The night had been long, but dawn was finally beginning to show on the horizon over Kuoh. Daniel Hernández sat in the rubble of what had once been the main campus of the academy, his back against a ruined column and his legs stretched out over ground covered in dust and fragments of concrete. Around him, chaos had transformed into a kind of bureaucratic order that reminded him, with some irony, of the endless paperwork of his original world.
After Kokabiel's defeat, what followed was not a victory parade or a moment to breathe, but an endless procession of paperwork and bureaucracy. Azazel, the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels, had appeared personally on the battlefield barely an hour after the confrontation, with a relaxed smile and a stack of documents under his arm that contradicted his carefree attitude.
"Well, well," Azazel had said, looking at Kokabiel's unconscious body with a mixture of disappointment and relief. "I always knew this idiot would end up causing trouble, but I never thought he'd go this far. Stealing Excalibur, attacking a human city, trying to restart the war… Kokabiel, Kokabiel, Kokabiel. What am I going to do with you?"
Rias and Sona had received him with expressions ranging from contained fury to exasperation. Both had every right in the world to be furious: Kokabiel had attacked their territory, endangered their loved ones, and tried to unleash a war that would have consumed the entire Underworld.
"Azazel," Rias said, her voice icy. "This is unacceptable. A fallen angel from your faction attacked our city, stole sacred relics, and almost killed two exorcists. What kind of leader are you?"
"A very busy one, apparently," Azazel replied with a smile that failed to completely hide his discomfort. "Listen, Rias, I understand. You have every right to be furious. But you also know I can't control every move of every fallen angel under my command. Kokabiel was a problem that had been brewing for decades. His hatred of humans and his obsession with restarting the war were known, but I never thought he'd go this far."
"And is that supposed to comfort us?" Sona intervened, adjusting her glasses with a gesture that showed her irritation. "Your lack of control almost cost us all our lives."
"No, it shouldn't comfort you," Azazel admitted with a sincerity that surprised them both. "And that's why I'm here personally, to apologize and to take care of all this. Kokabiel will be brought to trial. His subordinates will be interrogated and punished. And the stolen Excaliburs will be returned to the Church. I promise."
Daniel, who had been watching the scene in silence, decided to intervene at that moment.
"Rias, Sona," he said, his voice calm but firm. "I understand your fury. But I also understand that Azazel can't control all his subordinates. Kokabiel was a traitor, not a representative of his faction. Punishing Azazel for what a traitor did would be like punishing the entire Underworld for what Riser did."
Rias and Sona looked at him, their expressions still tense, but something in their eyes softened. They knew Daniel was right, even if it was hard to admit.
"All right," Rias said finally with a sigh. "We'll accept your apologies, Azazel. But I want you to know this won't happen again. If another fallen angel causes trouble in Kuoh, I won't be so understanding."
"I understand," Azazel replied with a bow of his head. "And I thank you."
Help arrived shortly afterward in the form of Sirzechs Lucifer and Serafall Leviathan, Rias's and Sona's older siblings, respectively. Sirzechs, with his usual elegance and reassuring smile, approached Rias and wrapped her in a brotherly hug.
"I'm proud of you, Rias," he said. "You've shown a strength and leadership few could match."
"Thank you, brother," Rias replied with a tired smile. "But I didn't do it alone. Daniel and the others were essential."
"I know," Sirzechs said, looking at Daniel with approval. "And that's why I'm grateful."
Serafall, for her part, had thrown herself at Sona with an exaggerated hug and crocodile tears.
"Sona-chan! I was so worried! If anything had happened to you, I don't know what I would've done!"
"Sister, please…" Sona murmured with a mixture of embarrassment and affection. "I'm fine. We're all fine."
"But you almost got killed! That evil Kokabiel! I'm going to freeze him and break him into little pieces!"
"Daniel already did that," Sona said with a small smile.
Serafall blinked and then looked at Daniel with an expression of genuine gratitude.
"Thank you, Daniel-kun. For protecting my little sister."
"You're welcome," Daniel replied with a smile. "It's what I do."
The process of arresting and transferring Kokabiel's subordinates was tedious but necessary. The rebel clergy and the lower-ranking fallen angels were detained and shackled with magical restraints, then handed over to their respective factions so they could answer for their actions. Kokabiel, still unconscious from the beating Daniel had given him, was sealed in a coffin of dark energy and taken to a safe place for his trial.
"It'll take hours to finish all this," Daniel commented as he watched the coming and going of fallen angels and devils handling the logistics. "Couldn't they have done it faster?"
"Bureaucracy is the same in every world," Sona replied with a sigh. "Even in the Underworld, there's paperwork."
"At least we don't have to sign anything," Rias said with a smile.
But tragedy, as always, hid among the folds of bureaucracy. Xenovia's and Irina's superiors—the same men and women who had sent them to Kuoh in search of the Excaliburs—turned nasty. Taking advantage of certain technicalities and rumors circulating in the Church about the death of God, they decided to exile both exorcists. They accused them of knowing about the death of God and not reporting it, and expelled them from the Church, never to return.
"This is an injustice!" Xenovia shouted when she learned the news. "We fought for them! We risked our lives!"
"I know," Daniel said, his voice grim. "But the Church has never been known for its gratitude."
Irina, still weak from her injuries, wept silently. Her faith had guided her all her life, and now she found herself without a home, without a purpose, without the institution that had given her everything.
"They have nowhere to go," Rias said with determination. "So they'll stay with us."
"Are you sure?" Xenovia asked in surprise.
"You're a formidable warrior, Xenovia. And you, Irina, have a pure heart and unshakable faith. I can't let people like you be lost to the world. Join my peerage."
Xenovia accepted without hesitation. Rias recruited her as a Knight, one of the most coveted pieces in any devil peerage. Irina, for her part, protested when she was offered the Pawn position.
"I want to be a Knight too!" she said, her eyes shining with determination.
"I'm sorry, Irina," Rias replied with an understanding smile. "But I don't have any more Knights available. Xenovia took the last position."
"But that's not fair!"
"Listen," Sona intervened in her practical tone. "As a Pawn, you'll be able to switch between pieces when necessary, including Knight. That gives you an advantage Xenovia doesn't have: she's stuck being a Knight, but you can adapt to any situation."
Irina thought about it for a moment, and then a mischievous smile appeared on her face.
"Does that mean I can be a Knight on the battlefield whenever I want?"
"Exactly."
"Then I accept!"
Xenovia snorted, but she couldn't help smiling at her companion's enthusiasm.
With that, Rias had gained two valuable pieces for her peerage. And although she still hoped to recruit Daniel, he had made it clear that he preferred to remain human for as long as possible.
"I'm sorry, Rias," Daniel said when she asked him once again. "But I already have enough with the fact that, apparently, the Boosted Gear is accelerating my transformation into a dragon. I'd rather enjoy my humanity while I can."
"I understand," Rias replied with a sad smile. "But if you ever change your mind, my peerage will always have a place for you."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Daniel's transformation was a subject that worried him more than he let on. Ddraig had told him that, at that rate, he might become a complete dragon by the end of the year. The loss of his human sense of smell, replaced by a dragon's, had accelerated the process. He now had dragon instincts, a fierce territoriality, and a possessiveness that sometimes surprised even himself.
"It's not a bad thing, partner," Ddraig had told him. "Dragons are powerful and majestic creatures. Being one of them isn't a curse."
"I know," Daniel replied. "But I want to enjoy being human while I can. It's all I have left from my previous life."
"Then enjoy it. But don't cling to the past. The future is what matters."
Daniel accepted that advice with the same serenity with which he accepted everything else: with a mixture of determination and melancholy.
A few hours passed before everyone involved—renegade fallen angels, rebel clergy, and Kokabiel himself—was removed from the battlefield. The school, rebuilt with magic by Sirzechs's and Serafall's devils, was already standing, though it still had an air of desolation that would take days to dissipate.
When everything fell silent, the four Maou and Azazel approached Daniel and his group. Sirzechs, with his elegant smile and kingly bearing, extended his hand.
"Daniel Hernández," he said. "Once again, I thank you for protecting my sister and this city. It's becoming routine, isn't it?"
Daniel shook his hand firmly.
"You don't need to thank me, Sirzechs. Rias and Sona are my girlfriends and fiancées. I wasn't going to let anything bad happen to them. Besides, this city is where I live. I wouldn't let anyone destroy it either, and much less a guy like Kokabiel who was throwing a tantrum."
Azazel burst out laughing.
"Tantrum. That's a very gentle way of describing what Kokabiel was doing. But I like your style, Daniel."
"It is what it is," Daniel replied with a smile.
The four Maou—Sirzechs, Serafall, Falbium, and Ajuka—exchange glances of approval. They had been watching Daniel since the first incident with Angra Mainyu, and each time they became more convinced that he was an invaluable ally.
"Good," Sirzechs said. "I think it's time for you to go home. We'll take care of everything else."
"Thank you," Daniel replied with a bow of his head.
Before leaving, Azazel approached Daniel with a more serious expression.
"Daniel," he said quietly. "There's something you should know. You're not alone in this. If you ever need help, don't hesitate to contact me. The fallen angels are not your enemies."
"I'll keep that in mind," Daniel replied with a smile. "But I hope I won't need it."
"We all hope so."
And with that, they withdrew.
Daniel and his girlfriends returned home through a portal Sirzechs had created, leaving behind the rebuilt school and the battlefield that had witnessed Kokabiel's defeat. What they didn't know was that, in the shadows of a nearby building, someone had been watching everything closely.
Azazel appeared beside that shadow with a tired smile.
"What do you think of your rival, Vali?" he asked.
The boy named Vali Lucifer didn't turn to look at him. He was a young man with an athletic and elegant build, silver hair, and blue eyes that shone with an almost predatory intensity. He wore a white suit that contrasted with his hair and pale skin, and on his back, two dragon wings of resplendent white unfolded with an ethereal glow.
"He seems strong," Vali said with a smile.
Another voice, deeper and more resonant, emerged from the dragon wings.
"He doesn't just seem strong—he is strong," said Albion, the White Dragon of the Winds. "Defeating Kokabiel is no small achievement. And if what Azazel told us is true, then he has already defeated a malevolent god, Angra Mainyu, a goddess of death, Nyx, and a high-class devil, Riser Phenex. He might well be the most powerful Red Dragon Emperor in history."
Vali smiled more savagely.
"The most powerful Red Dragon Emperor and the most powerful White Dragon Emperor. I wonder what battle we'll have when the time comes."
Azazel sighed.
"As much as I'd like to avoid that, I know you won't listen to me. But I don't want you to do something stupid, Vali. Daniel isn't just any enemy. And he isn't someone you can underestimate."
"I know," Vali replied, still smiling. "And that's why he's so interesting."
Azazel withdrew, leaving Vali alone with his thoughts. The boy remained there, watching the place where the portal through which Daniel and his group had disappeared had been. His smile didn't fade, but something in his eyes became more serious.
"Albion," he said. "Do you think we can beat him?"
"I don't know," the white dragon replied. "But if anyone can do it, it's you."
Vali nodded, and then disappeared into his own portal, leaving the place in silence.
Meanwhile, at the Gremory residence, Daniel and his girlfriends had retired to rest. The night had been long, and the next day would bring classes and responsibilities. But for now, they just wanted to sleep.
Daniel let himself fall onto the bed, surrounded by the warmth of his girlfriends. Rias snuggled up beside him, Asia clung to his arm, the Sekirei twins took their usual positions at the foot of the bed, Reynare sat on the edge with her three pairs of wings folded, Sakura curled up by the headboard, Tamamo purred in her three-tailed fox form, Sona settled on the opposite side, and Lala floated slightly above her futon.
"Daniel," Rias said sleepily. "Do you think we can have a quiet day tomorrow?"
"I doubt it," he replied with a smile. "But we can try."
"I hope so," Asia murmured. "I need to rest."
"We all need to rest," Sona said with a yawn.
Daniel closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of his girlfriends and the weight of the night on his shoulders. Tomorrow would be another day. There would be classes, training, and probably more problems. But for now, he just wanted to sleep.
And as he sank into sleep, a figure appeared in his mind: a girl with silver hair and blue eyes, with a mischievous smile and a way of speaking in Russian that always made him smile. Alya. His second girlfriend, the one who had stayed home sick throughout the Kokabiel incident. The one who hadn't been able to be by his side in battle, but who was eagerly waiting for him.
"Tomorrow," Daniel thought. "Tomorrow I'll see her."
And with that thought, he let himself be carried away by sleep.