Edited by: Priapus, Marethyu, Bluwuh

– Azazel –

Sitting next to his second-in-command, he scanned the conference room—repurposed from a simple student council room. Of course, it was a temporary measure, but it looked surprisingly organized for an event as big as this.

Azazel had never personally visited the academy, so he wasn't sure if it always looked like this or if this was the yakuza's work. After all, Kuoh Academy itself was a very prestigious school. Graduating from it would land you a cushy job relatively easily if you were a normal human.

His eyes then wandered to the participants, one of which he hadn't quite expected. Firstly, he and Shemhazai were here to represent the Grigori, Sirzechs, and Serafall, who were on the opposite side of the long table representing the devils.

Micheal, the current leader of the angels, and Gabrial, who was stuffed in a suit of metal armor for whatever reason, were the voices of the Angels. Azazel's eyes narrowed as he looked at his older brother, feeling his fist clench.

Azazel knew what this pigeon bastard was hiding. Taking the seat of their father meant that he couldn't fall no matter what, but only he and the rest of the archangels knew that so that made hiding his atrocities incredibly easy.

This… was not the Micheal he had once known. Killing recently fallen angels, letting the corruption in the church fester, and actively supporting their heinous, vile projects and experiments on children…

Azazel tore his gaze away from him and calmed himself down, then looked at the human representatives. Daigo and Mine as the Tojo Clan, and finally…

He looked at the big yakuza— a blond man with a scar over his face. Representative of the Omi Alliance and its current chairman, Ryuji Goda. But that wasn't what Azazel was surprised about as he looked at who was sitting beside him.

A very beautiful blond woman with fox ears and golden eyes wearing a yellow kimono— The Great Nine-Tails of Kyoto and the leader of the west Yokai faction. It was none other than Yasaka.

So, the rumors were true. Azazel looked at the blond pair. She did marry a yakuza.

It would make sense. Once upon a time, the Omi Alliance and the Kyoto Yokai had been at war until suddenly, everything had gone quiet, and the fighting had stopped. He supposed that to stop their people from killing each other, one of them had proposed an arranged marriage. Seemingly held in secret seeing that only rumors were spread about it.

It was surprising, though. He wouldn't have expected either of these two to accept such terms, especially not Yasaka. Then again, Azazel didn't know the details, so something must've happened. Frankly, he hadn't invested that much in Japan until recently.

Specifically, Tatsu's girl. He didn't know why, but something about her worried him. It was in the way she'd blown Kokabiel's head up to stop him from saying what he wanted to say, as if to prevent him from spilling certain secrets she tried to keep.

The fact that she had readily killed someone of Kokabiel's importance, even knowing the possible political ramifications, was strange. He knew the girl wasn't stupid. Just what was she trying to do back then?

But he digressed.

Shame. He thought, giving Yasaka one last glance. I thought she was still single.

"Something caught your eye, Azazel?" The Nine-Tails smiled as she spotted his gaze.

"I'm merely surprised." He responded with a relaxed grin. "I did not expect I'd see you here."

"But of course." She said. "Japan is my home, after all. It's only natural I'd oversee this treaty myself."

"Yasaka-san has a significant hold on Japan. Specifically, she's the undisputed ruler of Kyoto." Mine explained. "And now, considering her relationship with Ryuji Goda, she's the co-leader of Kansai and southern Japan. She has as much right to be in this room as you."

"Woah, now. No need to be so passive-aggressive." Azazel chuckled. "You won't see me complaining about a pretty lady being in the same room as me."

This comment made Yasaka give him a flat look as the giant yakuza's permanent scowl deepened.

"Oh, no offense, Mr. Goda." He quickly added. "I only say it as I see it."

"This is not helping your case." Shemhazai sighed tiredly.

"Classic Azazel. Pissing everyone off merely by existing." Serafall said, shaking her head with an exaggerated sigh. "Maybe you should just go home. You're bothering people."

"Rude. I thought magical girls were supposed to be kind."

"They're also supposed to wipe out annoying pests like you." She shrugged with that casual response. "I'm just breaking the rules for today."

"How violent." Azazel laughed, taking it in stride. "But if it's you, then I'll gladly accept punishment."

"Ew, you're so creepy!" Serafall shivered, leaning on her amused partner. "Sirzechs, kick his ass!"

"You truly never change, huh?" His older brother said with a soft smile. "It has been a while, Azazel. It's good to see you again."

"You'd see me more if you'd just get off your ass and, what do kids say these days? Touch grass?" Azazel shot back without hesitation. "But I guess that chair is too cushy for you to do that, hmm?"

Micheal's smile dropped, replaced with a 'guilty' expression. Everyone in this room was aware of their father's death— the yakuza only recently knew about it due to Kokabiel opening his big mouth near an associate of theirs.

Presumably, this information had reached Yasaka's ears if her unsurprised look was anything to go by. It was annoying— something like this was strictly classified between the leaders of the three biblical factions. Others weren't supposed to know.

…After all, something like that didn't make them look weak— it made them look crippled. Without his father around, this automatically made the angels far less powerful than they looked, and, by extension, the Grigori and the devils weren't as strong.

Most were working under the assumption that the Grigori and the Devils had enough manpower to rival an albeit injured God. But now that the cat was out of the bag… They didn't have such luxury anymore.

The yakuza and the yokai should be far more aggressive in their stances now that they were in the know.

"But we're not children anymore. Arguing about such things is pointless." Azazel glanced at Daigo. "If it's alright, I'd like to make the first proposition."

Daigo nodded.

"First, I'd like to thank everyone here for coming." Daigo started. "The past few weeks have been tense and stressful for most, with several attempts at preventing this treaty from finalizing, but that ends today."

Azazel wasn't sure if this was a shot at him, but honestly, he deserved it. He should've had better control over his dumbass subordinates.

"Azazel-san, you may begin."

"Thank you." He looked at the leaders of Japan. "Mr. Daigo, Mr. and Mrs. Goda. I'm aware that you have discovered the truth about Yahweh's unfortunate passing, but this must stay a secret. This is a request from the three biblical factions."

The lack of response from Sirzechs and Micheal was taken as agreement, and there was a moment of silence at such request, broken by the Dragon of Kansai.

"Oh?" Ryuji raised an eyebrow. "Dontcha think it's unfair not tellin' any believers the truth?"

"It'll cause a lot of problems." Serafall quipped, dropping her cutesy act. "Specifically in the underworld."

"As you might be aware, the underworld isn't strictly Devil territory," Sirzechs added, glancing at Azazel. "It's a realm as big as Earth, with far more landmass. The Fallen Angels have their own territories in it, as well as others."

"Tartarus, Nifelheim, Patala, and a lot more." Azazel supplied. "The realm is broken into many sections for every mythology, just like Earth and its countries."

"Implying?" Mine leaned forward.

"If other factions were to figure out Father's death, they wouldn't hesitate to invade," Shemhazai explained. "Alliances could be formed solely to take our land and force us out of the underworld."

"Sounds rather cynical, no?" Yasaka frowned thoughtfully. "You say it as if most mythology would gleefully declare war for mere land. Even without Yahweh, most would think twice before trying such a thing."

"I wish that were the case. Remember, we own most of the underworld," Serafall disagreed. "And unfortunately, we don't have the greatest record of keeping positive relationships with foreign powers. We'd be their first target, and as confident as I am in our military, we cannot defend ourselves against the combined might of several factions, especially not if Hades and Hel are involved."

"Hmm…" Daigo put a hand on his chin. "That does make sense. If it's not to get rid of you, then it's to wipe out the Old Satans."

Yes, those morons. They were the ones causing the most trouble in the underworld, to the point where literally nobody liked them. Ever. They were chaos incarnate, unrestrained, and uncontrollable.

Protected by the New Satans only because of their direct blood ties to the originals.

Yet, at the same time, they were keeping that secret as well. Because without it, they'd be the first to be targeted in a hypothetical war. Rizevim, for as insane and 'whimsical' as he was, wouldn't compromise his and his faction's safety like this. Not unless there was something to gain from it.

"Not only that, but Heaven would also be under fire," Micheal claimed. "My father… I know he had a lot of allies, and many remain indebted to him, but Heaven is an infinite realm. Many gods would want to conquer it."

"But of course." Azazel snorted. "Avarice is a crucial element of any Deus. It's in their very being."

"The point is, Mr. Daigo." Sirzechs looked at the sixth chairman. "We can't let any other faction know about this. It would only spell disaster to territories under our rule. Possibly starting a second great war."

Something of that scale might end up dragging them and other human factions into it. The church was a given, and with the Tojo clan being one of the best weapon distributors with their impressive technology, they might see a massive increase in potential buyers and overall funds…

"...I see." Daigo nodded. "We'll circle back to this conversation in a few minutes. I'd like to take some time to think about it if that's alright."

"Of course," Micheal responded politely. "In the meantime, we should discuss everyone's requests and demands."

But it would force them to pick a side. They couldn't remain neutral in a situation like this, or else it'd be seen as a sign of weakness others could exploit or an insult. However, there was no denying that, currently, the leaders of Japan had the most power in this negotiation.

All because of one single detail. Not only did it cripple everyone else's ability to make their own requests and demands, it practically put them under their mercy. They could do nothing if Daigo and the others refused to keep it a secret.

What a pain. Azazel thought, resisting a groan. Why must you inconvenience us even in death, Kokabiel?

If only he hadn't been so impulsive…

– Akane –

"You know, I don't know what I expected." Ichiban starts as he, Asia, and I walk through the streets. "But I thought there would be a lot more yakuza today."

"There are," I say, watching the crowd of civilians coming and going. "They're disguised. Most civilians here are yakuza."

"Really?" Asia blinks, glancing at me. "But why are they disguised?"

"Because a thousand yakuza suddenly showing up in Kuoh and patrolling would just draw attention," I explain, sipping my coffee. "As for why that's a concern, well, we already established that normal humans knowing about the supernatural could lead to issues."

However, something is bugging me about that, and it's simply the question of how they were kept a secret for so long, especially with how common human heroes were in the past. They must've fucked up once, at least, right?

It's unreasonable to say that the supernatural was able to consistently stay hidden this long without humanity ever figuring it out, not when there are currently many human factions. Considering the world's governments' knowledge implies that other past great empires also had relationships with supernatural factions.

Keeping that hidden for so long just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Also, wouldn't some people have tried to spread this knowledge around? Not everyone agrees that something this big should be kept a secret, right?

Yeah. This is really suspicious once you think about it. I should ask my mother about this. She probably knows something.

"That's true." He looks back at the crowd. "How could you tell anyway? I can barely feel anything different."

"I'm just that much sharper than you." I shrug. Observe is a powerful skill. "You should try to learn a thing or two."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."

The conversation dies there as we continue our walk to Kuoh Academy. We're not there for school since most teachers conveniently caught an illness at the same time, so we don't have any classes for today.

Kuoh Acadamy is where the conference is going to take place. Yes, the promised day is finally here; the massive invasion of I-forgot-what-they-called-themselves will be upon us any minute now. I don't know when, but I'd guess maybe in an hour or two when all the conference participants are seated.

I feel so nervous and excited at the same time. Now that the Tojo clan has been improving its tech, I'm hoping the invasion is intercepted, but getting caught off guard might be a blessing in disguise, as it could help me use devour more effectively.

I've already prepared as much as possible, from armor to personal growth to even Asia, who just reached level 200 last night. The Ki Healing skill I got is pretty straightforward. Spend SP to restore HP, which is alright, I guess. My stamina pool isn't that big, but it's something at least.

There's really not much I can do besides working on my magic.

"So, is there any reason we're going to Kuoh Academy?" Ichi asks.

"I just wanna see the big shots." I lie, finishing my coffee. "I've seen the devil leaders and Azazel, but we've never seen what the angels are like."

"Are they even gonna let us in?" He looks at me.

"Probably not. I thought maybe we could watch them from a distance." I shrug, pulling out binoculars from my inventory. "Through a window with this. I think they're using the student council room for the treaty."

"That sounds so silly it might as well work." Ichiban grins. "Let's do it."

"Um, are you sure that's a good idea?" Asia questions timidly. "I'd hate it if we offended them or something."

"It'll be fine." I wave off her concerns. "Plus, don't you wanna see what Micheal looks like?"

"I suppose…"

I'm not that interested in the angels, admittedly. I just think that, realistically, Kuoh Academy should be the safest place once the invasion hits because while that's where the battle actually begins, it also has the most powerful people all in one place.

We're talking about several satan-class fighters and possibly even higher. I don't care who the invaders have on their side— they're not going to win this, and honestly, I think they know that, meaning this is a distraction so the Amon clan can kidnap me or an attempt to draw attention away from the devil girls so they're easy to kill.

If I stay around them, I have a much higher chance of escaping the initial attack unscathed. Of course, once that's done, I can probably part from the leader group, get my armor, and pick off enemy troops to devour at my leisure.

So unless the invaders have someone of Ophis' caliber, which I'm certain they don't, I'll be alright. I'm not sure about Rias or Sona, though, but I'm not worried. They can handle themselves. They're stronger than they were against Kokabiel.

Though, beyond all of that… I want to know what they're talking about in there, so I may or may not have done something risky.

"We will start by opening our borders to everyone present in this treaty." I hear Daigo say through my earpiece. "Allowing trade with us and the Japanese government."

Very risky. With the help of Nemesis, I designed a spying machine using the remains of the Amon tech I had. So small it can't be seen with the human eye and can't be discovered by current Tojo tech. It is very similar to how I made the gauntlet.

In the worst-case scenario, it gets caught and self-destructs. It'll alert the leaders, but they have no way of finding out I've been spying on them.

I'm having Nemesis controlling it right now, and so far, my AI has been a very smart cookie. I trust it can handle something like this. Still, I acknowledge the risks, but perhaps I can get some helpful information from this treaty.

I'll probably have it self-destruct during the fight anyway. It'd be a very convenient way of hiding evidence.

"Don't worry, we'll just stay there for a bit," I say, throwing the paper cup in the trash and storing the binoculars back. "Afterward, maybe we can go bowling or something once we're satisfied."

"Actually, I was thinking batting cage." Ichiban offers. "Haven't been there in a while."

"That sounds so fun." Asia agrees with a smile. "It's like the time we first met, Akane-san. Maybe we can go Karaoke after?"

"Sure. Then we have lunch and go back to training," I say before pausing. "Or maybe we can celebrate that the treaty went through."

I almost feel bad that we're going to be doing none of these things and, instead, be forced into another life-or-death struggle. Kind of. To them, it's going to be a war. To me, it'll be a buffet, and I'll be sure to enjoy every moment.

"You there."

All three of us halt at the unfamiliar voice, stopping near the gate of the academy to see a boy around our age with silver hair looking at us intently. Or rather, he was looking at Ichiban. Quickly, I recognize the boy, making me sharpen my gaze.

Vali Lucifer.

"Hm?" The original Lucifer, silently walking behind us this whole time, blinks. "This boy… I can feel my blood running through his veins. Fascinating. I didn't think I'd see a descendent this young."

Is the invasion starting now? Already? I know he was part of the enemy forces, so with him being here, then that means…

I scan the area, becoming confused.

I don't feel anything out of the ordinary. So, are they using the cloaking tech and hiding? And is he positioned there until some kind of signal? He was a Grigori member before his defection in the original story, right? I know my metaknowledge is fading, but I'm sure of that.

I have to calm down. Even if it's true, I can't be slipping up right now. I'll have to keep my guard up while I pretend everything is normal. Anyone sharp enough would've been able to tell that I tensed just now.

I seriously can't keep my excitement in check. It's like I'm a kid at an amusement park again.

"You're Ichiban Kasuga, yes?" Vali asks, stepping forward.

"Uh, yeah." Ichi frowns as all of us feel his presence. "Who's asking?"

You know… all things considered, he doesn't feel as powerful as I expected a Lucifer descendant would be.

"I am Vali Lucifer." He introduces himself, making Asia take a step back the moment she hears his surname. "The White Dragon Emperor and the wielder of Divine Dividing. I challenge you to a duel."

Seriously? Now, of all times? Unless this is the signal? If yes, Ichi mustn't play along. This will only serve as a distraction for the enemy forces to start their attack. Plus, we can't give this dumbass a legal loophole so he doesn't get punished later on in case he starts throwing hands randomly.

I grab the hem of Ichiban's sleeve and pull it, giving him a look that he quickly understood the meaning of. He glances back at Vali and responds.

"Oh?" Lucifer raises a brow. "A devil bearing a Longinus Sacred Gear? Interesting. Unless it's stolen, he's a half-human, I assume."

He'd be correct. I think? I can't remember.

"No, thanks." Ichiban declines. "I don't feel like it."

"What?" Vali's eyes narrow. "What do you mean?"

"I don't want to fight." He says. "Now's really not the time. It's an important day today."

"I don't care." The devil boy responds with a frown. "I came all the way here from the underworld. I demand a duel right now."

"Why?"

Vali pauses.

"Why? What do you mean, 'why'?" He looks bewildered. "It's our destiny. The two dragon emperors are fated to fight until they cease to exist."

"That's fucking stupid." Ichiban scoffs, actually surprising me a bit. "Why should we fulfill a destiny that ends up with either of us dying for someone else's dumbass grudge?"

"T-that's–"

"Don't you think that's fucked up? Frankly, I have so many other things I want to do in life. Why should a gauntlet or a cape dictate what I should do?" He adds. "I don't care if the giant lizard is screaming at me to gut you. There's only one person who can order me around, and it's not him."

Hearing this declaration makes me very pleased with him. I only wanted him to reject Vali's offer, but rejecting Ddraig as well? That's my Ichiban, alright. No wonder he's among the few people I view as an equal.

For all his stupidity, faux wisdom, and overall silliness, I respect his commitment to his ideals. If only he weren't so sickeningly moral.

"It's me, isn't it?" I interject with a smug grin. "Heh. You truly are the best slave in the world."

"You shut up." He whips his head at me with a scowl. "With you, it's only temporary."

"Well, technically, I'm actually your superior." I disagree. "Meaning you have to listen to my orders. Forever."

"Can we not do that right now?"

"You would reject your destiny because it doesn't suit your needs?" Vali growls, our quick back-and-forth seemingly angering him for some reason. "You're a coward."

"No, man. I just don't let others tell me how I should live my life." Ichiban isn't one bit intimidated. "And I think you should do the same."

"He's not gonna fight you, dude," I insist. "Maybe you can come back another time, but your timing is pretty bad. No offense."

"Pretty much. I'm not saying I'm never going to fight you. If anything, I'm down for a spar." He quickly says. "Just not now, and not to the death. Come back in a few days, and I'll give you a fight."

"Why you…" Vali visibly bristles at that, making me get ready for a fight.

The two dragon emperors stare at each other silently. Vali with a deep scowl and Ichi with a focused frown. The air shifts underneath their presence, slowly heating up from the passive aura the two are unleashing.

I would've been surprised at Ichi's power had I not seen it already, and if these two were to fight, I'm pretty confident Vali would lose horribly. I doubt he or anyone outside the yakuza knows about Ichiban's subspecies, so a surprise like that would put Vali on the back foot pretty quickly.

That's not all because it would not be considered a duel if a fight were to break out; therefore, I can jump in and easily overwhelm him with my spells. Because admittedly? He's not that tough. I'm 80% sure I can beat him on my own, even if he uses his Balance Breaker.

In his current state, he's just as strong as Ichiban's base. The moment he lands a hit on Ichi of any kind, I should be more than fast enough to kill him before he unleashes his Balance Breaker. A single hit is all I need, so unless he's seen the news and knows how powerful I am or in any way cautious of me, we should be fine.

I see him clenching his fists tightly. Come on, make your move. See how much good it'll bring you. I'm significantly faster than you and can end your life before you even realize it. One single ice spell to the brain, and you're dead.

His power flares as two wings appear on his back, but he doesn't make a move. Ichi responds to that by activating his own Sacred Gear, showing the gauntlet, but nothing more. The concrete ground cracks from the pressure, as does the brick wall surrounding the campus. The steel bars of the gate bend and shift until…

Vali sighs deeply and deactivates his gear.

"...Very well. As my eternal rival, I shall respect your decision." He concedes, surprising me greatly. "I'll let you go for now, but I'll be back very soon, and we're going to have our duel whether you like it or not."

Ichi, as surprised as I am, blinks.

"Sure." He answers, his gauntlet disappearing. "But I'm not gonna kill you."

"I will." Vali scoffs. "So you better be prepared when the time comes. I will not hold anything back, Kasuga."

With that, Lucifer's descendant walks away, leaving me perplexed. I thought for sure that he'd attack us. Why didn't he? Was he not the signal? Or, rather, will something else be the signal? But if that's the case, then why the hell did he bother with Ichi in the first place?

This is… weird. Perhaps they're waiting for something else? Hmm, if they don't attack now, I suppose they're waiting until the end of the conference? That should be where such an attack would be least expected, right?

But that would mean they'd have to attack after the peace treaty has been finalized, meaning interrupting the treaty itself isn't their goal. And that confirms that their goal is me. So, the Amon clan is driving this invasion in this scenario.

I have to be careful. They'll stop at nothing to capture me if I am their sole purpose. Though not to sound cocky, I could probably escape pretty easily if that ended up happening. I'm full of surprises, after all. I doubt they even know about Excelsis.

"I really thought a fight was gonna break out." Asia sighs once Vali is out of sight. "I was so worried."

"Yeah, same." Ichi nodded. "He really did look like he was on the verge of attacking me."

"What would you have done if he did?" I ask curiously.

"I would've defended myself…?" He blinks. "What else could I do?"

"You'd do nothing." I lightly punch his arm. "After all, I'm here. I would've killed him before he even made a move. I would never let him lay a finger on you."

"I… thanks?" He blinks. "That's kinda overkill, though."

Mostly to protect him from possible political backlash since he's technically just a yakuza errand boy and nothing else. He's not even officially part of any subsidiary. Meaning he could get into a lot of legal trouble.

With my involvement, though? He becomes immune.

"You're my adorable little servant. Of course, I'd keep you safe."

His confused and slightly worried look immediately switches to an exasperated one.

"I don't know if I should feel happy that a cute girl wants to protect me or sad that my pride as a man is in tatters."

"Ah, so you do think I'm cute!" I catch that slip-up, making him blush. "I knew it. You're in love with me. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"I am not!" He denies it, but we both know he's lying. "That's a reach and a half!"

"Actually, who do you think is cuter? Me—" I grab the blond by the shoulders. "Or Asia?"

"Eh?" The blond blinks.

"Oh, come on, you can't make me choose." He complains. "This is not fair."

"By the way, if you say Asia, I'll kick you in the balls," I say, and before he answers, I add. "If you say me, you'll break her heart and make her cry."

"You're not making it any easier!"

Come on, you Amon bastards. Attack. Try me and see how that goes for you. I don't care what kind of organization you are or what kind of monsters you produce. You're the first on the devour list once I'm through this silly invasion.

Call it retribution for what you did to my mother.

– Sirzechs –

"—Like the devils, we'd like a territory somewhere in Kanto for our embassy." Micheal requested. "Our presence is weak in Japan, so we'd like to extend it. It would be more convenient for Japanese people with Christian faith to connect with the rest of the church."

"That can be arranged." Mine nodded. "And who will your representative be?"

"It's ones you've already met." The Archangel smiled softly. "Xenovia Quarta and Irina Shidou will remain in Japan as our diplomats. We've noticed that they were getting close to Akane Amamiya."

"Fair enough," Daigo said. "We agree to these terms. In return, we would like—"

"Hey, Zechs." Serafall elbowed his side with a whisper. "Zechs. Look."

Sirzechs resisted a groan. He loved the girl dearly; she was like a sister to him, but she could be a handful sometimes. He knew from her tone that whatever was distracting her was going to be something ridiculous. Which was okay with him, but now, during the peace treaty?

"Sera, not the time." He replied. "This is important business. You can show me later."

"Nonono, trust me." She giggled quietly. "Look over there. Window in front of you."

Knowing she was going to bother him otherwise – or complain incessantly once they were home – Sirzechs listened, glancing at the window she discreetly pointed at. He blinked once he spotted three figures in the distance, standing on a floating platform of ice.

His enhanced vision made it clear who they were: Akane, Ichiban, and the blond nun, all watching the treaty, with the heiress holding binoculars over her face. Sirzechs blinked, and once their eyes met, she panicked, which caused the other two to panic as well.

Admittedly, Sirzechs found this incredibly amusing. He barely held in a laugh once the platform they were on lowered until it was out of view. Of course, he didn't find their shenanigans offensive. Not at all.

He, Sera, and Ajuka used to get up to these kinds of mischief all the time. So much that their parents would get mad at them constantly.

"Like the good old days, huh?" Serafall said with a grin, mirroring his thoughts.

Sirzechs said nothing, but he smiled at her as he returned to the meeting.

"—I'll share some of my research on the artificial Sacred Gear project." Azazel offered.

"Artificial Sacred Gear?" Ryuji frowned. "You figured out a way ta produce new Sacred Gears? That even possible?"

"It is." The Fallen Angel smirked. "I shall demonstrate."

Azazel extended his arm toward the table before summoning a golden dagger— or rather, what appeared to be the tip of a lance. He gently put it on the table for the rest to examine, looking proud of his work.

"After more than a decade— countless hours into this research, I've designed a Sacred Gear of my own. I call it the Down Fall Dragon Spear." He explained. "It's not as powerful as other combat-based Sacred Gears. After all, I've not perfected the art of creating such artifacts yet, but I'm sure this will be of interest to you."

This was unexpected. The creation of a new Sacred Gear could be a game changer. With such knowledge, they wouldn't have to rely on recruiting humans for them. If they were to figure out how to make their own, then…

Well, combat potential aside, they could be doing a lot for more than just their military. Sacred Gears weren't strictly weapons, after all. For example, the creation of more Twilight Healing-like Gears would help immensely with their hospitals.

"In return, I'd like one thing from everyone here. Or, well, most." He said. "First, Mr. Daigo, Mr. Goda. I, like Micheal here, would like an embassy and land for the Grigori. Preferably somewhere by the beach."

The two yakuza remained quiet for a moment, then Ryuji spoke first.

"How does Okinawa sound?"

"Perfect. An agent of mine, named Tobio Ikuse, shall be stationed there. Under the cover of a bartender." He nodded. "Lord Lucifer, Lady Leviathan, my request is simple. Allowing trade with the Pillars—primarily the Phenex for the tears, and…"

Serafall blinked as he looked at her.

"The Elusive Ditrus Fruit of the Sitri Clan."

"This again?!" She looked at him baffled as Sirzechs sighed. "I already told you, it's a myth! It doesn't exist!"

"The… Ditrus Fruit?" Daigo glanced at Sirzechs.

"I've never heard of such a thing." Yasaka quipped.

"It's supposedly a mythical fruit that gives the ability to control dragons. Said to have been grown by the Sitri clan thousands of years ago." He explained. "But it's not real. It came from a random post on Devilnet that blew up."

"Ah…"

"What, ya have memes in yer internet too?" Ryuji snorted.

"Evidently."

"Lying, Lady Leviathan? In the middle of a peace treaty?" Azazel shook his head. "Please, we're grown-ups here, are we not? A single fruit is all I want."

"And I'm telling you, it's not real." She growled. "It's a stupid Devilnet joke with no substance. Get over it."

The Grigori Governer hummed, stared at the scowling girl suspiciously, and then sighed.

"Fine. I suppose Phenex Tears will have to do."

"Acceptable terms." Sirzechs chuckled. "We'll be sure to send a word if we find any information about the Ditrus Fruit."

"More like dumbass fruit…" Serafall complained quietly.

"Excellent!"

Sirzechs wasn't sure if Azazel was doing this to get a rise out of Serafall or not, but admittedly, it amused him. He had a knack for pressing her buttons and the courage to do it. Sirzechs could never.

Serafall was terrifying when she was angry.

"As for you, brother." His gaze sharpened once he looked at Micheal. "A simple request for you as well."

The mirth in Azazel's voice vanished, taking away the joyous and amusing mood with it. The leaders all felt the shift in the air, frowning as the Grigori Governor spoke his next sentence.

"...Send the angels who fall my way." He said quietly, a strange, knowing look on his face. "And don't leave them to die."

Sirzechs tensed as he picked up on the subtext of Azazel's accusatory words. He was genuinely shocked— Azazel would never accuse anyone unless he was absolutely sure, but Micheal, of all people?

"I'm… afraid I'm not sure what you mean." Micheal gave a confused smile. "I already tell whoever falls to join you. I've promised you that since the Great War, haven't I?"

Azazel's glare didn't budge, but he didn't say or accuse him of anything else.

"...Have you? I must've forgotten. I apologize, Micheal. Then, I shall only ask you to be more vigilant." He said, clearly wanting to be careful with his words. "Please, when one of your angels falls, contact me immediately. Falling can be incredibly taxing on the mind, and I've been told I'm good at comforting them."

Ah… Sirzechs realized what Azazel meant as he read between the lines. A warning…

A clear warning to everyone here. Micheal wasn't who they thought he was. The good-natured, calm, and merciful angel… Was it truly only a farce? That's how he always had been, but how could Azazel make such a claim? Did he know something they didn't?

Sirzechs looked at the rest of the participants. All of them seemed to have understood his intentions. However, Michael himself, while not quite getting what that was about, seemed only suspicious, but instead of questioning, he relented.

"...Alright, if that's all you want."

"It is!" Azazel quickly returned to his jolly persona. "I think that's all. Is that all, Shemhazai?"

"Uh—"

"Yes, that's all."

"You didn't even let me speak…" His assistant murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Alright, I assume everyone is satisfied with each other's demands and propositions, then?" Daigo asked. He took their silence as confirmation. "Good. As for the Tojo Clan, as well as the Omi Alliance and the West Yokai Faction, we have one request for the devils, and we'll be satisfied."

Sirzechs perked up at that, looking at the sixth chairman intently.

"That is?"

Daigo met his eyes sharply and made his demand.

"Outlawing the use of your evil pieces on all Japanese citizens."

The Lucifer Satan froze at that, caught off guard by such a request.

"T-that's…" Even Serafall was in shock. "We can't do that."

"You can. And you will." Mine said firmly. "We will not allow any more devil kidnapping of young humans solely due to bloodline or Sacred Gears."

"The evil pieces are not used for such depravity," Sirzechs argued. "They exist to help with our crisis—"

"We know that, Sirzechs-han." Ryuji cut him off. "Problem is that lots of yer people ain't seein' what yer seein'. They think human lives are toys."

"We've been documenting several cases throughout the decade of devils trying to kidnap civilians and forcibly use an evil piece on them or hurt them in some capacity." Mine snapped his fingers, prompting two guards standing by to approach Sirzechs and Serafall with a file. "One of the more recent and interesting cases involves Ichiban Kasuga in 2016, the errand boy of the Arakawa family, the Red Dragon Emperor, and personal bodyguard of Akane Amamiya. Masumi Arakawa barely saved him from a devil who wanted to enslave him and take control of the Boosted Gear. I'm sure you're familiar with Raxes Stolas."

"He… went missing two years ago," Serafall said, reading the file. "So this is what happened to him…?"

"We kept it a secret so as not to fan the flames of conflict," Daigo explained. "We may forgive, Sirzechs-san. But we don't forget. We know Stolas acted outside the law you made. We're not blaming you or accusing you of anything. But it paints a clear picture of how some devils act."

"Even some of the ones followin' ya ain't too keen on humans being their equal," Ryuji added. "The Old Satans' mindset ain't easy to scrub off. We can't take any chances."

Yasaka smiled behind her fan but said nothing.

"Of course, Kasuga's incident is one out of dozens." Daigo's first captain continued. "And this isn't only happening in Japan. We've heard rumors of a devil specifically targeting nuns and nothing else in Europe. However, that is outside our jurisdiction, so we cannot investigate; frankly, it does not concern us. I believe it is worth mentioning, though."

They were not holding anything back here, were they? So they had been preparing far more than he'd given them credit for. These yakuza were absolutely ruthless. Before the treaty, Sirzechs had felt like they had made personal progress as well.

That, perhaps one day, they'd shake hands and become friends again—true peace, with no ulterior motives or strings attached. Then again, Sirzechs had always been the optimist of his group—the idealist who would always look at the bright side.

But now…

He saw it—the righteous fury in Daigo's eyes. And admittedly, he could sympathize. His kind was responsible for the deaths of two yakuza legends. Heroes of the Tojo Clan. One was the sixth chairman's surrogate father, for goodness' sake.

And to make matters worse… He couldn't deliver retribution to the ones responsible.

His claim to the original Lucifer's throne made them practically immune. And even without, Rizevim, as mad as he was, was one of the most intelligent masterminds devilkind had ever produced. If he didn't want to be found, then it was impossible to catch him.

At the time, Sirzechs had acknowledged that he had failed his human friends, and thus, war was declared, fueled by so much anger that any devil presence on Earth, not just in Japan, was incredibly rare. And dangerous.

I was careless. Sirzechs thought calmly.

One might think that outlawing the pieces strictly in Japan might not be a big deal, and that was true on the surface. After all, Japan wasn't necessarily a big country, but agreeing to this might urge other factions, specifically the angels who were present in this very conference, to do the same.

Daigo couldn't prevent him from using his pieces in other places in the world. He did not have the authority, but he was hoping for a domino effect. Japan was merely the start; it'd eventually snowball until most regions became inaccessible.

Sirzechs couldn't help but smile at that. Clever.

"I'm afraid we cannot accept these terms." He said. "...I believe that you misunderstand why the evil pieces were created, Mr. Daigo."

Daigo's eyes narrowed.

"True, they were made by Ajuka to combat our low population problems. And to satiate his thirst for knowledge." Sirzechs confirmed. "But, to me, at least, they are a symbol of hope."

Serafall looked at him worriedly.

"Could you elaborate?" Mine asked.

"The evil pieces exist to help the suffering low-class devils. To open up opportunities for them that are otherwise impossible." He explained. "With this system, we've made it possible for even the weakest low-class devil to become a high-class. To earn a living and a legacy.

"Such power can be abused, and it has been. I know that." The Lucifer Satan acknowledged. "But we all know things aren't entirely black and white, are they? Can you call such a system pure evil when it can help the nameless, the weak, and the poor to climb the ranks of our society?"

Everyone remained quiet.

"We're not like you, humans. We've always relied on talent—our pillars and bloodlines, and those without any of that were left to rot. To be considered foot soldiers thrown in the face of impossibly powerful adversaries or dirt waiting to be stepped on." He said. "With the evil pieces, however, we paved the way for hard work and determination. To show that with enough willpower, even our least talented can achieve greatness. And with these people, the ones who suffered under the cruelty of their seniors, those who know what it's like to be at rock bottom, rising up the ranks… I hope we're able to make a new, better society."

"Gettin' real optimistic there, Sirzechs-han." Ryuji's frown deepened. "Almost unhealthily optimistic."

"Perhaps. After all, this is merely how I personally view the evil pieces." He admitted. "Like most things in our universe, they could spell someone's demise or be a key to a better future. It mostly lies on the wielder of this gift."

"A better future?" Yasaka glared. "A device to enslave those weaker than you?"

"My sister saved four lives with them," Sirzechs said. "Not for whatever power they might have. Merely because it was the right thing to do."

"Not to be the bearer of bad news, but now they're stuck with her forever." Mine accused.

"That is not true." He replied coolly. "Rias would not force any of them to remain with her if they wished to be released, and they're not legally obligated to follow her commands."

He looked at Daigo.

"I understand how others might feel about our evil pieces, but I still cannot agree to your demands," Sirzechs said. "I wish you could understand."

For a moment, the sixth chairman said nothing, still looking at him with the same fire as before, only a little… dimmer. Not as ferocious as before. Eventually, Daigo made his response.

"Accept, and I'll keep your secret."

Relying on pressure from the other biblical factions. Sirzechs' smile widened. You're not making this easy for me, are you? But I understand.

"...How about a compromise?"

Daigo paused, then nodded.

"Instead of outlawing, how about regulating?" He said. "If one wants to add a Japanese citizen to their peerage, they must come to the devil embassy, Kuoh Academy, and inform Rias Gremory, Sona Sitri, and Akane Amamiya. They will run a series of questions, tests, and check-ups to see if both parties are able, consenting, and neither hold any malicious intent."

"If ignored?"

"They will be considered a criminal," The Lucifer Satan said. "The Japanese citizen will be returned to their home, and the offending devil will be punished.

Daigo took a moment to think it over, closing his eyes in concentration. All parties were tense except Sirzechs himself. He was confident, smiling at the sixth chairman without any worry. He knew what the answer would be already.

"..." Daigo exhaled. "...Your terms are acceptable."

"Thank you, Mr. Daigo."

"What?" Yasaka's eyes widened.

"Daigo?" Ryuji looked at him in surprise.

"Daigo-san?" Mine was just as shocked.

The sixth chairman raised a hand, silencing them.

"A contract paper will be handed to all parties shortly." He said. "Be sure to read it thoroughly. If you have any concerns, share them now."

Surprisingly, and thankfully, none of the three made any fuss about this. If anything, Ryuji only sighed in what felt like exasperation, as did Mine. Yasaka was the only one who was truly angered, but she said nothing, remaining quiet as two yakuza agents entered and started handing out the papers.

They sure work fast… Sirzechs thought, taking a paper.

"Cool speech there, Zechs." Serafall teased him quietly, elbowing his side. "So that's what you think about Juka's work, huh?"

"Please, Sera. Not now." He sighed, looking at the piece of paper in front of him.

All he had to do was sign this for a new future.

Hopefully, a better, brighter one.

– Daigo –

As most participants of the treaty left after its finalization, he remained in the council room, still on his chair, stuck in his own thoughts. Had he done the right thing? Should he have pressured Sirzechs more? Was this the better decision?

"Why'd ya do it?" Ryuji asked, stopped before he left the room. "You could've easily forced Sirzechs. You had all the cards. What gives?"

Daigo didn't say anything.

"Pity? Sympathy?" The Dragon of Kansai guessed. "Forgiveness? I don't get it."

"...He believed what he was saying," Daigo responded. "Everything about the evil pieces. This… this fucked up system of theirs."

Ryuji waited for him to continue.

"This bizarre idealism. A devil. The Lucifer Satan, of all things. How could he even say all that?" Daigo sighed. "The man is older than both of us combined. He's completely delusional."

"Then why humor 'em?"

"…I… A part of me wanted to believe what he said." Daigo admitted. "I'm such an idiot. A split-second decision, and I chose to follow my feelings. Not the cold, hard truth that was right in front of me."

If his silence was anything to go by, his response seemed to have caught Ryuji off guard, but then the Kansai Yakuza began to chuckle.

"Yer exactly like him." He said with an amused tone. "As bad of a yakuza as he was. Yer right. Yer a dumbass through and through. No mistakin' it."

Daigo slowly turned around, seeing Ryuji with a smirk on his face.

"But ya know," He added. "A real man oughta be a little stupid."

"Is that right…"

"Yeah." He snorted. "Well, whatever. It's done. The wife's pretty pissed at ya, and I'm stuck havin' to comfort her. Ya owe me."

"Heh. I guess I do."

Ryuji then walked away, leaving Daigo on his own.

…Maybe he should have more faith in his decision.

That's what Kiryu would've wanted.

– Akane –

What the fuck are they doing? The treaty is done— it has been done for an hour now! What the hell are they waiting for?!

I look at the time on my phone— 4 PM. No signs of any attack. Everyone already fucking left Kuoh, and I've been getting more and more anxious. Nothing. There's nothing happening, and it's driving me nuts.

What the fuck is going on?

"Are you okay?" Sona asks, scooting closer to me. She looks at me with concern. "You look… rather skittish."

"I'm fine." I click my tongue, drowning out Ichiban's singing. "Music is getting loud."

I've been feeling severely in danger the moment we had to leave the school grounds. We weren't even allowed to stay close after we were caught 'peeping' on the leaders. Fucking dumbass guards. I have every right to be there.

And now that the leaders are gone, we're like sitting ducks for the Amons. When are they going to attack? What's going to happen now? Was this what they were waiting for? Are they…

…

…Are they even going to attack?

…Give it to me straight, Game. Was I preparing for nothing? Is this why you didn't give me a quest?

…

…This is the first time I've ever felt the urge to kill someone so intensely. All these hours spent anxious, all the planning, building, tinkering, and not a single use of devour. Do you know what this feels like? It's like getting a 'The real treasure was the friends we made along the way!' type of ending.

You fucking bitch ass cosmic horror motherfucker. Why the hell didn't you say anything?! Oh, haha! It must be a knee-slapper for you, hah?! Fuck the friends! I want my fucking treasure, and I want it NOW!

"Are you sure? You look like you're about to burst a blood vessel." Sona deadpans.

And now she won't shut the fuck up!

No, no. Calm down. Breathe. Relax. Think… Think positively.

Sure, the invasion isn't going to happen, but! The friends, Akane. The friends you made along the way are useful. Nemesis, the armor, Touki— they're not just going to disappear into thin air because the Amons didn't show up.

Nemesis will be a powerful long-term subordinate that listens to all my commands. Hell, it's doing precisely what I'm ordering it to do: Observe, copy, and perfect my mannerisms and how I act around others, which is something that's going to be very important for my devouring journey.

And I can still use the other two things for the upcoming Rating Game tournament. So, overall, this was a net positive. In fact, perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. After all, an invasion of that scale will end up blowing a lot of shit up. It might make it hard to live in Kuoh for possibly weeks.

I don't want that. I don't want to get busy with stupid and boring construction work when I could be doing more important things like building badass fucking robots and mechas. Right? Right. See? It isn't so bad. You just gotta be positive.

…

Oh, who am I kidding? I was just denied a feast. No amount of coping will delude me into thinking this was a good thing.

"I just have a headache," I respond with a sigh, feeling all my rage drained. I'm just fucking tired now. "Gives me the urge to kill someone."

"Please, don't kill anyone."

"Like, I wanna fucking just grab Issei by the neck and choke him to death."

He still has a punchable face.

"Please, don't choke Issei to death."

"Huh?" Issei blinks and looks at Sona. "You call me?"

"Yeah, come over here so I can choke you."

"W-what?!" He blushes. "Er, no, I'm not into that. At least, I don't think I am."

"To death." Sona clarifies. "She wants to kill you."

"HUH?! Why?! What did I do?!"

"Exist."

I fucking hate this. I don't feel like doing anything. Everything is loud, and everything is annoying. This is like being denied a ride you really wanted to try because you weren't tall enough for it, so you're told to fuck off and do something else.

And what I wanna do right now is go home and take a nap.

Get juked, bitch. No invasion is happening here.

Yet.

Check my pa tre on and read five whole chapters ahead to see what I mean.