Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
Serena POV - January 24, 1977 Magical World – July 18, 2008 DxD.
The conference of the three biblical factions was about to begin.
I almost wanted to whistle in awe as I gazed at the three armies of the biblical factions gathered around Kuoh Academy. Even so, it allowed me to appreciate the enormous defensive barrier erected around the school. I was able to scan and replicate it with ease, and I immediately noticed the gap created to allow certain magic signatures that enabled teleportation in and out of the barrier.
I must say, whoever did it was good; the gap they created was almost imperceptible to the naked eye. Anyone looking at the barrier would have difficulty finding it. I was tempted to simply close the gap, but I ignored the idea for the time being.
I was alone with Bella; the others weren't really necessary. I'd only been included because of the Kokabiel incident, which I was the only one involved in. Bella was the limit of who I could bring. We'd both joined the devils' entourage as we followed the Satans to the meeting room. The atmosphere was quite tense, even though the room was empty. We were the first to arrive; after all, the devils were hosting this conference.
The Satans, Sirzechs, Serafall, and Ajuka sat rigidly at the table. Grayfia stayed behind Sirzechs, and I went to the seats placed near the wall where I could see Sona and her queen. I nodded in their direction, and they returned the greeting.
We only had to wait a few minutes until Azazel entered almost lazily along with Vali, the former vaguely greeting the latter while the latter ignored everyone, both of them headed to their place.
After a few more minutes, Michael came in, followed by another angel I definitely didn't recognize.
"I apologize for the delay," Michael said warmly, then began exchanging greetings with the others. I just looked at Michael; I could feel the Angel's template being placed on my Reality Marble. I barely had to look at it to know that it was definitely impossible for it to be permanently placed there.
But not before making huge changes to the template. I had the help of Akeno's template; it was the closest thing to a Nephilim and a Nephalem that could exist—a human/fallen angel and later a devil/fallen angel, respectively—but she could only exist that way because of the Evil Piece inside her. I needed something more… natural, but I do remember that there was some half-fallen angel/half-devil.
"We're here." Rias's voice pulled me from my reverie. Everyone turned to look at Rias and her Peerage. I could see Xenovia staring at me, but I ignored it for the moment. I remembered that she had wanted to join my Peerage, but it seemed she had joined Rias's instead. I just hoped she had gotten over her feelings for me.
"They are my sister and her family; they are the ones who defended against the attack carried out by Kokabiel," Sirzechs immediately introduced himself.
"We didn't do much, Onii-sama, Lady Prince did most of the work," Rias said immediately, bowing slightly. I stood up.
"As my sister said, she is Serena Prince and her family, and since they have also been involved with Kokabiel, I hope there won't be any problem with them being here," Sirzechs said with a slight smile.
"I have no problem with that," Azazel laughed. " And I apologize, since Kokabiel is from my faction, he causes you trouble, though it's a pleasure to see you again, girl." Azazel said, his eyes amused. I snorted.
"I don't have any problem with that either," Michael said with a smile before looking at me. "It's a pleasure to meet—" Michael trailed off, staring at me. I blinked and looked back at him; we stared at each other for several abnormally long seconds.
"Michael?" Azazel asked, confused, startling Michael out of his reverie.
"Uh, oh, yes," Michael said, composing himself as he cleared his throat. " I -it 's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Prince," Michael said immediately, still looking at me.
"Is there... a problem, Lord Michael?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He grimaced.
"Yes... I'm curious about that too," Azazel said. "It's the first time you've ever looked at a devil." Azazel said before beginning to smile. "Has the great Michael just fallen in love?" Azazel asked mockingly. I shuddered at the thought, and even Michael grimaced.
"It's nothing, I apologize for my rudeness, I was distracted for a few seconds." Michael said immediately as he bowed. I looked at him curiously, really interested to know what Michael had seen inside me.
Although I ignored it at the time, I let the group keep talking until they finally called me, along with Rias and Sona, for the report on Kokabiel's attack, so I spoke about the whole matter completely honestly; I had nothing to hide.
"By the way, I suppose Kokabiel is dead, right?" Azazel asked casually once I finished. I nodded.
"He is. Nobody touches what's mine." I said coldly, and Azazel laughed slightly.
"How scary." Azazel scoffed before shrugging. "Honestly, the outcome is Kokabiel's own fault. I have nothing to reproach the devils or the girl, Prince, for handling the situation that way." Azazel said matter-of-factly. I simply nodded. Then everything happened as I remembered.
The angels and devils question Azazel about his collection of Sacred Gears and Longinus, and then Azazel proposes peace between the three factions, which the other two factions quickly accept.
Then I listened as they began to draft the peace treaty. It was long and really boring. There were no highlights beyond what I expected. Perhaps it was more lax than I expected. There was a lot more about free trade and exchange between the three factions than I would have expected, but nothing truly surprising.
As they talked, my gaze drifted back to Michael, and before a thought struck me, I couldn't help but smile. Well… I really had nothing to lose, right?
"Excuse me, now that we're talking about the terms of the peace treaty, can I... suggest some ideas?" I interrupted mid-sentence, and I could see all the leaders stop and look at me, confused.
"Go on." Sirzechs said easily, looking at me curiously.
"Actually, it's several things, I suppose." I hummed, then looked at Michael and began to smile. "The first is from you, Lord Michael." I said politely.
"Me? How can I help you, Lady Prince? " Michael asked with a smile, and I smiled even more widely.
"You see... a member of my Peerage and I have been carrying out a... small project. By some coincidence, both the Satans and Gregori are now involved. I thought it would be a good idea to invite you, so to speak, to make this a gesture of peace between the factions." I said, my eyes sparkling. "Tell me, Lord Michael, how good is your singing? " I asked, a huge smile spreading across my face.
Everyone in the room froze. Everyone present understood the implications of that and stared at me in disbelief, except for Michael and the angel behind him; both seemed confused. Serafall and Azazel were the first to recover. They spun around so quickly in their seats that their bodies snapped as they looked at Michael. In fact, they stood up, slamming their fists on the table—Azazel—or even climbing onto it—Serafall—and glared fiercely at Michael.
""You have to do it!!"" they both exclaimed loudly, as if it were the most important thing in the world.
"I haven't asked you for anything in millennia, brother, but this, you have to do it! I beg you! " Azazel said immediately, not even ashamed to plead, as he approached Michael.
"We will back down and concede some of the demands we were negotiating for you to join us, Michael!" Serafall said frantically as she moved closer to Michael.
"Us too! You have to do it, Michael! For the sake of peace!" Azazel said, pressing his face extremely close to Michael's, who tried to move away in surprise.
"Yes! Just like he said! For peace! This will help consolidate peace between the factions!" Serafall said shamelessly, perched on the edge of the table. Michael backed away, surprised and terribly confused, trying to defend himself against the two crazed leaders' advances. I could hear Sirzechs's pained sigh along with the others'.
"I... maybe I should know about the project before I join?" Michael said with a shaky smile.
"It's a TV show!" Serafall exclaimed with a wide grin. "A group of demon hunters fight by singing against demons, who are stealing human souls with their wicked and seductive songs!" Serafall summarized excitedly as she bounced around.
"Oh... and you want me to be one of these... hunters?" Michael asked, confused.
"No, a demon." I smiled broadly at him.
"A... demon?" Michael asked in surprise. I could see the angel behind him, surprised and almost pale. I nodded.
"Yes, a demon, just think about it, what better way to demonstrate that peace is real, than for an angel, specifically one of the great Seraphim, to act as a demon along with a Satan and someone from Gregori? To lead by example and all that." I said with a broad smile.
"Exactly! It's for peace!" Azazel said, clinging to the words. Serafall nodded enthusiastically. Michael, still very confused, simply sighed and nodded slowly.
"I... very well." Michael sighed finally, and Azazel and Serafall cheered happily.
"Oh, this will be much more amazing than before!" Serafall squealed, and Sirzechs just sighed wearily.
"Ha! Well thought out, girl!! I can't wait to see you in action, Michael! " Azazel laughed. Michael blinked several times.
"I... will regret joining this, won't I? " He asked Sirzechs with a strained smile. Sirzechs just sighed again.
"Maybe," Sirzechs said dryly. I chuckled, and I could hear Enid squeal with excitement. After all, with Michael as Saja Romance, the main cast of K-pop Demon Hunters was finally complete.
We could practically start filming at any moment, and I must admit, I was really looking forward to the results. There was still the issue of Vali, but it was nothing that couldn't be fixed. In case I couldn't convince him, well… Azazel could always take his place; that would be more than fair. I chuckled at the thought.
"So, what was the other thing you needed to talk about, Serena?" Sirzechs asked, pulling me from my reverie. I nodded and looked at Ajuka; he did the same.
"Ah, yes, once again, for the sake of the new peace established between the three factions, I suppose I can tell you something about myself that I think would be of... general interest," I said easily, feeling everyone's eyes on me. "I am a descendant of the original Lucifer," I said, shrugging. I could see everyone freeze momentarily. Vali's eyes widened before he began glaring at me, his eyes fixed on me without blinking.
"When you say, descendant..." Azazel tries to say, regaining his ability to speak. Then he glances at Vali out of the corner of his eye, not enough to be obvious, and no one else notices it, only because I was looking at him, but it was really obvious.
"My genes as a Succubus are enough to obscure my direct relationship to Lucifer, not to know who my father is or what degree of connection I have with him, but yes, I am his descendant, of that there is no doubt." I said, shrugging. "I could be his daughter, his granddaughter, or who knows, I don't care, being a descendant of Lucifer changes nothing for me, I will continue with my life as it is now." I said dismissively.
"How do you know?" Vali interrupted, still not blinking. I snorted and let my wings sprout from my back, four pairs out of the five I had. Everyone stared at my wings in surprise.
"Enough?" I asked curtly. "Besides, Ajuka has already confirmed it; we compared it to the blood of a descendant of Lucifer," I said simply.
"A... descendant?" Azazel asked cautiously, and I smiled at him sarcastically.
"Of course, the blood was Vali Lucifer's," I said with a wide smile. The room fell silent again, and everyone turned in surprise to look at Vali, though he only narrowed his eyes as he glared at me.
"How did you know?" Vali asked simply and dryly. I hummed.
"It was easy," I said, shrugging. "I already knew I was a descendant of Lucifer. I discovered it over the years. The fact that my blood has a degree of compatibility with yours just means you are too," I said casually. "Wait... how did you know?" I asked Ajuka, curious.
I hadn't even realized that Ajuka knew Vali was a descendant of Lucifer, and Vali still hadn't revealed his lineage. Ajuka just laughed.
"Wait, you knew?" Sirzechs asked incredulously, Ajuka felt.
"It was Serana's secret, not mine. I didn't think it was important to report on a succubus's lineage, even if it's from one of the original Satans," Ajuka said matter-of-factly. "She asked me to be here so I could confirm her claim," Ajuka added.
"That's why you wanted to come so suddenly." Serafall murmured. Ajuka just smiled and nodded.
"And I'm grateful for that," I told Ajuka with a smile, which he returned.
"And regarding Lucifer, primarily, deduction," Ajuka said amusedly. "Lucifer's blood is truly interesting. Despite being turned into a devil by God, it seems that God wasn't able to erase Lucifer's very essence as one of the original seraphim."
"An essence, which, despite being insignificant and irrelevant, was inherited by his descendants; I must say that although many angels were turned into devils, there were only a few survivors after the Great War, much less had offspring."
"And that such essence would still survive in his descendants would further reduce the list. Only a Great Seraphim, someone on Lucifer's level, would be capable of that," Ajuka said easily. That... wow. Ajuka was right. The small essence that belonged to Lucifer, part of his remnant as an Angel, was present within me. I had seen it, but it was so useless that it was truly pointless, even if I placed the template of an angel inside. But it was a good way to identify Lucifer's descendants, I suppose.
"Did they take my blood?" Vali hissed dangerously; I could feel his demonic power rising. I sneered.
"It's not my fault you were weak enough to lose it." I mocked Vali, who just glared at me. "Besides, your blood wasn't the only thing I took from the fight; a piece of your Divine Dividing that you dropped also proved quite useful," I said innocently. Vali gritted his teeth. I simply pulled out a small gauntlet. Although it was much smaller than a Twice Critical, it almost looked like a simple glove, except for the celestial orb on the back of the hand. "In fact, it served to create this," I said proudly.
"You created a Sacred Gear... from Vali?" Azazel asked, his eyes wide.
"From Divine Dividing onwards, yes." I simply corrected.
"What is it doing?" Ajuka asked as he approached, looking.
"Exactly the opposite of Twice Critical," I said easily. "It's capable of halving any opponent's power or attack, once," I explained. "It's a shame I can't use it multiple times like Divine Dividing, but without the Soul of Albion, I guess I can't push it any further," I said with a grimace.
"That... is impressive." Azazel murmured as he looked more closely. "Have you created anything else?" Azazel asked. I shrugged.
"If you mean in general, yes, many things, it's something I enjoy doing. If you mean the things I got from Vali, then I must say, dragon's blood is really useful as a potion ingredient." Tararee, Ajuka raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Something interesting? " Ajuka asked curiously.
" Several things, really, many interesting potions, dragon's blood has many uses as an ingredient, it's truly fascinating, even unprepared, it has many uses, did you know it's excellent for cleaning ovens, removing spots, and curing verruca? " I asked Ajuka excitedly. Ajuka's eyes widened.
"Wow, that sounds really useful." Ajuka said, sounding really serious. I nodded.
"It is." I agreed.
"You use dragon's blood as a cleaning product?" Azazel asked, sounding both horrified and very fascinated. I shrugged.
"It has excellent properties." I said, easily, and with a shitty smile. I could see Vali's eyes tremble violently.
"Can we get back to the point?" Sirzechs asked wearily. I shrugged with a smile.
"There's really not much to say. The fact that I'm a descendant of Lucifer doesn't really matter much. I have no interest in dealing with the Old Satan Faction or even associating with them or the other descendants of Lucifer." I said, shrugging.
"Are you sure? I mean, in theory you're... Vali's family." Azazel said cautiously. I shrank back.
"I mean, maybe." I snorted slightly. "I have no idea who my father is, so my relationship with Vali could be anything—brothers, cousins, uncle, and nephews, or anything else, really." I said easily. "Although I don't really care about that, I don't need any of that," I said honestly.
"And I need it even less." Vali said coldly. I shrugged. I could hear Azazel sigh.
"They're both a real pain in the neck," Azazel sighed. "Although I suppose that explains how a Succubus can reach such a level of power. All those damned members of the Lucifer clan are power-mad." Azazel grunted, and I snorted.
"I don't care about power," I said dryly. Azazel looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I shrugged. "I'm interested in magic, all kinds of magic that exist. I like studying it, learning it, and creating things with it. That I become stronger from it is simply a consequence," I said, shrugging. Azazel just sighed harder.
"Let's continue with the peace conference," Azazel said, slumping back into his seat.
"Sure, though I'm really interested to know how a descendant of Lucifer ended up in Grigori's hands." Sirzechs said with a strained smile. Azazel shrugged.
"I'll tell you later, first let's finish this," Azazel said easily. All the other leaders nodded, and the discussion resumed once more. Once everything relevant was finalized and signed, Michael began his talk with Issei about Asia.
Although I wasn't really interested in the conversation, I was interested in the part about the God System; I could see Michael's connection to it, but I couldn't really observe it from here.
I really would have to find a way to go to Heaven so I could observe it directly. I was very curious about how that system worked, just like the Sacred Gear System, but I suppose it was impossible to access the Seventh Heaven in the short term.
Nor would I want to risk everything by trying to sneak in invisibly with Aria. Even though I trusted she could hide me from the Seraphim, I was sure the seventh heaven had enough defenses that I couldn't get through without attracting attention.
Finally, the conversation was coming to an end, and I could feel time trying to freeze me. I dismissed the annoyance with ease.
I guess it was time for the Khaos Brigade attack.