Chapter 169: The Paradox of Time and the Girl from the Future
Sona Shitori's expression had grown grim.
She understood the implications all too well. Gods could not exist without humanity. Their power, their presence—everything was sustained by belief. If mankind were to vanish, the divine would crumble with them.
And not just the angels. Not just the devils. Every mythological system, every pantheon, every celestial order would suffer. The collapse of humanity meant the collapse of the mythic.
Then came the revelation: the Moon King of the Rahu Sept had claimed that Solomon would die in the final war between gods and mankind.
That meant Solomon—this enigmatic, resurrected figure—would one day stand against the divine.
"No," Sona murmured. "Something's wrong."
She traced the inconsistencies in the Moon King's behavior. At first, the entity had sought Solomon, clearly aware he was alive. But once Solomon was drawn into that strange dimensional space, the Moon King had reacted with shock—as if Solomon should have been dead.
It didn't add up.
Unless…
Unless the Moon King had traveled from the future. And the Solomon he expected to find was the one who had died in that future war. But instead, he encountered a version of Solomon who had fused with his past self—a Solomon who had transcended time.
That would explain the Moon King's astonishment. He hadn't expected this era's Solomon to possess such power.
Sona shared her theory with Rias.
"So the girl traveling with the Church's sword-bearers… she's from the future," Sona concluded. "She came to stop the war between gods and humanity."
It made sense. The war had created a breach—an opportunity for the mechanical invaders from another world to infiltrate.
"But even if she's from the future," said Yuuto Kiba, "that doesn't mean she can stop the war."
"Why not?" Rias asked.
"Time paradox," he replied.
Sona nodded. She understood immediately. So did most of the room.
Except for Koneko.
"What do you mean?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Imagine someone travels back in time to kill their own ancestor," Kiba explained. "If they succeed, their ancestor dies. But then they themselves would never be born. Which means they couldn't have traveled back in time. Which means their ancestor is still alive. Which means…"
"Oh," Koneko blinked. "That's… confusing."
"Exactly," Kiba said. "It's a paradox. And unless we're dealing with parallel worlds, any attempt to change the past might just be fulfilling it."
Sona elaborated. "If this girl really came from the future, then either we're in a parallel timeline… or everything she does is part of a loop. A repetition of history."
And if it was a loop, then why hadn't her future self warned her? Why hadn't the records of this era reached her?
Perhaps something had prevented it. Perhaps her memories were damaged during the time jump.
Or perhaps… she wasn't meant to remember.
The only way to know for sure was to speak with her directly.
Or ask him.
"We should've taken her from the Church," Juno Himejima sighed.
"No," Sona said. "Let them deliver the message. That way, Solomon's identity stays hidden."
She hesitated, then added, "And I don't think we should tell him about the girl."
Rias blinked. "Why not?"
"He asked us not to reveal his identity. Not even to my sister. Not even to Sirzechs. That means he doesn't trust them."
Rias's face darkened.
If Solomon didn't trust her brother… did that mean Sirzechs would become his enemy?
Would she have to fight her own family?
"Not necessarily," Sona said. "There's another possibility."
She explained her theory: that something in the future would require her sister and Rias's brother to act. And if they knew too much now, it might alter the timeline—preventing that future from unfolding.
The Rahu Sept had come to the past to prevent something. Something that threatened them.
Which meant her sister and Sirzechs might be destined to sacrifice themselves.
And Solomon didn't want to rob them of that fate.
It wasn't distrust. It was protection.
Sona's proposal wasn't betrayal. It was love.
Even if it meant hiding the truth.
Chapter 170: The Summit of Three Powers
Four days passed.
The summit had been scheduled for three, but an extra day was added—just in case. If anything went wrong, Sunday would be available to clean up the mess.
The academy was sealed within a massive barrier. Above, the skies shimmered with the presence of three great factions—angels, devils, and fallen.
Inside the conference room, Rias and Sona approached the door. They knocked. A voice granted permission.
They entered.
"Sonachan~!"
Before Sona could react, a twin-tailed woman launched herself into her arms.
Her sister.
Serafall Leviathan, one of the Four Great Devil Kings.
"Don't—don't do that, Sis," Sona stammered, mortified. "There are important people here…"
Serafall grinned. "You've changed, haven't you?"
She turned to the others. "Michael, Azazel—this is my adorable little sister!"
Sona flushed.
"And this is Rias Gremory, Sirzechs's sister~"
Rias bowed politely.
They turned to face the other attendees.
A man with twelve black wings stood tall—Azazel, Governor of the Fallen Angels.
Behind him stood a silver-haired youth. The White Dragon Emperor, Vali.
Solomon had warned that Vali had joined Ophis's faction. Was Azazel involved? Was he a traitor?
Then came the golden-winged archangel—Michael, leader of Heaven.
Behind him stood three figures: two sword-bearers, and a veiled girl.
The girl.
The one Juno had described.
Her name was given as Shephala Seraselbeth. A special nun, they claimed. Likely a fabricated identity.
The sword-bearers looked shaken. Had they already learned the truth?
Michael stepped forward.
"Before we begin," he said, "I must make a declaration."
He sighed.
"Our Lord—the God of the Bible—perished during the Great War. Alongside the original Four Devil Kings."
Gasps rippled through the room.
Sona noticed Genovia and Irina—the sword-bearers—struggling to contain their grief.
They had known.
"Hmm," Serafall murmured. "Sona, you're so calm. Rias too. Just like your brother."
Sona's face twitched. Rias stiffened.
They had known. And now, Serafall knew they had known.
Michael continued.
"We must move forward. The war between our factions must end. If we continue this hostility, we will destroy ourselves."
He turned to Azazel.
"Do you truly seek peace?"
"Of course," Azazel replied.
"Then explain your obsession with Sacred Gear collection."
Michael's tone sharpened.
"And explain," Sirzechs added, "why your agents attacked this city and tried to steal a nun's Sacred Gear."
Azazel raised his hands.
"Don't look at me like that. I planned to explain everything here."
He sipped his tea.
"I collect Sacred Gears out of personal interest. I study them. I don't forcibly take them—unless the wielder is dangerous. Otherwise, I ask for permission. As for the incident Rias reported… that was one of my idiots acting on his own."
He shrugged.
"I'll deal with him."