Valeyra, Romania.
The morning air in Valeyra was fresh, carrying the crisp chill of mountain heights mixed with the subtle warmth of the sun striking the valley around it.
The day after Zayyn Illya Kovalenko's attack on Agares became known throughout the entire supernatural world.
Jay and Lavinia had decided to return to Valeyra in the early hours of the dawn.
But they were not the only ones returning to Valeyra. As they navigated the winding, grassy road leading toward the village hall, a certain black-haired Nekushou trailed behind them.
"I've never been to Romania... I thought this place was full of bloodsucking vampires, but it turns out this place is really beautiful-nya," Kuroka remarked, her golden-hazel eyes darting with curiosity toward the quaint, stone-and-wood cottages.
"Well, about that..." Lavinia replied with a dry, knowing laugh.
At first, Jay had rejected Kuroka's proposal to join them. But after discussing it further with Lavinia, they both decided to let Kuroka come along. It was mostly Lavinia who convinced him, believing that there was nothing wrong with adding another companion to their journey to Egypt.
But there was another reason. Although neither of them knew the full story of Kuroka's past, they both understood it had not been a pleasant one.
The eyes never lie.
"I still don't understand why you would reject my offer to take the Evil Piece from within you, Kuroka," Jay said, his voice level as he kept his eyes on the path ahead.
"Well, it doesn't really bother me at all, Boss-nya..." Kuroka said, swaying her hips playfully as she adjusted her kimono.
"Besides, if Shirone is still living as a devil, I can't just let her be one by herself-nya. When the time comes when I can convince Shirone to leave her master, that Gremory girl... maybe I will accept your offer-nya."
At the mention of her sister, Jay reflected as he looked at the black-haired girl.
She, like him, had suffered at the hands of the Devils, perhaps even more directly than he had, considering she went so far as to kill her own master, which was a serious taboo in the Evil Pieces system.
Jay watched her out of the corner of his eye, a single question lingering in his mind.
What does she think about the Devils?
However, that question could wait until later.
As they approached the village hall, Kuroka's body suddenly tensed. Her ears twitched, and her tails stiffened.
"Nya! There are angels! What are they doing here?" she hissed, her pupils narrowing into slits.
Jay and Lavinia, however, were already aware, having been informed by Ernesta about the visit of both Angels.
The three of them entered the hall, the heavy wooden doors creaking on their hinges.
Inside the main lounge, seated on the upholstered sofas, were the figures of Michael and Gabriel. The two Seraphs were deep in conversation with Ernesta, the de facto leader, Magister of Valeyra.
The first to notice their arrival was a young blonde woman standing near the window.
It had been eight months since Valerie Tepes had been rescued from the brink of emptiness, and she looked healthier and more vibrant than ever. A warm, genuine smile lit up her face the moment she saw Jay and Lavinia.
"Illya-sama, Lavinia-sama! Welcome back!"
Valerie, dressed in a simple white dress, hurried toward them with light steps.
"Valerie-chan! Have you been well these past few weeks?" Lavinia asked, pulling the girl into a warm embrace and affectionately ruffling her hair.
"Um... actually, I was helping Elmenhilde in a Sacred Gears class two days ago. It was more fun than I expected," Valerie admitted, her cheeks flushing with a shy flush.
Jay, upon hearing that, raised his eyebrows in surprise. Partly because it was not really a Valerie thing to interact with many people, let alone the kids from school. And also…
"Are you okay with using your Sacred Gear, Valerie? I thought you would hear things if you even just manifested the Grail?" Jay asked. His tone was characteristically cold, but the slight narrowing of his eyes betrayed a genuine worry and protectiveness beneath it.
"It's okay, Illya-sama. Besides... I'm happy that I can be useful to the village. Helping Elmenhilde teach the kids is nice, too... maybe not too often, but it's nice," Valerie said, her smile broadening.
Jay gave a slow, approving nod.
"I see. It's good that you enjoy doing it, Valerie. Just make sure you don't push yourself too hard, alright. You can talk with me and Lavi if you still hear those voices."
Valerie thanked him with a nod and then picked up a glass jar from a nearby table.
"Have both of you eaten yet? Try these pickled watermelons I made. It's my first time making them myself, so I'm sorry if they're not very good."
Jay and Lavinia each took a piece.
"Woah! This is delicious. The balance of acidity and sweetness is perfect. Good job, Valerie!" Lavinia's eyes widened in surprise before she smiled warmly at her.
Jay simply nodded in quiet agreement.
"Hehe~" Valerie chirped.
She then noticed Kuroka standing curiously behind the pair and offered the jar to her as well.
"Would you like one too? Em..."
"Of course-nya!" Kuroka reached in shamelessly, snagging three pieces at once and stuffing them into her mouth.
"Ayn awso may naym isy Kwrokw-nywa," the Nekoshou mumbled, attempting to introduce herself through a mouthful of fruit.
Valerie tilted her head in pure confusion, while Lavinia let out an amused giggle.
Jay sighed and shook his head. He found himself wondering if bringing this gluttonous cat to Egypt would result in their food supplies being depleted within hours.
Well, at least she would be useful, because there was something he was genuinely curious about and wanted to learn from Kuroka.
That was Senjutsu.
He then shifting his focus to Michael and Gabriel, who had stood up to greet him.
"Mr. Illya, Mrs. Lavinia…" Ernesta spoke up first, her voice hesitant. As the Magister, she had seen the reports about what happened in the Underworld, and she knew that Jay's actions had effectively placed a target on the village.
As if understanding Ernesta's concern, Jay nodded.
"Ernesta... let's talk about it," Jay said, turning his gaze toward the two Seraphs.
"It's been quite a long time since we last met, Illya-san," Michael said as he studied the young man in front of him. One thing he and Gabriel both noticed was that Jay did not appear to have any significant wounds, despite what had happened.
Jay stepped further into the room, as he said.
"Kuroka, Valerie, could both of you wait outside for a moment?"
The two girls paused before nodding and exiting the hall.
Once the doors closed, leaving only Jay, Lavinia, Ernesta, and the two Seraphs, the atmosphere turned heavy.
"So... what purpose brings the two leaders of the Angels to this humble place?" Jay asked. He and Lavinia sat across from the Seraphs, the tea on the table between them cooling in the silence.
"I'll get to the point, Illya-san," Michael began, his expression grave.
"We want to know your side of the story. Your actions... I must say that it's not something I expected from you. Destroying the entire deposit of Agreas Crystals, your attack during the Rating Game, and also-"
"Why are you killing those innocent people, Illya-san?" Gabriel interrupted, cutting her brother off.
Her voice was trembling slightly, and her eyes were filled with a turbulent mixture of disappointment and confusion. She stared into Jay's dark hazel eyes, searching for the man she remembered.
Jay fell silent for a moment before he spoke.
"Both of you are talking as if you know me very well," Jay muttered, his voice devoid of emotion.
"I know that you are a good person, Illya-san..."
"Hm?"
"The man I saw in Transylvania is a compassionate man who has saved thousands of lives and protected the world from an Evil Dragon and the Super Devil Rizevim Livan Lucifer… and this village is proof of that!" Gabriel argued, gesturing toward the peaceful settlement outside the window.
Good person?
Jay stared at the woman in front of him, the golden light of the room reflecting in his hollow eyes.
"You are free to think whatever you want about me, Seraph Gabriel," he said flatly, completely dismissing her words.
"So... is that all you wanted to talk about?"
"No," Michael said, taking the lead again.
"Actually, I want to understand. Your attack... you know that this village is in danger because of your actions, right Illya-san? You must understand the consequences of-"
"No," Jay interrupted Michael.
"No?"
Michael raised his eyebrows, surprised by the bluntness of the denial.
Jay didn't even flinch under the weight of Michael's words.
"How are you so confident?" the Seraph asked.
Jay glanced down at the tea in his cup for a few seconds, the liquid reflecting the glowing Avesta of his eyes.
"Because Sirzechs Lucifer won't do that... And neither will Ajuka Beelzebub."
The room went silent. Michael, Gabriel, and even Ernesta looked at him with profound confusion.
It was a strange statement coming from a man who had practically just declared war on their entire race.
Yet Jay offered no further explanation.
"Anyway, that's all I have to say on the matter... You also don't need to worry about it, Ernesta," Jay said, turning his attention to the white-haired woman.
"I understand, Mr. Illya," she replied softly.
"What they will be after is me, and me only," Jay concluded as his voice echoing through the room.
"Zayyn Illya Kovalenko."
He and Lavinia were planning to go to Egypt tomorrow after discussing with Ernesta how to reinforce the protection runes around the village.
Therefore, even if Sirzechs and Ajuka somehow discovered this place and came here, they would not be able to find him.
Michael and Gabriel sat in a stunned, contemplative silence. Jay's unwavering confidence in how Sirzechs and Ajuka would act was both strange and confusing for them.
But suddenly, as if a stray thought had finally surfaced through his mind, Jay looked directly at Michael.
"Oh, actually, there is one thing I want to ask," Jay said, his voice regaining a bit of its conversational edge.
Michael shifted, his golden wings twitching slightly.
"Hm?"
"Have Azazel called both of you yet?" Jay asked.
The two Seraphs raised their eyebrows in confusion. They exchanged a brief, puzzled glance before looking back at the young man.
"Azazel?"
***
The Gremory Territory, Underworld.
Sirzechs hadn't been able to sleep for three days straight after what happened in Agares. He, Grayfia, Ajuka, Serafall, and Falbium had been going through a difficult time, especially with the questioning from the other Devil Nobles of the 72 Pillars, particularly those aligned with the Great King Faction.
Just yesterday, they had attended a massive hearing to explain to the Devil government, which was composed mostly of nobles, especially those from the Great King Faction, what had happened. Even the most oblivious person could see that the positions of the current Four Satans were in jeopardy after they had allowed a terrorist who attacked the Devil Territory for two days straight to escape.
Though the Great King Faction did not really care about the Evil Pieces, they still used the loss of the Agreas Crystal as their main point of criticism, claiming that the Four Satans had failed to protect the future of the Devil.
Sirzechs had already expected them to bring that up during the hearing, which, of course, could be easily countered by Ajuka.
Now, four days after the attack, Sirzechs and Grayfia had finally found a moment to return to the Gremory estate.
As they walked into the main living room, both of them were then welcomed by their entire family.
Rias and her peerage were gathered there, alongside the current head of Gremory, Zeoticus Gremory and the gentle-looking beautiful lady, Venelana Gremory.
But the first to reach them was the little boy.
"Father! Mother!"
A young boy, no older than six or seven, with short, vibrant crimson hair that mirrored his father's, came sprinting across the polished floor.
Millicas Gremory didn't hesitate, launching himself at Sirzechs.
Sirzechs caught him mid-air, a genuine, tired smile finally breaking through his mask of duty as he pulled the boy into a tight hug.
"Millicas! Oh, how much I've missed you."
"Me too, Father! I... I was so worried when I heard that you were fighting a bad guy," the boy said, his voice muffled against Sirzechs' shoulder.
Grayfia stood beside them, her hand resting gently on Millicas' back, her usual sternness softening.
Rias then stepped forward, her eyes mirroring the exhaustion she saw in her brother. She reached out, tentatively hugging him.
"Onii-sama... are you okay?"
Sirzechs nodded, reaching out with his free hand to ruffle his sister's hair, a gesture of affection that dated back to their childhood.
"I'm okay, Rias. See... I'm just a little bit tired at the moment. Don't worry, okay?"
Rias nodded, though her expression remained pinched with concern. She looked as if she were wrestling with a question that had been circulating in her mind for days. She bit her lip, glancing at the others before speaking.
"About the attack... I heard he destroyed the entire underground of Agreas Island? Does that mean it's no longer possible for us to create a new set of Evil Pieces?" Rias asked, her voice low.
Sirzechs' smile faltered a little bit as he let Millicas down but kept a hand on his shoulder.
"That's right."
"Then, is it also true that the attacker is-"
Before Rias could finish the thought, a small, trembling voice rose from behind her.
"Illya-san!... is it true that the attacker is Illya-san, Sirzechs-sama?"
It was Gasper Vladi. The young dhampir was visibly shaking, his pink eyes wide and filled with a desperate kind of hope that the news was false. He stared at Sirzechs, searching for a denial that wouldn't come.
Sirzechs didn't answer immediately.
He looked at the boy and saw the genuine affection Gasper still held for the man he admired as his hero.
"Gasper-kun..." Sirzechs started, his voice soft, but he was unable to find the words to soften the blow.
The heavy moment was interrupted by the steady footsteps of Zeoticus Gremory.
The Lord of Gremory stepped forward, his face solemn as he met his son's weary gaze.
"Sirzechs, good job with your work," Zeoticus said.
Sirzechs nodded, his shoulders dropping an inch.
"Thank you, Father."
"Actually," Zeoticus continued, reaching into the inner pocket of his coat.
"Someone sent you a quite important letter... and I think you need to read it."
"A letter?" Sirzechs raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.
He took the heavy, cream-colored envelope from his father's hand. The seal was one he recognized instantly.
As he broke the wax and scanned the contents, his expression changed. His face turned hard as his eyes narrowing as he processed the implications of the text.
The sudden shift in the room's energy was palpable. Grayfia, ever attuned to her husband's moods, moved closer to his side.
"What is it, Sirzechs-sama?"
Sirzechs remained silent for a heartbeat, his grip tightening on the parchment.
"An invitation."
"Invitation?" Grayfia echoed, confused.
Sirzechs nodded, looking up from the letter to meet the gaze of his wife.
"It was from Azazel... An invitation for a peace treaty."