Yo if we reach 100 power stones today I'll drop another chapter.
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Azazel then looked at Mahiru and Mary. "You're Adrien Agares's girls, right? Sanctum Veil and Excalibur Genesis… Lucky bastard. Both of those are incredible Sacred Gears."
He turned his attention to Mahiru first.
"When you train with it, put on a blindfold. That way, you'll be forced to rely only on sensing everything inside your barrier. In a real fight, if you need to spread it across a large battlefield, you won't always be able to see everyone entering or leaving the area. Sooner or later, you'll need to feel them instead of looking for them."
Azazel crossed his arms, thinking for a moment before smirking.
"Another thing… I have a suspicion your Sacred Gear might respond to conceptual laws rather than simple commands. Try saying something ridiculous like, 'No jumping.' Then see if your Gear listens."
Mahiru looked surprised as Azazel casually gave her ideas on how to train, and even told her exactly what to focus on.
Azazel then shifted his attention to Mary. "Your Sacred Gear is much more straightforward. You just need to summon swords as often as possible and push the output higher. Try bringing out all seven at once, even if you can only hold them for a second. Burst output matters too. And Adrien probably already told you this, but throw them instead of just swinging them. That Holy Demonic Sword brat would actually be a good teacher for you. His Gear and yours are extremely similar, while being complete opposites at the same time."
Azazel grinned, genuine excitement flashing across his face.
"And I'm just waiting to see your Balance Breaker. The true Excalibur infused with demonic energy…" He rubbed his arms dramatically. "Damn, I'm getting goosebumps just imagining it."
From what is known, Excalibur Genesis's Sacred Gear was to be able to summon a copy of the True Excalibur, but what would happen if it's wielder was a Devil?
With that, the fallen angel took one last look at them and turned to leave.
Before leaving, however, he paused for a moment and glanced toward Adrien's Familia. "Sorry about Vali—our White Dragon Emperor. He wasn't supposed to approach your master without permission. Just so you know, when I stepped in between them, they hadn't fought yet, and Vali left without a battle. So Adrien wasn't hurt."
"Then where is he…?!" Mahiru shouted, though her voice weakened at the end of the question.
Azazel only shrugged. "He seemed busy for some reason. I left him at the park where we were. What he did after that, I have no idea."
"What about you, then? Are you going to apologize for summoning me without even telling me who you were?" Issei asked. Back then, he had been summoned and made a contract with Azazel while the fallen angel was still hiding his identity.
Azazel was a twelve-winged Governor-class fallen angel. If he wanted to, not even most Ultimate-class beings would be able to sense his energy because his control was absurdly precise. Of course, even that still could not compare to Adrien in terms of energy control.
Azazel remained completely unfazed and simply flashed him a mischievous grin. "That's my hobby. I've got nothing to apologize for." And with that, he finally turned and left.
--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>--<>
Rias and Sona had been spending most of their time preparing for the Leaders' Summit. The event had to go smoothly, and the venue itself was just as important as the discussions that would take place there. If anything went wrong, it could easily deepen the tension between the three factions. Since the summit was going to be held inside Kuoh Academy, the two of them had a lot on their shoulders.
Both of them were in the student council room. Rias was lying back on the sofa, while Sona sat properly in her office chair. The TV was on, but neither of them was really paying attention to it. After a long day of work, they were simply resting while scrolling through their phones.
"Rias, look at this for a moment," Sona said, holding out her phone.
Rias glanced at her. "Is it about those murders?"
Sona gave a small nod. "Yes. Someone made a website about it."
Rias took the phone and read the title on the front page. "Legend of Kira the Savior..."
Sona adjusted her glasses slightly. "It seems 'Kira' comes from the English word 'killer.' If you search for 'Kira' online, a surprising number of pages like this show up."
"The murders are happening all over the world, and every victim has died from a heart attack. Some people might think it's just a coincidence, but I highly doubt it. Most likely, this case is connected to our side of the world, Sona," Rias said, frowning at her phone.
"I agree," Sona said with a small nod. "Do you think it could be some kind of Sacred Gear? If so, what kind?"
"I don't know. I've never heard of a way of killing that precise."
Sona fell silent for a moment before speaking. "He is only targeting criminals... I haven't received any reports from the Underworld about suspicious activity. Which means the killings are being carried out perfectly, without leaving behind even a trace of energy residue."
"We interrupt this program to bring you a special worldwide broadcast from the ICPO—Interpol. The announcement will begin shortly."
The program on the screen suddenly cut off, replaced by a news reporter. Both Sona and Rias immediately turned their attention to the TV.
A pale, sharp-featured man with long black hair and a cold expression appeared on the screen, dressed in a formal gray suit. The name Lind L. Tailor was displayed on the lower third.
"I am the one who can mobilize the world's police. My name is Lind L. Tailor… also known as L."
"L? Who is that?" Rias asked, clearly surprised.
Sona was already searching on her phone. "Apparently, he's a highly skilled detective. He's known for solving extremely difficult cases, though he hasn't taken on many."
"There has been a string of serial killings targeting criminals. This is one of the most atrocious murder cases in history, and it will not go unpunished. I will definitely catch the one behind these murders, the person commonly known as 'Kira.'"
Rias frowned. "That seems pointless. If this is really connected to the supernatural, how is he supposed to figure it out?"
"That only applies if he is truly just human," Sona replied calmly. "Don't forget, there are all kinds of Sacred Gears. Some are not meant for combat at all, and there are likely many we still know nothing about. He may possess a Sacred Gear that helps him in investigative work."
"Kira, I believe I have a good idea of what your motive is. But what you are doing is evil!"
Rias and Sona kept their eyes on the TV, both of them watching closely. Then, all of a sudden, the detective on the screen began to tremble. Sweat gathered on his face, his body twitched violently, and then he collapsed face-first onto the desk in front of him.
"Sona…" Rias said, her voice tightening.
"Rias, contact your brother immediately," Sona said at once, her tone sharp and serious.
Rias nodded and moved without hesitation. She immediately sent a message to her brother, who was still in town. After all, the Three Faction Meeting was only two days away.
Two men in black suits rushed onto the screen and quickly removed the detective's body from the live broadcast.
Suddenly the screen changed into a white background with the letter L written in a cloister black font.
"Unbelievable," a distorted voice came from the screen. "I had to test it for myself. So you really are capable of this, Kira. It seems you can kill people without making direct contact. I could not believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. Listen carefully, Kira. If you just killed the man shown on the screen—Lind L. Tailor—then you have just killed a man who was scheduled to be executed today."
"What…?!" Sona said, genuinely stunned as she stared at the screen.
"The criminal was someone the police had captured in secret. His arrest was never broadcast on television, nor was it released on the internet. It seems you were unable to obtain any information on him. However, I am L. I do exist. So go on and try to kill me.... I dare you.... What is wrong? You can't do it? Then that means that you cannot kill this easily. You've just given me a very useful clue."
Rias and Sona were staring at the TV in shock.
"I'll tell you something in return. I said this was a live broadcast worldwide, but in truth, this message is only being aired in the Kanto region of Japan."
"Wait… My territory is there. Adrien's too," Rias said, visibly shaken.
What L meant was clear—Kira was somewhere in this region. That meant a worldwide serial killer, one who most likely possessed supernatural powers, was dangerously close to her.
"The first victim was the murderer in Shinjuku. The police overlooked that case because it seemed so minor. Out of all the criminals who died of heart attacks, his crime was the least severe. More importantly, that crime was only reported in Japan. From that, I was able to deduce this much: you are in Japan, and that first victim was your test subject. You are lucky that you happen to be in Kanto, the most heavily populated region in the country."
Then the screen suddenly turned black and white, and the broadcast was cut off. Sona turned off the TV.
"They're going to hunt each other down, but neither of them knows the other's name or face," Rias said with a sigh.
"To be honest, I never would have thought of doing it that way…"
"This case is really bad… If this keeps going, the supernatural world could be exposed to everyone again. Why has this kind of thing been happening so often lately…?" Rias muttered, hiding her face in her hands in frustration.
"And on top of that, all the leaders of the three factions are in town right now…" Sona added grimly.
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Sirzechs was sitting in a hotel suite in Kuoh when the TV screen turned black and white, signaling the end of the broadcast.
"What do you think, Grayfia…?" he asked.
"I have never encountered a method of killing like this," Grayfia replied calmly. "If what this L says is true, then the killer is close to us. And yet, I have not sensed even the slightest trace of energy."
Sirzechs gave a small nod. "Please send a message to the historians in Lilith. Tell them to gather any information they can on this kind of power."
"As you wish, my lord," Grayfia said with a bow.
As she turned to leave, Sirzechs smiled. "Come back quickly, so we can have some fun later."
Grayfia clicked her tongue and walked out, but Sirzechs did not miss the faint red tint spreading across her ears.