— — — — — —
Once the tone of the meeting was set, the three factions dispersed, each heading to their assigned lodgings under the guidance of a group of small yokai.
Walking along the corridors of Yasaka Shrine, Rias frowned deeply, glancing at her brother as if she wanted to say something but couldn't quite bring herself to.
"If you've got something to say, just say it," Sirzechs said with a smile, having already seen through her hesitation.
"…Are you really okay with being absorbed like this, Brother?" Rias asked, her voice laced with worry.
She was afraid he might not truly accept the situation—and worse, that he might act impulsively because of it.
Sirzechs paused for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little reluctant. If I'd refused Ryo Yagami, I'd still be the Satan Lucifer. There aren't many who could keep me in check, and among devils, my word would still carry absolute authority."
"Sounds pretty great, doesn't it?"
Rias didn't answer. She just looked at him, concern written all over her face.
But Sirzechs wasn't really asking her; he was asking himself.
"…But devils are too fragile."
"The Four Great Satans sounds impressive, but in reality, aside from Ajuka and me, Serafall and Falbium don't quite measure up to the previous generation."
"And beyond that, the Devil Council has been tightening its constraints on me more and more. Unless I'm willing to purge those old fossils completely—which I'm not—my power will just keep slipping away."
"And that's only our internal problems."
"Externally, there's the Hindu pantheon, the Greek gods, Indra of the Buddhist-Heaven faction, the Celtic gods… Every one of those top-tier forces is packed with monsters. Which one of them is weaker than the devils? Which one isn't eyeing the territory controlled by the three factions?"
"I might be able to hold off one of them. But all of them?"
Rias opened her mouth, but no words came out.
It was the first time she'd ever heard him speak like this, the first time she truly understood the weight he was carrying.
"Now you get it, don't you?"
Sirzechs continued quietly, "Why I acknowledged that Devil Progenitor before… why I accepted her as someone above even a king… and why now I'm willing to accept being absorbed by someone who isn't even a devil."
"It's simple. I can't carry the burden of the devil race anymore."
"I've tried everything to grow stronger, but at this point, the results are minimal. Maybe in a few thousand years I could reach Shiva's level—but do I have that kind of time to slowly build up?"
By the time he finished, his rationality had settled back in. He had already convinced himself.
"Now there's someone at the level of a Dragon God or maybe stronger carrying the weight from above. That alone makes things much easier for me."
"So Rias, you don't need to worry. I'm far more clear-headed than you think."
"…I understand."
Rias lowered her head. Compared to her brother, who bore the fate of their entire race, her own concerns suddenly felt embarrassingly naive.
Sensing that things had gotten a bit too heavy, Sirzechs deliberately changed the subject, speaking in a teasing tone. "By the way… what's going on between you and Ryo? I heard he took you around Kyoto for quite a while."
Rias immediately thought back to the "arranged marriage" incident, and her face flushed bright red.
"You're joking… it wasn't just me. Akeno was there too."
Sirzechs raised an eyebrow at her reaction. And when he heard Akeno was involved, something about that statement felt… off.
After a moment, he said quietly. "The family has arranged a marriage for you."
Rias froze. "Huh? But Ryo said that was fake—he said I was just overthinking things?"
Sirzechs fell silent for a second, then replied in an oddly calm tone. "You are overthinking again."
He gave her a meaningful look, then sighed and gently patted her head, his expression turning nostalgic.
"You've really grown up…"
'…to the point of picking your own trouble.' He wisely kept that last part to himself.
Rias, on the other hand, was mortified. She slapped his hand away and snapped. "Brother, what exactly are you thinking?!"
"I'm not thinking anything," Sirzechs replied after a brief hesitation.
"I just mean… Rias…"
"What?" she asked, confused by his suddenly awkward expression.
He sighed again. "If you really want to do something… you'd better give it your all. Even if it means using… unconventional methods. After all, matters involving Ryo aren't something I can interfere with."
He paused, then added. "As for family pressure, don't worry about it. I'll handle the Phenex side too. On this, your brother fully supports you."
Rias's face twitched. Then she smiled sweetly, "Dear Brother… you don't seem very clear-headed today. Why don't you go back and rest early?"
"I'm serious, Rias—hey, don't push me—"
"Please leave! Preferably forever!"
"Don't be shy! Back in the day, Dad practically threw himself at it! Be brave, girl."
"GET LOST!"
...
..
At the luxurious hotel purchased by the Fallen Angels in Kyoto—
After dinner, Azazel raised his glass of red wine with a grin.
"Come on, why the long faces? Cheers!"
Shemhazai covered his face, speechless, while Akeno couldn't help but laugh at Azazel's antics.
Finally, Baraqiel couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Azazel, how are you still in the mood to joke around at a time like this?!"
"What? You think I just sold out the entire Fallen Angel faction for no reason?" Azazel shot him a glare.
"Well… no, but something this important—you didn't even discuss it with us—"
"Hey!" Azazel clapped his wrist lightly, then downed his wine in one go.
"I finally got rid of that liability called the Fallen Angels. Do you know how hard that was? I should never have taken on the role of the first Governor."
"You—!"
Baraqiel started to protest, but Shemhazai stopped him.
"Let him relax," Shemhazai said, shaking his head. "It's rare to see him this at ease."
"But still…" Baraqiel hesitated.
Shemhazai rolled his eyes. "Without him as Governor, we now have someone who rivals the Infinite Dragon God taking the position. How is that a bad thing?"
"…Fair enough." Baraqiel finally fell silent.
The Fallen Angels had always been the weakest of the three factions—simply because they lacked a true top-tier powerhouse.
Now, with a Dragon God–level Governor and their artificial Fallen Angel technology, their rise was practically guaranteed.
"Before anything else, let's go over tomorrow's details. Everything Azazel brought back is just rough drafts!"
As Shemhazai dragged Baraqiel into planning, Akeno quietly slipped out of the room.
...
..
Behind Yasaka Shrine—
Sitting at the edge of a corridor, casually stroking a black cat in his arms, Ryo lifted his head slightly, a hint of surprise in his eyes as he looked at the woman who had approached.
"Sneaking around to meet me alone like this… isn't that a bit improper?"
His gaze lingered on the strikingly curvy woman before him, the corner of his lips curling into a faint smile.
.
.
.