If the Angels and Fallen Angels had only lost a handful of expendable troops and a few officers in that great war, then they would have had more than enough strength to wipe out the Devil faction entirely—especially with the Maou gone.
And yet… they hadn't.
Instead, they chose to end the war.
Which meant only one thing: the Angels and Fallen Angels must have suffered losses just as devastating as the Devils.
With that thought, Ren Kuroda quickly connected the dots.
After the three-way war, the God of the Bible was, in all likelihood… gone.
The Angels had simply gone to great lengths to conceal that truth.
As for the Fallen Angels—aside from losing numerous officers—their Governor General, Azazel, had probably sustained severe, irreparable injuries as well.
(At least, that was Ren's deduction. Otherwise, why would a being of Azazel's standing rely so heavily on artificial Sacred Gears in later battles?)
Of course, Ren hadn't learned about Azazel's condition from the yokai factions.
He had seen it himself.
But he chose not to voice it.
Originally, both the Fallen Angel Governor and even the God of the Bible had been among the opponents Ren wanted to test himself against.
Now, however… it seemed those plans would have to change.
At this point, he could only hope that the "Maou" of the Underworld hadn't ended up in a similar state—and that at least some of them still possessed enough strength to be worth fighting.
"To be honest," Azazel said casually, "the reason I came to the human world this time wasn't just to meet the man who killed my subordinate.
My main purpose actually concerns the upcoming peace talks between the three factions—and my personal interest in the 'Red Dragon Emperor.'
As for the devils of the Gremory and Sitri houses over there… you're welcome to listen in as well. After all, this meeting will require your cooperation—and your territory."
First the White Dragon Emperor.
Now the Governor General of the Fallen Angels.
Rias and Sona both felt like their worldview had been turned upside down in a single day.
They had spent quite some time at Kuoh Academy already—but ever since Ren showed up, trouble had come one wave after another.
And each new arrival had an even more outrageous background than the last.
They were still just young devils—rookies who hadn't even fully assembled their peerages yet.
Honestly, this was starting to feel like more than they could handle.
"You're saying… Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils are actually planning to sign a long-term peace agreement?!"
A few minutes later, after hearing Azazel's explanation, both Rias and Sona wore expressions of pure disbelief.
Even a child knew that Angels and Devils, and Angels and Fallen Angels, were sworn enemies.
And yet now, the three factions that had once fought to the death… were planning to shake hands?
And the location for this summit… would be Kuoh Academy.
Well—not the real one.
A perfectly replicated version inside a Game Field.
With the existence of "Evil Pieces" and the Rating Game system, battles between devils could cause massive destruction—far too dangerous for the human world.
That was why Game Fields existed in the first place.
As the nominal rulers of this territory, Rias and Sona not only had the right to know about such an important meeting—
They were also responsible for providing security.
"Don't look so tense," Azazel added, glancing at their stiff expressions. "An event like this won't rely on just the two of you for protection.
The ones attending are the leaders of each faction—Archangels, Maou…
It's not like anyone would be foolish enough to attack them head-on."
His tone was light, but the underlying message was clear.
Anyone insane enough to attack that gathering… wouldn't last long.
"Rias and Sona being informed makes sense," Ren said calmly. "They govern this region and are part of the Devil faction.
But this doesn't seem to have anything to do with me.
So why come to me?"
Azazel's gaze sharpened slightly.
"Do you remember the low-ranking Fallen Angel you killed?"
"…I do. It was an accident," Ren replied evenly. "What, are you here to avenge her?"
"Not at all," Azazel said, waving a hand dismissively. "Putting aside the fact that I'm not your opponent…
That Fallen Angel violated the prior agreement between the three factions by attacking a human. Even if she was killed by another faction, I wouldn't have the right to seek revenge."
He paused, then continued more seriously.
"What I did want to do… was warn you.
Not everyone is happy about these peace talks.
The three factions have centuries of grudges between them. Even now, there are plenty who oppose reconciliation—especially within the Fallen Angels."
Ren's eyes narrowed slightly.
"So… someone might target me under the pretense of revenge, just to stir things up?"
"Exactly," Azazel nodded. "And your identity makes it even worse.
You're the elder brother of Yasaka—the leader of Kyoto's yokai faction.
If a Fallen Angel attacks you, it could easily spark a full-scale conflict between the Fallen Angels and the Kyoto yokai."
Azazel wanted the peace talks to succeed.
But even as Governor General, he couldn't guarantee complete unity within the Fallen Angels.
He already knew that one of their own officers was planning to make a move against Ren.
He just didn't know which one.
Originally, his concern had been that Ren might be killed—triggering the wrath of the Kyoto yokai and plunging everything into chaos.
That was why he had sent Vali—to locate Ren, and if necessary, protect him until the talks concluded.
But after witnessing Ren's battle with Vali…
Azazel realized that concern had been completely unnecessary.
Ren's strength far exceeded his expectations.
Let alone a Fallen Angel officer—even if the God of the Bible himself were still around, facing Ren head-on might not guarantee victory.
Now, instead of worrying about Ren's safety…
Azazel was worried about whichever poor fool had decided to target him.
After all, they were still his comrades.
If possible, he'd rather not see them march straight to their deaths.
"Oh—and one more thing," Azazel added.
"These peace talks aren't entirely unrelated to you after all.
To ensure everything proceeds smoothly, we've invited Lady Yasaka of Kyoto as well.
Since the meeting is being held in the human world, the Kyoto yokai faction—being the largest local power—has every right to act as a witness to the negotiations."
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