4 Chapter 4 : You want war ? Fine

"I will continue to be the best idol in the world," she said to herself with conviction. "I will continue to make people dream with my voice, charm, and beauty. I will continue to be the girl that everyone loves, even if I don't love myself. I will continue to lie, even if it hurts. I will continue to smile, even if it's fake."

But deep inside, a small voice whispered to her that she was wrong. That she wasn't happy with this life of lies. That she needed someone who understood and accepted her as she is. That she wanted to see that boy who had seen through her mask again.

"Maybe I should find him," she said with a thrill of excitement. "Maybe he could show me a different world. Maybe he could make me smile for real."

She took out her phone from her pocket, hoping to have taken a photo of him when he wasn't looking. She decided that she would use her contacts and resources to find him. She decided that she would surprise him.

"I will show you who I really am," she said with a mischievous smile. "I will show you that I am more than just an idol. I will show you that I am Hoshino Ai~ hehe."

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Shandor was lounging in his living room, drinking sake as usual. The man really had nothing better to do with his life.

He finally turned off the television and got up from the couch. He headed towards the door, ready to go out. He felt like getting some fresh air and stretching his legs.

As he stepped outside, into one of the alleys of Tokyo, the atmosphere was unusually calm. His senses were sharp, he knew that something was not right. A barrier separating the human world ?

Suddenly, portals emerged, and he found himself facing a dozen men in black coats. The men had black wings on their backs and weapons in their hands. They looked at Shandor with hatred.

Shandor was surprised to see them. He recognized the men as fallen angels, beings who had betrayed God and became enemies of Heaven. He knew that fallen angels were cruel and arrogant, seeking to sow chaos and destruction.

He knew that the current leader, Azazel, wasn't stupid enough to attack him.

"Did Azazel send you here ?" Shandor asked with ease. "Would you like to have some sake with me ?" He showed them the bottle he had in his left hand with a friendly smile.

One of the men stepped forward and introduced himself. He looked at Shandor with contempt.

"We are the servants of Kokabiel, the leader of the fallen angels," the man said proudly. "We have come to kill you, Shandor. We don't need to give you reasons. You are just a target to eliminate." All the fallen angels pointed their spears at him.

Shandor's smile disappeared as he finished his sake, not even bothering to respond. He was annoyed by the man's words. He wondered why Kokabiel wanted to kill him. He wondered if he had any connection with his enemies or if they were acting independently.

"If you point those weapons at me, you know it's not just a threat, right ?" He said, drawing his sword with a smile, tossing the sake bottle aside.

"You are ridiculous," Shandor said disdainfully. "You think you can kill me like this, without even knowing me ? Don't you know what I'm capable of ?"

The man laughed and taunted him. He looked at Shandor with arrogance.

"We are not afraid of you," the man said arrogantly. "We know you are strong, but we are stronger. We have sacred weapons that can harm supernatural beings. We have numbers that can overwhelm you. We have the will that can break you. You are just a human."

'Where does this racism against humans come from? They are really ignorant, aren't they?'

Shandor smiled and drew his sword. He looked at the men with confidence. "You are naive," Shandor said with assurance. "You don't know what real strength is. You don't know what real combat is. You don't know what real willpower is."

An overwhelming and overpowering aura filled the place, buildings around were destroyed by a mere aura emanating from a human.

The attackers, on the other hand, well, they were literally eating dirt. Shandor looked at them with dominance, not caring about the consequences. He was going to kill them all and pay a visit to Kokabiel.

Shandor took a step forward and attacked the men. He sliced them with his sword, not giving them a chance to react. He killed them with disconcerting ease, showing them no mercy. He left them no chance of survival.

Leaving only one alive, he withdrew his Haki, as if nothing had happened, and had a friendly smile on his face as he looked at the last one.

"Tell me, did Kokabiel send you here, or are you acting alone ? What is your purpose as well ?" Shandor's authority was unquestionable, so the poor fallen angel responded directly to his question.

"Master Kokabiel sent us to kill you... He told us that you were a threat to the upcoming war..." Without another word, the fallen angel's head was decapitated as Shandor pondered.

"A war, is that what he wants ? Sending weak fallen angels like this wouldn't kill me. What does he have in mind ?" Shandor didn't think that the ten-winged chicken was stupid enough to send such weak subordinates.

Does he want me to come to him ? Then he should face the consequences of his actions.

'It seems that I have to take care of another chore once again.' He took out a mobile phone as he searched for a specific name to call a certain person.

Azazel.

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Azazel was in his office, talking quietly with Penemue. Penemue was a fallen angel who worked for him, serving as his secretary and specializing in research on sacred weapons. She was giving him a report on her latest findings.

"I managed to analyze the structure of Excalibur, the legendary sword of King Arthur," Penemue said with enthusiasm. "It turns out that it is composed of seven fragments, each with a different property. For example, Excalibur Swift can increase the speed of its wielder, while Excalibur Mimic can change shape at will."

Azazel nodded, interested in Penemue's information. He thought that he could use these fragments to create more powerful and varied weapons.

"I see, that's very interesting," Azazel said with a smile. "And have you managed to obtain one ?"

Penemue nodded and took out a piece of a sword from her pocket. She handed it to Azazel, who took it carefully.

"Its the Nightmare Excalibur," Penemue said proudly. "It can induce illusions and nightmares in its opponents. I obtained it during a mission in England, where I faced a knight who possessed it."

Azazel examined the fragment and felt its malevolent power. He thought that he could use it to test the mental resilience of his subordinates.

"Well done, it's impressive work," Azazel said with satisfaction. "You deserve a reward. How about a dinner date with me ?"

Penemue sighed, rolling her eyes. She knew that Azazel was always chasing after women, despite being her superior and idol. She considered accepting his invitation, thinking that it wouldn't hurt.

"I would be delighted," Penemue confidently replied.

Azazel smiled and stood up from his seat. He walked towards the door and invited Penemue to follow him.

"Let's go then," Azazel said enthusiastically. "I know a great restaurant nearby. You're going to love it."

Penemue got up as well and followed Azazel. She thought that maybe she would have a good time with him.

But just as they were about to leave the office, Azazel's phone rang. He looked at the screen and saw the caller's name.

Shandor, my friend.

'Oh shit.'

Azazel felt a cold sweat running down his forehead. He knew that Shandor wasn't calling just to say hello. He knew that Shandor was a dangerous and unpredictable being who could cause trouble for him.

"Who is it?" Penemue asked curiously.

Azazel hesitated but decided to tell the truth.

"It's Shandor," Azazel said nervously.

Penemue widened her eyes and took a step back. She knew Shandor's reputation as the Red King, one of the ten most powerful beings in the world, which was surprising considering he was human. She wondered why he was calling Azazel.

"What does he want ?" Penemue asked with concern.

Azazel sighed and answered the call. He knew that he would have to postpone his appointment with Penemue.

"Hello, Shandor," Azazel said with a forced voice. "What brings you here ?"

"Azazel," Shandor's voice was firm. "I won't beat around the bush. Tell me where Kokabiel is." He left no room for refusal.

Azazel remained silent for a moment, feeling the stress building up as he evaluated his options. He knew that he couldn't simply reveal Kokabiel's location to Shandor, but he also didn't want to engage in direct conflict with him. He decided to take a different approach to buy some time and find a peaceful solution.

"Shandor, I understand your intention, but Kokabiel is my subordinate," Azazel replied in a calm yet firm voice. "I am willing to discuss your concerns and find common ground, but I cannot give you Kokabiel's location. He is currently on an important mission for our organization." Azazel knew that if Shandor was searching for his subordinate, it meant that Kokabiel had done something.

Shandor growled slightly, showing his frustration at the obstacle. He didn't want to waste time and needed to get answers quickly.

"I am willing to hear your conditions, Azazel, but I cannot accept a categorical refusal," Shandor replied firmly. "I let you know that Kokabiel is a dead man if I find him," he said with a hint of humor.

Azazel felt even more uneasy. What had Kokabiel done to provoke such a powerhouse ? He thought quickly, trying to find a way to satisfy Shandor without compromising directly Kokabiel's safety. He knew that Shandor was a monster, so he had to find a balanced solution.

"Listen, Shandor, I cannot give you the exact location of Kokabiel at the moment," Azazel explained in a soothing voice. "However, I can reveal that he is in the city of Asakusa in Tokyo. If you go there and investigate discreetly, you will probably be able to find him. But I ask you to exercise restraint and not provoke direct conflict with him for now."

Shandor considered the information Azazel had given him. As soon as Azazel mentioned the city, the ten-winged chicken was as good as dead. He couldn't escape Shandor's Observation Haki.

"Very well, Azazel," Shandor said in a calmer tone. "I will go to Asakusa. However, I cannot accept your request to avoid direct conflict. He is ready to risk his life by attacking me, so I must give him an answer, right ? But know that if I find out that you have lied to me or manipulated me in any way, I won't let you go unpunished." Despite Shandor's relaxed tone, it was enough to send shivers down the leader of the fallen angels.

After hanging up, Azazel sighed from mental fatigue. Even he knew that the moment he asked for Kokabiel's location, it was over for him. At least he had attempted a small negotiation, but evidently, Shandor didn't care. Losing a powerful subordinate like Kokabiel was always troublesome.