Told you guys it was that one chapter. Now im tossing them out like hotcakes.
But, to be frank, I'm a little pissed with a few responses but I'm not gonna voice or call out the individuals because I could give less of a fuck to care.
However, the guest known as T mac, or whatevrr your name was, you know what you replied. I may suck but you swallow bitch!
Anyways, on with the story.
The day of the meeting had finally arrived. The Three Factions gathered at Kuoh Academy, the leaders making their way to the large meeting room at top floor. The faction's soldiers stood guard throughout the entire Academy filling the courtyard with angels, fallen, and devils. And a large barrier, much stronger than Sona and her peerage's, was erected around the school not allowing anyone in or out.
Inside the building, the groups walked down the halls, heading towards said meeting room. They could feel the tension and some couldn't help but feel nervous.
The first to arrive was Sirzechs. He had his fellow Devil King, Serafall Leviathan, at his side, looking as perky and easy going as always. His trusted Queen, Grayfia, also stood close behind them, standing as the escort to her King. Along with her were the escorts of Serafall; Kuisha, Issei, and Ladora. The three stood close to the Queen of Lucifer, a professional and monotone atmosphere about them as well.
That was excluding the hand holding between the Queen and Pawn of Sairaorg. Issei had discussed with her and the Rook of his nervousness and anxiety since returning to his hometown, following Ddraig's advice. The young woman was more than happy to offer him a gesture of comfort. So they stood very close, fingers intertwined. The dragonkin offered his comfort as well with a hand on his fellow devil's shoulder. It was enough to say the trio had become quite close.
Rias and her peerage, as well as Sona and her Queen, Tsubaki, stood at a wall not too far off from the trio.
The heiress of Gremory never took her eyes off her former Pawn since she walked into the room, and the moment she caught sight of his hand holding with the Queen's, her heart felt a small twinge of pain. Regret surfaced once more inside her and she started to question herself once more. Issei did his best to pay her no mind, keeping a professional air about him as he discussed light topics with his two companions. All the while staying under the gaze of Rias and her peerage.
Next to arrive was Azazel and his lone escort. The fallen angel was dressed in a long burgundy trench coat with black belts around his abdominal, arms, and wrists. He also had grey pants and black shoes, with a necklace just for added flare.
Behind him his bodyguard stood, leaning against the wall without a care in the world. The boy was in his late teens with silver hair and hazel eyes. He wore a dark green V-neck shirt with a high-collared black leather jacket over it. With it were burgundy jeans with a silver chain and black leather chaps with three bands encircling his right calf, and black shoes with black buckles.
It had been revealed, by Serafall to Issei, that the boy, Vali, was the one to defeat Kokabiel in the end. He was the White Dragon Emperor and Issei's fated rival. But with all the important business that transpired, the brunette had been unable to see him until the moment he walked in.
Upon first eye contact, a fire could be seen in both teens eyes. It was easy to discern that both dragons first meeting with one another wasn't a good one. Though it was to be expected seeing as the duo were destined to fight one another. But even the weilders themselves seem to have a personal connection to their rival.
The last to arrive was Michael. Behind him, Irina and Xenovia sat as escorts. The former had her Excalibur Mimic strapped to her side while the latter held Durandal over her back.
The leaders took to their seats at a round table. And with that, all parties had arrived and the meeting could commence.
"Now that everyone is accounted for, I'll say the preconditions for the meeting. The people present here acknowledge the most important event and forbidden subject? And uphold their word to keep what is said here to be truthful?" Sirzechs spoke up first, looking at the entire room carefully.
Everyone had nodded their heads. "Then we may proceed."
As the meeting began the leaders bounced around a few topics, speaking of each other as if they were old time friends. There would be a few light chuckles and small banter. Issei knew it as a way to ease into the more important subjects. He could feel everyone's tension in the room, seeing as the stakes were high, but with the leaders charisma and jokes of one another, the brunette could feel the heavy air lighten bit by bit.
Once it was deemed time, the reports on the Kokabiel incident were called forth.
"Alright, now to discuss the main topic that brings all of us together," Sirzechs announced with closed eyes. "Rias and Sona, if you would please give the report that was received by all parties."
"Ah-! Yes, Lucifer-sama." The heiress was caught off guard, having been watching Issei the entire time. But she snapped from her stupor and turned to face the room, now focused elsewhere.
She made sure to give a full summary of the event, not missing a single detail. She spoke of the initial attack, the fused Excaliburs, the mentioning of God's death, the arrival of Sairaog's servants, the battle, and the arrival of the Hakuyuukou and defeat of Kokabiel.
With each detail, the leaders each had different reactions upon the matter. Sirzechs and Serafall were upset and concerned over the matter as a whole. The fact their sisters were attacked and they were unable to do nothing was very worrisome for both Devil Kings. And with each detail of how he toyed with them, it made the Maous wonder if they should have the princesses return to the Underworld or possibly leave someone there who could protect them.
Michael had a sadden expression, hearing how corrupted his former brother had become. Kokabiel and he weren't close but had a well enough relationship in Heaven. But once the former angel got a taste for war...he never had been the same. And it seemed that the very desire he fell for was also the reason for his inevitable downfall.
And Azazel, he was smiling. It wasn't positive in any way, in fact, it was out of embarrassment. It was his fault for letting Kokabiel run free. Now, because of his carelessness for his underlings he, as the Governor-General, had to sit there, in a meeting room, and fix what thin thread the factions had for a ceasefire. He'd much rather continue his research but Shemhazai would never let him hear the end of it if he skipped out. So here he was, playing damage control due to his lack of being a leader.
After she finished with the departure of Vali and Kokabiel, Rias stepped back before Sona cosigned on the review.
"Thank you," Sirzechs said, nodding his head in acknowledgement.
"Great job girls! Levi-tan is so proud of you!" Serafall added with a big smile.
"Kuisha, do you or your party have anything to add?" The redheaded Maou asked.
The Queen stepped forward, momentarily separating herself from Issei. "No sir, the report is accurate and correct. All points are valid and we agree with the report as well." She then stepped back and returned her hand to the Pawn's.
"Alright. Now then, Azazel, what do you have to say about the report given?" Sirzechs now turned his attention to the fallen angel. Everyone's eyes also followed.
With an intrepid smile, Azazel sat back in his seat and folded his arms. "Regarding the incident a few days back, Kokabiel kept quiet to the other leaders, as well as myself, the Governor, and acted independently. His punishment was enforced and he has been eternally frozen in the deepest part of hell, Cocytus. The explanation for that was written in the material that was forwarded to you. That is all."
Michael was the one to speak up next. "I have read said report and know that you, yourself, haven't intend to cause trouble. Am I correct?" Azazel smirked at this and closed his eyes.
"I have no want or need for war. I am a simple collector nowadays and have no desire to fight," the Seraph replied before opening his eyes once more. Sirzechs rose a brow, now fully focusing his attention on the seraph of the Grigori.
"Enlighten us on this matter then, Azazel, why have you been gathering owners of Sacred Gears for the past decades? At first I thought you were gathering humans, and attempting to augment your battle potential. I even anticipated you to wage war against heaven or us but..." The Maou drifted off to which the leader of Heaven quickly picked up on.
"Yes, no matter how much time passed, you didn't wage war on any of us. When I heard you got hold of the Hakuyuukou, I was enveloped by a strong wariness," he stated, motioning over to Vali. He had every right to be wary of the boy. At such a young age he was able to take down a fallen angel leader with ease. "Even the devils brought me concern with the Sekiryuutei at first. But that was quickly crushed upon our initial meeting which is also in our reports."
"I have read them as well. And for the first concern, I am only researching the Sacred Gears. I'm too interested in the world now to dare try and change it. Or wage war. Do you guys not trust the Grigori at all?" Azazel replied with the shake of his head. He obviously didn't like that the other two factions were so wary of him. "Anyways, let's just get on about peace. That's the hidden motive to why we're all here, isn't it?"
Few in the room's eyes widened. The only ones seemingly left out were Rias and Sona and their servants. The others in the room tensed slightly, some even narrowing their eyes. Those were talks kept between Heaven and the devils. The fallen angel grinned while resting his head against his fist.
"We do admit that Sirzechs, Serafall, and I have discussed the topic. But with the attack, it almost seemed the Grigori was against it until we received your report," Michael admitted.
"It's a good thing you have. We are much too old to still be fighting over problems of the past that didn't involve even half of us. However, it is not truly our place to completely agree on this. Two important figures in this room have the ability to go against this treaty seeing as they were original causes of the ceasefire. Without their agreement, peace can't be fully achieved."
Everyone in the room knew of the two powers and looked towards the figures in question. Vali and Issei had a quick moment of eye contact and the fire burning inside hadn't quelled at all since the start of the meeting. In fact, the smugness of the White Dragon and aegis of the Red Dragon only seemed to make the fire burn brighter until everyone in the room felt it.
"Well, Hakuryuukou, what do you say?" Michael asked.
"My dream is to fight strong opponents, nothing more," Vali answered with a carefree shrug, casting his eyes away from Issei. This made Azazel chuckle and he glanced towards the silverette from the corner of his eye.
"You can still do that without causing a war, Vali," he replied and received another shrug in response. "And you, Sekiryuutei?" His attention turned to the other Heavenly Dragon wielder. Issei was instantly put on the spotlight. He unconsciously tightened his grip, feeling nervous from the sudden focus of the room.
The boy scratched his cheek as he chuckled awkwardly with a tense smile. "To be honest, I still don't understand it all too well. Currently, all I wish to do is protect my friends and grow stronger. Both with my bonds and with my power." His feelings sounded truthful and he honestly didn't seem to be against the idea of peace. Issei looked to Kuisha, who was smiling supportively. She rubbed the back of his palm with her thumb, feeling as it slowly relaxed his grip.
But still, he was a huge factor and could become a massive threat in the future if his power grew out of control. They needed to know a precise answer so they could prepare for the worst if it ever came. Not that any of the leaders thought Issei would want such a thing. But they had to cover every possible outcome.
"You are one of those who has the power to change multiple worlds, Sekiryuutei. If you don't make your choice then it would be difficult for those standing on top of each of the powers, such as myself, to move without looking over our shoulders," Azazel replied. He was very adamant with achieving peace. His reasons different from others, however as long as the outcome was the same he would try his best to ease the burden.
"Issei Hyoudou, let me explain it in a very simple manner. If we fight, then there will be a need for you to also fight at the front lines, seeing as you can stand with the leaders before you. If that happens, you will have to fight and defend those you consider allies and friends everyday. And that will also place them in the way of danger as well." This got the brunette's attention. His eyes widened and he stepped slightly in front of Kuisha. Almost no one, except Kuisha and Rias, noticed. Issei also cast a quick glance towards Rias's peerage, more specifically Asia. For the first time in a long time they shared eye contact and the Pawn could still see the nun he had saved from the Church. The same innocent and kind girl he risked everything to save. She still had that apologetic look from the day he left and he could still feel the need to protect her now that he had come face her once more. He didn't blame her, he realized that she was only doing her duty as a servant. He knew that all too well from his first few days being a devil.
"If there's peace, everyone would be safe, would they not?" He asked the black winged seraph. Azazel's grin widened.
"Yes, that's correct. If we make peace, then there won't be a need to fight. If that happens, then what is left is the most important. Continuation of the species and prosperity. In other words, you could indulge in procreating with the Queen of Bael who's hand you haven't let go of. How's that? Is it easy to understand now?"
Azazel's grin was a bit too mischievous. Kuisha and Issei's faces were bright red, now having been put out for the entire room to know. Their eyes quickly fell to the floor and the accuser's laughter filled the silence.
"It would seem I've hit the nail on the head. So what do you say, Sekiryuutei?"
"..."
"...I-I would prefer peace..." The Pawn replied softly. Everyone heard it.
"-!" Kuisha's sharp inhale followed as she tightened her grip. Her blush grew darker and she found herself fascinated by the floor.
Rias, on the other hand, had a deep frown on her face. She hadn't expected the Governor to call out the two for their display of affection, but he had. And when he questioned them on it, Issei admitted that he wanted to continue what she could see was a developing relationship. And it didn't sit right with the heiress at all.
Something inside her didn't like what she was seeing. It left a bad taste in her mouth at seeing Issei happy after leaving. He was suppose to be weak and worthless. Her gut feeling told her that he was a mistake. But here, in front of her, he had proved that wrong. He grew stronger, created new bonds with a new family, defeated a Cadre-class angel, and now was starting to grow closer to another woman!
Why? Why hadn't she stuck by him? Would he be this strong if she didn't trade him? Would he have those feelings for her as he does the Queen? Would the bonds between him and her peerage have been stronger than before? Would he be happy if he had stayed?
Sadly, Rias knew the answer to none of these. And it actually began to pain her that he was achieving so much more. She regret her decision more and more each day but now, standing so close to him and witnessing these changes, she truly didn't know what to think. So all she could do was stare at him, almost envious.
Maybe, just maybe...
"Buchou, are you..." Kiba had leaned forward and placed a hand on his King's shoulder. He watched her the entire time and could see her distraught.
Before he could finish his sentence, a quick shift was felt in the air. There was no warning, or no hesitation. Less than a second was all it took and not a single person in the room had been able to react to the sudden feeling that flooded the room.
Time had been frozen then and there.
The leaders were all unaffected, as well as Grayfia, Xenovia, Kiba, Vali, Issei, Kuisha, Rias, and Irina. But everyone and everything else around them had stopped moving completely. The clock that sat on the far wall to the right no longer ticked, proving their point further.
"Eh-? Akeno? Muruyama? Katase?" Rias spoke as she turned to her peerage members. None of them responded.
"So, they made their move..." Azazel suddenly spoke grimly.
"Who?" Serafall asked. Most of the room, those who were unfrozen, turned to the fallen angel, again. He looked towards the window and sighed.
"...Khaos Brigade." There were shocked gasps, while others narrowed their eyes.
"From the looks of things, they used the Bishop of little Gremory," Azazel analyzed. Rias and Kiba were shocked. "Forcing the half-vampire into Balance Breaker, very sneaky. And with every passing minute it'll grow stronger till we're all frozen in time."
"There is a Sacred Gear that strong!?" Issei asked surprised.
"Yes, Forbidden Balor View. It's power is immeasurable despite the users lack of control over it. It is why the boy was sealed by Sirzechs himself," the Grigori leader explain.
Azazel made his way to the window and looked outside. Everyone followed to see all the factions forces frozen as well.
A large magic circle laid above the school, multitudes of people dressed in black robes floating down into the main courtyard. They all wore hoods, a large eye on the front, and evil grins on their faces.
"How could they have gotten through the barrier?" Kiba asked.
"We were betrayed..." Sirzechs answered with deep reservation.
"What?! Betrayed?" Issei repeated.
"Yes, there wouldn't be a way for the group to be able to teleport straight in without someone notifying and sneaking them through. And it has to be someone on the inside who was able to open a gateway," Michael added.
"What do we do then?" Issei asked.
"First, we need to get the little vampire boy back under our control. Problem with that is that those pesky terrorist went as far as to cut off our teleportation, so getting there won't be easy," Azazel said as he watched the enemies tear through their immobile forces with ease.
"I could just kill the vampire if you want. Blowing up that little school building should be a-"
"No, we don't want to start off on a bad note, Vali," Azazel chastised, looking back at the grinning boy.
"If you have that much time on your hands, why not use it on those magicians out there? Issei Hyoudou, you should go too," Azazel spoke up. "I'm sure having the Hakuryuukou and Sekiryuutei out there will surely put a hole through their defenses, wouldn't you say?"
Vali and Issei shared another death glare. But this one eventually settled as they simultaneously closed their eyes and sighed. The dragons silently agreed and nodded their heads, seeing no point in sticking around to gaze at each other. Plus it was a good way to let off the steam they had been building towards one another.
[Vanishing Dragon! Balance Breaker!]
[Welsh Dragon! Balance Breaker!]
Both Heavenly Dragons voices boomed before the duo dawned their Scale Mail armor. They looked to each other before turning and looking out the window. It was a second of silence before they both burst through to the outside.
Sounds of explosions sounded immediately and the bodies of mages began to fall. A few others were obliterated as a few were blasted by a Dragon Shot or incinerated by Vali's magic. It was a complete massacre as the two dragons were making quick work of the mages.
"Those two are actually exceeding my original assumption," Azazel praised with a smirk.
"It would seem they are in competition whilst creating an opening for us," Sirzechs explained, smiling himself. It was obvious both leaders were prideful in seeing the Heavenly Dragon of their faction dominate the terrorists outside.
"Yes well, we still have to wait for the rescue of the Bishop before we can begin our counter attack," Michael spoke up, being the man of neutrality.
"So, how will we save Gasper?" Kiba asked, bringing everyone back into the room.
"What about castling?" Rias suggested. This caught everyone's attention.
"What's castling?" Irina asked, cocking her head to the side.
"Castling is when you trade the Kings position with the Rook piece in one move," Kiba explained. "We do have the Rook piece in the clubroom, if I'm not mistaken. Buchou, take me with you. Gasper needs us as we're the only ones able to calm him down."
"Yes. He's my Bishop and we need to save him."
"Rias, I'll send you two back then," Sirzechs said to which the younger sister nodded.
Azazel then stepped forward to the two. He fished something out of his pocket before handing it to the blonde Knight. "Once you secure the vampire, put this on him. It'll bring his power back under control and turn time forward."
Kiba looked to see it was a bracelet. He clenched it tight in his hand before he placed it in his pocket. He had to step up. After witnessing Issei's power twice, he realized he had been left behind. This was his one chance to do something. Asia was right in her accusation towards Rias, she was too soft on them. They had to work hard, just as Issei had, otherwise they would die.
"Alright. I'll began the trade then." The Gremory magic circle appeared beneath the Knight and King's feet before shining and quickly fading. Once it did, it revealed a white rook piece, sitting where they once stood. "Good luck."
-XOXOXOXOX-
A few moments of waiting passed as the large scale, one sided battle roared on outside. The screams of hundreds of magicians were heard and the source of blue and red lights were seen flashing across the sky. The leaders watched analytically while the teens could watch in awe at the power the two dragons unleashed.
Suddenly, a new source of magic filled the room. Everyone easily noticed it, due to the power being flared as if it was trying to intimidate them, and they turned to the source. From a magic circle similar to the one outside, a young woman stepped out with a wicked grin.
She was a tall bespectacled woman with a voluptuous figure. She had dark skin with long brown hair tied into a bun. She wore a dress that was extremely low cut, and had a high slit on both legs sides, which exposed a large portion of her breasts, thighs, and behind.
"Katerea Leviathan," Sirzechs announced without a hint of friendliness.
"What brings you here?" Serafall asked seriously. The woman laughed heartily before she spun her staff and rose it.
"I'm here to bring the first steps of chaos and destruction," she replied as if it was obvious. Her staff lit up, catching the groups immediate attention.
DDDDOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
An explosion destroyed the entire room, smoke and fire now rising as the initial attack settled. The newcomer fell back to the sky, marveling at her power. She barely used a fraction and yet she had rocked the very foundation under her targets. While it wasn't enough to kill them, they were sure to have been shaken.
When the smoke cleared, it showed everyone inside of a barrier, quickly set up by Michael, Azazel, and Sirzechs. Serafall and Grayfia had also taken quick action and covered the kids who were still frozen in time. All around, everyone was safe and unharmed.
"Haha, so the three great powers put up a combined defensive barrier. How beautiful. As well as pathetic," Katerea mocked.
From inside the barrier, everyone could see she easily destroyed a good portion of the school. They moved to the school grounds outside and released the barrier.
"Why are you doing this, Katerea?" Serafall asked. The brunette growled at the female Maou.
"Serafall," she spoke lowly. "You stole my title and now question my motives? A pretty little mouth like yours should be blasted off. I'll be sure to kill you and take my title back," the old Leviathan declared.
"It's safe to assume we're not in a devils coup d'etat?" Azazel asked, making his presence known.
"No, more like a world domination scheme," Michael answered. The terrorist then began to laugh once more with a large grin on her face.
"Michael hit the nail on the head," the brunette congratulated sarcastically. "I will kill all of you here and overthrow these corrupted parties. No longer shall devils be mocked as we shall rule Heaven, Hell, and everything in between. We, as the true Maous shall reform this decaying and destructive realm into how we see fit from this point forward."
"You know, that's similar to those cliche lines villains use before they're defeated by the good guys," Azazel joked as he stepped towards the terrorist.
He unleashed his wings and began to fly up to the height of Katerea. When he came face to face with her the devil could only openly laugh as if she was tickled.
"You have jokes, Governor-General. It seems you want to fall at my hands first, huh?"
"If you're willing to settle for little ole me~." Azazel replied with a smirk.
The woman quickly lost her own as she settled for glaring instead. The air between the two became thick as they begun to release their power. The amount they exuded told everyone in the area that things were going to get serious. And anyone in the way would only get caught in the ceasefire. When they released the first burst any mage within the zone was killed instantly.
"So be it. I'll kill you, then the rest of you will be next!" Katerea announced as she readied her staff.
Azazel summoned a spear of light in return and held it to his side. "Then lets get to it, shall we?"
First and foremost, thanks for reading. Second, I know what you're thinking. Cliffhangers and not enough of that sweet eye candy Issei. But, I shall explain to the best of my abilities why this chapter flowed a bit differently.
The reason being Issei isnt a main piece in this chapter. The story is about him but I wanted to set the stage better for his shining moments next chapter. So be patient. The meeting is important as a whole and while Ise has his moments it wasnt all about him. But I will be sure to continue in the next chapter and give you all the sweet sexy boy you all have hopefully fallen for through this tale.
Next thing, Rias. Uhhhh, yeah, she now regrets her stupid decision of trading what was a Longinus user. So I have now planted the seeds for that.
Moving on quickly, there's Issei and Kuisha's relationship. I gave it a bigggg push this chapter as the time will near for them to solidify that. Dont worry, I wont forget Raynare and Rias's impact on him and address those as I have been subtly. So hold your knickers you hooligans.
And, finally, onto the next reveal of Issei's peerage
Issei's peerage:
Queen: Ingvild Leviathan
Bishops (x1): Alice Nakiri
Bishop (x1): Asia Argento
Rooks (x1): Rossweisse
Rooks (x1):
Knights (x2):
Pawns (x8):
There. Asia is still going to be apart of Issei's peerage. How? Find out, I already showed something in the chapter Dammit. Now get off my back about if she is or isnt. And before anyone asks about Ravel, she is being set up for Issei's wife so I feel she would be the least likely candidate to join his peerage. Sue me.
With this, I have nothing more to say. Review and duck a fuck.
Ciao~