Xenovia's words were blunt to the point of rudeness, but Rias, ever the dignified high-class devil, kept her composure—no trace of anger slipped through.
"That's a bit arrogant, don't you think? Is this supposed to be a threat? You're not seriously suggesting we'd team up with the fallen angels to wipe out your Holy Swords, are you?" Rias's voice was cool, almost amused.
Xenovia didn't flinch. "That possibility can't be ruled out, can it?" Her answer was as inflexible as ever, and Rias's eyes flashed cold.
Holy Sword wielders belonged to the Church, backed by the angelic god-faction. Centuries of grudges didn't vanish just because a peace treaty existed. The truce was forced, not chosen—everyone still saw the others as enemies, not allies.
At that moment, Xenovia was like an enemy strutting into Rias's own territory, barking orders—demanding she keep her nose out of Church business, and threatening consequences if she ever joined forces with another "enemy."
And the worst part? Xenovia didn't even realize how offensive she was being. She just kept going:
"Our superiors don't trust devils or fallen angels. If we could clear the threat of Holy Swords from God's domain, it'd be a win for both devils and fallen angels, wouldn't it? So you two working together is entirely possible.
Here's our stance: If you ally with Kokabiel on this, we'll wipe you out—doesn't matter if you're the Demon King's sister. That's straight from the top."
Draconis cut in, voice steady, unimpressed. "Save the tough talk. We're not teaming up with fallen angels, and you're in no shape for a real war anyway. All this posturing—what's the point?"
His words hit home; Xenovia and Irina's faces darkened.
"Are you looking down on the Church?" Xenovia challenged.
"This is about God's dignity—we can't just ignore that," Irina added, voice tight.
Draconis shrugged. "Just stating facts."
He met their eyes, calm and unyielding. "So, you're going to defend your God's honor with your lives? Go ahead. I wouldn't mind beating you two again."
Xenovia: "..." Irina: "..."
The two fell silent, caught between anger and helplessness. They wanted to fight for their faith, but they knew they'd lose—and failing their mission to recover the Holy Swords wasn't an option.
Draconis glanced at them, half amused, half exasperated. How did the Church manage to brainwash its followers so thoroughly? It was almost impressive.
Akeno and Rias exchanged glances, then smiled approvingly at Draconis. Ever since he'd joined them, they hadn't lost a single argument.
Rias cleared her throat, stepping in to smooth things over. "Since you know I'm the Demon King's sister, your own status must be pretty high. I'll make it official: I swear on the Gremory name—I will not, under any circumstances, ally with fallen angels."
Xenovia shot Draconis a look, then nodded. "Good. I can tell you this: Kokabiel has already snuck into this city with three Holy Swords. You'll likely be affected too—consider this a warning."
"Thanks for the heads-up," Rias replied, brow furrowing.
Once the two Holy Sword wielders had left, Draconis leaned in, voice low. "How strong is Kokabiel?"
Rias shook her head. "I've never met him, but he's definitely one of the fallen angel cadres. Stronger than most high-class devils, I'd wager."
She looked genuinely worried.
Draconis's thoughts drifted back to that devastating light spear attack in the alternate dimension. Was that Kokabiel's handiwork?
"So the Angel-faction only sent those two Holy Sword wielders? Isn't that basically suicide?"
He continued, "Even if those two have hidden trump cards, I doubt they're a match for a fallen angel of that caliber."
Rias shrugged. "They know it too, but they came anyway. Guess that's what faith does."
Draconis sank into the sofa, lost in thought. On the surface, this was a squabble between angels and fallen angels—nothing to do with them. But something felt off.
He replayed Xenovia's words in his mind, searching for a crack. Suddenly, it hit him.
Wait… Xenovia said the fallen angels brought three Holy Swords here…
Why here? Fallen angels could go anywhere—why bring the swords to this city? Unless there's something, or someone, here they want.
He tilted his head, still puzzled.
Rias noticed. "What's wrong?"
"I'm worried about the fallen angels' real motive," Draconis admitted.
"They're always up to something. But don't worry—if things get serious, I'll call my brother right away." Rias's smile was reassuring; having a Demon King for a brother had its perks.
Draconis couldn't help but chuckle.
Then his eyes narrowed. "Wait."
Everyone turned. Draconis's face was serious, thinking hard for several seconds before he spoke.
"What if… what if the enemy's target is the Demon King?"
"…What do you mean?" Rias frowned.
Draconis explained, voice slow and deliberate. "Why would fallen angels bring three Holy Swords here? What do we have that's worth targeting? And why go to all the trouble of stealing those swords instead of acting directly?"
Koneko shook her head. "Just spell it out."
Rias and Akeno's expressions grew tense.
Draconis lowered his voice. "There are two Demon Kings' sisters living in this town. If they were suddenly killed by Holy Swords…"
He turned to Rias. "Rias, what if the enemy's real goal is you and President Sona? If they eliminate you, maybe they're hoping to draw the Demon Kings out."
His words hung in the air, chilling everyone in the room.
—
🔥 Want to read the next 50+ chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on - patreon.com/GoldenLong]