Romania.
- "I knew you were here," Azazel began, wiping his brow. "But I didn't expect our meeting to go down like this."
- "Oh? And why is that?" I blinked innocently. "Does something bother you?"
- "Let's just say the company you arrived with," he replied, gesturing toward Runeas, who wasn't paying much attention to what was happening.
We were now at the Fallen's base, which Azazel used for surveillance and planning in this country. It was located in the mountains, hidden among dense forests and towering peaks, so the secrecy was quite understandable. And, besides me and Runeas, Griselda and Sarra were also present, and Sarra, too, raised questions for Azazel.
I decided to visit him a couple of days after my trip to Tepes Castle, since I needed to spend time with Gabriel and Yasaka. And that timeframe, I assumed, was just enough to allow the consequences to surface.
- "I'm only here for the entertainment Romani promised," Runeas shrugged.
- "That'll be difficult, because according to my information…"
- "My survival was supposed to remain a secret, so I didn't want to get mixed up in that same boring mess as Zeki," Runeas cut him off. "Don't worry, there's no hard feelings between us." Besides, right now I'm under His Majesty and Romani, just like the rest of us, aren't we?
Well, that was true.
As far as I remembered, Runeas had also taken part in the Great War, fighting against Heaven and the Fallen, but that was the extent of my information. Apparently, they'd exchanged blows enough that Azazel still treated Runeas with caution. Then again, that was to be expected, since she was still the founder of the Gremory clan.
- "I see," he sighed and turned his gaze to me. "May I ask what you're doing in Romania, Romani?"
- "Oh? It feels like I'm not welcome here."
- "Given recent events, I'd like to avoid as many variables as possible," Azazel shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're here, since you've decided to get involved in the crisis. Again. But something tells me your intervention promises big changes."
- "He's not bad," Sarra smiled. "You definitely don't have some form of clairvoyance, Fallen?"
- "And you…?" Azazel turned his gaze to her.
- "You could say my menagerie has a new addition," I shrugged, at which Azazel first looked puzzled, then widened his eyes sharply.
- "Then why does she look so much like a nun?" Azazel asked, but now glancing at Sarra with apprehension. "They look like twins."
- "That's none of your business," Griselda interjected in a neutral tone. "And I'd ask that we leave this matter aside, since it has nothing to do with our case."
- "Basically, I agree with her," I dismissed it, which Azazel had to accept. "Better tell me, what stage is the civil war among the vampires at now? I want to know when I should intervene."
He didn't answer right away, but paused to think for a moment.
- "Because their supply of human blood has been practically cut off entirely, as I understand it, due to your fault, everything has begun to unfold much more rapidly and decisively," Azazel began. "There has been a coup within the Tepes faction. King Tepes was killed by his own son, to whom leadership has now passed. And, of course, it all happened with the help of Rizevim."
- "Of course," I commented, shuddering at the mention of her name.
- "Betrayal of his own father? Too bad I wasn't part of that. If that were the case, everything would have been much more fun and interesting," Sarra sighed heavily, clearly upset.
- "Well, no one was holding you back," I said. "If you wanted to, you could have just warned me, and then do whatever you want."
- "Mr. Archaman, you…" Griselda began to protest, but Sarra cut her off.
- "Really?" she asked with genuine surprise. "I mean, I could have even taken full control of this conflict? Why didn't you tell me anything?!"
Had I not known the situation with the canon, she really wouldn't have been allowed to do anything. However, since everything was in our own hands without the threat of being erased from existence, and Sarra was indeed obedient to me, everything could be left to run its course.
I was, if anything, surprised by just how obedient Sarra was, especially given her nature as a Beast. At her core, she was an inspirer who encouraged human desires hidden deep within the heart, yet did not allow them to meet their end through self-destruction. And based on that, I think I understood exactly what kind of 'love' she embodied.
- "You didn't ask," I shrugged, at which Sarra pouted, crossing her arms over her chest and turning her face away from me. "What's next, Azazel?"
- "Huh? Just a moment," he hesitated, slightly taken aback by the conversation. "From what I've managed to find out, she intends to use the Holy Grail, but for what exactly? I'm not sure about that. On paper, Rizevim promised to help the vampires get rid of their natural weaknesses, but in reality, I have no doubt she's just exploiting the current situation, just like Marius Tepes, the current head of the Tepes faction."
I fell into thought.
So, the canon was more or less followed, but in a shorter timeframe. Next, Rizevim was supposed to turn the vampires into copies of the Evil Dragons, similar to those that rampaged in the Underworld, thereby practically wiping out the race within Romania.
And, it seems, she was supposed to resurrect the original Evil Dragons in the dungeons of Tepes Castle, which made Azazel's ignorance of the entire situation unsurprising.
- "Okay," I nodded. "What about the kids?"
- "During their visit to Carmilla's faction, an attack took place, during which they fled, and I brought them here," he said, to which Runeas, like Griselda, was already listening. "Right now, they're helping a certain aristocratic vampire gather the faction's remaining forces at her request, and they should be back soon. I've already notified Issei and the others, so they should be arriving soon as well."
- "Oh? Did Tomato-kun decide to tackle this matter in exactly this way?" I smirked, already knowing the answer. "Of course, this is her business now because of Gasper, but… Didn't her previous experience teach her anything?"
He chose to answer that question with silence, and I smirked, noticing the look on Runeas's face. She looked pensive.
- "Alright, let's see how things go," I said and stood up. "We're going back. After all, missing the barbecue would be highly undesirable. What about you, Runeas?"
- "I want to talk to her," she replied after a couple of seconds.
- "Be back by evening," I nodded. "In a big family, no one waits for just one person."
- "Of course," said Runeas, and with that, I teleported myself, Griselda, and Sarra.
Well, it's her clan's business, so let her handle it, right?
-0-
When Rias returned, the first thing she did was go to her room and collapse into bed, even though she usually always took a shower before going to sleep. Then again, that wasn't much different from Kiba and Gasper. Elmenhilde, meanwhile, went to Azazel to report on the results, which were far from as rosy as they'd expected, and also to request official assistance from the faction.
Rias was exhausted, and all she wanted now was to rest a little, but just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard a woman's voice in the room that she didn't recognize.
- "Don't fall asleep yet, Rias-chan. I need to talk to you."
- "Who's there?!" Rias reacted instantly, jumping up and forming four Spears of Destruction around herself. But when she saw who it was, her fighting spirit quickly vanished, for she felt a certain connection with the visitor, who bore a strong resemblance to her own grandmother. "Who are you?"
- "Didn't little Zeo tell you about me?" Runeas asked, which surprised Rias because of the reference to her father. "I see he didn't. I am Runeas Gremory, your great-grandmother, and…"
- "The Great Ancestor?!" Rias exclaimed in shock. "But I heard that you…"
- "No, I'm not dead, and that's not what I came here to talk to you about. Sit down, Rias-chan," Runeas waved her off, and Rias, still in the same state, complied. Something about Runeas's presence, despite her sweet appearance and history, made Rias respect her. A certain authority, but with a touch of kindness and care. "I don't know if the Pillar Demon Gremory spoke to you about this, but this conversation was bound to happen eventually."
- "What are you talking about, Great Ancestor?"
- "Just call me 'Runeas'. 'Great-grandmother' or 'Great Ancestor' make me feel old," Runeas said cheerfully, and then her expression turned serious. "I've heard you have a habit of rushing into battle on the front lines, Rias-chan. You do realize that's not the only way to solve problems?"
Hearing this, Rias lowered her head, feeling a little ashamed.
- "Sensei already told me about this," she began, "But… I just don't know how else to act. I have to take care of my retinue, and…"
- "I'm not saying that's wrong," Runeas shook her head. "I'm saying there are other ways. It's never shameful to ask for help or to retreat. The end doesn't always justify the risk."
- "That's why I went to look for allies," Rias said. "I'm not going to rush into an attack alone and without a plan. And, thanks to my brother, I have a tool for emergencies. Besides, Azazel-sensei will help us, and he also promised to contact sensei. Past experience has taught me about taking responsibility for my actions, and I won't make the same mistake again."
- "Good girl. That's exactly what I wanted to hear," Runeas said, surprised, then smiled. She walked over to Rias and ruffled her hair. The latter blushed shyly, clearly pleased by the praise, and let Runeas continue until, at some point, exhaustion began to take its toll. "You did well, Rias-chan, now get some rest. You need it."
- "Uh-huh," Rias mumbled, already half-asleep.
- "And keep this meeting a secret, okay?"
Those were the last words before the exhausted Rias fell asleep, but the meeting itself was etched firmly in her memory. And not just because she'd been praised by the founder of her clan herself, but because now she was certain that everything would be all right. Definitely…
-0-
A/N: How's the chapter? Give us your opinion. You may well be able to influence future chapters.
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