43 Chapter 43

Switzerland. Grigori HQ. Three and a half weeks after the official end of Great War.

Alex strolled through the corridors of living area of Grigori, where the members of family, friends and spouses lived. This particular section of the building was completely his and his family and friends lived here, including the members of his now dissolved Peerage. Those have been busy 3 weeks, especially for now newly appointed Governor General of Fallen Angels and Grigori in form of Alexander Lucifer, as he took charge of not just Special Operations Division, but all of Grigori and in this short time, he has proven himself to being a much better administrator and organizer than his own father. Just within the first 4 days Alexander had fully reorganized and recalibrated practically all of ruling apparatuses, sections of Grigori and more, making sure that they were granted an autonomy in more mundane and basic business, with more important and fundamental decisions passed to Alex and Council of Cadre, decreasing the workload for him.

Next thing Alex has done was completely expelling the Nephilim Pieces and effectively dissolving his Peerage, which he has managed to accomplish with help of Shemhazai, as they`ve completely removed them, but not altered the nature of his now Nephilim friends and loves. Grayfia, Akeno, Shirone and Asia Argento also received the same treatment, though Akeno, Asia and Shirone decided to get rid of their Devil`s side for good. Following this, Shemhazai and R&D of Grigori began to work on Fallen Angels` system of recruitment, but it was heavily monitored by Alexander all the time as he wouldn`t have it become something like with Devils. Soon enough it became a joint project with Angels of Heaven, as Gabriel, now official fiancée of Alex, has decided to regulate the efforts of Angels and make sure that there was no incidents involved. Speaking of fiancées and weddings, Serafall and Gabriel both decided to settle on a single date of wedding, but they did not want anything grandiose, ravishing or outstanding. A more quiet and peaceful ceremony, friends and family only, but considering who the wedded were, there was still going to be a great deal of guests. The wedding was to take place in two weeks from now.

As for the Devils and their now official defeat in Great War, the decisions made by the previous Satans, actions of Sirzechs and the near immediate response of Alexander has sent Devils into a state of political turmoil and turbulence While the newest Satans were still being in selection, there was a sudden rise in hatred and aggressions from Devils that were not satisfied with the newest status quo for their race and themselves, as the now starting become colonized lands in Underworld have been starting to become targets for raids and attacks on small scale. Alexander`s response was swift and final to them all, as he has sent in Special Operations Division to deal with the problems at hand, and Esdeath has dealt with it all brutally and effectively. Several clans were dissatisfied with what has been now happening with Devils and had tried to perform more scaled up attacks, but Grigori`s response was quick and final: any further aggression, and we will annihilate all participants in those attacks.

Devils simmered down a bit, but there was a rise of support in Old Satan Faction amongst young and old, for they have been promising to bring in the change for the better of Devils, along with betterment for their race as well. Little did they know that Alex has been making contacts in secret with OSF, granting them secret backing up and slowly taking them over through bribes, diplomacy underneath the tables, as well as promises of their own land. Shalba and Creuserey weren`t all that talkative with him, but after they`ve met a certain accident, Katerea Leviathan has taken over the organization and was more than willing to cooperate, being smarter than the other two. It was to Alex`s benefit to have OSF as his secret puppet and ally, as they could keep Devils in a destabilized state and weakened, reducing their threat towards Angels, Fallen Angels and other races considerably, and while a new and improved Protocol Terminus was already in place, it was to Alex`s benefit to have OSF working for him, along with them now abandoning their attacks on Fallen Angels and other factions, focusing on Devils of Anti-Satan Faction completely.

Great War may`ve ended, but the Cold War was still going on, even if the entirety of House of Gremory was now in Alexander`s hands, awaiting the execution at his command, including the Crimson Satan himself, the man that had put Alexander`s father in coma, from which he still hasn`t awoken yet, whist Baraqiel and Lucina made full recovery from their injuries. There was going to be blood spilled, as Fallen Angels and Angels demanded that House of Gremory, the people that had tried to manipulate Heir of Lucifer, threatened him and attacked Azazel, were put down for good, and Alexander was going to do it with pleasure. The blood was already spilled, as Sirzechs`, Venelana`s and Zeoticus` Peerages were quickly hunted down by combined efforts of Exorcists, Angels, SOP and Hero Faction and killed without mercy. Out of all Servants that House of Gremory had left, only Kiba remained, as he wished to die as a loyal dog of Rias, and Alex would gladly grant his request.

But for now, before the executions had taken place, Alexander needed to take care of something that for some may`ve not been as important as the other stuff with which Alexander has been dealing with, but… This was a family matter, one he needed to attend to no matter what. Lightly pushing the open door inside one of numerous living rooms, Alex found Grayfia sitting on a couch in casual clothing consisting of white dress and a light blue jacket over it, as she looked with a concerned eye at her son, Millicas, who had stepped outside of the living room and was on the balcony, with Grayfia looking after him through the glass of window. Alexander sighed as he moved closer to his aunt, speaking up to her, not bothering to announce himself, as she already knew he was in the room.

"How is he taking it, Grayfia?" Alexander asked the concerned mother, with her letting out a sigh and answering it.

"He… He is taking better than I had expected, much better even, but at the same time, I saw in his eyes sadness and sorrow, along with anger and even rage, but also a tingle of gladness…" Grayfia looked up to her surrogate son. "He is still a child, Alex, and while he understands that what House of Gremory and his father have done cannot be simply forgiven, he still can`t stop caring and loving them, since his entire life has been with Gremory and he still believed that everything will be fine and his father would apologize to me and all will be good, but now… Now, everything has changed to the worse for him and he is confused, lost. I had tried to help him, but he said he was fine and… I am worried for my little baby boy, Alex. I don`t want him to suffer, but Sirzechs has to pay and…" Grayfia was near the verge of her tears, with Alexander kneeling to her and hugging her caringly.

"I understand you, Grayfia. While I can`t change the past and make it all better for Millicas, I might be able to clear his mind a little." Alex stood up and looked at his cousin. "I`ll talk to him. Don`t know if it will change anything, but maybe if he lets what is bottling up in him to me instead of his mom, he would feel better. I doubt he would want to talk to you about what is going in his head."

"Why are you saying that, Alex?" Grayfia asked of him.

"Because, to that little kid, you mean the world itself, Grayfia. You are his mother, basically the only real family he has left and he would rather hurt himself than to see you get hurt with his actions and words. In this regard… Millicas reminds me of myself when I was little and still had Mom around." Alex said with a tingle of sadness in his voice, as he moved past Grayfia and toward his little cousin, stepping into the balcony and finding Millicas gazing at the valley underneath his feet, with mountainous ranges surrounding them.

"It`s pretty out here." Millicas knew that it was Alex that came, not bothering to turn to him, still looking out at the view, with Alex stepping closer to him. "Back in Underworld, we had nothing like that, not even close to anything like this. Mountains were all ugly and edgy, and the sky looked not as clear as here… Human World is very beautiful, isn`t it?"

"Yeah, it is. There are a ton of nice places like this, but there also places that are much worse than what Underworld would consider bad." Alex answered to Millicas, looking out with him at the place, while his coat was blowing lightly from the wind. "Millicas, you know what day it is today?" Alex looked at the kid, as his neutral expression had shifted to one of sorrow and sadness.

"Yes." He answered after a minute of silence. "The execution day. Mama said it was today and… She would attend it."

"She won`t be attending it." Alex took a gaze at Grayfia, who was still carefully watching her boys, before turning to Millicas` confused eyes. "I`ve asked your mom to stay with you today, Millicas. I understand that this is very hard for you and it`s for the better if someone you love and care for stayed with you, especially your mother for that matter." Alex said to him calmly, with Millicas casting a glance at his mom, before returning back to looking out at the mountainous ranges. "Millicas, do you understand what I have to do, don`t you?"

"Yeah, I guess I do." Millicas said in a bit weak voice to Alex. "Dad, Rias, Grandpa and Grandma… They all hurt you, hurt very badly to you, and many other people, your family and now… You have to punish them for doing this to you and others. They did a lot of bad things too, didn`t they?" Millicas looked up to Alex, who nodded to him.

"They did, Millicas, they did." Alex let out a sigh, looking in Millicas` silver eyes. "They hurt not only me, but also my Dad, my Mom, sister and many, many other people. They are responsible for instigating the Anti-Satan Faction`s uprising and deaths of our Grandfather and Grandmother, Lucifer and Alexandra Lucifer. They've hurt your mother too, and possibly her worst of them all, even worse than me and Dad." Alex said with sadness.

"I know." Millicas suddenly said to Alex, getting a curious eye from him. "They thought I didn`t see it, didn`t understand it because I was little, but I did and now I understand better than ever. Mom has always been hiding her real feelings behind a mask, even when Grandma and Grandpa mocked her and belittled her, even making her a maid in the House for them, but she simply took it all without even letting anyone know. And Dad… He always had loved me and I loved him back once, but when I saw that he didn`t see Mom as he should`ve, I`ve… I don`t know, maybe I simply stopped caring for him in return. They all loved me, but never loved Mom and this…"

"This made you angry and feel rage for your mother`s mistreatment, as if she was just a toy for them." Alex answered for Millicas, who looked up to him with a bit of a shocked expression. "You love your mother more than anything, don`t you, Millicas?"

"Yes. She is my Mom, she always was there for me and there was never any secrets between us, and she always supported me, just because I was her son and Grandma, Grandpa, even Dad, they…" Millicas was feeling angry for his mom, but also sad at the same time. "Alex, i-is there any other way to…"

"No, Millicas, there isn`t." Alex simply stated to Millicas, continuing. "You feel angry not because I have to do this, but because of how they treated your mother, but at the same time… You feel sad because I have to do this, to your family, to your father. The people that you grew up with, and even though you saw how they mistreated your mother, you can`t help but feel sad for them, since they did love you, sincerely, and you knew it."

"Yes… Is it wrong of me?" Millicas asked of Alexander. "Is it wrong that I want them punished for how they hurt Mom and you, but at the same time, I don`t want to lose them and feel sad for all this happening? It has to be bad, because if I feel sad for them, then I must be doing a bad thing to you and Mom and…" Millicas was starting to go into a rambling mode, before Alex kneeled before him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Millicas, it isn`t wrong to feel sad, even if it is towards the people that hurt your Mother, yet at the same time had cared for you." Alexander said to him sympathetically. "And you are not hurting your mother or me in any way because of this feeling, no. If anything, it makes you a better person, because even though they had done bad things and you understand it all, you are not above sympathy and compassion towards them, even if they are in the wrong. It is a good thing, to have this kind of sympathy, Millicas, it makes you a better person then they are, and even a better man then I am in some regard. I and your mother were very worried on how you would take it all, and now… Now I think you will be able to do just fine, Millicas."

"So, is this sadness just me being sympathetic to them and not that I want them saved?" Millicas asked of Alexander.

"It is a bit complicated, it is always is with in such cases with bonds and relations we share with others, even with our enemies, Millicas." Alex said to him. "I can`t fully tell what you feel at the moment, but all and all, I think you feel sadness that they have to be punished in such manner and wish there was an alternative. You must`ve even felt angered that there wasn`t another way for this one, since your Mom told me about it." Millicas nodded to him. "Millicas, you are not a bad person, not in any regard, and it is alright to be sad and want them saved, even if it is not a right thing to do. I will not say that you will be able to pull through easily, since I can`t fully state that for you or future, but I believe that you will be able to move past it and not let it cloud your judgment in life. Knowing what is right and wrong is a good thing, but having sympathy along with it is even better, because that way, in the future you will be able to help those in wrong to go the right way in life. Right now, I am sorry, Millicas, but there is nothing you can do to prevent what is going to happen, but in the future, I think you will become someone who can do something like that."

"I see… Thank you, Alex." Millicas smiled to him, as he searched through his feelings. "I know that they loved me, but they did a lot of bad things, and many wrongs towards Mom, Grandpa and you. I think now… Now I think I am sad not because they have to go, but because they`ve brought this upon themselves. I wish they had been better…" Alex smiled to the kid, hugging him in a brotherly fashion.

"You and me both, Millicas." Alex rose up as he looked at him. "You are a good boy, Millicas, and Grayfia is very lucky to have you as her son."

"Thanks. Um, Alex." Millicas drew his attention one more time. "Can you do something for me? It`s really important to me."

"Of course, Millicas." Alex nodded to him.

"I want you to train me, so that I could protect my Mother and those that I care about." Millicas asked of Alex, surprising him a little. "I know that I am still a little kid and my Mom is very powerful and you care for us all, but still I want to…"

"Alright." Millicas` eyes widened when he heard from Alex a positive response, something he had not expected to hear at all. "I`ll train you, Millicas. But I am warning you, that it will not be an easy training course by any means. If you want to protect your Mom and those that you care for, you`ll have to become very, very strong and immensely powerful. Powerful enough that, if a need ever arises, to take me down for good in the future." Millicas widened his eyes at this one. "Meaning, that if I ever to go the wrong way, you would be strong enough to defeat me, and while I do not plan on doing anything of bad sort, I still want you to be able to fight me on equal grounds in the future, do you understand what I mean?"

"Yeah, of course! I`ll not disappoint you, Alex." Millicas stated to him, with Alex smiling to the kid.

"I know you won`t, Millicas. However, there is something you should first promise me." Alex said to him in a serious tone.

"What is it?" Millicas asked of him curiously.

"I want you to promise me, that you will take care of and treat with care and love both Sakura and Illya with all of your heart, Millicas." From this promise Millicas immediately became red from blushing and wanted to say something, but was stopped by Alex. "Don`t even try to deny it, I can tell already that what you`ve got for both of my little girls is more than just a childish little crush, and those two are dead serious about you as well. They themselves have told me that and, as much as I would`ve preferred they first graduated from college before starting to think about boys, I can`t simply deny the fact that they are growing up as persons and already know with whom they wish to be. Had it been any other boy or guy, I would`ve long pulverized him into nothingness along with any other nice looking friends and family members that guy had, but with you, Millicas… Well, I think I can trust you enough not to break my girls` hearts and care for them equally. Illya and Sakura may not be my blood, but to me, they are my little daughters, the most precious people I have in this world, and I want them happy and safe. And I trust you to provide them with both. Do you understand me, Millicas?"

"Y-Yes, and I will do so, Alex. I-I like both Sakura and Illya and will make them the happiest girls in the world." Millicas promised with full determination and dedication.

"Good, and since you`ve agreed to it, I think I`ll now have a full excuse to train you to your fullest. I won`t accept a son-in-law who can`t defeat in a straight fight and is weaker than me." Alex watched how Millicas had gulped a little bit at this one, before Alex had smirked to him. "And if you think that you can back away from this one, I suggest you think again, because Illya and Sakura are both now taking the lessons in cooking and chores from Shuri Himejima, along from Akeno, so like it or not kid, but those two ladies are dead serious on marrying you. So, you`ve got your fate decided in one staying night by my girls already." Alex laughed at this one a little bit, as Millicas chuckled nervously, before Alex turned to look at Grayfia who was still patiently waiting for her little boy. "Millicas, go to you Mom. She has been worrying nonstop for you and it`s time to tell her everything. Take care of her and yourself, Millicas." Millicas nodded to Alexander, smiling to him and going back to his mother, as she accepted her son with a hug and a smile, listening to what he had to say to her.

"Quite a sight for the eyes, isn`t it?" Spoke up Cao Cao, holder of True Longinus, leader of Hero Faction and good friend to Alexander Lucifer, as he materialized from a portal behind him. "When you`ve asked us to postpone the execution, I thought there was some sort of world crisis looming over us again, but I certainly did not expect this."

"Millicas is a good boy, one with a kind soul and heart, and a member of my family, Cao. I needed to make sure that he understood what had to be done and that there was no other way around it." Alex explained to his friend. "Had I simply executed his entire family without even paying a second thought to him, he wouldn`t have been able to ever move past it and in the end, it would make him resentful, hateful and maybe even worse… I needed to first hear him out and explain it all to him, before I`ve done what had to be done."

"Yeah, I understand what you mean, Alex." Cao nodded to him, watching the mother-son duo hugging. "You didn`t want him to turn out more like you did, didn`t you? A kid that had lost all of his family in one fell swoop and all he had left is hatred."

"Yeah, he deserves much better than this fate. Even if he still had a mother left, the damage and trauma done to him would`ve pushed him over the edge, I know that." Alex stated firmly to Cao. "I wouldn`t want anything that I had experienced in my childhood to either my children or Millicas. I need to do the best I can for them."

"I`m sure you will do just that, my friend." Cao was assured in Alex. "Are you ready? If you want, we can postpone it a little more, if you feel like it?"

"No, time to end this cavalcade for good." Alexander said, as he and Cao Cao stepped through the portal behind them, disappearing with it.

The execution.

Alexander and Cao stepped out of the portal that had closed behind them into a large opened space of what was once a Roman amphitheater, but now was turned into a place of execution of five persons that have wrong Fallen Angels, House of Lucifer and Lucifuge, and Alexander Lucifer personally: Rias Gremory, Sirzechs Gremory, Zeoticus Gremory, Venelana Gremory and Yuuto Kiba. All five of them were brought out of the rebuilt and remodeled a bit arena, which had been reconstructed by the orders of Alexander Lucifer, as to make this place worthy of such an occasion, with the higher rows having been taken away, but the three rows remained in a circled fashion, with the rebuilt walls, seats, newest materials and everything in between, including a private lodge, holding cells and the execution`s stand, with five places prepared. Alexander already saw, that the Council of Cadres, Michael, Gabriel and Uriel, along with most of his former Peerage, safe for Kuroka because of her pregnancy, Akeno, Shuri and Baraqiel, Irina, Xenovia, Griselda and Sona with her Queen and Serafall were already on their seats, with Vali and Lucina awaiting for him.

Alex casted a swift glance at his sister`s hand, noticing a silver ring on her ring finger, knowing full well that Vali has proposed to his sister just a week ago. Those weeks were the hardest for him as well, and not wishing to lose his beloved again, he decided that he wouldn`t want to spend any more without her being his wife, and so he proposed, right in the hospital in front of Alex and the entirety of medical staff, blushing redder than Gremory`s hair, but still doing it. Lucina, who had managed to recover from her wounds well enough, agreed without a second thought, with tears in her eyes, as she pushed Vali into kiss with her. Alex, by all manners, should`ve killed that guy for pulling such a stunt, but he was happy for his sister, and only now wished that Dad would wake up to see the wedding of his daughter and Vali.

Alex looked at the stands, knowing that they all were ready to see this, while the cameras around were already transmitting all that was happening here to all of Angels, Church, Devils and Fallen Angels. Taking a place close to his sister and soon to be brother-in-law, Alexander spoke up.

"Today, is the day when justice shall be served. Not just for me, but for my sister, my father and mother, for Fallen Angels and those that these people had hurt, manipulated, used and killed. No need to mince any words then those that have already been said. All of you who are wathing this have come for one thing, and it shall be served to today: justice." Alex said in a fully serious tone, turning to the guards and motioning them to open up the doors leading into the dungeon.

And right from there, a squad of powerful Fallen Angles and Angels led out a group of five persons, battered, bruised, malnourished and weakened, yet prideful and boastful of themselves and their House. Rias` beauty had faded away, as her face took more angular and less attractive look, revealing to the world her inner ugliness now in outside, with her school`s uniform still on her dirty and disheveled along with her hair and looks entirely. Venelana was just like her daughter, only she was wearing a prison`s gown, featureless and heavy, dirty as well. Zeoticus was in prison`s clothing, still trying to get out of the line, but stopped quickly. Sirzechs weakly stepped, as his powers have not been restored and he was only a shadow of his former self, stepping to his death. And as for Kiba, the moment he saw his chance, he pushed away the guard near him, and with cries about treachery, House of Gremory and threats to Alex, he rushed at him, still in chains, but having summoned up his sword. Alexander responded quickly and without any hesitation, as a small silver and gold ring on his finger quickly took shape and form of spear, which Alex easily pushed at Kiba, stabbing him through the heart with Rhongomyniad, granting him a quick death, before he dissolved into ashes right before everyone`s eyes. Akeno no longer had any sympathy for Rias and Kiba, so she knew it had to be done and didn`t beat herself up anymore.

Motioning to the guards to move the prisoners to their respective places, Alexander glanced at his sister, who nodded to him, taking out of a sheath the Holy Sword Joyese, a sister blade to Durandal, capable of slicing off anything in its path with its narrow and swift blue and golden blade. Alexander`s Rho had changed the shape, taking a form of a sword in shape and form resembling that of Durandal, yet with a straighter edge, a larger handle and both sides sharpened. Lucina and Alexander made their way to their respective victims, with Lucina moving to Venelana Gremory, for daughter of Azazel has decided to take the lives of parents of Rias and Sirzechs, to have her own vengeance agaisnt the people that had hurt her mother. Ignoring the cries and pleas for mercy from her, Lucina brought up the blade and in one swift motion, the flesh that had connected head and the rest of the body of Venelana Gremory had been severed, as both parts had been turned into dust and ashes.

Alexander looked at Sirzechs, who was looking with a scowl and glare at him, as the former Satan spoke to him.

"You think you can just kill me?! I am Lucifer, and I will not be killed like a simple thief and…" Sirzechs` words had died in his throat, as his eyes suddenly moved on their own and he looked at his headless body, before dissolving into nothing, as Alexander`s blade was near his body.

"You are only ashes and dust, mongrel." Alex said with a scowl and satisfaction, as he watched his sister take her next victim.

"Please, I beg of you! I will do anything! I`ll give you riches, power, wealth and…" Zeoticus tried to plead to Lucina, as she brought up her blade, before she spoke up.

"Can you give me back my mother?" She asked of him, and as she saw the look of horror and fear in his eyes, she lowered her weapon upon him, striking him down and putting an end to the patriarch of House of Gremory, as he dissipated into ashes.

Alexander`s eyes looked upon Rias, as she had cried openly, pleading for mercy, with Rho`s blade already over her head.

"Alex, I beg you, please, I will do anything to you! I will be your wife, your lover, your slave and whore, just please, let me live and…" Rias was ready to throw away all she had, as she looked at the stands and called out to the only person she saw there that could do something to her. "Akeno! I command you to free me! Free me and I…"

"Enough." Alexander simply said to her, as Rho`s blade went right into Rias, cleaving through it and severing without any delay the head from the body, ending the entire line of House of Gremory for good, with the last cry of Rias Gremory, who had dissolved into dust and joined her wretched and dead family in the afterlife.

And at that moment, Alexander transformed his weapon back in the spear, looking at the piles of ashes that was on the stand. A small smile appeared on his face, as he spoke to himself.

"Finally."