Ch 115: The gathering powers

One hour before the official start of the conference, Noah appeared in the living room of the apartment Layla, Iris and Maria shared. They were ready and waiting for him. After greeting each other, Maria asked him something.

"Hey, Noah. Layla has showed off some of her new leather and latex clothes to us."

"She did?" asked Noah as he glanced at her, and she was smiling proudly at him.

"She let me borrow one of her leggings to try it. Latex looks nice and feels smooth and slick, and I'd like some for myself… As was your intention, I suspect." said Maria with a knowing smile.

Noah blinked, and Iris giggled cutely.

"…It seems I am quite transparent." admitted Noah.

"We're beautiful, you're a warm-blooded male, not gay, and you have a harem. Your intentions for the three of us are sort of obvious." chuckled Iris.

"Guilty as charged."

"It's good that you admit it, even if you're a bit sneaky and underhanded. But I don't really dislike that. And like I said when we met, I have observed you until now, and decided that you're really a good guy, fighting for a worthy cause. So I'll accept being your maid."

"I will, too." said Layla.

"Yeah, I'm in, too." nodded Iris. "There's no way I'll stay alone in this flat while everyone else is having fun at your place."

"That's great. When will you girls be ready to move in? I'd ask the girls to prepare rooms for you, but there isn't actually any preparation that needs doing, with all the cleaning being automated. I'll at least help you carry your stuff."

"We already started packing. We'll be done by this evening, if the Conference doesn't last too long. It's not going to last long, right?"

"No. I'm ninety percent certain that we'll be attacked, and they will likely want to do it soon after we start, before any of the VIPs gets a chance to leave. Are you girls ready? It's not too late if you do not want to take part."

"We're ready." nodded Maria. "We want to participate in making the world a better place, and I'm not going to miss out on the opportunity to see Archangel Michael with my own eyes."

"Let's go, then." said Noah, and they placed their hands on his shoulder.

Noah teleported with them in front of the gymnasium where the Conference was about to take place. Rias and her peerage, as well as Noah's maids, were waiting nearby, watching their surroundings with vigilance. Even Asuna was present, dressed in her white and red Shinigami trainee's kimono. Chiyo had wanted to come as well, but neither he nor Asuna were confident in her combat strength yet, so she was staying in Soul Society.

Reina was also participating. She already was an extremely talented swordswoman before benefiting from Noah's powers. Now, she was easily comparable to Suzu and Kaede. Each of them would likely be able to wipe the floor with an eight-winged fallen angel, maybe even a ten winged one like Kokabiel.

And then, there was Noah's reserve forces. Raynare, Mittelt and Kalawarna, and the members of Diodora's former peerage, ready to teleport at the first phone call from Noah or one of the girls present. Each for the fallen angels only had two wings, as they would need to experience something similar to the devil's promotion to mid or high-class devils to unlock more of their fallen angel potential, but they were now much stronger than the number of wings suggested. As for the fifteen former nuns, their training wasn't quite enough yet to share Noah's abilities, but they would be able to use the restraining formation they had tried on Noah during the duel.

And if that still wasn't enough, there was Ophis. She had agreed to help if needed, after Noah bribed her with a cardboard box filled with candies from all over the world. Although Noah would only send someone to teleport her in if the situation truly required it, as he wasn't certain Ophis would properly restrain her power.

Gandou Barbatos came out of the Gymnasium.

"Hey, everyone. Thank you for assisting with the security for this meeting." said the Great Satan as he waved a hand.

"You do not need to thank us, uncle Gandou." smiled Rias. "We feel gratified to be able to contribute to an historical moment."

Gandou Barbatos wasn't related to Rias, but was Venelana's old friend and peer, and often visited the Gremory house. He was one of the few male figures of her childhood and liked to spoil Rias.

"I just got word for your mother, Rias. She's coming with Ajuka, Falbium and Serafall."

As if his words had summoned them, the teleportation array they had installed in front of the Gymnasium started its activation cycle.

Five people appeared. Venelana and Grayfia, Ajuka Beelzebub and Falbium Asmodeus.

Falbium looked like a middle-aged bald man with a goatee and wore a mostly gray and purple outfit with large, spiked metal spaulders.

Noah had heard of him. An easygoing, lazy guy who went by the motto "working is losing", and who had mastered only two abilities, a defensive barrier, and a way to return the enemy's attacks back to them. He was something of a one trick pony but was still powerful enough to be one of the Great Satans.

Ajuka was quite different. The Creator of the Evil Pieces system and the Arcana Cards looked like a handsome twenty-something man with light blue eyes and swept back green hairs, wearing a green and orange coat and black pants. Ajuka had a scientific-minded personality and always seemed to be working on something. But, to Noah's relief, he was cautious with his experiments and followed some ethics code, unlike that madman Mayuri in soul Society and his equally deranged counterpart Szayel in the Arrancars.

Last but not least, Serafall Leviathan, Sona Sitri's big sister, was a petite but gorgeous woman, with long black hairs styled in twin tails with pink ribbons, blue eyes who turned light purple whenever she circulated her demonic power within her body, a chest that seemed too large for her build, and came dressed in her iconic white and pink magical girl outfit. A ping beret, white vest over a pink crop top, shot white and pink skirt showing just a bit of her thighs above her pink leggings, and white shoes.

"We're here!" cheered Serafall as she adopted a pose.

The Five Great Satans greeted each other and nodded pleasantly to Noah and his girls as they went inside the gymnasium. A great circular table and comfortable chairs had been installed inside.

A few minutes later, three people entered the academy from the portal linking the Academy to the Seventh Squad dormitory. Ren, Himari and Kyouka. They would take no part in the negotiations, but had been allowed to watch and contribute to the security detail. When they reached the gymnasium, Noah gave each of them a quick hug but refrained from showing more affection.

The teleportation array activated again, and the delegation from Heaven and the Church came. Sister Griselda quickly hugged Irina, Xenovia and Kaede, and the other two stopped in front of Noah.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Enfield-kun." smiled Michael, a handsome young man with long blond hairs and droopy green eyes, wearing a golden armor and a white and peach-colored cape. A golden halo floated above his head.

By his side was standing an incredibly gorgeous woman with long curly golden hairs and a figure that easily rivaled Rias or Akeno. She wore a pure white dress and had a white Lys flower above her left ear. Noah didn't need introduction to understand that she was Gabriel, the only female archangel.

"The pleasure is mine, Michael-sama, Gabriel-sama." smiled Noah with a light bow. "I hope today will mark an end to the war between the three factions."

"You have assembled quite a lot of strong people, for someone striving for peace. Said Michael as he smiled and nodded to the girls near the entrance. He could dimly feeling the power

"Si vis pacem, para bellum. That's my motto." grinned Noah. "And while I'm hoping for a formal peace treaty, I am also expecting the likes of Kokabiel to pay us a visit before the day is over."

"It is so sad." lamented Gabriel. "Kokabiel truly had fallen."

"He won't do any more harm, sister. Now we need to focus on keeping more of our kind from becoming like him."

"Yes." nodded Gabriel.

"See you later, everyone." said Michael as they left to enter the gymnasium.

Noah kept his gaze on Gabriel until they disappeared inside.

"Noah, don't tell me you're going to try to add archangel Gabriel to our family?" teased Akeno. Griselda gasped as she stared at him with wide eyes.

"I won't." smiled Noah as he shook his head. "It may surprise you considering my track record, but I'm not even tempted... She is too pure. It feels like, if I were to lay a hand on her, something precious to the world would forever be lost."

Griselda sighed in relief as some of the girls were looking in suspicion, others in understanding.

"Oh? Are you saying we aren't pure?" said Akeno in mock outrage.

"I like you girls just as you are. Gabriel is certainly pure, but that makes her personality a little bland as well. At least that's my first impression from barely meeting her. I may be wrong."

"Eheh, how about someone a little less pure, then?" smirked Kaede. "Let's say… sister Griselda?"

"W-What are you saying, Kaede!"

"Actually, that would be great." suggested Xenovia, nodding to herself. "We can still follow God's values and do His Work even without being part of the Church."

"I've considered it, too. Sister Griselda would become stronger, and immortal." smiled Irina as she looked at the flustered nun. "She'd be able to keep doing the good work for centuries and millennia to come!"

"Stop it, you bad girls!" scolded Griselda.

"I am considering it, but I'm far too busy right now. Maybe later." replied Noah as he made a show of rubbing his chin as he considered Griselda.

Kaede, Irina and Xenovia cheered as Griselda took a step back as she stared at him with widened eyes.

"Y-You lustful demon! I devoted myself to God!"

"Lustful devil, to be accurate." grinned Noah. "Well, as I said, I'm still considering, and even if I choose to make a move on you, sister Griselda, it will be months from now, so there's no need for you to be worried."

Rias, Akeno and the others were smiling warmly as they watched Griselda opening and closing her mouth with a red face. They all had a high opinion of the sister and were willing to welcome her in their family.

The teleportation array activated once more, and the last people invited to the Conference came. Azazel, Shemhazai, Baraqiel, Vali, and two more people. The old, tall man was obviously Odin, the Chief God of the Asgard pantheon, with long white hairs and a white beard that stopped at his sternum and dressed in a simple dark blue robe. An opaque monocle hid his left eye, sticking to his face without any visible support, and he held in his right hand a gnarly staff.

From what Noah remembered, the staff in question actually was the divine spear Gungnir in a disguised form.

Accompanying Odin was one of Noah's favorite heroines from the DXD fiction, the Valkyrie Rossweisse. A name that meant White Rose in German.

Rossweisse was a tall, slender woman with turquoise blue eyes and long, straight silver hairs ending at her knees, with bangs framing her gorgeous face. She had tied some with a purple ribbon behind her left ear, and wore a light blue business suit with pants, black leather shoes, white shirt and purple tie.

As soon as Baraqiel and Akeno saw each other, her mood instantly soured and she turned to the side, determined to ignore his presence. Baraqiel's smile disappeared, and he looked at her sadly, but didn't try to speak to her. Noah thought it was wise of him, or things would likely end up in a shouting match.

Vali and Rias stared quietly at each other.

"Hi, Enfield-kun. Nice to see you again." said Azazel as they walked closer.

"Hello, Governor Azazel, Shemhazai, Baraqiel, Vali. It's nice to see you, too."

"Let me introduce to you Odin, and his bodyguard Rossweisse. Odin is interested in you."

"It's a pleasure to met you, Odin-sama, miss Rossweisse." said Noah with his best professional smile.

"Likewise." smiled Odin. "So you're the young man who's making waves all the way to Europe. And are all those pretty girls yours?"

"Most of them? If don't mind if you look, but you can't touch." grinned Noah.

"Ah! A young man to my liking, who knows how to appreciate the best things in life. We'll get along great!"

"I think so, too, Odin-sama."

"Let's hit a club tonight, you, me and Azazel. Or one of those bars with maids. I hear Japan has some great places." grinned Odin as he stroke his beard. Baraqiel glared at Noah.

"Lord Odin, please mind your position." complained Rossweisse.

"What? Does the virgin Valkyrie have something to complain about?" mocked Odin.

This delivered a critical blow to Rossweisse, who lowered her head to hide her face.

"After all, I'm just someone who can't get a boyfriend…" she muttered in a pained voice.

"Odin-sama, please don't bully your subordinate. I'll accompany you and Governor Azazel to a club or whatever if you wish, but I have little interest in the girls that can be found there. Not when I already have many exceptional girls."

Noah didn't need to look back to feel that the girls in question appreciated his words.

"Well, I can understand that, looking at the beauties you have gathered. Quite a capable young man. I still wish to have a chat with you, after the conference."

"Yes, Odin-sama. I'll make myself available."

"Perfect. Then I'm going for now. We shouldn't make the others wait." nodded Odin, and they walked to the Gymnasium's entrance.

Noah turned and looked at everyone.

"Let's go as we planned, then."

"Yes!" nodded the girls, and they separated into groups. Rias and her peerage, minus Noah, Kaede and Suzu headed for the northern part of the academy. Alice, Rui and Claire went the opposite direction. Kaede, Suzu and Asuna were in charge of the eastern quadrant, and Hisui, Reina and Himari took the western one. Noah, Ren and Kyouka entered the gymnasium and stood near the door.