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...
The attendee was a spirited-looking middle-aged man. However, since he occupied that particular seat, his identity was hardly a mystery.
Azazel, Governor General of the Fallen Angels!
Standing behind him, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, was the young man Badr had met before, Vali Lucifer, the [White Dragon Emperor].
These individuals were undeniably heavyweights, their presence intimidating enough to make Asia tremble with nervousness.
Noticing her unease, Badr gently took Asia's hand and offered her a reassuring smile, signaling that she needn't worry.
He sat down beside Rias, who was seated behind the two Satan. Rias, in turn, reached out and grasped Badr's hand, her own hand trembling slightly.
Clearly, even she was feeling the tension of the situation.
This was an important meeting, and she would soon be required to deliver a report. It was only natural to feel nervous.
The meeting officially began, with Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the Satans, taking the lead.
"It is an honor to participate in this historic meeting. Now that everyone is present, I believe we all understand a crucial premise: God is no more."
The expressions of those gathered remained calm. Even Grayfia Lucifuge, who should have been unaware of this information, appeared unfazed. Perhaps she had known all along?
"With that as our starting point, let us continue our discussion..."
Sirzechs and the other leaders began their talks, deliberating on the current state of affairs.
The three factions, locked in an age-old conflict, seemed to have finally glimpsed a path towards peace.
Badr didn't fully grasp the specifics of their discussion. After all, it involved the fate of the entire world, and he had never ventured beyond the human realm.
Compared to the clear stances of the Devils and Angels, everyone's attention was primarily focused on the Fallen Angels.
Azazel had yet to express his official position.
"Now, Rias, please tell us about your recent experiences," Sirzechs said, signaling Rias turn to speak. This meant the focus was about to shift towards the Fallen Angel faction.
...
Rias took a deep breath and stood up.
Badr squeezed her hand gently, encouraging her to relax.
She wasn't alone, after all. Sona Sitri would also be giving a report alongside her. All they needed to do was explain the situation as it had occurred.
Rias did her best to maintain composure as she began her statement, recounting the recent Fallen Angel attack.
Sona Sitri interjected at appropriate moments, providing supplementary details. The leaders of the three factions listened intently.
Their reactions varied as they heard the report, some sighed, others frowned.
"That concludes the account of the incident experienced by myself, Rias Gremory, and my peerage of Devils."
Rias finally finished explaining the events, a wave of relief washing over her. She had fulfilled her duty. However, what followed next heightened the tension in the room.
"Thank you, Rias."
Sirzechs nodded to Rias and turned his gaze towards Azazel, the Fallen Angel Governor General.
"Now, Azazel, after hearing her report, I'd like to know your thoughts on this matter, as the leader of the Fallen Angels."
Following his lead, everyone's attention shifted to the black-haired Governor General.
Azazel grinned, a fearless smile on his face.
"This operation was carried out by Kokabiel, a Cadre of Grigori, our Fallen Angel governing body. He acted independently, without the knowledge of the other Cadres or myself, the Governor General. I have already dispatched the [White Dragon Emperor] to deal with the situation."
"Is that all? That man nearly destroyed this entire city," Serafall Leviathan, one of the Satans, growled, her voice laced with discontent.
Her anger stemmed from the fact that her younger sister had been caught in the crossfire and nearly killed.
Azazel shrugged helplessly.
"He is currently imprisoned in the deepest depths of Hell, subjected to an eternal sentence of cryogenic freezing. He won't be causing any more trouble. Haven't these details already been compiled into a report and sent to your archives?"
Michael, the Archangel, sighed.
"That's just like you, Azazel. Such a dismissive explanation. But what I want to know is whether your personal desire to avoid further conflict is genuine."
"Of course, I have no interest in war. Kokabiel often criticized me for this pacifistic stance. Haven't you all known this for a long time?"
Azazel's words brought a measure of relief to Sirzechs and the others.
Badr found the Fallen Angel leader's attitude rather peculiar.
The Fallen Angel faction was undoubtedly an organization rife with chaos and debauchery. Since their fall from Heaven, they had made no effort to conceal their desires, exceeding even the Devils in their indulgence.
Yet, the leader of this organization seemed remarkably laid-back...
Sirzechs suddenly spoke. "I have a question, Azazel. Why have you been gathering Sacred Gear wielders for the past few decades?"
"Indeed. I initially assumed you were attempting to bolster your forces, possibly to wage war against Heaven or the Underworld. I was quite concerned when I learned you had acquired the [White Dragon Emperor]."
The White Dragon Emperor, one of the Two Heavenly Dragons, joining the Fallen Angel faction had indeed caused a great deal of anxiety for both Heaven and the Devils. They had remained vigilant for a long time, only to find that the Fallen Angels made no aggressive moves.
Azazel chuckled wryly.
"I was merely collecting them for research purposes. Can't we long-lived monsters have hobbies? If you're worried, I can share some of my research data with you."
The Fallen Angel Governor General seemed genuinely aggrieved.
"I never intended to start a war with them. Times have changed. I've lost interest in war long ago. I'm quite content with the current state of the world and have no intention of interfering in human politics. Honestly, it seems my credibility is the worst among the three factions."
"It is, actually."
"Indeed!"
Both Michael and the two Satan nodded in agreement.
Badr couldn't help but find the situation amusing. Azazel lacked their trust...
Azazel was rendered speechless, cleaning his ear with a bored expression.
"Tch... So you're all just as troublesome as God and the previous Lucifer. Fine, I understand. Let's establish this peace treaty then. That was your intention all along, wasn't it? I agree!"
His acquiescence brought immense relief to everyone present.
They had initially anticipated the Fallen Angels to be the biggest obstacle, expecting them to be unwilling to accept peace so easily.
After all, Kokabiel was a Fallen Angel. Who could be certain that he wasn't acting under Azazel's orders, perhaps with some ulterior motive in mind?
Now it seemed Azazel had been telling the truth...
With all three factions in agreement, the peace treaty was officially decided.
The next step would be for the leaders of the three factions to sign the contract.
Badr watched their actions, but his mind remained on high alert.
He couldn't shake the feeling that this meeting wouldn't end so smoothly.
This feeling was inexplicable at first, but he gradually became aware of its source, it seemed to be coming from his Sacred Gear, the King Sword and Shield.
It was as if the Sacred Gear was constantly on guard against something...
Badr trusted his Sacred Gear implicitly, so he maintained his vigilance.
Come to think of it, even though this meeting was held in complete secrecy, it was impossible for such major events to occur without any rumors spreading, right?
If some information had been leaked due to negligence, there would undoubtedly be individuals like Kokabiel who opposed peace and would try to disrupt it.
If there were to be any unexpected incidents, now would be the time for those individuals to make their move!
He calmly surveyed the room, his gaze sweeping over the Satans, the Archangel, and the Fallen Angel Governor General engaged in their discussion. Everyone seemed to be acting normally.
Then, Badr's eyes fell upon the angel accompanying Michael and the young man with Azazel, Vali, the White Dragon Emperor.
As if sensing his gaze, Vali, perhaps due to his instincts as a powerful being, lifted his head and looked at Badr.
Their eyes met, and Vali offered a faint smile.
Badr nodded in return, a sense of unease stirring within him.
It was too calm.
Was he simply being paranoid?
At the meeting table, the leaders of the three factions extended their hands towards a special contract. Once they imprinted their Sacred and demonic power signatures upon it, the treaty would take effect.
But at that very moment, a sudden surge of strange power swept through the room. The space around them cracked like a shattered mirror!
Space itself was breaking apart!
Badr, who had remained vigilant, instantly activated his fused holy-demonic power. King Shield appeared in a flash, emitting a golden light that enveloped everyone present.
-Aegis of the King!!
...
Within the fractured space, a colossal black city, seemingly endless in its expanse, materialized.
Badr, controlling King Shield, instantly entered the [Breakdown] state, activating the [Endless Dusk City] while simultaneously unleashing King Shield's ultimate defensive technique, Aegis of the King.
It was an area-of-effect [Stasis] ability that rendered all those within its golden light immune to any changes in their state.
[Aegis of the King] and [King's Judgment] were the ultimate techniques of King Shield and King Sword, respectively, both requiring the activation of the [Endless Dusk City] to be used.
The last time Badr had used this forbidden technique, he had been in a [Promoted] state.
But now, having achieved Balance Breaker, he could activate it in his base form without needing to [Promote].
Balance Breaker had significantly boosted his power.
By now, those under Badr's protection had also realized what was happening.
"A terrorist attack, perhaps..." Michael frowned slightly.
"Heh, as expected of the Sacred Gear wielder who piqued my curiosity. Your reaction speed is remarkable," Azazel commented, marveling at the power of King Shield.
In contrast to his calm demeanor, Rias and the others were filled with fear.
Space had shattered, and the entire old school building was now caught in a chaotic void of spatial turbulence!
If Badr hadn't acted in time to protect them, those with weaker powers like Asia might have perished along with the collapsing space.
"Well done."
Sirzechs nodded to Badr in approval.
Even he hadn't reacted quickly enough to protect those around him. The spatial collapse had been too sudden.
Badr remained silent. He had simply been maintaining his vigilance.
The unusual reaction of King Sword and Shield had not been unfounded. It had sensed the anomaly in the surrounding space beforehand.
Thankfully, he had noticed the subtle change. Had he been careless and ignored the faint warning, Koneko, Asia, and the others might not have survived.
"What's happening?" Asia and the others looked outside warily.
The entire building was engulfed in spatial turbulence. Only the barrier erected by the leaders of the three factions prevented it from being torn apart.
Badr deactivated [Aegis of the King]. While powerful, the technique consumed a considerable amount of energy. Without [Promotion], his demonic power couldn't sustain it for long.
"We're under attack. The enemy likely intends to trap us in a separate dimension and eliminate us," Serafall Leviathan explained.
Azazel chuckled.
"In every era, whenever factions are about to sign an agreement, there are always those who oppose it and attempt to interfere."
He was right. It was exactly as Badr had feared.
The three factions were on the verge of signing a peace treaty, but there were bound to be many who opposed this outcome. Those individuals would undoubtedly seize this opportunity to disrupt the proceedings.
...
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