Eternal Saṃsāra: The Wanderer of Worlds

[160] WHAT Is Going On In Vedas?

Beginning of Season 2

Chapter 160: WHAT Is Going On In Vedas?

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The next day was busy for Aqua, as he focused on training himself and his family. Now that he was a Sage, he could tap into other Paths, so he focused on that.

All the while, Kuoh Academy was surrounded by a magical barrier of high grade as a grand meeting unfolded in the Occult Research Club. The club’s lights were fancy, fitting to Rias’ taste, and tonight those overhead chandeliers cast long shadows across the faces of those gathered. 

It was late at night, and the room’s air was oozing with tension. Representatives of the Three Biblical Factions—Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels—sat around a massive, ornate table, their expressions a mixture of concern and contemplation.

Sirzechs Lucifer, the crimson-haired Satan of Destruction, adjusted his position at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over his counterpart. Serafall Leviathan was also present there since to be fair, a meeting like this fell under her job, Sirzechs was just here to accompany her. To Sirzechs’ right, Michael, the leader of the Angels, sat with his pristine white feathers subtly shimmering under the light, his smile exuding a calm authority. 

On his left, Azazel, the Governor of the Fallen Angels, leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable behind his usual smirk. “Fine,” he said after a long minute, “I agree to the terms. The Fallen Angel Faction will follow these rules.”

Michael’s soft smile widened a little, and Sirzechs nodded. Serafall sighed in relief, finally reaching a middle ground in this meeting after hours of talking. 

Michael nodded, his face alight in the prospect of peace and positivity. "Naturally, the Angels will commit to the rules. I’m glad that we have made considerable progress tonight."

"In that case, as we sit together tonight," Serafall began with a smile, her voice resonating with a practiced calm. "Let us reaffirm our commitment to peace. As long as the three factions don’t break the rules we agreed upon tonight, peace will remain till the end of times."

Azazel chuckled softly, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Well, peace is a lovely idea, as long as it doesn’t get too boring-”

The three other leaders shot him a glare in unison and he raised his arms in the air to gesture surrender. “It’s a joke, a joke! You lots need to learn humor.”

Although his words only earned silence at first, Azazel's joke loosened the tightness in the room, and a ripple of cautious laughter found its way around the table. Even those who weren’t sitting at the table, and rather sat on the couch around the room, grew relaxed at the notion. Rias, her entire peerage, Sona, and her entire peerage. Only Vali Lucifer, leaning against the wall, remained unamused.

The chandeliers above flickered slightly, casting an ever-changing dance of light and shadow across the high-backed chairs and their esteemed occupants. They spent a few minutes signing the documents, and when that was done, peace truly was initiated.

Yet, still, Michael’s face drew dark as he began to speak, "However, while we have reached an agreement on the primary concerns, there remains a significant issue. It’s not concerning us yet, but it might in the near future.”

The room's atmosphere tensed again as all eyes turned towards Michael. The soft clinking of the fancy, crystal glassware on the table paused as if in anticipation and Michael continued, “There is a Goddess… from another world who entered our planet a while ago.” 

Sirzechs leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table, his hands clasped tightly. Serafall's eyes narrowed slightly, her playful demeanor shifting to one of sharp attention.

"Uh-huh, I heard the news too," Azazel said, his smirk fading into a look of curiosity mixed with concern. “I think I know more about this than you. If you allow me, I can lead the conversation.”

“Alright,” Michael agreed, and Azazel took a deep breath.

"This is related to the Hero Faction. When the goddess from a foreign world came to our realm, those stupid fools took a bold and potentially dangerous step by capturing her. As the Hero Faction was working for Indra at that time, this goddess is currently under the control of the Hindu Pantheon. I’ve heard that Khaos Brigade… and Ophis, in particular, is also related to this since the Hero Faction is a part of Khaos Brigade.” he said in a slow, deep voice, as the entire room grew tense.

That was one bomb after another. 

Another world? The Vedas Pantheon? The Ouroboros Dragon?

A recipe for apocalypse. Michael was underplaying it a lot when he said this ‘might’ concern them in the future. This could be the end of the world if things went wrong.

A murmur of surprise and concern passed among the other attendees of the meeting, while the leaders thought in silence. Sirzechs's face darkened with the implications of such an action. "Captured a goddess, you say…? Do we have any information on her origins or the nature of her powers?”

“And what made them capture a foreign goddess? If she's from another world, we should have treated her as an honored guest instead since we don't know how her allies will react if she's harmed. What was Vedas thinking?” Sera asked with a frown of worry.

"The details are still murky," Michael admitted, shaking his head slightly. "Our intelligence is limited, but it’s clear that the Hero Faction is playing a deeper game than we anticipated. Well, to be fair, they're used as weapons here, while it's Vedas that are wielding them, so we can't really blame the Hero Faction for it all. Firstly we discovered that there is another world, and before we could do anything, we already had a bad relationship with them. They’re making moves that could provoke an interdimensional war.” 

Serafall leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping against the armrest thoughtfully. "This is too bothersome. Vidas does not represent our entire world, but the other worlders wouldn't see it that way. What the fuck?”

It was quite rude to curse in this diplomatic setting, but the other leaders understood her frustration. Azazel frowned, his usual nonchalance giving way to a rare seriousness. "I think we need to act swiftly to gather more information. Since a Goddess from another world came, others from the same world might come to save her if she doesn't return soon. In which case, if we are aware of the things going on, we might be able to befriend them and save us from a possible war. My Grigori will look into it.”

Sirzechs nodded in agreement. "That's great, we shall leave it to you then, and wait for news patiently.”

A short, concerning silence filled the air. Slowly, the leaders sighed and shook their heads as they decided not to worry about that and celebrate their newfound peace instead. They couldn't wait to leave the meeting and make official announcements to their people.

“In that case-” Michael began, but his voice cut off when sudden sounds of explosions filled the area. It came from outside, and everyone in the room jumped up in alarm.

Peace seemed to flee through the windows as the cacophony of explosions continued. A charged silence fell upon the room as every head looked toward the windows, the previous warmth of agreement cooling into sharp alertness.

Looking out the window, they only saw a blinding light. Rias and Sona’s peerages were already moving, forming protective stances around their leaders, and Sirzechs frowned at that.

“Stay back, it's dangerous,” Sirzechs commanded calmly, though his eyes were alight with the readiness for battle. 

Serafall adjusted her stance as she stood close to her sister. Outside, the night sky was lighting up every few seconds with the flare of magic and the shadows of figures darting about. The barrier surrounding Kuoh Academy, though strong, flickered under the relentless assault, it was insane.

Azazel was quick to react, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. "This is a planned attack. It’s too coincidental that it happens right as we are about to conclude,” he growled, his usual smirk replaced by a grim line. Even if they agreed on peace, if they were unable to return, their people would never learn about it. 

No, instead, the factions will assume each other as the culprit for the attack, and then a whole new war will be fought.

“It seems someone doesn’t favor our newfound peace,” Michael said, shaking his head. “Though I wonder who’s so foolish to attack when the four of us are present here along with the White Dragon Emperor and the Red Dragon Emperor.”

“Indeed,” Azazel smirked, “The culprit's bravery needs to be studied.”

Just then, contrary to the lively explosions outside, an eerie stillness enveloped the room. The air grew heavy, almost tangible in its weight, and a sense of dread quickly followed. Time itself seemed to crawl, then stutter, and hold. The lively flickering of the chandeliers stilled, and the soft rustling of papers ceased. 

The majority of the people in the room froze. Only the four leaders, Grayfia, Rias, Sona, and the three Dragon Gear wielders remained mobile, their faces registering confusion and then alarm.

“W-what’s going on?!” Issei asked in confusion, causing Vali to sneer although he too looked around in confusion.

Saji, also a wielder of a Dragon-type Sacred Gear, tried to shake Kiba awake, but the blonde swordsman was frozen like a stone. “This is weirding me out.”

Azazel opened his mouth to speak, but just doing that made him feel a sluggish pull on his own movements. He closed his mouth and glanced around the room. His eyes narrowed at Rias. "If I’m not wrong, young lady, This feels like your Bishop... Gasper Vladi’s work," he muttered, and eyes turned to look at Rias.

The infamous time-stopping ability of Gasper Vladi, Rias' Bishop, was not a secret to any of the leaders. But the scale of its effect was never this powerful, what was going on?

"S-someone is amplifying his power," Rias noted, her voice tense as she looked at her brother for help. The implications were severe, causing people to frown; if it was true that someone had managed to weaponize Gasper's Sacred Gear, the situation escalated far beyond.

“If the barrier breaks, we’ll be frozen too,” Michael noted as he stepped closer to the window. “In that case, our strength wouldn’t matter, these enemies are prepared.”

Outside, the chaos of the explosions had calmed down quite a bit, but the flashes from magical strikes still illuminated the night sky. Rias turned towards the window, her expression hardening. There were silhouettes of mages stepping into the barrier, it was damaged enough to let them enter now.

There must be a thousand traps outside, stepping out to fight them would only feed into their plans. They had to find another solution.

“I know,” Saji Genshirou, standing protectively near Rias, clenched his fists. "I'll go to the old school building. That's where they're likely holding Gasper. If I can break whatever they're using to boost his power, we can stop this." His voice was resolute, the decision firm in his gaze as he looked at Rias for approval.

Rias hesitated and then nodded. "I'm coming with you, then. Gasper is my first Bishop, he’s my responsibility." She turned to Sirzechs and the others. "Please handle things here. We need to resolve this quickly. Grayfia, please, if you will."

Grayfia looked at Sirzechs to see what he had to say in this, and he just closed his eyes and nodded. Without waiting for further discussion, Grayfia stepped forward, her hands glowing with a soft, white light. With a few whispered words, she opened a teleportation circle at their feet. 

"Be careful," she said, her voice laced with concern as Rias and Saji stepped onto the glowing runes. As the light from the teleportation circle grew blindingly bright, they vanished, leaving the room slightly darker in their absence.

– Bang!

No sooner had Rias and Saji departed than the room shook violently, a deafening crash echoing through the hall as the window shattered. A dark figure leaped through the broken glass, landing with a menacing grace. 

“You rats are still mobile, as expected,” said the dark-skinned woman, her eyes glinting with fury and rage. It was Katerea Leviathan, a descendent of the original Leviathan Devil. “Especially you, Serafall!” 

Serafall was about to speak, but Azazel raised a hand to stop her, facing Katarea with a grim expression. "Katarea, quite a bold move to attack us during a truce. What is that dark power I sense from you?"

Katarea laughed, deciding to ignore Serafall for now, as she grinned at Azazel. "Truce? Your truce means nothing when there's so much power to be had! The Old Satan faction does not agree with such a truce!" With a swift motion, she attacked, her movements a blur as she lunged at Azazel.

Azazel faced her without issue. The two clashed fiercely, their powers colliding with bursts of light and darkness. Azazel, already hampered by the time manipulation, started the fight without issue, but Katarea’s attacks were relentless.

“I’ll maintain the barrier,” Michael said with a sigh, looking at Serafall and Sirzechs. “If you two will go and help old friend Azazel.”

“Let’s clear the front,” Serafall declared, her usual playful demeanor now replaced by resolve. She and Sirzechs leaped through the broken window into the chaos outside where figures cloaked in dark robes were launching relentless assaults against the barrier.

Magic crackled in the air, the night illuminated by spells and curses as Serafall and Sirzechs engaged the enemy. Serafall’s attacks were stunning to the eye, manifesting as vast swathes of icy blasts that swept through the invaders with chilling precision. Sirzechs, welding energy of destruction that danced like wild dragons, incinerated the spells cast towards them, his power a brilliant contrast to the darkness of the night.

Back inside, the room was a tempest of motion and energy as Azazel confronted Katerea Leviathan. Their powers clashed violently, the force of their battle shaking the very foundations of the room. 

“You’re stronger than I remember…!”

“Of course!”

Katarea laughed, fueled by dark energy that seemed to warp the air around her. She stopped playing around as minutes passed and summoned black serpents that hissed and snapped at Azazel, their forms shimmering with a dangerous aura.

Azazel, recognizing the signature energy of the summoned snakes, narrowed his eyes in shock and anger. “Those are Ophis’s snakes! How did you get them?!” he shouted over the roar of their conflict, making her laugh.

“Take a guess,” Katarea suggested, but Azazel was in no mood to joke any more. He quickly pulled a gleaming, celestial dagger from his inner coat, its blade glowing with an ethereal light. 

The weapon was a rare artifact, capable of slicing through most magical defenses. Katarea laughed, a sound that echoed ominously through the hall. “What’s the matter, Azazel? Scared of a little darkness?” she taunted, intensifying her assault. 

Issei watched the scene in shock. The snakes lunged with increased ferocity, as if driven by her taunts, their forms multiplying and diving towards Azazel with lethal intent. The snakes were like a whirlwind of darkness, and Issei’s draconic senses felt a sense of fear toward them. Then, Issei’s eyes widened for another reason.

As Azazel fought to parry the relentless attacks, a sudden, sharp sound sliced through the cacophony of the battle—metallic and dangerous. 

– Shinggg!

It was followed by Azazel’s scream of rage and pain, and the sound of something dropping to the floor. The room fell into stunned silence as all eyes turned to see Vali Lucifer, in his balance breaker armor, standing a few feet away, his hand outstretched, his expression one of cold detachment.

“You’ve lost something, Governor,” Vali said coolly, his eyes glinting with a dark amusement as he looked at the severed hand still clutching the celestial dagger.

Azazel clutched at his bleeding stump, his face twisted in a mix of fury and disbelief. "Vali! You dare betray me?! For what?!" he growled, the pain evident in his voice but overshadowed by his sense of betrayal.

Vali shrugged, his smirk only widening. "I follow my own path, Azazel. This was merely... convenient for my future plans."

Before the shock could settle, Issei's voice tore through the tension with a scream. “Vali!” he screamed, charging forward with a burst of draconic energy enveloping him. His attack was fueled by rage and the protective instinct of the middle-aged man with whom he had shared hours hanging out as friends.

Vali met Issei's charge head-on, their powers colliding with a thunderous impact. In the meantime, Katarea tried to attack Azazel again, but Grayfia stepped in to keep the old Fallen Angel safe.

The fight between Vali and Issei was intense but brief; Vali's experience and power overwhelmed Issei's raw emotion-driven assault. With a swift, powerful motion, Vali knocked Issei to the ground, the young man crashed hard with a force that echoed through the room.

“i-Issei!” Sona shouted in worry, but she knew not to step in.

Issei lay on the floor, dazed and defeated, his eyes burning with frustration and pain as he struggled to comprehend the swift turn of events. What was this situation? His breaths were heavy, each one a gasp of mixed anger and shock.

Vali looked at Grayfia, who was engaged in a battle against Katarea. He smirked, gearing up as he was about to leap ahead and take out Grayfia, but just then a new presence entered the fight.

Space cleaved in the air, and a young man with black hair walked in. His presence filled the air, with a staff on his shoulder and a grin on his face, which commanded immediate attention from everyone. His name was famous and his authority was undeniable; everyone in the room recognized his face.

“Hey there,” said the man with a golden headband. “It’s Bikou, the Monkey King, sorry for the intrusion.” the descendant of the legendary Sun Wukong, as well as the current generation Monkey King, said with a smirk as he walked over to Vali.

"I'll be taking Vali," he announced in a light tone, yet carrying an authority that few could challenge. "Big fights are going on in Vedas, you need to be there."

Under everyone’s gaze, he performed a movement with an effortless motion, grabbing Vali by the arm and vanishing from the scene through the cut in space. That left the room filled with unanswered questions and the heavy tension of betrayal and uncertainty about the future.

When the Faction leaders were busy absorbing the shock from Vali's betrayal as well as the news about a war going on in Vedas, time regained its motion, indicating Rias and Saji succeeded in their mission. 

After that, the fight took an easy turn toward victory.

Still, the three factions didn’t feel very good about this all.

Something big was going on, and none of them were sure about the scale of it.

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