During Grayfia's long life, she had come across plenty of extremely powerful people. Even now, with her husband being a Satan, she thought her show nonchalance even to some of the occasional gods that came for one reason or another. It wasn't all that strange, while defeating such foes would be beyond her stalling them was another thing entirely. A multitude of Evil Piece empowered spells should be enough to restrain or bug someone of significant strength so that she could either flee or receive some sort of aid in the form of a bolt of destruction.
But this dumpster fire her sister in-law had oh so graciously left her was another matter. The maid vividly remembered the war to this day, could utter the multitude of plans she had been privy too and the vile things the Houses would do to the rebels. But there was one thing she recalled with the utmost clarity. A human wading into an entire battalion of High-Class Devils and beginning to reap them like stalks of wheat. Blood and gore covered his body as fingers ripped and tore through magically reinforced armor, leaving large rends in runic defenses. Only to proceed to tear them limb from limb. He was laughing that day, exhilaration clear in his wanton slaughter. Back length black hair weaved in the air at his speed, blue eyes shimmering in the void with a slight manic glee.
Nothing could stop him. Not the strongest multi-caster spells, nor the goliath sized familiars they tried piling up on him. Enchanted blades broke on his skin, magic slipped off him like oil and any form of mental manipulation just flew right through him without anchoring itself to his mind.
Yamato Iori, a monstrous Practitioner unrelated to any of the Senjutsu Sects who sky rocketed to the peak of power with an insane level of talent. From their reports, both the Orthodoxy and the Unorthodoxy stood united in their opinions of the man-no the force of nature. They had dubbed him, the Heavenly Demon. They had initially scoffed at the reports. Humans were nothing but insects to them, only those possessing Sacred Gears were worthy of any concern and this Iori character wasn't reported to have one.
Grayfia had been in the force sent to deal with the impudent human...and was the only survivor of that conflict. Fleeing into the night, that she knew was the start of her faction's downfall. After facing multiple setbacks, they had finally sent out the order to avoid fighting that man all together. Despite how much it injured their pride, it was a known fact that they couldn't handle him. So when they heard he had some sort of disciple also in the war, they decided to send out a force to get some version of revenge on the man.
And thus her first meeting with the Demon Fox. Back then, they had fought to a stand still but ultimately retreated.
With all this said, standing before the very man that haunted her nightmares for centuries was a nerve wracking experience to say the least. Despite reading the report, it was still incredibly bone chilling to see him once more. Yamato Iori hadn't aged a single bit. Looking a bit closer, he probably even looked a bit more youthful. Even though she could tell there was some sort of illusion over his face, trying to dispel it wouldn't earn her any favors. But other than that, his skin looked porcelain, that inky river intertwined with the near sentient tree had this incredibly silky quality that made her subconscious glance at her own gray locks.
'Senjutsu is really unfair.'
Grayfia knew the art granted a type of longevity that normally required other forms of magic reaching high levels of mastery first, but for those of his ilk it was a simple byproduct. But to look this young even after all these years? It was impossible. Even the man's student last remaining human student, Saint Elizabeth, was last reported to be propped up entirely by the healing powerhouse that is Gabriel.
"What is it you want, 'Strongest Queen'."
Iori asked, not even deigning to turn his head from the still lake. That day was probably the first one where she actually felt embarrassed by the title that had been attached to her for centuries. Most people spoke the name in deference or scorn, but they all knew of her magical prowess that exceeded most Ultimate-Class Devils. But what did it matter to the monster before her?
"Please forgive those juniors of mine." It felt weird to pull out that archaic dialect, but if there was anything small she could do to make him amenable then it would be done. Even if talking like this brought up the memories of those Ancient Senjutsu monsters that sat haughtily on their throne of bones and despair. She was just glad they didn't seem to possess the same vitality as him. "They know not of your presti-"
"I'm not in the mood for platitudes," He waved a lean arm casually," Speak of what is on your mind and begone."
"Very well." Grayfia bowed to the turned back of the man, sweat beginning to drip down her temple. What needed to be said next, needed to be said out for the world to hear. She needed a verbal confirmation that the Underworld wouldn't be under squashed under the foot of a giant anytime soon. "My husband and Satan wishes to form an amicable relationship with you. Things might not have worked out..well in the past but that doesn't mean things can't change. We know offering you anything to retract your backing would be nothing short of an insult so instead we just hope you'll take on a more non-combative role in the future. We're all old beings now, fighting amongst each other is counter intuitive. It's no longer our time to shine but the younger generation. It's still in talks but most powerhouses have agreed to stay out of direct combat to cut down on any collateral damage that'll inevitably occur. We believe any future problems should be handled by our factions youth and our intervention should be the absolute last resort."
"Just like the Sects." He commented. "And what were to happen if someone broke this Accord of your?"
The question oozed with exposed contempt and mockery. A subtle jab at their ineptitude to truly stop someone like him. It was arrogance incarnate, even exceeding the pride her people were known to have. Just being talking in that way by someone her very blood sung was inferior in all ways, was nearly enough to ignite that pride anew. Straightening her back, a pair of crimson eyes glared a hole into the back of the human.
She was done playing nice with this fossil.
"They would be besieged from all sides." Grayfia tone was sharp, all those years of fear she had for the man had made him out to be something unassailable. But things weren't how it was in the past, where every faction were isolated islands of power. While they weren't united in all ways, against a something that was a threat to all of them? They wouldn't hesitate to toss aside any of their differences to get rid of that foe through any means necessary.
"You people actually believe you could stop me?" She could hear the smile in his words even from this far away. Her body stiffened at his next words, all her certainty drifting away like a feather in the breeze. "It seems I was too soft during that war of yours. If you hadn't so thoroughly destroyed the history of the Ancient Era, maybe you could've seen the folly of your assumption. It matters not. The Sects of old called me The Heavenly Demon because of my refusal to abide by their rules and for my strength that rivaled the pillars of their society. But you seem to misunderstand something, how else would you explain your undeserved arrogance to believe any of you can stop me?"
"Or have you some how believed that now that those old monsters have passed, that you deluded yourself into believing you could take their place? Fooling thyself to thinking their empty thrones are yours to claim? How laughable. I will continue to do-"
It was like she was a child once more being scolded by an overly pretentious father, the urge to collapse to the ground was only held back by centuries of self control. Grayfia didn't have high expectations coming into this, having known how arrogant Iori had been back then and from the reports they received. But what those reports didn't tell was chilling beyond all else.
For a single person to honestly believe that they could fight against not just every faction on Earth but also their divine support, they had to be mad beyond belief. And if there was one thing that was worse than any upcoming, bloodthirsty powerhouse it was those that went insane in their pursuit of power.
She didn't know how the man had gone mad, maybe it was the centuries alone or some sort of Senjutsu deviation, all that mattered was that she would be forced to put down this mad dog before he could run a muck through their world. Even if it meant dying in order to achieve that goal.