The pure terror of knowing that merely seeing someone's existence could drive you to despair.
The feeling wasn't unfamiliar to Azazel.
He had fought and seen things that would make even the greatest warriors cry in fear.
Before beings like Sirzechs, Ajuka, and other monsters were born, he was already doing terrifying things, though he regretted them.
He fought against God Himself and Lucifer and came out alive.
He fought in the Great War of the Three Factions and witnessed the terror caused by the Two Heavenly Dragons.
He saw entire nations and civilizations rise and fall.
But in that moment, it was the first time he had felt that kind of fear.
The fear of knowing there was a monster nearby that could kill you whenever it wanted and only spared you because you weren't worth the effort.
Looking at his arm, Azazel realized he would carry that memory forever.
Though he could and would recreate his arm through his Sacred Gear research.
He never blamed Gilgamesh for severing his arm, as it was he who attacked first.
And to think that someone like that would have such love for humans.
"I bet you'd like to meet him, Father," Azazel said to himself as he left to return to the Grigori.
Then he remembered he had left a lot of unfinished paperwork.
It would be a headache.
The only thing Azazel didn't notice was that during a brief exchange of glances with Gilgamesh, the latter's eyes had taken on a new form.
**With Gilgamesh.**
After his encounter with Azazel, Gilgamesh had gone straight home.
He truly hadn't expected to meet the Leader of the Fallen Angels, let alone that he would know his identity.
Truly, he was not someone to be underestimated.
He also thought it was quite foolish of Azazel to test him. Gilgamesh knew the Leader of the Fallen Angels hadn't intended to kill him, but even so, Gilgamesh had severed one of his arms.
After all, he wasn't someone who would tolerate such a thing, and his point had already been made to the Leader of the Fallen Angels.
And Gilgamesh also knew that Azazel could easily replace his arm through his Sacred Gear research.
When Gilgamesh arrived home, he saw everyone happy and getting along.
Arturia had become very close friends with Valerie and Asia.
Especially because Asia loved the legend of King Arthur, so Arturia told her stories.
Everyone then went to dinner, though Arturia and Mordred were giving him a headache.
The two alone ate more food than everyone else combined; they were truly bottomless pits. Anyone watching would think they were sisters.
And it seemed Mordred wanted to outdo Arturia in everything, so she kept inventing competitions, like who could eat more, and Arturia's pride wouldn't let her lose to Mordred.
Currently, everyone was in the living room, sitting and watching something.
Arturia and Mordred were, ironically, still eating. It seemed both had loved Sebas and Gil's cooking.
Asia was sitting next to Valerie as they watched the movie with enthusiasm, and from time to time, she asked Arturia questions.
Sebas was sitting, reading a book, as the butler always did when he wasn't working.
And Enkidu was reading a book of tales he had found.
Gilgamesh sighed and couldn't help but feel that everything was too calm, without action.
Though he liked being free of trouble, it was boring.
But it was better than getting into conflicts all the time.
Gilgamesh, along with everyone else, stopped when they noticed someone trying to teleport into the house, which was difficult due to Sebas's barrier.
Sebas had created a very powerful barrier to protect the house from intruders, as strong as the barriers protecting the Norse and Shinto Factions, known for their powerful Barrier Magic.
Gilgamesh cursed his tongue. The moment he said things were calm, this happened.
It seemed karma was against him.
A skill to control karma would be interesting, Gilgamesh noted the thought for later.
Everyone went on alert when a magic circle formed behind them.
Gilgamesh noticed that the magic circle was from the Gremory clan, but the energy emanating from it was greater than Rias's, so he already guessed who it was.
When the light faded, two people could be seen, specifically a man and a woman radiating demonic aura.
Two Devils.
The male devil was a handsome man who appeared to be in his early twenties. He had shoulder-length crimson hair and blue-green eyes, wearing noble clothing, looking like a male version of Rias.
What stood out most was the immense power he radiated.
The woman was a young, beautiful woman who appeared to be in her early twenties, with silver hair down her back, styled in two long braids with small blue bows at the ends, while the rest was loose, ending in twin braids, and red eyes.
She was seen wearing a blue and white French maid outfit with long sleeves and a white maid headband, with red lipstick as a cosmetic accessory.
They were Sirzechs Lucifer, the Strongest of the Four Great Demon Kings, the irregular Devil who reached the Top 10, and his wife, the Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation and the strongest [Queen] of the Underworld, Grayfia Lucifuge.
The moment Sirzechs Lucifer and his wife opened their eyes and were about to greet Gilgamesh and his group, they stopped.
Because at that moment, Arturia had Excalibur, cloaked in Invisible Air, near the throat of the Maou Lucifer.
"What?" Sirzechs questioned as he felt the sword inches from his throat.
"Sirzechs-sama!" Grayfia shouted as she tried to help her husband, only to be stopped when Clarent was pressed against her throat.
"Stay right there, bitch," Mordred said with narrowed eyes.
Grayfia froze as she felt the sword pressed against her neck.
Sirzechs was about to prepare to free himself but stopped when he felt a burning sensation at his throat near where Arturia's sword was, and then he realized.
"This is a holy sword!" Sirzechs thought with a tone of fear in his voice.
It was undoubtedly a holy sword, but Sirzechs couldn't identify which one due to it being cloaked in air.
And that was dangerous. Holy swords were one of the worst enemies of demons due to their ability to kill dark beings.
No matter how strong a demon was, they wouldn't escape unscathed from a strike by a holy sword.
One wrong move, and Sirzechs could end up in bad shape.
"Stop," Gilgamesh said in a voice radiating power, causing even Sirzechs and Grayfia to freeze momentarily.
"But Master, they could be threats. They must be eliminated," Mordred said while pressing Clarent a bit harder against Grayfia's throat.
Arturia nodded.
"I won't say it again. Stop!" Gilgamesh said once more, looking at the two, who froze when they saw his crimson eyes.
Reluctantly, the two sheathed their weapons and returned to Gilgamesh's side, leaving Sirzechs and Grayfia surprised.
He had controlled two such powerful people with just his words.
Just how powerful was he?
"To what do I owe the honor of your visit, Sirzechs Lucifer?" Gilgamesh asked with amusement in his voice.
Sirzechs didn't flinch despite the power he felt emanating from Gilgamesh.
"Sorry for arriving like this, King of Heroes Gilgamesh, or perhaps you prefer Sekiryuutei?" Sirzechs asked with a playful tone.
Gilgamesh smiled.
"I honestly don't care how you call me. So, to what do I owe the invasion of my home?" Gilgamesh asked.
Sirzechs made a slightly regretful expression.
"Sorry for intruding," Sirzechs said with an apologetic tone.
"No problem, though I'm surprised you managed to break through the barrier around the house," Gilgamesh said before turning his gaze to Sebas. "I think your barriers have been surpassed," he said to the butler with a playful tone.
"I admit I didn't use my strongest barriers. I'll reinforce them later," Sebas said with a nod from Gilgamesh.
Sirzechs couldn't help but be surprised by this.
The plan was for them to come here two days ago, but the barriers were so strong that they couldn't, and Sirzechs ended up asking Ajuka to decode them.
Even the genius of the Underworld took two days and two nights to figure out how to bypass the barriers. Sirzechs even suggested coming the normal way, but Ajuka stopped him, saying the barrier formulas were so incredible that it was the most exciting work he'd had in decades and that he'd like to meet the one who made them.
Sirzechs couldn't imagine what the strongest barrier's capabilities would be.
"Please, have a seat," Gilgamesh said to the two, who sat on the nearest sofas.
"Thank you very much. By the way, as you already know, my name is Sirzechs, and this is my wife, Grayfia," Sirzechs said, introducing his wife as well.
Gilgamesh smiled.
"Well, you probably already know, my name is Gilgamesh. These are Arturia, Mordred, Enkidu, Sebas, Asia, and Valerie," Gilgamesh said, pointing to each of them.
Sirzechs and Grayfia nodded at the introductions.
"Well, although you invaded my home, that doesn't mean I have to be a bad host. So, would you like something to drink? Perhaps some wine?" Gilgamesh asked while resting his head on his hand.
Sirzechs smiled at this.
"That would be appreciated," Sirzechs said with a smile.
Gilgamesh waved his hand, and a golden ripple appeared beside him, from which emerged a fully gold wine jug and some glasses.
Gilgamesh took the jug and filled pedestal each of the glasses, which floated to everyone in the room, including his friends.
Sirzechs and Grayfia took the glasses before sipping, and their expressions turned to shock.
Even Grayfia's stoic expression vanished, replaced by one of surprise.
This was the best wine they had ever tasted.
"This was the best wine I've ever drunk," Sirzechs said before taking another sip, with his wife nodding in agreement.
"Of course, only the best is part of my treasury," Gilgamesh said with a smile as he took a sip of the wine.
"So, what brings you here, Sirzechs?" Gilgamesh asked curiously.
Sirzechs coughed into his hand before speaking.
"I'd like to invite you to join our faction," Sirzechs said with a smile.
For the Devil Faction, it would be an incredible boost in power if Gilgamesh, the current Sekiryuutei, joined them.
And if that included the people with Gilgamesh, it would be even better.
Sirzechs could sense the power emanating from them, and all of them had Ultimate-class power, except for the girl Asia.
And Gilgamesh, Sebas, and Enkidu had even greater power.
If Sirzechs fought Gilgamesh, he wasn't sure he could win.
And he could also help with his sister's issue.
"I refuse," Gilgamesh said to Sirzechs instantly.
Both he and Grayfia were caught off guard by the speed of his response.
"Can you tell me why? We could offer you anything you want—wealth, status, power, women, even immortality," Sirzechs said, trying to convince him.
Gilgamesh laughed.
"I simply don't like Demons, especially after what your sister did to me," Gilgamesh said.
Sirzechs frowned at this.
He knew about the foolishness his sister committed by trying to manipulate him, and Sirzechs certainly didn't want him as an enemy.
They could have gained a great ally if it weren't for her.
"And there are many ways to acquire everything you offered me," Gilgamesh said, smiling.
After all, it was true.
For example, if he joined one of the divine factions, they would make him a deity instantly, granting him immense status without the weakness to light.
And he had enough wealth in the [Gate of Babylon], as well as other means to achieve immortality.
As for women, he was happy with Valerie.
Sirzechs sighed in defeat while Grayfia had a scowl on her face.
He was just a human, so he should be more than grateful that her husband made this offer in person.
Convincing him should have been easy.
"I'm sorry for the intrusion, but you understand our nature as demons, right?" Grayfia asked, looking at him, with Sirzechs staring at her curiously.
"Yes," Gilgamesh replied, smiling.
"And why aren't you afraid?" Grayfia asked calmly. "We are beings who could harm you on a whim."
As if testing him, Grayfia released a bit of her demonic energy, creating a shockwave that shattered the glass in the windows and ceiling lights. A visible black and red aura formed around her body as she spread her wings, gathering orbs of demonic energy in her hands.
Sirzechs looked at his wife with an expression that could be described as, *What are you trying to do?*
Gilgamesh's entire group grew serious, increasing their power, ready for anything Grayfia might throw at them.
Gilgamesh just watched, amused.
Well, Gilgamesh had guessed that Grayfia was hiding a significant portion of her power. After all, she had power comparable to a Satan, said to rival Serafall Leviathan, and there was a reason she was the strongest [Queen] in the Underworld.
Gilgamesh had to give it to Grayfia—she was strong and had control. But if a mere devil could make him flinch, what kind of King of Heroes would he be?
The source of Grayfia's power display was the demonic energy within her, like a waterfall originating from a stream. Cut off the stream, and the waterfall disappears. All Gilgamesh had to do was carefully draw some power from within himself and snap his fingers.
The relentless aura instantly vaporized into the air.
Any demonic energy Grayfia had been gathering vanished along with it. The queen's eyes widened, and the color drained from her cheeks as she staggered back before Gilgamesh snapped his fingers again, and the demonic energy flowed back into her body.
"What just happened?" Sirzechs asked, looking at Gilgamesh warily, as even he didn't understand.
Grayfia's hand gripped the side of the sofa tightly, as if it were helping her stay balanced. Her breathing was slightly heavier and deeper than moments before, but otherwise, her face showed no other outward emotion. It reminded him a lot of Koneko, actually.
Gilgamesh smiled. He declared simply:
"I'm not afraid because there's nothing to fear."
The queen's cautious look was warranted for good reason. For the first time in probably a long while, she had been completely overpowered by an opponent. Gilgamesh could hardly imagine the panic racing through her mind when he effectively shut off her demonic energy, reducing her from a demon to the level of a mere human.
Seeing his wife's face, Sirzechs quickly stood and positioned himself in front of her.
While wary of the fact that his wife had been nearly incapacitated with a single snap of Gilgamesh's fingers, he was also very curious to see how far this power went.
If only Sirzechs knew how much he would regret it.
"I apologize for my wife; she's upset about what you did to my sister. We're leaving," Sirzechs said, closing his eyes.
"But before that, I'd like to give you a warning," Sirzechs said, opening his eyes and releasing his power, making the entire house tremble.
It felt as if the world itself was vibrating as Sirzechs's demonic aura came to life, a destructive power aura surging around him.
Even Gilgamesh's servants and group were surprised by the Crimson Maou's power, especially Asia and Valerie, who felt suffocated until Enkidu protected them.
This was the power of the irregular Devil, the power of a Super Devil.
A demon capable of rivaling gods.
"If you become a threat to my faction, my sister, or my wife, I will destroy you," Sirzechs said with great power and seriousness in his voice to drive the point home.
Everything fell silent for a moment.
Then something broke the silence.
Laughter.
Gilgamesh was laughing as if he had just seen the funniest thing in the world.
Everyone was stunned by his reaction, including Sirzechs, who never imagined someone would laugh at his power.
"Hahaha, that was a good one, Sirzechs. It's been a long time since I laughed so hard," Gilgamesh said as he calmed down from his laughing fit.
Then the King of Heroes stood and walked until he was beside Sirzechs.
Gilgamesh placed his hand on the Demon King's shoulder, and Sirzechs's entire aura vanished, to his own shock.
"After all, if we're going to discuss something…" Gilgamesh said as he looked directly into Sirzechs's eyes.
The latter looked into Gilgamesh's eyes, and everything fell silent.
Then the sound of a fall drew everyone's attention.
Everyone was stunned by what they saw.
Sirzechs Lucifer, the Strongest Demon of the Underworld, the irregular Devil who reached the top ten and was considered a monster in his true form, was kneeling with an expression of terror at Gilgamesh's feet.
Gilgamesh looked at him with boredom.
"This is better. If we're going to discuss something, you should understand exactly who stands above whom," Gilgamesh said, looking at Sirzechs with boredom.
"Know your place, mongrel," Gilgamesh said with disgust in his eyes.
For he was the King of Heroes and would not tolerate anyone, in heaven or on earth, looking down on him.
Not even the Strongest Demon was worthy of meeting his gaze.
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