Chapter 38: 26 - ||
I gave each of my girls a kiss, bidding them goodbye for the moment. Sera and Asia, who would be attending as well, joined me as I stood before the open ))Gate((. I concentrated, drawing power from the air around me as I began to form my clone.
))BODY DOUBLE((
I exhaled, opening my eyes to see another me smirking back. As always, we made sure neither of us knew who the 'real' one was, each believing himself to be the original.
Same story, different circumstances.
I sighed, waving as Other Me walked through the ))Gate(( with Sera. Asia warped light around her, vanishing from sight, and took me by the hand. I cast the transformation spell to turn me into 'Red' and stepped through my bedroom door. Long halls stretched, reality warped, and I was Lost. I cast ))Avatar(( after a brief moment of thought, pulling out my staff and using it as a walking stick while I waited for the signal.
I wandered about, visiting Norway and grabbing a bite to eat before skipping over to the United Kingdoms for a bottle of Scotch. I hated the stuff, but Azazel was sure to be quite appreciative. I whistled a jaunty tune as I began walking once more, ignoring the random extremes of hot and cold while I munched on a box of fries. Asia didn't say much, far too used to this method of travel by now to be perturbed. She was polishing off a box of macaroons, courtesy of a trip to Italy near her hometown.
…Jesus Christ, what was taking so long!
{Oi, Sera!}
{Oh, Millicas. Right. I forget that you can't see things like you would through a Shadow Clone. Kokabiel just arrived, and he's doing the whole 'grand entrance' thing. Any minute now I'll call you in, so start heading over.}
I nodded, relaxing slightly. I set my mental course for 'Kokabiel' and began the familiar trek between two hills, a bog, and a marsh. I tightened my grip on my staff, concentrating on hiding my approach. Asia reluctantly released my hand but didn't fall behind as I sped up. Soon I was walking down the familiar hall of Kuoh, standing just outside the door of the abandoned classroom which was currently being used as a meeting room. 'Any second now…'
I concentrated, listening as Kokabiel's speech wound down. "…But that's what we're here to discuss, isn't it?" he asked rhetorically, and there was the sound of a chair scraping across the tile. "We all know what happened, and I'm here to fix it. We're a mess, and it's time we did something about it."
"How so?" A calm voice spoke up, unfamiliar to me. I mentally placed him as Michael.
I could almost sense Kokabiel's delight. "Simple. If the Factions can't police themselves, then we might as well do it for them. I declare the birth of a new Faction, standing for the cause of lasting peace. A Faction built from the ashes of our past war, to ensure such a travesty never again occurs."
{All right, come on in!} Sera sent.
I placed my hand on the knob, waiting a few more seconds for Kokabiel to finish. "I'd like to introduce you to the leader of the new Faction, a being powerful and well-known enough to inspire the change I so desire."
I threw open the door so hard it bounced off the wall. "Hello! Sorry I'm late, did I miss anything?" I strode forward, a wide smile on my face as I saw all heads snap towards me. "Gotta love rush hour, traffic always ties me up. And then I had to find a parking spot, which was a nightmare all on its' own. Honestly, you lot need to invest in a parking garage."
All three Faction leaders blinked. Sera waved cheerfully, giving me a smile. "Ohayo, Mi-chan!"
I snorted. "Serafall, it's obviously afternoon. Come on, the phrase to use is 'Good day.'"
Azazel glanced pointedly at his watch. Unsurprising, considering it was well after sunset. "…Right. Afternoon. Whatever. Well, since it's my first time meeting the famous Red Man, I'd like to introduce myself. Name's Azazel, Governor-General of the Grigori."
I smiled at him. "Hello, Azazel-dono. My name is Mira, but people see fit to call me The Red Man." I frowned. "Not sure why, though."
Kokabiel coughed. "You're still in your disguise."
I blinked, glancing down at my ))Avatar((. "So I am. Should I take it off?"
"Please do," Azazel replied easily. "We're all friends here."
I grinned, dissolving the spell. And, just for the hell of it, I cast ))Douchery((.
Wide blue-green eyes peeked out from a doll-like face. A single, fang-like canine poked over my lower lip. Rather than my Avatar's lab coat, I wore a thick, fluffy, hooded robe of pure white, trimmed with an embroidered, golden ribbon. My delicate gown was a soft red, matching perfectly with my hair. The very image of an innocent little girl, cloaked in the strongest protections the world had to offer.
There was a beat of silence. Azazel choked, my father's delicate smile cracked, and Michael opened and closed his mouth several times.
Heh.
I glanced down at myself. "I still don't get it. How am I a man, again?"
Azazel shrugged. "I wasn't the one to make the name, milady."
I huffed, crossing my arms beneath my budding chest. "Well it's dumb."
Michael cleared his throat, finally managing to speak. "…If I may… how old are you?"
I frowned. "What's with you people asking my age? First Kokabiel, then you. I don't know the exact year, but I'm somewhere close to forty-five."
He blinked. "Forty-five?" He glanced at Kokabiel, confusing written on his face. "Pardon me, but—"
Kokabiel sighed, cutting him off. "She means centuries, not years."
I didn't bother correcting my General. He drew his own conclusions from my whole 'beyond time and space' spiel, and I wasn't not above misdirection if meant keeping my identity safe.
The Archangel took a moment to absorb this. "I… see. Then did you perhaps know my Father?"
I frowned, tilting my head and screwing up my face in thought. My ahoge curled and swayed as I 'concentrated,' drawing a stare from Azazel. "Adonai, right? The troll? I remember something about a venomous duck-billed beaver."
"Platypus," Michael muttered, glancing away. "And it was my birthday gift."
My eyes sparkled as I decided to push the joke a step further. "Oh? Then who got the death ray?"
There was another beat of silence as all the Angels, Fallen or otherwise, exchanged a look. "There was no… death ray," he finally replied. "And, out of curiosity, what was this death ray meant to do?"
"Boost TV reception," I stated matter-of-factly. "In theory, at least. It still kills stuff just fine. I just learned that it could connect to a reception dish. I've been getting free cable for months, now."
Sirzechs coughed, and Sera stifled giggles. "I do believe that we got that. It's currently hooked up to my roof."
I sighed melodramatically, mentally patting myself on the back for that one. "Pity. I'd hoped that Adonai was getting reception in Heaven, God bless his soul." My face lost all semblance of cheer, turning as cold as ice. "Unfortunately, I'm not here to talk about the past. I'm here to make way for the future."
I finally took the time to observe the room. It seemed that Xenovia had taken Irina's place as Michael's Ace, and was staring at me with an even expression. Issei stood beside Rias, but Sona stood alone. The rest of their Peerages were either absent or sitting in chairs next to the wall. There was one more person missing, though, one which made me significantly more nervous. Vali Lucifer was nowhere to be seen, and from what I remember, he never showed up to fight Kokabiel either.
Butterfly effect it is, then.
I sighed, glancing at the dark-haired man beside Azazel. Barquiel, I assumed. It seemed that Kokabiel had indeed managed to arrange that. Good. At least that part of the demonstration would go well.
Azazel smirked, speaking up at last. "Oh? Finally getting serious, are we?"
I nodded, tapping the tip of my shoe on the floor. "I'd much rather our conversation be private, however, so I'd prefer our guests step out."
Translation: Shit's about to get heavy. Clear out the small people, or they'll get smashed.
Sirzechs smiled genially. "Of course. However, as host of this event, I need a bit more presence to lend weight to my authority."
Translation: Not a chance in hell.
I sighed, glancing at Kokabiel. "Plan B it is, then. Mind alerting the troops?"
He nodded, pulling a slim device from his pocket and holding it to his ear. "Mobilize and surround. No one gets in or out."
I smiled, turning back to the leaders. "All right, last chance. Anyone leaving?"
There was a pause in which no one moved, which, although expected, was slightly disappointing. I sighed. "So be it."
I lifted my staff and slammed it against the floor. Reality itself rippled, and the tiles began spreading from the tip of my staff. The room grew larger and larger, sections of the wall breaking in repeating fractals as the world became entirely subject to my whims. Soon, we were in a room the size of a lecture hall with the table sitting squarely in the center. The chairs that the Peerages sat in hadn't moved either, and several of them glanced confusedly back at the distant wall. I smiled, sinking into a plush chair that appeared beneath me. "Well, then. Let the Three Factions Meeting begin."
Azazel raised an eyebrow, eyeing the expanded walls appreciatively. "Nice spellwork. Space expansion?"
I smiled sweetly at him. "Please. I used a Mirror Dimension."
"Impossible. I would've noticed moving from one dimension to another," he scoffed dismissively.
I puffed out my cheeks, my ahoge bouncing. "Well, that's what I did. Now hush. I'm talking."
I reflected for a moment how awesome this idea was. Nobody could take my loli form seriously when it insulted someone. Perfect for both keeping with 'Red's' personality while avoiding treading on anyone's toes. Pity I had to scrap the idea of acting like a princess, though. That would've been awesome.
I turned to Kokabiel, who was smirking at me. "I trust you already spoke to them?"
He nodded, face turning serious once more. "I told them of the issues with simply declaring peace, which they agreed with. Then you arrived."
I sighed, crossing my legs. "Well, good. I've been working at this for too long to just have them ignore me. So. One thing at a time. Who's going first?"
Sirzechs raised a hand. "I will." He cleared his throat, regarding me with a neutral gaze. "You speak of a peace force meant to keep the lines drawn between Factions. How do you mean to utilize it? And how are you sure that it won't just make things worse?"
I frowned, ahoge drooping.
…All right, so the ahoge might not be the best idea at the moment. But I'd been told that people tended to listen to me more when distracted. Plus, I wanted to. So there.
"Well… first, it's a system I already put in place," I began, tapping a finger against my chin. "In order for an organization to be stable, they need three things. A chain of command, a base, and a source of income. They can survive a hit to one for a while, but not for long, so it's important that I firmly ground them before we even take the first steps. Their base is established, their chain of command is forming, and they have theoretically infinite resources. Beyond that, it's just a matter of distribution of effort."
I glanced at him. He seemed to be paying attention so far, meaning that I was doing a fair job. "Second, I don't. The idea behind the force is that the boundaries between our Factions are slowly dissolved in a controlled environment rather than simply opening all ye floodgates and forcing the opposing armies together like magnets. In time, the peace force will be delegated to minor scuffles and diplomatic security, and we will fade to the background."
He nodded calmly, looking over to Azazel and Michel. "I'm satisfied, at the very least. I was planning something of this nature myself, actually, but I couldn't figure out how to ensure that no discrimination was shown between members of the Factions." He glanced back at me. "And how, might I add, do you plan that part?"
I was impressed. Sirzechs had pointed out a flaw in my plan without making it seem like he was being overly critical. Luckily, I had prepared an answer. "Simple, really. Kokabiel?"
He stepped forward. "Yes, milady?"
"Show them your wings."
He nodded once, and there was an audible hum in the air. Paper-thin hexagons of brilliant gold flowed from his back, extending until they reached the floor. There they spread out, half-forming the rims and filling the empty space. They glowed softly, the gaps between the hexagons radiating white Light and the metal itself exuding a silvery sheen that defied conventional physics.
Twelve perfect wings, fashioned from solid gold.
The wings flexed, and the Clockwork Angel rose into the air with a speed belying his stocky build. He laughed, spreading the wings and sending out a pulse of power. They glowed like a dying sun, brilliant in their intensity.
I clapped, smiling happily. "Good, good! Excellent demonstration, Koka-chan!"
"Indeed," the Crimson Maou agreed. "But it still doesn't answer the question."
My smile slipped as I turned back to the table. "Sirzechs-dono… my organization is called Asylum. It wasn't originally meant as a peace-keeping force, but it still works regardless." I shook my head for emphasis. "No, it was originally meant as a haven for those who needed a better option. How many Strays, do you think, have deserted you because of their cruel masters?" I paused, turning to look at Azazel. "How many Fallen turn to violence and greed after they tire of the squalor in which they dwell?" My gaze shifted to Michael. "How many of your brethren fell to experience the fullness of life, never again to cross the Gates of Heaven?"
Azazel sighed, flashing a brief glance at his fellow leaders. "Well, since no one else'll say it, I will. Too damn many."
I nodded. "My point exactly. The System, something that was necessary centuries ago, hasn't been able to advance with the times. Even the humans have grown in their roles, while we're trapped by the same archaic rules that bound us ages ago." I looked hard at each leader, preparing to make my pitch. "The System needs an overhaul, but that's not something I can do anytime soon. What we need is a stopgap, yes? Some way for us to lessen the issues without removing their side-effects completely."
I gestured to Kokabiel, who had landed and stowed his wings. "I introduce a neutral Faction, one has no culture of its own. One that uses its very nature to remove bias. It'd be a mixture of all the races, one that deadlocks the System by introducing conflicting data. No matter the crimes another race commits, they can come to us and be welcomed. However, we would be governed by our own rules and guidelines, independent of you."
"So you want to join the peace treaty as a neutral party, designed as a stopgap for existing issues as well as any new ones that crop up," Michael said slowly, and I could see him warming to the idea.
"That is correct," I agreed with a nod of my head.
He smiled. "I, for one, have no issue with something of that nature. Your reputation as an extremist precedes you, and I can hardly imagine you approaching this with any less than your usual enthusiasm."
"Not so fast," Azazel called, smirking. "How are you even sure there will be a peace treaty?"
"Oh, there will be!" I chirped cheerfully, ahoge twirling. "Because you're not leaving here without one!"
Dead. Silence.
"I see." Azazel's voice was hard. "I'd be interested to see how you plan to enforce that."
"I do believe you're underestimating me, Azazzy!" I said, mustering the brightest, most lethal smile. "Do I need to do something extreme?"
He spread his arms. "Go right ahead. Impress me."
My smile turned a few shades colder. "If you insist." I rose from my chair, all four and a half feet of me glowing with power.
The Fallen leader tensed slightly, and I noticed the telltale glow of a shield spell flicker over his skin. Apparently he was just testing me and hadn't expected me to take him up on his offer. I already knew one of the Factions would be a bit difficult, so I had something planned to shut him up.
"I'm not going to strike you, Scapegoat. Instead, I shall do something you cannot." My eyes gleamed. "Would you like to see that?"
He chuckled, rising to his feet and dropping his shield. "All right. Show me the goods."
I raised my staff, pointing it at the table. "Watch closely, now~!" I flexed the mental muscle that led to my Sorcery, and I felt the familiar hum of power. And like that, I tore a hole in reality.
))VOID OF CREATION((
Azazel blinked, staring at the definite nothingness before him. "…What am I looking at?" he eventually said.
I smiled. "Absolutely nothing." I stepped down from my small dais, my robe trailing behind me as I walked forward. "That, right there, is nothing. It never has been, and it never will be again."
He blinked a grin crossing his face. "So, what, is it a black hole, or—"
I snapped my fingers, and an explosion of power rippled from the anomaly. The orb of Nothing devoured itself, glowing with the soft shine of a star. Then it began to grow, from its previous baseball size to well over a basketball, and further still to a beach ball. The tiny star began to draw everything around it as its gravity grew to tremendous magnitudes. I made room for it by altering the Mirror Dimension around us, smiling as it lifted off the table and consumed it whole. My 'little' creation was now easily the size of a car, and still growing fast. Then I clicked my fingers and it shot into the air. It rose higher and higher, until I had to crane my neck to see it.
{Asia, if you would?}
{Sure!} she sent back, concentrating. A pulse of her Talent rippled toward the young star.
And then, the star Broke.
There was no incredible flash, no whine of gas escaping. Instead, it began to gather in the center as the pressure in the room built. Different colors could now be seen as parts of the star fell apart.
And then it exploded.
Azazel stared up at the former star, mouth opening and closing. "That," he muttered, almost to himself, his voice hoarse with disbelief. "Is a supernova."
I nodded, smirking. "It is, indeed. Aren't you going to ask about the numerous laws of physics that I broke, just by allowing you to watch that?"
"…I'm good," he decided, turning back to the table. "You win. I'll be good now."
I laughed. "Please. It's not over yet." I reached into the pocket of my fluffy robe, and pulled out a large glass orb. I threw it into the air, cranking Thought Acceleration as I did. The next bit, while tricky, required perfect timing. As the dying star began to expand, I snagged it in the Array I had put up there while the others were distracted by the light show. It shone too brightly to see for a mere moment longer, then it vanished. The orb began its descent, only for me to capture it midair, the entire spectacle vanishing before everyone's eyes.
In its place, a perfect replica of the supernova gleamed within the glass of the orb, still spreading its gaseous tendrils.
"A gift." I set the orb lightly on the table with a mock bow. "Don't fight too hard, now."
Azazel snatched the softball-sized orb, examining it with a critical eye. "How the hell? Glass shouldn't be able to contain plasma, no matter what spells it has."
'It doesn't. It just uses a cleverly designed pocket dimension to hold the star while still allowing you to see it. But you don't need to know that.'
"All right, so Azazel has been quieted for the near future," Michael remarked duly, unruffled by my demonstration. "Rest assured, there will be a treaty. We've fought and bled for this since God died. We just haven't gotten around to the hand-shaking quite yet."
I smiled serenely at him. "Then I would appreciate the hand-shaking happening a bit quicker. I've got loads of nice toys to share, and I'd like to think that they can help smooth things over a bit."
"All right, let's declare peace or whatever," Azazel groused. "Just tell me how the hell you're fitting an actual star inside a glass ball!"
Barquiel spoke, finally breaking his silence. "Azazel, I doubt you should be focused on that right now. And I believe that was a gift to all three Factions, not just to you."
Sirzechs nodded, eyeing the orb appreciatively. "I can think of a certain Devil scientist who'd love to take a look at that."
Azazel reluctantly set the orb aside, sighing and leaning back in his chair. "Fine, whatever. My guys won't attack you as long as you don't attack them, all right?"
Michael seemed pleased. "That sounds fine to me. And with Red-dono's force preventing any skirmishes, we might actually have a shot at lasting peace.
Sirzechs nodded. "I propose an exchange of gifts, then, to both facilitate goodwill between our species and to cement lasting bonds."
"An excellent idea." I motioned to him. "Care to share?"
He chuckled, reaching into his pocket. "I would, indeed. I trust that you aren't expecting any gifts?"
I shook my head. "Not in the least. I'm just streamlining the process."
He nodded, setting three small boxes on the table. "Very well, then. Who's going first?"
Michael gestured to Azazel. "Let's go in a circle."
My father nodded, taking the box of what looked like cards and sliding them across the table. "Go ahead, then."
Other Me, having hovered at the edge of my vision for the entire conversation, leaned forward in anticipation. Apparently, I wasn't the only one looking forward to this.
Azazel raised an eyebrow upon seeing Other Me. "That your kid, there?"
Sirzechs smiled politely. "Just open the box. All will be explained in a moment."
The Fallen shrugged, pulling the tab of the seemingly flimsy cardboard box and pulling out eight cards. A man with a bow, a contorted figure with a large blade, a skull-faced man with nothing on save a pair of black silk pants. More cards that I couldn't see lay under them. Azazel blinked, examining them. "So… is this like a cereal box collector's set or something?"
"Or something," Sirzechs agreed drily. "If you can count an entire Reincarnation System under the banner of 'or something'."
There was a beat of silence as both Fallen present stared at the cards in shock. "A… System?" Azazel finally choked out. "You built an entire Reincarnation System!?"
"I didn't," Sirzechs corrected, lips twitching. "My son and my best friend did. Over the weekend, when they got bored. It was quite hilarious, to be frank."
"Explain." There was no emotion in the man's voice, just clinical detachment.
Other Me stepped forward, smugness written all over his face. "It's rather simple. One Ruler, and seven Servants. Saber, Assassin, Archer, Lancer, Berserker, Avenger, and Caster. Each Class Card can be used to either empower an existing Fallen or transform another species."
"Can it raise the dead?" Barquiel interrupted, suddenly realizing where this was going.
The smirk on Other Me's face softened into a smile. "As a matter of fact… as long as a new body can be reconstructed and the soul can be found, it can revive the long-dead."
The black-haired man was on his feet in an instant, putting his odd invitation to the meeting together with the new System. "You had a test subject, didn't you?"
Other Me—Ah, fuck it. Millicas turned, still smiling. "As soon as we fleshed out the details of how it worked, yes. Would you like to meet her?"
There was a gasp as Akeno, still sitting on the sidelines, realized the implications of the question. Barquiel swallowed. "I-I would."
Millicas reached into his pocket, pulling out a small phone. "All right, if you insist." He tapped a few buttons, then held it to his ear. "It's time." He paused, listening. "Yes, him. Yes, your daughter is here too. Just use the Gem." He tapped another button, then tucked it in his pocket and turned back to the Fallen. "She should be here in just…"
A flash of light lit the room for a moment, and a moment later, a tall, raven-haired woman stood beside Millicas. Her hair was done in a loose ponytail, and tied back with a blue ribbon. Her eyes could only be described as 'motherly', and her smile threatened to split her face as she caught sight of her husband.
"S-Shuri." Barquiel whispered reverently.
The woman sighed, crossing her arms. "Well, you silly man? Are you going to kiss me or not?"
Choking back a sob, the large man took the five steps necessary to bring them together and pulled her into a deep kiss. Akeno was there the next instant, burying her face in her mother's back and beginning to cry.
I considered grabbing popcorn, but decided that would be too dickish. Even for The Red Man. Instead, I made a show of rummaging through my pockets as the touching scene continued. I pulled out a small disk drive and an even smaller box, setting them on the arm of my chair. I politely waited as the tears dried up and the moment passed, then cleared my throat. "If you're quite finished…?"
Barquiel nodded, wiping his red eyes and blowing his nose. His wife gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then followed Akeno back to the spectators' seats. All parties involved settled down once more, and the meeting resumed.
Sirzechs gave Azazel a small smile and a nod, then turned to Michael. "I have two gifts. The first might or might not be my son's idea of a joke—" Millicas coughed, hiding a smirk. "—but it's no less valid."
He slid a polished wooden cube the size of a music box across the table. Michael, slightly apprehensive, pulled it closer to him and opened the hinged lid. He peered within, reaching inside and drawing out a long white staff.
He blinked. Twice.
"…How?" he murmured, glancing down into the box. "This staff is over six feet long."
Sirzechs merely smiled. "Try channeling a bit of Light through it."
The Archangel frowned, hesitantly pushing a bit of mana into it. The top glowed with light, and the air became charged with energy.
Azazel burst out laughing, but muffled his snickers before Barquiel could smack him.
Almost reverently, Michael lowered the staff and examined it. "It's flawless." he whispered reverently, running a finger over the impossibly smooth wood. "What is it?"
"A focus," I called, tapping my own staff against the floor for emphasis. "One built to withstand God-level powers. It's like attaching a spigot to an ocean. Gives you incredible control, streamlines spells, and all-around great to have. Hard as hell to make, though." I gave Millicas a thumbs-up. "Nice job, kid."
Adjusting his grip on his new weapon, Michael carefully placed it back inside the box. "I am aware of what its function is. I have a blade with much the same effects back in Heaven. But that was a sword custom-made by Father Himself. For a Devil to not only replicate it, but improve it?" He shook his head. "Impossible. One would have to wield Light at an almost unheard-of level."
I sweatdropped. '…Well, you're not wrong.'
Millicas simply smiled. "My girlfriend has a gift. Let's just leave it at that."
I fought back a smile of my own, and Asia shifted invisibly beside me. 'All of my girls are incredibly gifted. Asia's no different.'
Michael sighed, sitting once more. "All right. I can't force you to reveal your sources. Just try to warn me if I have to track down a leak."
Sirzechs's smile turned strained. "Michael…"
The leader of the Angels simply waved him off. "Come off it. I know they exist, I know they're a problem. But we're not here to talk about one Faction in particular. Now, I believe you said that there was a second gift?"
My father nodded, pushing a small box into the center of the table. "This is one that can be used by all the Factions. It's less of a physical gift than one of information, but I figure it's only fair to share what we have."
He leaned back into his seat, and gestured for the other two men to open the box. Azazel reached out and pulled the top off, and Michael pulled out its' contents. There was an audible pause as both the Fallen and the Angel stared at the odd fruit. It was unlike any earthly fruit, perfectly round and smooth with a sheen of gold.
Both the Fallen and the Angel reacted violently, one dropping the fruit like it had scorched him and the other leaping back as if the small prune-sized object would explode if he strayed too close. Michael knocked over his chair in his hurry to step away from the innocuous fruit, mimicking Azazel as he stared at it. Finally, Azazel spoke. "That's an actual fruit from the Tree of Knowledge." His face was rigid, refusing to take his eyes off the seemingly innocuous fruit. "Where the hell did you get that?"
I frowned. "Better, how did you get past the wards on my Tree? I swear, I had that thing warded to hell and back. Nothing short of a World-Class spell should've so much as scratched those things." I levelled an intense glare at my father. "There's some seriously dangerous shit in there, and it needs to be protected."
The redheaded Maou shook his head, holding up his hands to placate me. "My friend Ajuka managed to get past them into one specific point the size of a refrigerator. And that was only possible due to dumb luck on a blind transport."
I blinked, cocking my head. My ahoge twirled. "Odd. I could've sworn… never mind. I'll patch the hole soon enough."
"Context. Give. Now." Azazel ground out.
I sighed. "The Tree I made was a restored version of the one destroyed in the Fall of Man. God gave it to me to fix, and I decided to put it somewhere I knew it'd be safe. I have supernatural guardians inhabiting the Tree at all hours of the day, and every inch of it is warded beyond all reason. Not to mention the preliminary defenses, none of which have been so much as touched since I planted the damn thing."
The two of them stared at me for a moment. "God's own Treasury… is being kept in the Underworld?" Azazel checked.
I shrugged. "Well, more like my treasury now. I watch movies there with my girlfriends all the time."
Michael blinked in surprise. "Wait, you're—"
"That is correct," I agreed. "And if you have a problem with lesbians, I will shove that star up your ass."
"I was going to say 'using the most powerful gathering of arcane knowledge in history as a home theatre,' but that works too." The Archangel said dryly.
I shrugged. "Hey, it works. And the big guy probably wouldn't care even if he knew. Now can we get back to the meeting? Yeah, I have the Tree of Knowledge as my home base. We were just discussing that five minutes ago. Time to move on."
I gestured with Ages Past, and the fruit flew into the box and the box shut itself. Both Faction leaders returned to their seats, and the meeting resumed. Azazel cleared his throat, picking up the box and setting it aside. He gestured to Issei and Xenovia. "I already gave my gifts, as did Michael, if memory serves."
Sirzechs nodded, turning to me. "And you? You seem to have gifts ready."
I shrugged. "I might."
"They're right there." The Fallen leader deadpanned.
I smirked. "I dunno, I might just be planning to—"
"Mira!" Sera called sharply, making everyone look at her. I frowned, but stopped.
I reached into my pocket, drawing out a small bracelet. "First Azazel, since he seems convinced that his gift is next to me." I tossed him the bracelet, and he caught it with both hands. "It's a device that removes the need for sleep by converting collected kinetic energy into mana and hyping your regeneration factor. It only works for a maximum of a week, but as a fellow researcher…"
He smirked, tucking it into his pocket. "I love it already. I hope you don't mind if I make copies, though."
I grinned. "Try all you want. It's sealed tight."
Sirzechs cleared his throat impatiently. I sighed, picking up the finger-sized box. "Yes, yes." I rose, walking over to the Maou. "Here."
He picked it up, opening it and pulling out the contents as I returned to my seat. A pitch black )King( Piece greeted him, causing him to blink in shock. Before he could speak, however, I beat him to it. "No, this is not one of those devices sealed away for their corrupting influence. It's more, yet less." I paused, thinking. "I suppose you could say it has much the same in terms of features, though I made it so it acts much like the Reincarnation Pieces rather than the additive it was originally. It grants the same random power boost, but it also renders them unable to directly attack or defend while it's in effect."
Sirzechs narrowed his eyes. "And how, exactly, did you design such a Piece without the knowledge of Ajuka?"
I waved him off. "Please. I've been leeching information from the background for ages, now. I read your files, and you read the files I allow you to steal. It's a game I play with Ajuka. Anyway, the Piece has one additional ability, which grants the user the ability to overpower the will of others. Less 'absolute command' than 'shut them down,' but there's still some similarity. And even then, it's temporary. I'll leave the rest to you to decode."
I turned to Michael, smiling deviously. My childish features didn't portray the wickedness of the expression as well as they could've, and my gently waving ahoge was hardly menacing, but I still pulled it off. "Now, for you… a bit of information that you seem to lack. As my gift I plan to overhaul the System eventually, but for now, you need a way to reproduce." My smile stretched as he narrowed his eyes at me. "Oh, don't be like that. It's nothing creepy like that Lust-prevention ritual. In fact, it's just a little loophole God never got around to telling you about."
"…Go on." He urged as I fell silent.
"Well, it's not that hard…" I sighed melodramatically. "You probably wouldn't need it. You would've tried it already if you had an ounce of common sense."
I could hear the Angel's teeth grinding together, and I finally let him off the hook. "All right, fine," I grumbled. "Jeez, tough crowd." I straightened, looking the Archangel straight in the eye. "Tell me, Michael the Archangel… was God against sex, or sex before marriage?" I paused for emphasis. "You never tried getting married, did you?"
There was a dead silence.
"It couldn't possibly be that simple," the leader of the Angels protested weakly, but I could hear the fight being drained from his voice.
I raised an eyebrow. "No, actually it isn't. Angels can still Fall after too much Lust, but it becomes a 'three strikes, you're out' methodology rather than a single action damning you. You can still fall if you perv on random girls, but it stops you from falling if you perv on your wife."
"Not possible," Michael repeated.
I shrugged. "No, I'm quite sure that's what he said. You could always find willing volunteers, and I'm sure not all the Angels in Heaven are keen on the 'no sex ever' rule."
There was another silence, then Azazel began to laugh. Sirzechs merely sighed, shaking his head. "All right. Gifts have been exchanged, goodwill received, information shared. Can we please shake hands now so we can get to fixing our problems? I, for one, would like to get home sometime tonight."
I nodded in agreement. "I have a contract to have you sign if you need it."
"Not quite yet." Michael sighed. "We still have to get our people used to the idea of peace before signing any binding contracts."
I pouted, crossing my arms. "Fiiine."
Sirzechs rose, as did Azazel and Michael. They shook hands, one after another.
…I was underwhelmed. That was a hell of a lot of planning for one lousy handshake. It didn't even last more than a second.
All three men sat back in their chairs, visibly more relaxed, though all a bit on edge.
"Can Mira-chan sit on my lap, now?" Sera asked out of the blue.
We all blinked at her, but she just smiled. "Well, she doesn't have to be the big, scary diplomat anymore, and she's adorable. I want to hold her."
"Serafall…" Sirzechs sighed.
I shrugged. "Sure. I'm game." I paused, glancing down at my somewhat average chest. "…I could always use some extra cushion."
Kokabiel made choking noises that might have been muffled laughter, but I ignored him. I took the few steps necessary to reach my little Maou, smirking at Millicas as I did so. She held her arms out, and I slid onto her lap. She squee'ed and wrapped her arms around my adorable form.
"…And now I'm back to little girl in fluffy bathrobe." Azazel deadpanned.
I stuck my tongue out at him. "I'll have you know I'm the height of maturity."
The Fallen snorted. "Oh, please. Spare me. Now let's get the basics down before we try for anything complex."
I pulled out a whiteboard and a handful of dry-erase markers, glancing over at the silent spectators. "You might want to send them away for this bit. It's going to be long and boring."
Sirzechs nodded absently, waving them off. "Go on."
"Wait." Azazel held up a hand. "I have a few questions, first."
We all paused, waiting for him to speak.
"First, Red Dragon Emperor." He pointed to Issei. "What do you think of this peace? Will you defend it?"
Issei blinked, surprised at being put on the spot. "Hm? I guess. I mean, there's nothing good about war. Even in peace times, I have more than enough people to fight."
"And does the Dragon within you agree?" The Fallen raised an eyebrow. "The White Dragon has yet to be found. Doesn't Ddraig want to fight him?"
Issei blinked. "I'm sorry, who?"
"Ddraig. The spirit of your Sacred Gear."
My student snorted. "Please. Don't bullshit me, old man. I've never had any spirit in my Gear. Why do you think I can't figure out Balance Breaker?"
I froze. 'Issei, this is not the time to be messing with me. Just shut up.'
Azazel sighed, shaking his head. "Well tell me when he wakes up, then." He shifted his gaze to Millicas. "Now, as for you… from what I've seen so far, you're going to be one hell of a big shot once you grow up. Powerful enough to one-up Zekram of all windbags, but smart enough to keep it under wraps. You're probably fixing to join the R&D Division once you get enough to your name, yes?"
Millicas nodded slowly. "That is one plan, yes. Why?"
"Just a moment." The Fallen turned to me, smirking. "Do you think this 'neutral Faction' of yours could host a Research and Development Division? I mean, if we're all pouring resources into this thing, we might as well benefit from everyone's efforts, right?"
I blinked. "Interesting. Unexpected, but interesting nonetheless. I don't see why there couldn't be one, but I would have to restrict some of my sciences to make sure nobody does anything stupid."
"How stupid?"
I snorted. "Mutually assured destruction. All across the map. I have a weapon in my armory designed to wipe out the Moonlit world entirely, leaving humans as the sole denizens of planet Earth." I gave them a sweet smile. "Naturally I'd rather avoid that eventuality, but I am a supposed terrorist. If push comes to shove, and it's either you or us, I will not hesitate to perform the Sundering of Names."
Everyone in the room older than five hundred tensed imperceptibly. Azazel coughed. "Right. You should probably hide things like that. Last time that was used…"
I nodded. "Exactly. I keep my worst weaponry close to me, but smaller things like that are the object of study within my organization's Soul Society. Names are powerful things, after all, and I would rather my men know theirs enough to prevent Name Magic being used against them." I tilted my head, twirling a strand of sunset hair around my finger. "Is that all you needed to ask?"
The Fallen leader hesitated. "Ah, actually… where did you get that whiteboard from?"
I shrugged, glad that the game of 'my stick is bigger than yours' seemed to be over. "Elsewhere. I thought it would be good for jotting down ideas. Now do you have any questions for our spectators, or can I send them away?"
"No further questions," Azazel confirmed.
I smiled, planting my staff onto the ground. The world rippled, and the room began to shrink. "Mind the gap, and make sure that my men aren't messing about." I called. "Oh, and you might want to use a shield spell. Kokabiel, would you mind?"
"Of course not, milady." The Clockwork Angel gave me a savage grin. "Permission to use Tier Magic?"
I waved him off. "Nothing higher than Super Tier. We don't want to leave this place in a smoking crater."
"Very well." The General of Asylum bowed low.
Issei seemed to catch on. "I take it there's a fight outside, then?"
I nodded. "Quite the rude bunch, too. I'll send you to the safe zone, but I doubt you lot can resist joining the fight."
Millicas sighed, glancing at his wrist. "Issei, same rules as Kokabiel. No Super Tier."
The blonde shrugged. "Fine with me. Tenth Tier is still enough to Summon an entire Legion of Demons."
"Don't do that," Millicas advised drily. "They don't take kindly to being summoned, and Minato is the only one who has their respect. He's probably already on the scene trying to minimize the damage on our side, so find him if you plan to join in."
I sighed. "I tire of waiting. You have ten seconds prepare yourselves, I'm going to be opening a Portal."
{Asia? Care to fight?} I sent, sensing her boredom. {I gave you the Mask, and it has the Identity Blocker spell built in.}
{Can I join?} Shirone begged.
{No. The battlefield is too well protected for you to get in or out without alerting everyone on it. I'd rather you play it safe.}
{U-um, I'll go.} Asia agreed softly. {Be careful.}
{You too.}
I tapped the floor once more with my staff, and everyone not at the table flickered out of existence.
"Now." I uncapped an EXPO marker, smiling deviously. "Let's get down to business."
"I fucking HATE politics," I groaned, reclining on the bed with Shirone and Asia lying against me. "Remind me to punch my past self in the face for thinking of that."
"So… was that it?" Ruby asked, ignoring my griping.
I sighed. "I doubt it. I mean, Kokabiel's new force proved its' effectiveness by intercepting the Khaos Brigade before we even knew it was there, but there are still several problems with that alone. There are several follow-up meetings to discuss various issues, so that'll be something to do for the next few months. I managed to talk them into moving the location of the peace talks to the Tree, at least, so that's something."
"So you're going to be meeting with them again?" Shirone asked, ears drooping.
I took a moment to appreciate how adorable my kitten was.
"No, not too often," I soothed. "First we need to let the Three Factions get used to the idea of peace. Then we can meet and start discussing the larger changes."
Asia's soft wings wrapped around us as she joined the hug. "Just don't work so hard you forget about us, m'kay?" she asked, oh so sweetly.
Shirone frowned, poking her in the side. "Hey, I'm on cuddle duty. Stay away. You already had your fun today."
I fought back a laugh at Asia's adorably indignant expression. "After the day I've had, I'm ready to skive off work entirely. Let's have a cuddle pile and watch a movie," I offered, diffusing the incoming fight.
"Wow, Millicas Gremory is suggesting that we skip work to have fun?" Ruby gasped dramatically.
Asia giggled, leaning in and kissing me. "Oh, come on Ruby. You know you want to."
Ruby smiled, poking Gil in the side. "Aren't you going to join in?" she asked, rising to her feet.
The blonde Phoenix set aside her book, stretching and making a show of reluctance. "W-well… I suppose…"
Her reluctance flew out the window as Ruby evidently decided that Asia was her newest victim. The poor Angel suddenly found herself in a deep kiss with the smug Dragoness, and Gil was sitting on my other side in a flash. "S-stop it!" she squeaked, face red.
Ruby pulled away, frowning at the King. "Oh? And what makes you think she's not enjoying it? Just look at her."
Asia's face had a dreamy expression, satisfaction oozing from her thoughts. Gil had no words as Ruby giggled, continuing to render the Angel speechless. Shirone leaned into me, tail twitching contentedly as she watched the show. I suspected that she would eventually decide to mimic Ruby using either Gil or I, but I doubted that that would come before she fell asleep.
A ))Gate(( opened beside the door of the room, and Sera walked through, looking less than happy. "That took forever!" she groaned. "Never in my life have I been so quiet during a meeting." She turned her glare towards me. "And don't think I'm not mad at you for leaving before they started their dick measuring contest."
I gave her a wry grin, pulling my attention away from Asia's molestation. "Hey, if they're trying to have a dick measuring contest with a little girl, they must've started with the world's cruelest handicap." We shared a brief laugh, and I gestured in the vague direction of where her Gate had vanished. "I'm surprised you didn't take a bigger role."
She puffed out her cheeks, crossing her arms beneath her bust. Ruby and Shirone stared unabashedly, while Gil sighed and rubbed her temples. Unaware, Sera spoke. "I had to keep quiet the whole time, just so I didn't trigger my Talent."
Asia leaned forward and began to kiss Ruby once more, making Shirone twitch. Her Gluttony must've been driving her insane just watching the scene.
"That's the burden of Talents," I grumbled to no one in particular, thinking back to my own escapades. "They're dead useful when you need them, but you have to avoid them otherwise. The stronger the Talent, the worse the handicap. My Talent protects me from practically any harm, but to avoid using it on accident, I can't move at all."
Sera blinked. "I… never really thought of it that way. You did say that Talents are hard to control at first, but I can't really picture you getting Lost all the time. You seem too orderly for that."
Shirone burst into giggles, and the Link flared to life with memories of me repeatedly making an idiot of myself. Small things like getting on the wrong transporter, larger things like getting lost in an empty room and confusing the hell out of my father. I grumbled to myself as the room filled with laughter, and I felt myself beginning to relax.
It was good to be home.
Sera wiped her eyes, flopping onto the bed next to me. "So…" she began, eyes twinkling. I had a feeling something bad was about to happen. "I still haven't gotten that skintight bodysuit I wanted. You know, that little black number those Church girls were wearing?" She gave me a sultry look. "Because according to Iri-chan, they don't wear underwear under those…"
'…Never mind, this just got Dangerous. Abort! Abort! Abort!'
"The meeting went wonderfully, I believe," Ajuka remarked as I entered his lab. "Wonderful job disguising your signature, too. I never would've thought to use a focus."
I shrugged. "Devils are traditionally focusless mages. They see foci as below them because of how many humans use them. But the Factions aren't really clear on what The Red Man even is, so it's a good show of unity to act as a human."
The Maou nodded, sliding a sheaf of papers over to me. "The attack from the Khaos Brigade was ultimately unsuccessful, with their initial plan of capturing Gaspar thwarted within seconds of its' implementation. Something about him summoning a giant wolf?"
I blinked, idly remembering that Gaspar's familiar was a Grim. "Right, that makes sense." I picked up the report, scanning it over. "Two casualties?"
"Yes." He agreed, pointing to another stack. "Waeglim and NaRae. A young Angel and one of your forces, I believe. The Angel has been properly buried, but your… Clockwork Angel, was it? Well, he dissolved into golden powder before we could touch him."
I grinned, mentally cheering. "Oh, don't worry about him. I have a system set up for that. A few items in God's Treasury have unique uses that don't seem all that handy, but work incredibly well together."
"I see," Ajuka said, even though his confusion was evident.. "I know better than to ask questions by now, but at least tell me whether or not I should be moving towards my bomb shelter."
"You're fine." I waved him off, setting down the papers. "Just something I'm trying. It takes a shitload of mana, but it seems to be paying off."
"Glad to hear it," he replied, turning back to the report. "So how is your other project going?"
I frowned, lowering my voice. "Look, that's just a crazy experiment that I thought up to try and illustrate a point."
"It was just a crazy experiment," he corrected, giving me a serious look. "Now it's a viable method of stabilizing a power vacuum."
"Wishes from nowhere will cause more problems than they'll solve," I argued.
"Which is why you create rules for them," he countered. "You said it yourself: they're actually an incredibly stable system on their own. A stable, magically significant number of orbs built to contain tremendous power, with each charging from Ley Lines over the course of a year to grant a limited wish. You took less than an hour to come up with working prototypes that automatically gathered from Ley Lines without so much as a hint of leakage."
"It is absolutely possible to create them," I agreed, growing impatient. I didn't want to argue with this man. "I'm not contesting that in the least. All I have to do is hook seven orbs into an array scattering them around a planet after they run out of energy. But what you seem to be missing is…" My calm façade, slipped some of my Wrath flowing out and tinging the room around us with a faint red glow. "Wishes. Are. Bad. Very bad. How long before someone asks for something we couldn't possibly think of? How long until someone asks for the power to kill anyone he touches? How long until mass destruction ensues from our fuckup?"
Ajuka shook his head. "Millicas—"
"No." I cut him off harshly. "Not until we've planned for every possible eventuality. Not until we can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that this won't end up biting us in the ass. There's a reason I keep my inventions so close to me, and that's because I know full well what they can do in the wrong hands."
The Maou sighed, holding up his hands in surrender. "I understand. I'll come up with something more solid for guidelines. But still…" He gave me an even stare. "You can't deny that having a wish-granting mechanism that can only be handled and operated by humans would give the supposed 'weakest race' the world's largest advantage."
"No. I can't. And that's why I even told you about this experiment in the first place," I answered tiredly, my Wrath dissipating as quickly as it came and leaving me exhausted. "But I know you, Ajuka, and I don't trust you with a wish. You'd do something stupid and get us all killed."
He gave me a wry smile. "I probably would, you're right." He set down the papers at last, an uncharacteristically pleading expression on his face. "But someone out there deserves that wish. And please, if nothing else, do it for the good of humanity. They've gone a long way, and they have even further to go. They need all the help they can get."
We sat in silence for a time as I wrestled with the dilemma. Ajuka was right, the idea of giving humans an absolute power over the other races would automatically ensure that they would never again be considered cannon fodder. Pawns, perhaps, but pawns are still better than spare blood. But on the other hand… history had proven time and time again that absolute power corrupts absolutely.
"Just… give me some time." I sighed, shaking my head. "I'll figure something out. I have some time before the next meeting, I'll come up with a contingency plan."
Ajuka nodded, as if he already knew what I was going to say. "Of course. I trust your judgement on this. For now, Azazel has some questions on the System we built."
I grimaced. "Great. A distraction would be nice, I guess."
"Let's go, then." The Maou rose, gesturing towards the door. "I believe you have some manner of teleportation magic?"
I nodded, gathering my power. "Where to?"
Ajuka smiled.
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