Chapter 68: The Youkai Queen
"Why are you here, Ajuka Beelzebub?" Yasaka asked bluntly, her expression guarded as she sat across from the green-haired superdevil.
"Is it wrong to have a diplomatic meeting, Youkai Queen Yasaka?" Ajuka smiled pleasantly back at her, his expression not breaking as he sat across the table from the Youkai Queen.
The duo were sitting on rather large pillows on the floor, which were within a temple-like room. The room was temple-like because they were actually within a temple - more specifically, the temple in Kyoto where Yasaka spent most of her time, and where she and her daughter, Kunou, lived.
"If it were a diplomatic meeting, then I'd be speaking with Serafall Leviathan," Yasaka countered, as Serafall was the Maou in charge of foreign affairs, "And you devils have never been very diplomatic before."
While the West Youkai Faction, which was home to the majority of the living Youkai, wasn't at war with the devils, it wasn't a stretch to say there were tense relations.
"We can put the past behind us," Ajuka just continued to smile pleasantly.
"That's easy for you to say," Yasaka narrowed her eyes, "You weren't the one who was ignored while your people were slaughtered."
"It was an unfortunate situation," Ajuka's expression didn't shift despite a tension filling the air, "You know that I would've prevented it if I could. I want peace as much as you do. Our hands were tied."
"You're the leader," Yasaka hissed back, not backing down, "Does your title mean nothing?! Are you a 'Maou' just for fun?! If you wanted to stop it, you would have!"
"A leader who must listen to the will of the people," Ajuka said eloquently, "The noble families were afraid, and they needed revenge. Trust me, there was nothing I could do."
"Oh, but Sirzechs Lucifer could do something when it benefited his sister?" Yasaka accused harshly, glaring at Ajuka, "You couldn't save a single Youkai, except for the one that he gave to his sister? Isn't that convenient?"