[Sirzechs Gremory]
The Demi-fiend stares at me with what can only be called an utterly blank look, glancing between the page in his hands and my own eyes a few times in silence.
"I don't suppose this Judecca is something I should know very much about?" He says finally, grinning at his own lack of knowledge.
I can't help but match his smile.
"Nah. I mean, it's only one of the most important landmarks in the history of the Underworld, the home of House Lucifer, and the place where Lucifer landed after being cast down from Heaven. Not that special."
Hidden behind his drink, I see Ajuka smirk slightly as Alistair mutters a 'fucking hell' beneath his breath, blinking in shock.
"I figured a place so special would come up in conversation once or twice. Must be one hell of a wasteland now if none of you saw fit to mention it to me."
Ajuka leans forward, his drink settled on the table as he returns to the pages in his hand.
"It was never very appealing to begin with. Looking out the window and seeing the armies of the Grigori training to kill your people isn't very conducive to happiness, funnily enough. The rest of the Clan clearly agreed, since they spent almost all of their time in Lucifaad."
The Demi-fiend frowns, leaning back in his seat as he glances over the array of paper.
"So there's just a country-sized mega-mansion sitting in the middle of nowhere, empty as a cemetery. Why the hell would the walking bomb that you are be going there, General? Can't you be put to much better use?"
Harsh, Alistair. I don't exactly like being called a bomb.
"Well, all we want at the moment is to make sure it's under our control by the time the war ends, a day that is quickly approaching after your arrival."
He follows along, but leaves me room to continue and fill in the blanks for him.
"When Lucifaad falls, Loyalists may just rally to Judecca and launch a new offensive from the safety of those walls, and the cycle would start again anew. We need to have eyes in every corner of the Underworld to make sure we won't be caught off guard by any sudden uprisings that may happen."
He sighs, a hand in his hair.
"I assume this risk is only amplified when the possibility remains that Rizevim scoops up the Loyalists for himself should that migration to Judecca happen and he be sitting pretty in there."
My hand raises, finger pointed his way as I mime the action of that poisonous projectile thrower he used in Cain's Throne again.
"Bingo. The chance is low, downright zero, but it's entirely possible that Rizevim has been spending the last few years cooped up in Judecca, waiting for the day we push our enemies into his open arms. We haven't been able to send much in terms of surveillance that way."
The Demi-fiend hums in thought, smiling at something we aren't privy to. I make sure to nip that amusement in the bud.
"You should be cautious moving forward, Alistair. He's had a bit of an interest in you ever since you cut down Euclid. That attention is only going to grow if you start fighting the war proper."
He looks at me, brow raised.
"And you know this how? Do you trade letters in the mail? Are you pen-pals with the big bad Super Devil?"
Super Devil is... definitely an interesting way of describing one of the biggest threats to our people. Can't deny the truth in it though.
"It's a theory we've had for a while now."
Ajuka butts into the conversation once more, speaking in my stead.
"There were several transmissions being made between Euclid and an unknown caller over the months before his demise. We were hoping that your foray into Lucifaad would shed light on these discussions, because our own attempts to intercept came up with nothing. Of course, I'm sure we all know by now how that went down."
He takes a quick sip of his drink, raising it in a mock toast to the Demi-fiend.
"If our theory is correct, and that anonymous benefactor of his turns out to be Rizevim Lucifer himself, then you might have given the madman even more reasons to seek you out, be it on a grudge or his own interest."
The Demi-fiend groans, head in his hands as he sinks into the chair behind him.
"Lovely." He whines, muffled, "I'm so happy to hear that; Bidleid wanting me dead just wasn't enough it seems. I'll make an enemy of every psycho in the Underworld by the year's end at this rate."
I can't help but laugh at his misfortune, and how familiar the scene is. I'd gone through the same woe myself after finding the bloodied head of a goat at my front doorstep, courtesy of the 'Super Devil' himself.
Ajuka notices the Demi-fiend's suffering, and offers his own condolences. At least, as close to it as he can get.
"If it's any consolation, that list will be one head shorter by the year's end as well. Bidleid's all but accepted his death. Now he just wanders from battlefield to battlefield, scouring the lands for your presence. If you died, I'm sure he'd kill himself soon after."
"Somehow, that thought isn't very endearing. Given that I'm not yet strong enough to do something about him, I think that's actually quite worrying to hear."
The Demi-fiend doesn't realise it, but Ajuka sends a glance my way as he notices the same grin on Alistair's lips that I do after he finishes talking.
It almost seems like he's fighting against his own desires, caught between rationale and a simmering hatred, fist clenching and unclenching at just the thought.
I clear my throat and try to shift the conversation away from Bidleid.
"We seem to have gotten quite sidetracked. The point I was going to make, before we lost our focus, was that I want you to join me on the mission to survey Judecca."
He looks at a clock on the wall in lieu of a watch, hissing through his teeth.
"Are you sure that's a good idea? I'd already committed to joining Serafall today."
"I'm not saying you can't. This little operation is still in the planning phase, and we'll need to be absolutely sure of our plan going in there. One wrong move, and we could wind up provoking the Grigori next door. It'll be a while before we can embark on it."
He chokes on his drink at the mention of the Fallen, coughing violently for a moment.
"You said it was a secretive matter, not that there was a risk of starting another fucking Great War if things go wrong!"
Ajuka, ever the pedantic man, smiles.
"Technically that still counts as a secretive matter. If anything, that only explains why it's so secretive in the first place."
The Demi-fiend makes no effort to respond at first, wiping down his own chin and coughing out the coffee still in his lungs. A moment later, a slight green shimmer crosses over his body, and he's composed once more.
"...I suppose that would explain why you've struggled to make any proper surveillance of the place?"
It's admittedly impressive watching him go from choking and spluttering to stone faced within the span of a second, but I make no comment on it as I respond to his query.
"Yeah. Since the war started, we've sent two people to try and get an idea of the situation. The first never came back, and the second did- only it was in pieces. Clearly they don't appreciate visitors."
He sighs, before laughing to himself.
"And in your infinite wisdom, you've decided that if they'll attack regular Devils, then surely they'll stay their hands if Sirzechs fucking Gremory is approaching them."
I instantly grimace, at both his words, and the plain truth behind them.
"I am unfortunately the best form of deterrent these days. The Council are usually pretty reluctant to send me so close to the border for fear that it might be seen as a declaration of war."
Alistair snorts in derision.
"Seems like the lines have been drawn quite succinctly on that map. At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what the Fallen think, it's our land. If they want to shit themselves over our affairs, that's not our problem."
I sigh, smiling all the while at his crass language as Ajuka huffs in amusement.
"I tried to make the same point myself in regards to Judecca, but the Council have shut me down every time. They don't think the risk is worth it."
He squints at me for a long moment after I finish speaking. The words play back in his mind several times, before he grins like a child on his birthday.
"General Gremory, as I live and breathe... you've finally grown a pair! Reluctant my ass, you're going behind their backs for this!"
I flush in embarassment, but make no efforts to deny his words.
"That's... another reason why we've been so clandestine about this. I figured the Council would only try and stop me, and I know for a fact that it's a choice they'd come to regret. We don't even know who's operating out of Judecca. The Fallen could have taken it themselves for all we know."
He laughs, though I can't help but notice the blatant malice in it.
"Of course! Those pompous bastards must be so afraid of a Fallen invasion in the midst of this war that they won't even touch Judecca for fear of losing what they've gained. How pathetic."
He leans forward, filled with new vigor.
"Alright then. What have you got planned so far, and what do you need of me?"
I find myself smiling yet again at his enthusiasm, though the Demi-fiend finds himself met with a stone wall as Ajuka throws a piece of paper his way, a map of the regions surrounding the palace.
It shows the scope of the palace, the proximity it has to the Fallen's slice of the Underworld, Gehenna, and the forest surrounding it on all sides, Calchon. Past the forest are several Loyalist outposts we've taken notice of over the years, the largest being the town of Vaniel.
"At the moment, we've nothing but an idea. This plan was only formed a brief... 43- no, 44 minutes ago after all. It's more a concept than anything, an idea that requires quite a bit of work before we can entertain it."
Ajuka pauses and turns, motioning for me to continue. I grin.
"So far, we've only come up with one idea, but it's one I think you'll like. There aren't any teleportation blockers in Judecca. We can skip the infiltration game and slip right past any surveillance coming out of Calchon with a quick teleport."
His own smile quickly matches mine in size.
"Of course, whoever is sitting in Judecca will notice the Mana exchange immediately after, so we'll have to be quick with our inspection. If the Fallen have occupied it, great, we can skip a few stages and take back control of the palace, or get out of dodge and leave it for another day."
My enthusiasm dims slightly.
"If there's Loyalists, then things become a bit more complicated. Depending on who is in the building on that day, it could either be as simple as capturing any Devils roaming the compound, or it could be as difficult as trading blows with the son of Lucifer."
Alistair listens on with rapt attention, something I can only be thankful for.
"Thankfully, by the time this mission happens, you'll no doubt be strong enough to pull your own weight. That's not to say it will be easy. I'd go so far as to say it'll be the toughest battle we ever fight in our lives."
If anything, my warning only seems to excite the Demi-fiend even further. I'd seen it briefly during the battle with Ludwig, but looking at him now, it's impossible to ignore.
He's gotten addicted to the danger, the thrill of having his life on the line. Maybe it's just a facet of his growth, an instinct to treat everything as a grindstone to constantly hone his power.
...He almost reminds me of Bidleid, in a way that leaves me disgusted and tempted to apologise for even considering the thought.
I don't get the chance to even consider such a thing though, as the Demi-fiend interrupts my thoughts with the verbal equivalent of a slap to the face.
"If we do wind up battling Rizevim, what do we do about any family that might be with him? A wife, maybe children? Surely they'd be caught in the crossfire of such a battle."
Ajuka takes a sip of his drink beside me, piercing the silence that forms as Alistair and I stare one another down.
I already know exactly what he's going to say before he even says it.
"Rizevim announced the birth of his son before he left the public eye. It was the last thing the people of the Underworld heard about him, and it's entirely likely that you might encounter the boy or his mother in Judecca, should Rizevim be there. Still..."
Another sip, another pause. He's completely unbothered by the words on his lips.
"If you have the chance to kill him, then take it. If he truly was corresponding with Euclid as we believe, then we now have no idea what his goals or plans may shift to in the boy's absence. Leaving him to act freely only exacerbates the threat he represents. I can only ask that you do your best to mitigate any unnecessary casualties."
...he's right.
Logically speaking, at least. If there's even a chance that we can get the jump on Rizevim and nip the bud on his nightmare before it begins, I should take it. I've wanted it more than anything for years now.
I just... I don't know if I could live with myself if the price of that resolution is the rest of Clan Lucifer dying alongside him. A wife, a child. A legacy. Innocent Devils, who have no part in this conflict.
The weight upon my shoulders already grows too much to bear the longer this war lasts. The death of Clan Lucifer may be a burden too great for me to carry.
Is this why he keeps them around? Did he know I'd be asking myself these questions?
"Sirzechs."
The Demi-fiend's voice comes with a clarity I only wish I could match, breaking me from my thoughts.
"We are going to need a plan for the worst case scenario."
I sigh, fingers rapping against the table rhythmically.
"Right, right. I'll... I'll think about it. Like Ajuka said, this is all just a rough idea so far. We've got a lot to work on before we even think about heading down there, and you're going to need a lot more power."
Ajuka mercifully notices my struggle and takes control of the discussion, leaving me to sit back and massage my temple.
"A lot of work indeed. If we want to get the most out of taking Judecca, then we'll need to push back the Loyalists enough that they consider rallying there. We may just have to wait until Lucifaad is within our reach to make any proper moves on the palace."
He lifts a hand to the table and summons something into his palm, a crystalline chess piece. Part of the 'resurrection plan' Ajuka briefly mentioned to me.
"More importantly though, you and I have another matter to be attending to before long your foray into Judecca can be executed."
The Demi-fiend looks at the crystal with a concerning degree of recognition, glancing at the thrown page a moment later, a drawn schematic of the 'Evil Pieces'.
"...How've you gotten your hands on the- the Agasenite for this? I thought the whole point of infiltrating Agreas was to get it."
Ajuka waves a hand in the air.
"It's only a glass replica, there's no Agaresite to be seen in it. A proof of concept more-so than anything else. As for the infiltration effort, I've found a... business partner that might be able to help us with breaching the Kármán line to reach it."
Alistair sputters in shock once again.
"The Kármán- how high up is this fucking castle, Ajuka!?"
Ajuka grins, ignorant to how bizarre it is that the Demi-fiend even knows what that is given it's not been established in the human world.
"High enough that our wings alone would struggle to reach it. Luckily for us, I've enlisted another pair to help. Oh, and don't be so reductive. It's a city, not a castle."
Alistair smacks his head mockingly.
"Ah, of course, how silly of me. Allow me to try that again... Why the fuck is this city so high in the sky?! That defeats the whole point of it being a bloody city!"
Again, I find myself laughing at his astonishment as Ajuka shrugs.
"The Satans had an eye for the fantastical. It's not the type of city you'd want to live in, anyways, given it's where the weather of the Underworld is controlled from. Wind speeds can get a bit... extreme."
The Demi-fiend laughs in blatant disbelief.
"I'm sorry, what? You have weather control machines?"
Alistair keeps his eyes on Ajuka while he returns to his drink, a quick blast of fire coming from his finger that heats the cold beverage back up after a few moments.
"...Did you think the weather was natural? Our realm receives no heat from the sun to create wind, has no oceans to catalyse rain cycles. Even our atmosphere is artifical. It's nothing more than a thick layer of Mana that protects us from the Dimensional Gap."
The Demi-fiend suddenly leans back in his chair, a hand massaging his head as if the knowledge he'd gained were being stabbed into him repeatedly.
"Is that why the sky is on fire?"
Ajuka nods, laughing, and I can't help but feel like a bit of a third wheel right now.
"Yes, that's one way of describing it. The Dimensional Gap's volatile energy is constantly pushing against the edges of our home. Were it not for the Grand Mechanism in Agreas, I wager the realm would have been torn asunder by now."
...is it bad that I wasn't aware of that? I don't think it is, I mean, it's not like I studied anything in this field.
"Ah, of course. The Grand Mechanism. You people have a machine that can control weather and stave off dimensional fracture entirely unmanned, but you still travel on horse and carriage."
Ajuka almost falls for the bait. Almost. Instead, he sighs and stands from his seat, grabbing hold of another document and sending it across the table to meet the Demi-fiend's open hand.
"Our society has long been quite technologically advanced. You've unfortunately been seeing the worst of it after the railroads were shut down once the Civil War broke out."
Alistair grabs hold of it and skims his eyes over the map with mild interest, continuing to speak as he does so.
"So you say. At the very least I can see now why nobody's made an effort to touch Agreas for the last few decades. They're probably piss-scared of touching the wrong thing and killing us all."
"For good reason." I cut in, arms folded after I moved to hover over the Demi-fiend's seat and take a look at the map myself.
He looks up at me in surprise for a moment as I continue to speak, deciding to take advantage of his lack of knowledge.
"Just remember that if you break the Mechanism, everyone in the Underworld will be ripped apart by clashing Dimensional energies, pulled so hard that their bodies begin to stretch like spaghetti and be pulled toward an ever expanding horizon of-"
"-He's lying."
Ajuka's flat voice stops my charade, the Demi-fiend sighing in palpable relief at the knowledge that the fate of the Underworld doesn't rest on his shoulders. He looks up at me again, mouthing a quick 'jackass' as I grin, before tuning back into Ajuka's lecture.
"If you break the Mechanism, our deaths would be much less drawn out." He starts, a quick sip of his drink ensuing.
"The realm would be engulfed by unstable Dimensional volatility, and we'd all either explode from the inside out in a heap of blood and viscera from the conflicting pressure, or be sucked into the gaping maw of the Dimensional Gap, left to float endlessly through infinitely expanding space with no hope of return."
...
Deafening silence engulfs the room.
Several seconds pass as Ajuka continues to occasionally sip from his cup, all while the Demi-fiend and I stare in abject horror.
Eventually, Alistair's shock fades into incredulity.
"What the fuck, Ajuka?"
"I was only telling the truth."
"Wha- well how about you don't then?!"
"Wouldn't you rather know how you'd die? I figured the uncertainty would eat at you."
"No! Bloody hell, no! I feel so much worse now- what made you think that was smart?!"
"Fear of the unknown is one of the most commonly shared worries in the realm."
"I'm a little bit more afraid of fucking exploding right now funnily enough!"
Their voices quietly fade into the background while I stare off into nothing.
As the Demi-fiend silently chastises Ajuka's stone cold demeanour, I'm left with the harrowing realisation that these two socially inept clowns might just be the only people in the Underworld I could confidently call my friends nowadays.
That realisation stays in the back of my mind as Alistair's frustration simmers down, the Half-Devil dropping back into his seat with an aggressive sigh, leaning forward and resting his head in his hands.
Somehow, I get the feeling his sudden bout of exhaustion isn't just born of Ajuka's pedantic nature.
"Something the matter, Alistair?" I say, unable to stop myself from speaking out.
"Oh, no, I'm fine. Simply realising how little free time I'll have soon. Between aiding Serafall, infiltrating Agreas and surveying Judecca, I get the feeling my schedule is going to be quite packed going forward."
I sigh, half tempted to pat him on the back in some form of encouragement.
"Such is the fate of those who choose to fight. Freedom doesn't come to those who sit idle and wait for it."
He grumbles again.
"Freedom is also quite cheap. I killed Euclid, mostly did in Ludwig, and I'll probably kill another High Class bastard soon. Do I not even get a paycheck for that?"
Ajuka smirks, my own expression mirroring his. We exchange a glance, and he cracks with a small chuckle. His laughter spurs on my own, and after a few seconds I'm openly giggling at Alistair's dull frown as I speak.
"Oh come on Demi-fiend, did you really think the Satanihilus were being paid for their work? You can't call yourself a revolutionary if you do it all on a monthly wage!"
He folds his arms, leaning back in his chair.
"Of course. Nothing comes easy in this bloody realm, does it?"
It takes a few seconds, but the giggles finally die down enough for me to sit atop the table and look down at him.
"Nope. Everyone has to work together to make a change in the world. It's one of the reasons we don't exactly number very high."
He massages the bridge of his nose.
"I suppose that makes sense. It's not exactly common for people to throw away lives of comfort and grandeur to fight a war."
Ajuka cuts in, making me jump in surprise as he speaks out from beside me.
"On the subject of fighting a war, you can go back to your journey North now. Sirzechs and I merely wanted to introduce you to the plans we have for the future, since you've become very integral to their success."
Alistair blinks in surprise, then turns to me and shrugs, standing from his seat and moving to leave the room. I put a stop to him with a firm hand on the shoulder.
"Before you leave, Demi-fiend... there's something I need to speak with you about. Privately. I hope you don't mind, Ajuka."
My oldest friend takes no offense to the need for privacy, shrugging in indifference and going back to his meticulous planning.
So with that, Alistair and I go a couple floors up and prepare for what I'm certain will be a... very, very uncomfortable conversation.
------------------------------------
[Alistair Mammon]
Companion Quest: Three's Company has been completed! Rewards-
I cut the notice off halfway, uncaring for the rewards and far more focused on the worry that simmers across my form. The last time I had Sirzechs ask for a private discussion, it didn't exactly go very pleasantly.
I get the feeling it will be about the same woman as well. Maybe I'm a psychic.
Frankly I've had more than my fair share of bombshells dropped on me for the last half-hour. From the Grand Mechanism to Judecca being a point of interest for my regicidal ideations, I once again am hit with the realisation of how out of my depth I am.
I can't quite say I was expecting to wind up attending the first annual Super-Devil's meeting, but I'm not complaining. Despite all my reservations about the future, it's quite nice to be included in these things.
I was hoping that I could copy the maps and diagrams I'd been exposed to into the System, but Anya made sure to remind me of how utterly incompetent she has a habit of being. What kind of computer can't copy and paste some words?
[I resent that statement!]
Ignoring the violently shaking text-box that appears momentarily, I take the final step leading into the next floor of this... frankly unnatural building, and find an utterly empty room.
The walls are blank, untouched. The scant furniture that occupies the space is covered in thin coatings of dust and grime. Sirzechs immediately notices my disgust.
"I did tell you the building wasn't used much. Ajuka and I only really use the first floor."
I hum, folding my arms as I respond.
"There's, what, ten servants to every Clan Devil? Surely you could have spared one or two for this place."
He sighs.
"You can put it off for as long as you want, but there's a lot we need to talk about."
I say nothing in response, worried I might incriminate myself by revealing too much as he sighs all over again, running a hand through his hair in blatant frustration.
"Haah... Let's just address the elephant in the room. I know you slept with Grayfia. I don't know if you thought you were being slick, but I can smell her all over you."
"...I fail to see how the happenings between my servant and I are relevant to you."
He winces, looking hurt for reasons I can't fully understand.
"Don't be so detached with me, Alistair. I'm- look, I'm not angry. Even if I was, you're right, it's not my place to be. Not anymore."
He pauses for a moment, agonising over how to properly word his thoughts.
"I just wanted to say... I'm happy for you. The both of you. I know you might think this is some coping mechanism, but in all honesty I'm thankful, Demi-fiend."
Suddenly, the tone of this discussion feels far different than I anticipated.
"Thankful? General are you- ...are you into that sort of thing?"
He blinks in confusion, rolling the words around in his mind before realisation hits him like a ton of bricks and his eyes widen.
"No. Satan's below, no! I'm not thanking you for sleeping with her you stupid bastard, I'm thanking you for making her happy!"
He throws a hand into the air in frustration.
"I- man, I had this whole speech planned, and you've just gone and ruined it."
I scoff in indignation.
"Forgive me for assuming that the man saying 'thanks' after finding out the woman he loves slept with another man was possibly into some freaky shit."
He winces again, leaning against a nearby wall as he starts to laugh slightly.
"Alright, fine, I'll admit that one was on me. I could've worded that better. The point still stands. I'm rooting for you both. You make her far happier than I ever did."
I find myself laughing slightly as well.
"Could this not have been a message or something? You made me think I was going to be shot in the back of the head. No witnesses, empty room. This whole thing screams 'assassination'."
The atmosphere shifts in the blink of an eye.
Sirzechs' body trembles with unfocused power, wispy strands of Destruction spilling across his body as he walks towards me, hands twitching at his sides.
"Don't be mistaken, Demi-fiend. This is something you need to hear in person."
His footsteps continue unimpeded as the pressure begins to feel suffocating. His eyes have long since been covered by a sheen of red and black power.
Confused and very much worried, I hold a hand behind my back and begin charging a Freikugel to be safe as he stops barely a foot away from me.
"Whatever I had with Grayfia is gone, but I still hold consider her a cherished ally. Should you ever hurt her in any way, no matter what form it takes, then I'll make sure you come to regret it."
The atmosphere shifts back instantly. The whiplash leaves me almost stunned as Sirzechs' power dissipates, his hand patting me on the shoulder a second later.
"Sorry if I scared you. I've always wanted to give the shovel talk. This felt like the only chance I'll get for a while."
I don't realise I'm sweating slightly until he backs away and moves to the balcony nearby overlooking Lilith's streets.
That fucking power was absurd. Felt like the weight of the world was pushing down on me, like my shoulders were going to buckle at any moment.
Taking a deep breath and dismissing the spell I'd been charging, I push aside the odd mix of fear and gratitude I'm left with and ask a question on my mind.
"I understand that you can tell I slept with her. That's simple enough, but... how do you know how 'happy' I make her? Last I recall, you've never seen us together until today."
He turns to me over his shoulder, smirking for a moment before going back to staring out across the skyline, arms crossed atop the balcony.
"I saw you say goodbye. I'd been waiting outside the High Court to bring you to the meeting with Ajuka, and after several hours you finally came out with her."
That slippery bastard. He lied to me when I asked if he saw us.
Now intrigued, I take a few steps and wind up beside him at the balcony as he narrates his side of the day.
"At first, I wanted to say something. Anything. I thought I'd moved on from her after all was said and done, but seeing Grayfia in the High Court again brought back a lot of strong feelings."
He shakes his head.
"But then she started speaking to you... and there was a warmth in her voice that I've never heard before. She was laughing, she was playful. She was so full of life it almost hurt to see."
His fingers drum against the cold metal of the balcony rhythmically, my own voice falling me as he just smiles somberly.
"The contract between you two certainly didn't make things any better. Grayfia always said she was terrified of being enslaved, but she called you Master with so much devotion I almost thought I'd mistaken her."
My own thoughts on the matter are stopped cold in their tracks as he turns to me once more, his smile hiding a myriad of emotions.
"She was right, you know. When she said I admired you. With a fraction of the power, you've done more for the Civil War in a few months than I've done in the last few years. You've overcome each obstacle with a confidence I wish I could match."
"Ha!"
I can't help but interrupt him with a short bark of laughter.
"Confidence? The only thing I'm confident in is that I'll be dead by 50 at this rate. Every time I've been in a battle, I've been spitballing with my own life. Half of the plans I make are harebrained schemes at best and death wishes at worst."
The General laughs, his mood lifted only barely at my own self-deprecation.
"That may be the case, but you've always come out on top. You're either far better than you realise, or you're the luckiest half-breed to ever live. Maybe you're both."
He turns back to the streets again and sighs, hands now clasped together to stop his errant fingers against the metal, returning to his prior thoughts.
"...I thought I would be the first one to ever hear Grayfia say 'I love you.' I also thought hearing it be said to another man would leave me broken, but... I don't even know what I feel anymore. I can't help but feel... almost liberated?"
Even if he can't see it, Sirzechs can clearly feel my confused gaze as he chuckles.
"Strange, isn't it? But it's true. Even if I told myself I'd moved on, I couldn't help but wonder if maybe there was a chance, some tiny hope that I could be with her again after you told me her feelings. Hearing her say those words to you... it was like being freed from a pair of shackles."
"I'm... glad to hear it?" I mutter, unsure of how exactly I should respond to this. The General pays it no mind as he continues.
"The only problem now though, is where I go from here. I've never met a woman that saw me as more than the Architect of Ruin. Even Grayfia couldn't help but see me as a way out of her cage. It all just feels so pointless when I think about it."
I decide to check the view out for myself, and find myself blown away by how peaceful it looks below. The streets are so full of life that I almost forget there's a war outside.
"Suffering from success, are we Sirzechs?"
He laughs, slumping down slightly a moment later.
"Yeah, I guess I am. Everyone wants the Ruin Prince, but nobody wants Sirzechs. All I've ever wanted was someone with a good heart and a kind soul. That would be enough for me. I don't care about the name, or the looks. I just... I just want to be loved."
I can't help but grimace at how fucking sad this is all making me. Not wanting to fall into this depressing atmosphere, I once again try and brighten the mood.
"You know, if you want a woman with a good heart and a kind soul, I'm sure Lady Gabriel is accepting suitors these days."
To my surprise though, he takes it as a genuine suggestion.
"As nice as that would be, I'm sure Lord Michael would try and stab me for even thinking about it."
Grinning, I continue with this line of thought.
"Ah, it'll be fine. If we ever wind up having peace between the Factions, then I'll happily be your wingman. You can work your charms on Gabriel, and I'll keep Michael's attention."
He turns to me slightly, smirking.
"You'd keep his attention, huh? How exactly are you gonna go about that?"
"I haven't got a plan yet, but I'm sure I could work my charm on him. The Archangels already seem to have an eye or two on me."
He laughs, but doesn't comment on it any further. He just continues to smile somberly as he leans over the railing, leaving me to think over the words he's said so far, and how it only makes me feel even guiltier.
"I really wish I could help you more in this matter, to be honest. I'm not exactly the best when it comes to being suave, so I can't offer much advice."
He laughs, hands intertwined as he stares up at the burning sky.
"You underestimate your own charm, Demi-fiend. It clearly worked on Grayfia... though, I doubt any advice work help in the first place. This is just how things have always been."
He summons a ball of Destruction into his palm, swirling it around his hand and between his fingers to occupy himself.
"For the last fifty years, I've had suitress' come and go. They all want something different: my power, my name, my influence. They never want me for me. They love what I can offer them, not what I am."
I find myself laughing at the idealism on display.
"I never took you for a hopeless romantic."
He turns to me, smiling wryly.
"I got it from my mother. My parents marriage wasn't one of love at first. Sure, they got there eventually after a few centuries, but they started off as just a couple Devils forced together for the benefit of their Houses, a begrudging romance."
He sighs fondly at the memories.
"Mother used to tell me how she dreamed of finding a man who'd sweep her off her feet before she was married. She'd say, 'I love your father, but I'll always love the man in my dreams more.' Before I knew it, I'd started chasing my own dream as well. I turned down every hand offered to me, hoping beyond hope that I'd find them eventually."
He goes silent for a moment, no doubt lost in the memories. My thoughts are somewhere else, though.
"...so does this mean I still have a chance with Lady Venelana?"
He turns to me, shocked at the sheer fucking audacity. Shock turns to disgust as he starts to laugh, shoving me away.
"Bold of you to think you had a chance in the first place, Demi-fiend. You're a few centuries too young for her."
"Oh, even better!" I say, now laughing myself, "I just love the motherly types."
He tries to say something in response, but can't find the words. Instead, he places his head in his hands and groans.
"Please stop talking about how you'd like to sleep with my mother."
I scoff in indignation.
"Sleep with her? Why, Sirzechs, I'd never do something so lewd! I'm a man of dignity."
He glances up, a small sprinkling of hope in his eyes as he looks at me.
"I'd ask her to sit on my face instead. Anything that comes after that is a bonus."
The hope is quickly shattered. He pushes himself deeper into his own hands, mental pain worsening as he flushes with visible embarassment, his groans muffled.
I spend a few long seconds just laughing to myself at his misery, and after a moment he joins in as well. We sit there, watching the world pass by, laughing at nothing as a war rages on outside.
After a while, the General turns to me, looking far more grateful than I'd expected.
"...Thank you, Demi-fiend. I think I needed this."
"Needed what?" I say, smirking, "to hear me talk about how much I want to-"
He starts laughing, interrupting me with a flat 'No, no!' as he does so.
"I think I just needed someone to talk to. Ajuka's one of my best friends, but he's... well he's like a brick wall when it comes to things like this. Being able to talk about everything to do with Grayfia, to vent my heart out and laugh for once in this miserable city... it's nice."
He stands from our spot on the railings, then puts a hand on my shoulder, smiling widely.
"I'm glad you stuck around, Alistair."
He says no more words after that. The conversation ends.
With his piece spoken, the General takes his leave and goes back to planning the assault on Judecca just a few floors below.
Not wanting to go through the awkward routine of saying goodbye to them all over again, I skip the stairs and hop over the balcony, falling back to the streets as I make my way out of Lilith, both confused and flattered at Sirzechs respect for me.
Now, finally, finally, I can make my way toward joining Serafall on the battlefield.