After Michael apologized, August nodded. He had been given enough respect, and August naturally didn't want to overdo it, especially since Asia wasn't present either. So, that settled it.
Sirzechs looked at everyone, cleared his throat, and then slowly began,
"Before we start this meeting, there's something we need to address, and that's the Kokabiel incident."
At this mention, Azazel became the center of attention in an instant. After all, Kokabiel was one of the Fallen Angels.
Azazel felt helpless. Being the Governor-General of the Fallen Angels was truly troublesome. August had mentioned it before, and now it was being brought up again.
"Not long ago, Kokabiel, a Fallen Angel, came to Kuoh and stole three Holy Swords from the church. He also attempted to kill Rias and Sona. As for this matter, Azazel, do you have anything to say?"
Sirzechs's tone was calm, but no one dared to take it lightly; after all, it concerned the younger sisters of two Satans.
Not only Sirzechs but also Serafall looked at Azazel with anger. If August hadn't dealt with Kokabiel already, Serafall would have frozen him into an ice block long ago.
For her, Sona was her only concern, and no one was allowed to harm her beloved little sister.
"I'm truly sorry. Kokabiel caused you trouble. However, Kokabiel's actions were merely his personal thoughts. It has nothing to do with the Fallen Angels, and we don't want to ignite the flames of war again!"
His words weren't genuinely believed by anyone else present; they were all shrewd characters and not easy to trust.
Moreover, the wars between their three factions had been full of killings and schemes from the beginning. Even if this was the intention of the Fallen Angels, Kokabiel was already dead, and there was no evidence.
"Rias, Sona, you two are the parties involved. Do you have anything to say?"
Sirzechs looked at Rias and Sona, allowing them to attend this meeting as they were directly involved in this matter, and naturally, they had the most say.
As for August, he was too lazy to argue with them here, so he didn't want to get involved.
What he was looking forward to was the attack of the Khaos Brigade later. Those magicians were like fertilizer for the World Tree in August's view, despite their lower strength, their numbers were significant.
"Well, it's like this..."
Rias stepped forward and recounted everything from when Xenovia and Irina arrived in Kuoh to Kokabiel causing trouble and finally being dealt with by August.
Especially when everyone heard that Kokabiel had been killed by a single blow from August, they were all astonished.
Azazel had been peeking from the sidelines, so naturally, he knew all about it.
Michael looked at Irina beside him, and Irina nodded. Although Rias's narrative made her seem foolish, the information itself was correct.
"This incident has also revealed many secrets, including the fall of God. Everyone present knows about it. Now, our three factions..."
After Rias and Sona finished their statements, Sirzechs began his lengthy discourse.
The current situation of the Three Factions was well understood by their current leaders, making the progress of this meeting smooth.
Whether Devil, Angel, or Fallen Angel, none could endure further conflict. Continuation down that path would only lead the Three Factions towards gradual demise, ultimately leading to the decline, or even the end, of the God of the Bible's lineage.
Though the Three Factions were sworn enemies, they were all part of the same pantheon.
And in this world, pantheons were not scarce; there were the famous Greek, Norse, and Hindu, among others.
Danger not only existed internally but also externally.
If the strength of the Three Factions continued to weaken, they would inevitably attract the attention of more powerful pantheons. Eventually, they would be attacked, and if they failed, everything would be divided among the victors.
"So, in the end, I wonder where everyone stands?"
Finally, the meeting came to the crux: the stance of each faction.
"Now, Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels can no longer withstand another onslaught. We have already made the decision to peacefully coexist with Devils and Fallen Angels!"
Michael was the first to speak. Compared to Devils and Fallen Angels, Angels were the most troublesome.
Though the number of pure-blooded Devils was decreasing, they still existed. Moreover, with the Evil Pieces, Devils were slowly recovering their strength.
As for Fallen Angels, without the God of the Bible, the system's operation was extremely strained, leading to an increasing likelihood of fall.
Furthermore, Fallen Angels could still bear offspring among themselves. Though their numbers were not plentiful, they were not incapable of continuation.
Angels, on the other hand, without the God of the Bible, could not increase their numbers any further. For every Angel lost, there would be none to replace them, making it impossible to replenish their ranks.
Thus, peace was what Michael wanted to see most... peace that would allow Angels to develop.
"Haha, it's surprising to hear such words from the rigid Michael. You were always the one chanting 'God Almighty~' before. Now, you're surprisingly reasonable."
"So much has been lost, and what's gone is gone. There's no point in seeking it further. Guiding humanity correctly and protecting the continuity of Angels is my mission!"
"Hey, with statements like that, you're already bordering on fallen territory."
Michael glanced at Azazel, ignoring him. In terms of verbal sparring, he had never been at a disadvantage.
Seeing Michael ignoring him, Azazel found it rather dull.
"We feel the same way. With the absence of the True Satans, war is unnecessary. For Devils today, it's equivalent to destruction!"
Sirzechs and Serafall exchanged a glance, expressing their stance. Devils, too, desired peace.
"God is not the only one. While God was present, the world turned. Even without God, the world still turns. If war were to erupt again, our Three Factions could very well tread the path to destruction. So, gentlemen, let us form a peace treaty!"
Azazel slowly articulated the ultimate purpose of this meeting, which was also the hope of everyone present.
And behind Azazel, Vali, looking at Azazel before him, curled his lips slightly, revealing a hint of a cold smile.
___
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Azazel voiced the ultimate purpose of this three factions meeting: a peace treaty!
"Devils have no objections. What Devils need now is peace and time to recover."
Sirzechs was the first to speak. After all, this meeting was arranged under his intention. Among the three factions, Devils were the most constrained. Whether it was Angels or Fallen Angels, Light was their nemesis.
"Angels share the same sentiment. Now that God is no longer present, the most crucial thing is the continuity of Angels, not hostility."
Michael also spoke up. Compared to the other two factions, Angels were constantly depleting their difficult-to-recover reserves, making them more passive.
At this moment, Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels unanimously reached the same goal: peace.
Following this, August and Vali became the focus. Similarly, this was the significance of their presence at this three factions meeting. Special occasions required individuals with corresponding strength and qualifications to witness.
"Now that everyone is in agreement, finally, what about the two Heavenly Dragons' attitudes?"
Sirzechs looked at August and Vali and said slowly, although it was just a formality.
"It doesn't matter. Whether it's peace or war, I only care about my own territory. As long as it doesn't touch my interests, you can do whatever you want."
"Self-interest, huh?"
Azazel said slowly, also expressing August's thoughts.
However, this answer surprised Sirzechs a bit. From this statement, he could tell that August didn't have any particular affection for Devils, despite his high status in the Underworld.
Michael chuckled. Devils were now the strongest among the three factions. Thanks to the Evil Pieces, although pure-blooded Devils were still rare, the number of Devils had rapidly increased.
Not to mention the current Four Satans, two of whom were Super Devil, and two were Satan-class.
Now that August, a Satan-class being, showed no special affinity for Devils, this was good news. Otherwise, if Devils dominated, even with a peace treaty, it would ultimately be meaningless.
A treaty was just a piece of paper; in the face of interests, it could be torn up at any time.
The so-called treaty only made sense under relatively equal conditions. If one party had the confidence to tear up the treaty, then the treaty was as flimsy as paper.
"White Dragon Emperor, what about you?"
Michael looked at Vali behind Azazel. The Red Dragon Emperor had already stated his stance, so it was natural to ask him next.
"I only need to fight strong opponents."
Vali said indifferently, and his answer naturally satisfied everyone.
At this moment, everyone was smiling because, from the beginning, the three opposing factions finally welcomed peace at this moment.
But just at this memorable moment, August looked out the window with a mysterious smile.
Not long ago, August had already sensed a large amount of malice approaching. Now, the entire Kuoh Academy was surrounded. Everyone present became fish in a barrel.
"So, with the attitudes of the three factions and the two Heavenly Dragons clarified, the peace treaty will-"
Boom!
Before he could finish, a rumbling sound came from outside the window. Immediately after, a special magic enveloped the entire Kuoh Academy.
The entire world suddenly shifted from a colorful realm to a frozen black-and-white world. However, Sirzechs, Serafall, Michael, Azazel, Vali, and August were among the few who remained unaffected.
As for Rias, Sona, and their group, they all turned into black-and-white still images, frozen in place.
"This is the power of time? The entire surroundings' time has been frozen." Azazel said solemnly, walking to the window where he saw a dense crowd of magicians outside.
"Whose ability is this? Or is it a sacred gear?"
"It should be the power of a sacred gear. Could it be that the other party has a sacred gear with the time attribute?"
"A sacred gear? Could it be..."
Sirzechs suddenly looked at Rias. This was because one of Rias's peerage members possessed a sacred gear with the power of time. Similarly, this peerage member was someone he thought Rias had chosen.
Above Kuoh Academy, a large number of mages appeared, all dressed in black robes, making their faces completely unrecognizable.
However, considering their numbers, the scale of this situation, and the means of freezing time, this was definitely not a coincidence but a carefully planned attack.
At this moment, Sirzechs and Serafall had already lifted the time freeze effect on Rias, Sona, and their group.
Everyone was puzzled and confused, except for August, who smiled and glanced at Vali beside him.
August knew that this girl was also a member of the Khaos Brigade and an undercover agent. Although he wasn't the mastermind behind this attack, he was still involved.
"Onii-sama, what's going on?"
"Someone used a sacred gear with the time attribute to freeze the surrounding time."
"A sacred gear? Gasper!"
Rias immediately thought of Gasper, one of her peerage members who she had sealed in the old school building, a shy, non-blood-sucking vampire with a penchant for cross-dressing.
"As expected, the Khaos Brigade."
"Azazel, do you know anything?"
"The Khaos Brigade is a mysterious and powerful terrorist organization that gathers dangerous elements from the three factions, including many sacred gear users. It has been confirmed that at least three members possess Longinus."
"Three Longinus?"
Azazel's words were undoubtedly shocking. After all, these were Longinus, of which there were only thirteen in the whole world, and two had already appeared in this room alone. And now, a terrorist organization had three?
"That's right, this is just a rough estimate. The real combat power is still unknown!"
At this point, Azazel glanced at August. He didn't betray August, not because he didn't want to, but because he was afraid of the consequences.
"So what are these people's intentions?"
"I don't know, but according to the information I've received, the leader of this organization is a dragon god even more powerful and ferocious than the Red Dragon and the White Dragon."
"More powerful than the Red Dragon and the White Dragon? Could it be that one?"
"Infinite Dragon God Ophis, the strongest dragon god who has reigned supreme since the beginning of this world."
At this moment, the leaders of the three factions, without exception, were all extremely serious. This was the Infinite Dragon God Ophis, after all.
"But of course, Ophis is just a puppet pushed to the forefront. Behind him is the real mastermind. Ophis is just being used."
Azazel's follow-up statement was astonishing. Even Vali was taken aback. He didn't expect Azazel to know about this.
___
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