Inside the conference room, around the round table, the representatives of the Three Powers were all present. Each one possessed an incredibly staggering background.
Archangel Michael was the current leader of the Heavens. Once the right hand of God, he was hailed as the "God-like One"—meaning that while he was not a deity, he was the closest thing to one. His will was the will of God, making him the spokesperson for the Divine, a figure of immense renown even in the Human Realm.
Azazel was the Governor General of the Fallen Angels, the undisputed No. 1 of their faction. In many human creative works, he was depicted as a final boss-level figure. As the founder of the organization Grigori, his presence carried more weight than any other Fallen Angel.
As for Sirzechs, he was the current Lucifer and the head of the Four Great Satans. He served as the supreme leader of the current Devil race and was also a "Superdevil" whose strength was on par with the gods. Although Michael and Azazel viewed him as a rising star born only a few centuries ago, his sheer power ensured that no one could underestimate or ignore him.
Finally, Serafall, in a rare departure from her usual magical girl attire, wore something akin to a military uniform—though the bottom was still a miniskirt, making it look less solemn. She was the head of foreign affairs for the Devil world. As the current Leviathan, her strength surpassed that of ordinary Satan-class beings, making her presence entirely appropriate.
An Archangel, the Governor General of the Fallen Angels, and two current Satans—the status of any one of these four was immense. Aside from Vali, who leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, listening in a leisurely manner, everyone else had stiff expressions and didn't dare to speak.
Even Rias and Sona, the younger sisters of the Satans, were merely high-class Devils in this setting. They stood straight against the wall, their faces full of gravity.
Influenced by this atmosphere, the Eligos peerage members couldn't help but feel nervous.
Only Leon maintained his usual composed demeanor.
"Apologies, we are late."
Leon spoke calmly, but his attitude was far from arrogant. Adopting the poise of a noble heir, he offered an impeccable greeting to everyone present.
That look, distinct from his usual casual and sunny vibe, was that of a refined young master. It left several of the girls present dazed.
As it turned out, the one who responded to Leon wasn't Sirzechs or Serafall, but Azazel, who had spoken up first.
"The meeting hasn't officially started yet, so you're not technically late."
Azazel showed none of the self-awareness expected of a high-ranking figure. He propped his feet directly on the table, his eyes darting toward the girls behind Leon. His eyes lit up as if he were inspecting precious treasures.
"These are your peerage members? Not bad, not bad at all. One can tell they've been thoroughly trained. Though they aren't flaring their aura, each of them carries a ripple of energy that makes one feel refreshed... Which one is the host of 'Absolute Demise'? And has the host of 'Create World' arrived? Step forward and let me have a look."
Azazel seemed most interested in these two Sacred Gears, making Yukino Yukinoshita and Utaha Kasumigaoka feel as if they were being targeted by a dangerous individual. They instinctively took a step back.
Leon had reason to suspect that this man—the world's foremost expert on Sacred Gears—had already seen through the growth of his peerage. Otherwise, he wouldn't have singled out those two specifically.
After all, those two Sacred Gears were currently the only two in the Eligos peerage to have reached the realm of Balance Breaker.
Indeed, following Yukino Yukinoshita, Utaha Kasumigaoka had also successfully crossed the hurdle yesterday and achieved Balance Breaker.
Thus, excluding Leon himself, the Eligos peerage already boasted two awakened Balance Breakers.
Unlike Azazel, Michael—the Archangel and current leader of the Heavens—seemed more interested in two other Sacred Gears.
"I heard that the current holders of 'Incinerate Anthem' and 'Holy Sword Creation' are also in this peerage."
Michael's gaze locked onto Asuna Yuuki and Mahiru Shiina. His expression was gentle and his eyes kind, making people feel an instinctive sense of goodwill.
"I see. I can indeed feel a very powerful holy energy. Both of you must have put in a great deal of effort to master this power, haven't you? It must have been hard on you."
Michael did not view Asuna and Mahiru through a biased lens just because they were Devils. Instead, he looked at them like his own children. This caused their impression of him to soar, and both hurriedly bowed their heads in a flustered greeting, causing the smile on Michael's face to widen.
"Speaking of which, this is quite something," Azazel remarked with a laugh. "When you think about it, this small room seems to have gathered a group of Longinus that would never normally be together."
"'Zenith Tempest', 'Boosted Gear', 'Divine Dividing', 'Incinerate Anthem', 'Absolute Demise'—five out of the world's thirteen Longinus are right here. That might be more surprising than the Three Powers sitting down for a talk, don't you think?"
At Azazel's words, everyone present turned their eyes toward the five Longinus holders.
Leon was the most prominent person in the room, appearing perfectly composed throughout. Even leaning against the wall, Vali was a presence that was impossible to ignore. Issei Hyoudou stood nervously next to Rias, looking somewhat pathetic. Meanwhile, Yukino Yukinoshita and Mahiru Shiina did their best to maintain their calm, refusing to lose face in such a setting.
All five were holders of Longinus, and most of the Sacred Gears they held were far from ordinary.
Leon went without saying. The world's second-strongest Longinus resided within him, ensuring that in any situation where the "True Longinus" did not appear, he was the star of the show.
Vali and Issei were the same—the current Heavenly Dragons and fated rivals. In the past, it would have been impossible for the two to meet without a fight to the death, yet here they were, coexisting peacefully in one room. This fact alone was enough to go down in history.
Mahiru Shiina was the holder of the Holy Cross. Her status as the wielder of one of the Three Great Relics forced Michael to pay constant attention to her.
Compared to the four above, Yukino Yukinoshita, as the host of "Absolute Demise," was a relatively "ordinary" Longinus holder. However, within a few short months, she had reached the demonic power level of a High-class Devil and completed her Balance Breaker. Based on those feats alone, she was an existence that could not be underestimated anywhere.
"Add to that 'Sword Birth', 'Holy Sword Creation', 'Create World', and 'Twilight Healing'—all these ultra-rare Sacred Gears are here too. Honestly, if it weren't for today's occasion, I'd really be thinking of a way to round everyone up and take them all back to the Underworld labs."
Azazel spoke words that sounded like those of a mad scientist, causing many faces to pale.
Issei Hyoudou, in particular, blurted out a retort.
"You really are a big boss-level villain. Who would want to be taken back by you?"
Compared to Issei, Genshirou Saji felt a bit resentful.
"My Sacred Gear is at least transformed from a part of a Dragon King's power, you know? Why wasn't I included?"
Azazel laughed again at Saji's resentful comment.
"I'd be happy to welcome you if you want to come to my side. Incidentally, I have the other Sacred Gear parts of the 'Prison Dragon' Vritra. If you come to me, you can assemble all the parts and become a true Dragon King. Care to consider it?"
Hearing this, Saji was shocked and shook his head like a rattle.
"No way! I'm the President's 'Pawn'! I won't go with you!"
Saji hurried to pledge his loyalty to Sona, only to be met with her silence.
"Don't go poaching my Sona's subordinates so casually, Governor. Otherwise, someone might get angry."
Serafall winked at Azazel, acting quite cute, but it made Azazel raise his hands in a gesture of surrender.
"Oh dear, how terrifying. I don't want to end up like Kokabiel—frozen ten times in ten seconds—so please, spare me."
With those words, the atmosphere became tense once again.
Both Serafall and Michael lost their smiles, their gazes toward Azazel becoming uncertain.
Sirzechs also broke his silence.
"Come in first, Leon."
Sirzechs smiled at Leon and spoke.
Leon nodded and led the girls of the Eligos peerage to the corner of the room, standing alongside the Gremory and Sitri peerages.
"The meeting really hasn't started yet?"
Leon whispered to Rias and Sona beside him, receiving an affirmative answer.
"Basically no one spoke until you arrived," Rias said in a low voice.
"The atmosphere has been very tense. It's likely today's meeting won't proceed very amicably," Sona added softly.
"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Leon looked toward Azazel, the only one present who still maintained a lazy, carefree attitude. His lips curled upward as he muttered to himself, "The guy who looks like the enemy is sometimes more amicable than anyone."
No one heard Leon's remark.
However, with their entry, the summit meeting of the Three Powers could finally officially begin.
After Grayfia served tea to the representatives, Sirzechs was the first to strike.
"Everyone present knows that the reason for this summit is the actions of the Fallen Angel Cadre, Kokabiel. His behavior has seriously infringed upon the positions and interests of the other two factions. For us Devils in particular, it posed a significant threat and danger."
Sirzechs turned his gaze toward Leon, Rias, and Sona.
"The three of you and your subordinates were the ones directly involved in this incident. Now, I would like you to give a detailed report on what happened."
This had been arranged beforehand. Leon, Rias, and Sona were all prepared.
Thus, the three stepped forward and began to recount the events.
Sona Sitri went first. She and her peerage had mostly played a supporting role, having had no direct contact with Kokabiel himself. Therefore, she provided a general framework without going into specific details.
Rias Gremory stepped forward next. her report was much more detailed, as she and her peerage had directly battled Kokabiel and possessed clear knowledge of the entire progression of the incident.
Leon provided the final supplement. He explained why he had appeared in Kuoh Town and the reasons for his confrontation with Kokabiel.
"In summary, after learning that the Fallen Angel Cadre Kokabiel was the direct instigator of the entire incident, I clashed with him and ultimately secured a victory by stroke of luck, allowing the crisis to be resolved."
Leon recounted the event matter-of-factly, causing the eyes of the high-ranking figures present to turn profound as they looked at him.
"That's not something that can be brushed aside with 'a stroke of luck,' kid of the Eligos house," Azazel laughed. "That guy Kokabiel was a Cadre—a Ten-Winged Fallen Angel second only to the highest level. He wouldn't have been helpless even against one of the Old Satans. Yet you were able to defeat him easily, even suppressing and sealing him. That achievement is enough to leave your name in the history books."
Originally, Kokabiel was a figure recorded in mythological texts. Leon's ability to easily crush such a mythological figure meant that, if nothing else, his name would certainly remain in the histories of the Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels.
"I heard you didn't even activate Balance Breaker at the time?" Michael said with some awe. "As expected of the holder of 'Zenith Tempest.' Among the current generation of Sacred Gear holders, you can be considered one of the strongest."
Vali, leaning against the wall, looked at Leon with burning eyes, his battle intent intensifying.
He knew that Leon hadn't just refrained from using Balance Breaker against Kokabiel; Leon hadn't used it against him either during their brief clash.
He dreamed of fighting Leon again.
Unfortunately, Leon didn't even look at him.
Issei Hyoudou, on the other hand, looked at Leon with eyes full of envy.
One of the strongest Sacred Gear holders...
They were both Longinus holders, yet when would he be able to catch up to a figure like that?
"—This kid really has undergone a total transformation."
Even Serafall couldn't help but mutter to herself.
In the past, Leon had been a minor character she could have dealt with easily. Now, it was entirely different.
"Is that all you have to say, Azazel?" Sirzechs continued to press Azazel. "Do you not intend to offer any further explanation regarding the matter of Kokabiel?"
In response, Azazel smirked and tossed out a single sentence.
"There's nothing to explain, is there?"
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