and fought until one day a random man showed up in the middle of their death-match and somehow managed to convince them to stop fighting. Now it's up to that one man to make sure that those factions come to understand one another and live in peace and harmony, instead of killing themselves in a race to exterminate each other."
While reminiscing on recent events, he summed up his situation in one eloquent and elegant sentence.
"This is going to be such a pain in the ass."
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So this is the first chapter of the first fan fiction I've ever written. I was originally writing this story only for myself, but then I figured that since I already have it I might as well post it too. I'm testing the waters here a little bit and I'm curious as to what the response will be like. So if you want to, just drop your thoughts into a review or PM. Good thoughts, bad thoughts, questions, advice, complaints or even flames, I'll gladly take them all.
And thanks for reading :)