Was originally planning to upload this for Singles Awareness Day but decided the joke wouldn't translate well. Before we move on I'd just like to clear a few things up.
1. Sirzechs is in no way remotely CLOSE to being on Goetia's level. What happened was that Shirou accidentally tapped into the memories of EMIYA whilst trying to 'recall' if any of his alternate selves had ever encountered anything on Sirzechs level & either did so at the wrong time or Archer decided to be a dick & sent him the memory on purpose. Needless to say, Shirou's fragile mortal mind could not grasp the true form of Goetia's power, hence why his nose started bleeding.
2. Several people have asked me how Shirou has kept the Shroud of Martin concealed all this time. He only transferred to Kuoh this year & everyone is still wearing their winter uniforms, so much like Issei & Kiba he's almost never seen without his blazer. During gym he usually wears a tracksuit & while to my knowledge the pool isn't used during the winter/spring semesters since it's outdoors, he has a note from Azazel excusing him from swimming due to a 'skin condition'.
Hope that clears things up.
Fake x Life Seventeen: Meeting of the Three Factions.
Vali scowled, the White Dragon Emperor gazing up into the sky from his position atop Azazel's mansion.
It had been two days since his introduction to his rival, two days spent watching over the little pervert as he wasted his time trying to get the Gremory Heiress' pet cross-dressing vampire out of its shell instead of heeding his advice and devoting his time to actually getting stronger for their upcoming duel.
Make no mistake, Vali wasn't the kind to pick on the weak, if anything he looked down on those who threw their weight around just to show off. To him, there was no benefit in purposefully fighting a weaker opponent unless it was to help them improve, as anything less would simply be a waste of time and energy.
And don't even get him started on those idiots who attack a weaker opponent just to provoke their 'true' target. If he wanted to challenge someone he'd do it to their face, there was no need to get others involved, especially not their friends or family. After all, while it was undeniably true that the blood of the Original Lucifer flowed through his veins, Vali preferred to make his way in the world relying on his own strength rather than riding on his Ancestor's coat-tails.
Part of his reason for doing so was his general disgust, if not outright hatred, for his relatives, more specifically his Grandfather, Rizevim Livan Lucifer. In addition to being born the son of the Original Lucifer and Lilith, the mother of all Devils, Rizevim had the honor of being one of the three so-called 'Super Devils' whose power, once matured, actually outstripped those of the Four Satans, to the point that had Lucifer not lost his life during the Great War he would've likely had Rizevim offed out of sheer paranoia.
Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on which side of the fence you stood, the other two Super Devils turned out to be Sirzechs Gremory and Ajuka Astaroth, veterans of the Great War who were not only privy to the truth of God's death, but had seen the resulting cease-fire as the perfect chance to overthrow the old regime.
Not that Rizevim cared, if anything he'd laughed as the old Regime came toppling down, citing that it was in the very nature of Devils to take what they desired, for the strong to trample the weak beneath their heels. He also found it highly ironic that, for all their preaching of 'change' they were still forced to keep some elements of the old regime, as evident by Sirzechs, a fellow Super Devil, being forced to assume the mantle of Lucifer in order to present a strong-front for the new Regime.
In short, Rizevim Lucifer was a Devil of contrasts. Despite holding his parents in the highest regard, he held no desire to perpetuate his father's plans for world domination. Despite believing Devils to be inherently evil by nature, he saw no reason to interfere with the new regime, choosing instead to reside in solitude as the underworld changed around him.
All of that changed the moment Vali was revealed to possess Divine Dividing. Unlike Rizevim, who honestly couldn't have cared less, Vali's father had inherited the same fanatically arrogant pride in his heritage as the other members of the Old Satan Faction, though sadly he hadn't inherited any of his Sire's might as a Super Devil. If anything, he was considered the weakest of the Old Satan Faction, only tolerated by the others because of his heritage and out of fear of angering Rizevim.
It also didn't help his case that he was the only member of the Old Satan faction to commit the 'heretical act' of consorting with Humans, even taking one as a lover. This, as you might imagine, left the would-be-Lucifer with a considerable inferiority complex, causing him to lash out at anyone, typically his lover, in a futile attempt to sooth his ego. It was during one-such beating that Vali, seeking to protect his mother, manifested Divine Dividing for the first time.
Unfortunately, while he was able to protect his mother, his act of defiance, coupled with Rizevim's not-so-subtle instruction, invariably led his father to focus his cruelty on the young Lucifer. In the end, driven to his limit and worried for his mother's safety, Vali had been forced to swallow his considerable pride and run away, eventually stumbling across Azazel, who took him in.
Since that time, Vali had vowed that if his path ever crossed with that of his father or Grandfather again, he'd give back all the suffering he'd endured at their hands a thousand-fold before finishing them off once and for all. Not even Azazel, for all his love of peace, could find it in himself to chastise the teen for his bitterness, though Vali liked to think he'd mellowed out over the years since the Governor General first took him under his wing, not that he'd ever admit it to the man's face.
It was for this reason, among other things, that Vali had come to resent Hyoudo Issei. As this generation's vessels for the Heavenly Dragons, the two of them were destined to battle one another, to the death eventually, as had all their predecessors before them, each leaving behind their mark on the history of the world.
Despite, or perhaps because of this, as the current generation's Red Dragon Emperor, Hyoudo Issei left a lot to be desired in Vali's honest opinion. So much so, in fact, that during their first, unofficial meeting, Albion hadn't been able to sense his rival's presence within the boy until Ddraig had called out to him. To make matters worse, according to Azazel the pervert had actually admitted to being so weak he couldn't travel by teleportation circle, something even new-born Devils were capable of doing, despite costing his Master, Rias Gremory, all of her Pawns to revive him!
For Vali, who had been preparing for the day he challenged his 'destined rival' from the moment he learnt of the existence of the Heavenly Dragons, this had been a tremendous let-down. While there was no shortage of powerful foes for him to challenge in the interim, the fact he had to acknowledge a loser who could only think with his little head as his official rival almost caused him physical pain.
"It certainly is an ironic twist of fate." Albion opined from within their shared mindscape "In a sense, he serves as the polar opposite to your position as the most powerful White Dragon Emperor."
"He's nothing like me." Vali scoffed, glaring up at the night sky "He's nothing but Gremory's pampered pet pervert. If it weren't for the Boosted Gear she wouldn't have given him a second glance."
"To be fair, the same could be said for any Sacred Gear User." Albion opined "Remember, it's almost impossible to identify a Sacred Gear until it manifests. This Hyoudo boy simply lucked out that the Gear he was born with belonged to Ddraig."
"Luck…right." Vali scoffed, sneering in disgust at the idea of something so trivial deciding the course of his destiny. After all, had he not clawed his way up to his current level of power with his own two hands? True, Azazel had taken him in and provided a roof over his head, acting as a father-figure to the White Dragon Emperor in all the ways that truly mattered, but the Governor General's pacifistic stance was something that Vali just couldn't get behind, leading him to routinely take matters into his own hands to alleviate his boredom, whether it involved putting the fear of Albion into unruly subordinates or eliminating Strays that managed to avoid being detected by the heiresses.
In short, as someone who had worked his ass off to get where he was today, someone who'd earned the title of 'Strongest White Dragon Emperor' not only because of his heritage, but because of his own innate talent and desire to grow not only as a warrior, but as a man, Vali Lucifer could not bring himself to acknowledge Hyoudo Issei. Not as a man, and certainly not as his rival.
"Yo." A familiar voice called out, prompting the teen to sit up as Azazel stepped onto the roof, his usual lazy grin in place "Thought I'd find you up here." The Governor General mused, plopping himself down next to the teen with a grunt "You always did like to come up here whenever something was bothering you."
'Typical Azazel.' Vali scoffed, unable to help the fond smile that formed on his lips at the Fallen's comment. To anyone else, the Fallen would have just been stating a fact, only those who knew him well would recognize the Governor General was prying for answers. "So…tomorrow's the big day…" he mused aloud, gazing down at the city below from atop a half-completed building along with Azazel "I suppose you want me to attend tomorrow's conference as well?"
"Isn't that a given? You're the White Dragon Emperor, can you really afford to miss out on a meeting when your destined rival is in attendance?" he scoffed at Vali's sudden scowl "If it makes you feel any better, Michael specifically requested that I bring Xenovia and Shirou along as well."
"Archangel Michael?" Vali queried, honestly surprised, and a little intrigued if he was being completely honest, by the revelation "I could understand Xenovia, being Durandal's wielder, but what business does he have with Shirou?"
"Who knows?" Azazel shrugged cryptically "Could be he's interested in meeting Kokabiel's killer, it's not every day a mortal can kill a Seraph-level Angel, fallen or no." his eyes glittered mischievously "Of course, it might have something to do with him being the one to see past Michael's little sleight of hand."
"The Excaliburs." Vali mused, nodding his head in understanding. After all, even Arthur and Le Fay had believed the Church's 'little white lie' regarding the fate of their Ancestor's Swords. How could they not, having been weaned on the tale since before they could walk? To learn that the True Excalibur remained intact, albeit lost, have served to light a fire under the normally reserved Pendragon that Vali honestly approved of.
"Shirou certainly has shaken things up since he arrived, hasn't he?" Azazel chuckled, a hint of pride in his tone that always cropped up whenever he mentioned one of his 'cute charges', earning an eye-roll from one of said charges "Hell, he might wind up being a key-player in things to come."
And just like that, Vali's mood soured. The reminder of the upcoming peace-talks, and what they would entail, crushing his blossoming good-mood "Hey, Azazel." He called out, his tone disinterested "You truly believe there won't be any more wars?" he scowled as Azazel scoffed "what?"
"Sorry, it's just I've heard that so many times from various hosts over the years." Azazel admitted, shaking his head with a smile "I suppose it's not surprising, Dragon's are an inherently volatile species. Even the most pacifistic of their race seek battle in some shape or form, and the Heavenly Dragons are anything but pacifistic."
"That we are not." Albion concurred, a hint of amusement in his tone that earned a scoff from Vali as he continued to gaze out across the city, his eyes, whether by fate or happenstance, locking onto the distant form of his rival's home turned mansion "In that regard, I could not have asked for a more understanding host."
"Be that as it may, you won't live long if all you do is seek battle after battle." Azazel chided, the good-natured teasing in his tone a stark contrast to the look of concern in his eyes.
"That's fine." Vali countered, hands in his pockets "I don't have any interest in living a long, complacent life in this Age." He scowled "If anything, I honestly regret being born in this age…I wouldn't have minded taking a crack at God before I died."
"Now there's the Vali I remember." Azazel scoffed, genuine fondness in his tone "Fitting words for the White Dragon Emperor. But tell me, suppose you achieve your dream and become the 'strongest', what'll you do when there's no-one left to challenge?"
"I'll die." Vali admitted, earning a sharp look from the Governor General as he watched the silver-haired teen turn to walk away "I don't have any interest in such a boring world."
"…and here I thought he grew out of his Chuunibyou stage…" Azazel sighed, shaking his head in exasperation as he looked at the stars "Dammit, how did you make this parenting thing look so easy, old man?"
The Next Day...
"Shirou, are you ready?" Xenovia called out, the former-exorcist clad in her school uniform as she stuck her head in the kitchen, where the redhead was putting the finishing touches on something "The teleportation array is ready."
"Ah, just about." Shirou acknowledged, placing the lid on the box he'd been preparing before wrapping it in a cloth and making his way out of the kitchen to where the rest of the group stood "Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Not at all." Azazel chuckled, waving away his apology while Vali merely scoffed "I highly doubt any of the others would have thought to provide refreshments anyway. This way I get to show them up while getting to enjoy my tea without worrying about it being drugged."
"I don't think Sona or Rias would go that far." Shirou countered, pointedly ignoring the mocking look Vali sent his way "And from what Xenovia described it's unlikely Archangel Michael would permit such action."
"Old habits die hard, Shirou-kun." Azazel countered, his tone whimsical, though Shirou swore he saw a hint of pain behind the man's roguish smirk "None of the Faction leaders would have lived this long if we let our guards down." He smiled brightly "Though hopefully things will have changed by the end of today!"
"Let's just get this over with." Vali grunted, earning a look of concern from the redhead as he strode towards the teleportation array, the rest of the group following suit, Shirou's eyes squinting shut as he experienced a brief moment of vertigo, only to tense as they opened to find Grayfia standing before him.
"Good evening, Governor General Azazel." The Strongest Queen greeted with a polite, professional nod that befit her position as Head Maid of House Gremory, her features remaining unreadable, even as her eyes lingered briefly over Shirou's form "Are these your attendants?"
"Shemhazai and Barakiel couldn't make it." Azazel admitted with an apologetic smile "They both have responsibilities that couldn't be set aside even for today, so it looks like you have me all to yourself, Ms Lucifuge."
"Please do not make such inappropriate comments, Governor General." Grayfia countered, her tone polite, though Shirou couldn't help but shiver at the brief surge of power she gave off "If you will follow me, I shall escort you to the meeting room."
"What a woman." Azazel chuckled, apparently the only one unaffected by the Strongest Queen's show of power, as even Vali was eyeing her with approving wariness, recognizing her as a credible threat whilst weighing his chances against her "Don't bother Vali. Unlike Sirzechs, Grayfia isn't the kind to tolerate 'youthful impulses'." He eyed the teen solemnly "You'd be dead the moment you went to activate your Scale Mail."
Vali scoffed but complied, though whether this was out of respect for Azazel's wisdom or his own acknowledgement of Grayfia's power, Shirou couldn't tell. Either way, the redhead released the breath he'd been holding, offering a shivering Xenovia a comforting pat on the back with his free hand as they fell in step behind the Strongest Queen.
Were it anyone else, they might have found it odd to be traversing the halls of Kuoh without the ever-present hustle and bustle of students. Even Shirou, who was more than used to doing so due to his reputation as 'The Kuoh Brownie', had to admit there was a subtle difference between traversing the halls of Kuoh and Homurahara, a fact he mostly attributed to the bounded field he could sense covering the whole building. While nowhere near as unsettling as Rider's 'Blood Fort Andromeda', it's presence, combined with the hovering figures outside, still served to raise his hackles.
"Now there's a familiar sight." Azazel noted grimly as he glanced out the window at the assembled forces of the Three Factions, his displeasure apparent despite the devil-may-care smirk he'd plastered on his face "Good grief, you'd think we were going to war again…" he shrugged helplessly "Then again, depending on how things go at the conference, that might just happen."
"You don't think they'd hold the battle here, do you?" Shirou pressed, scowling at the idea of Kuoh being turned into a battle field. While the Bounded Field was guaranteed to keep limit any conflict to within it's confines, there was always the off-chance of it coming down and unleashing Hell-on-earth, pun intended, should anything happen to the caster.
"That all depends on what happens." Azazel replied "Me, personally, I'm hoping for peace, and I know for a fact both Michael and Sirzechs are all for it, especially given recent events." He narrowed his eyes "That being said, Kokabiel wasn't the only member of the Grigori who opposed my way of doing things, and I'll bet you anything there are members of the other Factions that feel the same way."
Shirou frowned but said nothing, knowing all-too-well from Archer's Memories that the most dangerous threat one could face was often not from your enemies, but from those who had claimed to be your allies, only to stab you in the back when your ideals threatened their own.
"Excuse me." Grayfia acknowledged, opening the door to what Shirou dimly recalled as the Faculty Meeting Room, mostly dominated by the large, pompous-looking table in the center, around which several people were already gathered. To one side he espied Sirzechs and Serafall, the former clad in ornate robes while the latter had forgone her Magical Girl outfit in favour of a respectable suit-dress. She was also glaring across the table where their counterparts, the Angels sat, though upon closer inspection, she appeared to be glaring at a beautiful female angel who seemed honestly confused by her animosity.
"Lady Gabriel…" Xenovia breathed, her hands clasping over her mouth, tears forming in her eyes as she gazed at the female Angel with reverence "To think she would come here herself…"
"Well now, it looks like we might just have a shot of this after all." Azazel mused, preening softly as he stood up straighter at the sight of Heaven's Diva "If Michael intended to start a war, he most certainly wouldn't have brought her along."
'This is Gabriel?' Shirou wondered, turning to regard the Seraph hailed as the 'Power of God'. Even before arriving in this world and his recent exposure to the accumulated memories of his alternate selves, Emiya Shirou felt he was more than used to being around beautiful women. Sure, it had taken time for him to acknowledge Sakura as such, and Fuji-nee would always be Fuji-nee to him no matter how often she would tease him, but he wasn't completely dense when it came to the opposite sex despite Rin's constant quips to the contrary.
That being said, out of all the beauties he'd seen over the course of his short life, Shirou had to admit that Gabriel was easily a top-contender for first place, combining a voluptuous body that put even Rider to shame with a kind of innocent charm that rivalled Saber's infamous charisma, save that where Saber's presence had inspired awe and respect in those she met, Gabriel seemed to inspire a sense of comfort and, for some unfathomable reason, an unexplained desire to protect.
"Greetings, Azazel." The male Angel, whom Shirou rightfully deduced to be Michael, called out warmly, the Faker shivering despite himself as he felt the Archangel's compassionate gaze wash over them "It has been too long."
"Eh, we'll have to agree to disagree on that." Azazel quipped, earning a soft chuckle from the Archangel as he turned his attention to Gabriel "And you're looking as lovely as ever, Gabriel."
"Ah, thank you." Gabriel offered, her voice, soft and melodious, only serving to heighten the feeling of comfort in the room as she smiled at the Fallen warmly "I trust you've been doing well?"
"All the better for seeing you." Azazel quipped, raising a hand apologetically at Michael's warning look, though Shirou couldn't help but think the Seraph looked like he was pouting "Oh don't be a sour-puss Michael, you'll ruin your good looks." He snapped his fingers as he took his seat "Besides, even you have to appreciate the irony of my escorting a Magi bearing Gifts."
Recognizing his cue, Shirou stepped forward, the redhead doing his best to ignore the look of amusement from Sirzechs and the questioning looks from the Seraphs, Michael in particular, as he held up the wrapped package for all to see "It's nothing much," he assured them "Just a few treats to tide the meeting over."
"Your consideration is humbling." Michael offered, an honest smile adorning his and Gabriel's features, the beauty inclining her head in thanks even as Grayfia stepped forward to accept the package, just as the door opened once more to admit Sona, Tsubaki and the members of the Occult Research Club.
"Right on time." Sirzechs greeted, the two Satans smiling endearingly at their younger siblings, though much to Sona's relief Serafall remained seated as the two groups filed into place behind them "Lord Michael, General Azazel, may I officially introduce Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri, the current overseers of Kuoh and the younger siblings of Serafall and myself."
"Well met, Rias Gremory, Sona Sitri." Michael greeted, acknowledging the heiress' bow with a kind smile "Though if I may ask, why is Ms. Sitri's peerage absent? I understand they played a vital role in keeping the situation with Kokabiel from getting out of control."
"I have tasked my peerage with maintaining my duties as overseer for the duration of the meeting." Sona supplied dutifully while adjusting her glasses "I deemed having Tsubaki, my Queen, in attendance would be more than enough support, especially given how Rias' peerage did most of the legwork this time around."
"Ah yes, we had heard you made quite the impressive showing." Michael noted, nodding his head to Rias' peerage, who straightened instinctively "I thank you once again for handling the situation as you did."
"Yeah, sorry about that." Azazel drawled lazily from his chair, earning an annoyed glare from Rias and Sona, an amused glance from Sirzechs and Serafall and a long-suffering sigh from Michael while Gabriel merely pouted disapprovingly "If I'd known Kokabiel would pull a crazy stunt like that, I'd have put him on a tighter leash."
"Everyone, please be seated." Grayfia cut in, interrupting the glares the Gremory peerage were sending Azazel's way in favour of directing them to a series of chairs behind the Satans, Rias and Sona remaining by their siblings' sides as they were asked to deliver their official report on the events that transpired. While this was going on, Shirou noticed something odd about the Angel's attendants. While Sirzechs and Serafall's lack of attendants aside from Grayfia could likely be attributed to the presence of Rias' Peerage, the fact the Seraphs were accompanied by two humans, exorcists judging by their cloaks, rather than lesser Angels was quite jarring.
"The Angels got hit the hardest during the Great War." Vali supplied softly from the side, having deduced the redhead's confusion by following his gaze "Unlike Devils and Fallen who can reproduce naturally, the death of God meant they could no longer replace their numbers. I wouldn't be surprised if the ones outside were some of the last Pure-Blood Angels left in existence."
Now that was a terrifying thought, Shirou feeling a sense of pity wash over him as he glanced at the Seraphs. Bad enough that they were driven to the brink of extinction by a war that cost them the life of their creator, but for them to be forced to look on as their natural enemies flourished as the ages passed? Unable to do anything to prevent the decline of their numbers as they were either killed or Fell and joined the Grigori?
As if sensing his gaze, Gabriel glanced up, her green eyes meeting the Faker's ochre in confusion, only to smile, a soft, gentle smile that nonetheless pulled at his heartstrings. How many of her friends had she lost to the war? How many of her fellow Angels had she been forced to cut down due to Falling into Sin?
How could she continue to smile like that, knowing that her species teetered on the brink of extinction?
Insert Recap-Episode Here...
"This concludes my summation of the events of the Kokabiel Incident experienced by I, Rias Gremory, and the members of my peerage." Rias concluded solemnly "The rest of the details are detailed in the official report submitted to all three factions."
"As witness, I Sona Sitri can confirm the veracity of the events detailed in the official Report submitted by Lady Rias Gremory." Sona added solemnly, the Sitri heiress bowing alongside her childhood rival towards their respective sibling Monarchs.
"Thank you, that will be all." Sirzechs offered, smiling encouragingly at the younger Devils even as Serafall praised her younger sibling, though thankfully she abstained from anything physical, allowing Sona to retain her composure. "Now then, Azazel. As the Governor General of the Grigori, I would like to hear your opinion of the matters discussed in the report."
"It doesn't really matter what I think." Azazel countered with an intrepid smile, heedless or unconcerned with the glares he was receiving from the younger Devils, Rias in particular "Kokabiel went rogue and he more than paid the price for his actions."
"Ah yes, the young man that was able to recreate Caliburn." Michael noted, his gaze drifting briefly to Shirou, who stiffened despite himself, only to pout as his view of the teen was promptly blocked by one of Azazel's black wings "I noticed during Ms. Gremory's report that he wasn't listed as a member of your organisation."
"That's because he isn't." Azazel countered with a smirk, earning a look of intrigue from the leaders of the other factions "It's true that the Grigori have a penchant for taking in strays," Vali scoffed at this "but just because I put a roof over their heads doesn't mean I expect them to follow my orders. I'd have been perfectly happy if Shirou chose to never involve himself in our world, but the kid seems to have a knack for getting wrapped up in other people's messes."
"So it would seem." Sirzechs mused, smiling encouragingly at the younger redhead along with Serafall while Grayfia's eyes narrowed "Still, you can't honestly expect me to believe you were completely unaware of Kokabiel's actions?"
"I suppose I should expect some scrutiny for letting things get as far as they did, but the truth of the matter is once he went dark neither of us could get in contact with the other." He scoffed bitterly "I mean, do you honestly think he'd have had the balls to pull a stunt like this if he'd known I was in town? I may not run the tightest ship, but when I say jump, my men know better than to ask 'how high?'."
"Vulgarity aside, Azazel speaks the truth." Michael conceded, his expression solemn "As bloodthirsty as Kokabiel became after falling from grace, he wasn't suicidal. Even if his goals ran counter to Azazel's orders, he would never be so foolish as to directly confront him without a considerable ace in the hole."
"The Fused Excalibur…sorry, the Re-Forged Caliburn, I suppose I should say." Azazel opined, smirking at Michael, who merely pouted at him disapprovingly "I have to admit, between Shirou and Kokabiel busting your two greatest secrets wide open, I half expected you to slap an execution order on everyone involved."
"I won't deny that there were those among us who proposed just such a thing." Michael admitted morosely, Shirou's back tensing as he readied himself to summon his blades whilst stepping slightly in front of Xenovia "But I felt that doing so would only serve to better accomplish Kokabiel's goal of re-igniting the Great War."
"True, setting aside the two sis-cons over there, I'd have been pretty pissed if you'd harmed a hair on Shirou's head simply for stating the truth." Azazel confirmed, and despite his jovial tone there was something unsettling in his words "I never did see eye-to-eye with you on the whole Excalibur thing."
"What would you have had me do?" Michael countered with a self-depreciating smile "Arthur was dead, Merlin and Excalibur were missing and without Father there was no way to re-forge Caliburn. I simply chose the lesser of two evils in order to protect the faith."
"I'm not chastising you. Hell, I'm the last person who has the right to." Azazel scoffed, waving his hand dismissively "If anything the very fact you, of all Angels, were forced to consider such actions only highlights the importance of this meeting." He regarded the rest of the table solemnly "I think we can all agree that this three-way deadlock we've been stuck in since Father & Lucy died hasn't done the world any favours-"
"Azazel."
It was only a word, spoken in the tone of one sibling reprimanding another, but the sheer power and authority that Gabriel put into the Governor General's name was enough to startle the assembled teens, Shirou's eyes widening in alarm as he fought to suppress the urge to trace Kanshou and Bakuya like he had when Sirzechs had snuck up on him.
And he wasn't the only one affected. Vali had actually straightened up from his slouch against the wall, his eyes wide with anticipation, a predator alerted to the presence of a worthy opponent. Beside the Faker, Xenovia was whispering scripture in an attempt to settle her nerves, while across the room their fellow Students looked torn between preparing to flee or fight, Issei and Kiba stepping forward to shield Asia and Rias respectively and Grayfia's eyes had hardened as she stepped away from the wall.
"Gabriel." Michael intoned softly, placing a hand on his sister's own to comfort her, and just like that the oppressive aura was gone, much to the relief of the assembled teens, though Shirou noted that Serafall actually looked disappointed while Akeno appeared…oddly flushed?
"Please refrain from dishonoring the deceased, Azazel." Michael pressed in the ensuing silence, the Archangel joining his sister in regarding the Governor General with a look of disappointment so profound you could honestly believe they expected better of him "Though he became our enemy, Lucifer was still our brother. Do not tarnish his name in my presence again."
"Right, sorry." Azazel offered, and to Shirou's surprise the normally unrepentant Fallen seemed honestly remorseful, albeit only to the extent of a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but it was still a shock to witness considering how he normally behaved "Force of habit I guess."
"What the hell just happened?!" Issei gasped, the perverted Pawn trembling as he eyed Gabriel from the relative safety of Sirzechs' shadow, his earlier infatuation with her body warring with his admittedly underdeveloped instincts as a Devil to flee and never look back "Seriously, what'd Azazel do to piss her off?!"
"As beings created by God, all Angels, the Seraphs in particular, take their names very seriously." Sona opined, her normally impassive facade ruined by the trembling of her hand as she reached up to adjust her glasses "To them, their name isn't just a title, it's a sum total of who they are, the greatest gift they could have received from God aside from Life itself, so to them the act of shortening or altering their name, even in jest, is considered an insult on par with sacrilege."
"Think of it like this, Issei-kun." Kiba offered at the Pawn's confusion "Imagine if someone had the power to alter your personality simply by altering the way your name is pronounced. They could make it so you hated breasts or even loved men-"
"Alright! I get it!" Issei yelled, his eyes wide with terror as he clamped his hands over his ears, as if to shield them from the Knight's words "Don't mess with an Angel's name! You didn't need to say something so terrifying, you damned handsome!"
"Getting back on track." Sirzechs chuckled, clearly amused by the antics of his sister's Pawn even as he subtly gestured for Grayfia to stand down, the maid resuming her prior position by the wall "Azazel, while I can agree with your statement, your actions this past decade tell another story altogether." He continued at the Fallen's quirked brow "I have to admit, when we first learnt you were gathering Sacred Gear users I was hard pressed to convince my people that you weren't preparing for a war, and Kokabiel's recent actions certainly didn't do much to help matters."
"I must confess to possessing similar difficulties." Michael admitted solemnly, his earlier displeasure replaced with a look of self-reproach, as if he were honestly ashamed of himself for suspecting ill of his Fallen Brother "Indeed, you raised quite a fuss once it was discovered that this generation's Vanishing Dragon had fallen into your clutches."
"Just what kind of freak do you think I am?" Azazel mused bitterly, shaking his head at the knowing expressions the two males sent his way while Serafall merely chuckled and Gabriel blinked innocently "Regarding the first issue, I've been gathering Sacred Gear users to further my research into them." he admitted, earning a nod from both Michael and Sirzechs, as his interest in the Divine Weapons was old news by this point "I've hit a bit of a roadblock recently, but I believe I'm close to the point where I can create brand new Sacred Gears."
Needless to say, this declaration drew more than a few looks of alarm from all sides, even Vali seeming intrigued by the revelation. After all, one of the reasons that Sacred Gears were so highly valued was because they were finite in number and limited to humanity. If what Azazel claimed was true, and he truly had devised a method by which to reproduce, perhaps even Mass Producing Sacred Gears, then he could easily throw the balance of power between the Three Factions into chaos if he saw fit.
"Naturally, I fully intend to share my research notes with you, provided we can come to an agreement today." The Fallen added with a coy smirk, knowing he had sweetened the pot considerably "That being said, even if things don't work out, rest assured I've no intention of using it to arm my forces."
Were it anyone else who said that the other occupants of the room, with the exception of Gabriel obviously, would have cried 'Bullshit'. As it were, the Governor General's actions, both past and present, spoke volumes of the validity of his words. Even Shirou, as ill-versed in politics as he was, could clearly see that should the peace-talks fail, it would be through no action, or inaction, on Azazel's part.
Indeed, you could say the Governor General had already provided his fellow Faction Leaders with very agreeable, if not outright tantalizing, terms for their support. To put things into perspective, Azazel's offer to share his Sacred Gear Research would be akin to Zelretch releasing a book entitled 'Obtaining a True Magic for Dummies' to every Magus in the Clock Tower. Even factoring in the Vampire's personality and penchant for pranks, only an idiot would pass it up such a golden opportunity.
"That is indeed wondrous news." Michael admitted, smiling at his fallen brother warmly "Indeed, I think I speak for all of us that neither side wishes to restart the war. Rather, I believe it is now more important than ever that we resume our old duties, and guide humanity to a better future."
"As the former heir to house Gremory, I can certainly approve of such a desire." Sirzechs confirmed, a wistful smile adorning his and Serafall's features "I dare say the rest of the remaining Pillars would see it as a return to form."
"Glad we're all in agreement." Azazel mused, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied smirk "That being said, we still need to address the Elephant in the room…" his smirk deepened "or rather, the Two Heavenly Dragons currently making bedroom eyes at one another."
And so the Treaty finally gets underway, and already you can probably see slight changes brought on by Shirou's actions.
Some of you might note a slight discrepancy with Vali in this chapter. Don't worry, it's there on purpose for reasons that will get revealed later.
As stated earlier, anyone interested in adopting one of my older (Discontinued) fics, let me know in a PM and I'll let people know before I take the fic down to focus on new projects while I sort my life out.
