Dohnaseek, the man in sunglasses and a trench coat, looked at Yuma Amano's trio with intense resentment before he passed out. "Impossible! You're all A-class now!"
After betraying Yuma Amano, he had fully utilized the resources he acquired and successfully reached the peak of B-class.
His inherent talent was clearly insufficient. The A-class bottleneck was as solid as a mountain, and despite all his efforts, he had yet to break through.
Yuma Amano had no intention of enlightening the man who had betrayed her. Had Rias not issued a strict order, she would have sent him to meet the God who had abandoned them the moment Dohnaseek attacked.
"Miss Gremory, Governor Azazel is in the reception room."
The Fallen Angel responsible for the cleanup recovered from his shock and was secretly glad he had listened to Governor Azazel.
"I will lead you there..."
Yuma Amano was momentarily stunned hearing the name Azazel. She instinctively looked to Ethan for guidance.
Ethan returned a reassuring look and interrupted the Fallen Angel dressed as a priest. "No need, we know the way ourselves."
The Fallen Angels glanced at Yuma Amano's trio, then lowered their heads tactfully and slightly bowed before retreating.
Compared to these newly arrived Fallen Angels, Yuma Amano's trio was far more familiar with this area.
In fact, even Ethan was more familiar with this underground area than they were.
"Squeak—"
Ethan pushed open the reception room door. Although they were underground, the room was brightly lit. The dazzling light made Rias and the others squint their eyes uncomfortably.
They are Fallen Angels, yet they enjoy such bright light... That really doesn't fit the racial stereotype.
"Oh-oh, are these adorable girls the guests for this occasion?"
Azazel's eyes lit up, adopting the expression of a middle-aged lecherous man. He teased Rias, "This beautiful red-haired lady must be the Gremory family's princess. I am Azazel. Please be lenient with me in the future."
Although the man's hair wasn't yellow, it wasn't a subdued color either. Ethan knew that Azazel had become a Fallen Angel precisely because he followed his inner desires to have relations with women.
Ethan's expression remained neutral, but observing the slovenly man's frivolous behavior, he secretly raised his guard.
Rias and the others had never dealt with the Governor of the Fallen Angels, but they had certainly heard of his reputation.
Azazel's performance was vastly different from their imagination. They found it difficult to believe that the lecherous, decadent middle-aged man before them was the notorious Fallen Angel Governor.
Yuma Amano, in particular, was plunged into deep self-doubt.
Once, she had so admired the mature, stern Azazel, yet no matter how diligently she completed her missions, she never received even a smile from him.
This was natural. Azazel didn't think much of her. Although Yuma Amano was beautiful and had a great figure, she was just average in his eyes.
With his power and status, he only needed to snap his fingers to have any beautiful woman he wanted; his subordinates would readily arrange it.
Yuma Amano, whose status and power were mediocre, held no value in his eyes, so he paid her no attention. He even found a straightforward fool like Dohnaseek more endearing.
At least fools like that were easy to manipulate.
Even now that Yuma Amano's trio had become Rias's servants, Azazel merely glanced at them and dismissed them.
Rias quickly adjusted her mindset, adopting the demeanor of the Gremory family's next head, and spoke forcefully. "Governor Azazel speaks lightly. This is Gremory territory, and I don't recall inviting Fallen Angels to visit."
"Come now, don't say that. I'm not here to cause trouble this time."
Azazel was completely unfazed by Rias's authority. While Rias and Ethan were strong, they were still miles away from his level.
"Please sit. Would you like anything to drink? I have both soft drinks and alcohol prepared here."
The members of the Occult Research Club exchanged glances. Rias then nodded and said, "No trouble, thank you. Please state your intentions first. Depending on what you say, I may report this to the Devil high command."
The 'high command,' of course, referred to her older brother, Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the current Demon Lords.
The power of the Fallen Angel Governor was beyond their ability to contend with. If something were to happen due to his sudden appearance, it wouldn't be something they could resolve.
"I told you, I'm not here for trouble."
Azazel scratched his head, looking helpless. "By the way, I've already resigned as Governor. Does that make you feel better?"
"You resigned?" Rias gave the slovenly man a strange look and asked, "Then are you here in a personal capacity?"
"Although I'm no longer the Fallen Angel Governor, I'm not here strictly as an individual either. After being taken care of for so long, even if I quit as Governor, I still have to do something for the organization, right?"
Seeing that Rias and her group genuinely didn't want a drink, Azazel poured himself a cup of sake (Japanese rice wine). Taking a small sip, he spoke. "The high commands of the three factions have decided to hold peace talks. You should be notified soon."
"Peace talks?"
Yuma Amano's trio was stunned for a moment, not understanding what he meant.
Rias nodded. She had indeed heard some rumors, being the younger sister of a Demon Lord and the next head of the Gremory family.
"The great war between the three factions—Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels—ended long ago, but the hostility remains. Now, all factions are struggling, and continued internal consumption will leave no winners."
Azazel willingly explained. "So, the high commands of the three factions have decided to communicate and stop meaningless internal conflict. Thus, a peace treaty has been proposed. The specifics are still under discussion, and the signing date hasn't been fixed, but it will happen eventually."
Hearing this, Ethan already knew the purpose of Azazel's visit.
"You want to seek peace, is that right?" This was the first time Ethan spoke since entering the room.
"Correct." Azazel smiled. "Since everyone will be cooperating in the future, getting a head start is fine for us. This is a win-win situation."
"I don't think so."
Ethan walked to Rias's side, looked her in the eye, and said, "President, let's go. No need to waste any more time."
Rias glanced at Azazel and nodded. Before the peace treaty was signed, she didn't want to get too involved with the Fallen Angels, especially a figure with such a sensitive identity.
Azazel's eyes narrowed slightly, a flash of murderous intent quickly passing through.
He had some knowledge of Ethan's background. If Rias hadn't been present, he definitely would have taught the boy a lesson.
"Miss Rias..."
"Please call me Gremory. We are not acquainted."
Rias coldly interrupted Azazel. "I will notify the Demon Lord about this matter. I hope you will be well-behaved during this time and not make things difficult for me."
Azazel finally lost his composed, nonchalant expression. He didn't understand why things had turned out this way; it was completely different from what he had imagined. He still had so much more to say.
Seeing that Akeno Himejima was already preparing the transfer circle, he hurriedly called out, "Wait, how about you make your decision after hearing my terms?"
Rias signaled Akeno Himejima to stop. Azazel was too powerful, so she had to give him this much face. If he became enraged, she would be fine, but her servants might not be.
Azazel's power was conservatively estimated to be SSS-class. Fallen Angel cadres generally possessed this strength, and as Governor (former), he would only be higher, not lower.
Ethan really didn't want to continue the discussion, but it was inappropriate to obstruct it now, as it would be overstepping his bounds and appear too deliberate.
Seeing Rias turn back, Azazel's expression improved significantly. He quickly got to the point without any further stalling.
"I can guarantee that the Fallen Angels won't pursue the matter of Raynare's trio, and I can also mentor you, rapidly increasing your strength."
"What are your demands?"
There was no such thing as a free lunch. Rias knew the other party definitely had something he wanted.
Under the dazzling light, a strange glint flashed in Azazel's eyes. The corners of his mouth curled slightly but were quickly suppressed.
Except for Ethan, who had remained vigilant against him the entire time, no one else noticed the momentary change in his expression.