The conversation between Shuo and Sirzechs was abruptly cut short by the arrival of a new presence outside the house—a force so palpable it made the air vibrate. Instinct kicked in. Shuo, Sirzechs, and Serafall vanished from the room in a blink, reappearing at the threshold to confront the intruder.
Inside, confusion reigned until the rest felt the oppressive waves of magic rolling in from outside. Only then did the gravity of the situation sink in.
Serafall's expression darkened as she locked eyes with the newcomer. Her voice was icy, almost venomous.
"Azazel, you bastard! I haven't even come looking for you yet—and you dare show up here?"
A ripple of shock ran through the crowd.
"What?!"
"The Fallen Angel Governor—Azazel?!"
Gasps and murmurs broke out among the girls. Rias's eyes narrowed, piecing it together.
"No wonder Serafall-sama's so furious…"
The memory hung in the air: Serafall's beloved sister, Sona, had nearly been killed by Kokabiel—the Fallen Angel terrorist. Of course Serafall was ready to explode.
Akeno, meanwhile, watched Azazel with a complicated look—her thoughts unreadable.
Azazel folded his twelve black wings, his posture relaxed but his eyes wary.
"Well, looks like the Underworld's two Maou are here too. Guess I've crashed the wrong party."
He glanced at Serafall, whose twin-tails whipped in an invisible wind, rage radiating from every pore. Azazel's lips twitched in discomfort. He'd only meant to meet Shuo alone, not attract the attention of two Maou. Especially not Serafall—he knew her temper, and after what happened to Sona, he'd rather avoid her entirely.
He tried for a placating smile.
"Hey, Serafall, maybe don't be so angry? Your sister's perfectly fine, isn't she?"
The words barely left his mouth before Serafall's fury hit boiling point.
"You dare say that? If not for Shuo, my Sona-chan would have—!"
Her anger burst forth—one hand swept up, ice magic crackling at her fingertips.
"Become an ice sculpture!"
A frigid blast roared toward Azazel, the air itself freezing in its wake. Azazel, almost as if to let Serafall vent, didn't dodge. He simply conjured a shimmering barrier with a flick of his wrist.
The ice crashed into the shield with a thunderous boom. The barrier shattered instantly, cold snaking around Azazel's legs, locking him in place. Frost radiated outward, turning the ground around him into a frozen wasteland.
Azazel sighed, melting the ice with a shrug.
"Alright, alright… Serafall, you've had your fun. Feel better now?"
Serafall just snorted.
"Don't think I'll let you off that easy!"
Sirzechs stepped in, voice firm but calm.
"Serafall, enough. There are others here—don't lose control."
Serafall glanced down. The rest of the group huddled together, eyes wide with terror. The sheer pressure from Serafall and Azazel's clash had left them shaken.
Realizing she'd gone too far, Serafall scratched the back of her head sheepishly, then glared at Azazel.
"Consider yourself lucky. Next time…"
She raised a fist, making her threat clear.
Azazel finally relaxed, breathing out a sigh of relief.
Sirzechs turned to Azazel, suspicion in his eyes.
"Azazel, what are you doing here? The summit's still days away. Don't tell me this is just a coincidence."
Azazel shrugged, feigning nonchalance.
"Hey, don't get so worked up. I'm not here to fight. I just wanted to meet this guy—Shuo Nangong."
"Shuo!"
"Nangong-senpai?!"
Shuo raised an eyebrow, curious. Why had Azazel come looking for him?
Rias and the others tensed, worry flickering in their eyes. Kokabiel had died by Shuo's hand—was Azazel here for revenge?
Rias stepped forward, voice sharp.
"Governor of the Fallen Angels, are you here to avenge Kokabiel?"
Every gaze hardened, suspicion directed at Azazel.
But even as the tension peaked, Shuo's system chimed in:
Check-in character detected: Azazel. Mission tier: Black. Objective: Hold your own for ten minutes in battle.
Shuo's eyes narrowed. This was no ordinary challenge. According to the system, Azazel hadn't reached Transcendent level, but he was still stronger than Serafall. The mission marker even flickered with hints of purple—dangerously close to the next tier.
With his current power, Shuo knew he'd have to go all out from the start to catch Azazel off guard. If Azazel got serious, Shuo risked falling behind—and failing the mission. Unless he used his Azure Dragon abilities, but he wasn't about to reveal that for Azazel alone.
Azazel, sensing the suspicion, offered a lopsided smile.
"No need to be so on edge. Vali's told me a lot about you, Shuo. I just wanted to see for myself—maybe have a chat."
Shuo's lips curled into a playful smirk.
"The White Dragon Emperor, huh? So, Governor, now that you've met this 'insignificant human'—what do you think?"
Azazel studied Shuo, probing with every magical sense he had. But he found nothing—no weakness, no obvious power.
After a long pause, Azazel admitted,
"I can't quite read you. No wonder Vali sees you as a rival."
Shuo laughed, then made his move.
"Come on, what can you learn just by staring? Why don't we spar a little? That's the best way to get to know someone."
His words cut through the tense silence like a stone dropped into still water—sending ripples of shock through the crowd.
The room erupted.
"Shuo-chan!"
"Are you serious?!"
Even Azazel looked taken aback.
Serafall rushed to his side, concern etched on her face.
"Little Shuo-chan! Azazel isn't someone you can compare to Kokabiel—think carefully!"
Shuo waved her off, his confidence unwavering.
"Relax. It's just a friendly match, not a fight to the death. And with two Maou watching, nothing bad will happen."
He turned to Azazel.
"So? What do you say?"
Azazel grinned, intrigue sparking in his eyes.
"A spar, huh? Sounds fun. I accept."
For him, battle was the truest test of character—and he was eager to see what Shuo could do.
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