Inside the conference room, around the circular table, the representatives of all three factions had gathered in full, and every single one of them carried a staggering pedigree.
Chief Archangel Michael was the current leader of Heaven, once the right hand of God Himself, and thus hailed as "the one who is like God." Though not a deity, he was as close to one as any being could be. His will was the will of God, making him God's spokesman, a figure renowned even in the human world.
Azazel was the Governor General of the fallen angels, the undisputed number one of their faction. Even across countless works of human fiction, he was consistently portrayed as a final-boss-caliber figure. Combined with the fact that the Grigori was an organization he had personally founded, his presence here carried more weight than any other fallen angel's could.
As for Sirzechs, he was the current Lucifer, head of the Four Great Maou, effectively the supreme leader of the current Underworld. More than that, he was a Super Devil whose power rivaled that of the gods themselves. Even if Michael and Azazel considered him a relative newcomer, having existed for only a few centuries, his strength alone ensured that no one could afford to underestimate or ignore him.
Then there was Serafall. Today, she had made the rare decision to forgo her usual magical girl outfit, wearing instead something resembling a military uniform. The skirt she still wore on the lower half kept the look from being too severe. She was also the Devil faction's chief diplomat, and as the current Leviathan, her power had already surpassed the ordinary Maou-Class. Her presence here was entirely justified.
The Chief Archangel, the Governor General of the fallen angels, and two sitting Maou... any one of these four commanded a background that was nothing short of extraordinary. As a result, apart from Vali, who leaned against the wall with his arms folded and an air of casual indifference, everyone else stood with tense faces, not daring to utter a word.
Even Rias and Sona, sisters of two of the Maou, held no greater standing in this setting than that of ordinary High-Class Devils. They could only stand ramrod straight against the wall, expressions grave.
Under the weight of that atmosphere, the members of the Eligos peerage felt the tension seeping in.
Only Leo remained composed, the same easy bearing as always.
"My apologies. We're late."
His demeanor was relaxed, yet his posture carried none of the usual casualness. With the poise befitting a noble's heir, he offered a flawless bow to everyone present.
That appearance, so different from his usual easygoing warmth, made him look every bit the refined young lord. More than a few girls found themselves staring.
But it wasn't Sirzechs or Serafall who responded. It was Azazel, the same one who had spoken first.
"The summit hasn't officially started yet, so you're not actually late."
Azazel showed zero awareness of his own status as a major figure. His feet were propped up on the table, and his gaze swept over the group of girls behind Leo, examining them the way a collector might appraise his treasures, eyes practically glowing.
"So these are your peerage? Not bad, not bad at all. One look and I can tell they've been thoroughly trained. None of them are flaring their auras, but every single one gives off this... refreshingly pleasant resonance." He leaned forward. "Which one's the host of Absolute Demise? And did the host of Create World come? Step forward and let me get a look."
Azazel seemed most interested in these two Sacred Gears. Yukino and Utaha both felt as though they had been locked onto by a dangerous predator, and their feet shifted back a half-step without thinking.
Leo had good reason to suspect that this man, the world's foremost authority on Sacred Gears, had already seen through the growth status of his peerage. Otherwise, why single out Absolute Demise and Create World from all the rest?
After all, those two Sacred Gears were the only ones among the Eligos peerage that had currently reached Balance Breaker.
That's right. Following Yukino's breakthrough, Utaha had also successfully crossed that threshold just yesterday, completing her own Balance Breaker.
So aside from Leo himself, the Eligos peerage now boasted two Sacred Gear users who had awakened Balance Breaker.
Unlike Azazel, Michael, the Chief Archangel and current leader of Heaven, seemed more interested in two different Sacred Gears entirely.
"I've heard that the current wielders of Incinerate Anthem and Blade Blacksmith are also part of this peerage."
Michael's gaze settled firmly on Asuna and Mahiru. His expression was gentle, his eyes kind, the sort of warmth that made you instinctively feel at ease.
"I see. I can indeed sense an extraordinarily powerful holy aura. The two of you must have put in tremendous effort to master that power. You've both worked very hard."
Michael showed no hint of prejudice toward Asuna and Mahiru despite them being devils. If anything, he looked at them as though they were his own children, which sent their impression of him soaring. Both flushed and hurriedly bowed their heads in greeting, which only deepened the smile on Michael's face.
"When you think about it, this really is something." Azazel grinned at the scene. "If you stop and consider it, this tiny room has gathered a collection of Longinus that would never, under normal circumstances, be found in the same place."
"Zenith Tempest, Boosted Gear, Divine Dividing, Incinerate Anthem, Absolute Demise... out of only thirteen Longinus in the entire world, five of them are right here in this room. That might actually be more astonishing than the three factions sitting down to talk."
At Azazel's remark, everyone present turned their eyes toward the five Longinus wielders.
Leo was the most conspicuous person in the room. He had been composed from the start. Vali, even leaning against the wall, naturally drew attention. Issei stood beside Rias looking visibly nervous, which frankly wasn't the most impressive showing. Meanwhile, Yukino and Mahiru managed to maintain their composure and avoided embarrassing themselves.
These five were all Longinus wielders, and most of them carried exceptional ones at that.
Leo went without saying. With the world's second-strongest Longinus residing within him, he was destined to be the star of any gathering where True Longinus didn't make an appearance.
Vali and Issei were the same. The current Two Heavenly Dragons, fated rivals. In any previous era, the two of them meeting without fighting to the death would have been unthinkable. The fact that they could now share a room peacefully was, on its own, historic.
Mahiru was the bearer of the Holy Cross, one of the three Holy Relics. That identity alone demanded Michael's continued attention.
Compared to those four, Yukino's standing as the host of Absolute Demise was relatively modest among Longinus wielders. But she had reached High-Class Devil levels of demonic power and achieved Balance Breaker with her Sacred Gear, all within the span of a few months. Looking at those accomplishments alone, she was someone who couldn't be underestimated no matter where she went.
"Add in Blade Blacksmith, Sword Birth, Create World, and Twilight Healing, all ultra-rare Sacred Gears also present in this room, and honestly... if it weren't for the occasion, I'd be figuring out a way to round up every single person here and drag them back to my lab in the Underworld."
Azazel's words, spoken with the enthusiasm of a mad scientist, made more than a few faces pale.
Issei especially couldn't hold back. "As expected from a final-boss-level villain. Who'd want to be dragged back by you?"
Compared to Issei's outburst, Saji's reaction was more along the lines of wounded pride.
"My Sacred Gear is part of a Dragon King's power, you know... how come I didn't make the list?"
Saji's aggrieved complaint drew another laugh from Azazel.
"Hey, if you want to come over to my side, you're more than welcome. By the way, I've got the other fragments of the Prison Dragon, Evil Dragon King Vritra's Sacred Gears. If you joined me, you could assemble the complete set of Vritra's Sacred Gear components right away and become a true Dragon King. Want to think it over?"
At those words, Saji's eyes went wide and he shook his head so fast it looked like a rattle drum.
"No way! I'm President's Pawn! I'm not going anywhere with you!"
Saji hurried to declare his loyalty to Sona, but she met his fervor with silence.
"Now, now, don't go poaching my dear Sona's people, Governor. Otherwise I'll get upset, you know."
Serafall winked at Azazel, looking adorable, but her words made him raise both hands in surrender.
"Scary, scary. I don't want to end up like Kokabiel, frozen ten times in ten seconds. I'll pass."
The moment those words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the room grew tense again.
Serafall and Michael alike let their smiles fade, and the looks they turned toward Azazel became guarded, uncertain.
Sirzechs broke his silence as well.
"Come in and have a seat, Leo."
Sirzechs offered Leo a smile and gestured him forward.
Leo nodded, leading the girls of the Eligos peerage to the wall where the Gremory and Sitri peerages stood.
"Has the summit really not started yet?"
Leo turned to Rias and Sona beside him. Both confirmed it.
"Before you arrived, hardly anyone said a word," Rias said quietly.
"The atmosphere has been tense the entire time. I doubt today's summit will go smoothly," Sona added in a low voice.
"I'm not so sure about that." Leo's gaze drifted to the one person in the room who still looked utterly relaxed, utterly unbothered. The corner of his mouth curved upward, and he murmured, almost to himself, "Sometimes the ones who look like enemies turn out to be friendlier than anyone."
No one heard him say it.
But with their arrival, the tripartite summit could finally begin in earnest.
After Grayfia served tea to each faction's representatives, it was Sirzechs who struck first.
"As everyone here is aware, this summit exists because the actions of the fallen angel faction's cadre, Kokabiel, have severely compromised the positions and interests of the other two factions. For the Devil side in particular, the threat and danger he posed were extreme."
Sirzechs turned his gaze toward Leo, Rias, and Sona.
"The three of you and your respective peerages were the parties directly involved in this incident. Please provide a detailed report on what transpired."
This had been arranged in advance. Leo, Rias, and Sona had all prepared for it.
The three stepped forward and began their account.
Sona went first. She and her peerage had primarily served in a support role during the incident, never directly engaging Kokabiel himself, so her report covered only the broad framework without going into specifics.
Rias followed with a far more detailed account. Her peerage had fought Kokabiel directly, so she could speak to the full course of events and how the situation had developed.
Leo went last, filling in the gaps. He explained why he had been in Kuoh Town and how he had ended up confronting Kokabiel.
"In summary, upon learning that the fallen angel cadre Kokabiel was the direct instigator of the incident, I engaged him. Through some measure of fortune, I emerged victorious, and the crisis was resolved."
Leo understated the entire affair, and the gazes of every major figure in the room grew deeper as they watched him.
"You can't just brush this off with 'some measure of fortune,' kid." Azazel grinned. "Kokabiel was a cadre, a ten-wing fallen angel just one step below the highest tier. Even against any of the original Maou, he wouldn't have been completely helpless. And yet you defeated him with ease, even suppressed and sealed him. That's a feat worthy of the history books."
Kokabiel was, after all, a figure recorded in mythological texts. For Leo to have crushed such a mythological figure so handily, at the very least, it guaranteed his name a place in the histories of the Devils, Angels, and fallen angels.
"I'm told you didn't even activate Balance Breaker during that fight," Michael said, a note of wonder in his voice. "As expected of the wielder of Zenith Tempest. Among all current Sacred Gear holders, you can certainly be counted as one of the strongest."
From the wall, Vali's eyes locked onto Leo with burning intensity, his fighting spirit surging hotter than before.
He knew. It wasn't just the fight against Kokabiel. In their own battle, Leo hadn't used Balance Breaker either.
He dreamed of fighting Leo again.
Too bad. Leo didn't so much as glance his way.
Issei, on the other hand, stared at Leo with undisguised envy.
One of the strongest Sacred Gear holders, huh...
They were both Longinus wielders. When would he ever catch up to someone like that?
"That kid really has completely transformed." Even Serafall muttered under her breath.
The Leo she remembered had been nothing more than a minor nuisance she could have dealt with effortlessly.
Now, he was something else entirely.
"Is that all you have to say, Azazel?" Sirzechs pressed, turning back to the fallen angel Governor. "Regarding Kokabiel, don't you have anything further to explain?"
To that, Azazel smirked and tossed out a single line.
"There's nothing to explain, is there?"