Narrator's Perspective...
Continuing where we left off...
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Sirzechs Lucifer isn't having a good day at work. Being the figurehead of the new society of Devils after the end of the Civil War that occurred years ago has its terrible consequences.
One of these consequences is that he barely has any free time to relax his body and mind; obviously, this doesn't mean he doesn't sacrifice some of his work time to spend with his son and wife.
Does Sirzechs regret participating in the civil war between the Devils and taking the title of "Lucifer" to guide the new generation into a new era far from the influence of the descendants of the old Satans? No. However, in the past, he wouldn't have had the slightest idea that his greatest enemies, whom he has the displeasure of facing, would be paperwork and boring meetings with old Nobles.
If the Sirzechs of the past had the ability to see the future, he would have bestowed the title of "Lucifer" upon another unlucky person without a second thought or a sign of regret.
What he most desires is to be free from this burden he carries, which consumes much of his time that he could be using to spend with his family, his younger sister, his wife, and his son.
That's why lately he's been thinking about finding a successor to take his place, so he can have more freedom to enjoy his life with his family and spoil his little sister sometimes, even if she complains.
However, unfortunately, he hasn't had any success in finding a successor, and to make matters worse, he has to deal with family politics surrounding his sister, Rias Gremory.
One of his biggest regrets is not being able to help his beloved little sister more in the situation their parents put her in: an arranged marriage with another noble Devil family, the Phenex family, to a man named Riser Phenex.
The purpose of this marriage was obviously to unite the two noble families, consequently strengthening relations between them, and ensuring that the next generation born from this union would be powerful, combining the immortality and Phoenix flames of the Phenex family with the powerful "Destruction" magic that Rias and Sirzechs possess.
Obviously, Sirzechs disagreed with his parents about this, but as one of the leading figures of this new Devil society, he cannot interfere in private matters between noble families unless those matters go against the law, which is not the case here.
This doesn't mean that Sirzechs can't help Rias indirectly, but even that has its limitations, which leaves the poor older brother with his hands tied, having to endure the complaints his sister expresses at times.
In short, Sirzechs is a very busy man who wishes more than anyone that some poor wretch would take his place so he can have that beautiful retirement he so desires.
Unfortunately, his workday is about to get much more complicated and with a high chance of causing many headaches.
That's because on a normal workday, when Sirzechs was about to ask his beloved maid wife to give him "support" in the way only she knows how, an explosion of holy energy is felt coming from the Heavens.
The problem is that this wave of holy energy was strong enough that it was felt throughout the Underworld, consequently leaving all the Noble Devils and commoner Devils totally nervous.
Fortunately, the wave of holy energy didn't hurt anyone, but it was strong enough to give even the mighty Sirzechs the shivers.
Because of this, the Council of Devils immediately ordered Serafall Leviathan to investigate what happened and see if the Angels broke the ceasefire agreement made at the end of the Great War years ago.
Serafall Sitri, who took the title of "Leviathan" after the end of the Devil Civil War, is in charge of handling foreign affairs outside the territory of the Underworld Devils.
In Sirzechs' honest opinion, Serafall Leviathan is really good at foreign policy relations; however, since the problem involves angels and Serafall has a habit of using her Magical Girl persona to conduct politics, it could cause unnecessary problems, especially with the chances of her encountering Gabriel, whom Serafall considers her "rival" for some reason.
Therefore, knowing this and the possible risks of Serafall making a mistake, Sirzechs was put in charge of accompanying Leviathan and acting as her babysitter.
Sirzechs absolutely did not want to accompany Serafall, but unfortunately for him, his best friend Ajuka used one of the favors Sirzechs owed him to force him to go with Serafall.
And that's why Sirzechs went to accompany his Leviathan friend of his own free will.
What Sirzechs and Serafall didn't expect was to feel the same holy energy they felt in the heavens in one of the apartments in the city of Kuoh near the school that Rias Gremory shares territory with Serafall's younger sister.
When the two Satan leaders went to investigate, they ended up finding an apartment covered by a barrier so powerful and reinforced that it was a challenge for them to cross it.
However, after several attempts to cross without using force—because if they did, the chances of alerting the angel they wanted to speak to would be impossible—
The barrier is deactivated, allowing the two to use the teleportation circle to reach the apartment. Upon arrival, they were confronted with something unexpected: a strange human standing before two of the most important Archangels of Heaven, Michael and Gabriel.
This brings us to our current situation: Sirzechs, Serafall, Michael, and Gabriel are inside Ritsuka Fujimaru's apartment, with their Servants on alert, while Olga and Mash are curious to see the new guests.
"Okay, let me see if I understand correctly. You two came here to speak with the one responsible for the wave of holy energy that reached your territory, which is the Underworld?"
Ritsuka looks at Sirzechs and Serafall, both with embarrassed expressions, especially Serafall for having done that shameful thing in front of Gabriel and Michael, something she hadn't even intended to do. However, she hadn't expected her body to become agitated and nervous the moment she sensed Ritsuka's presence.
"Basically, that's it, Fujimaru-san. We're here to investigate what happened for the wave of holy energy to have reached our territory, which isn't normal due to the distance between Heaven and the Underworld."
Serafall decided not to use her Magical Girl persona after the secondhand embarrassment she experienced a few minutes ago.
Ritsuka looks at Metatron (Sloth), who has an expression that suggests she doesn't want to be present in this conversation, but she knows there's nowhere to run.
"I can imagine... And about the holy energy explosion, I apologize for her stupid act."
The moment Ritsuka said that, he had a quick mental conversation with Metatron (Sloth).
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Ritsuka: Metatron, you didn't tell me your little escape would attract important Devils! Another thing, why am I sensing a very familiar presence of the 72 Demon God Pillars coming from these two?
Metatron (Sloth): Okay, I admit I exaggerated a bit in my escape, but I had no idea that my Noble Phantasm would attract the Devil Leaders. By the way, about the familiar presence you're sensing, it's because these two are members of the noble Devil families, Ars Goetia, who took over leading the rest of the Devils after the Civil War that occurred years ago.
Ritsuka: What? How? Why? I have so many questions about this!
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Ritsuka only knew the names Serafall and Sirzechs; he didn't know that these two individuals were the leaders of the Devils.
"If I'm not mistaken, our ceasefire agreement was that none of us would interfere in the private affairs of other factions."
"We have no intention of interfering in anything, Michael. We just want to calm the Devils who were worried that the Angels were planning an attack."
"Well, now you Devils know that it was only me who made a little 'mess' in the heavens because I refuse to work."
Metatron (Sloth) interrupts Michael and Serafall's conversation, causing the young Devil to look at Metatron (Sloth) with a surprised expression.
"Wait a minute. That was the reason for that wave of holy energy? Because you didn't want to work?"
"Yes! I literally represent sloth. Do you really think I would stay up there in the heavens dealing with the System that our Father created? No way."
Sirzechs and Serafall stare at Metatron (Sloth) in utter shock while Michael looks at his Archangel sister with a complex expression.
"Sister, you know that among us you are the best option to handle the administration of our Father's System. Furthermore, we are worried about you since another part of you said it is growing weak without you."
The moment Michael first said this, Metatron's (Sloth's) bored expression changes to one of irritation.
"My other, serious self won't die without me! She only said that because she's annoyed that I forced myself out of her. She's perfectly fine."
"What? I didn't understand, you came out of her?"
Seeing Michael and Gabriel's confused expressions upon hearing Metatron (Sloth) say this, Ritsuka sighed, realizing he would have to explain that their sister was a Heroic Spirit.
"Okay, this is going to get complicated, but before we address this issue, let's introduce ourselves first, okay?"
Ritsuka's words brought all the Angels and Devils back to the main topic before the conversation went off-topic.
Ritsuka reintroduced himself to the Angels and Devils, giving a brief introduction without revealing too much, and he introduced Olga and Mash. However, the four guests were surprised when Ritsuka introduced Morgan and Tamano no Mae.
"Morgan and Tamano no Mae?! I thought Morgan returned to Avalon or disappeared after King Arthur's death, and how is the Incarnation of Amaterasu here if the Goddess herself is present?"
"Me disappearing or returning to Avalon, Hmph, it seems certain things don't change in this world."
"So that old, antisocial fox is present too... That explains the familiar presence I felt the moment I was summoned."
While Morgan finds it somewhat ironic about the possible actions her version from this world took, Tamano no Mae, on the other hand, has a disgusted expression when mentioning her future self, Amaterasu.
It was at this moment that Ritsuka, now struggling with how he will explain to the Archangels and Satans about his Heroic Spirits without revealing too much, decided to look to Olga Marie for help.
Olga Marie, who by this point knows Ritsuka Fujimaru so well that she can tell what the Chaldea Master wants just by making eye contact, is slightly irritated, as she expected to see Ritsuka continue to take the lead in the conversation, wanting to see how much he is evolving. However, her pride is interrupted when he asks her for help.
Seeing that her beloved secretary is in trouble, it falls to the President of planet Earth to help her companions.
"Before we explain your question, I have a question to ask. What do you know about Heroic Spirits?"
Olga's question left the four guests with curious expressions, except for Gabriel, who has a confused expression.
The person who answers the question is Sirzechs, with a thoughtful expression.
"I heard about Heroic Spirits during my conversations with my friend Ajuka. He spoke about them, but I didn't understand everything he explained. However, from what I gathered, Heroic Spirits are on a higher plane compared to the typical Familiars we have, and they are important figures in human history, recorded on the Throne of Heroes. As far as I know, summoning a Heroic Spirit is very difficult."
Sirzechs shared the information he knew on the subject, and Olga Marie nodded in agreement with what the Red-Haired Satan had said.
"You are correct in your assumption. Morgan, Tamano no Mae, Metatron, and Lilith are Heroic Spirits that Ritsuka summoned when we arrived in the city recently."
"So you just arrived in the city? Where did you come from, if you can answer?"
Olga Marie hears Serafall's question and remains silent for a few seconds before glancing at Ritsuka, causing a silent agreement between them.
"We can't say, but what we can tell you is that we come from far away and are trying to adapt to our new atmosphere. Our contact with you was purely by chance."
Olga and Ritsuka decided not to reveal that they are from Chaldea yet. It's too early for them to reveal everything, and besides, it's good to have some backup cards for important situations.
"Giving more detail on what she said. We Heroic Spirits are not limited by the boundaries of this world or timeline. The reason I have another 'self' is because I am a Metatron from another timeline where our Father created me in different ways than you, Michael and Gabriel. You and the other angels can manifest in the human world without problems, but I cannot. That is why I was summoned using a human body and having to limit my authority in the process. Translation: I am not the same Metatron you knew."
Metatron (Sloth) spoke with a tired tone, looking at Michael and Gabriel, who had expressions of surprise upon discovering the difference between the Metatron they knew and the Metatron Ritsuka summoned.
"Ugh... What a boring chat. I was thinking there would be an exciting discussion between two arch-enemy factions, but no. Hey, you devilish leaders, do you know anything about my other 'self'? Your Lilith. Ever since I heard about her, I've been a little curious."
Lilith, who doesn't like to be bored, decides to rudimentarily butt into the conversation and changes the subject to learn more about the Lilith who participated in the Great War.
Sirzechs and Serafall looked at Lilith with confused expressions that quickly turned to surprise after they looked at Ritsuka's Servant more closely.
"You have the same mana presence as Rizevim... And your name is Lilith... Wait a minute! So you're Rizevim's mother?!"
"I initially thought you were a Mesopotamian Goddess because of the presence I felt initially, but after this I see I was mistaken."
Serafall was the first to express her surprise, while Sirzechs had somehow thought that Ritsuka's Lilith was a completely different person from Lucifer's wife.
"Ahhh... So I have a son, huh? Hmm. I'd prefer it to be a child between me and Master. I don't know how I feel about having a child with a man I don't like."
"You're already thinking of discarding him the same way you did with those little demonesses of yours, aren't you, Lilith?"
"Maybe... I haven't reached a conclusion yet."
Lilith doesn't take Mash's provocative words seriously, as she's focused on her own thoughts. Meanwhile, the two Satan leaders, especially Sirzechs, have nervous expressions.
The Archangels, on the other hand, only showed slight expressions of surprise upon learning that Adam's rejected wife was alive—another version of her.
"This... This changes many things. If the rest of the Underworld nobles find out about this, it will be chaos that will make a lot of noise."
"Argh... If that happens, I won't have time to hug and caress my little sister Sona-tan anymore! That's terrible!"
"That's your concern?"
Ritsuka, listening to the comments of the two Satans, especially Serafall's, which left the Chaldea Master somewhat surprised to see the Leviathan mentioning her younger sister.
"Finally. Gabriel and Michael, you now know everything, and what happened in Heaven was just me separating from my other 'self.' The original Metatron is fine; we just had an argument that ended up causing this whole mess."
Metatron (Sloth) said to Michael and Gabriel, desperately wanting this discussion to end so she could go back to sleep on her golden throne.
Michael and Gabriel looked at each other; a quick, silent communication occurred, and Michael spoke first.
"We now understand your situation well, sister, and we apologize for the trouble we caused. We won't disturb your privacy, but we have something important to tell you."
"Your other 'self' is now the new leader of the Angels. What wonderful news, isn't it, sister?"
"Wonderful news? Not a chance! Now that annoying judge won't leave me alone!"
Metatron (Sloth) didn't have a happy expression upon learning that her Archangel Ego was taking control of Heaven.
Sirzechs and Serafall had serious expressions upon hearing the news of the leadership change, as they would likely have to notify the noble council.
"So Metatron is now the leader of the Angels, what a fine way to begin our first days in this country."
"It's not like we aren't used to these kinds of events, Senpai."
"I can't argue with that. I can't say that this isn't something that's outside our list of unusual occurrences."
Ritsuka said with a casual smile, completely unaffected by what was happening around him.
"I think you have the perfect excuse to explain to the other Devils what happened in the heavens. I'm sure this incident will be resolved without problems."
Gabriel said with a pure and innocent angelic smile that made Serafall uncomfortable for a moment.
"Yes. That will certainly satisfy their concerns. Although this should resolve the reason we are here, we now have another matter concerning us."
Serafall said this with a slightly embarrassed smile, looking in the direction of Ritsuka and Lilith.
"Hmm? Why are you looking at me and Lilith?"
"Well.... Let's just say.... Sirzechs-kun! This is your area of expertise to explain everything to Fujimaru-kun!"
Sirzechs, hearing Serafall shift the responsibility of explanation onto him, sighed, suppressing his frustration.
"What Serafall was trying to say is that, even though your Lilith isn't an exact copy of the Lilith we know, that doesn't change the fact that she's an extremely important woman to the Devil society, since she's practically our 'mother' who created us. Knowing this, and that the world is still tense between the three factions, there's a risk of you being dragged into unwanted conflicts."
"These conflicts you're alluding to are with other Devils or other people from other factions."
"More precisely, other Noble Devils who are still allied with the Old Satan Faction and who might want your Lilith to use her for personal or political purposes."
"Master, the Old Satan Faction Sirzechs is talking about is the faction of pure-blooded Devils who still serve the ideals of Lucifer and the other original Satans."
Metatron (Sloth) said, giving Ritsuka a quick and brief explanation of the faction.
"So they are our enemies! What about It Ritsuka? We already have new victims to torment."
"Lilith, behave yourself! Could you at least restrain your lust for chaos for a minute?"
"Stop being a spoilsport, Tamamo. Don't come at me with that well-behaved lady attitude; you'd be the first person to lick your lips the moment Master says they're our enemies."
"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about. I'm just a simple fox wife who simply wants to serve my husband with all my love."
Tamamo no Mae said with an innocent smile, neither confirming nor correcting Lilith's words. If Ritsuka didn't know Tamamo no Mae very well, he would believe her act.
"Ahem! What are you trying to achieve with this, Sirzechs? Aren't you implying that I would be in danger having Lilith by my side?"
"Although you certainly face a certain risk of danger having her, considering the powerful women around you, it's quite obvious that you know how to handle yourself or have strong allies to protect you."
"Hmph, it was quite foolish of you to think that my husband would be in any danger, Devil. Just tell me your intentions towards my husband. You may have that calm and charismatic expression, but I can see in your eyes that you want something from him."
Morgan, who is quietly observing in total silence, looks coldly at Sirzechs, letting her mana leak out on purpose as a silent message to him saying, "Watch your next words carefully when speaking to him."
Sirzechs, on the other hand, feels a nostalgic chill because the expression Morgan is using is similar to the one his wife uses when she is serious or about to scold him.
"Calm down, Your Majesty, I only have a simple request to make of him. Fujimaru has the complete choice to refuse this opportunistic bet of mine."
Sirzechs said this with a nervous smile, showing that he didn't want to incur the wrath of King Arthur's sister. Ritsuka, on the other hand, was curious to hear Sirzechs mention that he was making a "bet," as if that word resonated deeply with him.
"And what is this request you have for me, Sirzechs?"
"Well, my request is that you, Ritsuka Fujimaru, be the bridge that helps us create a peace treaty between the Angels and Devils to prevent more innocent people from being dragged into a war that no one wants to participate in anymore."
Sirzechs' words surprised everyone except Morgan, who was still looking at the Devil, waiting for an opportunity for him to lower his guard and say something she didn't like.
Ritsuka, on the other hand, maintains a casual and calm expression, raising an eyebrow after hearing Sirzechs' words.
"Me? Being a bridge between Devils and Angels for a peace treaty? That's a new one on my list."
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To be continued... Next chapter:Okita Souji exist as a man?! Ritsuka's favorite dog.
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A/N: Hello my friends! Yes, I'm still alive. Yes, I haven't abandoned this story.
The reason I took so long to write was a combination of three important things.
One is my damn laziness. (Sorry about that.)
Second is my addiction to playing Warframe. (I'm not going to apologize for that. And Orion and Sirius are my second favorite Warframes; they're right behind Uriel.)
And third and last is because my dear mother had her cell phone stolen, which meant she was without a phone for a long time and had to use mine until she could get enough money to buy a new one.
But I don't only have excuses to give you; I have good things to announce.
During this time I was away from writing, I had time to think about adding another "universe" to this story, and that universe is Hades 2. (I'm surprised there isn't a fanfic about that game in the story.)
Yes, Ritsuka will visit Greece again, but this time he won't be jumped like he was at the beginning of Atlantis. The Hades 2 arc should begin after the Peace Treaty incident because that's when Ritsuka will be ready to participate in the events of that game.
Some of you might ask: will there be any girls from Hades 2 who will join Ritsuka's harem? I'm still thinking about whether to include them or not.
It's quite ironic that Ritsuka will face a Titan with dominion over Time, as if he hadn't defeated the equivalent of the Fates in Norse mythology, taking into account the events of FGO currently.