Chapter 55: Conference

"You must be Lucias right?"

A middle-aged, handsome looking man with long crimson red hair that is tied in a loose ponytail with a black hairband and bright blue as a short and red beard or stubble decorated his chin greeted while stretching out his arm towards Lucias.

"That's right, my name's Lucias Frey. It's a pleasure to meet you, Zeoticus-san"

Lucias greeted as he shook his hand with a light smile on his face.

"Hmm? It seems like you know who I am"

Zeoticus said with an amused expression on his face while scratching his beard, staring directly at Lucias' golden eyes.

"How could I not know the famous, Zeoticus Gremory?"

Lucias said sarcastically but didn't show it since he didn't want to create conflicts between them, especially when the meeting is about to be held tomorrow.

"Is that so? It looks like I'm pretty famous even outside the underworld"

Zeoticus laughed while patting Lucias on his shoulders with a friendly smile on his face.

"Otou-sama, please don't bother him"

Rias called before pulling her father away from Lucias with a light blush on her cheeks.

"Oh, I'm just meeting the boy who easily stole my daughter's heart"

"Otou-sama!! Geez!"

Rias shouted as she tried to stop her father from speaking with a shy expression on her face.

"Please don't mind what he just said, Lucias"

Rias said as she shyly averted her eyes from Lucias who was watching them without a singke change in hos expression.

"I haven't showed my gratitude yet for everything that you have done for Rias. Thank you Lucias-san for all the aid that you have given her. I'm thanking you not as the head of the Gremory Clan but as a father"

Zeoticus suddenly said as he slightly bowed his head in front of Lucias to show his gratitude.

"You don't have to thank me, Zeoticus-san"

Lucias said as he waved his hand in front of him causing Zeoticus to laugh as he placed his hand on his shoulder.

"If you need any help in the future, just call any of us and we will do our best to help you. I swear it upon my name"

Zeoticus said with a warm smile on his face while looking at Lucias.

"... Well..."

"I already know that... you don't want to associate with us... but please accept this favour of mine. It's just a selfish desire of mine and not the clan's nor the faction's desire"

Zeoticus insisted as he held his hand with a determined expression on his face.

"...Fine..."

Lucias said in a reluctant tone with a helpless smile on his face causing Zeoticus to happily laugh while patting his shoulder with his arm.

"That's great! Here, remember to call us if anything happens. We will do our best to help you however we can"

He said as he handed a piece of paper to Lucias containing the magic circle of the Gremory Clan.

"Thanks"

Lucias plainly said as he hid the piece of paper in his pockets before secretly sending it in his inventory.

"Lucias?"

Iris who just arrived at their direction while touring the academy with Najenda and Najasho called but froze when she saw his previous father-in-law.

"Is this your sister, Lucias Frey-kun?"

Zeoticus asked, noticing the similar facial features that both her and Lucias have.

"No... She is kind of my mother, I guess?"

Lucias vaguely answered while hiding the worry that he felt in his heart as he didn't expect for Iris to bump into them while he was conversing with her previous in laws.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Rias' father"

Zeoticus introduced as he stretched his arm out to Iris who was reluctantly staring at his arm.

"... Yes, it's nice to meet you too, I'm Lucias' mother, Iris Frey"

Iris introduced before shaking his hand while staring at his expression as she tried to see what type of reaction will he show when he heard her name.

"...What a nice name you have, Iris Frey-san"

Zeoticus said after a short pause causing both Lucias and Iris to frown from his reaction.

"Thanks for the compliment, Zeoticus Gremory-kun"

Iris thanked before glancing at Lucias who was signalling for her to go back home first together with Najenda and Najasho who were both preparing to attack if ever Zeoticus does something that may harm Lucias or Iris.

"Then we'll be going first, Lucias stay out of trouble alright?"

Iris reminded with a soft smile on her face before saying her goodbyes to both Zeoticus and Lucias.

"Let us meet next time, Iris Frey-san"

"Mn, I hope we meet again, Zeoticus Gremory-kun"

-The next day-

"... Riku... have you prepared everything?"

Lucias asked Riku who was respectfully standing in front of his table back at the headquarters of their faction.

"Yes, we have stationed most of the witches around Kuoh to prepare for any attack during the conference"

Riku reported while looking at Lucias who was skimming through the piles of documents on the table regarding the situation of each countries of their current dimension.

[Quest Completed!]

Suddenly a single piece of notifications rang inside his head, catching him by surprise as he doesn't remember completing any of his current quests.

[Title: Demonic Emperor has been obtained]

[The ancient demon civilization has joined the faction]

The notification rang causing Lucias to look outside the ruby palace in surprise, finding 5,000,000 demons at the back of the palace. Most having humanlike features as a vicious demonic aura came out of their bodies while some of them had bulky bodies made from condensed bones of various beasts and creatures.

"Riku..."

Lucias called causing Riku who was staring outside the palace in shock from the sudden appearance of the demons inside their faction.

"It looks like... we have a chance of winning this war with little casualties on our side"

Lucias said with a large grin on his face as he couldn't control his excitement. From the tales that Lucifer and Azazel has told him in the past regarding the demons of the past.

They were all extremely capable beings who are not much weaker than Ultimate-Class devils of the modern age, but unlike the devils of this age, they are all capable of controlling all types of demonic magic to some degree that Lucifer has created in the past. 

The most outstanding features that they have is not their strength, but their intelligence to create technology that was far too advanced in their time.

"Go call the original demons... I'm sure that... they'll be happy meeting their kind once again after a few billions of years of being sealed"

Lucias ordered causing Riku to nod his head as he hurriedly made his way outside, leaving Lucias who was having a hard time controlling the grin on his face.

"... Wait, if the quest is finished then-"

Lucias said before being contacted by Sephie through the invisible transreciever in his ear.

[Lucias-sama... They've returned]

Sephie said from the other side of the call in a trembling voice causing Lucias to smile before giving her his next command.

"Gather all the representatives to the meeting room as soon as they get some rest... Report to me the number of soldiers that we lost and all of their achievements... We will start preparing for the war starting this day"

-with Lucifer-

"Lucifer, calm down will you?"

Justice said as all of them hurriedly ran towards the ruby palace immediately as soon as they heard the news.

"How can I calm down!? F-Finally... Finally we found them..."

Lucifer muttered in a low voice as she chocked on her tears, remembering the hardships that they faced as they desperately searched for them billions of years ago when they all suddenly disappeared from existence.

"W-We can finally see them again... We, We..."

Lucifer said as tears welled up at the corner of her eyes causing her to slow down her pace as she couldn't control the tears the was coming out of her eyes.

"Ugh..."

"Lucifer... Do you want them to see the great demon queen crying on her knees like this?"

Justice said as she stopped in her tracks to comfort Lucifer.

"Don't cry..."

Cerberus comforted as all 3 of them walked towards her with a worried expression on their faces before hugging Lucifer in their embrace.

"... No... It's been 4 billions years... I don't want any of them to look down on me anymore... just like in the past"

Lucifer answered before wiping her tears with the sleeves of her uniform causing Justice to smile at her direction.

"It's been a while... and I'm sure you have plently of stories to tell them once we've all reunited"

Justice said as a nostalgic smile surfaced on her face while watching Lucifer stand up from the ground with the assistance of Cerberus who carefully carried her on her feet.

"Yeah... This is... all thanks to Lucias"

Lucifer muttered causing all the original demons to smile, remembering everything that Lucias has done for them in the past few years that they've been together.

"... Let's do our best... to repay him back for everything..."

Lucifer said as she glanced at her sisters with a resolute expression on her face.

"Naturally" (Justice)

Justice said in a joyful tone while the others nodded their heads in agreement to her words.

"Now then... Let's finally meet... our family again"

Lucifer muttered before opening the large gate located at the back of the ruby palace to finally meet the beings that they all desperately searched for in the past.

-with Rias-

"Buchou, is it really alright to leave Gasper alone with Kiba? For some reason I feel... Uneasy"

Issei said with a light frown on his face as he couldn't get rid of the unease that he felt the moment that they left towards the meeting room.

"Just trust him, Issei. Kiba is enough to protect him and alert us if anyone attacks them... I understand your worries but, just trust him, we also have a few hundreds of angels stationed outside in case if anything happens"

Rias assured before knocking on the door of the meeting room with Issei, Koneko and Akeno following her from behind.

"Excuse us"

She said as she entered the room, causing Issei to stiffly enter the meeting room with a nervous expression on his face as he gazed around the VIPs that sat around the table.

On the devil's side sat Sirzechs and Serafall who were silently sitting down on their seats while Sona and Tsubaki sat on the seat behind them.

Opposite them is a handsome-looking man with long blond hair and green eyes with 12 golden wings sprouting from his back wearing a a red robe with a gold cross on the front of his white alb and a golden halo above his head.

By his side is an extremely beautiful woman with curly blonde hair and a voluptuous figure wearing a white robe over her body with 12 pure white wings at her back causing Issei to gulp from seeing her innocent yet seductive charm.

Finally, there's Governor-General Azazel who sat between the handsome boy and Sirzechs with a silver haired boy standing behind him with a light frown on his face before glaring at Issei who just came inside the room.

"My younger sister, and her family"

Sirzechs introduced causing all 4 of them to bow their heads in response.

"In the attack of Kokabiel a few days ago, they were active during the raid"

"I have heard the report. I give my thanks once more"

The representative of the Angels, Michael said in gratitude as Rias bowed her head once again at his direction.

"Sorry, Kokabiel of my side caused you trouble"

Governor said with a light grin on his face causing Issei and Sirzechs to frown at his lack of sincerity.

"Sit on the seats over there"

Sirzechs said as Grayfia guided them to the seats behind him near the wall where Sona and Tsubaki are.

"Now that everyone has arriv-"

"Wait"

Sirzechs tried to start the meeting but was stopped by Governor who raised his hand in front of him.

"Are we missing anyone, Kokabiel-san?"

Sirzechs asked causing Governor to grin before answering his question.

"A friend of mine will be attending this meeting with us since they are partly involved in this incident"

"A friend?"

Michael asked while looking at him in confusion as he recieved no reports that another party was involved with the incident with Kokabiel.

"Yes, well... we just met a few months ago so were not really close"

Governor said before taking out a piece of cloth in his hand and showing it to the rest of the representatives on the table.

The cloth contained a single emblem on top of it, but the emblem itself caused all of the leaders to look at him in shock as they never expected for him to actually invite this monster in attending their conference.

"The leader of the Forsaken Faction, will be attending this conference"

He stated causing the devils who were listening at the back to stand up from their seat from hearing his words except for Issei who looked at them in confusion.

"Huh? Why is everyone so surprised?"

Issei asked out in confusion causing Rias to look at him in shock due to his lack of knowledge about a well-known monster of a faction.

"Issei, remember this. If there's anyone that can destroy the three main factions that would only be one faction. The forsaken faction that suddenly appeared 5 years ago and swept the entire supernatural world by storm"

Rias explained before gazing at the emblem on the table in fear.

"It is said that all of the members of their faction is vicious and cunning. With power enough to topple the balance between the factions, especially the founders who all posses a unique ability and skills that can change the course of a battlefield"

"Indeed, their movements are unpredictable and unreadable. They also destroyed the Tepes Faction a few years ago because they were displeased by their actions, and according to the reports, only 16 members participated in that seige along with the faction leader himself"

Sirzechs added causing Issei to gulp in nervousness from hearing the infamous stories surrounding the mysterious faction.

"But most importantly, there is not a single information that can be found about their faction and its members. They are all shrouded in mystery and moved from the shadows, controlling the balance of power by the tip of their fingers"

Rias said as she bit the tip of her thumbs while Sona calmly listened to their conversation since she knew someone that is part of that said faction.

"They're aim is unknown but they've been protecting humanity from the worst exploits of the supernatural world so... we are very thankful for their aid"

Michael added with a smile on his face but the feeling of fear and anxiety never left his heart as they all knew how ruthless they can be when offended.

"You... How did you even manage to invite a monster like that to our conference?"

Sirzechs asked while staring at Governor who was casually sitting on the chair with a large grin on his face.

"Well... we had a treaty a while back and they once destroyed half of my faction in the past because of Kokabiel, so I guess that's how we became acquainted"

Governor answered before a massive golden magic circle appeared on the wall of the meeting room, decorated with the emblem of the Forsaken Faction causing all of them to grasp their hands in anxiety and fear.

"So you're finally here"

Governor casually called out as 3 figures came out of the magic circle two of which are wearing a black robe over their body as a mask covered their facial features.

But what was most shocking of all was not the aura that the two was releasing but the single teenager who stood between them.

He had short golden hair and eyes with extremely attractive facial features wearing a red suit and cape that fluttered behind his back as he stood tall in front of them in a refined posture as a powerful yet elegant aura came out of his body.

"N-No way..."

Rias muttered as she covered her mouth in shock while the rest of the devils at the wall froze from their spot from seeing his appearance.

Sirzechs snd Grayfia stared at him in shock and bewilderment as they couldn't believe what they were seeing while Govenor grinned at their reaction.

"I can't believe that the faction leader is this young..."

Michael muttered while feeling a slight familiar divine aura coming out of his body.

"Please forgive me for coming in late, I have a few things to take care of back at the faction"

The teenage boy said in a playful voice before grinning at all of them who were all staring at his direction.

"I wasn't able to properly introduced myself in the past, please forgive me for that"

He said while glancing at Sona and Rias who was standing frozen from shock.

"My name's Lucias Frey, the leader of the Forsaken Faction. It's a pleasure to meet you all"