"You will all pay for this betrayal." The very moment the diplomats were ushered out of the council chambers, the Devil turned back to snarl at his colleagues. Face turning a hair bit more feral as he bared his pronounced canines. "It may not be today, tomorrow or even next year. But believe me when I say this. We, Vapula, will never forget this slight."
"I'm a humble servant of the Lord." The bishop palmed his rossarie calmly, a sly smile sliding into place as he continued. "The great book does warn us not to work with foul creatures like you, for your kind only knows how to tempt. But you hold no power here, demon. And neither do your Satans. For the Lord is my shepherd and sickly wolves like you will have no choice but flee."
"You're fine to try," The young girl shrugged one shoulder, her sandals hovering bare centimeters above the ground. Tiny wings flapping wildly at her ankles. "But if you believe Lord Ares would ever back down from a fight, then you'll be greatly disappointed."
"Please, bring your entire bloodline to bare!" The Valkyrie tilted her chin up, bravado oozing off her in cascading waves. Blushing a moment later, she continued. "Just think of it, my sisters and I engaging in life and death battles with an entire family of mystical lions. Our organs being torn from our bodies, our spears gouging massive holes in yours...We could all end it together! Our lives in exchange for your! Let's do it! Right here, right now!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
Three pairs of eyes looked at the battle maniac askant, each of them taking a visible step away from the freak of nature ready to throw not just her life away but also the lives of her own sisters.
"But, you!" Vapula, ignoring the weirdo, pointed a lone finger at the silently grinning foe. Someone who'd probably gotten the best deal possible out of all this.
"Who?...Me?"
The fallen angel placed a finger atop her own lips, fluttering her dark lashes theatrically as she tried to appear as innocent as possible.
"Don't toy with me, crow! You know exactly who I'm talking to! If you think what we're going to do to them will be excessive, then you have another thing coming. We will not forget this slight, Grigori! We will crush you beneath our heel, eat up your territory and send waves of low-leveled Devils until your people are nothing more than an unpleasant memory!"
"Send them." She shrugged nonchalantly as if the threat of genocide hadn't been thrown around so casually. "Just make sure to be prepared to go down with us, I'm sure Lord Kokabiel would love the chance to stretch his legs. Besides, do you honestly believe fighting against The White Dragon Emperor would do anything but take out one of your oh-so precious Satans? Or is that what you want? To send one of your leaders off to die a useless death just so you would have a chance to take their place?
"Stop putting words in my mouth!" He cut a hand through the air, snarling even more openly. "Do you really believe any of your factions will be willing to go war with us when all they need to do to appease our anger is to give up your heads?"
"That might be true," The Bishop nodded sagely. "If we followed the same barbaric customs of you Devils. What does the Church have to fear? We have the Holy Swords and all of Heaven behind us. Another crusade against your kind would be easy enough to rally. And don't think that running off to your Hell will do anything like last time. If we're already going to be a war with each other, I might as exorcise you now to kick things off."
Reaching into his inner pocket, he pulled out heavily decorate tome made completely of stone tablets. The holy energy from within so thick and pungent, it warped the air around him.
"I would like to see you try, priest!"
Despite flecks of his own skin flaking off just in the mere presence of a divine artifact, the Devil still stood talk. Wings unfurling as to loom above the rigid old man.
"Ephesians 6:10-18!" His voice took on more wavering tone, not as though he was terrified or even shaken by the sight before him, but more as if power was flowing just beneath his skin. "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his-"
Just as the most hated of foes were prepared to leave a bloody crater on foreign soil, in the domain of an Ultimate Class existence, many things happened at once.
First, the other diplomats leapt away from the stand off only to nearly land back first into lowered spears from the nearby guards. Who, looked quite panicked as spikes of Youki traveled along an unseen line, the heavy steps of more guards becoming more clear in the silent moment.
Second, at the Devil's waist, that toy-like wand suddenly pulsed a bright and vivid pink. Vibrating like mad and even ringing in such a way that it would make ignoring it completely impossible. And if that wasn't enough, the Bishop's cross hanging off his neck began to glow a bright gold.
It made them both freeze in place, lips frozen in step as they each looked down at their respective medium.
"It seems my lady, Serafall Leviathan, wishes to show you mercy on this day."
Not one to be so easily cowed, the Devil sneered down his nose at the man, bat-like wings retracting once more as the growing crowd of blue-skinned Oni began to grow in size with every passing moment.
"All creatures are the creations of my Heavenly Father, loving us all equally...Even those like you who scorned his benevolent light."
With one last snipe, the duo were mobbed by the crowd of guards, each not resisting in the slightest as they separated and dragged off to their own quarters.
"Be gentle!" Iaoel called out as she too was 'roughly' escorted back to her room. Her grin wide and teasing as she tried to feign hardship. "I'm fragile, you know?"
"That was a pretty nasty trick, if I must say so." At her side, the quiet courier commented. Her form bobbing up and down as they were shuffled off to their lodging. "Just like the Vapula won't forget this slight, neither with Olympus. I sure hope the Grigori are prepared to face the consequences of forcing our hand prematurely as you did."
"Direct orders from Lord Azazel himself." She shrugged noncommittally, not the whole truth but something similar. "I'm sure you heard the saying Don't shoot the messenger?"
"That makes it even worse," Ira, despite being smaller, still somehow seemed larger and more imposing just then. That youthful and naive facade slipping away under something crueler and more vindictive. "Your Lord owes the Greco-Roman Faction a boon, a major boon at that. Or did he conveniently forget the massive amount of support we have been giving his little project? It would have been better if you had informed us of this ploy you put together with Yasaka than to keep us in the dark like that. But now, you, Iaoel and your Lord, have slighted the Gods. And I'm sure I need not tell you how forgiving ours Gods are, do I?"
"…" She barely resisted the urge to flinch at that rather blatant threat. The Fallen Angel of course knew of the massive flood of resource this faction had been funneling into them...well not them in particular but into Lord Azazel's bottomless lab expenses. It was better to think of the Greco-Roman Faction as investors. Sometimes, she really hated her job. And because of the actions of her out of control leader and powerhouses, it was now up to the little people like her to pick up the pieces. "Hey now, there's no need for that...I'm sure I can convince Yasaka to give you some favorable terms."
"It's not about benefits anymore, crow." The courier hovered closer, getting right up into her face until only an inch was all that separated the two. "It's about pride. You embarrassed us here today and went back on your own word. That makes you foolish and an oath-breaker. The Gods already know and they WILL enact their due."
With that, the priestess broke off from her. A contingent of guards shepherding her off out of sight. Leaving Iaoel to watch in silence, dread sinking deep into her bones. Yeah, here Azazel was, once again screwing her over.
All because he couldn't control that stupid pet human of his.