"Huh? You want me to go?"
Originally, the attendees at the banquet were supposed to be the heads of the devil noble houses, but Sirzechs had instead assigned the responsibility to Rias.
When Rias learned about it, her first instinct was to refuse. This truly had nothing to do with her.
That was a banquet hosted by the God of the Bible!
A single misstep could bring annihilation upon the entire devil race!
However, when she looked at her father lying in his hospital bed, Rias fell silent. She simply could not bring herself to refuse.
"You won't be going alone. House Sitri is also sending Sona. The two of you will be able to look out for each other."
"All right, I agree. But what about my peerage..."
"Bringing a few people for protection won't be a problem, but be careful not to bring too many. Otherwise, you may attract the attention of troublesome individuals."
Sirzechs repeatedly reminded his younger sister what she needed to watch out for at the banquet, and Rias listened attentively.
Under ordinary circumstances, Rias certainly would not have needed to do so. She had already attended countless banquets and knew every aspect of proper etiquette by heart.
This time, however, was different. The banquet was not being held by devils, but by the God of the Bible!
Rias truly knew very little about Heaven's rules, so she could only rely on her brother for guidance.
Heaven's attack on the Underworld had caused tremendous changes in the Underworld's internal situation.
Previously, more than seventy noble houses and the Four Great Satans had kept one another in check. But now...
Although the number of Satans had not decreased, fewer than ten noble houses remained. All the others had been wiped out by the angel named Metatron.
It was worth mentioning that although the number of nobles had plummeted, the devil population as a whole had fallen by only one-tenth.
That was because Metatron had eliminated only the nobles and had not attacked the devils of the lower classes. As a result, many devils who had no connection to the nobility had survived.
The surviving House Gremory was one such example. Only its head, Zeoticus, had been attacked, and although he had been gravely wounded, his life was not in danger. After remaining in bed for a while, he would be able to walk again.
Unfortunately, Heaven had chosen this exact moment to convene a meeting, and the devils were required to send representatives of suitable status.
Yet the heads of many noble houses had been wounded. What were they supposed to do?
At that critical moment, Sirzechs and the others had no alternative but to have the heirs of their respective houses take their places. That was how Rias had been pushed forward.
Another devil in the same predicament was Serafall's younger sister, Sona Sitri. The head of House Sitri had likewise been gravely wounded, forcing Sona to step forward.
"I understand..."
Under those circumstances, Rias followed her brother Sirzechs to the location Heaven had reserved in advance.
Although she would have no authority to speak during the banquet or the negotiations, the devils still needed to put on an impressive display!
The devil race was already in mortal danger. They could not afford to lose any more face!
With that thought in mind, Rias attended with one member of her peerage, Akeno Himejima.
At the banquet venue...
When the God of the Bible stepped onto the stage, everyone's gaze was drawn toward her, and Rias was no exception.
Beautiful!
She's simply too beautiful!
The pale, gold-adorned vestments Elise wore made her resemble a supreme priestess presiding over a divine ceremony. Yet the way the fabric enclosed her voluptuous body, the generous amount of skin left uncovered made it impossible to regard her with reverence alone.
She was holy enough to inspire worship and alluring enough to lead those same worshippers into temptation.
Even Rias, who was extremely confident in her own appearance, felt her heartbeat quicken at that moment.
However, once she remembered the identity of the person onstage, it seemed only natural.
The other factions reacted much the same way. The instant they saw Elise, a trace of lust surged into their eyes, only to vanish without a trace a moment later.
What a joke. Who would dare cause trouble for the God of the Bible now?
Did they think they had lived too long?
Rias also noticed another problem.
Simply looking at that person naturally gave rise to the conviction that resisting her was impossible... It was truly terrifying!
No wonder even my brother was unable to contend with her...
Rias felt somewhat dejected, but she did not let it show on her face. She merely committed the thought to memory.
But looking at it another way, now that the devils have chosen to submit to Heaven, perhaps our future development will improve.
At the very least, no other faction will dare provoke us, and we'll be able to develop in peace.
...
Meanwhile, within the fallen angel delegation...
A silver-haired man stood beside Azazel, his eyes gleaming as he stared at the figure onstage...
He was the current White Dragon Emperor, Vali Lucifer!
So that is... the God of the Bible?
A legendary monster said to stand on the same level as Great Red and the Infinite Dragon God!
By the time Vali was born, the God of the Bible had already disappeared. As a result, he had never paid much attention to that legendary existence.
The angels created by God were currently in decline, so how powerful had their creator originally been? Vali had no idea!
Then came the resurrection of the God of the Bible, followed by this banquet. Only now had he finally witnessed her with his own eyes!
She was extraordinary indeed!
Given the opportunity, Vali very much wanted to fight her. After all, that was precisely the sort of thing he enjoyed.
"Hey, what are you planning to do?"
A stern voice came from beside him as a hand landed on Vali's shoulder.
"If you're thinking of attacking her, I advise you to give up..."
"She isn't an existence we can defeat."
Azazel immediately noticed that something was wrong with Vali...
Don't tell me this guy's old habits are acting up again at a time like this.
Vali understood Azazel just as well as Azazel understood him.
That was precisely why the Governor General of the fallen angels was so worried.
Should Vali recklessly step forward and issue a challenge, would the entire fallen angel race not be finished?
That was why Azazel had warned him in time. However...
Even after Azazel's warning, Vali could barely suppress the excitement in his heart. His right foot took a step forward.
At that exact moment, an unimaginable surge of energy suddenly erupted from the existence onstage!
It felt as though some higher-order being had fixed its gaze upon him, leaving no possibility of resistance whatsoever.
The meaning was self-evident. The God of the Bible was displaying her power to everyone present!
After personally experiencing the God of the Bible's terror, no one dared entertain thoughts of rebellion.
Should they fight her, death would be the only possible outcome!
Vali was the strongest White Dragon Emperor in history, so he could naturally perceive that. Even if he could not, the consciousness residing within his Sacred Gear certainly could...
'As expected of the God of the Bible! To think she is still this powerful.'
'Vali, let it go this time.'
'The instant a battle begins, you will be annihilated. I will be no exception.'
It was the will residing within the Sacred Gear that stopped Vali.
"You don't need to remind me, Albion..."
In the end, Vali exhaled deeply and withdrew the foot he had stepped forward with.
He was not an idiot. He would not do something that amounted to suicide.
...
"Even though I announced that the banquet had begun..."
Quite some time passed, yet aside from the people from Heaven, no one dared approach Elise.
It was natural for them to be afraid of her, but surely they did not need to go this far?
"Metatron, do you know the reason?"
Noticing that something was wrong, Elise immediately turned her head and looked toward Metatron.
Metatron was sweeping a razor-sharp gaze over everyone who attempted to approach Elise.
Under such a terrifying stare, no one could withstand the pressure. Even Sirzechs and Azazel could only avoid its edge, planning to approach Elise after Metatron left.
"Huh? I don't know, my Lord."
Since Metatron's attention had been fixed on their surroundings, she naturally had no idea what was happening. To an outside observer, however, the reason was perfectly obvious.
"Go and check on Est and the others, Metatron. They may need your help."
"But, my Lord..."
Metatron appeared somewhat reluctant, but Elise said nothing and merely waited in silence.
"Metatron!"
"Yes! I'll go immediately!"
Metatron would never refuse a request from her Lord.
In any case, this was a public venue. In front of the fallen angels and devils, the angels needed to demonstrate the proper attitude toward their Lord.
Metatron had merely caused a small interlude. The banquet would still proceed normally.
"It is an honor to meet you, Your Holiness, God of the Bible."
Sure enough, once Metatron left, several people immediately emerged from the apprehensive crowd and approached Elise.
Naturally, the first among them was the Underworld's representative, Sirzechs Lucifer, leader of the Four Great Satans.
Although Sirzechs had never met Elise and could not accurately judge her personality, he could ask someone who had.
Azazel was an excellent source!
While Metatron had been watching everyone like a hawk, Sirzechs had seized the opportunity to approach Azazel and exchange certain resources for information.
Most of that information concerned Heaven, while only a small portion related to Elise.
Sirzechs had wanted to learn more, but Azazel had met Elise only once, so his knowledge was extremely limited.
At the very least, however, he learned that Elise intended to bring the entire world under her control...
The God of the Bible actually possesses such ambitions?
In that case, Sirzechs would need to discard at least half of the plans he had prepared. He would also have to behave even more respectfully in front of the God of the Bible and avoid displeasing her.
Having made his decision, Sirzechs approached Elise alongside Azazel, each carrying a wineglass. Leaving a favorable impression before the negotiations began was not a bad choice.
"Your divine beauty is every bit as incomparable as the legends describe. Surely no one in this world could possibly be more beautiful than you."
When speaking with a powerful woman, the most important thing was to praise her appearance. Whether she was beautiful or ugly was irrelevant. It was both a tactic and a matter of social finesse.
Such behavior could easily win the other party's favor. Serafall of the Underworld, for example, was particularly susceptible to this approach.
So long as someone praised her younger sister, they could earn Serafall's goodwill!
However, every exchange between Sirzechs and Azazel had remained within Elise's perception.
They might not have known it, but throughout the many worlds Elise had experienced, her powerful senses had always been one of her defining traits.
"Thank you very much, Sirzechs."
"You are also every bit as outstanding a Satan as the rumors claim!"
Although this was their first meeting, Elise was exceptionally familiar with such situations. She had done similar things in nearly every world she had visited. Only the people before her were different.
"Are these two the Satans' younger sisters?"
"They truly are exceptionally rare beauties."
Conversation was an art and nowhere near as simple as ordinary people imagined.
It was not about discussing what one liked, but what the other person liked. Only then could one gain more of their favor and benefit from it.
Since Elise was a transmigrator, she possessed a godlike perspective and knew many secrets that even major factions remained unaware of.
For example...
Sirzechs had a sister complex!
The devil nobility's House Gremory was known for valuing family, and that fact was common knowledge.
In the original story, however, Sirzechs cared for his younger sister to a degree ordinary people could scarcely imagine.
In a certain sense, Sirzechs and Serafall were the same type of devil. They merely expressed themselves differently.
One thing, however, was absolutely certain!
Lavishing praise on their younger sisters would unquestionably earn an enormous amount of goodwill from both of them!
Sure enough, the moment Elise finished speaking, the expressions of Sirzechs and Serafall visibly softened.
To them, family was the most important thing in existence, and their younger sisters were the most precious of all!
As long as someone acknowledged how wonderful their sisters were, they would become incomparably delighted, even more so than if they themselves had been praised!
"Right? Right? I told you Sona-chan is the cutest!"
Serafall made no attempt to conceal her affection for her younger sister and even proclaimed it openly in front of everyone.
The heavy atmosphere immediately shifted, becoming considerably more cheerful than before. Even the oppressive weight hanging over everyone's hearts faded somewhat... but only somewhat.
The person before them was still the God of the Bible. Relaxing a little was fine, but no one dared become too presumptuous.
Compared with the lively Serafall, Sirzechs was far more restrained.
Although he was also delighted that his younger sister had been praised, this was the God of the Bible.
Why did she suddenly bring this up?
Sirzechs felt an ominous premonition. Could it be...?
"Mhm! I also think they're adorable!" Elise continued from Serafall's words. "Therefore, for the stability of the three factions, I believe it is necessary for me to teach your younger sisters some useful knowledge."
"The lessons will take place in Heaven. However, I am afraid they will be unable to return to the Underworld until they complete their studies..."
The moment those words left her mouth, the atmosphere changed completely, and the smiles of the two Satans froze.
How could they possibly fail to understand what she meant?
Study in Heaven? Unable to return until their lessons were complete?
How was that any different from being held hostage?
However, although neither of them wanted to agree, they did not dare refuse!
Who knew whether rejecting the God of the Bible would cause her to do something even more terrifying?
Snap!
Before the atmosphere could become even more delicate, Elise took the initiative to break the oppressive silence.
"Haha, the looks on your faces are hilarious."
"Don't worry. I have no interest in your younger sisters."
"I was only joking just now."
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