I own nothing.


Zekram Bael barely looked up from his desk to the speaker, stretching his arms above his head as he did so. The recent meeting had drained him of his patience, lasting a whole week with nary a break. He contemplated ignoring the question— it would hardly be the first time grave tidings had suddenly sprung up before the Elder Council after all, but the draining tension in his body as a result of the stretch convinced him to end his impromptu break. Ignoring the remaining mound of files in front of him, he responded to the supposed rulers of the underworld.

"Are you absolutely certain?"He slowly drawled, turning around to face the trembling chamberlain who turned pale under his attention. Present were the lead Elders, the Chairman of the Board of Seventy-Two, the representatives of the Pillar Clans, and the lone elected minister who represented the lower masses. As a mere high-class devil, the man did not possess the seniority to enter this meeting, but recent news had forced Zekram to exercise his prerogative as the Head Elder, and so he had invited him, aware that he would be an object of interest to many of the assembled Devils who had all earned their portfolios through long and distinguished careers.

"Yes, my Lord!" The man almost stumbled in his haste to answer, "Heaven has launched an invasion at the vampires and the angels have almost taken over the entirety of the western Balkans. The main host crossed through the Adriatic Sea and their reserve force has already taken positions near Serbia."

"This is madness…" Raum Phenex, the Former Marquis of the Phenex Estate and a Lord of the Underworld whispered in anger, right hand clenching so tightly that his knuckles turned white and the wine he was holding, a prized treasure from the cellars of Olympus, broke into tiny shards.

All the assembled Lords of the Underworld in the chamber just stood rooted in their places, minds trying to adjust what they had heard.

"Are they out of their minds? To declare war at such a time and against vampires of all factions! Are they even aware of their own precarious position?" Auberon Agares groused, as he looked at his fellow nobles in bewilderment.

They were currently inside the Great Hall of Lucifer's Palace, the place where Satans convened and the gatherings of the Elder Council were held. The hall was massive, large enough to hold several thousand people with room to spare, and with only a mere hundred here it felt rather empty.

"Have the setbacks they faced during the last few centuries addled their minds?" Chysis Gremory, the Former Duke of Gremory Estate, asked in amazement, hand stroking her red mane even as she looked at his fellow Heads in apprehension.

"Michael must be even more incensed at the vampires than we thought," opined Serafall Leviathan, even as some of the lords began to look at her askance in surprise. "I never thought they'd go this far just for a single Longinus, considering they've chosen to overlook our own expropriation of Sacred Gears several times."

Of the Satans— only Sirzechs, Ajuka, and Serafall were present. The only one absent amongst them was Falbium, a Satan who was so enamoured with his sin of Sloth that nothing short of a national emergency could get him to do any work. As he had not been seen in public for over a decade no one was surprised to discover that he had not appeared here, this gathering had not been worth his presence. Or at least that had been what it had seemed at the beginning…

The three Maous were all seated on their ornamental golden seats, thrones really, even as their Queens led by Grayfia stood to one side, a bit behind their respective Kings. And even though Falbium was not here, a fourth empty throne was placed alongside the other three— all four of the thrones were placed upon an elevated stage set at the back of the Hall, one that was just high enough to see everyone and be seen in turn once the hall was packed full.

A pair of longer stages lined the length of the room, forming a U shape with the central stage occupied by the Satans being at its bottom, and upon them were a grand total of seventy-two ornamental desks and chairs. Those were the seats that were reserved for the Elder Council and the associates who had convened today for what was only meant to be a periodic gathering alongside them.

"But it only makes sense," spoke Ajuka Beelzebub, "Just look at the path they are taking. It is just a three-hour march away from Romania, where they can come up to the Southern Carpathians, and transfer their entire army through the mountain range all the way up to Transylvania, allowing them to bypass Bucharest, and encircle the Tepes Palace without disturbing the Fallen present there. For them, that is the best option,"

The Satan's teal eyes looked just as bored as ever, even as he traced out the route he had just mentioned on a map of the human world projected in front of them all, hanging from the wall, as guarded nods came from the rest of the Lords. He turned and faced the chamberlain, who had originally informed them of the invasion, and asked "What are the numbers of this new Heavenly armada?"

"Going by our reports, the angels number unto ten thousand, and they have seven destroyers alongside them." the messenger reported curtly, as the room stilled upon hearing the man's words.

"Seven destroyers and ten thousand angels." Sirzechs Lucifer spoke, a tiny hint of curiosity lacing his tone even as he leaned forward. "But that does not make sense. Why would they need to field a force that strong just for vampires?"

"Indeed." Serafall Leviathan nodded, even nervous murmurs spread through the room. "Heaven had lost most of their numbers, and more importantly a huge chunk of their leaders at during the Great War. One would expect them to think twice before fielding an army this strong. This requires further investigation."

Zekram Bael waved his hand at her words— wordlessly watching as a group of uniformed stewards ran into the chamber in response and began distributing sealed folders to each devil in the room. Another group of maids rushed in and put up on the large theatre various maps depicting various regions of the human world, even as golden figurines, depicting the various forces involved, were magically conjured atop the various points in the maps which denoted the occupied areas. Each employee here had been meticulously trained at prestigious vocational institutes, and each member of the House had all the information they might need placed right before them in seconds.

"More importantly, what has become of the Carmilla Faction?" Ajuka asked in a calm tone. "The western regions fall under her governance and she is not the sort to freely allow any of Three Factions to gallant around her region as far as I know

"That is…" The chamberlain, a man of House Barbatos, hesitated and shook his head in response, "The nation previously ruled by the Carmilla Faction has been completely wiped out, my lord! The angels of Heaven have not yet moved towards the Tepes but they have wiped out any traces of resistance that might oppose them. The angels have begun creating defensive fortifications inside the occupied area and a part of their forces have started to encircle Transylvania. Moreover, all the members of House Vordenburg have been executed!"

"What?"

The entire hall erupted with sound at that declaration. From the startled clamour of the older Elders to the approving cheers or disproving outcries of the youngsters amongst them, the hall once peaceful all became a cacophony of noise. And the source of the chaos trembled under it all, having no choice but to allow the sudden noise to fall upon him like the rain even as he stood alone.

"This is an outrage!" Raum Phenex suddenly shouted, face almost red and jowls visibly quivering as he drew all gazes towards himself through his loud words, "This cannot be allowed to stand. We must not allow Michael to rampage through Europe as he pleases. We should begin making preparations for a national emergency."

"Curse that damn Michael!" someone from the crowd roared in response even as various other lords started to growl in anger, "We are going to…"

"You are going to do nothing," Zekram Bael finally rose, having seen too much of this debacle even his curt voice interrupted the outraged shouters and all others inadvertently. He knew the direction this gathering had been slowly heading towards, and he needed to nip it in the bud before it could bloom. They were not prepared for another war

One could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed his sudden declaration before the hall again erupted with sound. Though this time there were more noises of confusion rather than outright disagreement as compared to last time. It did not surprise him— he considered himself to be an incredibly popular leader, arguably the greatest Elder that the Underworld ever had. More importantly, every devil gathered here was more than aware of the fact that the deceptively charming old man that had just interrupted them was among the most dangerous entities in the Underworld, maybe even more so than the Maous themselves.

"Lord Zekram, what do you mean?" It was Chysis Gremory who asked first, voice strained despite the fact that they were distantly related as the oldest devil gave her a wan smile that caused the companion by her side to sweat nervously even though it was not directed at him.

"When I heard that Heaven had invaded the vampires, I was actually surprised. I thought that it must have been a mistake, but now I see that things are indeed different," he started, even as the chamberlain winced at his words.

Not for the first time, he noted how the name Elder Council was a bit of an oxymoron and painted a false image of the devils in question. Despite its name, the Elder Council did not consist only of the old and elderly, there were more than a few young Devils mixed in their number, some only three or four centuries old. The Council had gained its name because it was originally meant to be a panel of retired Clan Heads, a place where they could put their considerable experience to good use while their children took up the mantle of leading their Clan.

But not many of the previous Clan Heads were left breathing after the Civil War, so instead the seats were replaced with other members of the Clans— younger siblings of the current head or one of the more talented members of a branch family.

Despite the large age gap separating them, the members of the Council were remarkably similar. Not so much in their facial features or appearance, but in the way they dressed and conducted themselves. They were all dour men and women with solemn expressions dressed up in uncomfortable formal robes, and almost all of them were equally stupid. It would not be the first time he had his patience by these oafs, for he'd grown accustomed to suppressing the urge to curse at them for their short-sightedness and arrogance which often showed itself.

"Yes, my Lord," opined Arioch Belial, one of the more sensible heads amongst them "A most curious turn of events, more so when considering the reportedly pacifist nature of Michael."

"I agree. That fool always thought with his heart, not his head. A bad combination for an inheritor of a once dominant faction," Zekram chuckled at his words, fingers stroking his beard even as the rest nervously followed. "So, the fool is angry at what's happening to the Sephiroth Graal. A nasty business that, the Tepes King has only grown more ruthless with age. But nonetheless, this was an action that was within the realm of our expectations; we expected Heaven to make a move of some sort after all. However, that does not excuse the fact that they have all but declared war against a neutral power. This now gives practically everyone a legitimate reason to go after them."

"Of course, it does!" One of the devils spoke indignantly, even as Zekram shook his head at the naivete of the Lords in the room. They were children compared to him, but that did not mean they had to act like it. "Even we would surely not let this slide."

"You are all thinking of this in terms of war. Look at the benefits this can bring us if we play this right," he advised, even as he took a sip of wine from a goblet while all the assembled lords, looked at him in surprise.

"As of now," the previous status quo of the world is effectively broken, and the power balance between the Three Factions is soon to follow." He stated even as the eyes of his fellow Lords hardened. Say what they might about him, none could deny that he could be dangerously insightful at times. "The vampires are done for, that is given. But it is the Fallen who stand to lose the most out of this. Azazel has been a benefactor of the vampires for far too long, and he would not see his investments go to waste on the whims of Michael. Strictly speaking, they would most probably revisit the strategy they successfully employed against both Heaven and Hell during the Great War, another opportunity seems to have presented itself and they have the assets in place to set the plan in motion immediately…

The Great War had shown a level of strategic warfare never before seen in thousands of years. A war that had revealed to the world the talents of three extraordinary forces, Heaven and Hell, who had been equally matched by the Fallen in the later stages. Battles were fought with increasingly complex strategies, tactics, and formations never before seen throughout history, and were employed in equal measure by both sides. Enough to make even the Hindus who were generally uninterested in worldly affairs take notice.

However, though the Fallen had proven to be more than a match for Heaven and Hell when it came to planning and strategy, the same could not be said when speaking of power and influence. Although the Fallen had faced opposing forces from other Factions in minor skirmishes, it was not a true victory as they never had enough forces on hand to properly declare victory on a single front at that time.

Even excellent strategy could only take a faction so far without the strength of arms to back it up. They were the truly fortunate ones, for their leaders had managed to buy enough time for the faction to rapidly grow and expand into a power capable of standing as a peer to both the Underworld and Heaven. To create an insulated status quo by instigating both sides against each other and to hinder war production of both the opposing sides through covert warfare while maintaining full deniability of Fallen involvement till the very last moment— that had been Azazel's grand plan and against all odds, he had succeeded.

"And us, on the other hand?" Auberon Agares quietly asked, even as he gave him an appreciative nod. A sensible boy that one, unlike his own.

"We Devils are elusive and selfish creatures, if we see an opportunity that might benefit us then the only option left is to squeeze it for all its worth," Zekram Bael answered as even as Auberon's eyes widened, other Lords also considering that bit of advice. "That fool Michael is not only aiming to retrieve the Longinus, declaring war for just a single Sacred Gear is out of the question. He's also aiming to secure Eastern Europe from martial threats permanently by removing the vulnerable front created by the exposed occupied by vampires. Which is why they would move to secure the borders of Greece and Turkey soon. Once they are firmly entrenched in that area, Europe will be for all purposes unassailable from that front. Not even Bemouth with his army of subordinate dragons would be able to subdue them, much less dislodge them."

Zekram concluded his analysis, eyes gleaming even as his voice was laced with contempt. All the other various Lords began to exclaim out in worried whispers, the morale in the room seemed to be heating up by the second.

"Now, we are faced with a situation where the Fallen and the armies of Heaven, might face each other once again, abide indirectly. This might soon become a proxy war with our neighbours propping up insurgents in the territories occupied by Heaven. The result would most probably be long and ugly." he chuckled, while some of the lords nervously laughed along. "What we currently need to do is decide on a course of action that would see our Faction come out on top when this entire debacle is done and over with."

He glanced at Sirzechs and gave him a devilish grin. "Satan Lucifer, please summon Satan Falbium. I have a plan for the Vatican that I'm sure you all would be very interested in."


As he made his way towards his chambers of Fort Bucharest, Thamiel, General of the Grigori and Lord of the Unsung, found himself busy in his thoughts about the plans his Faction has so carefully woven.

It had taken them almost a hundred years to develop a working relationship with the vampires, and he intended to do everything in his power to ensure that they would have a say in defining the contours of the vampiric future, that foundations of power they had so painstakingly established would never crumble. And for that, it was necessary for him to once again step foot into the human world and once again breathe its tainted air, however galling that concept might be to his pride.

Yet even he had to acknowledge that something was indeed strange about all this. He turned his sight towards the floor and narrowed his raven eyes as he tried to figure out what was going on. Heaven was acting oddly, almost severely so. It wasn't exactly characteristic of them to behave so heavy-handedly—his high-strung foes had always preferred more subtle methods to display their disapproval, nor was it like them to commit such an obvious blunder.

Even he, who had long lost any expectations of a rational decision from Michael of all people, had been taken aback by the sudden brazenness of Heaven, almost every cadre from his Faction observing from the side as the sudden invasion made quick work of the Carmilla Faction they had been previously supporting. To think that Michael would once again decide to become the fool, for only that could describe what was what the eldest living angel was, and stupidly squander away the peace they had been given so generously in a sudden fit of impulse and brashness.

As capable a follower as Michael was, that idiot had no sense for the great game of rulership. If he had been so furious over the Sephiroth Graal, then all he had to do was say the word and the Fallen Faction would have at least seen to it that his concerns would've been properly addressed by the right people— for a price, of course.

Heaven need not have fallen so low had they only remembered their place and that way; Michael might have even received some measure of compensation thanks to Azazel's generosity. The Fallen knew well what strings needed to be pulled so that people of authority who held influence over the Tepes Faction would initiate partial dialogue with Michael. Of course, the very notion of returning the stolen Longinus back to Heaven would have remained out of question regardless, King Tepes's excessive pride and his belief that the full might of the Fallen stood behind him notwithstanding.

Why would Michael ever want to break the peace when it put the future of his own faction in jeopardy? What could another war give him that he does not already have?

He knew his oldest brother never wanted to want to rule from the throne, he would much rather be the power underneath it. He had accumulated more influence and political power than any single angel since the Lucifer Morningstar had ever held. Pray what they might, every angel openly acknowledged that Heaven was as much Michael's kingdom now as it is God's— which was why Thamiel knew that while his wayward older brother might play his games, he would forever shy away from any decision that might bring harm to his people, for what righteous King would be foolish enough to harm his own nation? No, Michael was content and he had no desire to rock to boat so to speak.

Not even famed tacticians such as Baraqiel had not thought that their wayward brothers would choose to act so brazenly just for a mere Longinus. That perhaps had been their greatest miscalculation which allowed Heaven to take them suddenly by surprise.

During the Great War, Michael had no doubt proven himself a great warrior with his generosity and courage but he remained far too passive and cautious when it came to longer strategy, and it was that weakness which had become his undoing in the end. When all was over and done with— both the Devils and the Fallen had proven themselves to the world as powers who warranted the utmost caution in dealing with, while Heaven had only embarrassed itself by entering the war as the world's most dominant power of that time and leaving as a former shell of itself which had been stalemated by what were once mere fractions of its total might before it fragmented.

His eldest brother should not have made the mistake of assuming that they would abandon their long investment and plans for the region just because he'd graciously chosen to bare his golden fangs at them— the Mayans had done the same once in the Americas, much to their misfortune. Even so, the very thought of the ever-perfect Michael underestimating them so severely galled him to the very core.

He scowled, ignoring the maid who shrank back at his displeasure. Her rich, abundant thighs that spelled of unknown pleasures trembling even as her round breasts bounced with each of her panicked breaths. She was barely dressed if it could even be called that, and it did not need a genius to understand the reason why. His scowl deepened as he turned back toward his host who only stared back at him innocently.

"Well then, out with it." He asked Marius Tepes, the Prince of Night whose back turned a bit straighter at his words. It had been nearly a day since Heaven had invaded their former rivals and the situation in the Tepes Faction was naturally teetering on a knife's edge. "How fares the old King? I can't imagine he'd be too happy with Michael practically knocking on his doorstep."

"He lives for now, but the royal court is in severe shock alongside him. I'm afraid that it is all now dependent upon our own will to survive and the support we may receive," the young man who was acting as the representative of the Tepes Faction due to the incapacitation of his father answered as slowly as he could, fists clenched tightly "Heaven underestimates our resolve if it thinks we would let them gallant around as they please on our land. We would not give up so quickly, not before we raze those who are responsible for this predicament to the ground."

"Then I am glad that we are in agreement in that regard." Thamiel nodded, glancing at the furious young man emotionlessly who had invited him in exigency considering the circumstances. "Heaven must pay the price for its actions, and we must ensure that it surely would."

"Lord Thamiel, what do you think of our situation?" The young prince asked, glancing up at the Cadre who moved his head to the side at his question.

"We have a prisoner from the Vatican in custody, a former inside agent of ours who suddenly had a change of allegiance." Thamiel answered, thinking back to the old Bishop who had been far too obsessed with glowing swords for his liking, "The old man has not replied to any of our questions despite the most rigorous of tortures and he refuses to budge, no matter what. I fear that if we try to force the issue, the old man may not survive any further attempts at questioning which is why we are currently exploring alternatives."

"However, we have chained together a scant few clues from what he has given us so far and the indications are that the Tepes Faction would soon be under assault by a very dangerous enemy, who is currently waging a deadly assault on the others of your kind and has been successful so far in its initial strikes, all for the Longinus currently that your Faction has stolen. The overall circumstances have changed somewhat, but the situation is by no means lost," the Fallen Angel concluded. He'd chosen those words carefully, but his consideration gave no comfort.

As in any society, everyone even remotely versed in diplomacy knew that success was always proclaimed loudly with great fanfare, setbacks were usually dismissed as something less than a stunning success, and failure was always attributed to a scapegoat much to said individual's misfortune but a real disaster was always explained as a situation that could yet be restored.

"Then we must act quickly before this escalates beyond our control." Marius Tepes, a prince of the Tepes Faction, was the first to grasp the implications. By no means lost was a delicate way of saying that a disaster had occurred.

"Indeed. This pointless war should've never happened in the first place." Thamiel scowled, stroking his chin in annoyance. No matter how furiously he raged against the fact that Michael had destroyed centuries of preparation and investments undertaken painstakingly by his Faction by acting too brashly but in his mind, even he had to grudgingly accept that he was no match for the Seraph when it came to waging war. That made it even more imperative that they act as quickly as they could and get the most out of this situation by any means necessary, to ensure that Heaven would not focus their considerable martial skills against them.

For hundreds of years, they had disparaged Heaven as a power past its prime, ruled by generous fools and louts with no ambition, worthless of notice. Oh, how sorely was everyone regretting that fact now!

Even if the vampires wished to negotiate now, there was nothing that they could do at this point. Negotiations were out of the question— their cultures were too radically different, and anything they could offer in material terms in a way to foster better relationships, be it wealth through trade or through marital alliances, Heaven already had in abundance.

Which was why, the Vampire Factions had pinned most of their hopes on help from long partners such as the Fallen who were not only powerful but had more than a single reason to be wary of the game Michael was trying to play. Not to mention the fact that they were proven strategists who held the distinction of being the currently most influential Abrahamic Faction. Their methods were also the opposite of each other. Where Heaven was reserved, the Fallen were gregarious— contrary to Michael who abhorred taking risks, Azazel would gamble heavily on his predictions and make risky plays, the fact that he was always proven right notwithstanding.

The Tepes King had chosen to put all his hopes on his old partners of interest and sent his son to the highest-ranking Cadre he could find. Thamiel alongside all of the Grigori had already been expecting them.

"But why did it happen?" Marius suddenly questioned, "If Michael should've been happy with how things were then why did he suddenly decide to rock the boat?"

"That, I believe, is something only Michael can answer," Thamiel answered, glancing at the prince from the corner of his eye. "But perhaps it's because he knows that the times are changing, boy. And as much as he would like things to stay the same, Michael is wise enough to understand that change will happen irrespective of his desires. He knows only too well the fate of those foolish enough to resist the tides of time, for he had witnessed with his own eyes as generations of his kin refused to accept that the world had changed around them. He watched how they fought against it only to crumble and fall for their error. Michael has learned from their folly and will never allow himself to make those same mistakes."

That was precisely what made Michael truly frighting, the reason why he had been chosen over Metatron as the ruler of Heaven— his frightening patience and his unparalleled wisdom. To the new youngsters, such a skill might seem nothing out of the ordinary but for beings of his who are slow to accept the need for change even in the best of times and are even slower to actually change, such behavior was all but unheard of.

If anything, his only shortcoming was the fact that Michael was an unyielding man who wore his emotions on his sleeve, and thus the slightest chance of manipulating him through them had always existed. His elder brother had always displayed an overwhelming penchant for quick tactics and had shown a sort of brutish cunning in his long strategy, but it was these few drawbacks that made him so woefully unequipped to handle a longer occupation, which was of a far subtler nature.

The more thought about it, the more his scowl deepened. They were close, so close to achieving their long-term goal of securing a permanent place for the Fallen in this part of the world. His Father was gone, as were those worthless Satans who had the audacity of dreaming to seize the Throne of Adam by occupying the Underworld and rebelling against the rule of God.

The tears of his kin after his Father's rejection were not something that he had forgotten, The fact that the longest era of peace and prosperity ever seen by this world had been swept aside just for a worthless toy created by a soft-hearted fool for a debauched and worthless purpose had stung him hard.

Even more galling was the indirect message that Michael had sent out to the world through his actions— that Heaven was prepared to wage war for Sacred Gears, that they were ready to defend Father's dream even at the greatest of cost if need be. That implication had put both the Devils and the Fallen, powers that regularly engaged in the expropriation of Sacred Gears, into a bit of a predicament.

In response, his Factions were already laying the foundations of numerous schemes made to ensure that the recent actions of Heaven would ensure it remains occupied in this for a decade, wasting precious manpower and resources. He had been given full authority over the situation by the Grigori and he intended to secure the interests of his faction by ensuring that this invasion would bleed Heaven dry. Already, agents acting under his authority were making preparations to slowly distribute high-grade weapons and munitions to the desperate and the needy vampires.

Even more damaging were the suddenly prevalent rumours of Michael and his compatriots going mad, hearsay describing how Heaven had wantonly broken centuries of peace and invaded a far weaker power, whispers that defeat of the Great War had turned the Seraphim into a gathering of fools— incompetent, and unworthy of their thrones. It was a slow, tedious work, and he had gone to great pains in order to ensure that both the armament of the vampires and the sudden hearsay that had taken the supernatural world by storm would not be associated with him or his Faction. It was his hope that in time these whispers would rise into a crescendo and force Michael and his Faction into a precarious standing in the international community.

The vampires would soon be fighting to preserve their way of life, ensuring that there would be no shortage of manpower in the foreseeable future. It would be trivial for the Fallen to arm them with anti-divine weapons and provide them with the coordinates of targets to attack. They could gear up the arms industry more quickly than any other Abhramic power that might oppose them and there were plenty of ways to hinder the angelic buildup in Europe without breaking their public commitment to permanent peace between the three factions.

The blunt methods they had used in the Americas to weaken the Greeks might not work here. Weak and worthless it might be, but Heaven remained a great power literally capable of wiping mankind completely in order to wage total war against two peer powers at the same time if enraged. Oh, it would be a costly and bloody affair to be sure, greater in intensity than perhaps even the Great War, but he had no doubts that Michael was more than capable of ensuring mutually assured destruction even at this point using the System.

This was a situation that required extreme precision and delicateness in handling. He knew he'd have to be incredibly careful doing this which was why he would first observe and see where the winds would blow, and then he would act as the situation warrants.

"There is also one more thing, Lord Thamiel. Whilst most of us were busy tending to the implications of the sudden invasion, I received further dire news of the most regrettable sort," the prince spoke, drawing him from his thoughts.

"Dire news, you say?" Thamiel asked with a sharp look, to which the prince shrugged as if to indicate that he just received the news, he did not create it.

"The news just reached me yesterday night, although the events mentioned occurred three days ago." The prince simpered, even as the Cadre frowned at his prevaricating. The boy did not care one bit about them, and it showed from his manner of speaking, "All known members of House Vordenburg are now dead. Heaven has executed all of them."

"So Heaven finally shows its resolve," Thamiel mused, brushing his chin with a single thin finger even as he glanced at the prince whose eyes gleamed almost gleefully as he talked about his former enemies with whom they had previously been at war. "These are grave tidings. The war with the Carmilla Faction has already been bad for the vampires. Three whole regiments were lost last month to bombardment. Your people are not prepared to fight this war and Michael clearly intends to escalate."

Marius shrugged. "All part of the trade. The Tepes Faction was aware of the consequences when we decided to seize the seat of the True Ancestor by force, and it was prepared to face them all the same. What we weren't prepared for was for Michael and his host to suddenly come knocking at our doors."

"You should have known Heaven would not accept a foreign power seizing a Longinus for themselves."

"Regardless of what the rumours say, Sephiroth Graal chose Valerie Tepes of its own accord through sheer coincidence alone. We had no hand in it even though we do stand to greatly benefit from it" Marius sighed, closing his eyes, "Besides vampires are not the only ones whose governments have peculated Sacred Gears before. Heaven has no reason to go after us alone if that is how it intends to justify this unprovoked use of force"

"They might not be the only one but vampires are the weakest amongst them. Besides, none have successfully captured a Longinus for themselves before." Thamiel retorted, narrowing his raven eyes. The stolen Longinus had given Heaven a great opportunity to blame the vampires and find a legitimate justification through which they might defend themselves from the rage that would be directed at them as a result. "But you can tell your Father to rest assured, Grigori would not allow those self-righteous fools to gallant around as they please."

"In the next few days, Heaven and East would most probably sign an agreement to reopen the Volga Route, the war would continue but so would trade." Thamiel slowly continued, "We have a proposition for you. We would provide you with weapons and information. But in return, we want volunteers who would break Heaven's economy by turning this invasion into a pointless venture more expensive than Michael could have ever thought of by sabotaging angelic assets in the occupied territories and jeopardizing the safety of trade routes. We would even purchase the cargo you seize at a fair price through a reliable middleman."

The prince narrowed his eyes. "Who would we be going after?"

"No one in particular, they could be Shinto, Jade, or even Hindu," Thamiel shrugged, "What's more important is that you only capture the targets we mark for you."

"Hmm." Marius thought about it for a moment, "What about ships that belong to Heaven?"

"Only if we mark them." Thamiel responded, "We have a far larger industry than Heaven which also has red tape, constituents, and religious interests to satisfy. We've accumulated an ample war chest from past fiscal years, we just need time to spend it. Time which you provide give us."

"But would that be enough to ensure our survival?"

"I'd also recommend asking other powers for support, I know a few who'd be more than glad to make things troublesome for Heaven," Thamiel answered, he was not a fool. Though he was a fallen secured by the knowledge of the absolute power he wielded within his realm, he was all too aware that right now he was not deep in the heart of his realm. "Be prepared to fight a losing war. In the meantime, I shall begin making arrangements that would eventually see Michael rue the day he decided to leave his small shelter and walk the cruel world again."


"Do you believe in myths and legends, Queen Carmilla?" The boy asked, glancing at the woman beside him, and finding himself staring right into the eyes of one of the most beautiful females on the planet.

Wearing what appeared to be a modest crown over her head even as her smooth platinum hair cascaded down her open back which showed a glimpse of pale skin, she glared back at him using her glowing crimson eyes. Her face was sharp and aristocratic with a small nose, delicate cheekbones, and pinkish-red lips that were currently curled in a frown. She stood with her head held high, yet thick wooden chains were latched to her abundant thighs, and even thicker chains, the size of a grown man's arms bound her small hands which were crossed over her pale athletic stomach.

"My apologies, Your Highness." She answered. Lowering her head slowly, as gracefully as a bound prisoner could be, "I do not quite believe in superstitions."

"A shame really, I find superstitions to be quite grand." He slowly responded, "They give invigoration to one's life."

Though for now, the hall remained empty except for the two of them— the lone herald of Heaven and the epitome of grace and dignity as he was, appeared bored. Yet she could not forget that this seemingly harmless boy before her was among the most dangerous beings she had ever seen, maybe even more so than Azazel himself.

Even had this been the first time she laid her eyes on the boy who languidly glanced at her with bored amethyst eyes, his breaths slow even under the watchful presence of a thousand angels, she would have known there was something unusual about him. He was such an ethereal sight amongst angels, a race that seemed to be blessed with eternal perfection. With their unique holy powers, and with enough vanity to use them constantly, it was rare to find someone of angelic origin who appeared so unique— set heads and shoulders apart from the rest.

The surroundings were quiet. The sullen quietness that hung over her slowly turning the atmosphere itself somber as the Queen contemplated the unprecedented situation she suddenly found herself in.

On one side stood a radiantly beautiful woman, all too aware that bargain was a privilege shared between the strong. Though a high noble who previously governed a whole nation, she was also someone who'd been absolutely defeated in this short siege.

On the other side sat a boy, who barely appeared to be on the cusp of manhood. Draped in pristine robes, he could be described as handsome yet also gorgeous, sinful yet also pure, dark yet also radiant. Apparently more interested in the flower whose petals he was plucking, he stared at her with emotionless amethyst eyes.

"You had been given the opportunity to negotiate before." The boy stated, the rose in his slender hands slowly being plucked apart by his slender fingers as his eyes watched petal by petal fall to the floor ominously.

"I admit this." She winced and lowered her head.

"Four times." The boy interjected, not even bothering to glance at her. "Heaven had dispatched envoys bestowing upon you the generous opportunity to negotiate, four times. It was you who arrogantly rejected our benevolence each time. An unfortunate turn of events but considering how it has come to this already, I shall be truthfully frank. Seeing how things are now, I might have no choice but to permanently enshrine your majestic head on one of our golden stakes before dawn."

The words were spoken nonchalantly, so casual that it appeared as if he were just admiring the weather and the queen could only gulp in response. The duty to protect her citizens lay on her shoulders. Her faction has surrendered to Heaven's absolute strength, so they had the right to impose their absolute will. To want to put her neck on a spear— was he speaking the truth or was he simply threatening her?

Shalltear Mircalla Von Carmilla.

The sovereign queen of the vampire faction, blood jewel of the House Carmilla which had been waging a war against the insidious Tepes for the throne of the True Blood Ancestor. Not even a week had passed since the whispers of the Sephiroth Graal had graced her ears but Heaven had reacted before anyone else— in a mere of days, contact between her cities was severed, supply routes were broken, and all her castles captured. Before she could even collect herself, her city had already fallen.

Shalltear bit the side of her cheek and shuddered, all too aware that one wrong move and it might be over for her. Now was the time to show her grace and respond resolutely, and yet she could barely even remember the creed of her honorable house— the duty to always be noble and dignified.

"Oh, great holy lord—"

"Sorry, but could you not call me that? I know more than a hundred great holy lords who'd wear the epithet more gracefully than I can." The boy cut her sentence, gaze showing a trace of amusement as he glanced at her from the corner of his amethyst eyes. "Your Highness shall be fine"

The boy stared down at her from a distance of several paces, and the oppressive atmosphere made it a difficult task to bridge the gap, physical or otherwise. Shalltear could only nod slowly, taking the time to collect her thoughts before continuing, "Might I inform Your Highness that there are three reasons to spare this humble one?"

"Is that so?" He whispered, slowly plucking at the rose in his hand and allowing a single red petal to descend slowly. "Three you claim, but I do not have that much patience. Just one would sate me, provided it be true."

Shivers constantly ran down her spine as she stood alone under the gaze of those amethyst eyes. He was not even looking at her, and yet it felt as if hundreds of unseen eyes were staring down at her.

His words themself were rather innocent, yet also invasive. She could just tell him her reasonings all day long, but she imagined it would be met with dissatisfaction. A simple answer was perhaps not the best solution to this ordeal. He was looking at her expectantly as if the answer she provided would somehow explain everything. The inside of her mouth suddenly felt dry and she shivered even though a part of her knew it was nothing more than her mind playing tricks on her. Shalltear Mircalla could barely muster up enough courage to open her mouth and speak by remembering the pride of her lineage, her duty as a queen.

"Even with us defeated, there remains the Tepes Faction which would continue to stand between Heaven and what it seeks. It is obvious that this venture of yours would require vast amounts of resources and manpower, especially if you wish to conquer them all." Shalltear began, somewhat invigorated as the boy curiously raised his brows at her words. She took advantage of his patience and spent the next few moments considering her next words "Acquire our allegiance not with power but with generosity. If Heaven shows tolerance here, then those other cities might see an incentive to surrender naturally on their own. However, if Your Highness treats us with cruelty…"

"In fear of being treated the same, they would only rebel more violently." The boy cut her once again. "Is that what you wish to say?"

"Yes, Your Highness." She nodded. As expected, he understood quickly.

She had been informed that the leader of this host of angels was a reasonable man, an accomplished leader. She had no doubt that his supposedly close connections to the higher leaders of Heaven and his own authority made apparent by his role in leading the invasion would be enough to save her. But the real problem lay in the cost of doing so. She had nothing to offer their faction that they could not take for themselves. Nothing except the prestige of her name and what it represented.

The boy in front of her was not just a typical fool with power without any sense to make use of it. Heaven had tried to talk before resorting to force, and that proved they could be reasoned with. Yet the boy continued to stare at her, moving only after plucking a rose bare and picking up another one from his side.

"But I refuse."

He said this slowly, as if to a child, and there wasn't anything else at all offensive about it save for the pace. Not even his tone suggested he was insulting her, and certainly not his face which seemed more amused than anything else. Yet to her ears, that single sentence resonated across the entire hall louder than any shout could have.

"Pardon?" Shalltear whispered in surprise, eyes slowly widening as she moved her head to the side. She could not understand.

"Queen Shalltear Mircalla Von Carmilla. It was your own stubbornness that led your Faction to this pitiful position. Thousands of your citizens rest beneath the ground merely because you refused to parley. Being pragmatic, I admit that they were not my people— be it two thousand or twenty thousand, none of it is any of my concern."

The boy raised his head slowly, and for the first time, truly looked at her. Shalltear could completely see the boy's amethyst eyes for the first time and it was as if those majestic jewels were peering into the deepest depths of her heart.

"But the same could not be said of you— those who perished were your people and it was your duty to protect them." The boy sighed dramatically, almost mockingly. "A few moments ago, you asked me to spare you— you were not supposed to do that. You were supposed to plead for your people, not for yourself but for all your subjects. It was quite naive of me to expect anything else when noble vampires are the most self-serving creatures that have walked upon this world. As if you arrogant fools would willingly give up anything for free. You would surrender something of value only when you expect to gain something more valuable in return."

"What do you mean?" She whispered, praying her ears were playing tricks on her as a part of her suddenly realized that her attempts to affiliate himself with the invading forces were not going as she'd expected, and her various other supporters were too scattered to be of use. Abruptly all too aware that she had no wealth, no power, no authority— nothing she possessed could serve as a bargaining chip that they had no means of obtaining through force anyways.

"Your death might indeed incite others, but that does not bother us as much as you seem to imagine. You rule over creatures prouder and more aloof than the demons of old, bloodsuckers who prey on human flesh and use the innocent for pleasure. Heaven refuses to overlook the depravities done in your name, under your rule." He stood and took a dramatic step forward. His next words were also paradoxically the worst ones he could've spoken.

"Queen Shalltear Mircalla Von Carmilla. You are indeed a graceful woman which is why I shall sentence you to a disgraceful death." He loudly declared, his cold voice resonating across the empty hall even as her legs wobbled, suddenly losing all strength. Upon her shaking figure, his grave verdict fell. "The worthless pride of the vampires shall meet an end here. You shall be deprived of your rights as a noble and face death as a mere commoner, that shall serve as an appropriate reckoning."


As you might have guessed, this chapter was inspired by the WN Dungeon Defense.

Yes, Heaven has already invaded the vampires and conquered half the vampires. Obviously, many things are happening right now as a consequence of Heaven's invasion which has broken the status quo between the three factions- some shown, some implied and some reserved for the future.

I could have written a whole chapter on the invasion but decided not to since the vampires as a whole were way too weak to oppose Heaven. What naturally happened was a curb stomp, and devoting a whole chapter to it would've been a bit boring. I think what happened as a consequence was far more interesting than the invasion itself since Heaven has finally broken the status quo between the Three Factiosn with this, and that's what I'm gonna focus on.

Some of you must've realized this before, but Sephiroth Graal was not the objective of Lelouch's decision. He's after something else, details about which would be revealed in the later chapters in what I hope would be a fine reveal. Also, is there a disconnect between this chapter and the previous one?

Again, thanks for reading, and leave a review if you can.