(Trivia: A precision is necessary. The great war isn’t given an exact date but we know that the Devil civil war happened 500 years before Issei became a Devil. Still, we also know that Vasco Strada fought Kokabiel during WW2. Since I doubt cadre of great factions would fight each other for fun, I guessed that another small scale war happened during WW2. Now, the timeline of DxD. From what we know, DxD should begin in about 2008 since it’s at this year it was written. Since it was in 2008 and my story is 7 years before canon, then we are currently in 2001 so the war ended 56 years ago. So, Nokia ruled during the world and the internet was only 10 years old. Welp.)

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FIRST POV:(AN: This is an experiment for me. I am sorry if it irritates some of you but please bear with me. Give me your opinions on how my first POV was in the comment section.)

The moment I entered the office, all my senses suddenly screamed at me that I was surrounded.

I could feel them, tens of Youkai all sitting and looking like normal humans as they worked on with their computer. I couldn’t help but marvel.

‘Just how strong are those seal for me to not feel anything prior to entering?’

It was the kind of feat that was worthy of respect.

‘I seriously need to work on my senses. I would have a hard time detecting people truly skilled at stealth.’

Still, those yokai, while numerous, were, in the end, nothing more than cannon fodder. The truly important one was a rather impressive looking man wearing a suit. Still, his muscular frame was so large that it seemed like his clothes would burst. He also had a rather long beard and brown spiky hair. All in all, it was like a gangster was trying to act like a gentleman.

The man, upon seeing us entering, got up with a grin as he said,

“Hello, young man. You must be Azrael, right? I am Shinmon Ayato, the director and creator of this team. I would have never thought that the genius illustrator I found would be related to the church.”

I smiled at his words and stretched my hand toward him. I could feel no malice behind it, and since Jibril guaranteed that he was trustworthy I would give him a chance.

“Yes, I must say that I was also surprised to learn that such a large corporation was created by yokai.”

We clasped hand in a silent contest but kept it friendly. Still, I was rather vindicated by his expression of surprise. Most people always underestimate me because of how young I am. Well, not that I would complain. Nothing pleases me more than being underestimated by an enemy during a battle.

“So, why don’t we discuss in private?”

----- Third POV

The room the three entered was a rather large office. The main decoration being a large oval table with many chairs around it and a large white screen suspended at the end of the room. On the walls were plastered pictures of girls wearing magical girls outfits.

Ayato took a seat at the far end of the table and opened the discussion with a large smile,

“Before beginning to discuss work, I must say, Jibril, I am happy to see you again. I had thought that you died during the second world war.”

Jibril loosened a little her prime and proper appearance as she smiled, and took and stood behind Azrael who was now seated,

“I am also happy to see you again. After the war, I took refuge with Azazel-sama. You know how much damage I did to the devils and angels back then, so I had to stay low.”

“Hahaha, don’t remind me about that. You weren’t called the [Angel of Destruction] for nothing.”

Azrael ears twitched a little, still, he didn’t speak, he had always been curious about her past. After all, outside of knowing she fought during the war, he didn’t know anything else.

‘Seem like I really underestimated my caretaker.’

Jibril, on the other hand, blushed a little before giving a glare to Ayato. She didn’t want Azrael to know how bloody her past was. At least not before they could know each other better. She didn’t want her past to affect how he viewed currently. Ayato of course, as an old friend understood the signal and wisely decided to shut up. He didn’t know if she mellowed, but the Jibril he knew was the kind that repaid any slight ten times. He shuddered a little as he remembered her punching those poor devils and devils to death.

‘Man, I really pity her future husband.’

He discarded this thought and turned back his attention to Azrael. He had to admit, that the prince of the church was really worthy of his name. He was still inexperienced, but the amount of energy he could feel in him was simply astonishing for a child so young.

“Hello M. Gemini, I..”

“Call me Azrael. This would make things easier.”

Ayato nodded, not bothered about being interrupted,

“I am the director and creator of this group. As you can see, with the advent of smartphones, Light novels and such are becoming the trend. The future lay in the online world, and the first volume of the novel, Magical Girl Milky Spiral Seven had stellar results be it on paper or on the net. Sadly, many of the fans found the illustrations rather deplorable. This is where you came now.”

Adjusting the glasses on his face, he took a pile of documents and took out the drawings Azrael sent.

“I must admit that your drawings are truly on a level on their own. The previous illustrators focused too much on the age of the magical girl, making them appear too childish and forgetting that this was also a world full of battle and blood. But, your drawing has a certain maturity to them. The magical girl seems to have lost a little of their innocence and looks like warriors.”

Azrael nodded and leaned a little on the chair while crossing his feet,

“As you must know, a few months ago I faced a group of stray magicians. Two of them impressed me quite deeply, and as such, I added a little bit of what I saw to my drawing.”

Ayato nodded, he had indeed heard of what happened. Well, all those high in power heard about it. Since the end of the war, it was very rare for such an event to happen.

“I see. I won’t pry too much. As I said, your drawing impressed me and I would like to ask for you to draw for us and sign a contract with our house. We will give you a handsome pay. Of course, such a contract cannot bind you, but I like to play by the human rules. It makes things easier to track. What do you think?”

“I see... I have nothing to add. Jibril here will read the contract and I will sign.”

He was minor, not even 16 and as such shouldn’t have been able to sign for himself but, well, things such as age didn’t really matter in the supernatural world.

Ayato smiled warmly at Azrael answer as he said,

“Then, welcome aboard.”

----

A few hours later, a contract, and some discussion. Azrael was walking alone in the street. He had asked Jibril to stay and catch up with her old friend who was now basically his boss. Though thankfully, he wasn’t really his subordinate. After all, as Ayato said, no earthly contract could bind me if he didn’t wish for it. Not for any mystical reason. Just that, the church had the best team of lawyers alive in this world. Be it from the supernatural or normal side.

With the contract now taken care of, he began to think of different little problems he had.

‘Now that I have the guard of Akeno, I must think of her future.’

It was impossible to take her back to the church. Even if he could protect her, he was sure that some zealot would sneak in and assassinate her at the first moment of inattention.

‘Hum. Maybe I should go back home for a bit. It has been a while since I saw little Jeanne and grandfather. Hum, War should also be in my castle currently, right?’

He shook his head, he didn’t really want to meet his fellow miracle children right now. He may be the leader, but he was the only one who still needed to regularly have his innate power sealed.

‘Thinking of it, the full moon will be in two days. Gabriel should appear by then. Once my seals are done, I will go visit those five mystic clans. Let’s hope that nothing wrong happens during this time.’

{Master, could we speak?}

Azrael stopped at Evermillion’s words.

‘What do you want to talk about?’

He answered inwardly. He didn’t need to answer out loud after all.

{Master. Why do you still reject your own power?}

‘Rejecting? What are you talking about?’

{I see… So it isn’t even done consciously.}

‘Eve…?’

He frowned a little. He always hated such enigmatic words. If you didn’t want to say anything why play the mysterious characters and say enigmatic words?

‘Eve. I don’t have time to play games. Explain properly.’

{Sigh. There’s nothing to explain really. Master, I advise you to not seal yourself. Doing so is only detrimental to you.}

‘Details please.’

He frowned a little, he understood what she was trying to say but he wanted to be sure,

{Back then they shouldn’t have sealed your power. I am the closest being to death, and as such I know, even when searching all history, no being ever had a purer form of death than you. This isn’t something that can be sealed. The more you do so, the least control you’ll have and one day, everything will burst.}

Cold sweat slowly formed on Azrael back,

‘Burst?’

{Yes, burst. I don’t have exact numbers, but at the very least you power would shroud a city or two entirely in death.}