Underworld, Satan Territory, Lucifer Estate.
After leaving the Devil Council's meeting hall, Sirzechs returned to his estate feeling more mentally tired than he had in quite some time. When he arrived, Grayfia was waiting for him as she usually did. However, he could feel that everything was different.
"Sirzechs, we need to talk." Grayfia said before Sirzechs had a chance to speak.
"I agree." Sirzechs said calmly. "Why did you disobey my orders?"
"Because you were wrong." Grayfia said just as calmly. "You were more concerned with your standing among the populous than doing your duty."
"Is that what you think?" Sirzechs said without changing his expression. "Everything I've ever done is for the betterment of the people."
"And allowing the rotten apples of the Council to act in a rampant manner was for the betterment of the people?" Grayfia asked in a cutting tone.
To this, Sirzechs did not have an answer. He knew the answer to Grayfia's question but was unwilling to answer it. His pride would not allow it.
"Sirzechs, do you know why I chose to betray my house and the Old Satans?" Grayfia asked calmly.
"Yes." Sirzechs responded. "It was because you believed it was what was best for the Underworld and devils society."
"That's right." Grayfia replied with a nod. "That's the reason I married you as well. I thought you were what was best for not only me, but for the devils as well. I thought we would be able to make the Underworld better together."
"Thought?" Sirzechs asked. "Why the past tense?"
"Because I'm no longer sure if that's the case." Grayfia replied with a bit of pain in her expression. "When we first started this journey together, Making the lives for the devils better was all that mattered to us. But now, you seem to care more about gaining the reverence of the masses."
"A leader must be revered to make the people follow them." Sirzechs replied with a slight frown.
"A leader must lead their people." Grayfia said calmly. "Their actions will dictate how the people feel about them."
Sirzechs stopped to think about what Grayfia said. And, indeed, he could understand the sentiment. However, his pride was stopping him from agreeing with it verbally.
"Instead of taking the actions that would lead the masses to follow you willingly, you are more concerned with maintaining the status quo because you don't know how the people will react to your choices." Grayfia said. "And that is not the way of a ruler, but a coward."
Hearing Grayfia's assessment, Sirzechs could feel his anger starting to rise. This would be the first time he had ever been called a coward by anyone. Fortunately, he was able to push down his discomfort.
"Is that why you went behind my back to spread that news?" Sirzechs asked.
"Yes, I thought that those Councilmen needed to be held accountable for their transgressions." Grayfia replied.
Sirzechs actually agreed with Grayfia on that point. He was thoroughly disgusted by the things that those Councilmen had done. Unfortunately, it was not to his credit that they were exposed and that was the issue he had with the situation.
"We both know that every devil's actions are dictated by a certain sin. With pride, envy, and lust being the most prevalent." Grayfia continued. "And like you, pride is my main sin. The difference between us, though, is that your pride is focused on yourself. While my pride is for the devil species as a whole."
Sirzechs stopped to think about it for a while. And realized that Grayfia was right, to an extent. He also had immense pride in his sister, more than for his own son. That is why, despite being uncomfortable with James' growth, he never objected to Rias being with him. Because he was proud that Rias found such a good partner.
"Also, as your [Queen], I have the duty to support you and advise you." Grayfia said while keeping eye contact with Sirzechs.
"And disobeying me is your definition of supporting me?" Sirzechs asked with a slight frown.
"I supported you by making a choice that you wouldn't." Grayfia said. "For you to be a good ruler, sometimes you have to put your pride down. I'm not telling you to bow to others. But you have to be willing to allow others to gain glory."
With that, the room fell into silence. Then, after several minutes, Sirzechs sighed deeply.
"I'll consider it." Sirzechs said before turning around and leaving toward his and Grayfia's bedroom.
Grayfia simply bowed at the retreating Sirzechs' back. Then, a teleportation circle appeared underneath her while she maintained her bow. A moment later, she was no longer in the Lucifer Estate.
Human World, Japan, Kuoh.
A week has passed since the news of the Council members wrong doings was made public. And in that week, many searches have been carried out as part of the Satans and Devil Council's investigation into the matter. They found a lot of evidence against the accused. Enough to prove everything in those reports that were distributed throughout Lilith.
After the last bell, James and the girls were gathered around Reya's desk, talking about the goings on in the Underworld.
"So, Ri Ri, have you heard anything about the investigation from your brother or Grayfia?" James asked curiously.
"Nope, they're keeping it under wraps." Rias replied. "On top of that, things seem really tense between Grayfia and my brother."
"I bet." James replied. "I'm sure your brother didn't like Grayfia deciding to publish that information on her own. But I'm not sure why he would have hidden the information in the first place."
"Who knows." Rias said with a shrug. "Sona, have you heard anything from your sister?"
"Nothing." Sona replied. "As much as she dotes on me, she very rarely tells me anything that I'm not supposed to know."
"Now, that's a surprise." Flora replied. "I thought if you gave her the puppy dog eyes, she would give in instantly."
"Like I could ever do that!" Sona shouted as her face turned red.
Tsubaki and Reya giggled at their [King's] outburst. Akeno also giggled. Meanwhile, James and Rias laughed loudly.
"Would you two shut up!" Sona said forcefully.
"I remember the last time Sona gave Sera-Tan the puppy dog eyes." James said through his laughter. "It was when Sera broke through her barriers while we were... Mmph."
"I said shut up!" Sona said while covering James' mouth with her hands. "Why would you even think about telling everyone that story?"
"Because I thought it was hilarious." James replied after prying Sona's hands away from his mouth.
After that little exchange, Rias, Akeno, Tsubaki, Reya, and Flora were now looking at Sona with curiosity.
"Ara, Ara, why don't you tell us the story too, Kaichou?" Akeno asked with a bit of sadism glinting in her eyes.
"Yeah, you know a bunch of embarrassing stories about me, Sona." Rias added. "Why not make it more even."
"I know a lot of embarrassing stories about you, Rias, because you do a lot of embarrassing things." Sona replied coldly.
Once again, everyone laughed. Everyone except Rias, that is.
"Anyway, I'm not telling." Sona said while adjusting her glasses. Then, she continued when she noted everyone's gazes falling on James. "And if you tell them, James, I'll tell my sister you were bullying me while crying."
Even though James had decided not to tell them the story since Sona was so against it, that decision became rock solid after hearing Sona's threat. Even though Serafall and he were about equal interms of strength and James believed that he could defeat her if he went all out, the hassle she would present would be way more than he was willing to deal with for a funny story.
"You have my word." James said solemnly. "I won't tell anyone that story without your permission. I swear it on Ochiru Sakura."
Although Sona only rolled her eyes in response, she knew that he was serious. James, like most swordsmen, would not take a vow on his sword lightly.
After that, the group continued to chat for a little longer. Eventually, they decided to disperse to go to their respective clubs. Before they separated after leaving the classroom, however, James remembered something.
"Hey, you've all heard that they will be holding the Middle-Class advancement exam four times a year now, right?" James asked. "The next time it will be held is next month. The first weekend in November. Are you sending any of your peerage to take part?"
"Yeah, I'll be sending Akeno, Koneko, Yuuto, Gasper, and Issei" Rias replied. "What about you, Sona?"
"I'll be sending Tsubaki and Reya." Sona replied. "The others aren't quite ready."
"I don't know, Sona." James said in response. "I think you give them too little credit."
"They still aren't ready for devil society, I mean." Sona replied. "As far as strength goes, they should be more than ready."
"Gotcha." James replied.
"What about you?" Rias asked.
"I'll be sending Mizore, Lancer, an Moka." James replied casually.
"Not Master Scathach?" Sona asked curiously.
"She hasn't taken enough devil jobs to be eligible yet." James replied. She'll be ready for the next one, though. She does like six contracts every night."
"What a monster." Reya said.
Everyone else nodded in agreement. Then, they finally headed off to their clubs to spend their afternoons.
Underworld, Satan Territory, Capital City, Lilith.
Once again, the seventeen Councilmen under suspicion of treason, among other things, were gathered on the ground floor of the Devil Council's meeting room. Today was the day when the investigations ended. Today, they would be judged for their crimes by the remaining members of the Council and the Satans.
Standing in silence, the seventeen men waited for the Council and the Four Great Satans to enter. It was obvious that their anxiety levels were running quite high. Finally, after half an hour, the ones who would judge them entered through the door on the balcony. Wasting no time, all twenty-seven people quickly took their seats.
"I think we all know why we're here." Sirzechs said.
In response, everyone on the balcony nodded in agreement.
"Then, let's begin." Sirzechs said.
One by one, each of the eleven men who confessed to their crimes were called forth and received their sentences. They were all removed from their positions on the council. Also, they were sentenced to anywhere from five hundred to a thousand years of imprisonment, depending on the severity of their crimes.
After those eleven were sentenced, the turn for the six who did not agree to cooperate in their own investigations were called forth one by one as well. The sentences they received were much more severe. All of them were sentenced to death, with no exceptions. Most of them were granted a quick death. Death by beheading. The leader of the group, however, received a much more painful death. He would receive death by a thousand cuts from a holy sword.
The reason his sentence was so much harsher was simple. He had sold information to the enemy factions, back when Heaven and the Grigori were still enemies, for his own benefit on more than a few occasions. This information was not in the reports that were made public. And the Satans and Councilmen were grateful for that. News like that would have definitely led to the public being completely outraged.
When Zekram heard about this, he remembered all the traps and ambushes some of the elite members of devil society had walked into while on missions. It took everything he had and several other Councilmen physically holding him back to stop him from killing the man on the spot with a blast of his [Power of Destruction].
"I'm glad they were able to stop me from killing you." Zekram said, addressing the leader of the men being sentenced. "Being quickly obliterated by my [Power of Destruction] is far to kind an end for a traitor like you."
In response, the man in question hung his head with regret clear in his expression. However, everyone present could tell that he did not regret his actions, not in the least. What he regretted was the fact that he was caught.
"A public execution will be held in the central square a week from today." Sirzechs said. As he looked around at the other Satans and the Councilmen, he continued. "Are there any objections?"
No one objected.
"Then, let's adjourn." Sirzechs said as he stood from his seat.