Chapter XXVI
Issei came to slowly, the world slotting back into place as he blinked the sand out of his eyes.
'Why do I feel so stiff?'
His body felt like it was cramping, brief trembles rocking his bones as the young campione winced, too tired to actually move. It was all he could do to shift on his side with a small groan of pain as… apparently… that wasn't the smart thing to do according to his body.
Why was he so sore?
Trying to recall what happened, Issei's mind chugged away as the details slowly dragged themselves to the surface. The fight against Wukong, the desperate struggle to surpass the legend, the strange power that awakened within him just as everything seemed lost.
The final brawl as the two of them fell to the bottom of the abyss.
His victory.
And then… he remembered.
The Dream.
"Pandora." More importantly, for the first time he could recall the lady's name. Saying it outloud felt like he was scratching an itch he didn't even know he had. Now that he could actually remember the dream, the sense of deja vu he'd been experiencing over the past couple days started to make sense.
The Mother of Campione.
Sanzang's departure.
That dragon… Y dragoon? Ddraig? Something like that, only said very loudly and with a lot of fireworks. Somehow they were connected and he was the reason Issei could remember what went on when he slept.
'Does that mean he'll see all my dreams?'
That made him feel a bit embarrassed. After all, he was a young man with a very active imagination and a healthy appreciation for all that was beautiful and bouncy in the world.
He didn't need an inbuilt voyeur!
"Still… this is what winning feels like, huh?" Looking out the window across from him, he first noticed that one, he was back at the school nurse office and that two, somehow the school was back after he and Wukong went five rounds trying to kick the crap out of each other.
Probably the whole dreaming land thing that Sanzang mentioned.
'I wonder, will I remember the other meetings eventually? Is that possible?'
Still, dreams of the past had blended together and he was genuinely thankful Wukong's dream had only been that. Which explained why the city looked barely touched outside, aside from the crater where the Heretic Monkey King's seal had been undone and where Issei had first gotten his ass beat.
No wonder he felt sore as hell.
Though for once, he didn't feel all that upset about it.
Yes, he had to fight, win, and ultimately kill the Monkey King. But at the same time the man himself didn't seem at all upset by it, and even his farewell with the monk felt more like a 'see you soon' than a 'goodbye' proper. Because he now knew that it wasn't forever.
And if it wasn't over for them… then it wasn't over for the others.
"Wait."
He then noticed that something was very off.
"Agent Smith!?"
His voice cracked when he spun to his right, groaning in pain at the sudden motion, and noticed that the government spy lady was hanging from the ceiling by a coil of rope, Issei's cheeks flaring bright red as the agent grunted something from behind duct taped lips.
Seriously, where should he even look?!
"What the heck!?"
"Hey, you, you're finally awake!"
Only for Sun Wukong, Goku, the original one, to hear the sudden exclamation, kick in the door to the infirmary, and casually tap the woman on her nose. And teleport her away in a poof of smoke. And all Issei did was glare at the ape man.
"Did you let her go?"
"Hmm? Oh, the pretty lady! Yeah, you've got great taste, boyo! She pulled a gun on me, then a knife, then another gun!" The Monkey King wandered over to the side of Issei's sickbed, kicked a chair into place in front of it, and then balanced perfectly on the tips of the two back legs as he leaned forwards. "Tell me how you youngsters manage to pick up so many beautiful women! If that grandson of mine wasn't so combat brained, he'd realize he's got a dozen different girls already wanting to do the monkey business with him back home!"
"Mr. Goku."
"Yes boyo?"
"Please don't embarrass the people who try to protect me."
Suddenly more serious, the smile on the old man's lips faded to something a little more somber.
"Aye, boyo. There. Done. She's free."
"So you just made fun of an adult for trying to protect an injured and unconscious teenager from a dirty old monk- man."
The grin was back full force.
"She shot me in the face twice, Mr. Great Ape."
Issei groaned again, an entirely different sort of pain needing to be wrestled into submission.
"Still, is this the start of round two, is… is Luo Hao gonna attack now?"
A shake of the head.
"Not at all. She tried to abduct you, actually, something or another about wanting you to dedicate your life to being her rival. Classic muscle brained move, so I sent her to timeout for a good long while. She shouldn't get out for, hmm, a decade or so? Yeah, she ought to be able to crawl out of Limbo by then. But I figured it would give everyone time to cool off and let my idiot student get some practice fighting people she can't just one tap."
Issei nodded.
"Thanks old man."
"Old man!?"
Wukong held his hand over his heart.
"And after I went through all this trouble to get you a gift!?"
"A gift?"
Tilting his head, the young man immediately realized something.
Wukong's smile was now suddenly familiar.
A smile he himself knew all too well.
"Oh."
"Ohohoho indeed!"
"Thank you."
He looked down, blushing.
"Let's just say it's a gift from a certain nine tailed fox. Just don't let anyone know you got it, ok? They might not be too happy!"
Issei nodded.
"Still, I'm afraid we should talk."
"You got serious again."
"Aye. I walked him yesterday."
"Wait… was that a joke about a movie character?"
"Book character, actually, heh. But yes. We ought to talk plainly." The old ape tilted his chair back, now balanced on the tips of the back legs as he stroked his beard. "The truth is that you'll have a lot of people coming for you after this. Good and bad. If you need somewhere to go, just call for Nimbus, he'll come pick you up. But if you want to move in with me, you'll have to be one of my disciples."
"And there's a catch to that?"
"An immense one. Setting aside the fact you'll be Luo Hao's direct sibling, then, it would bind you to the Chinese faction. And, to be blunt, we're a violent lot. Prone to civil wars, infighting, and, frankly, some real psychos."
"Worse than when you were young?"
"Much, much worse."
"Oh."
"Yeah. So don't make a decision like that lightly. If you need to, do it, of course, I'll look after you humans as best I can. But it's not something you can just take back."
"You're… being very helpful."
The older monkey smiled coyly.
"Surprised?"
"Yeah, your other self nearly put me through a mountain, remember? After nearly tenderizing me." Even now he was kinda expecting the old sage to pull out his trusty staff and start hitting him again.
"Hah! Well, you can't really blame him. You dropped a mountain on him, after some nasty venom on top of it too. Really clever of you too, haven't seen my gong rung like that since ol' Shaka piledrove me through a mountain range or three back when I was being a rowdy snot!" Goku belted out a laugh, slapping his leg as if remembering a funny joke.
That… was a very cavalier way of speaking about The Buddha.
Still, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He had another gift waiting for him back home, after all.
"But still, to think that I lived to see that day where a God Slayer of all people would inherit the power of the Red Dragon Emperor. Man, you certainly don't do things by half."
Issei blinked, shocked.
"You… know about that?"
The old monkey smiled.
"I'm not the only one, either. Sorry to say that you might have just climbed a couple ranks on some folks' watch lists, kid. Still, why don't you grab onto me and I'll explain some more things on the way." Patting him on the back, Issei was pulled to his feet by the monkey king with some effort.
His legs still felt like they were about to fall off.
"So… uhh… what exactly was that thing I did against you… I mean… the other you? I've met the dragon but well… we didn't have much time to talk about stuff."
Nodding in acceptance, Goku hummed as he pulled off his staff.
"Well, suppose I should start with the basics. What do you know about the Bible, kid?"
Meanwhile
Standing upright while constrained by a whole coil of rope wasn't exactly an easy task. It wasn't a particularly pleasant one either, though the pang of humiliation and discomfort did little to quench the agent's rage as she struggled not to roar in indignation. That it was apparently magical rope wielded by a powerful Immortal did not soothe her ego in that regard, either.
Twice this week she had been completely disarmed and taken down. Though the first time she was just shut into a trunk and left behind, to be trussed up like a turkey and put on display like a chandelier wasn't an insult she would soon forget.
Nor was she planning to.
"What's the damage?"
Smith ignored the looks of pity some of her coworkers sent her, simply giving them a glare that sent them scurrying.
"Are you sure you want to be here?"
"Yes." She snapped at her partner. "No - sorry. I apologize." Amakasu simply gave her a small smile as she continued, moving behind her with surprising speed. There were several moments of silence as he tried to undo the magic before suddenly the ropes sagged and fell to the floor and Amakasu stepped away with a pleased smile.
Smith would buy him a burger later for it. Nobody wanted to deliver a report looking like a pinup model from a teenager's wall. Flattering as the look was on her, this was work.
"I'm ready to report."
Director Kaoru held up a hand.
"We watched your bodycam. You shot Son Goku in the face. It ends after that. But considering that you were also attacked by Lu Yinghua there is absolutely no shame in taking time to rest. A commendation is likely in order, in fact."
The agent bowed her head.
"No ma'am. I'm standing here, ready and able, and am ready to execute my duties as an operative of the History Compilation Committee."
"Well said."
With Sayanomiya's approval, any muttering died down and the conference room returned to a low roar as dozens of aides shuffled in and out, whispering to the officials they were assigned to and passing documents, briefings, and notes between very, very powerful people.
"To answer my partner's question, the initial survey indicates at least five billion yen in damages, but there is the possibility of containing the economic trouble with magic. Additionally, the collaboration with the Underworld Union has solidified the near zero human injuries." The ninja slowly spoke the next words. "Even the pets of the area were evacuated using sleep magic. To put it bluntly, it was an expensive skirmish, not a disaster."
That almost caused a riot at the mention of the Devil's aid, but this time it was one of righteous indignation.
Because in the moment of greatest need, it was the forces of the Underworld, not their own gods who had stepped in.
And it was only the Director flaring her aura that silenced the conference room.
"That is enough chatter." The air crackled with lightning and the lights flickered, bulbs flaring up and bursting.
One of her coworker's hands lit up, a talisman burning to ash as the damaged fixtures were restored.
"Thank you, Sora."
Bowing his head in acknowledgement, the head of maintenance demurred.
"Just doing my job, Director."
"Now. Let me be blunt. Takagamahara is of one mind on this issue. Son Goku's infiltration of Kyoto represented a direct threat and the mobilization of the Satan Lucifer risked a direct assault on Japan by two different factions. Lord Tsukiyomi himself mobilized an entire division, while Lord Susanoo was ready to summon all two dozen guardian dragons."
'In other words, Kuoh would have been sacrificed, in order to launch a counter thrust against other hostiles.'
It would have been an unmitigated disaster.
But a battle against the Ruler of the Martial Realm and a Heretic imitation of the Great Sage were always gonna be costly endeavors. That the only damage they had to deal with were ruined buildings and a few streets was nothing short of a miracle.
"So." Ashido, Head of Security, ground out. His cigarette burning dangerously close to his lips. "Are we to assassinate the boy?" Eyes burning with simmering rage, he stubbed out the smokeable in an ashtray made from bone. "I'll not send my people to their deaths. Certainly not when he's proven to be a better protector than we could have prayed for."
"No. We have been given… different orders." The director lowered her head. "Lady Seishuuin, I apologize, but I'm afraid those plans have been accelerated."
The agent's heart clenched in a pain she hadn't expected.
"We are sending the priestesses?" Even so, she needed confirmation.
That had the conference room sent back into hushed muttering.
"Yes, as of today both Ena Seishuuin and Mariya Yuri will be dispatched to Kuoh under the instruction of the gods, relayed to us by the Emperor. They are ready to perform their duties and guide the Demon King."
Smith nodded in understanding.
Pragmatically speaking, it was the best possible move they could make.
It was a way to showcase their commitment to the Demon King, to send a scion of one of the four founding families of the Committee plus a prodigal talent not seen in nearly a century. She was sure that behind closed doors the elders of her clan and the other three argued for ages on what the 'sacrifice' would be.
She was surprised they had settled on only two and not a set of four.
That was why her hand shook. That reason alone.
One of the others scoffed under his breath.
"Guidance? Is that what we are calling it now?"
Smith couldn't fault him for the reaction. His daughter, like her own, was all but being sacrificed to ensure they earned the regard of Japan's Demon King, the newly crowned Red Dragon Emperor.
Next to that, two Hime Miko, no matter how talented… was a cheap price.
She repeated those words. For this was her duty. Had always been her duty.
Lady Sayanomiya, however, wasn't pleased at the interruption.
"This isn't mere appeasement, Lord Mariya. We aren't merely feeding them to the Demon King but establishing a bond between him and two of our best and brightest in hopes of turning the dragon from a danger to an opportunity. From a Tyrant to a Guardian. If they cannot guide him, direct him, then we have a one in a million-"
"One in thirteen trillion. Roughly."
The head of analytics spoke up, the seventy year old's voice hoarse and her eyes heavy with exhaustion. "My department did the math. The boy is a statistical anomaly. At least one in thirteen trillion, if not lower odds."
"He's an existence which, like every other Campione, is something which should be
impossible." The files strewn about the desk painted a grim picture for them, images recovered from the battlefield through Spirit Vision revealing the devastation of the Japanese Campione's battle against the Heretic God.
Had this not happened within the god's personal domain, the city would have likely been condemned.
"Understood." Smith sighed, looking away from the chastised occultist.
She couldn't blame him. She felt the same way.
"Yet they exist. And not one of them ranks amongst the true threats." Ashido gestured with another cigarette, taking a long pull from it as he let the flames curling from his fingertips die down. "I have news on The Infinite's faction. The old bastard managed to make moves over in America, their Campione skirmished with them. Nothing telling yet. But today was a long, long day for a lot of people."
And with that somber thought the men and women of the HCC were left to reflect. To meditate on the fact they were very small fish in a very big pond.
And all they could do was gripe about the costs of rebuilding while Gods and Devils burned their home down around them.
Kyoto
Yasaka, High Priestess of Amaterasu, Vessel of the Sun, Mother of the Nation, guide of the land of Dai-Nippon, and Shaman of the Sky… was conflicted.
Rather, 'conflicted' felt like an understatement considering the last 48 hours.
Dipping her brush once more into the small pad of ink, carefully placing the kanji on thick paper. She did her best to be short and concise in the report, timely news of this magnitude should be transmitted with due diligence and she was sure her patrons would forgive the lack of decorum.
'If only because this could spell disaster for them.'
She placed her seal of hot wax at the base of the orders, pressing her personal stamp to it right next to the wax. All she could think of was the sour feeling in her belly and how much she wished she had Kunou by her side.
But she was too young for this… and she could still have a little more of a childhood.
It would be a long time until the younger kitsune would be forced to take up her mother's station, and Yasaka was keen on keeping it that way.
"Now it's all up to you, Sayanomiya."
She'd ordered that her daughter be taken to visit with some of the Noble Clans and sealed herself in her office, anxiously waiting for something to go wrong. Between the arrival of Luo Hao, the unsealing of a high level Heretic God, and a visit from the Victorious Fighting Buddha… well… could anyone really blame her for expecting a catastrophe.
'Are we really depending on a teenager's libido to decide the course our land should follow?'
It was… the kitsune struggled to find the words to express her incredulity.
She closed her eyes as the ink dried, replacing her brush in a small glass of water, and let the folds of her kimono settle. 'Can I bring him to Kyoto? Perhaps offer him the title of Kanpaku? The boy is neither a noble, nor a bushi, or, hmm. No, the genealogy isn't finished yet, but it's likely there is at least one of both in his ancestry.'
Would he even care for the honors? Her thoughts were a storm even as she folded her hands and raised them to heaven.
Luo Hao, the Demon King of the Martial Realm, was afforded many honors and titles yet still turned against Heaven when her whims dictated she tread her own path. Never mind that she was a Living God of Wushu according to her own cult and probably an immortal of sorts, too, considering her tutor.
Would Issei Hyoudou be any different?
'Kaoru's underling seemed confident that he would never fall so low.' But one could scarcely trust the word of a mortal when long lived beings changed oh so slowly.
Maybe he was an upstanding young man now… but what about in a year?
A decade?
A century?
Humans who ascended to the station of Tyrant weren't trustworthy. Not when the power bestowed upon them so often led their kind down paths mired in the ruins of those surrounding them. One needed only look at that Ravenous Wolf in Europe to see proof.
Or the Black Prince.
Or the King of Swords.
Or the Holy Maiden of Alexandria.
Even America's champion, who callously cursed his home to gain strength and some whispered was utterly mad, yet was by far the most attentive to his domain. Even as the nation which had threatened to rain death upon them to ensure their compliance with the peace forced on a now broken empire.
That, however, had only ever been her second most disastrous encounter with the God Slayers.
She recalled the first battle with the mad woman from China like it was yesterday. She still felt the ache on her bones from that encounter too.
How she had rampaged carelessly through Kyoto, attacking Shinsengumi and Shogitai, and laughing in joy when she was battered by Imperial and Shogunate forces.
Daring them to stop her.
And how the Wolves of Mibu had cleverly allied with their foes to stage battles in Kyoto itself, drawing the woman in, and allowing Yasaka to unleash the naked fury of the sun.
Of course, they also remembered how one of the Fortunate Gods then descended, plucking her from where she was entangled in the broken bodies of many of the warriors, healed the mortals, and carried the Demon King back over to the continent. Only saying that a bargain had been struck.
Yasaka still, to this day, did not know what that bargain was, other than that her children were restored to health to butcher one another once more.
She opened her eyes, heart heavy, and looked at the opulence that surrounded her.
The low writing table was hand carved, back during the Heian Era, with a brush whose handle was bone china made from a dragon slain by Susanoo, and she wore robes of a dozen colors of silk. Each one perfectly, elegantly layered on top of another.
'I wonder if they regret it… ordering the mortals to send their daughters to the demon king.'
Her patrons.
Their gods.
Lowering her head in shame, the kitsune knew she would make offerings for their protection. And hope that would ease what came next. As a mother, it was all she could do for them now.
"My lady." A dog headed tengu, silent as always, cracked open a sliding paper door.
"We are aware."
Her guests had arrived.
The guard merely opened the door, half a dozen handmaidens fluttering about, getting her absolutely perfect, before a crow Tengu joined his canine brother to escort her directly towards a gathering of fellow immortals. Where they would barter and bicker over the fate of a boy king, for their own advantage.
'And we will win.'
The annex to the building was something Yasaka had ordered constructed for the sake of holding ceremonies and hosting gatherings. Rather opulent for her tastes, it was meant more as a statement of the affluence and power that the Youkai of Kyoto had than any form of welcome.
Not that her guests cared.
They weren't the sort.
Azazel, the Governor General of the Fallen Angels.
Serafall Leviathan of the Four Satans.
The Archangel Gabriel.
A gathering such as this could only happen in a moment of genuine tension.
If the threat of war was not there, lingering, on the tip of everyone's tongue, Yasaka could be sure that she, above all others, would not permit Serafall Leviathan and Gabriel of the West into her home.
"We are pleased with your arrival."
And she was, if only because the two women would be actually willing to deal.
"It is a pleasure."
Gabriel, with wide, gentle eyes, a face that practically radiated innocence, and a gentle demeanor replied immediately, nibbling on a small cookie plucked from a tray of food set out for guests.
"I suppose it's better than fighting."
Leviathan, on the other hand, was tense. Stress was clear in the way she held herself and the Devil had no issues making that fact clear. Perhaps because she felt she was with peers, as Yasaka had sent her guards away, or perhaps because it was known her sister had been in trouble and that she had such great affection for her.
Either way, setting the kettle of water to boil, the Kitsune was about to speak when the fourth and final member of their group arrived.
Disheveled.
With feathers going everywhere.
"So, is the part where you start kissing and throwing your robes at me?"
Business meetings were a pain in the ass.
Diplomatic meetings even more so.
They weren't Azazel's strong suit. Though he knew himself to be a charming guy and more than smart enough to get the ball rolling, even his charisma had limits when it came to people who distrusted him, or distrusted each other. And to his misfortune, this gathering just happened to have both.
'Maybe I should have sent Kokabiel.'
It would have been worth the laugh if the guy didn't try and use his orders as an excuse to stir up trouble. So, he decided to do that right as he arrived and save the others from the paranoia. Why, the looks of disgust and exasperation he was getting were positively enervating.
Really, being surrounded by three of the most beautiful women in the world was just what the doctor's ordered.
Each one of them was worth an entire harem in his professional opinion.
"And We believe this meeting has already begun a digression. One that will make reaching an accord impossible."
The temperature in the teahouse dropped by several degrees when he settled into place, a flicker of un-light throwing shadows across the walls as he sipped his bottle of whiskey. And, his handsome features set into a cruel smirk, Azazel lewdly and openly ogled the tree women before him.
"Now, now ladies, I'm only here to peep." His smirk turned practically lecherous. "Apparently that's in fashion these days."
"Bastard."
The nine tailed fox cut her eyes to Serafall Leviathan who almost spat the word, the only man of the group watching as ice crystals began to form on Serafall's pale skin. Tension born of her sister being placed in the path of direct and immediate threats clearly still eating at the women. It was probably only the Avatar of Amaterasu keeping the Devil from being… terribly impulsive.
So it was a small surprise when the glimmering visage of the Arch-Angel Gabriel dipped her head.
"Brother. Please?"
Her eyes were terribly sad, green pools flecked with gold and a beauty that was somehow both wonderfully innocent and horrifyingly seductive. Azazel felt a stirring of familiar, old lust, brotherly love, some tainted mixture of both, and, perhaps, a trickle of shame.
"...Ok, Sister."
Sitting up from his slouch, the Fallen raked a hand through his hair and sighed.
"Listen, I just wanted to make this clear. I'm not interested in invading Japan and I'm not operating in Japan."
"Bullshit."
Serafall's tone was quite literally frosty, doing a passable imitation of a Yuki Onna.
Well that wasn't right. Magical Girls were supposed to smile, no?
"Officially." The man admitted. "But the important thing is that I've sent the White Dragon Emperor on several very long, very involved errands, some of which might be impossible to complete. Unfortunately, the brat is precocious and will find out about his destined rival eventually… if Albion doesn't inform him directly."
The Devil's diplomat sighed and warmed up when Yasaka poured tea, the youkai's tails slowly waving back and forth, and her ears twitching in a way he suspected she knew other races found irresistible. In fact, Azazel could see Serafall's fingers twitch as the urge to scratch Yasaka's head or pat her tails warred with decorum.
Not that she would have particularly minded the injury to her pride such a thing could buy her.
"Governor General, Lady Seraph, Lady Leviathan, right now the four of us represent the main factions involved in Japan." The Queen of Kyoto carefully presented each cup with the slightest inclination of the head. "We will not lie and claim that we are free of foreign… intervention otherwise, but those factions have even more limited influence than the mortals."
"Hmm? Shouldn't we invite them all, then?" Gabriel tilted her head, seemingly genuinely confused. "Assuring equal access to information and participation in the peace process would reduce confusion and the likelihood of an accident!"
Taking her cup of tea with a beatific smile, the angel in question bowed at the waist without raising from her spot.
"Think of this as a preliminary meeting." Serafall, too, smiled, though hers was slightly stiffer. "We need to lay the groundwork and even figure out if we're going to have an official treaty on the Campione at all."
She did not bow, but did incline her head more deeply than Yasaka had by far.
Azazel in turn was a bit more bold, letting the absolute tip of his finger brush against Yasaka's hand before bowing deeply and receiving his cup with a flourish.
Her glare was appropriately withering and his perverse actions were an almost insulting reminder of that ape's behavior earlier in the day, or so he suspected. But that touch was a little more important than just a breach of decorum. A small gift was left behind and he watched as the data-form sunk into her skin, the youkai's eyes flickering for a moment as she processed his true message.
"Perhaps it will calm you to know, then, that one of my subordinates requested permission to directly oversee our many… affiliates in this nation."
The Fallen calmly bowed his head, turning his cup three times, as she had already done, and softly sipped.
"Thank you."
Yasaka's guests spoke as one.
"It is our pleasure."
She replied.
And none of them commented on the Fallen's pronouncement.
It was, after all, well known fact that many of Japan's factions did not appreciate the presence of Devils, Angels, or Fallen. One need only crack open a history book to realize that fact, and then wonder just what was going on behind the scenes during those periods of unrest.
The human exorcist clans didn't just handle curses and evil spirits, but anything that their higher ups at the time considered a threat to their sovereignty.
It made for quite the messy read.
And one that Azazel knew rarely ended in a complete victory.
"We have no desire to compel behavior. Such would be to begin in animosity and likely culminate in the utilization of certain… assets."
Azazel interjected.
"If you mean Team Slash Dog, no, I won't be sending them. In fact, like the Hakuryuukou, I have a few tasks that need seeing to and they are slated to address continental concerns first, along with an operation in Korea. With blessings from the North and South."
The fox stiffened.
"We have no comment on the Dragon Spikes. Nor the actions that occurred under Our predecessors. Nor do we wish anything but the utmost success in remedying old wounds."
That got a nod of agreement from the man.
"Be that as it may, consider this a promise of good behavior. Kokabiel will be operating in this area, along with some of his cadre, and oversee the consolidation or our presence in Japan."
"And in Kuoh." Serafall finished her tea, sitting the cup down gently and meeting her opponent's gaze. "My sister is inconsolable, feeling that she has betrayed a classmate and her best friend by directly reporting the conflict in Kuoh to me. Now that she knows Mr. Hyoudou has come to our attention, she extracted a promise that we would not force him to accept an Evil Piece."
There was a small, barely unnoticeable scoff across from her.
Which wasn't missed.
"Yes, do you have anything to add, Lady Gabriel?" Shooting a displeased stare at the normally demure angel sitting across from her, one could feel the tension between the two as the Archangel suddenly blushed a bright pink in embarrassment.
"Speaking as one who has had dealings with Campione often as a result of our close proximity to their domains, I cannot help but express… bewilderment at the thought of any of those tyrants being forced to comply with anything." She was rubbing her hands together, cheeks aflame, wings pulled in close. "Whether it be the Marquis, the King of Swords, or Lord Gascoigne, the thought that any Campione would accept being reincarnated is… difficult."
Azazel was less polite, outright barking out a laugh, if only to cover up very complicated feelings that particular sight brought up.
"That sounds about right. We've been gunning to settle the score with the Black Prince for years now, but the kid is so slippery we'd have to threaten war with Great Britain to get a reaction out of him."
"Has… has Ramiel… ?" Gabriel tentatively asked.
For the first time in the meeting, the mocking smile and mirthful glint in the Governor General seemed to dim in displeasure.
"No sign of him reforming. Of all things to lose, that kid just had to tear off the Thunder from 'God's Thunder'. He likely can't reform until that's restored."
Yasaka gave them a moment to mourn their lost sibling, even Leviathan bowing her head in respect to someone whom she might have even faced in battle. But they did need to come to a conclusion. In the end, it was the Kitsune who spoke again.
"If nothing else, We would propose no direct engagement with the Campione."
"Heh. So what you're saying is that it's a competition?" Serafall smirked. "I can live with that. Us Devils have been tempting mortals for millenia."
Azazel liked where this was going.
"Oh? How haughty thou art, daughter of the Pit." Gabriel's eyes shone with determination. "A champion of humanity, no matter their Pride, shall finally embrace our Father's light. One needs only the gentle guidance of a faithful and to bear witness to its gallant splendor."
"Wow. And I thought I was the perverted one. Already planning on seducing a teenager? Shameless."
Azazel threw his head back in good humor and knocked back the last of his drink.
"Only problem is, I know what young guys like, and I've got you two already beat. An ace in the hole en route at this very moment."
The fox simply smiled.
"We are aware. That is why we took the luxury of enlisting the aid of our mortal comrades." She touched the HCC report tucked away in the folds of her kimono. "Surely the love for his homeland shall earn his… indulgence."
'And if not-' she clearly implied 'then his love for women of certain kinds would be more than enough.'
The Fallen angel crossed his arms, smile back in place.
"I wonder what they'll call this meeting in the history books. It's not often that a Campione is up for grabs like this… not often we get to settle things in the bedroom instead of the battlefield either."
He waggled his eyebrows at the ladies present, getting icy rejections and scoffs.
Tough crowd, huh? Maybe he should look into becoming one of the Demon Kings if it would get him the vested interest of so many beauties. He was already starting to envy this new guy, whoever he was.
They were all but throwing a harem at him for free!
'Oh, that's a good name.' He snapped his fingers, leaning back against his seat.
"Then let us open the curtain of the Harem War, ladies."
Even his sister threw her cup at him and the Governor General of the Fallen Angels had to retreat under the intense fire of every object in reach.
Such was the struggle of being a leader!
Still, this did present him with an opportunity. A miracle within a miracle. An impossibility so outrageous that it might top the anomaly that was Vali Lucifer and he got a front row seat to watch as everyone did their level best not to provoke a new war over it.
This was going to be fun.