— — — — — —
In a side hall of Yasaka Shrine—
Ryo sat at a low table piled high with food, casually pouring himself drink after drink.
Beside him crouched a black cat.
Kuroka sat on the tatami, staring at the floor, her little feline face full of complicated emotions.
"Not planning to turn back?" Ryo swirled his cup and glanced at her.
Kuroka shrank slightly, giving him a conflicted look but saying nothing.
"…No sense of awareness."
Ryo rolled his eyes. In a situation like this, a sensible person would've already switched back and started pouring drinks.
Unfortunately, Kuroka still seemed stuck in the aftermath of last night's shock.
Bringing back a being like Ryo… the mental impact hadn't worn off yet.
Just then, footsteps approached.
"Leader, the guest has arrived."
A crow tengu stood outside the sliding door.
The door slid open, revealing him—and behind him, a middle-aged man in a white suit, wearing a casual, almost mischievous smile.
"Yo~"
Ryo waved lazily, pointing to the table across from him. "Have a seat."
Azazel's pupils shrank slightly, but he smiled as he stepped forward and sat down without ceremony.
"Then I won't stand on formalities."
"No girls pouring drinks. You good with that?" Ryo poured himself another cup, tone casual.
"…What a shame."
Azazel sighed like life had just lost meaning.
Ryo shrugged. "Can't help it. I'm not interested in average women, and the ones I am interested in… I wouldn't want them pouring drinks for you. So I just skipped it altogether."
"Oh?" Azazel smirked. "That's pretty domineering. So what kind of women do you like?"
Ryo looked up at him, raised his hand, spread his fingers… then slowly clenched them into a fist.
"All of them."
"…Yeah, that tracks."
Azazel chuckled, poured himself a drink, filled it to the brim, and raised the cup.
"To this meeting. And to putting past unpleasantness behind us."
He downed it in one go.
Ryo didn't stop him. Instead, he grinned. "Interested in selling the fallen angels?"
"…Hm?"
Azazel frowned, unsure whether it was the burn of the alcohol or the question itself.
Carefully choosing his words, he replied, "The fallen angels may not be as united as your yokai, but we're not so far gone that we'd sell out our own kind."
"No, no, you misunderstood."
Ryo waved his hand dismissively, smiling wider.
"I'm not buying a fallen angel."
He leaned forward slightly. "I'm buying the position you're sitting in."
Kuroka, who had been zoning out, snapped back to reality.
Wait… what?
He wanted to buy… Azazel's position?
The Governor-General of the fallen angels?
He just became the leader of the yokai, and now he wants to run the fallen angels too?
And he's asking the current leader to sell it to him?
What kind of brain even comes up with something like that?!
Azazel's eyes narrowed, his usual playful expression fading.
"…Mr. Yagami, you're joking, right?"
"Do I look like a yokai to you?" Ryo replied instead.
Azazel studied him seriously, then shook his head.
"No. Your aura's off. Compared to yokai, you're closer to a human."
"Correct. I am human."
Ryo nodded, then added casually, "But I'm also the leader of Kyoto's yokai now."
"…So you could also be the leader of the fallen angels," Azazel said slowly, catching on.
If a human could become the ruler of yokai, then becoming the Governor of fallen angels wasn't impossible either.
And Ryo was serious.
Dead serious.
"Exactly."
Ryo smiled, poured himself another drink, and said, "Name your price."
"I feel like I'm dreaming."
Azazel let out a dry laugh.
He had come here to smooth things over regarding Baraqiel and to probe Ryo's background.
Never in a million years had he expected someone to try and buy his position.
It felt absurd.
Childish, even.
"This isn't a dream."
Ryo took a sip, his gaze calm. "Your numbers grow only through angels falling. Aside from a handful of top-tier ten-wing elites, most of your people are battle junkies."
"Your lower ranks spend their days seducing church members, trying to make them fall… or just indulging their own urges. Some don't even follow orders, pulling coups, acting first and reporting later."
He set his cup down and spoke with mock sincerity.
"Honestly, Old Azazel, this is a failing stock. You should sell while you can. Wouldn't it be better to manage your own life instead? Research Sacred Gears, hit a bar now and then, have a drink. Sounds a lot better than babysitting a bunch of war criminals, right?"
Azazel's mouth twitched.
"If I didn't clearly remember never meeting you before, I'd think you were one of my officers."
How did this guy know the fallen angels' internal problems better than he did?
The truth was, Azazel knew it too.
He wasn't suited for leadership.
But he was the one who created Grigori, the fallen angel organization. He built the system, and everyone trusted him.
Responsibility, circumstances, expectations… they all forced him into the role.
From the ancient days of the Creator God, through the Great War, to the slow erosion afterward—
It had been a long time.
He had thought about stepping down.
His successor was Vali Lucifer, the current White Dragon Emperor.
But Vali was a battle maniac.
Trusting him with leadership? That was… questionable.
Still, selling the position to Ryo? Unthinkable.
And yet, he couldn't just reject him outright either.
"Mr. Yagami, this matter…"
"The continuation of the fallen angels." Ryo suddenly cut him off.
Azazel looked up, startled.
"I can solve that."
Ryo met his gaze, voice calm. "I can also deal with your battle junkies."
"As for Sacred Gears… I can get you first-hand data from the Creator God."
He smiled faintly. "So? How's that offer?"
Azazel's expression turned stiff.
The survival of the fallen angels was one of his biggest concerns.
First-hand Sacred Gear data? Something he'd always wanted but never obtained.
As for the battle-crazed faction… that mattered less to him.
This offer…
…was dangerously tempting.
Narrowing his eyes, Azazel spoke carefully.
"I want to know who you represent."
The implication was clear.
Who was backing him?
Azazel already had a guess.
Indra, the Hindu Heavenly Emperor, who had always had designs on them.
If it was him, then this deal was unacceptable.
Ryo narrowed his eyes slightly, then said with quiet pride, "I represent only myself."
"…I see."
Azazel sighed.
Not the worst answer. But not the best either.
"I never trust words. Only results."
He stood up, looking down at Ryo, his expression serious.
"Ensure the continuation of the fallen angels. Get me that Sacred Gear data. Bring the battle faction to heel."
"Do all that…"
"And the position of Governor-General is yours."
Ryo stared at him, then grabbed the bottle and drained it in one go.
"Deal."
...
..
Later, at the foot of the shrine steps—
Azazel stood there, looking a little dazed.
"…Wasn't I here to probe him? How did I end up putting my position on the line…"
He scratched his head, his expression strange.
There was something off about Ryo Yagami.
What kind of normal person thinks about buying the leadership of the fallen angels?
That wasn't just bold. It was insane.
He glanced back up at the shrine.
"…Whatever. Let's wait and see."
"As long as he doesn't deliver, I can just stay in my position. He can't do anything about it."
After a pause, his thoughts drifted to Baraqiel… and the Five Great Families now under attack.
Might as well use those fools as a test.
If Ryo really was that capable, then maybe stepping down wouldn't be so bad.
He was tired of being the only sane one among a bunch of lunatics.
"…Feels like the world's about to get messy."
Black feathers drifted down as Azazel's figure vanished into the distant sky.
.
.
.