—Azazel "Governor of Crows"—
The current situation was quite something. At least, to Azazel.
On one hand, it was a massive headache. He had to sneak into the Vampire lands. Yes, he had permission from a certain Satan, but if the Queen of the Vampires caught him sneaking around, he would be in for a whole session of annoying explanations and carefully crafted excuses. He had also dropped all his work and rushed here, which honestly was not as terrible as it sounded. A little chaos was practically a vacation for him.
That being said, it was not all bad. He was genuinely thankful that Vali was not dead, not with the mess involving not just Crom, but Rizevim being tossed into the mix as well.
Still, all of that was either trouble or a headache. The good part was Vali standing next to him — unharmed, more or less — and the other guy wrapped in bandages, staring at him as if he had just seen a ghost.
"Something tells me you know exactly who I am." He was not entirely sure, but the boy seemed to have a very solid guess about his identity. "Which is interesting, since I believe this is our very first meeting."
It was not uncommon for high-ranking devils to have seen him, or at least heard of him, back during the warring times. But now? In an era of luxury and hedonism, with no great war to carve into memory, it was quite something for a young devil to recognize him.
'Then again, he is not exactly from this period, is he?'
Azazel could not help but size up the boy in front of him, especially his demonic power.
'Satan Class,' the highest-ranking crow mused, faintly amused. 'He may be from Sirzechs' era, but he was frozen for half a millennium. His mental age is still the same. And for him to reach this level without even being active during that time?'
Azazel almost felt the phantom weight of a scalpel in his hand. 'He is certainly unique.'
"I may be a little behind on current trends, but I do not believe the devils and the fallen have progressed to the point where a fallen of your caliber would appear here randomly, Lord Azazel."
Azazel's lips curled upward. 'So, he knows.'
"How… did you know he is Azazel?" Vali asked, one eyebrow raised in curiosity.
"After reaching a certain level, you can hide your presence quite easily. But to conceal it this well, to the point that it feels almost non-existent… you would have to be at least Cadre Class in fallen terms." The boy answered calmly, though he maintained a clear look of caution. "And from what I know, there is only one Fallen with the attitude to walk into enemy territory wearing a carefree expression. The leader of the Fallen."
Azazel's grin stretched into a full-blown smile. "Smart."
He wasn't wrong, of course. To completely erase one's presence and energy, especially to this extent, required absolute control. Only supernaturals at the final stage of Ultimate Class or beyond could manage that level of precision.
"But how are you so sure I am Azazel?" he continued lightly. "It could be someone else who reached Cadre Class. Perhaps not long ago?"
The boy looked him up and down, openly assessing him. "I apologize if this is rude, but after reaching a certain age, devils and fallen are almost guaranteed to never break into the next realm of power. Otherwise, all the elders among the devils would be Satan Class." He paused briefly and cleared his throat. "For a man of your age to be Cadre Class, you would have had to reach it ages ago."
That did it.
The Cadre burst into full-blown laughter, thoroughly impressed by both the judgment and the audacity of the young man before him.
Even Vali snickered quietly to the side.
"Fair, fair." Azazel nodded in satisfaction. "You are smart, from what I've heard."
He caught the subtle shift in the boy's expression at that.
"I mean, you cannot expect the leader of a faction not to hear about someone making waves, can you?"
Faiser, heir and now Lord of the Pillars of Barbatos and Valefar. Son of two war heroes. That alone was enough to attract attention from nearly anyone with influence. But the boy had added far more to his reputation than mere heritage and bloodline.
Trapped for over half a millennium. Awakening the bloodline abilities of not one, but two Pillars. Killing Katerea Leviathan right after waking. Awakening Ingvild Leviathan, the last true Leviathan, and making her the queen of his peerage. Taking the son of Tannin as his Rook. Joining a battle he had no reason to join. Killing multiple sons of the former King Tepes. Killing Shalba Beelzebub. Killing Crom Cruach. Facing Rizevim in his True Devil Form and walking away alive.
Azazel had not wanted to believe half of it.
But his sources had never been wrong.
And seeing Faiser standing there at Satan Class confirmed that they likely were not exaggerating.
Faiser glanced around, as if searching for hidden observers. Noticing this, Azazel reassured him.
"Don't worry. I made sure no one will interfere for the next few minutes," he said confidently. "That should be enough for our little conversation."
The boy looked mildly uneasy at whatever arrangement Azazel had put in place, but he did not voice it. He did, however, ask a question.
"If I may ask, why is the leader of the Fallen Angels here?"
Fair enough. Faiser had every reason to be wary, especially with no one else around.
Azazel himself had considered what explanation would sound appropriate. Should he go with something refined? Perhaps something about inter-faction diplomacy and strengthening relationships? Or claim he was here in a quasi-parental capacity for Vali, to thank Faiser for saving the Dragon Emperor's life?
That last part was not entirely false.
The rest?
He didn't really care much about them.
The finer details of politics were for others. Shemhazai, perhaps. Or Baraqiel.
Azazel was here for one simple reason.
Curiosity.
"A boy who is barely an adult in mortal terms, and practically an infant by devil standards, killing members of the Old Satan Faction, facing a True Devil, and slaying Crom Cruach…" Azazel took a step forward. "I think that is reason enough for me to be curious about you and want to meet you. Wouldn't you agree?"
He gestured lightly around them. "And considering the chaos, this was the best opportunity to catch you alone. Walking straight into Devil territory would have been far more troublesome."
Faiser's expression remained unreadable, but Azazel had seen enough poker faces in his lifetime to tell that the boy had tentatively accepted the explanation.
"And," Azazel added with a quiet sigh, "I am also here to express my gratitude for keeping Vali safe. It may not look like it, but he means quite a bit to me."
Vali said nothing. He merely turned his head to the side and crossed his arms.
"Azazel is telling the truth, Devil Faiser."
The voice did not belong to either of them. All three recognized it immediately. Albion.
"I too must acknowledge that without you, I might have met my end in this generation without even facing Ddraig. That would have been utterly shameful."
A Dragon's pride was a difficult thing. Every kind of shame could be measured. And the shame of refusing to accept that he had needed Faiser's help, of dying before even facing Ddraig, weighed heavier than simply admitting he might have lost, or even died, against Crom or Rizevim.
Vali, meanwhile, remained stubbornly silent. Gratitude did not come easily to him.
"You heard him," Azazel said with a small shrug. "That is the main reason for my visit."
"Main reason," Faiser dragged out the words slightly. "So there is another reason?"
Azazel nodded and leaned in a little closer, which instantly made Faiser uneasy. The fallen angel was far too close for his liking. When it came to men, Faiser didn't appreciate that kind of closeness.
"How did you break into Satan Class so quickly?" Azazel asked quietly. "And just what made Rizevim chase after you?"
Vali had already told him about their earlier exchange. About Rizevim rambling on about Faiser stealing something from the dead Devil. About an experiment gone wrong. About Faiser possessing something Rizevim desperately wanted, something that allowed him to temporarily undo the seals and awaken his True Form instantly.
Vali had not seen what happened after that. He had been unconscious for most of the battle. And Azazel knew well enough that Tannin or Sirzechs would not be sharing any details.
So he asked Faiser directly.
He did not expect an answer.
But it cost nothing to try.
Maybe this was it. Maybe this was the missing piece for his Sacred Gear research. Maybe this was the key that would finally let him create a successful Longinus, something on par with God's masterpieces.
"I don't know."
Azazel sighed at that.
He was not naive. The boy would not casually reveal a secret. Perhaps not for anything at all.
"I was unconscious for half a millennium. My body must have been experimented on countless times," Faiser shrugged. "If that did something, I don't know. But I would prefer to associate my growth with my own effort."
Azazel opened his mouth to respond, but Faiser continued.
"And the devils have already run numerous tests to confirm my body is fine. They found nothing that suggests any abnormal changes." The Satan Class devil spoke with steady confidence. "So there's that."
Azazel stared at the boy for a solid minute before letting out a sigh. His cards were useless. That last part had clearly been thrown in to make sure he wouldn't ask for any tests or research help.
Azazel didn't like admitting it, but for now, there wasn't much he could do.
"I was hoping for a bit more of an explanation," he said honestly. "But if that is all you are willing to say, then I cannot press further. For now."
He let the last two words linger just slightly.
"We'll see about the future," Faiser replied evenly. "And if that's all, I would like to leave. I have people to address. I did just wake up moments ago."
'Difficult to deal with,' Azazel admitted internally. 'But that makes it interesting.'
With a faint smirk, he nodded. "Fair enough. And once again, I am grateful for you helping Vali."
Vali, who had remained silent this entire time, finally muttered a reluctant "Thanks," as though the word physically resisted leaving his throat.
Azazel noticed how eager Faiser was to leave. Seeing that, he decided not to drag it out further.
"Then I suppose I will see you in the future," he said lightly. "When, I do not know. But I am certain I will."
As he spoke, he extended his hand.
"What's that?" Faiser asked, eyeing the closed fist.
Azazel slowly opened it, revealing a gemstone. A dark purple crystal, nearly black, faintly glinting in the light.
"In case you wish to reach out before I do, breaking this will allow me to teleport to you," Azazel explained. "Think of it as a teleportation call."
Faiser stared at it, clearly weighing the implications.
"I owe you one," Azazel added calmly. "If there is something you need, or something you wish to ask, within reason… you may use it to call me."
After a moment of consideration, Faiser nodded and took the crystal from his hand.
He asked nothing further. He simply slipped the gemstone into his pocket.
"If that is all," Faiser stepped aside, "then I will be taking my leave."
"We shall be as well," Azazel said, glancing around. "That person only gave us a few minutes, after all."
"That perso—"
"That's all!"
Grinning, Azazel grabbed Vali's wrist, and before either of them could protest or question him, a teleportation circle flared to life beneath their feet.
"Who do you mean?" Faiser asked, but received no answer. Instead, he watched the Fallen's grin turn translucent, Vali fading alongside him, the White Dragon Emperor vanishing in sync.
Within barely a second and a half, the two were gone.
They left behind a confused Faiser.
"Who do—" he muttered, then paused.
"Oh."
* * *
—Serafall Leviathan—
Serafall was not sure how to approach Faiser.
For a long time now, she had felt like a failure.
She had promised herself, over and over, that she would never risk Faiser's safety again. That she would stand by his side no matter what. And yet, during this entire vampire ordeal, she had failed spectacularly.
The boy had faced the strongest Evil Dragon. He had confronted Rizevim. All without her.
All she had done was worry.
She was not even confident about facing him.
So she hid.
After brushing off the endless briefings with Sirzechs, she slipped away to steal glances at Faiser from a distance.
That plan fell apart the moment she arrived and felt a familiar, thoroughly unpleasant presence.
Azazel.
The Fallen had teleported directly to her, requesting permission to meet Faiser.
It had infuriated her instantly. Why would she ever allow the leader of the Fallen Angels to meet with Faiser?
Vali had been the deciding factor. The White Dragon Emperor had stated plainly that he needed to thank the boy for saving his life. That alone was not enough to convince her.
But Azazel had not come merely as a faction leader. He had come as Vali's guardian. He had even offered for her to stand guard the entire time if she felt uneasy. On top of that, he had cashed in a favor from half a century ago.
She had been forced to agree.
The relationship between Devils and Fallen was far from pleasant, but at the highest levels, things were different. The leaders spoke. They negotiated. They ensured that tensions did not spiral into full-scale war. They met more often than most younger devils would ever imagine.
Even so, Serafall had remained nearby, hiding and watching.
She finally let out a small sigh of relief when Azazel left.
Not before handing Faiser a gemstone.
That had her worrying.
She needed to ask him what that crystal was. Unfortunately, she still was not confident enough to face him directly.
As she tried to conceal herself again, a flicker of anxiety slipped through her control. A trace of her demonic power leaked out. Between that and Azazel's dramatic little exchange with the gemstone, it was more than enough for a Satan Class devil to notice.
Yes, even one who had only recently reached that level.
"Serafall?"
He called out to her.
There was no running now.
'Fuck.'
For the first time in a very long while, she swore.
Thankfully, only in her head.
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{A/N: Got a pat reon named RedLamp01 with 30+ chapters + Other Stories.
I recently moved, changed states, cities, and even towns, and am living alone right now. It's a whole new experience, as it is purely for my own reasons and not because I had to switch states for studies or something. I just wanted to do it. Which is why I wasn't uploading.
I am currently in a state with a fraction of my state's population, more greenery than I have seen all my life, and a fraction of the cost of living. The downside is that the development around here is also 1/4th of my state, but it is fine. Rent is $160 for 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and 1 kitchen, plus a nice balcony view of the mountains. Insanely cheap, I know, but that's the average rent around here. The cost of living is less than $350, so it works for me. Surprisingly, it also has one of the better hospitals around in case of an emergency. Now, I just have to figure out how to make friends and approach people. }