Vali Lucifer had beaten Azazel up.
The evidence was written clearly across the Governor General's face as the Grigori delegation moved through a corridor of traditional Japanese architecture.
The sliding shoji screens and polished dark wood floors echoed with the rhythmic sound of their footsteps. Azazel led the group, and by his side there are Penemue, Shemhazai, and Baraqiel.
And walked behind them was a silver-haired young man, the White Dragon Emperor, Vali Lucifer. His face was sharp and cold as he accompanied the four Grigori representatives who would attend today's peace treaty for the Three Biblical Factions.
"Hey Penemue-chan, does my face still look swollen?" Azazel asked, his voice a bit muffled.
Penemue, her purple hair swaying as she walked, took a clinical look at the Governor General.
With a quick, pitiless glance, she nodded.
"Yeah, a little bit."
"Thank you."
Azazel's left eye was a vibrant shade of purple, and several scars remained visible despite the healing magic that had been applied to it after his beating session.
And since that very moment, Azazel had learned a very valuable lesson that he should never make Vali angry regarding the subject of Zayyn Illya Kovalenko again.
Today, they were in Kyoto. The ancient capital served as the stage for a summit that would change the three biblical faction forever. As they arrived at the grand entrance of the inner sanctum, they were met by a woman of striking beauty.
Her black hair was tied back neatly, her voluptuous figure draped in the traditional white and red silks of a Miko, or shrine maiden attire.
It was Suzaku Himejima, the current head of the Himejima clan.
As Baraqiel noticed the young woman's presence, his posture grew noticeably tensed.
"Azazel-sama and the people from Grigori, we meet again. It has been months," Suzaku said, offering a deep, formal bow. When she rose, a small, polite smile played on her lips.
"Suzaku-chan~, yes it is... I hope everything has been going well with the restoration of the Inner Sanctuary?" Azazel replied, trying to regain his usual charismatic flair despite his bruised face.
"Yes, it should be completed within a month. Though, thank you very much for your concern, Azazel-sama," Suzaku nodded. She stepped aside, gesturing to the massive doors behind her.
"Anyway, has everyone arrived yet?" Azazel asked.
"Yes, they have been waiting for your arrival," Suzaku said. She pushed the doors open, revealing a vast tatami room illuminated by soft, natural light and the faint glow of magical barriers.
The room was organized with four tables set in the cardinal directions.
To the left, Azazel saw the familiar, radiant presence of the Four Seraphs representing Heaven. His brothers and sisters, well... ex-brothers and sisters. And at the center sat Michael, and by his side were Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael.
On the right sat the current Four Satans of the Devil Faction. The two Super Devils, Sirzechs Lucifer and Ajuka Beelzebub. Beside them were the black-haired Serafall Leviathan and the bald, unasumming Falbium Asmodeus.
Meanwhile, at the center table, positioned across from the entrance, sat a woman who radiated the authority of the sun itself.
The Chief God of the Shinto Pantheon, and the reason this meeting took place on the neutral ground of Kyoto.
Amaterasu.
Her brother, Tsukuyomi, sat silently behind her, his presence as usual like a cool moon in the shadow of her sister's brilliance.
"You are late, Azazel," Amaterasu's words were sharp, drawing every eye in the room to the Governor General and Grigori representatives.
"Well, I'm sorry everyone for coming in late. I had a couple of things to prepare before the meeting," Azazel said, offering a casual bow.
As the Grigori representatives took their seats, Vali remained standing for a moment before taking a spot directly behind Azazel.
"Hm? What is up with your face?" Amaterasu asked, her eyes narrowing as she took in Azazel's injuries.
"Uh... Well, you know a popular man like I am usually gets into some trouble. But it is not important right now... Let us start the meeting," Azazel said, waving off the concern.
"Wait, Azazel... Didn't you say that this meeting was exclusive to the representatives of each faction? Then what is the White Dragon Emperor doing here?" Uriel asked, his voice ringing with confusion as he glanced at the Vanishing Dragon.
Vali cast a cold glance toward the angel.
"Well... haha, he... let's say he has something to say regarding our subject matter today," Azazel laughed lightly, though it did little to soothe Uriel's furrowed brows.
"So... Zayyn Illya Kovalenko... It seems like that boy has been messing with you Devils, huh?" Amaterasu suddenly asked as she cut Azazel off, her gaze shifting to Sirzechs and the other Satans.
"I've known he was dangerous ever since the last time I saw him. I should have killed that boy the moment he killed my brother." She smiled, but the expression was deadly, devoid of any warmth.
The air in the room suddenly turned cold.
And then-
BOOM
A bluish-white blast of raw demonic power launched directly toward Amaterasu. The Goddess didn't even flinch as she merely cast a sideways glance before Tsukoyomi's shimmering dark wall of divine energy appeared in front of her, absorbing the blast instantly.
"Oho?"
The room erupted in a flurry of movement as everyone turned toward Vali. The silver-haired youth stood behind Azazel, his hand outstretched, his eyes burning with a murderous gaze.
"Watch your mouth," Vali said, his voice a low, vibrating growl.
Amaterasu merely smiled, her amusement growing.
"So, you know him personally, huh? I see now why you brought this brute to the meeting, Azazel. Well, I cannot say that I am surprised... A brute tends to associate themselves with others of the same capacity." Her tone was dripping with mockery.
Vali continued to stare at her, his gaze icy and unyielding.
"Vali... Please, didn't you say you were going to keep your calm?" Azazel whispered harshly, his cold sweat matting his hair.
Vali scoffed, pulling his hand back and closing his eyes as he sat back, though the tension in his shoulders remained. Azazel sighed deeply before turning his attention back to the leaders of each faction.
"Anyway, yes... Just like Amaterasu-sama said. The sole reason I invited all of you here is because of what happened in the Underworld last week, and the man who caused it..."
Azazel gestured to a large screen on the Grigori side of the room. An image flickered, showing the face of a young man.
Vali opened his eyes with sorrow, his gaze softening as he looked upon the face of his friend, whom he had believed dead for more than a year. Messy black hair fell around his empty eyes. His handsome face carried a cold expression, devoid of the warmth and kindness of the boy he had known.
His dark hazel eyes were striking, and his left eye bore a glowing golden X across the iris.
"The Scorch Magician, The Draconic Deus Slayer, The Strongest Human in History, The Black Flame, and The Harbinger of Doom... Zayyn Illya Kovalenko," Azazel announced, the titles echoing in the silent room.
"Fourteen years old and nine months. Born in Romania of probably Arabic and Ukrainian descent based on his name and appearance. Lived in an orphanage until around thirteen years old before his whole family... The very people of that orphanage was wiped out by an Ultimate Class Devil named Berjequel, who was a subordinate of Razevan Lucifer."
The room fell into stunned silence. The words landed bluntly, leaving everyone reeling. When Sirzechs heard the words from Azazel's mouth, a cold weight pressed down on his chest.
The Crimson Satan sank into deep thought.
'Don't tell me... All of it, it's not about the weapons in the first place... but out of revenge? And also... for a boy who isn't even older than Rias...' Sirzechs cast a quick, troubled glance at Ajuka and Serafall.
"Wait, wait... Azazel. How do you even know that information? That his people were killed by a Devil?" Michael finally spoke, having known Jay personally but never having asked or learned anything about his past.
Azazel looked at his brother with a somber expression.
"Because I was there to see the aftermath of that slaughter that night."
The revelation stunned the room into a new level of silence.
"I will continue... He then appeared again a couple of months later to fight with the Witch of the East, Augusta, and the Utsusemi Agency that caused chaos here in Japan. And after that, he fought with Susanoo-no-Mikoto and killed him in the process," Azazel said. Amaterasu's mocking smile finally faded, her face hardening at the mention of her brother's death.
"Then, from there he went to Romania and was involved in the Holy Grail War." Azazel sent a meaningful glance to the Angels.
"The Angels probably know better than I regarding the details of that incident, but during that, he slaughtered close to hundreds of thousands of Tepes Vampires, both in their territory and in the war itself while also fighting Rizevim Livan Lucifer and killing the resurrected Evil Dragon, Azi Dahaka."
Amaterasu's eyes narrowed to slits.
Even she had not known the full extent of the Romanian incident.
While Sirzechs, Ajuka, and Serafall were visibly even more surprised.
"He fought with Rizevim Livan Lucifer... and killed one of the strongest legendary Evil Dragons? How is that possible..." Serafall said, her voice unusually quiet.
Azazel nodded.
"He is unbelievably strong. Based on his strength alone, he can easily be in the conversation for the Top 30 strongest beings in this world... and perhaps in this room, the only ones capable of matching him in a battle are Amaterasu-sama, Satan Lucifer, and Satan Beelzebub."
"Not only that… his strength isn't just in his power," Ajuka Beelzebub spoke up, his eyes sharp and analytical as the memory of his fight against the boy remained vividly etched in his mind.
"That guy... even if Sirzechs and I are technically stronger than him, given more time, I am still not sure if we could kill him. The way he fights is too efficient, too unpredictable, and very unorthodox. He has dozens of ways to engage in a battle, and you cannot map a pattern on his attacks at all. No matter how much you try to narrow his choices, he will still find a way. And even his mastery over magic... it probably even surpasses mine."
"Oh, that is high praise coming from the Kankara Formula himself," Amaterasu noted.
Ajuka nodded, his expression grim.
"Just from that, he could easily reach High-Satan class and might even stand against beings far stronger than himself. But the most dangerous part of all is his black flame. That… I think, is what makes facing him truly terrifying."
The room fell silent once more. Every leader present had seen with their own eyes the all-consuming black flame that reduced everything it touched to nothing.
"I agree. And because of that… I hope everyone here understands just how dangerous Zayyn Illya Kovalenko truly is," Azazel said.
"Wait, Azazel," Uriel interjected, his tone sharp and dismissive. "From what you're saying, it sounds like he has some personal vendetta against the Devils. I don't see how that makes this our problem."
The four Satans glanced at the Seraph. Even Michael and Gabriel looked at their brother with raised eyebrows.
"That might be true, but we still do not know the exact motive of Zayyn Illya Kovalenko," Azazel countered.
"I admit that vengeance was likely his reason for the action in the Underworld... but you have seen for yourself what he is capable of doing against anything he opposes. It was the Susanoo-sama, then the Vampires, and it might be the Devils this time... but who is to say he won't turn that gaze toward the rest of us later?"
Azazel cast a brief glance at Vali, who remained silent. It was a good thing he had already explained everything to him that Jay already knew what he was planning, making him a common enemy to all three factions, which, of course, meant he was in for another Vali's beating session.
But suddenly-
"No... Illya-san won't do that."
The soft, firm voice of Gabriel drew everyone's attention. The way she used his name with such familiarity made the Devil faction leaders narrow their eyes.
"He saved thousands of prisoners from the Vampire faction. He saved countless more by killing the Evil Dragon and preventing it from destroying the whole continent of Europe. His actions might be questionable, but he is a good person!" Gabriel insisted.
Serafall Leviathan's brow furrowed. "Huh? Did I just hear you call him a good person? He might have saved people, just as you said, but he also killed thousands of our people and destroyed our territory!"
"Well, maybe if his family hadn't been killed by a Devil, none of that would have happened," Gabriel replied sharply.
"How is that supposed to be our fault? The actions of Razevan Lucifer have nothing to do with the civilians who lost their lives at his hands! Were they there when his family was killed?" Serafall shot back.
The two women stared each other down, before Azazel quickly stepped in.
"Well, well... Gabriel-chan... Lady Leviathan, let's not put the blame on one another. I can understand each of your perspectives, but this is exactly why I think this Peace Treaty is so important. We cannot afford to have swords at each other's throats when there are outside forces that threaten us all," Azazel said.
Serafall pouted and looked away, while Gabriel nodded hesitantly.
"It still doesn't make sense... To me, it seems like the White Dragon Emperor, who is on your side, still holds Zayyn Illya Kovalenko in high regard. Don't you think what you said earlier is a bit contradictory?" Uriel pointed out.
Azazel paused.
"That is true. But there is one thing we can learn from what Zayyn Illya Kovalenko has done... We need to come to an understanding. An alliance between us gives us a higher chance of preventing something like this from happening to any of us in the future. Besides, Michael... you probably know that there is another threat other than the boy, right?"
Michael, who had been listening to Azazel, nodded.
He hadn't come to this treaty to stand against Zayyn. He wanted to help the boy and steer him away from his dangerous path, but Michael had attended this meeting for a different reason.
"Yes... We, Heaven, personally believe that Rizevim Livan Lucifer is planning something that will affect the Three Biblical Factions as a whole," Michael said.
"With one of the Three existing Holy Grails in his hand and his capability to resurrect one of the strongest Evil Dragon during the Holy Grail War, I am afraid we will be facing a massive catastrophe in the future. And for exactly that reason, Heaven agrees to take part in this Alliance."
Azazel smiled warmly. "Thank you, brother."
He then turned his gaze toward the Four Satans, waiting for their definitive answer.
Sirzechs fell into a deep thought, weighing the moral complexity of the situation. He thought back to Gabriel's words and his own brief interaction with the boy.
'So, that's why you asked me if I had ever lost someone dear to me, huh?'
However, what he heard at this meeting shifted his perspective on the boy slightly. As Sirzechs Lucifer, he came to understand and even sympathize with him. But as the Crimson Satan, Zayyn Illya Kovalenko represented the greatest threat to his people.
Sirzechs then cast a glance at his three friends, who nodded in unison, before turning his attention to Azazel.
"Then we will also agree to join this Alliance... with one condition. All of you must support us if Zayyn Illya Kovalenko launches another attack. No matter the reason," Sirzechs declared.
Michael remained silent, though he did not voice a rejection.
While Azazel nodded firmly.
"That is what an alliance is for. Thank you, Sirzechs."
Azazel looked around the room, a sense of relief washing over him.
"Then, because everyone has agreed... let's discuss the details."
***
Meanwhile, deep within Mount Sinai in Egypt.
Beneath the ancient, towering cedar tree inside the Temple of Solomon, the artificial wind stirred, brushing through Jay's black hair and Lavinia's blonde locks.
Jay and Lavinia sat side by side in a Zazen posture on the soft grass, their eyes closed and their breathing perfectly synchronized. It had been a week since they arrived, a week spent learning Senjutsu from the Nekushou in preparation for their battle against Theurgia, studying both the theory and practice of the art.
And today was the first day of practical session with Kuroka.
"Nya! Remember, the first thing you need to do is to understand yourself, others, and the nature's Ki-nya," Kuroka's voice echoed in Jay's ears.
Jay focused, trying to push his consciousness past the physical sensations of his body.
In his mind's eye, all he could see was darkness. As he dived deeper into the state of meditation, seeking the flow of energy that Kuroka described, the darkness suddenly changed.
Until he was enveloped by absolute nothingness.
Hm?
Suddenly, it felt as if he had been physically transported.
Jay's consciousness found itself standing in a world of absolute void. There was no ground, no sky, no air, only a vast empty world.
It felt as if everything would turn into nothingness the moment it was touched.
Is this my own consciousness?
And as Jay drifted through this internal world, he suddenly saw a figure approaching from the distance.
The figure was a silhouette of absolute darkness, its form consisting of nothing but nothingness. There was no face, no eyes, and no discernible features.
Only a silhouette.
Who are you?
Jay thought, his voice echoing in the void.
The figure didn't speak. It simply stood there, a silent observer in the heart of the nothingness.
And suddenly, Jay felt a violent jolt, as if his soul were being ejected from his body.
He snapped his eyes open, gasping for air, his lungs burning as if he had been underwater. And the sudden sound of his breathing caught Kuroka by surprise.
"Nya!?" she chirped, her tails twitching in alarm.
Jay stared at the green grass between his knees, his hands trembling slightly as he tried to make sense of the strange sensation that had just washed over him.
"Huff, huff... What was that just now?"
________________________________________________
Oh yeah, some picture for Solomon and Bilqis for you guys.
Solomon, King of Israel.
Bilqis, Queen of Sheba.