The trembling earth suddenly returned to silence, as if everything had been pressed with a pause button.
The sudden descent of the strongest Demon King and the leader of the Fallen Angels forced both Leon and Vali to restrain the powers they were about to release.
"————Why are you here?"
Vali remained silent for a moment before asking expressionlessly.
"I'm here for you, of course." Azazel could see the displeasure in Vali's heart and said helplessly, "The commotion here was getting so loud, did you really think I wouldn't guess what was happening?"
Because of Kokabiel, the area around Kuoh Town had already become a focal point of attention for various factions.
Under such circumstances, with such an astonishing battle scene suddenly appearing outside Kuoh Town, who wouldn't turn their gaze here?
Especially Azazel; he knew very well that Vali was here, and he knew that given Vali's personality, he would likely be the protagonist of this sudden battle. Thus, without a second word, he rushed over from the Underworld.
Fortunately, there was nothing in this area obstructing Magic Circle jumps; otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to arrive at the scene so quickly.
"Long time no see, Sirzechs." Azazel turned to the red-haired Demon King beside Leon and greeted him with a smile, speaking with a familiar tone, "You came over too?"
"I should have come over a long time ago." Sirzechs immediately adopted an easygoing manner, as if the person in front of him wasn't a great enemy of the Devil faction. He said, "After all, the riot that occurred in Kuoh Town this time directly involved my sister."
Sirzechs had arrived in the Human World and Kuoh Town only after Leon reached Kuoh Academy.
Seeing Kokabiel dealt with by Leon, Sirzechs had originally intended not to show himself and simply leave, so as not to cause a sensitive reaction from any interested parties watching the situation.
Unexpectedly, before he could leave, Leon and Vali began to fight, launching into this fierce battle.
This was a battle between two people with Demon King-class combat power. If they weren't careful, it could cause extremely serious consequences. Therefore, Sirzechs was in no hurry to leave and stayed hidden in the shadows, ready to intervene at any moment.
He didn't expect that Azazel would also come to the Human World and make a move at the exact same time as him.
"Vali Lucifer, is it?" Sirzechs clearly already knew Vali's identity. Looking at the other party, his eyes were somewhat complicated as he said, "You actually recruited a direct descendant of the original Demon King into Grigori. And he is even this generation's Vanishing Dragon. Azazel, what exactly are you trying to do?"
To be honest, after learning Vali's identity, even Sirzechs couldn't remain entirely calm.
One must know that he currently used the name Lucifer as his surname. Strictly speaking, he had usurped the throne of this young man's ancestor.
He didn't actually harbor any hostility toward the Demon King bloodline; in fact, he had always felt regret, feeling that they shouldn't have taken the path of civil war in the beginning.
If they had been a bit more prudent and patient back then, could they have avoided killing each other? Could they have found a way to coexist?
These were thoughts Sirzechs always had, a manifestation of his merciful heart.
He always believed that their actions back then were somewhat improper, and that they shouldn't have driven the Old Demon King faction to the brink of extinction, but should have instead sought a path of mutual coexistence so that today's conflicts wouldn't occur.
Of course, if anyone else knew of this idea, they would only think he was naive.
After all, he wanted to coexist, but others did not.
The Old Demon King faction was essentially a group of people immersed in past glory. They felt that Devils should naturally be subservient to them and could not let go of past hatreds. They insisted on warring with the Angels and Fallen Angels to the bitter end, even at the cost of racial extinction. This was something the Reform faction could not accept under any circumstances.
In that situation, if they hadn't stood up to resist the Old Demon King faction, the Devils truly might have fought until their race was extinct. Thus, they had no choice; a civil war was necessary.
This was also the reason why the Old Demon King faction could not forgive the Reform faction. They only felt that these people had usurped their positions, betrayed them, and subjected them to humiliation.
This was an irreconcilable contradiction. It wasn't that Sirzechs didn't know this, but he still naively believed they should more actively seek change.
However, none of that was relevant to the current situation.
Although Vali was a descendant of the Old Demon King's bloodline, he clearly wasn't in league with the Old Demon King faction. Instead, he was deeply involved with the Fallen Angels as a member of Grigori.
Crucially, he was a half-blood between the Old Demon King's lineage and a human. He had not only inherited the power of Lucifer but also the power of the Vanishing Dragon.
Either one of these powers would be enough for a person to advance toward the position of a top-tier powerhouse, yet Vali possessed both simultaneously. It was simply incredible.
The descendant of the Old Demon King Lucifer becoming the current Vanishing Dragon was like a joke.
And for such a uniquely endowed existence to be recruited by Grigori made Sirzechs think more deeply than he'd like.
"Would you believe me if I said it was all destiny?"
Azazel spread his hands and gave a frivolous smile.
No matter who saw that expression, they wouldn't choose to believe him.
Only Leon knew that Azazel truly didn't have any grand schemes.
This Governor General of the Fallen Angels looked no different from a villainous boss in the eyes of many. Many felt he was always plotting something in secret, but in reality, Azazel was a very simple researcher who only wanted to study Sacred Gears.
He didn't even care much for his position as Governor General; if possible, he even wanted to resign.
But others didn't believe it. They only felt that Azazel was preparing to cause trouble again and was saying such things to mislead people.
Leon felt that Azazel's own attitude was the main reason for this situation.
You always have a frivolous and improper appearance, you're a standard template for a villain, and on top of that, you don't answer others' questions seriously—who would dare to believe you?
If he hadn't learned about the true personality of this Fallen Angel Governor General through the original story, Leon wouldn't have believed him either, seeing that dangling, carefree look.
"Destiny, is it?" Sirzechs gave Vali a deep look and said, "Then destiny is truly cruel."
His heart was a bit heavy.
This generation's Vanishing Dragon was actually so special and possessed such staggering potential—how could Issei Hyoudou possibly compete?
As the current Welsh Dragon, Issei Hyoudou hadn't even figured out his Sacred Gear's abilities yet, let alone using them freely enough to reach the domain of Balance Breaker. That was still very far away from him.
The current Issei Hyoudou would struggle even against a Middle-class Devil. Unless he risked sacrificing his body or lost control to awaken the power of "Juggernaut," he was the weakest person in the Gremory group, aside from Asia.
On the other hand, Vali was already an eight-winged Ultimate-class Devil, could use Balance Breaker at will, and even seemed capable of using Juggernaut Drive on his own. The gap was simply too large.
If the Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon were to start their fated red-and-white duel now, Issei Hyoudou would have only one fate: to be reduced to ashes without lasting even a second.
One struggled to fight a Middle-class Devil, while the other could briefly exercise power comparable to a God. There were at least five or six levels of difference between them, enough for Vali to crush Issei Hyoudou with a single finger.
Worse yet, one was a descendant of Lucifer and the other was a servant of his own sister, and both were Devils————
Sirzechs felt more and more that destiny was indeed cruel.
"Don't be so tense." Azazel caught the deep meaning in Sirzechs' words but spoke as if avoiding the point. "Haven't you also gained a uniquely endowed existence on your side?"
Azazel's gaze turned toward Leon, the interest in his eyes so obvious it couldn't be clearer.
"You are Leon Eligos, this generation's host of the 'Zenith Tempest,' right?" Azazel marveled. "The same human-devil hybrid, both hosts of Longinus, and both inheriting excellent Devil bloodlines. Honestly, I originally thought having one Vali was startling enough; I didn't expect there to be another one in this world."
Regarding Devil bloodlines, Vali was a descendant of the Old Demon King, and Leon was a descendant of a pure-blooded Devil from the Seventy-Two Pillars. Even if he didn't quite match Vali, he was still much stronger than Sacred Gear users from ordinary human backgrounds like Issei Hyoudou.
Regarding their Sacred Gears, both Leon and Vali held Longinus. However, Leon's "Zenith Tempest" was truly one of the four high-tier Longinus, ranked second among them. Although Vali's "Divine Dividing" was also very strong, its status was ultimately lower than the former.
One side had the advantage in bloodline, while the other had the advantage in Sacred Gear. Comparing the two, Leon was naturally not inferior to Vali in the slightest, and perhaps even subtly superior.
This could be seen from his performance. Despite his bloodline not being superior, his rank as a Devil was higher than Vali's, and his mastery of his Sacred Gear exceeded Azazel's imagination. He had actually defeated a Balance Breaker-using Vali without even using his own Balance Breaker, forcing Vali to use the extremely dangerous Juggernaut Drive. If word of this got back, everyone in Grigori probably wouldn't be able to sleep.
"Your 'Zenith Tempest' seems even stronger and more special than the records mentioned in Grigori's data." Azazel looked at Leon as if looking at a treasure, laughing as he said, "How about considering coming over to my side? When it comes to the understanding and research of Sacred Gears, if Grigori ranks second, no one in this world would dare to rank first."
Leon, of course, knew this.
That was why he had previously wondered if he should contact this Governor General of the Fallen Angels to let him guide him and help him reach the domain of Balance Breaker.
But now, he no longer needed it.
"I'll pass. I'm afraid you'd put me on an operating table and dissect me."
Leon threw out that single sentence.
Hearing this, Azazel wanted to say something more but was interrupted by Sirzechs.
"Do you intend to explain the events of this time, Azazel?" Sirzechs' gaze toward Azazel became sharp. "Kokabiel's actions are not something that can be easily overlooked."
He didn't particularly want to pursue the matter, as he didn't want to trigger a Great War again.
But constant retreat would only make things more troublesome, not to mention that his sister was involved this time.
Even with Sirzechs' gentle personality, he didn't plan to let things settle quietly this time.
"Didn't everything get resolved in the end?" Azazel scratched his head as if still trying to muddle through. "Besides, whether it was seizing the Holy Swords stored by the Church or acting against your sister, those were all Kokabiel's private actions. Including myself, the rest of the Fallen Angel leaders were completely unaware. This should count as 'innocent until proven guilty,' right?"
"Do you think such an explanation can convince us?" Sirzechs frowned, saying seriously, "Plotting to dismantle the balance between the Three Factions and attempting to trigger a war again—such a crime, and you want to dismiss it with 'unaware'?"
If he believed that, it wouldn't be Sirzechs who was naive, but Azazel.
"That's why I sent out the Vanishing Dragon, intending to clean up the riot caused by our own person. Isn't that enough to state our position?" Azazel spoke as if it were a hassle. "Moreover, Kokabiel has already fallen into your hands. However you want to deal with him, isn't it up to you?"
"You are willing to let us deal with Kokabiel?" Sirzechs was surprised now. "Is this your personal decision, or the decision of all the Fallen Angel high-ranking officials, including the other leaders?"
Kokabiel was, after all, a leader of the Fallen Angels, a colleague and even a friend to Azazel and the others. Even if he made a mistake, he shouldn't be left to be dealt with randomly by a rival faction; otherwise, the subordinates would feel they had lost face and become disappointed in the leadership.
Sirzechs had thought Azazel would insist on extraditing Kokabiel back. He didn't expect him to give up the rights to deal with Kokabiel?
"Don't worry, I will convince the others." Azazel knew what Sirzechs was thinking and laughed dismissively. "If another dispute or even a conflict arises because of the right to deal with him, then Kokabiel's plan might actually succeed."
To avoid that result, Azazel would try to convince the others.
"If you're unwilling to believe me, why not call Michael and hold a Three-Way Talk?" Azazel shrugged. "The representatives of the Angel faction, the Devil faction, and us Fallen Angels—the three of us should find a time to sit down and talk."
Hearing this, Sirzechs fell silent, and Leon silently added a thought in his heart.
The Three-Way Talk—is it finally about to begin?
This meeting, which would change the future situation and direction of the world, was arriving on schedule after all.
In the end, Sirzechs nodded in agreement.
"Very well. Let us sit down and have a proper talk for once."
The long-standing struggle between the Three Factions—it was time for the curtain to fall.
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