"Azazel…!"
Rias's voice carried a mix of surprise and suspicion, instantly freezing everyone mid-action.
The man who had appeared was standing at the edge of the courtyard, dressed casually in a long black coat, hands in his pockets. His sharp eyes gleamed with lazy amusement, and a teasing smile played on his lips. The Fallen Angel Governor-General himself—the legendary Azazel.
"Yo, Sekiryuutei," he greeted, as if we were just bumping into each other on the street. "It's been some time since that night."
"Yeah," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I thought you were avoiding me after that awkward introduction."
Rias turned toward me instantly. "Wait. You know him?"
Her tone was dangerously calm—the kind that makes me wonder if I need to start digging my own grave now or later.
"Well," I started slowly, trying to look as casual as possible. "He introduced himself to me just the other day."
Her crimson eyes narrowed. "And why didn't you tell me that?"
"Uh… I…" I forced a grin, scratching my cheek. "Forgot?"
The silence that followed could've frozen lava.
Azazel chuckled at our posture—me looking guilty, Rias fuming with barely contained wrath. "You two have great chemistry," he said with a smirk. "But I can see who wears the pants."
Rias's wings unfurled slightly, a demonic aura flaring. "Azazel, Governor of the Fallen Angels. What business do you have here? Are you after Issei's Sacred Gear?"
The moment she said that, everyone tensed—Koneko crouched low, and Xenovia raised Durandal again, ready to slice anything that moved.
"If you want to take Issei's Sacred Gear," Rias said coldly, "then first you have to go through me."
Azazel raised an eyebrow, amused. "Whoa, whoa. Calm down, Princess. You've got it all wrong."
He waved his hand lazily, as if brushing away invisible tension. "I don't feel like fighting. Hey, thaw your postures, Low-Class Devil-kun."
I blinked. "You mean me?" I didn't even say anything.
"Who else? You should know—even with everyone here combined, you wouldn't stand a chance against me, right? I'm not in the mood to bully devils today."
Rias frowned, clearly unsatisfied. "Then why are you here?"
"Taking a stroll," Azazel replied lightly. "Fallen Angels get bored too, you know. Thought I'd visit this little devil playground of yours."
His eyes swept the courtyard, finally landing on Gasper, who was still hiding behind Koneko's back, trembling like a leaf.
"Is the holy demonic sword wielder present? I came to see him, since he is not here," Azazel said casually, then pointed. "I'd rather see that one."
"H-Hiii!" Gasper squeaked, clutching the hem of his skirt.
Rias moved slightly in front of him. "He's my servant. What do you want with him?"
Azazel stepped closer, his expression suddenly sharper. "You're the possessor of the Forbidden Balor View, right? Interesting."
He crouched slightly, tilting his head as he peered directly into Gasper's crimson eyes. "If you can't control it properly, it'll cause harm to others. You do know that, right?"
"I-I-I don't want to harm anyone!" Gasper squealed, his hands covering his face.
Azazel's tone softened slightly, though his curiosity was unmistakable. "Relax, I'm not accusing you. But your Sacred Gear is dangerous—it manipulates time and freezes everything around you. That's not something to treat like a toy."
He straightened up and turned to us. "As a support-type Sacred Gear, it's fine if you can supplement its weaknesses. But devils never made much progress researching Sacred Gears, did they?"
Rias frowned. "What are you implying?"
Azazel smiled. "Just that you're missing the basics. Sacred Gears are tied to their user's senses—sight, hearing, touch, and emotion. If the wielder's capacity can't handle the flow, the gear moves on its own, out of control. Dangerous stuff."
His words hung heavy in the air.
He looked back at Gasper again—or rather, into him. The Governor-General's sharp eyes locked onto Gasper's trembling ones. For a moment, the air itself felt dense, humming with unseen energy.
It wasn't hostility, but curiosity—the raw, analytical gaze of someone dissecting a mystery. Gasper whimpered softly under the intensity.
I could feel everyone holding their breath.
But even so, I didn't sense any malice from Azazel. He wasn't here to threaten. He is a cool dude, if anything.
Rias must have felt the same, because her tension eased—slightly.
After a long pause, Azazel smiled faintly and turned away. "Relax, kid. I'm not going to take it from you. Your Sacred Gear belongs to you alone."
He then pointed suddenly—at Saji.
The student council's Pawn stiffened. "M-Me!?"
"Yeah, you. That's the Absorption Line, right?" Azazel said, tilting his head. "Try using it."
Saji blinked rapidly, clearly confused. "Uh, here? On whom?"
"On that vampire."
Saji's jaw dropped. "You want me to use it on him?"
Azazel smirked. "If you link your Absorption Line to him while he invokes his Sacred Gear, you might be able to stabilize it. His energy leaks uncontrollably when he panics—but if you absorb the excess output, it won't run as wild."
Rias crossed her arms. "You want us to… test that?"
Azazel shrugged. "You can call it training. Consider it free advice from the top researcher of Sacred Gears in Heaven, Hell, and everything in between."
I couldn't tell if he was bragging or just being honest. Probably both.
Gasper, trembling, peeked from behind Koneko's shoulder. "B-But what if I hurt someone…?"
Azazel chuckled. "Then we'll have the holy sword wielder cut your power flow before you explode."
"Eeeeeeek! That's not comforting!"
Even Rias couldn't help but sigh. "You have a strange sense of humor."
"Since everyone is tense, I will go. But do use the advice I suggested. Oh, Issei, you can also give him your blood. It will do the trick."
And with that, he began to leave, humming casually as if he hadn't just strolled into a devil's territory uninvited and lectured everyone like a professor on a field trip.
Rias exhaled slowly, finally lowering her guard. "He's just as unpredictable as the rumors say…"
~~~
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