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Deep in the mountains of Romania, in the remote region of Șugag... Inside an ancient castle, bright candlelight illuminated the damp, shadowy great hall.
"Lord Azazel personally visiting Tepes territory? That's a first."
The middle-aged man seated above the hall opened his crimson eyes. His attitude carried a hint of aristocratic arrogance, and as he spoke, the tips of two sharp fangs occasionally peeked from behind his lips.
Standing on either side of him were twenty-four similarly dressed men arranged in two neat rows. Every one of them had blood-red eyes, sharp fangs, and the refined appearance of medieval nobility.
They were vampire nobles, hidden deep within Romania.
"At least we've worked together for a long time. But yeah, this is my first visit. Then again, you people did hide this place ridiculously well."
Standing in the center of the hall was Azazel, former Governor-General of the Fallen Angels and current diplomatic representative of the Three Factions. Dressed in a white suit, he carried his usual laid-back swagger.
"To be honest, negotiating with vampires isn't exactly my idea of a good time. But apparently I'm the only one around here who has any connection with you people. Even if it was just through Sacred Gear research, it's enough to count as an acquaintance." Scratching the back of his head, Azazel sighed.
Quite a few vampire half-breeds possessed Sacred Gears. One of them even wielded the Longinus-class Sacred Gear, Sephiroth Graal (Holy Grail). Because of that, Azazel had established contact with vampires years ago.
Unfortunately, that connection had apparently become Ajuka's excuse for dumping this diplomatic mission on him.
Thinking of that, Azazel let out a bitter laugh, "Our new Leader is really good at making people work."
"Then why not join us instead?" The Tepes King spoke as though joking. "If it's you, Lord Azazel, then even as an outsider, any position isn't entirely off the table."
"What a shame." Azazel shrugged. "Compared to becoming second-in-command of some tiny rural kingdom in Romania, I'd rather remain the former leader of a faction that controls most of Europe."
"How insolent!"
"Outrageous!"
"How dare you!"
The vampire nobles exploded immediately.
One noble stepped forward and dropped to one knee before the king, "My king, I ask that this arrogant fool be expelled at once!"
The others quickly joined in, "You send a former governor and expect the vampires to submit? Don't you think the Three Factions are getting a little full of themselves?"
"Oh?" Azazel's expression became interested. "So that's how you see it?"
One of the nobles sneered, "If you want negotiations, then have that Supreme Leader of yours come here himself. I bet he doesn't—"
He never finished his sentence. With a muffled grunt, he collapsed to the floor.
A glowing light spear had pierced straight through his chest.
"You!"
The surrounding vampires surged forward in outrage, glaring at Azazel, who casually held a holy light spear in one hand.
"Come on, don't look at me like that."
The light dispersed as he spread his hands innocently.
"I'm doing you a favor, really. If he said what he was planning to say—and those exact words reached our supreme leader's ears—the next people to show up wouldn't be diplomats."
His smile widened, "It'd be an extermination force."
The hall instantly fell silent.
The vampires' expressions turned wary.
Though hidden away in rural Romania, they weren't ignorant of the outside world.
Devils, Fallen Angels, and Angels had united.
Just yesterday, they had crushed Greek Mythology and seized most of Europe. Aside from parts of Scandinavia and a few regions of Scotland, the Three Factions effectively controlled nearly the entire continent.
That kind of military power wasn't something the vampires could stop. It was precisely why the Tepes King had agreed to meet Azazel and even allowed him into the vampires' homeland.
Still, seeing a race they had once looked down upon openly humiliate proud vampires made the nobles seethe with anger.
"Honestly..." Azazel rubbed his forehead, "I think I'm finally starting to understand why Governor Ryo's mood keeps getting worse."
He had met very, very few powerful vampires. And yet, somehow, every vampire he'd encountered carried a pride that rivaled that of ancient primordial beings.
The Three Factions were practically at their doorstep, and here he was trying to offer them a peaceful surrender, only to get endless attitude in return.
"I'll give you two hours." Azazel turned toward the exit. "Surrender or die. Pick one."
With that, he started walking away.
Then the castle doors exploded inward.
BOOM!
A figure strode through the shattered entrance.
Wearing a dark-green dress and carrying a magic wand, Serafall marched into the hall like she owned the place.
"Still not finished?" She looked around, "I already handled the Carmilla Kingdom. You should be done with the Tepes side too, right?"
"Serafall Leviathan?!"
The vampire nobles panicked.
One Azazel was manageable.
Azazel and Serafall together? Nothing could stop them.
"How is that possible?" Azazel stared at her in disbelief. "How did you finish before me?"
The original plan, arranged by Ajuka, had been simple.
Azazel would negotiate with the Tepes, which had ties to the Fallen Angels.
Serafall would handle Carmilla, which maintained connections with the Devils.
He had assumed he'd finish first.
Instead, Serafall had somehow beaten him to it.
That made no sense. Absolutely no sense.
With her playful personality, how could she possibly be faster than him?
"Oh, it was easy!"
Serafall cheerfully twirled her wand, "I borrowed some of Ophis's power, cast magical-girl magic, then whoosh whoosh whoosh! Froze all their cities solid!"
She enthusiastically acted out the entire process.
Azazel's mouth twitched, "Did you get the idea from Olympus?"
Anyone with half a brain knew what happened next.
No amount of vampire pride could override basic survival instincts. So the proud Carmilla surrendered in less than three seconds.
"You know, that's an incredibly crude method." Azazel stared at her. "Are you sure you're supposed to be the Underworld's diplomat?"
Was Underworld diplomacy just military intimidation now?
"You're overthinking it~"
Serafall pouted and walked farther into the hall.
Every vampire she looked at immediately avoided eye contact.
"Damn devils..." one vampire noble muttered.
Instantly, he became a human-shaped ice sculpture.
"Let's negotiate!" Serafall excitedly waved her wand. "Where's the Sephiroth Graal user?"
You call this negotiating?
Everyone in the room looked at the frozen noble and felt their eyelids twitch.
Then Serafall casually swung her wand.
The wand punched straight through the ice statue's rather unfortunate lower area.
"Answer my question!" She smiled brightly. "Where's the Sephiroth Graal user?"
The male vampires collectively fell silent.
After several seconds, someone finally muttered, "If you're frozen and shattered like that... even vampires can't regenerate, right?"
"I think so… he's finished. What's the use of living now?"
"Oh no, this devil is looking at us."
"Stop whispering!" Serafall snapped. "Answer my question!"
She raised her wand again and pointed it at another noble.
The vampire nearly jumped out of his skin. "I DON'T KNOW! Valerie Tepes is in the castle basement!"
"Basement?" Serafall shifted her wand toward someone else. "Which basement?"
The second noble went pale. "I ALSO DON'T KNOW! Definitely not the seventh basement! And I definitely don't know that the key is on King Tepes! And I definitely don't know that Valerie is King Tepes's daughter!"
"Oh?" Serafall immediately turned her wand toward the throne. "So the key's with you?"
King Tepes visibly trembled.
A huge ring of keys slipped from his sleeve and clattered onto the floor.
Face deathly pale, he hurriedly said, "I don't know anything about any key! And I definitely don't know that it's the third silver key from the left!"
"Got it!"
Serafall flicked her wand.
The keys flew straight into her hand.
Then she flashed a cheerful V-sign at Azazel, "Mission accomplished!"
She struck a proud pose. "See? That's the skill of the Underworld's greatest diplomat and magical girl!"
Azazel stared at her for several seconds.
Then he sighed, "…so that's the future of diplomacy."
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