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Chapter 40: The Conference (I)
🕑 Added 2024-08-29 22:00:07 +0000 UTC10+ Advance Chapters: patreon.com/Accel14
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Today was the day, the Three Great Powers would all be assembling in Kuoh to have a meeting with one another. And Kuoh Academy had been chosen as the official venue for the event to take place, inside the staff meeting room.
It was late at night, and the entirety of the institution had been surrounded by guards from all three factions, accompanied by a barrier that ensured no one would be able to enter or exit once the meeting had begun.
"When do you plan on summoning her?" Vali had his back leaned against one of the walls of the room, with Takauji only a few inches beside him. The Mage's arm having been fully regrown throughout the past week.
"Her? Are you talking about Raynare?"
"Who else would I be talking about? You said showing Hyoudou Issei that she was still alive would trigger the rage inside him you were telling me about. Albion and I are getting impatient."
Takauji exhaled, glancing towards the door.
"For starters, Issei-kun isn't even here yet, and it would be much better if I made the reveal when he was under some sort of pressure. The more clouded his head is, the heavier the blow will be." He looked at Azazel briefly.
"He did say there was a chance that someone would try something, but who on earth would have the audacity to attack an event with those monsters present?" Vali pointed towards the table in the center of the room, with a set of throne-like chairs stationed around it.
Takauji only recognised two of the figures, one being Sirzechs, and the other being Azazel.
One of the people sat down at the table appeared to be a girl in her late teens, sporting black hair fashioned into twin-tails. She had bright blue eyes and wore attire that seemed to be cut from the same cloth as Sirzechs, status wise.
She was none other than Serafall Leviathan, one of the four Satans alongside her Gremory counterpart. She was also Sona Sitri's older sister, which explained why Takauji felt adverse to her despite having never met her before.
The other was a handsome looking man with long blonde hair and verdant pupils, he wore a red robe with a gold cross on the front of his white alb. Accompanied by golden shoulder plates with a white sash, and a radiant halo above his head.
He was Michael, the current overseer of Heaven in lieu of the Biblical God's absence. Making him a former comrade of Azazel.
"I wonder, who indeed?" He shot a strange look towards Vali, narrowing his eyes as he stared at the silver-haired youth momentarily.
He's acting differently, he's got the same expression as me when I think about revealing Raynare. Just what are you planning to do? Vali Lucifer.
The door opened, the corners of both Takauji and Vali's mouths stretching as they watched a group enter the room.
The Gremory peerage had arrived, with Xenovia alongside them for some reason.
Oh? She managed to convince the Exorcist to become a Devil? Interesting, how very interesting.
"What are you doing here?" Rias immediately asked upon setting sights on Takauji, having to keep her voice down to a reasonable level in the presence of the faction leaders.
"What do you mean?" He tilted his head. "I am Azazel's contracted Magician, why wouldn't I be present?" Azazel and Takauji had signed a three-month contract after the latter had informed him of his contract with Rias Gremory being annulled.
The expressions of Rias's subordinates all turned to that of scowls, Takauji finding their glares immensely entertaining.
"So you were working with him after all."
The sound of someone clearing their throat caught everyone's attention, belonging to that of the Lucifer.
"Rias, this is not the time nor place for you to settle your grievances. You understand that don't you?" Despite being a bonafide siscon, right now Sirzechs had to maintain his formal appearance.
The young Gremory didn't respond, simply swallowing her urge to lash out at Takauji and sitting down on a row of chairs placed beside one of the walls, preferably away from the Demon King and White Dragon Emperor. Though they didn't know who the latter was just yet.
"Now that all the appropriate parties are gathered, shall we begin?" Azazel suggested, receiving a set of affirmative nods from his fellow leaders.
"Then let us start with a recount of events that led to this meeting being called in the first place," Sirzechs spoke up. Turning towards his sister shortly after. "Rias, you were present at the event were you not?"
"Yes, Sirzechs-sama."
"Then would you mind recapping what transpired to us?"
She nodded, beginning her explanation.
Starting with her peerage encountering Freed and the Genocide Archbishop, alongside the stolen Excalibur's they had obtained from the Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox churches.
Continuing on to Kokabiel's emergence and his summoning of Cerberus, the Guard-Dog of Hell, and finally–
"–And then Ashikaga Takauji defeated Kokabiel with the help of some sort of device he had obtained." She put heavy emphasis on the second-half, earning a faint chuckle from the man in question.
"Device?" Sirzechs repeated questioningly.
"She's talking about one of the Artificial Sacred Gears I created," Azazel spoke up. "I lent it to him."
"I see, thank you for your account Rias. Azazel, is there anything you'd like to add to that?" He said with a certain implication.
"No, Kokabiel was met with the death penalty for going against my direct orders to maintain a position of peace as befitting his transgression. That's all."
Michael hummed.
"That's what confuses me Azazel, you've been gathering Sacred Gear users for a while now, and even have the Vanishing Dragon on your side which led me to believe you were planning for another war or something. Moreover, you've recently obtained an Unregistered Ultimate-Class Mage in Ashikaga Takauji as your contracted Magician. Just what do you have planned?"
Azazel let out a groan, pinching his nose bridge with his fingers.
"You guys really don't have any faith in me do you?"
"No."
"None."
"Nope! ✫"
The Governor breathed out a grumble as he slouched into his chair ever so slightly.
"Like I've told all of you so many times in the past, everything I do is for the sake of research. Wars, territory, vengeance, politics in general. Have I ever once shown any interest in them?"
No one could refute him.
"I guess the research I do behind closed doors really has you all on edge doesn't it? You all think I'm that same person from all those years ago? In your eyes, I am a threat."
Again, no one could refute him.
"Alright, if my words alone won't convince you let's do this, how about we make official peace? We'll form an alliance, and I will share my research with your factions. Do you think you'd be able to trust me then?"
Most of the non-leaders in the room were shocked, save for Vali and Takauji who had already been filled in on his intentions before the meeting had actually begun.
"I can't help but side with Azazel on this one," Michael said. "With both God and Lucifer gone, having our factions continue as is would only result in mutual destruction. Also, Azazel has indeed made no attempt to wage war against us ever since the last one. So I believe him when he claims himself an advocate of peace."
Sirzechs sighed.
"Indeed, you do have a point. All three of our populations are on the decline, it would be much better for all of our races if there was peace between us. With our need for humanity in order to continue existing, we should put our combined resources into nurturing and looking after them."
Sacred Gears and reincarnation, humans were a resource, one they couldn't afford to let go extinct.
"Then it's settled!" Azazel grinned. "Our factions shall have peace."
It's strange. Why are they all so scared of Azazel? If we're talking power alone, Sirzechs could probably take him with some struggle at most. He mentioned something about the old him, Azazel, just what on earth were you like back then to have them on edge like this?
His contractor had become more mysterious to him than he already was.
"However," Azazel continued. "Before we put anything to paper, shouldn't we first hear the opinions of those around us? They are our future after all."
"Very well."
"I see no reason not to."
"Okay! ✫"
"Then let's start with you White Dragon Emperor. Vali, how does peace sound to you?"
Vali simply shrugged in response.
"As long as I have strong opponents to fight, I don't mind."
Azazel didn't pursue his questioning any further.
"And you, Red Dragon Emperor, what do you think?" He turned to Issei.
"Uh, I don't really understand politics and all that stuff very well, but peace sounds good to me."
"Great, and you, Unregistered Ultimate-Class Mage-san?" It was now Takauji's turn.
"You are my contractor, if you want peace then so do I."
"Lovely, with that out of the way we can proceed–"
And then it happened. Time seemed to have come to a stop out of the blue, leaving only a handful of figures still capable of movement.
What's going on? There's suddenly a massive weight pressing down on me out of nowhere, every movement I make feels like something's trying to freeze me in place!
"Well this is unusual, someone seems to have stopped time itself." Azazel announced all too casually. "Let's see here," he started to observe those still capable of moving one by one. "Hyoudou Issei and Vali seem to be protected by their Dragons, that Knight has his evolved Sacred Gear, and the other Knight has her Holy-Sword. And the rest of us are protected by our raw strength."
Azazel looked at Takauji, who did in fact have enough strength to continue moving, but not enough to do so comfortably.
"Here," the Governor tossed a lance-like dagger towards Takauji. "With his help you should be just fine, at least for the time being. My estimate is that if we wait long enough eventually all of us will be frozen."
"Thanks."
["I didn't expect us to meet again so soon, or at all for that matter."]
Displeased?
["To an extent, but it is nice to stretch my muscles every now and then."]
"Oh, it looks like the perpetrators have decided to make themselves known." Azazel pointed out the window, revealing the sight of hundreds of humanoid-shaped silhouettes that started to appear out of the sky. Each of them hovering in the air.
"Hyoudou, this power belongs to that half-Vampire right?"
Issei nodded.
"Hm. Then that must mean whoever these people are have found a way to abuse his power, which also probably means that he's been kidnapped."
"They kidnapped Gasper!?"
"Mhm, which is why I need you and those Knights to go save him."
"That's fine by me, but what about those weirdos out there?" He pointed at the window.
Azazel smirked, looking at his newly contracted Magician.
"Since the other leaders here are probably curious about your strength Demon-kun, I have a mission for you."
"Yes?"
"Kill everyone out there, and make sure no one interferes with Hyoudou's efforts to rescue the half-Vampire."
Takauji smiled, bowing with one hand on his chest like a noble would.
"Your wish is my command."
The Mage didn't hesitate, already heading outdoors as he prepared to confront the people audacious enough to invade his home. Especially with their immensely lackluster strength.
["Do you even need me to take these nobodies on?"]
No, but I need you to be able to move properly, and by the looks of things whoever their leader is hasn't appeared yet. So I might need you depending on how strong they are.
He hoped this wasn't another Raynare situation where the enemy was really as weak as they seemed. To have a device capable of forcibly controlling another person's Sacred Gear had to take at least some level of competence.
Takauji used [Vacio], summoning the blade Azazel had deemed a failure and clasping it firmly in between his fingers.
It's time for your debut, Sayafushi.
Azazel had recommended he give the sword a name because of its awfully unique nature, and since Sayafushi would more likely than not be his companion for a long time, he did just that.
BAM!
He kicked open the front door of the building, the eyes of all the invaders latching onto him immediately.
Let's see, how should I go about this?
Takauji decided to strike a pose with his arms wide open, a faint yet vicious smile plastered on his face.
"Welcome, to my Kuoh Town. Dear Invaders."
His Mana started to burst out from his being, instilling the cloaked figures above him with fear the likes of which they have never experienced before.
"I'd offer you a better greeting, but my boss wants you all dead so, yeah, I think you all already know what's about to happen next."
