Deepest Darkness

•§• 4. Bridges

4. Bridges

The last bell had long since rang to signify the end of classes for the day.

Right now, Anos sat separately and opposite of two bands of devil peerages. One leg loftily over the other with his hands joined in his lap. From the outside looking in, one would expect that he was in charge of this little meeting.

Though it would be more accurate to say that Anos found himself in the audience of not just the student council president alongside her own peerage but the ORC as well. Most of them at least, a certain Pawn wasn't in attendance.

Checking their magic over, he sensed everyone in the room was a devil. Well, Rias' Queen also had fallen and even human traits. Though Anos had already known that. He and she were a little acquainted. It also turned out that many of them were also reincarnated devils and not pure blood.

Now, Anos didn't know what to fully expect from this little gathering but it certainly wasn't something like this. The two Kings, both Gremory and Shitouri— Sitri as Sona later revealed— apparently owned Kuoh Town. It was their territory.

That wasn't all either. As the meeting progressed, it wouldn't be wrong to say that they basically hand wrapped and gifted him all the information he needed to know without much input from his part. At least so far. The Factions. The Underworld. The past war... He integrated the information while going over the memories of Raynare when he casted Liknos on her. He used that spell to determine whether she deserved to perish permanently that night.

She still had her uses.

"Voldigoad," The president began but Anos raised a hand to stop her.

"Just Anos will do." He lowers his hand and Sona spoke soon after.

"Anos," Sona took the time to adjust her perfectly framed glasses as his name rolled right off her tongue, "As you are a human, my fellow King has informed us of your rather unusual abilities. I myself have one question for you: Are you with or against us?"

'Hmmm, so that's what she was so worried about.' Anos felt her well-hidden nervousness throughout the meeting. Almost all of them had similar feelings. Save for Rias who felt strangely at peace.

"Keep in mind that we've been nothing but truthful to you this entire meeting. Please resolve to do the same with my question." The bespectacled devil further spoke.

It wasn't an order or threat, Anos could tell. Anyone with any experience would know a silent plea wrapped within an innocent statement.

Luckily for her, he wasn't going to have any of these devils lose sleep over worrying about his alignment. He was neutral and would remain so.

And that's exactly what he told them. Anos also had a sneaking feeling that these devils would have the useful knack for finding trouble, so not causing conflict on either side would be mutually beneficial.

Everyone listened to his words and gave acknowledgement to his sound logic. Anos was the pinnacle of rationality after all, he hardly left room for disagreement.

"If that's all, I'll be taking my leave," Anos said this as he stood up. If the clock on the wall wasn't lying to him then he was making decent time in being able to open his restaurant for the afternoon.

"That's not all, Anos," Sona addressed him once more, he patiently waited. "How much magical power do you have? I can't read your energy levels and neither can my associates. No devil in this room can."

Normally this would be the part that Anos would tell the band of devils to peer into the abyss and find out for themselves; but he knew that wouldn't work. They would all die in fear by trying to grasp the shallowest surface of his power even if they could reach it.