A New Goddess in Town

by Darkglade

God's death had left them broken, devoid of their original purpose. Their numbers dwindled as they fell one by one to despair, until hope herself came to raise them back up. (No Rebellion)

6. I ask if it will come true

Madoka hummed as she brushed her hair. Although she could adjust it however she wished with a small exertion of her power, she found it helpful for soothing her nerves.

As she gazed into the mirror, she could almost imagine an achingly familiar face gaze back with lavender hair, violet eyes, and a confident grin.

The more responsibilities you have, the fewer mistakes you are allowed to make.

I have a lot of responsibilities now, Mama, Madoka thought. If I make a mistake, it won't affect just me, but everyone who depends on me too.

And wasn't that a sobering thought?

Angels, magical girls, and churchgoers (even if many didn't know it yet) – She was now responsible for all of them.

If this peace conference doesn't go well, then they will be the ones that pay for my mistakes.

She had never experienced war, but she was eternally grateful that she had not been around to witness the Great War.

If what Michael-kun says is true, then the amount of bloodshed and death that occurred during it . . . I would've wept for days.

What a truly atrocious event, that it could kill God and cause Hope herself to despair.

And if we don't make peace, then it really will happen again.

From what she had heard from Homura, the leader of the fallen angels was already making plans for a peace treaty.

I was so relieved to hear that. To know that I am not alone in my desire for peace.

Which, of course, just left the devils and their possible responses.

Homura-chan said that they acted threatening when they thought their loved ones might be in danger.

And she could respect that. After all, quite a few of them lost much during their civil war.

And they don't want to lose anyone else. Never again.

They didn't even really seem like devils. Just people protecting what they held dear.

They will destroy a threat if they must. So, I just have to convince them that there is no threat.

She could think of quite a few gestures of faith to convince them of her sincerity using the Holy System.

She took a deep breath and exhaled, banishing the turmoil in her mind to the fringes of her consciousness.

Now if only the butterflies in her stomach would get the memo.

"Are you sure about this, Madoka? You don't even know these people! What if they attack you? They're supposed to be enemies, right?"

Her friend barging in and being a worrywart wasn't helping matters either.

"It's fine, Sayaka-chan! It's a peace conference; no one is going to want to fight. Besides, Michael-kun and Homura-chan will be there too."

"I know the transfer student is as stubborn as a mule, but I'd feel better if you took some of us along too. Some of us are getting restless up here."

Madoka put down the brush and turned to face her. "You know that I don't want to do that yet! It's too risky for any of you to manifest without a physical shell protecting you; if you get badly hurt, it would be a scar on your soul. And if you happened to die, you would be gone forever!"

She gave her friend a pointed look. "People that fight without care for defense are especially at risk."

Sayaka flushed. "Well, that's all in the past now, you know. I've gotten better!"

Madoka sighed. "I know you mean well, but I still don't want any of you getting hurt because of me." She smiled. "Besides, if you wait a bit longer, I think I'll be able to solve this issue."

"Really?! How?!"

"It's a surprise! You'll just have to wait and see."

"Aw, come on!"

Laughter rang out as a goddess dodged playful attempts by a friend to catch her and "make her spill the beans."

xxx

"Are you sure about this, Madoka-sama?"

Madoka wondered how many times she was going to hear that question in a single day.

"Peace will only come if we work for it, and that means we need to extend an olive branch to the other factions."

Michael frowned. "Even so, what you are proposing . . . even the most liberal of angels would hesitate to take the steps that you are considering. Allowing devils to think of God without flinching is a trivial adjustment, but changing something as fundamental as the properties of the Holy element so that devils are no longer inherently weak to it? It will upset many of the angels here."

Madoka sighed as she crossed her arms. "I know that some people can be quite set in their old traditions, but that is part of the reason why this conflict has continued for so long. They begin to fight not because they want to, but because they have been doing so for so long that they cannot even fathom stopping. Prejudice and stereotypes build up, and eventually, they cannot see past them to judge people as they truly are, even when those that the labels originally applied to are long gone."

She looked at him with a steely expression. "That makes it more important than ever to change our ways of thinking. We should judge others by who they are, rather than what they are, and changing the Holy element to harm those with evil in their hearts instead is both symbolic of our stance as well as an adequate gesture of faith to the Devil faction."

"But how will you bring this about? Evil can be quite subjective, Madoka-sama. How will you define what is evil, and what is not? What is malice to one may seem trivial to another."

Madoka looked away, lost in thought. "There is something the most wicked all have in common. A bottomless abyss in their hearts that yearns for the pain and suffering of others. No matter how much they try to fill it, it will always demand more, forcing them to perpetuate their cruelty."

She turned back to him. "I have seen the pits of despair. The culmination of all the hate, anger, and fear humanity has to offer. I believe that I can find it, this demon that spurs its hosts to do the unspeakable, and scour it with Heaven's shining light."

Michael grimaced. "I understand your reasoning, Madoka-sama. But I cannot say that the other angels will as well. They may accept you for now, but if you push for too much change too soon they may begin to see you as a usurper defiling God's work."

She smiled sadly at him. "Tell me, Michael-kun. Why did the Great War happen?"

Michael opened his mouth, clearly ready to give an answer, only to suddenly freeze, his expression going blank. "I don't . . . quite remember?"

He furrowed his eyebrows as he searched for the reason behind the bloodiest conflict in the history of the Three Factions, buried underneath all the hate and bloodshed that had replaced it. "Ah! I remember now. It was a war for . . . supremacy."

Madoka's face took on a melancholic hue. "So, the factions fought not to protect themselves or what they held dear, but to crush others and revel in their suffering."

Michael could only nod mutely.

Madoka's posture slumped as she turned to the side. "I cannot claim to speak for God, but I would like to think that in the end, He regretted going to war. For a parent to lose so many of His children . . . it must have torn His heart apart."

She straightened up and turned back to him. "He died before the war ended, and his children sought to avenge him. But without Him, there was no one to counsel His grieving children, so His legacy became one of bloodshed and hate."

She met his gaze firmly. "As it stands, the devils' weakness to Holy light is simply another point of friction between our factions. I will break us out of this cycle of hatred, and if they hate me for taking away God's poisoned gift, then so be it."

Michael closed his eyes as he took in the goddess's words.

What she proposes will throw Heaven into turmoil. We will have to tread carefully to avoid severe backlash. But if She thinks that it will be worth it in the end . . . then I will put my faith in Her.

He opened his eyes. "How much of your changes have you implemented?"

Madoka suddenly looked sheepish. "Ah, well, changing the system so that devils no longer get a headache when God's name is invoked was fairly simple. I couldn't quite figure out how to change the attributes of the Holy element quite yet."

Michael nodded sagely. "The intricacies of the Holy System eluded me at the best of times as well."

He looked at her solemnly. "I suspect that the transition will be smoother if you speak of it to the other angels beforehand. Not only will it allow them to adjust to it more easily, but it could prevent some of them from finding out first-hand in a more unfortunate manner."

Madoka nodded. "I had planned on doing so sometime after the conference."

"Speaking of which, we should get going. Being late would not convey the most favorable first impression."

Madoka's eyes widened. "Oh no! We're running behind, and we still need to pick up Homura-chan too!"

The goddess rushed off, blabbering over a telepathic link to a very confused magical girl, leaving a bemused angel in her wake.

xxx

A Satan and a Governor General stared at each other across a conference table, an exchange that had quickly evolved into an impromptu staring contest that neither was willing to lose.

Under normal circumstances, Sirzechs thought as he struggled not to blink, we would be doing much more than just staring at each other.

"Much more" being a liberal application of light-spear-paint to the walls and a healthy dose of spontaneous vaporization to most of the furniture courtesy of his very own Power of Destruction.

He wished Serafall had stuck around, but the Leviathan had run off to "go on a tour of the school with So-tan" which also happened to "let you two have your man-talk."

If she had stayed, he imagined that she wouldn't be very impressed with how well their "man-talk" was going.

After all, it wasn't much of a "talk" if no one had said anything for over five minutes.

A sudden sharp bang on the table snapped him out of his thoughts and caused him to reflexively blink.

"Hah! Guess that's my win," Azazel said with a smirk.

Sirzechs looked at him with a terribly unimpressed look. "Resorting to cheating? I know fallen angels don't play fair but doing so for a friendly competition is low even for your ilk."

"Cheating? No way! My hand fell asleep, and I was just trying to wake it up. Besides, who even said it was a contest in the first place?"

Sirzechs rolled his eyes. "You seemed quite eager to claim victory."

Azazel laughed. "Alright, I guess you got me there." His expression became serious. "Heaven's delegation is running a bit late, hmm?"

"I'm sure Michael has his reasons," Sirzechs replied neutrally. "Just as I am sure that you had your reasons for changing the format of the conference at the last minute."

Originally, it would have taken place in a large audience hall where lesser, but still prominent, members of the various factions could watch the conference unfold.

For reasons unbeknownst to him, Azazel had decided to make the actual conference a more private affair while hosting a party for their entourages to attend.

A party, of all things! Well, he trusted that his wife would be able to keep his dear Rias-tan out of trouble.

Azazel sighed. "Despite the intent of the conference, this event is still a veritable powder keg. Depending on what happens, the result can be anywhere from exploding out of control to defusing it for good. I figured a party could help some of the hotter-heads cool down."

He leaned forwards. "Besides, I have it on good authority that something will happen that could unnecessarily aggravate the situation if we are not careful. Hence, my decision to make this a more closed event."

Sirzechs narrowed his eyes dangerously. "You're hiding something. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't walk out of here right now."

The Governor General folded his arms. "If you don't trust me, at least trust in the fact that I want peace as much as the rest of you do." He looked at him with a serious expression. "What is your vision for the future?"

The Satan frowned. "My vision?"

Azazel nodded. "What do you hope for the future of your people? Or in other words . . ." He paused. "What kind of world do you want your younger sister to grow up in?"

Sirzechs inhaled sharply. Bringing up my sister? How audacious of you. Out loud, he replied, "I wish for a world without bloodshed, one where she does not have to stain her hands with the blood of others, one where her heart is not rent by the loss of loved ones to the hatred of an enemy."

"And how will you bring about such a world?"

He closed his eyes. "By eliminating all those who would hunt us, who think us evil because our ancestors were wicked and thus we must be so as well. They who would shed innocent blood for no reason other than that she is a devil."

"And what if the enemy lays down their arms? If they admit that they were in error and that they now wish for peace? Would you be able to forgive them?"

Sirzechs frowned. "I know that this is a peace conference, but 'not fighting each other' does not imply that we must forgive each other. I have lost too many comrades to simply let go of the grief and anger."

Azazel smiled sadly. "For the sake of all who remain and the dearly departed, you must let go. True healing starts at the heart, but it cannot do so when weighed down by the sins of the past."

Sirzechs sighed and leaned back in his seat. "I will keep that in mind."

Azazel's trademark grin crept back onto his face. "That's all I ask."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

"Oh, that must be Heaven's delegation. Why don't you go and greet them?" Azazel asked with an amused expression.

Sirzechs frowned at the fallen angel's flippant attitude but stood up and went to the door.

"Nice of you to finally show up, Mi – . . . – chael . . ."

Golden eyes on a youthful, innocent face gazed back at him with a warm smile.

"Sirzechs-san, right? It's nice to meet you! I'm the new goddess of Heaven, but please, call me Madoka."

Behind Her, Michael smiled and waved, uttering apologies for their tardiness that Sirzechs couldn't quite hear through the turmoil clouding his mind.

He wasn't sure what expression his face was making right now, but it probably wasn't as dignified as he would have liked.

Behind him, Azazel sniggered. "Oh man, I think Gabriel has some competition for the title of 'Most Beautiful Woman in Heaven' now!"

He set me up, didn't he.

Sirzechs silently vowed to get back at the fallen angel for this.

But first, he had to ensure that peace was made first so that any retribution he might enact wasn't taken as an act of war.

After all, it would be quite pitiful if the Three Factions were wiped out in a war sparked by pranks gone wrong.

xxx

Madoka was very worried.

She had done her best to introduce herself properly to the leader of devils, but he was simply staring at Her with a blank expression.

Did I do something wrong?

Maybe she had performed some sort of action that was considered a slight in devil culture?

It must have been highly offensive if he is at a loss for words.

As Madoka's thoughts began to spiral more and more into panic and worry, the Satan finally spoke.

"Madoka-sama . . . was it? It's a pleasure to meet you. I was not aware that Heaven has had a . . . change of management . . ."

Michael smiled wryly. "It was not something that was planned, but I believe that She has done an admirable job so far."

Sirzechs' eyes darted between the two of them. "I have not heard of a goddess named 'Madoka' before. I find it curious that a relatively new deity is filling in the role left behind by a much older one."

"I come from very far away. I am not surprised that you have not heard of me before."

"I see," Sirzechs murmured.

Azazel stood up and moved to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you, Madoka-sama! I am Azazel, the Governor General of the Grigori, but I'm sure you already knew that, didn't you?"

Madoka replied in kind as Sirzechs turned to stare at the fallen angel and his lack of shock.

"You knew about Her beforehand, didn't you?" Sirzechs asked.

Azazel grinned at him. "I had my suspicions after receiving some interesting reports. I did a bit of poking around to see if I could verify them, and it turned out to be quite fruitful." He turned towards Madoka. "Tell Akemi-san that I said 'hi,' would ya?"

As she smiled and promised to do so, a loud voice drew all of their attention.

"Oh! Is Michael-chan finally here?"

Serafall Leviathan walked into the room only to stop and stare as soon as she caught sight of Madoka.

And stared.

And stared some more.

Madoka began to fidget under the intense scrutiny.

"You're so cute!"

Serafall became a blur that stopped a few scant inches away from her.

"Is she some kind of new angel, Michael-chan?! You should bring her to the Underworld sometime! I would love for her to be a part of my TV show!"

Sirzechs coughed politely. "She is not, in fact, an angel, but the new goddess and leader of the Heaven faction."

Serafall froze. "Ah, my apologies for the misunderstanding. I was not aware that such a development had occurred."

Madoka chuckled. "It's quite alright, Serafall-san. Very few people knew about it beforehand. And please, call me Madoka."

Serafall smiled as she recovered her composure. "I'm glad to hear it."

She tilted her head to the side quizzically. "Hmm . . . would it be incorrect to assume that Homura-chan is only working for the Church because of you?"

Madoka blinked in surprise. "Well . . . you wouldn't be entirely wrong."

Serafall smiled. "So, you're what Homura-chan was referring to in the fight against Kokabiel? I was curious when I read that in So-tan's report, but I didn't think too much of it back then."

She stared at Madoka intensely. "Say . . . if Homura-chan is a magical girl, does that mean there are others too?"

Madoka shifted uneasily. "Well . . . yes."

Serafall's grin grew wider. "Hey . . . you wouldn't happen to be some sort of magical girl goddess . . . would you?"

"That was essentially my previous position –"

"THAT'S SO COOL CAN YOU MAKE ME A REAL MAGICAL GIRL PRETTY PLEASE – "

Madoka chuckled weakly. "I'm afraid that's not within my jurisdiction."

Serafall's tirade was halted in its tracks. "Huh? But aren't you the goddess of magical girls? How could something like that not be something you can do?"

Madoka smiled sadly. "That duty belongs to another."

As the Leviathan ranted against the unfairness of the world, Sirzechs could only look on in horror.

"Serafall is never going to let this go, is she," he lamented.

Azazel nodded sagely. "You have my condolences, my friend."

He cleared his throat. "As amusing as this altercation is, perhaps we should return to the original focus of this conference? That is, making peace?"

As the others finally began to quiet down, Azazel sighed. Hopefully, no more complications will arise.

Of course, he should have known better than to tempt fate.

xxx

At last, the time had come.

The most powerful, most influential, and most respected leaders of the Three Factions had all assembled.

It was in this conference room that the fate of one of the oldest and most prominent religions would be decided.

Azazel was right to keep this information contained for the time being, Sirzechs thought. If the general population of devils and fallen angels knew of this, many of them would be understandably concerned.

With the power of a deity backing them, the stalemate between the Three Factions could quickly shift in Heaven's favor, should they choose to pursue a more aggressive course of action.

I know Michael, and I know that he will do what he believes is right and just. But even if he believed that he was right in allowing her to take his place, that does not necessarily mean he made the correct decision.

He cleared his throat. "Before we begin, we should ensure that we all understand each other." He turned to Heaven's representatives. "Madoka-sama, was it? You claim that you are the new goddess and leader of Heaven."

Madoka nodded. "I am."

Sirzechs glanced at Michael. "And what of Michael? What is his position now that you are in charge?"

"I am her advisor, nothing more," Michael said. "If she makes a decision, I will abide by it."

Serafall tilted her head curiously. "I didn't think you would give up the position so easily, Michael-chan!"

"It was not a burden that suited me," he replied. "Although that may sound selfish, I believe that Heaven would have suffered far more if I allowed my pride to blind me to my own failings."

"Let us move on from the matter of Heaven's internal politics. I presume that you have been caught up regarding the history of the Three Factions, Madoka-sama?" Azazel interrupted.

She nodded. "Yes, Michael-kun has explained it to me. The origin of the Three Factions, the Great War and its atrocities, and the aftermath of these events."

"And from your knowledge of the status quo, what would you like to see happen? What is your goal here?"

"I am here to foster peace between our factions. To resolve this endless conflict and put a stop to all the needless bloodshed."

Sirzechs looked at her curiously. "You say you desire peace, but what reason would you have for seeking it? You were not present for the strife and suffering of the Great War. What right do you have to say that you desire peace as much as the rest of us when you do not understand our pain, our anger, our grief from the loss of so many?"

"You're right," Madoka replied. "I cannot understand your sorrow. But that does not mean that I do not have grief of my own to bear."

She looked at them with world-weary eyes, a hint of sadness tainting her golden pupils. "I may seem young, but I have existed for a long, long time now. Back where I came from, I was a goddess of hope. And who needs hope more than those trapped in the pits of despair? I have seen countless people perform horrible atrocities, touched their hearts and felt the madness and sorrow that drove them to do the unspeakable."

She smiled sadly. "And in the end, it was my duty to bear their grief so that they did not have to." Her gaze hardened. "So, even if I do not understand your grief in particular, rest assured that I know what it feels like to lose everything you love. I've experienced it intimately several times, after all."

Serafall looked stricken. "It was your job to make people feel better by making yourself feel worse?! That's not very fair to you at all!"

Madoka smiled warmly at her. "I appreciate the concern, but I chose the task of my own free will, and I do not regret it."

Her mind drifted back to a scene in Heaven.

The pearly ring of laughter, and a sea of smiling faces.

"Seeing them happy again is all the reward I need."

Azazel seemed impressed. "You're pretty big on the whole self-sacrifice thing, huh? I bet Father would have adopted you on the spot." He laughed good-naturedly.

Sirzechs remained unmoved. "A plausible story, but sadly unverifiable for the moment. But putting that aside for now . . ." He stole a quick glance at Michael. "Would Heaven truly desire peace? After all, with a new goddess lending Her strength, they are now the most dangerous of the Three Factions. They may decide that there is no need for peace when they have the means to wipe the rest of us out for good."

Madoka's eyes widened. "I would never condone such a course of action!"

"So you claim. But you are the biggest unknown here, Madoka-sama. I have known the rest of the faction leaders for much of my life. I was there when God Himself fell. I do not know you, nor what you are after. I cannot discount the possibility that you are sitting here, smiling at us with an innocent expression, simply to conceal the viper that will strike us once our guards are lowered by empty promises of peace."

"Heaven is not, nor will ever be, a threat to any of the other biblical factions unless provoked."

Eyebrows were raised around the table as She proclaimed Her bold declaration.

"And how exactly do you plan to convince us of this?" Sirzechs asked.

Madoka smiled. "Try praying to God."

Satan Lucifer frowned. "You know that invoking His name simply gives us headaches –"

He suddenly cut off as his eyes widened.

Serafall spoke up. "Huh? I'm thinking 'God' over and over and I'm not feeling anything!"

Sirzechs quickly regained his composure. "You uttered His name just moments ago. And not a single devil at this table flinched."

"You could say His name in a crowd full of devils and no one would even notice," Madoka said.

Leviathan was shocked. "Wait, really? So, you're saying that you changed the system so that any devil can use God's name without penalty?!"

"Indeed I am."

Sirzechs leaned forward with an intrigued expression. "An interesting decision to make. Quite trivial at first glance, but it sets a bold precedent for future interactions." His eyes narrowed. "However, while it is a nice gesture, it is not very impactful in the grand scheme of things. Being able to invoke God without pain will not significantly change the interactions between our factions."

Madoka smiled brightly at them. "I know. That is why I have another change I am going to implement." She looked at them with a heavy expression. "I plan to change the Holy element so that it is no longer the bane of devils. Instead, it will target those with malice in their hearts."

The representatives from the other factions all collectively froze as they processed this outrageous claim.

"Changing . . . the nature of Holy itself?" Azazel said slowly, not quite believing his own words.

"Yes," Madoka replied. "If peace is made here today, that is one of the changes I intend to implement in order to bridge the gap between our factions."

Serafall gazed at her sharply. "Hmmm, I may not know angels very well . . . but wouldn't they be quite upset if you did something like that? In fact, I can imagine quite a few fallen angels being outraged at such a change as well."

Madoka nodded. "I am aware of that. But I believe that this is a necessary change. As it is, the devils' weakness to Holy light is simply a very lethal reminder of the differences between us."

She gave them a weary smile. "Besides, while devils as powerful as you two may not be overly hindered by its current iteration, the same cannot be said for your lesser brethren. How can a devil and an angel stand together as equals, if this power inequality is always present? The devil would always be fearing for his life, knowing that this guillotine was hanging over his head, that his neighbor could turn around and kill him at any time, and that there is nothing he can do about it. True cooperation and mutual trust cannot be achieved as long as this fear is present."

Sirzechs looked at her with an unreadable expression. "You make a sound claim, but can you even do it? Even Michael could only do enough to keep the system running; radical changes such as the one you propose were beyond him. And there is no one else you can turn to for help divining the secrets of the Holy System."

"I can only hope that my efforts prove fruitful." She smiled warmly. "Then again, that is my specialty, is it not?"

Azazel chuckled. "When Akemi-san told me that you wanted nothing more than peace, I didn't think that you would go this far for it." He grinned at Her with approval. "I applaud the initiative that you are taking, Madoka-sama. Heaven knows that stuffy Michael-san over there wouldn't dream of something like that in a million years."

Michael shot his fallen brethren a disapproving look.

"Well, well, I think you're my favorite person from Heaven, Madoka-sama!" Serafall commented. "If you ever want to take a break from all those angels that will no doubt be complaining about your plans to anyone who will listen, feel free to visit us! It's the least we can do, considering all the trouble you're going through for us. I know the Underworld is quite nice this time of year!" She leveled an eager face at Madoka.

Madoka smiled in response. "I appreciate the offer, Leviathan-san! I will definitely keep it in mind!" She turned to Sirzechs with an expectant gaze.

"Well then," Lucifer said slowly. "Since Michael has vouched for you, and the other leaders seem to have taken a liking to you as well . . ." He glanced at the smug Governor General and the grinning Leviathan. "Taking your gestures of faith into account as well . . . I think I will give you the benefit of the doubt."

He steepled his fingers as he intensely stared at Her. "For all our sakes, I pray that you do not prove my faith misplaced."

"I would never dream of betraying your trust," Madoka replied.

Sirzechs acknowledged her with a nod. "Now that we have ascertained Heaven's intentions, let us return to the other matter at hand. Namely, the event that almost restarted the Great War." He turned towards Azazel. "What is your statement regarding the actions of Kokabiel?"

The leader of the Grigori replied smoothly, "Kokabiel was a rogue and a warmonger whose actions do not represent the views of the Grigori as a whole. I was not aware of his plans, and I would have done my utmost to stop him had I known what he was up to." His gaze sharpened. "I've ensured that he cannot trouble us any more."

"For your sake, I hope that he does not," Satan Lucifer commented idly. He looked at him with a severe expression. "So, I assume that you would claim to desire peace as well?"

Azazel shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, unless there is some nefarious reason for me to organize a peace conference so that we can make peace . . . then yes, I do claim to desire an end to this conflict."

"If people see your subordinates acting up, they won't believe you, you know?" Serafall said sweetly.

Azazel rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ah, yes. There was that matter in the formerly abandoned church in Kuoh as well, wasn't there." He leaned forward with a serious expression. "Rest assured, I have every intention of making sure that any of my people that cross me will regret it." He tilted his head. "Is that satisfactory?"

"There is also the matter of your Sacred Gear research," Sirzechs mentioned. "The possibility of you weaponizing your research against us concerns me, especially now that you have the White Dragon Emperor in your organization."

"Oh, that? Rest assured, I have no intention of using my work to wage war. I am content with the world as it is." His gaze swept across the rest of them. "But if it would set you at ease, I can send each of you copies of my research materials. That way, everyone will have a greater understanding of Sacred Gears. Any objections?"

The other leaders briefly glanced at each other, but no one spoke up.

The Governor General grinned. "Now then, both Heaven and the Grigori have expressed their interest in making peace." He turned to the Satans. "Now, what say you, Lucifer and Leviathan?"

The two Satans shared a brief glance.

"I had my doubts entering this conference, but from what I've seen today, I believe that it is indeed possible for us to create a lasting peace between our factions," Sirzechs said.

"That's right! As long as we all work together, I'm sure we can make this happen!" Serafall chimed in.

"In that case," Azazel said, "Why don't we make this official by signing a peace treaty? I already have a draft prepared –!"

The world momentarily shifted, distorting as if it had just skipped a beat. A heavy atmosphere settled across the occupants of the room, ominous and foreboding.

A crash rang out, followed by sounds of explosions.

Azazel sighed. "I knew this conference was going too well."