24 Chapter 23

Sirzechs was sitting on the sofa inside his office. He was switching his gaze between the door and the window, looking in the direction of Grigori's lands. Devil King Lucifer stood up abruptly and walked hastily toward the door. At the same moment the door opened revealing a beautiful woman with silver hair wearing a maid outfit. Her name was Grayfia Lucifuge, wife of Sirzechs and mother of their son, Milicas, she was also Sirzechs peerage member as his 'Queen'. Another thing is that she also worked as a head-maid in Gremory Family.

Sirzechs waited till she closed the door and when she did that, he put his hands on her shoulders, looking at her with nervousness painted on his face.

"How is she? Is she okay? Did she say something that hurts her? I swear that if something-" Sirzechs panic started turning into anger, but was stopped by Grayfia.

"Relax. Rias is okay, so are her peerage members." Her voice was calm and somehow cold, but strangely pleasant for the ears.

"Oh, right. Her peerage members... But are you sure she is okay?" He received a sharp glare from the maid. He flinched unconsciously. "I see. That's great, that's great. Haaaaah..." He flopped down on the sofa with a sigh.

"We should focus on the more important matter." Reminded maid.

"I know..." Said Sirzechs. "That bastard who attacked my precious sister." Anger flashed through his blue eyes. "Send a message to the Grigori, we demand Kokabiel's head in the time of four days and compensation in the form of a monthly tribute, let's say 20% of their monthly income for the duration of 20 years." He crossed his legs and rested his chin on his hand, tapping a finger against his cheek. "That should be enough for endangering my sister. What if something could happen to her? What the hell is that brainless Fallen's Leader thinking?! He even can't keep his people in check."

Grayfia looked at him and shook her head. 'Why is he such a siscon?...'

"Calm down, master." Said maid while brewing some tea for him. "Your sister is thankfully okay and so are her friends. Kokabiel is clearly at fault but it was actually their, as you said it, 'brainless Leader' who saved them." She served him tea, placing a cup on his desk.

She continued to speak. "The description of his appearance presented by Rias and her peerage coincides with what Devil King Leviathan said. The important thing is that Kokabiel is a Cadre-class Fallen and Razjeel dealt with him like an adult with a child."

"So you are saying that he is strong?" Sirzechs sipped tea.

"Yes, very. I suggest that we should investigate him more. Also one piece of information keeps bugging me. Apparently, although he is a Fallen Angel, he was capable of wielding Durandal, which is unheard-of for 'Unholy' being to use the Holy Sword." She started sorting papers on Sirzechs desk.

Red-haired man drowned in his own thoughts. He frowned, which was unusual for him. 'Something is missing. Fallen Angels and Devils should be incapable of using objects created to destroy us....'

" Fine, you can investigate him. Find anything useful- no, actually, find everything about him. The meeting between us, Angels and Fallens is in just a few days, I want to know as much as I can till then." He stood up and walked towards the window, looking somewhere outside. "Also, I was hot-headed. Don't send any message to Grigori, we should first inform the council about what we should do next. In the meantime I want someone to watch over Rias."

"I see, master. I'll do as you wish." She bowed slightly and was about to leave, but suddenly, Sirzechs pulled her in embrace from behind, startling the beautiful maid.

"And watch out for yourself. I care about my sister, but also about you." He leaned over her shoulder and kissed her soft, rosy lips.

Grayfia responded to his kiss with her own, but she soon after broke free from his embrace. "I will." She said with a smile on her face, leaving the room.

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"Was that really necessary? We could have just sent him to Cocytus, killing him was-" Said Azazel looking at Razjeel in the eyes.

" 'Was' what? Just listen to yourself for a moment. That maggot almost ruined a peace you wanted so much and yet here you are saying that killing him was wrong? Unbelievable... " Razjeel shook his head and snorted at Azazel. "I heard that you quite often let him do as he wanted. You've grown soft, Azazel." He shifted his attention towards the papers and grabbed a file of documents. Quite a big file.

He tossed it to Azazel and started explaining. "This is all of his crimes from the last 5 years. Tens of similar files are in the archive. Do you still want to say that I was too harsh on him? If yes, then get out of my sight."

Azazel didn't even browse through the file. Why? Because he already knew all of that. He could only sigh helplessly. "Listen, he just felt betrayed by Heaven and Old man, more than any of us. He wanted to prove that he was-"

"He felt betrayed, huh... And how I should feel?" Something snapped in him. "I, who did everything that that dead bastard wants for thousands of years... I, who dedicated my entire life for Heaven. I, who led my brothers and sisters for certain death for fucking nothing! I, who lost everything by his dirty hands!!! How should I feel?!" His body started trembling in anger. His voice, soaked with hatred and grief. Whole palace started to tremble as if threatening to collapse.

Azazel was stuck in his place, unable to move. He felt like someone was crushing his chest, no, his whole body. He knew he unconsciously touched a sensitive subject for Razjeel. Gathering his Holy Energy he started to resist but that was unnecessary. The intimidating presion disappeared suddenly, as if nothing happened. Sweat rolled down Azazel's forehead.

"I'm sorry. You know I-" He tried to apologize, but Razjeel interrupted him.

"Leave. I want to be alone." Was all he said before he turned his back to Azazel. Understanding that it was better if he left, Azazel sighed and walked out of the office.

Razjeel was sitting in the same place for a few hours, staring outside the window at absolutely nothing. He didn't even realize that someone was coming into his office from time to time, leaving new trays with food and taking back the untouched and cold ones back. Or maybe he realized, but didn't care. When the sun hides behind the horizon, a bright moon adorned the night sky, lightening the world bathed in darkness.

Looking at the moon, a ridiculous thought appeared in his head. He thought that he was kinda like that moon. Not as a source of light in the dark. But like, he's alone in this world, just like the moon in the sky. And although there are stars around it, just like people around him, they are too far apart to reach him. He smiled mockingly at himself 'What the hell I'm thinking about'. A sigh escaped his mouth. 'Maybe I overreacted a little... Well, I will apologize tomorrow... Maybe.'

Then, he turned his attention at his left side where someone was sitting alongside him on the chair. "You know you didn't have to sit here with me all this time."

Raynare stretched her body and looked at him. "I know. But I was trying to talk to you for a few hours already. You didn't even eat anything I made- I brought." She corrected herself quickly. "I heard your little quarrel with Azazel."

"Haha, probably the whole capital heard." Said jokingly Razjeel.

"Is everything all right?" Asked Raynare, leaning closer to him. Her violet eyes sparkled in the dim room. She didn't even realize that she took his hand in hers.

Feeling her soft touch, the warmth coming from her palm and looking in her bright eyes, Razjeel caught himself mesmerized by the view. Taken aback he responded "Wha-, Yes, yes, I'm fine, really." He smiled. She didn't know how, but she knew that he was lying.

Raynare narrowed her eyes slightly. "Liar. I was sitting here for quite some time and you didn't look fine. You didn't even respond when I insulted you."

"I'm telling you I'm fine- wait, you were insulting me?" Asked Razjeel with raised eyebrow.

"That's not important." She changed the subject. "You know that if you want to talk you can come to me, right? I can't help you in many things, but hearing you out is one of the few I can." She was looking at him, with resolve inside her eyes.

Feeling her genuine care for him, at first he didn't know what to say. He just didn't expect that. But her words somehow put him at ease. Maybe he just needed to hear those words? He didn't know, didn't care. He felt happy for the first time since he came back from the Purgatory. He embraced back her hand, returning the gesture.

Realizing that they were holding hands and that it was her who first took his hand, a small blush adorned Raynare's face. But she didn't take her hand back, she even squeezed his palm tighter. 'His hand is cold... But still nice'.

'If I think about it right now, there is hardly a day when I'm not with her.' "Thank you." Suddenly, Razjeel said.

A small smile appeared on her pretty face.

He twisted slightly his body and took a sandwich with his free hand from the tray on his desk. Taking a bite, both of them kept staring at the moon, holding their hands in a silence.

" By the way." Razjeel suddenly broke the silence. "I know you are cooking all my meals."

She flinched on her chair. "Since when?" Small voice traveled to his ears.

"Basically, since the very beginning." He admitted.

"Then why didn't you say anything?" In response she received a shrug. Glancing at him eating a sandwich made by her, she hesitantly asked "Is it even tasty?"

"Hah, It's terrible. Ouch! " He felt a stinging pain in his palm. He saw her stabbing his hand with her fingernail. He sighed but still smiled at her behavior nevertheless.

He looked at the moon 'Sorry buddy. It's turned out that we're slightly different.' A chuckle escaped his mouth.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing, nothing..."

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Few days have passed since then. Azazel and Razjeel made up with each other, but it was Azazel who came first to apologize. Anyway, it was a day when the meeting between three factions was.

Razjeel, along with Azazel and Raynare, were standing in the meeting hall, within a big Magic Circle drawn on the floor. They were waiting for the response from the Devils to allow them to teleport inside their territory. Why Devils? Because they were hosts of the meeting.

"Was it a good idea to burn that envelope? Maybe that was a message that the meeting is postponed to another day? You could at least read it before you burned it." Said Raynare irritated because they should have been there minutes ago.

"Easy, I'm sure it wasn't it. Probably that was their demand about Kokabiel's case. Probably. I think... Maybe...." He started firmly but the more he thought about, the more uncertain he was.

"Great, so you are not sure and we could just be standing here like idiots waiting for nothing." Frowned young woman.

"If they would really postpone the meeting they wouldn't send a letter. They would send some eunuch or that adorable girl Serafall." Defended himself Razjeel.

Last part annoyed her. She walked towards him with her arms crossed. "Hah? So you-"

"Please! Stop! Both of you!!" Azazel interrupted her. "I have enough of your love quarrels! If you two started dating, go make a kid or something so you two will shut up and stop annoying other people." A scowl appeared on his face.

" " We are not dating" " Both of them said at the same time. 'And I'm not ready for a kid!' Thought Raynare.

"Really?" Said Azazel with a deadpan expression. "Just a few days ago I caught you two cuddling each other, holding hands while sleeping. Both of you looked like you were having the wettest dream of your life." He pointed fingers at them.

Razjeel also showed him a finger. A middle one. "Fuck you."

Raynare blushed from embarrassment as she had nothing to defend herself.

In the same moment, the Magic Circle shined with red light.

"Finally." Muttered Azazel before they disappeared in the flash of the bright light.

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Inside the huge chamber a group of people was gathered around a round table. There were four Great Devil Kings including Rias Gremory and here peerage standing behind Sirzechs.

On Falbium's right side was a handsome young man, with long blonde hairs in green eyes. The most noticeable thing was a halo floating above his head. It was an obvious sign that he was an Angel. His name was Michael, an Archangel and the Seraph.

Behind him stood two teenage girls. On the left side was a pretty girl with green strands among her blue hair. Her name was Xenovia, a current wielder of Durandal. Next to her stood another pretty girl with light brown hair tied in pigtails.

On Michael's right side and Serafall's left side stood two empty chairs, waiting for their owners.

"It's been quite some time, you think they won't come?" Asked Sirzches to Ajuka.

"It's hard to tell, they didn't even respond to the council's demands." Responded green-haired Devil.

Behind them Issei was complaining, but his voice was a little too loud and so everyone heard him clearly. "Damn these crows. First they attack us and now they order us to wait for them. Arrogant bastards..."

"Moo~! Don't say bad things behind people's back, Issei-kun! I'm sure Razjeel-chan will come, he promised me! Hehe. '' Serafall reminded Issei in her own... cute way.

Unnoticed by everyone, Michael flinched hearing that name. Well, almost unnoticed. Xenovia and Grayfia catched that small movement with their strained eyes.

" He's a crow! He doesn't care about the promises! We can't trust him-!" His sentence was interrupted by the flash of the light coming from the corner of the room, on the right side from the doors.

Looking at that spot, everyone saw newly arrived guests. The silence ascended in the room as everyone took a closer look at the newly arrived. Their reactions were normal, although Issei slightly paled and flinched when he saw a beautiful girl with black hair, wearing a maid outfit.

*Pak! *

Suddenly a noise broke the silence. Everyone turned their attention towards the source of the sound. They saw Michael and behind was a knocked down chair. His expression was pale as if he just saw a ghost. His eyes were wavering and body was trembling slightly, almost imperceptibly. Shaking voice spread through the chamber.

"No... No... No... That's... That's impossible..."

Razjeel smiled in his direction as he started walking closer.

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Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

If you're reading this that means that you're amazing person! I mean... All of us are amazing in some kind of way and not reading this doesn't makes you less amazing... But anyway.

I don't have idea about to what write next, I'm sorry, my brain gun is out of "idea ammo". That's why for some time I will probably post a few chapters of Demon Slayer Fic.

What do you think about progress with Raynare? To fast? Too forced? For me it's normal, I mean they spent like few months almost always together and both like each other company. Soo yeah, I still don't know how to write a romance....

Why I left it here on a cliffhanger? To make you come back when the notification will come that new chapter is out, muahahahahah!!

I also finished writing my old chap of MHA FF, just comment here if you would like to read it. I know it's one chap but still. I have two version of it, one is old with Venom quirk, and second is just a concept with "Cursed Speech" quirk. I'm just charmed by Jujutsu Kaisen anime, with Inumaki Toge powers especially.

That's all, thank you and love ya all! Let the Innos light your path! Unless you walk a path of darkness then, you know. Darkness for eternity!!