Interlude 1
Agares Territory, Agreas Floating Island, a few weeks later
Ajuka Beezlebub POV
In a well-lit and clean tiled room, a corpse was laid out on a polished steel table.
In front of the biopsy table stood a handsome young man. His green hair was slick back, and he wore a long green regal robe with his lean and athletic abdomen exposed, and a face mask. On top of his clothes he wore a protective leather apron.
To the side, several pieces of equipment were scanning the room and the corpse for compounds of both the mundane and supernatural kinds. Along with the machines, an array of calipers, scalpels, and dissection tools were neatly set onto a sterilized cloth.
Deep within the floating island of Agreas, old research facilities that were once used by the Old Satans existed. Ones that he took full executive control over and fully utilized, once him and his friends had claimed the titles of Satans.
This place had many secrets, along with the numerous studies on the properties of high purity Demonic Crystals that were largely found on this island. Both had aided him in one of his greatest inventions; Evil Pieces.
Peraphs, his greatest invention and gift to Devilkind. Greater than even his Kankara Formula which could study, copy, and control magical phenomena with near god-like control.
He was Satan Ajuka Beelzebub. Chief Advisor of the Underworld's Technology Department. One of the three Super Devils in existence.
And this was his personal laboratory.
Layers upon layers of intricate magic circles scattered the walls in patterns that would mesmerize most Human magicians. This was his workspace, so of course he controlled every variable inside it.
It was a place he could focus on his many projects and would not be disturbed.
Despite his efforts to recluse himself, he and his fellow Satans were bothered on a near daily basis. Too much for his liking. And he would admit, he and his peers for all their might were operating at their near full capacity to just keep the new Government afloat.
Fragile.
It was the best word he could use to aptly describe the current political environment of the Underworld. However, he did not care. His duties were to focus on research and think of solutions to stopping the slow extinction of Devilkind.
He would let Sirzechs, Serafall, and Falbium handle the petty squabbles.
And yet, those petty squabbles still found their way to him.
He has been busy as of late, more than he would like as it took his precious time away from his personal projects. At the moment, his schedule was almost entirely filled by supplying sets of Evil Pieces to keep up with the growing demand of clambering Devil Nobles.
Unfortunately, he could not automate the process. At least not yet. So it took time; time that he already fully optimized. Which then gave him limited time for his own research.
Akuja pondered behind the cotton mask with several filtration layers.
In this world, the only things he cared about were beating his rival and childhood friend Sirzechs, saving Devilkind from extinction, and science.
He especially liked science, and fortunately for him an intriguing sample was brought to his attention.
Ajuka eagerly looked down at the corpse in front of him.
The body had died approximately 2 weeks ago. Preserved in a local time stasis courtesy of the Agraes Clan's Time Magic.
From the initial autopsy, a clean puncture wound through the chest. He estimated a 2 inch wide blade was used. It killed the sample within seconds.
It was a clean strike by whichever soldier had done it.
As Ajuka visually inspected the body and took notes, he could not help but comment on the light contrast.
He was beginning to really enjoy these new lights that he just installed.
They provided a constant shade of luminosity throughout the room, making it convenient to not be distracted by nearby magical sources or flicking flames.
It was more constant.
He liked constants, especially mathematical ones.
In a world of constant chaos, something remaining constant had its own novelty. It also felt cathartic whenever he used constants in his Kankara Formula to produce clean calculations.
The new light installments were not magical. No, they used a novel method of electrical energy passing through a glass bulb where electrical energy was converted into light.
The power generation was also a clever design. It was generated by a unique mechanical machine that caught his eye a bit ago.
First a water source pulled down by gravity converted potential energy into kinetic energy by spinning a wheel. Then that kinetic energy moved internal parts around a globe which created a static source of electrical energy. That source would eventually build up until releasing lightning arcs to the surrounding copper plates carrying the electrical energy away.
An electrostatic generator.
He wanted to question whoever made it, but he assumed that it unlikely would never happen.
However, he immediately took the design and began using it in his private laboratory. While he ordered one research team to begin making adjustments and optimizations for trial installations in the capital city, Lilith.
He felt it would bring a great boon to the advancement of Devil technology, especially if combined with technologies like the recently adopted steam engine.
He could already see the potential.
He found the new machine during the recent investigation, hidden inside a Civil War era bunker found within the mountains of Belial Territory. While any useful experimental results were destroyed in the fires, the abundant mutilated bodies made it clear that bodily experimentation occurred.
The bodily experimentation did not interest him as chimera research has been going on since antiquity.
Ajuka looked to a nearby stand and began looking through the classified reports. Immediately put under redtape, only a select few Devils had access to this information.
Ajuka understood without question why Sirzechs called for the information to be sealed. If this information were leaked…it would spell great danger for the stability of Devil Society.
Opening up the folder, Ajuka read the report. The recent events were now colloquially being referred to as the Red Plague.
It began when a group of young Devils saw a red crystalline powder secretly being distributed into the local food sources by a cloaked figure within Belial Territory.
Before this, the disease was not contagious and seemed to not behave like normal bacteria or viruses. Although by an unknown cause the symptoms increased in severity: first throat and lung irritation, followed by fever and lethargy, and in the most severe cases the growth of red lines until death.
The number of those visibly infected increased over several months before what was described as the Triggering, an intense reaction that occurred in the local Devil populace.
How long had the red powder been added into the food supply?
Was mixing the powder into the food source a method to acclimatize the body to long-term exposure or was it merely a poison?
Did the dosage increase over time?
He could only guess, but many questions spun in his mind as the gears turned.
If the red powder was the cause of the disease then he would estimate the powder was being distributed secretly for a longer unknown period of time, and the number of casualties and symptoms increased with time and chronic exposure.
When lastly a berserk state was triggered by a magical release sequence sent by the same perpetrator who was found dispensing the red power as seen by several eye witnesses. He was later described as a young man with black and pink hair, and fit no known descriptions or bloodlines.
Ajuka flipped to another page, and on it was a collection of photographs.
Numerous pictures of those who were sick, those who seemed unaffected, and finally those who entered a 'zombie' or berserk-like state. The sample that laid on the dissecting table was of the latter type, and he already was analyzing spit and blood samples from the various residents that survived.
Ajuka hummed as he looked at the photos of berserk state victims.
It seems everyone who ingested a threshold of the red power experienced an initial violent reaction. While the ones who entered the berserk state, completely losing their sense of self control, were those that showed more of the earlier severe symptoms. Then when entering the beastily state, they showed no signs of reason or willpower, attacking friends and family without hesitation.
Other symptoms included the visible growth of red webby veins that spread across the body, and a tendency to self-destruct when near other living forms. No signs of self-preservation or reaction to painful stimulus.
The explosive magical energy clued him in. If that was occurring then the inflicted's internal Demonic Power must have been agitated, erratic, and highly energized.
Ajuka hummed as he flipped to the next page.
More eye witness reports from the Shax and Furfur Territories told of the same symptoms infecting the Devils of several towns.
When asked if the berserk state spread to new hosts via cuts or biting, in all cases the answer was no.
So zombies could definitely be ruled out. Which was annoying since a zombie infection would be trivial in understanding the route cause of the disease's origin.
Either way, the death toll was immensely high.
At a minimum, every town and city that were impacted had a death toll of 50% or higher.
Only one settlement had managed to keep their death toll relatively low, but that was because of various factors, despite being at ground zero.
The report indicated ground zero occurred in a mountain valley village within Belial Territory by the name of Riverton. The cloaked perpetrator tried to run away, chased by a group of young Devils, until the perpetrator released a magical trigger that spread out like a wave. Converting many of the infected Devils into a berserk state across the inflicted Territories.
Ajuka raised an eyebrow.
It even reached the Belial Manor up in the mountains and passed their defenses. What a terrifying range.
Ajuka flipped to a new page and on it were several photographs of various wounded and weary Devils, they looked either confused or not too fond of their picture being taken.
The main factors of why the death toll of this particular village was lower likely was due to the initial small population density, as well as the immediate presence of the young High Class Devil, Ethel Paimon, heiress of the Archduke Paimon Clan.
Ajuka wondered why the young heiress was in such close vicinity in the first place, but it could be explained easily enough as she initially came to the Belial Territory with her father, General Vincent Paimon, to provide aid relief.
The report also included mentions of two other young Devils of similar age.
Memphis Themos and Sidmen Vandek. Both Low Class Devils and local residents.
The two young Devils were seen guiding the young heiress around town and later were critical in defending the village in its biggest battle, along with the discovery of the hidden bunker where the red power was assumed to be distributed from.
It piqued his interest.
They showed remarkable prowess and great promise for their age. Especially considering their humble backgrounds. He would not be surprised if they were praised as heroes and granted rewards for good publicity.
Finally, Ajuka turned to the last pages.
Most of the other towns were not so lucky and were completely taken off guard. The entire Belial Territory took heavy losses due to having the highest concentration of infected Devils. Things only settled once Paimon troops arrived.
Meanwhile Shax and Furfur Territories refused aid from the Military out of pride. Although they managed to reduce their losses to a few towns, those infected towns were essentially razed to the ground in the process to quarantine.
Ajuka furrowed his brow lightly. This was not good.
Every new life and every death mattered to the survival of Devilkind. They could not afford losses like this. It was why he created the Evil Piece System, in hopes of increasing their low population and bringing in new talent in the process.
He would need to redo his calculations on future population estimates.
However something suspiciously stood out within the details of the documents and his mind easily deduced the common denominator.
All three of the inflicted Territories, Belial, Shax, and Furfur bordered the old Nebiros Clan Territory. Lands that were abandoned for centuries ever since the Devil Civil War, becoming untamed lands where only roaming Demonic Beasts lived.
Nebiros.
It was a Clan that he knew quite well. They were an Extra Demon Clan and part of the Six Houses of Lucifer that served the Old Satan Clans. And his enemies during the Civil War.
Were the Nebiros Clan behind this? No…that was not possible. He remembered when he and his peers had personally destroyed their houses and killed the Heads of their Clans.
But also a hypothesis not to entirely rule out.
Rumours of the Red Plague were also spreading quickly, but his fellow Satans were acting quickly enough to stop it before it got out of control. So he would not think further on it.
Ajuka pushed away his emotions with professional ease. He was in the middle of his experiment.
As the procedure requested, the tools had already undergone immersion in high proof ethanol, before being passed through a flame for sterilization. For a final wash, Ajuka scoured the tools with his Kankara Formula removing the tiniest traces of magical energy.
A gloved hand slowly lowered and cut into the flesh using a scalpel with surgical precision.
The corpse was cut open. One by one, he analytically inspected various parts of the sample for any traces of the disease.
After a while he could not immediately deduce what exactly caused the violent reaction, at least on a surface biological level. Except he did notice something, a faint concentration of a foreign material spread throughout the body.
Dinging off the bloody scalper. Ajuka used calipers with one hand to keep the bodily incision open.
While with his free hand he made a gesture causing a green magic circle to appear, in the centre his Clan emblem blazed. It spun as he carefully removed a larger piece, one laid in the chest cavity.
Slowly it rose from the body and floated into an enchanted glass vial, which Ajuka immediately corked.
Ajuka narrowed his eyes as he raised the glass vial in his hand into the light for inspection.
A dark red crystal, no bigger than a coin. Its appearance was crystalline with a high degree of crystallinity, hexagonal lattice structure. Translucent and shone eerily in the light.
Initially just from its appearance, it reminded him of the high purity crystals used to make Evil Pieces, the same ones found here on the floating island Agreas. Another top secret that very few were aware of.
It was unassuming so far, but he figured this foreign material may be linked to the infection and was a concentrated form of the red powder that was distributed.
However, when he used Kankara Formula to analyze the crystal, it violently shook inside the glass vial and the crystal began to sublimate into a black vapour.
The reaction grew in intensity and angrily smacked around the glass vial as it became unstable, until cracking the glass.
Ajuka immediately isolated the retrieved sample, and he briefly stared at the wall for a while.
He felt it. It was only a brief moment.
Even though it was highly diluted, he could feel it. The feeling, it felt sinister. Chaotic. Evil.
This was only a diluted form, a very diluted form, but from his extrapolation it was like he held a highly concentrated form of Demonic Power.
Naturally, Devils produced Demonic Power being the energy source of how they created magical phenomena, along with the racial habit of engaging in traditional sinful behaviours. If Angels were considered 'light', then Devils were 'dark' by nature as they were metaphysical opposites.
Thus another thought began to creep into his mind, a possibility of an existence rather sinister.
As a Super Devil, he may be one of the strongest Devils to have ever existed, but the feeling he felt from that crystal…If his suspicions were correct…and mentally calculating the potential potency, it was as if he just witnessed a potential source of Evil far darker than any living Devil he was aware of.
A crystalized concentration of an energy similar to Demonic Power. Something produced from a source that was almost a 'Devil-Devil' by nature, twicefold in existence.
His excitement grew. Ajuka smiled underneath his mask as his eyes gained a dangerous gleam.
He recalled the brief detail from the files that many of the survivors who showed little symptoms, instead gained an unnatural boost in Demonic Power.
A tingle of dread passed his neck, but at the same time. It piqued his curiosity.
"Interesting."
[Line break]
Lucifer Territory, Capital City Lilith
Sirzechs Lucifier POV
"Sirzechs, this is a huuuge problem!"
A short young woman dressed in a frilly blue and pink dress burst through the door of a fancy governmental office.
The young woman was incredibly beautiful with a buxom figure and large breasts that made even she-Devils envious.
She exuded a supernatural aura that preserved her youthful complexion, along with tying her black hair into long twin tails. Matching her sparkling blue eyes, an overly glamorized tiara sat on top of her head, while in her hand was a starred wand that she waved around like she was having a stroke.
"Sera, please calm down. I already have a headache…"
"No Lucy! Not until you fix your shit! While I was gone doing my job, I came back to hear that a bunch of people died!"
Sitting behind a desk was a young man wearing navy and gold regal robes. He had long crimson hair and blue eyes, and a face that looked very effeminate.
This was Satan Sirzechs Lucifer. One of three living Super Devils in all of existence and Satan in charge of Domestic Affairs.
The woman standing in front of him and who was ready to blow up his office using "magic dust", was Satan Serafall Leviathan. Satan Class Devil and Satan of Foreign Affairs.
Sirzechs was strong, incredibly powerful even, so he could survive a magical explosion made by a Satan Class Devil with ease but that didn't mean he wanted Serafall blowing up his office again.
Standing by his side, another beautiful woman stood. She had long gray hair tied into a long braid, and she wore a trendy maid outfit that was in recent French fashion.
This was Grayfia Lucifage, his Queen, maid, and lovely wife.
Grayfia sternly narrowed her eyes at Serafall, which made Sirzechs rub his temples knowing how this would go down.
"Satan Leviathan. This is not how you should behave, especially in front of my Lord, Satan Lucifer."
Him and Grayfia were once enemies on the battlefield but now turned lovers. Their relationship had begun with that type of forbidden romance and yet somehow they both stole each other's hearts.
It was such a beloved story that people began to write romance novels about them, and became especially popular amongst the young female Nobility.
Once as enemies they have since long settled their grievances. However, Grayfia was still a bit hot headed from losing against Serfall for the position of Leviathan, and carried a bit of a grudge.
"Heh~ still jealous are we? Sorry, I don't bother talking to bitter losers." Serafall fanned the flames as she hid her smug smile behind a dainty gloved hand.
The air around Grayfia began to drop dramatically as ice particles formed in the air, while Serfall only responded in kind.
"Please don't destroy my office…" Sirzechs muttered out.
"Yawn. Yeah, listen to Red. You're making the room too chilly, makes it hard to sleep."
The two she-Devils who were about to bonk heads, turned their heated stares at the last member of the room.
Lounging in a comfy chair, and Sirzechs felt the need to comment that it was the most comfiest chair in the room too, sat the Satan and final member of their friend group. Ajuka was also included but sometimes he did not bother to join these meetings.
Sitting on the chair was a handsome young man with strong cheekbones and a wellgroomed goatee. He sat off to the side, drowsily leaning on his chair. He looked barely awake, as if it took great effort to even stay awake at this very moment.
The young man wore gray spiky regal robes that covered his tall frame, and the light from the artificial sun glanced off his bald head.
Sirzechs always wondered why he was bald.
As Devils, they had a minor shapeshifting ability, which usually let them grow into their ideal look. Except for some reason, it was if his friend decided to be bald.
Or there were genes in his family that were just that strong.
This was Satan Falbium Asmodeus. Satan Class Devil and Satan in charge of Military Affairs and Supreme Commander of the Military.
"You! Shut up Baldy! And where is the Nerd? He needs to hear this!" Serafall pointed accusingly at Falbium.
Meanwhile, Falbium merely blinked his droopy eyes and shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe in his lab? Like always?"
"Grrr-! If I didn't know that you were likely correct, I'd smack you!"
"How very princess-like of you." Sirzechs snickered.
Grayfia turned around and gave him an approving look.
Oooh my.
That look just now made Sirzechs' heart flutter, and stirred something else inside of him. Feeling a bit heated, Sirzechs adjusted his collar and cleared his throat.
Him and his wife have been married for a while now, but only recently have they been trying harder for a child. Only a decade, but it has been proving harder than he thought.
Perhaps, they should try again after this meeting is over. Preferably in his office with Grayfia leaning on the desk, looking sternly at him while smacking a ruler as she-
"I know that look, Red! No doing the naughty and making baby Devils until we talk about this!"
Sirzechs leaned forward and a brief moment of seriousness passed over him as crossed his hand and held his elbows on the desk.
"But Sera…making new Devils is always a top priority. Afterall, with our low fertility-"
A book came flying and smacked Sirzechs in the head, knocking him off his chair.
"NO SEXY TIME, UNLESS I'M GETTING SOME!"
"Pfft. Like you would get any. Ms. Tragically Single."
Another book coated in Demonic Power was sent flying and crashed into the wall next to Falbium's head, almost glancing off his bald head. He didn't even bother to dodge; he was just that lazy!
Even the threat of immediate death in the form of blue and pink glitter could barely get him to move.
"Anyway, this is really important!" Yelled Serafall as she slapped a folder of documents, and on the cover was stamped classified.
Getting back into his seat, Sirzechs glanced at the documents.
He had already known of the contents as he had to deal with the aftermath personally, both him and Falbium were sent to the Shax and Furfur Territories to calm the Clan Heads down. By this point, everyone in the room had already known what occurred and an air of seriousness filled the room.
"We all read this, and the situation is bad…really bad. So many young lives were lost." Serafall spoke as an empty look entered eyes as if she was staring at a scene somewhere else.
They all knew that look, since they all had it. Fresh memories of the battlefields littered with the bodies of thousands of Devils, where they personally slayed their own kind for the survival of their species.
And the reason why they tried their hardest to forget.
Ajuka and his research, Serafall and her show, Falbium and sleeping, and Sirzechs fooling around with Grayfia.
Approximately half of the Belial Territory's population had died two weeks ago, along with several towns in Shax and Furfur Territories being completely razed.
In the aftermath, Sizerchs, Falbium, and Grayfia had to personally show up and put out the fires.
A downcast look laid on all their faces. These were the tragedies they wanted to prevent, and the reason why they bore arms so they could build a brighter future for the next generation.
Yet, they continued to happen.
Who knew that being the leaders of an entire race would be so difficult. They had only gained their position from their might and the support of Zekram Bael, but that did not mean they were prepared to run an entire society.
At first they hoped the Old Bael would provide some guidance but recently, he retreated and has even been causing them trouble by creating his own Faction, the Great King Faction.
Sirzechs didn't even know where to begin to understand the motives of Old Bael, and his reasoning was even more elusive.
If he was going to make a new Faction, then why did he push them to become the New Satans? It didn't make sense!
Sirzechs rubbed his temples. Politics and paperwork were more difficult than any battle he fought.
But they tried their best with the cards they were dealt with.
They made new policies, they used their influence to grease the right joints, and they gave another option for Devils to live instead of a path that led to destruction.
When all that didn't work, sometimes they needed to flex their power to force them into submission. However, it left a pain inside them, that they slowly were becoming the same tyrants that ruled over them in the past.
And now to see thousands of lives taken from a freak accident made his blood boil.
Sirzechs clenched his fists against the wooden desk and crushed it like butter under his grasp. Left behind was smoldering wood carved from the Clan Trait he inherited from his mother, the [Power of Destruction].
"There is no way we could have predicted this, Sirzechs." Off to the side, Falbium gave him reassurance and Sirzechs figured he had deduced it from his own logical reasoning too.
That's right, before this all happened they heard that Lord Paimon went to the suffering areas with the mission to give aid relief, but then the situation suddenly deteriorated.
It was outside their control, but still…he could not help but bear the responsibility.
Grayfia put a comforting hand on his shoulder, which made him smile somewhat. He could carry on. With their support he could continue to walk forward, with one heavy footstep at a time.
Serafall walked over to a nearby chair and plumped down into it, and her ridiculously poofy dress covered her seat like a sheep.
"It's gotten even more worse in the aftermath too. The Belial Clan was hit so hard by the disease outbreak that they essentially were forced to become subordinates to the Paimon Clan and are now under the Military Faction banner!" Serafall turned to give Falbium a glare.
"What? What did I do?" Falbium raised his hands up defensively, wondering what he did wrong.
"Nothing, and that's why! Your General is out of control! He's supposed to help lead the central army, but he runs it like he owns it! And now he has another Clan indebted to him. Control your underling already!"
Serafall pointed accusingly at Falbium as she continued berating him. "And not only that he went off the rails and overtly punished a kid that should have been praised! Do you know how bad this looks in front of the other Low Class Devils?!"
Sirzechs grimaced.
He heard that a brave young Devil, not even middle class in rank, had helped defend his hometown during the attacks while trying to stop the perpetrator, and this was before he aided in the discovery of the plot behind it.
What a kid. He almost reminded Sirzechs of himself when he was younger.
For å young Devil his age, not even 16 years old yet, an immediate invitation to take the Middle Class Promotion Exam should have been in order. The entire situation should have been unprecedented, but instead he received a public lashing.
Sirzechs furrowed his brow.
Instead of being rewarded for his heroism and love for his hometown, now he might grow up to resent Devil Society. Where, if this had gone differently he could have been hailed as a shining example for other Low Class Devils.
This type of cruelty was something they were still trying to phase out, but it has been very slow.
After the situation had settled, Sirzechs was happy to hear that the young boy was granted rewards by both Lord Belial and Lord Paimon, but no apology was issued from Lord Paimon.
It was not the ideal situation, but it was better than nothing.
If the young boy was going to be left dry, Sirzechs would have pushed the issue until it was resolved. He could work with this atleast, by adjusting it here and there, Sirzechs could spin the story to still highlight the appeal.
A remarkable deed done by young and brave Low Class Devils? This was perfect material to make a story. It was simply too good publicity that they could not afford to lose.
Sirzechs and his friends knew the Underworld desperately needed more young Devils like this boy. This was exactly the potential they wanted to grow in the future generation, and why he and his friends waged war for a brighter future.
While at the same time, he has been made acutely aware of the spreading rumours…
They used everything in the book. Propaganda, restricting border movement, spreading counter false rumours, and distractions of entertainment.
So far the news outside of the infected Territories only knew that a fatal disease that had spread in the outskirts was called the Red Plague, but the exact nature of the disease was blurred on purpose to avoid worsening morale and maintain public stability.
Many assumed it was a variant of the Sleeping Disease which also tragically took hold of the lives of many Devils. And of course everything beyond that was classified.
Overall it was a very unfortunate event.
Sirzechs returned his attention back to the one sided scolding.
"I'm trying, but it's complicated…" Falbium awkwardly mumbled under his breath.
Serafall didn't seem to like that answer. "That's bullshit and you know it!"
"I may be Supreme Commander of the Military, but my authority is…precarious at times. If I push Lord Paimon too much, the soldiers may rebel under his banner than with the Government."
Sirzechs nodded. It was certainly a complicated situation.
If he had to give a good comparison, the common soldiers viewed Falbium as another politician over being a soldier that fought with them.
Falbium was a military genius in his own right and also shed his share of blood during the Civil War, but after becoming a Satan the distance between him and the lower ranks became too large, which Lord Paimon took full advantage of.
Lord Vincent Paimon.
Another old name. Not as old as Zekram Bael, but Lord Paimon was at least a couple hundred years old when he decided to support their side during the Civil War.
The General had spent his whole life in the Military gaining a good reputation, and before that the Paimon Clan served for generations going as far back as the Original Satans. When Vincent Paimon was younger he rose up the ranks until eventually cementing his position at the top.
This obviously was concerning as the Military should be an extension of the Government but the Paimon Clan's grasp on the Military was too strong, and it certainly didn't help that the soldiers and many officers greatly respected the Paimon Head far more.
On the brightside, he was a good general and was pro-active in protecting the Underworld, but on the other hand his intentions seemed to be spread all over the place.
At least Vincent Paimon made it clear that they, like them, also desired the stability and future of Devilkind. So at least there was some common ground to work with.
As far as dealing with the growing Factions was concerned, it was the Old Satan Faction that always caused the most trouble. While Sirzechs found the Great King Faction and the Military Faction could be reasoned with to a degree.
After giving updates on the situation and talking out their plans, Falbium and Serafall eventually teleported away and his office was spared once more.
Sirzechs sighed as he leaned back in his chair and kicked his feet. "Why is politics so complicated…Graaayfia, I want to quit!"
Grayfia playfully rolled her eyes before she smacked his head from behind. "You cannot, my Lord. You cannot abandon your responsibilities as Lucifer."
Sirzechs chuckled. It did not hurt, but he loved getting a reaction out of his wife. "Can I at least have a kiss for motivation to work hard…?"
Grayfia fidget on the spot and creased her skirt. "It's…not appropriate right now, my Lord."
Yessss. Sirzechs would take advantage of this opening.
"Graaayfia, I want my kiss! Chuuuu~~~" He kissed at the air as a show of lovely affection but was soon denied once more.
Coming in hot, Grayfia blushed furiously as she somehow pulled out a paper fan from somewhere.
Smack!
[Line break]
In a secret location, Underground Ruins of Lucifaad
Zaorama Nebiros POV
A smack echoed off the stone walls of a large hallway.
Zaokras Nebiros nursed his red cheek as he bitterly looked to the side.
Standing in front of the young Devil was an older man, however he was still youthful in appearance. He was a thin young man with a handsome face, angular jaw, and had long straight black and pink hair. The man wore a long white coat over a black suit, gloves, and a pink tie.
This was Zaorama Nebiros, Ultimate Class Devil, and Head of the Nebiros Clan.
His cold and stoic magenta eyes looked downed as Zaokras was still shorter and clearly younger than his Clan elder. From afar, it was evident that the two were blood related.
"Nephew. You are lucky I am in a good mood today. I should be annoyed that you devastatingly ruined our long-term experiment, but I cannot help but be impressed with the results." The older Devil briefly glanced down at the folder in his hand, his eyes gained a glint of approval. "And you and your minions were at least smart enough to destroy any evidence. It is a shame, they were convenient facilities too but we got what we needed. You shall not make this mistake again. Now begone; before you get vaporized for any more mistakes."
"Yes, Uncle. I swear I will not make the same mistake twice, and I will make sure to continue providing good results." Zaokras pursed his lips as he lowered his head into a submissive bow. Then with a wince, he slowly hobbled down the hallway, trying his best to not move his many bandages.
After turning away from his kinsman, Zaorama walked to a larger and more grand room they built. An extension in their underground facilities for the single purpose of housing their Lord.
Turning to a set of doors, Zaorama pushed them open and walked into a grand hall. There sat upon a throne was a handsome man with silver haired man that wore silver regal robes. The man was currently lounging, appearing bored as he ate grapes and watched highlights on a Reelbox.
The throned figure did not bother to give him a glance, as he should not, as Zaorama was his natural lesser and merely a servant. Stopping at the foot of the throne, Zaorama kneeled with smoothed ease.
"Lord Rizevim Livan Lucifier."
"Hm? Did you say something?" Rizevim did not bother to spare him a glance. As expected of his Lord.
"I bring news of our latest research findings. However, I also bear news of a setback." Zaorama coolly looked at the exquisite rug on the floor. If his head was taken now, he would accept any punishment from the son of his late Master.
Rizevim lazily waved a hand. "Tell me. How bad was it?"
Zaorama thanked his Lord for sparing his lowly life and nodded. "The revealed facilities were all securely destroyed and all evidence leading to us was turned to ash."
"That's good, but a shame. I was hoping the chaos would get more intense but the excitement was cut short. So another day passes, and my ventures on the surface will continue uneventful and unimpeded as normal. Anything else?"
"Yes, my Lord. Our latest experiments proved fruitful, exceedingly so, and now we can proceed to the next phase."
"Oh ho~? Now that is excellent news. If I tell Euclid once he gets back, he might just get jealous." Then Rizevim finally spared his attention and as his hazel coloured eyes landed on Zaorama, causing him to shiver as he felt the bottomless aura from his master.
Yes, this was the true power of a Satan. One of both strength and proper lineage.
Zaorama waved away the feeling as he experienced it many times now, but he could not help but internally scoff. Who cared for what that manservant thought, it was clear that he was the more loyal servant.
Rizevim then began fiddling with a small dark red crystal in hand. "And have you found this fabled 'Beast of the Apocalypse' yet?"
Zaorama internally stilled but did not show it. It was another mistake in front of his superior. "Not yet, my Lord. We continue to search for it, but it proves trickier than anticipated. Even by using the essence of its lesser forms, we have not been able to find the smallest of hints."
Rizevim crossed his legs in the throne chair as he hummed amusingly. "It can't be helped. But I do wonder…where did my dear old Dad find this Beast in the first place? And why did he choose to hide such fun toys away?"
Zaorama made no comment and continued to kneel.
"Very well. You may go now. If there is any more chaos, do feel free to inform me. Hufufu."
"Yes, my Lord." Zaorama bowed his head deeply before standing up and leaving the throne hall with proper decorum.
Pushing a hand through his long hair, Zaorama released a held breath as he walked with machine-like precision. His Italian artisan leather shoes clicked against the stone floor, as he ignored the various low tier researchers bowing in his direction when he passed.
Heading towards a specific and warded off section of their underground fortress, Zaorama came to a metal door that slid open, and a white light lit up the small chamber. Pressing the button for the lowest level, it glowed with electrical light as it scanned his unique magical signature granting him permission.
The door closed with smooth engineered precision and began to descend.
Zaorama coolly adjusted his cuffs and straightened his tie.
As the lights flashed and the chamber rapidly descended. No aid of magical energy was used in this contraption as the threshold of overall magical energy needed to be kept below a minimum as a precaution. Or else they risked loosening their defensive wards and exposing their long secluded hide out.
Deep within the ancient ruins below the Old Capital of Lucifaad, the Nebiros Institute was built in secret to conduct research of the Old Satans undisturbed from their enemies. They chose this spot right underneath their noses, as it proved to hide their existence and continued to be a strategic boon.
Layers upon layers, from a combination of modern science with ancient technology, along with intricate layers of magical defenses was their research facility hidden.
And if they were found, they already had numerous other secret lairs scattered across the Underworld they could easily transfer to and continue where they left off.
As Zaorama stared out through the glass panel of the lift, it passed by a floor conducting research on chimeras and he could not help but recall how they came here.
When the last heads of the True Satans were killed in battle and their armies beat back by the Usurpers during the War, they were shamefully forced into hiding and to lurk in the darkness of the Underworld.
Only he as the Head of the Nebiros Clan and the last surviving Head of Six Houses of Lucifer, disregarding that young milkdrinker who ungratefully stood by his Lord's side, Elucid Lucifage, he was the de facto leader of this operation.
However, at his core Zaorama could not help but partly enjoy the added privacy. It gave him more peace to work on his experiments and perform his duties.
He had no joy for other traditional Devil sins. He did not even bother to sire his own children. However he really loved science. It was his true love and reason to exist beyond his ancestral duties.
After a minute, the chamber finally reached the lowest and more secured floor of the Research Institute.
Stepping out, Zaorama found himself in a darkly lit room, with the machine light glowing in the darkness. Along the walls, several chambers sealed by thick enchanted glass were lit by artificial light.
Zaorama looked at each of them, each containing an experiment of his current project. The Malebranches.
Given by the original True Satans, Zaorama remembered they were also called Satanic Arms. A name inspired by the Sacred Gears they were modelled after.
They were secret weapons made long ago during the Great War by True Satans, and the exact method is unknown but it appears somehow connected to the Beast of Apocalypse by their related energies.
At the time, the Malebranches proved to be incredibly powerful weapons. The Satanic Arms were not like Sacred Gears where it was tied to the user's soul, instead it permanently fused with the user and turned them into living weapons.
Twelve Malebranches that were made opposite to the Longinus Sacred Gears.
However their incredible strength came with many side effects. Every Malebranche proved to be extremely uncontrollable and crazed, so much so that the First Lucifer himself feared them and sealed them away.
Zaorama had learned of their existence just before the Civil War began along with the other Heads of the Six Houses of Lucifer. Now he was one of the only few people that was aware of both their existence and nature.
Elucid did not care and focused his research on Sacred Gears instead.
After hearing an old tale from a childhood acquaintance of Rizevim, where he was told that Sacred Gears would pose a threat and may spell his doom one day. Elucid immediately began studying Sacred Gears to aid Lord Lucifer.
The young Lucifage greatly cared for the safety of their Lord as a dutiful servant should, but he failed to see the great potential that the Malebranches possessed.
Walking over at a comfortable stride. Zaorama stood in front of a large glass chamber.
In the first chamber was a Devil who was in the Activated Phase.
It was obviously noticeable by the increase in aggression, along with the internal microcrystals forming a magical network in the body that overcame the senses. This magical network appeared externally as red veins.
The test subject pounded against the glass like a beast once it made eye contact with him.
Zaorama emotionlessly stared at it.
It could not touch from behind that glass. Pressing a button on the panel, a magical pulse was released and the test subject returned to a sedated and dormant state.
Zaorama recalled his nephew had field tested this method and achieved reasonable results.
A preliminary step. Not a precise weapon but a wide range distraction at best. However, to be able to control the weakest form was critical for the next phase.
It took them many years but they were finally able to understand the basic nature of the creations that the First Lucifer created.
By isolating and diluting the concentrated essence of the Malebranches, they were able to produce a smaller and weaker form of the high purity Demonic Crystals that acted as the core of each Malebranche.
But even in its diluted form, the energy was too chaotic and potent for most Devils. Driving most into fits of rage and madness.
Elucid hypothesized this highly concentrated energy may be related to the Beast of the Apocalypse as described in the Book of Revelations, but Zaorama was skeptical.
Regardless, they found suitable test subjects and began adding small dosages into their local food supplies.
After confirming even Low Class Devils did not immediately die from microconcentrations, over several months they then slowly increased the dosage to acclimatize the body.
That is when the bigger symptoms appeared.
First common illness symptoms showed as if acting reacting to a common flu. The body's immune system began to recognize the foreign energy and created an immune response.
The next symptoms appeared when the microcrystals inside the body had grown enough in size, assuming the body did not forfeit by this point, the microcrystals created an internal network spreading the chaotic energy throughout the body. The external symptoms were lethargy and the growth of web-like veins.
By this point, most Low Class Devils could not survive the strain too long as they reached the critical threshold phase. However, this was when a magical pulse could be sent to the internal network, agitating the chaotic energy which took control of the host and turning it into a mass fodder-type weapon.
In rare cases, often those who were younger or stronger, were able to acclimatize the internal network in their bodies and showed little symptoms, taking in much larger dosage concentrations.
In these cases, the test subjects showed increased Demonic Power and higher growth rates.
If the fatality rate was not so high, they would have been adding supplements into the meals of all their minions. Instead it was too risky, and a few volunteers were chosen for the program, along with Zaokras.
The experiment was going smoothly until his nephew made his disastrous blunder.
Although near the end, his nephew luckily was able to make up for this mistake by confirming that a test subject showed clear signs of controlling the Activated Phase. Through heightened emotions, the Activated Phase triggered the internal network but the specific test subject showed visible self-control and maintained a sense of self.
It was everything they hoped for from the results.
Zaorama eagerly made a mental note to continue observations of the specific test subject, along with searching amongst the others for similar conditions.
Walking over to the next chamber contained a large floating dark red crystal.
It was transparent in colour with a similar structure to quartz. Magical veins creeped along its edges and grew like veins reaching towards the glass walls and ceiling.
This was the next phase of their research.
After the war ended and the descendants of the True Satans perished, when the remains of their Clans were pushed to the edges of the Underworld, he brought the Malebranches to this facility to continue studying their secrets.
But one day they stumbled upon a secret research facility from the Great War era and found the thing in front of him.
The core of a Malebranche without a user. Code name: unknown.
Zaorama was unsure why the Malebranche core had not found a vessel, but it provided an ample opportunity.
As Devils, it was hard to resist the temptation that the situation possessed and many ambitious Devils certainly tried to obtain the power of this Malebranche. But all attempts failed.
The extremely potent and high concentration of what he described as 'Super Demonic Power' was too powerful, too uncontrollable for any Devil to wield. Any who attempted so far have died horribly as the core melded with their flesh and consumed them.
This was another reason why they studied the properties of Malebranches, and why the earlier results deeply excited him. If what his nephew saw was true, then they were closer to successfully finding a host that could survive the fusion process with the incomplete Malebranche.
It was so promising that it became palpable on his tongue.
If they could understand the energy they used, if they could acclimatize the body somehow to withstand the extremely potent energy, then their Faction would gain the full power of a Malebranche along with a method to control the Satanic Arms.
Which leads to the final chamber.
When they fled into hiding, at the time they only had three Malebraches in their possession.
And here they stood in front of him.
Behind the thickest enchanted materials and an almost exponential amount of magical arcane locks, an insidious and daunting pressure still radiated off the Malebraches like waves.
All three stood like statues with their flesh hardened into the stone that was their Sealed State, albeit still alive as he could feel the primal beats of their cores from a distance.
At the same time, each of them had parts of their bodies partially morphed into the form of beasts that sent shivers down his neck. Zaorama assumed their beastly forms were related to their unique powers, but was unable to confirm his hypothesis.
Zaorama basked in their presence as he looked at each of them, and a part of him felt that each one looked right back at him. Watching. Waiting eagerly to be released from their slumber.
But the statues did not move. Perhaps, it was a trick of the light…
The first statue had wild hair and wore the expression of a trickster.
Code name: Scarmiglione. Estimated power level at Satan Class.
Zaorama personally saw this Malebranche give a portion of its power turning a descendent of the First Beelzebub into the form of a giant rampaging fly.
It showed that Malebranches possessed the ability to transfer their power and strengthen other Devils, but the noble descendent was unable to control his sanity despite the Gremory Usurpers being forced to use his True Form to defeat him. Another reason why they wished to learn the basic properties to one day fully control it.
Zaorama turned to the second statue and the immense pressure increased in intensity. This one had a long curly beard made of sharp barbs.
Code name: Barbaricca. Deputy Commander of the Malebranches. Estimated power level higher than Satan Class, exact limit is unknown.
He bitterly remembered this one felt uninterested in their righteous war, when they were last unsealed. Instead they wished to be awakened later so they could fight the Longinus Sacred Gears.
Then the final statue. It had a long wicked tail that loomed behind its intimidating frame.
The pressure was beginning to feel uncomfortable as Zaorama looked upon its form. An instinctual fear gnawed at the back of his mind like looking like an apex predator, and surely he could almost sense this one found pleasure in his reaction.
The final Malebranche. Code name: Malacoda. Leader of the Malebranches. Estimated power level unknown.
Zaorama did not dare to unseal them, as the documents left behind from the original True Satans stated 'only the leader, Malacoda, must never be awakened'..
His mind as a scientist craved to see what would happen, but he also took pride in his loyalty. So he would heed the caution of his late Lords.
Looking upon the Malebranches, Zaorama let his mind wander.
Mentioned within the secret documents left behind the original True Satans, eight more Malebranches were written down. Currently four were in their hands, three were active and while one was inactive.
Their minions were currently scattered across the Underworld, and even the Human World, searching for any clues of the hidden monsters.
They waited for a long while and they were patient.
But once they are able to find the remaining eight and this power was fully within their grasp…then they could finally take revenge on those Fake Satans and reclaim the rightful rule of the True Satans once more!
Zaorama swore that he would do everything within his power to make this come true.
Feeling satisfied after cataloging the observations into the system, Zaorama unturned to leave the laboratory.
Except as he did, a disturbing sensation washed over him as his skin shivered. And as he left, he would have sworn that the frozen statues were grinning ferally at him.
[Line Break]
A/N: Que pillar man theme. GO GO GO. Now that many things were revealed we will now be having a time skip and moving into the next arc. If you enjoyed it or have any thoughts feel free to let me know.