The following morning, Rias, Akeno and most of the peerage had a.s.sembled in the foyer. As the party wouldn"t begin until later that evening, they still had quite a bit of time to kill. All were waiting on Elros to arrive so they could finally have breakfast.
"Where is he?" Issei wondered impatiently.
"We"re letting him get a little extra rest. Suffice it to say that Elros is incredibly tired and sore," Akeno said as she sucked on a finger l.u.s.tily, imagining something else in there.
"Ugh, please keep that to yourself," Issei said as he and Asia turned red.
"So, do we have any Rating Games today?" Asia asked, quickly changing the subject.
"Not today, no. We"re going to be meeting some of the other contenders, however. Other than that, this is intended to be a party. It might be a bit larger than earlier antic.i.p.ated. I hear that several Duelists are going to be here as well," Rias said with a displeased sigh.
"What"s wrong, Rias? You don"t seem to happy about that," Xenovia said.
"Getting Duelists and Rating Game contenders in the same place usually isn"t the best idea. While Rating Games are popular, Duelist"s are accepted to be stronger. Because you have to Duel on your own, a lot of them have gone through much more intense training, whereas with a Rating Game, the strategy might be more helpful than absolute raw power," Rias said.
"Wasn"t Riser both, though?" Issei asked.
"He and a few others. Most Duelists also compete in Rating Games, but they give more attention to the Duels, especially those in the Top 20. They only compete in the Games because they either belong to a peerage, or they want to try a new scene; it"s usually really easy to tell who"s who. On the other hand, many Rating Game contenders don"t compete in Duels. They"re just not used to the change, which some consider jarring," Rias said.
"What happens when they get together, though?" Kiba wondered.
"Egos clash, mostly. Except for a few, you have a lot of c.o.c.ky Devils on either side. You"ll see a Rating Game champion brag, and he"ll get challenged to a Duel. Because they"re not accustomed to them, they usually have to bow out in a creative fashion or risk losing face," Rias said with a wry smile.
"Don"t Rating Games also have rankings? Like Duels?" Issei asked.
"They do. A Top Ten. As I learned from Azazel, Tannin is actually in the Top Ten as well, so it might be the case that we one day go up against his peerage one day," Rias said with a smile. Issei felt a shiver go down his spine; he didn"t know how well that"d turn out.
"Who else is in the Top Ten?" Xenovia wondered.
"Hmm… Ruval Phoenix is, as is Diehauser Belial, Roygun Belphegor, and Bedeze Abaddon. They"re the top three," Rias said.
"Rudiger Rosenkreutz is considered to be one of the most impressive, at Rank 7 however. h.e.l.lo, all," Sirzechs said as he entered with Grayfia at his side. As opposed to wearing a maid outfit, however, Grayfia wore a stunning silver dress that cut off just at her thighs. Otherwise, her hair was how it usually was.
"Woah! Grayfia, you look beautiful!" Issei said, blushing.
"Thank you," Grayfia said, still solemn.
"What were you talking about, Sirzechs?" Rias wondered.
"Ah yes. Rudiger Rosenkreutz. He is the only Reincarnated Human in the Top 10. The others are either High-Born or in Tannin"s case, not human - although, previously, he was a magician. However, he"s the closest to such that has made it that far in Rating Games," Sirzechs said.
"That"s pretty impressive. Is Rudiger like Elros, then?" Kiba asked.
"Perhaps, but not entirely. Elros"s rise in the Duels is quite literally second to none. Even the Devils close to him are still off by a matter of years, if not decades. No one else has stomped onto the scene in such a fashion before," Sirzechs said with pride.
"Are we gossiping about me?" Elros asked as he suavely walked down. He dressed in a black suit, handsome as ever; his hair parted to the side and a happy smile on his lips. He quickly embraced and kissed Rias and Akeno before grinning at the others.
"Don"t you look handsome," Xenovia said with a smile.
"Thank you. So do I," Elros chuckled.
"Easy there, Harvey Specter," Issei said wryly.
"Hey little buddy, kiddo," Elros said, ruffling Gasper and Koneko"s hair before grinning at Sirzechs and Grayfia.
"Good morning, Elros. I hope that you are well rested," Sirzechs said.
"Oh yeah. A bit sore, but otherwise I"m fighting fit. But what was it you guys were talking about?" Elros wondered.
"Ah, yes. Your meteoric rise, yet again. Being promoted to an Ultimate-Cla.s.s Devil is quite the honor. You"ll soon be able to start your peerage, as well as claim your territory," Sirzechs said.
"I"m looking forward to it. Of course, this is a.s.suming I pa.s.s that test on history and government. I think I"ll just scan all the books Mr. G has and go through them. That… should work. Probably. Maybe," Elros said.
"You can go to the library after breakfast, then - after all, you must be starving," Sirzechs said, leading them to the dining room.
-o-
Making their way to the dining room, Elros was soon hugging and kissing Yubelluna, Marion, Bürent, Xuelan, Mihae, and Isabela.
"Oh man! I missed you guys so much!" he said, taking his time to kiss Marion and Bürent with a furious pa.s.sion.
"As did we!" Mihae said, although blushed as she found the others staring at her with amus.e.m.e.nt. Elros chuckled and hugged her tightly again, running his hand soothingly through her hair. Mihae smiled as she rested her head on his chest, listening to the heartbeat. The sight made for many aww"s and coos about the cute former Bishop.
"Congratulations on your promotion," Yubelluna said as she stood behind Mihae and pulled Elros in for a deep kiss, which he happily returned. Smiling, he swooped in and kissed her on the cheek for good measure as well.
"Thank you, thank you. Being an Ultimate-Cla.s.s Devil should be fun, eh?" Elros said cheerfully.
"But before anything else, let"s get your something to eat. Come," Yubelluna said as she grabbed his hand and led him to table. Sitting down, she took one side while Rias took the other, both switching off as they fed him and pinched his cheeks. Elros grinned as he saw Issei get the same treatment from Asia on the other side.
"Adorable," he chuckled, eliciting a giggle from the beauties on either side. He soon began doing the same for them, much to their delight.
"Mmm. That"s good," Rias said, licking her lips sensually.
"Not at the breakfast table, dear. Have some decorum," Elros joked, eliciting a deadpan glance from her.
"Elros, there is something that I would like to discuss with you and Rias after breakfast if you don"t mind," Venelana said, observing the moments her daughter shared with the love of her life. She smiled as she saw how happy the two looked, easily as much as - or more, perhaps - in love as she was with her husband.
"Sure, Mrs. G. Whatever you need," Elros said.
"I thought you"d like to know that Luke and Yama will be here later tonight as well, as will several other Duelists. While this Gathering is more focused on young Rating Game contenders, it"s a matter of interest and entertainment for much of the populace," Lord Gremory said
"Sweet. Can"t wait to see him again. Speaking of which, how soon is that huge fight thing?" Elros wondered.
"Well, the Rating Games are expected to go on for a few days, up to a week. Immediately afterward, the Peace Talks will begin as a somewhat open forum - that is to say that clan members from the 72 Families as well as other notable Devils - you included, in this case - will be allowed to attend. We expect that the Peace Talks will go on for a week, and on the eve of their end, the Battle Royale will take place. The prevailing rumor states that many of the attendees of the Duels will stick around for your match with Yama, however. While many are looking forward to the Games and the Battle Royale, Yama coming out of his de facto retirement to face you is the most eagerly antic.i.p.ated event," Lord Gremory said.
"Hmm… Sounds good. I suppose that I can take my tests whenever, right?" Elros asked.
"Indeed. You can choose to take all of the tests at one time. Should you wish, you can also take breaks between them. You will have two hours to write the first essay, two hours to write the second, and then an opponent will be chosen for you as your final test. As there are no other Devils up for promotion to Ultimate Cla.s.s, you will instead fight a current Ultimate-Cla.s.s Devil," Lord Gremory said.
"Sounds good to me. So does a committee choose or…?" Elros trailed off.
"Usually, but you may be able to pet.i.tion to fight a particular Devil, should you so choose," Lord Gremory said. Elros nodded before going back to his food, interspersing his bites with feeding Rias and Yubelluna.
-o-
As they finished breakfast, Venelana escorted Rias and Elros to the library. Mr. Gremory, Sirzechs, and Grayfia soon joined them.
"So what"s up, Mrs. G?" Elros wondered. Venelana stopped and turned to face her daughter and Elros with a smile on her face.
"I am quite happy to see how strongly you two have been bonding. It"d bring happiness to any mother, actually - seeing her daughter with such a wonderful man," Venelana said. Rias turned red while Elros grinned at the compliment.
"You"re gonna make me blush, Mrs. G," he chuckled, eliciting a giggle from the brunette.
"The reason that I wished to speak with you is that I would like you, Elros, to partic.i.p.ate in the Ruins of Connection with my daughter," Venelana said. Elros looked on with curiosity. Turning to Rias, however, he saw that the words meant something to her. She had turned a fiery shade of red; a kind he had never seen before.
"You alright, Rias? You"re burning up," Elros said, holding a hand to her head; her temperature was skyrocketing.
"MOTHER!" she suddenly screamed out, eliciting chuckles and giggles from the elder Gremory"s. She soon turned to face Elros and hugged him tightly, burying her head in his chest as deep as it would go, hoping that a hole would open up and swallow both of them this very minute.
The Ruins of Connection.
"What are the Ruins of Connection?" Elros wondered.
"It"s something that is paramount to the Gremory Household. The Ruins of Connection are something of a rite of pa.s.sage that a Gremory is supposed to perform when they turn a certain age - which Rias has already. However, it"s meant to be carried out with someone that they hold dear," Venelana said. Hearing that, Rias turned even redder as she tightened her hold on Elros.
"You guys…," Rias said uncomfortably but stopped as she felt Elros rub her back. She looked up at him and saw that he was smiling at her, radiant as usual. She faltered yet again and buried her head in his chest.
"I want to. I really, really do. But… does he want to? And I still haven"t told him about Death Valley. What if he finds out afterward? Oh… I messed up. I screwed up badly. If he finds out, he"s going to leave me, and he"ll refuse to go through the ceremony with me. f.u.c.k! I shouldn"t have gone… Don"t be mad at me, Elros. Please don"t. I love you," Rias thought, her mind a whirlwind for multiple reasons. She had to repress the tears that were threatening to flow.
"It would mean a lot to us - as a family - if you would consider it, Elros," Venelana said.
"No need to think about it, Mrs. G. I"d be happy to do it," Elros said. The answer took the Gremory"s by surprise. While they wouldn"t force them to do it, they were certainly hoping that he would consent. Even still, they didn"t expect him to agree so readily. Especially not Rias, it seemed; her head snapped back, and she looked at him like never before.
"Y-y-you mean it?" Rias asked weakly. She wondered if Elros knew what it even meant?
"Sure. It"s important to you guys, right? You"ve shown me a lot of hospitality since Rias, and I got together. I… think… I have a feeling of what this means. Even so, my answer is yes. I"d be happy to do it," Elros said, reiterating his point as he caressed Rias"s cheek. The Gremory"s paused for a moment, letting his answer wash over them, before smiling wide. Sirzechs happily clapped his hands together while Grayfia leaned on his shoulder, smiling at Elros and Rias. Mr. Gremory and Mrs. Gremory both beamed while Rias leaned up and kissed Elros with a pa.s.sion, not caring that they were watching.
"Thank you. I love you so much," Rias thought happily.
"Thank you Elros," Sirzechs said, smiling widely at the Green Lantern.
"Not at all. So when do we do this? Now? Or…?" Elros trailed off.
"We have to prepare everything so it"ll still be a little while away. We"ll schedule it before your fight with Yama. Does that work?" Mr. Gremory asked.
"Sure, Mr. G. Sounds good to me," Elros said with a grin. Turning back to Rias he lifted her chin up and kissed her again, to her delight. Finally, they continued walking towards the library.
"Rias, sweetheart - could I speak with you for a second?" Lord Gremory asked as they approached, his voice slightly tentative. Rias still hadn"t forgiven him.
"Very well, father," she replied coldly before warming up as she looked at Elros. "I"ll see you in a bit, "kay?" she said.
"Alrighty," Elros said, kissing her on the cheek. Rias giggled as she skipped off, her heart on high as she replayed Elros"s acquiesce to the Ruins of Connection through her mind.
"We"re taking the next step!" she thought happily.
-o-
"Woah," Elros chirped as he looked around at all the books that were in the library. "Alright, buddy. Do your thing. Scan. Every. Single. One. Of. These!" Elros told his ring. The room was soon ensconced in a light green glow as the ring began to incorporate all the information in the books into one easy to access place.
"So Mrs. G, what exactly does this ceremony entail?" Elros wondered, sitting down and looking up at the matriarch.
"It"s something that a Gremory and their beloved go through. I did so with Zeo while Sirzechs did so with Grayfia. There are several parts to it, but it"s all to test the love that you and Rias hold for each other. There are four trials that you must succeed. The first trial is dancing with each other," Venelana said.
"Oh! That sounds fun!" Elros chirped, eliciting a warm smile from her.
"I"m glad you think so, dear. The second is table manners," Venelana said.
"I… think I"m alright with that?" Elros said uncertainly.
"Don"t worry. I"ll be preparing you for the lessons, so if you aren"t now, you soon will be. The third test is the history of the Gremory Clan and general knowledge of the Underworld," Venelana said.
"Oh…k…," Elros nodded.
"No need to fret, darling. Again, I"ll tutor you on the subject, along with the government of the Underworld in preparation for your Ultimate-Cla.s.s promotion. It"s not as hard as you might think it is," Venelana said.
"Alright. So just those three?" Elros wondered.
"One more. The last is a fight against an as of yet unnamed opponent," Venelana said.
"Alright. Sounds good to me," Elros said cheerfully.
"I"m happy to hear that. And thank you for being so willing to go through it with Rias. It means a lot to us," Venelana said.
"Anything, Mrs. G. I… well, I… well… you know. I love Rias," Elros said sheepishly. Venelana smiled wide as she heard that and nodded.
"I know you do, darling," she replied happily. "Now, if you"d like, we can begin your first lesson on the History and Government of the Underworld," Venelana offered.
"Yes, ma"am!" Elros said listening as Venelana started to talk.
"We"ll keep it basic for now. Devils - as you see them now - are beings that originate from the 72 Clans - or the 72 Pillars. Each clan is a family of High-Cla.s.s Devils and n.o.ble birth. Subject to them is Extra Demons, which are other sufficiently powerful and notable Devils, especially from the Old Satan Faction. Grayfia, my daughter in law, is one such person - an Extra Demon. She fought opposite of Sirzechs during our Civil War," Venelana explained.
"Really? That sounds a lot like Romeo and Juliet. But with a much happier ending," Elros said, eliciting a giggle from the matriarch.
"Yes, that comparison has been drawn several times already. As you know by now, there was a Great War between the Three Factions - Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils - which lead to the death of the Four Great Satans. They were the four that led the armies of the Devils against G.o.d and the Angels, as well as Azazel and the Fallen Angels," Venelana said.
"Huh. Zaz is a much bigger deal than I thought, then - especially if he survived," Elros mused.
"He is entirely convincing - although his faction was the first to bow out, as their numbers were severely limited and underpowered in comparison to the others. The Four Great Satans of that time were named Lucifer, Beelzebub, Leviathan, and Asmodeus. Soon after their deaths, a new set of Satans came into being - my son, Sirzechs; Sona"s sister, Serafall being two of them. Not before another war, however" Venelana continued.
"During the war, however, our numbers were… drastically reduced. Several of the 72 Clans began to die out, their numbers severely withered in the aftermath of the war. After that, there was a split within our kind; an Old Satan Faction and a New Satan Faction came into being. The Old Satan Faction wanted to continue fighting, intent on carrying on the legacy of the four deceased Satans. The New Satan Faction disapproved, however - they wanted to ensure the survival of Devils as a species. Thus, Civil War erupted, eventually leading to the fall of the Old Satan Faction - although, as you well know, they still exist," Venelana said.
"Yeah, we had a run-in with one of them at school, I think. The lady had the last name Leviathan. But does that mean that Vali is related to one of the original Satans?" Elros wondered.
"Indeed he is. Azazel mentioned it is a point of pride for him, although I"m not sure if he still considers it as such. I believe he"s still not doing too well after his scuffle with you," Venelana said with a smile. Elros smiled back sheepishly as she continued.
"One of the most prominent clans to fight back against the Old Satans, however, were the Baels. It is the family that I descended from, before marrying Zeo. Most prominently in the wars, however, Luke chose not to fight - despite both sides trying to woo him greatly," Venelana said. Elros smiled as he heard the hint of curiosity in her voice.
"Lucy does things on his terms, Mrs. G. I"m not sure why he didn"t fight, but he probably didn"t consider it worth his time, if I"m honest. I suppose you could say that nihilism is part of his overall belief system," Elros said.
"I see. Luke is perhaps the only Devil that the Bael"s see as a threat to their power - possibly mixed in with Yama, as they have no particular loyalties of their own. I was thinking about it, not too long ago. I remember a story about a Devil from the Bael clan that repeatedly went to see Luke, trying to convince him to marry into our family. After multiple attempts, he wasn"t heard from again," Venelana said.
"Ah. That"s the other thing about Luke. It"s best not to push him too much. He… uh… doesn"t like to be annoyed, you could say," Elros said grimly.
"You and he seem to have quite a close relationship, however. Certainly more so than any other Devil," Venelana said.
"He"s like a father to me, Mrs. G. I love that guy," Elros said cheerfully. Venelana smiled and nodded, deciding not to push the point further.
"Continuing, however - after the formation of a new Devil government, the Evil Pieces were developed. They"re a way for Devils to increase their numbers to the days of old again, with the goal to finally be a thriving community. The creation of the Pieces directly tied into the establishment of Rating Games - as, before the Pieces, Devils only had Duels. It"s why they"re so important and dare I say sacred to us," Venelana said, her voice br.i.m.m.i.n.g with pride as she recalled Elros"s ascent as a Duelist.
"Of course, this has led to quite a significant amount of discrimination. Most of the 72 Clans believe that Reincarnated Devils serve no purpose besides perhaps cannon fodder in the event of another war. The Gremory and Sitri clans are two that are vehemently opposed to that position, and I"ve no doubt other Devils with much the same line of thinking exist as well. The other duelists in the Top Five certainly place much more emphasis on the person than their birth, as do many Rating Game champions," Venelana said.
"I believe that Azazel and Rias have already gone over Demonic Powers, the particulars of Rating Games, and the function of the Evil Pieces with you already so I won"t bore you with that. I will cover weaknesses that are common amongst Devils, however. For example, Devils cannot often get involved with anything related to the Biblical G.o.d, as there are side effects such as splitting headaches and immense pain - such as when you pray or go near a church. Devils are vulnerable to holy objects - crucifix, holy water, the Bible - and are weak against weapons such as Holy Swords and Divine Sacred Gears. They"re also susceptible to light, although your abilities seem to be a notable exception. Light-based weapons such as those used by Angels and Fallen Angels can be quite deadly as well," Venelana said.
"I don"t think I"ve had to deal with that yet, actually," Elros said.
"Has Rias already discussed the ranking system with you?" Venelana asked.
"Yes ma"am," Elros nodded.
"Wonderful. That will play a significant role on the essay as well. I believe that should suffice for now. Read these books as you wish and if you have any questions, please ask as you please," Venelana said, getting up.
"Thanks for that, Mrs. G," Elros said with a grin.
"Not at all, dear," Venelana said, moving forward and hugging him. Elros returned the hug before he went over to a bookcase and quickly pulled out Book 1 of Meditations. Plopping himself on the ground, Venelana giggled at the excitement that radiated off of him as he read the book. Exiting, she saw Zeo and Rias coming towards her.
"Mom! What did you do?!" Rias asked, bright red.
"Oh, I"m sure you"ll find out sweetheart," Venelana winked at her. Rias quickly rushed in and went over to Elros, sitting behind him and wrapping her legs around his waist. Zeoticus and Venelana smiled as they heard her squeals of delight.
"I am exceptionally happy for them. Rias and Elros make such a beautiful couple. Almost reminds me of you and me when we were a bit younger," Venelana giggled as she kissed her husband.
"Likewise. It"s good that Rias has someone like Elros by her side and vice versa. I"m positively br.i.m.m.i.n.g with happiness," Zeoticus said as he and Venelana headed back to their quarters.
-o-
As Rias faced the window, she felt Elros come behind her and hug her close to him, kissing her neck.
"Hey," she giggled, turning to face him.
"Hi there. So, just a few hours until we begin this shindig?" Elros asked.
"Yup. Almost lunch time, though. Are you hungry?" Rias inquired.
"Oh yeah. Offering what I think you are?" Elros asked with a grin, eliciting an eye roll from her.
"No, degenerate. But let"s go. I"ll make you something," Rias said, holding his hand and heading towards the kitchen. Maids and butlers were bustling around, getting everything prepared for the reception that was soon to happen. As they got to the kitchen, Rias quickly whipped up two sandwiches for both of them to enjoy. Leaving through a door, they headed outside into a beautiful day and sat down on the gra.s.s, enjoying each others company as they dug in.
"You know… I"m surprised that you agreed to go through the Ruins of Connection," Rias said after a long pause. Elros smiled; he had a feeling she would bring it up.
"These last few months have been some of my happiest. I… want to continue that with you," Elros said, making Rias smile even wide. She snuggled close to him, letting his warmth wash over her.
"You have no idea how happy it makes me hearing you say that," she murmured. As they finished up, Elros leaned down and bought Rias on top of him. Rubbing her back, he leaned up and kissed her gently.
"You make me a happy guy," he said, eliciting an even wider smile. She buried her head in the crook of his neck as she held him tight.
"And you make me a very, very happy girl. I… love you so much, Elros," she said.
"And I love you, Rias. Quite a bit, I must say," he said, holding her just as tight. The rest of their conversation pa.s.sed in silence, their touch conveying all that needed to be said.
-o-
As everyone gathered in the foyer, Elros was once again notably late. Rias wore a stunning red dress, while Akeno wore a black Miko outfit, both of their hair done in a long ponytail. Issei was severely underdressed; everyone thought; while Sona and Tsubaki were decked out in a light blue and green outfit respectively, their hair in the usual fashion. Yubelluna wore a stunning purple dress, while Marion and Bürent wore dresses that matched their hair; everyone else was just as fancy.
"Where is he?" Issei groaned.
"He went to Earth to find something to wear is what he told me," Akeno sighed.
"What does he have there that we don"t have here?" Rias wondered.
"This!" came a voice. A magic circle opened, and Elros walked through, beaming at his friends. He wore a three-piece suit as he always did, but this one was blacker than black. Besides the blood red tie and the stark white shirt, he almost looked Photoshopped. Flashing the women a charming smile, he soon put his arm around Rias and Akeno and kissed them both, to their delight; before kissing Yubelluna, Marion, and Bürent; and then Sona and Tsubaki on the cheek.
"So handsome," Akeno chirped as she ran her hands over his chest and stomach.
"Thank you. So am I," Elros said cheerfully, repeating his statement from earlier in the day.
"You"re wearing the same thing you were earlier!" Issei exclaimed.
"How can you say that?! That suit was slate. This suit is sub-vantablack. Get with the program, buddy," Elros said, aghast.
"Whatever," Saji groaned, falling into conversation with Issei again.
"Ah! You"re all here! Wonderful," Azazel said, wearing a deep-red suit. He and Elros did another intricate handshake, ending with a one armed hug.
"What are you two doing?" Rias wondered. Both of them turned to her, a look of surprise and shock in their eyes.
"What"re we doing she asks. What"re we doing?!" Elros said, tsk"ing her.
"I know. No sense of honor, am I right?" Azazel said, shaking his head.
"Tell me about it. Huh. What"re we doing. As if Rias expects us to reveal that?!" Elros exclaimed. Rias only looked bewildered by the whole thing and decided not to push the point further.
"So Elros, care to partake? These cigars are some of the best tasting ones I"ve ever tried," Azazel said Elros, pulling out a cigar. Elros took it and smelled it, relaxing as he took in the pleasant fragrance. He quickly deposited it in a pocket, however.
"Answer is yes, but not right before the party. I want to be somewhat presentable at least. Once the talks begin, however, then yes," Elros said with a chuckle. Azazel nodded and went off, leaving the peerages to themselves.
-o-
It wasn"t long until the whole building was bustling, with many Devils entering and walking here, there, everywhere. Most of them Elros didn"t know; nor, it seems, did the others.
"Hot d.a.m.n. I didn"t think that so many people were going to be here for this thing. What happened to Devils having a population problem?" Elros said to Rias.
"Nor did I. No, thank you. I already have a drink," she told another Devil that approached her, sighing tiredly. She smiled as she felt Elros touch her cheek. Taking his hand in hers, she kissed it before leaning on him.
"So I forgot to ask earlier - but how were your guys training?" Elros asked Sona and her peerage.
"Went well, thanks for asking. I look forward to facing off with you guys soon," Sona said with a smile.
"The feeling is mutual," Rias said compet.i.tively.
"This should be fun, I think. Hope you"re ready, Hyoudou," Saji grinned at Issei.
"Kidding? I was born ready," Issei grinned back.
"Men. Always fighting," Elros shook his head, earning a deadpan glance from everyone.
"Why"re you all looking at me so accusingly?!" he asked, aghast.
"This is coming from the guy... whose literal job is to fight," Issei said.
"There"s a difference!" Elros said.
"What is it?" Saji inquired.
"... Go f.u.c.k yourself is what it is," Elros grumbled, eliciting a chuckle from him.
"There you are Sona!" came a bubbly voice. Serafall was happily rushing her beloved sister.
"Oh, great. My sisters here," Sona grumbled. Tsubaki sighed while Elros waved Serafall over, giving her a hug as she approached.
"Why is it every girl wants to hug him?" Saji asked, soon slumping over to wallow in self-pity with Issei.
"I know… I mean… I want to be Harem King!" Issei cried comically.
"It"s been a long time, Lady Serafall," Rias said with a smile.
"Hi, Rias! I"m so happy to see you guys as well! Especially this cutie! Oh, so cuddly! I love it!" Serafall said, nuzzling Elros continually. He just laughed and patted her on the head while Sona turned redder and redder. Azazel and Sirzechs soon joined them, although they seemed to be a bit more serious; still, they couldn"t help but crack a grin at seeing Serafall like that.
"Michael should be here soon, but what about the others?" Sirzechs asked. As he said that, Rias noted that Elros had turned a pale white before regaining color. She looked on curiously but opted to say nothing at the moment.
"Mikey, huh? Awesome. Can"t wait to see him again," Elros said cheerfully.
"Don"t worry; I stuck Baraquiel on guard duty. According to him, Odin is not far out either. The Queen of the Fairies should be here a bit later than everyone else. Her envoy said that she"s still ironing out some internal problems," Azazel said. As he said Baraquiel, Akeno sighed deeply. Rias put an arm around her, eliciting a grateful smile from her Queen.
"The old man is gonna be here?!" Elros asked excitedly.
"You know him well?" Akeno wondered.
"Him? Oh, well enough, I think. T, though? Oh, h.e.l.l yeah. That guy is like a brother to me," Elros said cheerfully.
"So I"ve heard. The rumor is that you and he-," Sirzechs began before Elros put an arm around him, much in the same way he did for Azazel back on the train.
"Now, now, Zecxy, there are children present," Elros said, pointing to his friends.
"Ok - will someone tell me what it is that Elros did? I"m dying to find out here!" Issei said.
"Some things are… better left unsaid," Elros said with a chuckle.
"Moving on, though - some of the other Norse G.o.ds have a bug up their a.s.s about the alliance Odin has made with you guys, so I sent him an escort… although he probably wanted a prettier one," Azazel sighed.
"There are those who always resist progress," Sirzechs sighed.
-o-
As he and Azazel continued talking, Serafall joined their conversation. Both peerages as well as Yubelluna and the others, meanwhile, began to follow Rias and Sona as they led them elsewhere.
"Where are we going?" Elros wondered.
"To the room where the Rating Game contenders, as well as Duelists, are mostly going to be mingling. I thought it would be a good idea for us to see the compet.i.tion. I imagine Luke and Yama will be there soon if they aren"t there already," Sona said.
"A bunch of young hormonal Devils stuck in a room together? We"ll be lucky if we get out alive," Rias sighed. Suddenly, an explosion was caused in front of them, leaving them all bewildered.
"The f.u.c.k?!" Elros asked loudly.
"If you"ve got a death wish, I"m happy to fill it Zeprhydor," came a feminine voice from within. Walking in, they saw a beautiful woman standing there. In her late teens, she wore thin rimmed gla.s.ses over her deep red eyes. Her hair was a light green and covered her heart shaped face well. Unlike many others, however, she wasn"t smiling - her cold gaze fixed ahead. She was, in a word, beautiful; her blue and white outfit were revealing nothing, but filling her out quite well.
"Filling is my job. Like I said before, if you want a virgin-purgin, I"d volunteer," said Zeprhydor, a tannish male with green eyes. He had light green tattoos on his face and blue hair, with pointy ears sticking out. He wore a bee-like coat over a red shirt and black slacks, smiling c.o.c.kily at the other girl.
"Woah. Rias, it"s an elf!" Elros said excitedly, looking at the man. That didn"t do him any favors, it appeared, as the man soon turned his eye to Elros. He began to stride right up to him but stopped as Elros closed the rest of the distance, drawing himself to full height. He towered Zephrydor by at least a foot, looking down at the High-Cla.s.s Devil.
"Calm down, friend. No need to get antsy here," Elros said coolly.
"Who the h.e.l.l do you think you are?" Zeprhydor asked with a snarl.
"Elros Eärendil. Duelist. Ranked Fifth. The one they"ve begun to call "The Phoenix"," replied the woman. As she said that, the Devil took a step back and gulped, his fear evident.
"Hi there. Yes. Elros Eärendil, at your service. But wait... The Phoenix?!" Elros asked dramatically. She nodded.
"You hear that, you guys? The Phoenix. Elros the Phoenix. Oh, that"s f.u.c.king awesome," Elros chirped, eliciting a loud giggle from most of the girls in the room.
"My name is Seekvaira Agares. I"ve been watching your progress. It"s quite impressive," she said as she looked at him.
"I"m glad that you think so, Miss Agares. I aim to please, after all," Elros replied cheerfully. Soon, another Devil walked in.
"I suppose after all these years, we should"ve come to expect this sort of thing," he sighed. He was a tall and handsome man, wearing a black jacket and slacks as he cracked his knuckles, smiling at Rias and the others. She smiled as she saw him.
"h.e.l.lo, Sairaorg. Elros, come here. There"s someone I"d like you to meet," Rias said.
"Hi there," Elros chirped, extending his hand.
"Elros Eärendil. It"s a pleasure to meet you. I"ve been looking forward to this for quite a while if I"m honest. Please, excuse me for a second and then we can talk a bit longer," Sairaorg said, walking towards Seekvaira and Zephrydor.
"That"s enough. Don"t dishonor the Agares family name by humoring him further, princess. Everyone knows that he"s the GlasyLabolas problem child," Sairaorg said.
"f.u.c.k you, jacka.s.s! s.h.i.t talk like that-," Zeprhydor began before he was cut off.
"I know it"s strict, but that"s your only warning. If you want to push it further, I"d be more than happy to show you the door," Sairaorg said, his smile falling. Seekvaira averted his gaze; Zeprhydor, however, did not.
"I"m not afraid of Bael trash!" he snarled, leaping towards Sairaorg. He didn"t get very far, however, as Sairaorg suddenly punched him square in the jaw. The force of the impact was strong enough to send the Devil careening hard into a wall. Losing her balance, Asia began to fall back but was quickly caught by another Devil.
"Don"t worry, you"re quite alright," a handsome Devil with blue hair said, smiling kindly at her.
"Oh, thank you!" she squeaked.
"That. Was. Nuts!" Saji said, aghast at the display of power. Elros looked at the new arrival with interest, taking in his figure - no doubt he was powerful.
"An excellent showing. Expected of the next Bael family head. He is my cousin, after all," Rias said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Dudes no slouch. d.a.m.n, that guy got knocked the f.u.c.k out!" Elros said with a laugh, observing the crumbled Zephrydor.
"No doubt. As the Young Devils Gathering is targeted at Rating Game contenders, the rankings are different from the Duels. Amongst Young Devils, Sairaorg is ranked number one," Rias said as her cousin sighed and approached them again. Looking at Elros again, he extended his hand in respect.
"Elros Eärendil. A pleasure. Again, I"ve been looking forward to meeting you for a long time. I"ve been extremely impressed by your rise through the rankings in the Duels," Sairaorg said. Elros grinned as he shook hands.
"Thanks for the kinds words. You"re no slouch either. I hope you didn"t kill that poor f.u.c.k, though, no matter how big of a p.r.i.c.k he seems to be like," Elros chuckled, looking over his shoulder again.
"Eh, he should be alright. I toned down my attack quite a bit," Sairaorg sighed.
"If that"s your toned down punch, I"m not sure I want to find out what your full powered attack is. Christ, that"d knock my head off, I think," Elros said.
"Doesn"t it hurt when you blaspheme?" Sairaorg asked.
"Ah. Well, part of the training I did not to long ago included blaspheming until it stopped hurting. I"m happy to say I can blaspheme all I want now. Take that, Mikey!" Elros said cheerfully.
"Wait - you can blaspheme without pain now?" Rias asked in surprise.
"Well, it"s not entirely painless, I guess. Still throbs, but it"s a lot more manageable than what it used to be like," Elros said.
"That"s to be expected of you, my friend. After all, what"s life without a little blasphemy?" came a silky smooth voice from behind them all. Everyone turned and saw Luke striding towards them, smiling wide as he held his arms out. Elros grinned and quickly embraced the man, putting his arms around his shoulder before leading him towards the others.
"It"s good to see you again, Mr. Star," Rias said.
"Yes, I expect it is, young Gremory! Ah, and the young Sitri heiress is here as well! As well as Miss Shinra, Miss Himejima, and the ladies Yubelluna, Marion, and Bürent. Charmed to meet you all. I must ask you all to look after my protege when I"m not around. Make sure that when he gets into trouble, it"s something truly depraved and worthy of the deepest pits of h.e.l.l," Luke said with a chuckle. The girls blushed deep as Luke said that, much to the amus.e.m.e.nt of Sairaorg and the jealousy of several other Devils.
"Luke Star - Sairaorg Bael," Sairaorg said, extending his hand.
"Hmm? Oh, yes. h.e.l.lo, Bael heir. Congratulations on your rank within the Young Devils. It"s not often that one with no Demonic Power rises so far," Luke said.
"Perhaps if you"re free sometimes, you wouldn"t mind testing my mettle?" Sairaorg said bluntly. Everyone went quiet and observed the Bael heir look up to the handsome blond, who only smiled.
"Perhaps, but you"ll have to pique my interest first, young Bael. Otherwise, there"s no point in fighting. I"m not a battle maniac like you are, I"m afraid. I find such things to be drudgeries," Luke said.
"Ha. This is coming from Mr. Ranked Numero Uno," Elros said with a chuckle.
"Well, I can"t quite let someone think they"re better than me without having them prove themselves. Honestly, that"d be an insult! Ah, over here, my good man. Thank you," Luke said, taking two martinis and pa.s.sed one to Elros. The two drank them and smacked their lips at the same time before grinning at each other. They suddenly heard a small voice in the distance.
"H-hey! E-Elros," said a cute young blonde, her hair done in twin drills. She wore a purple dress with a purple bow set in the middle. Elros felt as though there was something oddly familiar about her.
"I… feel like I know her from somewhere. But where…?" Elros said.
"Perhaps you slept with her?" Luke suggested.
"Na, Issei"s the one into young girls. No, it"s something else…," Elros thought, wracking his brains as he ignored Issei"s complaints.
"… Perhaps you slept with her?" Luke suggested again, eliciting a deadpan glance from Elros.
"Ravel…," Yubelluna sighed. As soon as he heard that, the temperature in the room fell as Elros"s fury radiated off of him. Most everyone was taken by surprise, except for Luke, who continued to smile.
"Ah yes. Riser Phoenix"s dear sister," he mused. That didn"t do Elros any favors as his power radiated off of him like a waterfall. As his eyes fell on the young girl, she recoiled at the fury they beheld. It would"ve continued had Yubelluna not put a hand on his cheek, caressing it. Turning to look at her, he saw a pained smile.
"Please, calm down. As much as I… detest and loathe Riser, she"s just a young girl. No older than Gasper. Or Koneko," Yubelluna said.
"Bella…," Elros began but was cut off as she hugged him. Elros sighed and reined his powers in, gently rubbing her back.
"Don"t worry," he whispered. "No one is going to take you away, take me away, or hurt you. If they try, I"ll break them," Elros said. Yubelluna smiled as the words reached her and nodded, kissing him as she leaned back. Gulping, Ravel approached Elros.
"H-hi," she said, blushing as she looked at the ground. As Elros saw that, he sighed; Yubelluna was right. Ravel, for her problems, was an extremely young and susceptible girl. Doing his best, he put on a smile.
"h.e.l.lo, kid. How are you?" Elros asked.
"I… am well and happy to meet you again. I am… sorry for what happened after our Duel. My brother was completely in the wrong," Ravel said, trying to make eye contact but failing.
"Yeah. How is he?" Elros asked.
"H-h-he"s not doing too well, I suppose. He"s been locked up in his room mostly. I think he"ll be here today or during the Battle Royale, though," Ravel said.
"I see. So are you still in his peerage?" Elros wondered.
"No, not anymore. After what he pulled, my mother pulled me out of his peerage. I"m a free Bishop now, actually," Ravel said.
"I see. Are you enjoying your freedom?" Elros wondered.
"I am. But… that"s not why I"m here. I heard that you were going to be here, so I came to see you. I… would like to offer you this. As a token of friendship. I am sincerely sorry about what I said to you during our game," Ravel said, holding out a black vial to Elros. He looked at it in surprise before taking it.
"Oh… well. I… uh… guess that"s kind of you. But I think you might be able to put it to better use," Elros said, bewildered. Luke suddenly broke out in laughter, turning Ravel red.
"It"s not a s.e.x toy, Elros. It"s Phoenix Tears," he said, wiping away his tears.
"Oh. Oh, thanks, in that case," Elros said with a grin. The others had broken into a fit of laughter as well.
"You know, that"s a gift that"s often reserved for High-Cla.s.s Devils! You should be a bit more grateful that I"d present you with that!" Ravel said hotly, her embarra.s.sment at the misconception of the ident.i.ty of the gift overriding her fear of talking to Elros.
"Sorry, kid. I didn"t mean to. I humbly and graciously accept your gift," Elros said, putting it in his pocket. As he did so, he felt another similarly shaped object resting there. He pulled out the cigar and twirled it in his fingers, still smiling at the young Devil.
"I"d also like to make you another offer! Next time we see each other, I"d like for you to try some of my tea"s! I promise that they"ll be the best that you ever try!" Ravel said. Elros raised an eyebrow before looking at Luke who merely shrugged.
"Uhhh… what I mean to say was… lately, I"ve been making my own cakes and they go great with tea. Maybe… next time you could try them. But not right now! Uhh… I need to greet the other guests! Bye!" Ravel said, scurrying off with a blush. Elros only stood there, holding the cigar in one hand as he played the awkward encounter through his mind.
"I have no clue what the f.u.c.k just happened beyond the fact that I got her d.i.l.d.o," Elros deadpanned, putting the cigar into his mouth. Everyone broke into laughter at that.
"Let us remove ourselves to the main room! Odin shall be arriving soon. I am remotely interested in where these Peace Accords go," Luke said, whisking Elros away, the others close behind.
"Michael should be here by now," Elros said with a loud sigh. Luke and Michael in the same room. He wondered how that would turn out?
"Wonderful! Still serene as usual, I a.s.sume," Luke said.
"Of course. The guy never ages, just like you. I have to try the blood of virgins soon as well, I think," Elros said, running a hand through his white hair.
"Ah, I"m sure your lovely ladies don"t mind. No doubt they a.s.sume it makes you more handsome. It"s good that you found women with such terrible vision," Luke chuckled.
"Don"t be a f.u.c.king c.u.n.t. Anyways, is T gonna be here?" Elros asked.
"Only Odin. Thor is on Earth, with that Ph.D. he is so enthralled with," Luke sighed.
"Yeah, I figured. Never thought he"d be the one to settle down," Elros chuckled.
"Stranger things have happened. Like little green men descending from on high," Luke chuckled.
"I dunno. You see that green guy? Dude was f.u.c.king handsome, right Rias?" Elros asked.
"Very handsome," she agreed with a smile.
"Anyways, let"s hurry. We don"t want to miss this s.h.i.t," Elros said, walking a bit faster with Luke still in stride and the others playing catch up.
-o-
As soon as they entered, all eyes were on them - or, most notably, Luke and Elros.
"Look, it"s Elros Eärendil and Luke Star," one Devil whispered in hushed tones.
"We knew they were going to be here but… it seems so different to see it in person," another said.
"I don"t get it. We"ve been trying to get Luke on our side for ages. How is this kid so friendly with him?" another hissed.
"Ah, gossip. The oil that greases the engine of society," Luke whispered cheerfully, taking a couple more martinis. Elros took the cigar out and sipped, looking around at the wild gossip that continued to flow.
"Pretty sure they can hear you. Enhanced hearing and all that," Elros whispered back.
"Oh, indeed? Perhaps they ought to use all their well-learned politesse, lest I lay their soul to waste," Luke said dangerously. A collective shiver went down the spine of every person gathered there; from Young Devils such as Rias, Sona, and Sairaorg; to more experienced Devils such as Venelana and Zeo; to the Four Great Satans; to Azazel, who frowned as he saw the new arrival. Finally, Luke let out a happy laugh.
"Relax, all. I"m only joking. Welcome one and all!" he exclaimed cheerfully. Almost immediately, everyone began to chuckle along. Elros grinned; if he was a silver-tongued Devil, Luke was the silver-tongued Devil.
They walked towards the platform where the others were gathered, waiting for Odin. Sitting off to the side was an older man that Elros didn"t know, with black hair and violet eyes. He seemed to be quite important, however, evidenced by how everyone treated him with great respect. He looked Elros up and down before doing the same for Luke, although Elros saw his will falter as Luke smiled at him.
"Luke. It"s good to see you again," Sirzechs nodded.
"The feeling is mutual. Ah, h.e.l.lo - Serafall Leviathan, if I remember correctly; as well as Ajuka Beelzebub and Falbium Asmodeus. The Four Great Satans, all in one room. Is this safe? What if a bomb were to go off, killing you all?" Luke wondered.
"Are you expecting an attack?" Falbium asked. He was bald and had a goatee, wearing spiked pauldrons and a flowing purple robe.
"On me? Of course not, my good man. I don"t think anyone would be that foolish. But it is good to remain prepared," Luke said cheerfully.
"All that aside, thank you for coming, Luke. We weren"t sure that you would be able to make it," Sirzechs said.
"Not at all, young Gremory. You, the New Satan Faction, have made wonderful headway. It"s to be commended! Certainly doing a far better job than the Luddites of the Old Satan Faction could. Ah! My good man, how are you enjoying the gift I sent you?" Luke cheerfully asked Zeo, who smiled in return.
"It"s quite… potent, to say the least," Zeo said, coughing as he replied. The Dragon Elixir Luke gave him was one of the most powerful alcohols he tried. He couldn"t even remember what happened the day he took a drop.
"That"s good to hear! The less you remember, the better!" Luke said cheerfully.
"Luke. It"s good to see you again," the old man said, getting to his feet at last.
"Yes, yes. h.e.l.lo, Zekram. How are you?" Luke asked.
"Well. Yourself?" Zekram asked.
"Entertained, which is as much as I can ask for right now. Let us get this show on the road soon. I am eager to see where these talks go," Luke said.
"Odin should be here soon. Don"t think we"ve met, though. Azazel," he said, extending his hand to Luke.
"Luke Star. I must ask - is Michael still not here? He"s usually on time," Luke said, looking around.
"He should be here soon. Elros, you know this guy?" Azazel asked.
"Yup. Luke took care of me for a few years. Love this guy," Elros said, giving Luke a one-armed hug that he returned with a grin.
"Still as touchy-feely as ever, I see," came a wizened old voice. Elros smiled wide as he whipped around and saw an old man with an eyepatch and long white beard, wearing a flowing purple robe, walking towards him with a coy smile. He was flanked by a beautiful white haired Valkyrie dressed in a pale-blue business suit and a much more serious demeanor.
"Allfather!" Elros exclaimed arms spread wide. Odin chuckled as he embraced Elros. The motion was enough to start the gossip all over again. Even the senior Devils looked surprised by how well Odin and Elros knew each other.
"Ok, seriously - who is this guy?!" a Devil hissed.
"He knows a G.o.d?" another wondered.
"f.u.c.king h.e.l.l…," another groaned.
Zekram observed the scene with narrowed eyes, not taking kindly to the fact that Odin didn"t greet him first.
"I knew that Elros knew Odin, but I didn"t know it was that well," Rias said, observing the scene with interest.
"He seems to know everyone, doesn"t he?" Sona said, slightly bewildered.
"That, and he seems to always be hugging everyone," Tsubaki sighed.
"Yes, Elros is quite fond of touching. I find it quite amusing. Rough hands, yet such a soft and tender touch," Yubelluna giggled.
"Who"s the hottie?" Issei wondered l.u.s.tily, staring at the white haired beauty who only shook her head in exasperation.
"It"s been a while, Elros. Happy to see you well. Prevailing rumor is that you and Sirzechs little sister are quite… comfortable with each other," Odin chuckled, looking at Rias, who blushed.
"Rumors are true," Elros chirped.
"Ha. Luke. Been a while," Odin said, smirking at the blond.
"Odin. Your age is catching up with you, it seems. Might want to tone it down soon. Thor is coming into his own, after all," Luke said.
"Ugh, don"t remind me. After what Elros and Thor did in Asgard a few years ago, I"m lucky people still think he"s worthy," Odin said.
"Ok - I keep hearing about what happened in Asgard. What did happen?" Issei demanded. Elros grimaced while Odin laughed.
"I won"t go into details, but suffice it to say that my son, plus Elros, plus a lot of food and alcohol, plus fifty or so Valkyrie over several days is not something I want to deal with again," Odin said with a raucous laugh. Looking around, Elros saw that many Devils had a severe blush on their face, Rias, Sona, Tsubaki, Akeno, and Yubelluna most prominent. Elros grimaced and let out a sigh as he turned back to Odin.
"You did that on purpose," Elros said. Odin just winked.
"Are you saying what I think you"re saying?" Issei asked, drooling.
"I am. Turned one of our sacred halls into a hive of sc.u.m and villainy. Asgardians still talk about that day, you know? Do you know what they call it now? The Hall of Depravity, with the story, altering further and further. Now, apparently I was in on the whole fiasco as well," Odin sighed.
"… Whatever. Hi there," Elros waved to the girl behind Odin.
"Mr. Eärendil," she said solemnly, bowing to him.
"You can just call me Elros," he said.
"… Elros," she said, bowing again. Elros raised an eye at Odin who just laughed.
"Don"t mind Rossweisse. She"s got a stick up her a.s.s about formality or something," Odin smiled, turning the girl red. Finally, Serafall approached them.
"Thank you for coming, Lord Odin. You grace us with your presence," she said formally.
"Ah, Serafall Leviathan. You disappoint me, young lady. This is a party, after all! I would have expected you of all people to live a little more freely," Odin chuckled, stroking his beard. Serafall was surprised but soon smiled before nodding. Doing a little twirl, she was soon in her Magical Girl outfit, bewildering everyone in attendance.
"Ha! That"s more like it! How would you like to stroke my beard?" Odin said heartily.
"See, this is why they think you were at the party, O.G.," Elros chuckled.
"Keep in mind why we made the voyage, my lord! We"re here representing Asgard and Valhalla!" Rossweisse said seriously.
"Ugh, must you always be a downer? It"s that kind of att.i.tude that keeps you from getting a hero for yourself," Odin sighed. Rossweisse began to tear up as she fell to her knees with a dramatic cry.
"I might just be an ugly Valkyrie whose never had a man, but at least I won"t die alone while living in the Underworld," she sobbed, drawing chuckles, smiles, and bewilderment from everyone. Elros sighed as he went over and put an arm around her.
"Come on, Odin. That"s not nice. Hey, don"t let this cranky old guy get to you, alright? He"s just jealous that T and I didn"t invite him. Mrs. F wouldn"t have been pleased if he was there," Elros said, comfortingly rubbing her back. Rossweisse turned a bright red, much to the amus.e.m.e.nt of Odin - who broke out in laughter again.
"Forgive Rossweisse. As you can see, she has a tendency to trail towards the dramatic and depressing. It"s why she can"t find a man," Odin whispered with a smile. Helping Rosseweisse up, Elros gave her a charming smile and one armed hug before walking back to Luke. As Rossweisse watched him go, she felt her heart skip; she couldn"t recall being touched that way before.
"Forgive me for making you all wait. h.e.l.lo, Odin. Looking as pale and hearty as ever, your Excellency," came a new voice as Michael suddenly entered, smiling serenely. Before Odin could reply, Elros and Luke smiled wide.
"Mikey!" Elros said cheerfully, slinging an arm around his shoulder and walking him to the stage. The rumors and talks began flying again.
"Odin. Luke. Michael. I don"t like it," a Devil said.
"Nor do I. How does he know all of them so intimately?" another said.
"It"s… surreal," another said.
"We need to keep an eye on him. If we can get him into our family…," another mumbled.
"I know," his partner replied.
"h.e.l.lo, Elros. Ah. Luke. h.e.l.lo," Michael said, standing directly opposed to the blond. As the two looked at each other, it was as though an explosion of innate power went off; dread and fear began to fill the hearts of almost everyone there as their powers washed off like cascading waterfalls.
"What… is going on?" Xenovia whispered to Rias, who gulped.
"I don"t know. It… it seems like they know each other, though," Rias said.
"Such power…," Sona said uneasily.
"Michael. h.e.l.lo. It"s been a while, has it not? How have you been?" Luke asked coolly.
"Well. Yourself?" Michael asked.
"Well as well, as I"m sure you know. How are your new duties fairing?" Luke asked.
"Well enough, thank you for asking," Michael replied. Elros sighed as he watched before putting an arm around both of them. They paused before looking at him.
"Let"s save this for later," he whispered, low enough that even those with powerful hearing would have a hard time hearing.
"I believe Elros is right," Michael said. Luke merely shrugged.
-o-
"Hey Xenovia!" came another voice.
"Irina!" Xenovia chirped, embracing her friend.
"Hey! Hi, Issei," Irina greeted, blushing as the brunette grinned widely at her.
"Hey, Irina. What"re you doing here?" he asked.
"I"m here with Sir Michael for the Peace Talks," she replied proudly.
-o-
"Well, sh," Sirzechs began before the door suddenly flew open. Anyone that was sitting stood up while people cut a broad swath as Yama walked in, large and imposing. His feet clicked audibly on the ground, making his presence known toe everyone. Luke and Elros stood side by side as they smiled at the arrival, who seemed not to notice anyone else except the two. At his sides were Lillian and Cimerias, both of whom went off to the side while Yama continued to walk to the podium. As he was approaching slowly, Elros suddenly had an idea. Putting the cigar in his mouth, he straightened it and leaned forward.
Several people yelled as a ma.s.sive rifle suddenly materialized in Yama"s hands. Without a warning, he let off a perfect shot that not even the fastest Devil would"ve been able to stop. Necks snapped towards Elros, who puffed on the cigar and inhaled deeply. Removing it from his lips, he saw that the bullet lit it perfectly. Exhaling, he nodded his thanks at Yama while Luke and Odin laughed uproariously.
"Oh, well done. Perhaps not the smartest thing to do with him, however. h.e.l.lo, Yama," Luke said as the man finally got to them.
"Yeah, but did you f.u.c.king see that? f.u.c.king Venom Snake s.h.i.t right there," Elros chuckled, taking a few more hits.
"Luke," Yama nodded, his faceplate still directed at Elros who nodded at him again. Yama had returned the nod before he looked around at the Devils gathered. He scoffed low before crossing hands arms over his chest, seemingly bored.
"Let"s get this over with," he said stoically.
"Indeed. Shall we begin?" Luke asked.
"We"re still waiting on one more person, aren"t we?" Michael suddenly said.
"Yes. The Queen of the Fairies. She will be here for the Peace Talks, but this is simply an introduction more so than anything. As I was saying to Sirzechs earlier, she"ll be here today but a bit later. She has to iron out some internal problems," Azazel said.
"Understood. Then yes, we can begin this," Michael said. Chairs magically started appearing and people took their seats, with Rias and Akeno joining Elros atop the platform. Some started to leave as the meeting was intended for those of a senior rank, or those directly involved in the conflict going on.
"That was dangerous," Rias said irately.
"But bada.s.s! Come on; you have to give me that," Elros said.
"It"s not funny," she said. Elros sighed as he saw how hurt she looked that he"d do something like that. He gave her a soft kiss before nodding.
"You"re right. I"m sorry. Won"t do it again," Elros sighed.
"Good," Rias said, resting her head on his shoulder. Looking around, Elros saw that he was on the receiving end of quite a few death glares, many of the a.s.sembled Devils not taking well to the fact that he and Rias were so intimate. The murmuring about their relationship began yet again.
"Christ… Speaking of which, Mikey - you"ll be proud to learn that I can blaspheme all I want now! Just… get a throbbing headache. Oh. Oh, f.u.c.k me… Is this your doing?! Oh, I"m dying!" Elros exclaimed, grimacing as he clutched his head again. Michael only chuckled before turning serious as he looked ahead.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us here tonight. I understand that you"re all eager to begin at last - after all, talks of a longstanding peace have been going on for decades, if not centuries, by now. I hope that by the end of these Accords, we might finally have a happy, long-lasting peace," Sirzechs said.
"To that effect, there are several items on the docket. Some interesting, some not so much. To begin with, as you can see, we have Lord Odin here. The Norse Pantheon is one of the first that has agreed to be a signatory to the treaty, and our hope is that more - whether Pantheons of G.o.ds or other magical races - will follow in his stead. As I"m sure you"ve heard, we have the Queen of the Fairies gracing us later today. She and Lord Odin will be two of the standard-bearers into the new era," Azazel said.
"Devils, Fallen Angels, and Angels - all of us are committed to making this peace work. After all, I daresay that we"ve all had enough of war. Nothing has been achieved these past few centuries - except trepidation and angst. By the end of these talks, we hope to put it all to rest and venture forth - together," Michael said.
"Luke - do you have any comments on the matter?" Zekram Bael asked. As he did, Elros noticed that hardly anyone dared to breathe. Clapping Elros on the shoulder, Luke stood up - another martini in his hand.
"My thoughts are irrelevant, I daresay. However, I am far more interested in seeing a peace established than the continued angsty love affair between the Three Factions. I daresay that peace and order will open up far more interesting doors than war," Luke commented.
"Yama?" Zekram asked.
"I don"t care. Just don"t involve me," Yama replied. Zekram decided not to push it. Suddenly, his eyes fell on Elros.
"Perhaps you would like to add something, boy? You seem to be far more involved in some of these proceedings than you let on," Zekram said.
"Who, me?!" Elros exclaimed, eliciting a few chuckles and giggles from the crowd.
"That"s what I said," Zekram said coldly. Elros raised an eyebrow at the old man before looking to Sirzechs, Azazel, Michael, and Luke - all of whom smiled and nodded.
"Well, my thoughts are that peace is preferable to war. No point in the Three Factions fighting each other if it"s unnecessary, right? Plus, considering how low populations already are, any prolonged war would probably lead to extinction. The only ones that would come out on top are the people who choose to stay by the wayside, observing and not involving themselves. Plus, you have that Khaos Brigade to deal with. They seem like a more pressing problem. That"s my thought on the matter," Elros said, sitting down and putting an arm around Rias.
"Prescient as always, my friend. I am in agreement with Elros on the matter. Extinction. Yes, that is what awaits you all should you use to continue this war. I"m sure you agree with me, Michael," Luke said, smiling at Michael who smiled back.
"Indeed I do, Luke," he replied, his voice cold. Elros observed the two look at each and sighed. Taking the headache like a champ, he prayed that it wouldn"t devolve further.
"To interject quickly, Asgard is behind this Peace Treaty 100%. I do not wish to see good men and women die for no reason in particular," Odin added.
"And what of those in your halls? I hear that one of your sons - Loki - is not as accepting of such peace," Zekram said.
"He"s not. But it"s not his call, either. Thor will succeed me, and he and I are of the same mind," Odin said.
"Perhaps I might be allowed to ask a question?" the handsome Devil that caught Asia from earlier said, standing up and smiling at the others.
"Yes, Diodora?" Sirzechs inquired.
"Elros Eärendil mentioned the Khaos Brigade. What is to be done about them?" he asked before sitting back down.
"The Khaos Brigade will be handled severely - at least that"s what we agree upon. They threaten the peace, wanting only perpetual war. Such beliefs will lead to our, as Luke and Elros put it, extinction," Sirzechs replied.
As Sirzechs ended, the roof of the building suddenly began to rattle and shake. The door of the room was blasted inwards as several members of the Khaos Brigade walked in.
-o-
"What is that?" Elros wondered eyes narrowed.
"Ah. It appears that we have company," Luke said lightly, sipping his martini, pointing to the new entries, all of whom had their weapons trained on the Devils inside. Surprisingly, no one let off a shot. It appeared as though they were waiting for someone.
"The Khaos Brigade," Sirzechs sighed.
"We were expecting such an attack," Azazel said, his wings erupting as he looked at the newcomers. They dressed in purple robes - Magicians, by the looks of it.
"Indeed. I hope to chalk it up to rumor simply, but alas it appears we cannot," Sirzechs sighed.
"Sirzechs! What should we do?" Rias asked seriously, going to her brother"s side, her eyes narrowed at the attackers.
"Get a squad ready to attack them back. They dare attack us in such a cowardly manner?" Zekram sighed.
"Ha. That won"t do you any good anymore, Old Man," came another voice. A handsome man with pointy ears walked in, wearing a black robe with red tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs. His black hair was done up in a ponytail, and he wore a frown as he looked at the Devils. He scoffed at the looks of fear on many except the most powerful. Luke, most notably, was still smiling.
"Creuserey Asmodeus. What is the meaning of this?!" Zekram barked at him.
"What is the meaning of this? Ask those Four Imposters upon the stage. Sirzechs. Serafall. Ajuka. Falbium. False idols to a false image of Devils. Pretenders, one and all!" he yelled.
"Young man, there are better ways to make your presence known than to attack in such a manner," Luke said, walking down, martini still in hand.
"Luke. Step aside. I respect you, as I"m sure many do. I do not wish to spar with you - only those behind you. This entire system… it defiles the nature of the Underworld. These… Satans defile what it means to be a Satan! I am the rightful heir to the throne! NOT THEM!" Creuserey roared.
"Who is this guy?" Elros asked Sirzechs.
"Creuserey Asmodeus. An heir to an original Satan. Creuserey! This is madness - what you are doing. But you haven"t done anything that cannot be forgiven! Come… let us talk and make peace. What do you say?" Sirzechs asked. He had as answer as the Devil snarled at him.
"I"ve no need to make peace with you, Sirzechs Gremory. My alliance is to the Khaos Brigade - of what it means to be a Devil, not the carbon copy of one! We shall prevail over this New Satan Faction and reclaim our rights to become Kings of the World. We will create a new World of Devils - devoid of any half measures you wish to impose!" Creuserey yelled.
"Devils are already on the brink of annihilation. If you keep fighting us, you won"t be able to carry out whatever it is you want," Azazel said lamely.
"Fallen Angel and Angel trash welcomed freely into our World. And you, Zekram, allow this? You"ve lost all honor, old man," Creuserey said.
"Hold your tongue, boy. I"m a few centuries older and wiser than you," Zekram said back.
"Luke, you were once offered a chance to join us, but you turned it down. I do not hold it against you, however - as you turned down the New Satan Faction as well. I would like to extend the same offer to you again. However, I must make it clear that you cannot refuse this time," Creuserey said, with a hard look at Luke.
"Oh f.u.c.k," Elros said, turning pale. Rias saw that and held his arm tightly.
"What is it?" Rias asked.
"Uh… umm… you"ll see," Elros gulped, taking a step back. Azazel and Sirzechs were both surprised to see the sudden look of apprehension on Elros"s face and observed the scene with interest.
"Huh. You"re a f.u.c.king idiot, boy," Yama said as he turned around and walked back.
"I am sure you did not mean to offer me such an ultimatum. Come, let us talk as men do. I shall forgive you transgression this one time," Luke said. Suddenly, Creuserey sent a burst of energy at him, exploding the martini gla.s.s in his hands. As he did that, Elros snarled at the new Devil. He was about to move forward, but Luke held out an arm and smiled at him. The world was silent as Luke slowly walked towards Creuserey, who refused to break gaze with him. Taking out a handkerchief, Luke cleaned himself up, nodding at Creuserey, who finally smiled. The smile soon fell as Luke frowned at the Creuserey. Holding up a hand, Creuserey suddenly erupted into flames. The crowd let out a shout terror as what stood before them now was ashes. Almost in sync with the attack, each Magician had a bullet driven into their skull; all fell dead. Luke walked back to the stage, sighing deeply.
"This shirt was a favorite of mine," he complained.
"You… killed him," Sirzechs said in surprise.
"Indeed," Luke said.
"As I was saying before the interruption, we need to send out a squad of Devils. Pretty sure they"ll be angrier now, Luke," Zekram said. He recoiled as Luke turned to him, smiling yet again. Devils began to file, their minds awash with what just happened.
"Unnecessary," Luke said. Everyone stopped moving as they looked at him.
"What do you mean, Luke? We can"t just let them continue to attack us!" Zekram said.
"Certainly not. However, so many Devils for such a small number? Do we have any sights on the outside that one of you gentlemen or gentlelady could bring up?" Luke asked. Ajuka, one of the Four Great Satans, nodded. In the middle, a ma.s.sive screen appeared. As it did so, half the room gasped. Surrounding the building were several hundred Devils, Fallen Angels, and Magicians, sending wave after of wave of attack at the building.
"That"s a lot more than I thought," Sirzechs sighed.
"You were saying, Luke?" Zekram asked.
"As I said, so many Devils for such a small number? Unnecessary. Yama, perhaps you would like to partake with me?" Luke asked. The crowd again went quiet. Before seeing what Luke did to Crueserey, no one had seen him lift a finger in a long time. To hear him willingly go out to fight? It was something that many Devils wanted to see.
"Finally, some entertainment. What about you, Eärendil?" Yama suddenly asked Elros, who raised an eyebrow. Every neck snapped as they turned to Elros, who frowned at Yama.
"Ah! Yes, yes - perfect! Come, Elros. It is time to strike fear into these fools," Luke said.
"I dunno, Luke," Elros said, looking at Rias.
"The faster we get this done, the faster we can get these talks going. Stop p.u.s.s.yfooting around and let"s go," Yama said, opening a circle. Luke looked expectantly at Elros, who finally sighed. There weren"t many people better suited to fighting such a number.
"You guys don"t mind, right?" he asked Sirzechs.
"I suppose not. Azazel, Michael?" Sirzechs said.
"Hey, I"m looking forward to what these three can do. Go for it," Azazel said with a grin.
"Luke, you do not require help," Michael said.
"Perhaps not, but it will be much more entertaining," Luke replied. Michael sighed.
"Very well. You three shall go outside; Sirzechs, Azazel, and I shall ready a team to remove those that might have infiltrated," Michael said.
"Elros…," Rias said worriedly. Elros smiled and leaned down, giving her a pa.s.sionate kiss that she returned.
"Be careful," she said, biting her lip as she took in his scent.
"I will," Elros whispered back before doing the same for Akeno, Tsubaki, and finally Sona. As he kissed Sona, there was, hilariously, an outcry that he kissed two Heiresses in the same breath. Luke merely chuckled while Serafall giggled happily.
"So cute," she cooed, hugging Sona.
"Let"s go," Yama said, stepping through the circle.
"This shall be fun," Luke said, stepping in next.
Elros was silent as he stepped in, sighing deeply