"Gods are darlings of the Forgotten Realms... Nobody could compete with the Divine when it came to the Blessings of the Realms because they have far more of them than anything and anyone."
- Author Unknown
***
"The Conjunction of the Spheres was a cataclysm that affected the whole Forgotten Realms. Normally, traversing through the Prime Material Plane is an exceptionally arduous matter, as one would need the means of bypassing the Crystal Barrier that encases every Segment of the Prime Material Plane.
Yet the Conjuncion of the Spheres is a method to bypass these requirements. When the Conjuction of the Spheres happened, Dimensional Pathways opened that connected various places across the Prime Material Plane.
It was through this way that Abeir-Toril welcomed some of its species, like Vampires, various species of monsters, or some of the Beastmen species that arrived at the Kara-Tur Continent. It has been noted that during the minor Conjunction, the Eternal Empire of Nilfgaard made a contract with the Netherworld and started contracting Devils of the Netherworld.
While it was noted that the experience with the Netherworld was somehow positive for the people of the Nilfgaard, the same couldn't be said about the Mages of the Northern Realms, who faced invasion from the Insectoids that were connected to the entirety known as Devourer of the Nine Worlds.
In the ancient past, it was noted that the downfall of the Netheril Empire was related to the contract with the World Enemy that the Netheril Empire encountered during the Conjunction of Spheres.
In the modern ages, the Conjuction of Spheres is regarded as an event that could either bring enormous uplift to the world or bring doomsday to the world. Nobody really knows, as there are many other worlds in the Prime Material Plane, Elemental Chaos and Astral Sea."
- Archmage Tissaia de Vries, Excerpts from the Book: The Conjunction of Spheres
***
"Wouldn't the Crystal Sphere block them?"
Sirzechs asked as he pondered over what Mephisto said.
A Crystal Sphere, sometimes called a Crystal Shell or Crystal Barrier, was a gigantic spherical shell that contained an entire Segment within the Prime Material Plane. Each Sphere varied in size, as their size could range from the size of one Star System with just a few planets to a large Segment which was the size of the entire Galaxy.
Everything depends on the Segment itself. Though it was noted that the Segments within the Prime Material Plane were rarely situated in the Galaxy, as those Segments were unofficially known as Super Segments due to their sheer size and resources within.
"Well, there are certain means of bypassing the Crystal Spheres, with the easiest one being going through the Astral Sea, and it's really unfortunate that the Mind Flayers are one of the species that are capable of traversing through the Astral Sea."
Crystal Spheres were made of a dark ceramic material that had no gravity and appeared to be impossible to damage by any normal or magical means. One couldn't just leave the Segment of the Prime Materila Plane that was encased by the Crystal Sphere.
They always looked the same when seen from the outside.
The surface of the Sphere was called the "Sphere Wall" and separated the void of Wildspace within the Sphere from the Phlogiston, which surrounded and flowed outside the Sphere.
"If one is lucky, they could find natural portals opening through the Crystal Sphere, which would allow one to pass through the Portal. And the squids are the best at locating these portals or traveling across the Prime Material Plane."
Mephisto Pheles was one of the most knowledgeable about the situation out there and knew that the Mind Flayers were a total pain in the ass.
"It sounds... troublesome."
Serafall muttered as she listened to Mephisto Pheles explaining about the Mind Flayers.
It wasn't the area that she was most knowledgeable about, because the inhabitants of the Draconic Deus were typically cut out of the happenings in the Astral Sea or the rest of the Prime Material Plane.
The reason behind it was the Dragon God Io, also known as Great Red and Dragon God Ophis, who inhabited the Astral Sea around the Draconic Deus and made it virtually impossible for anyone to leave the Draconic Deus through the Astral Sea.
Though...
Some accidents tended to happen.
"It is troublesome, Sera. The Mind Flayers are not considered the scourge of everything that is alive for nothing. The fact that the Illithids were able to reach the Emerald Plane and also started a war with the Wizards of Oz unnoticed isn't the best news. The only saving grace is the fact that their Fleet should be weaker, if the Wizards of Oz are able to resist them... or..."
Suddenly, Sirzechs stopped in the middle of his sentence as he suddenly had a very bad premonition about something.
"Or if they are holding back and are sending only a small portion of their troops to fight against the Wizards of Oz."
Grayfia finished the sentence for him because, compared to Roygun and Serafall, she had received a rather strict military education that was focused on military strategy and tactics, so she knew a lot about these areas.
"Well, if what Lady Lucifuge speaks is true, then we are perhaps in much greater danger than one would imagine."
Mephisto Pheles agreed with the statement of the Heiress of the Lucifuge, because this was rather the usual approach of the Mind Flayers when they were attempting to attack a more powerful world or plane.
They would find the weakest spot or place where they could create their forward base.
Slowly and stealthily, they will infiltrate the area and then create their base... they will fortify their place, which would make it nigh impossible to destroy, and from a minor problem they would become a world-ending threat.
"More reason to call for the Supernatural Council. If this situation in the Emerald Plane is the impending full-scale invasion by the Illithids, then it needs to be dealt with by all factions of the Draconic Deus."
Sirzechs stated, though he knew that this wasn't the case, because they already had far more than enough problems with the Abyss and the Abyssal Daemons that were constantly invading the Netherworld and even some Divine Realms of the Pantheons.
"As you say... I will notify you when we have all the necessary information on the Augusta's Longinus."
Mephisto Peheles said as he activated the Magic Circle and teleported away, most probably to the same facility where they were going to conduct experiments on Augusta. It would need a lot of experiments and some time, until the Incinerate Anthem Longinus was ready for the extraction and fusion with Sirzechs.
He, too, knew that it would take some time, and he would fuse himself with Longinus only after he became a Demigod. He had a hunch that the entire process would be much faster and smoother if he were doing it as a Demigod.
Not to mention, he was more confident in the entire process once he was a Demigod, due to the Resistances and Immunities that the partial Godhood would give him. So he would need until Ajuka was finished with the tests that he wanted to conduct on the two Divine Sparks.
Even though the growth in the raw power for him wouldn't be that significant, becoming a Demigod was just a first step. If he managed to become a Minor God or a Lesser God as soon as possible, then the growth of his power would already be pretty considerable.
If he somehow succeeded in this mad plan of his, it would give him access to the Holy Fire... which would be a tremendous advancement in a place like a Netherworld where everything of Darkness gathered in great numbers.
"Well then, it seems that we have some free time. You wanna go see something or do something?"
He asked, since all three female devils agreed with the proposal, since staying in Avernus wasn't the safest opinion out of everything. The 1st Layer of the Netherworld was swarmed in the constant warfare between the Devils and Abyssal Daemons, or the hordes of the Demonic Beasts that were here in the greatest numbers.
At least when it was compared to the other Layers of the Netherworld.
"We should go to the Agreas Island. We can try some new restaurants."
If there was one thing that Serafall loved above everything, then it was eating good food or trying various exotic dishes, especially the ones that were imported from the other Pantheons, which became rather luxurious things.
All events considered.
And in the Devil Domain, there was no more exclusive place in the entire Devil species territory. Most of the high-class establishments in the entire Devil Domain were actually located within the Agreas Island.
Even Grayfia and Roygun didn't say anything against going to the Agreas Island for an outing, even though Serafall didn't look most pleased about the sudden development, because she wanted to go alone and not with her rivals.
Though she took what was offered.
***
Somewhere on the Earth, Draconic Deus Segment of the Prime Material Plane
A man wearing circular sunglasses, an aloha shirt, and a jewel around his neck was lazing on the beach and enjoying the sunset. He was rather tall, around 195cm, and had a buzz-cut hairstyle with greenish-brown hair color and lavender eyes.
Suddenly, he twitched as he looked in the distance because he sensed that someone was approaching his resting spot, someone who was really, really unwelcome here right now.
It was not like the person who was coming here would be welcomed at different times because it was very hard for the man in the Hawaiian shirt to hide his distance from the newcomer.
"Why are you here, Shiva? You here to boast above something or what?"
The man said with a strong distaste and even a certain degree of hostility toward the person who just arrived at the beach.
Indra, the Lord of Heaven and leader of the Devas, has defeated several strong opponents, such as the Ancient Dragon Vritra, who was one of the Dragon Kings and also classified as an Evil Dragon.
Which ended with his soul being split and sealed into multiple Sacred Gears that were then scattered around the entire world.
Indra was one of the most powerful Gods on the Draconic Deus and was a very powerful God-King Class God, feared as much for his power as he was for his temper because he was never shy from using his power as he wished.
Especially against those who offended him, no matter their origin or whatever. Though, despite being the God of War and an arrogant and sarcastic god who only thinks of war, he is shown to be quite benevolent, as he dislikes chaos and tolerates those who have evil deeds.
"Nothing for that, Indra... I just came here to show you something... something that will decide the Fate of the Draconic Deus as we know it."
Shiva was a tall, muscular man shown to have four arms and five golden eyes, with only three of them open when he's calm. He had indigo skin and messy black hair. He wore a golden bandana around his head and baggy golden trousers with a blue sash tied on his waist.
He also had blue tattoos on his wrists, fingers, biceps and neck, which were given to him from his best friend, Rudra. These tattoos were consisting a zigzag pattern between two horizontal lines on his biceps and neck, three horizontal lines with vertical lines coming from the upper line on his wrists, and one horizontal line on each of his fingers, except his thumbs.
While it was not a secret that the Lord of Heaven and leader of Devas disliked Shiva for various reasons, he also feared the power of the God of Destruction greatly. Shiva was one of the strongest and most powerful beings in the Draconic Deus.
While both he and Shiva were God-King Class, the disparity between Shiva and Indra were tremendous, especially due to the fact that the God of Destruction was already nearing the Primordial God Class.
The realm where one could destroy entire stars as they wished and could destroy planets like Earth without even properly trying. Primordial Gods were the most powerful entities in the entire Draconic Deus that were still active, if one didn't account for the Io of the Great Red or Ophis of the Infinity.
There was also the fact that Shiva commanded the Divine Authority over Destruction, which was one of the strongest Divinities in existence and perfect for combat. There were not many who could stand on the same level as the Divine Authority of Destruction, and fewer could be even more offensive than it was.
"Whatever... then give it to me."
Shiva nodded as he passed a whisp of weird bluish energy to Indra, who closed his eyes as he went over the information and, at the same time, over the future.
Instantly, the air around the Heavenly Emperor changed. He looked incredibly tense and serious, forgetting his distaste for the God of Destruction immediately, as if the hundreds of thousands of years of their mutual hostility didn't exist at all.
"How did you obtain it?"
The God of Destruction came closer, as he sat down cross-legged and watched the sun set. The atmosphere was peaceful here, like it was literally created for meditation.
"Zekram Bael contacted me... told me that Emerald Plane is being invaded by the Mind Flayers and the wizards are apparently losing pretty badly. If the Illithids are involved, we cannot know if this is just some random raiding party or a full-fledged invasion of a larger Enclave."
Shiva explained what had happened because the indications of it were far more severe than anyone could imagine. He was in contact with the House Bael for a very long time, because they were Devils that dealt with Destruction.
Even though Power of Destruction was weaker and different from the Divine Authority of Destruction, it was still falling under the Concept of Destruction, and any advancement made in the Power of Destruction could also help Shiva to increase his power.
In one way or another.
"I conducted Divination with all of my power, and that is the result."
"So, what do you want to do about our most precarious situation?"
All the distaste and personal feelings were discarded almost immediately when Indra experienced the same vision that occurred to Shiva a few days ago. In the face of a greater threat, it was clear that they would need to work together and end their squabbles for good.
Survival was far more important right now.
"What else... we need to call for the Supernatural Council and discuss the next steps, ideally creating some sort of alliance. The Illithid Enclave itself isn't much of a threat, truth be told... but the connection between our Crystalspace and Evitouldes? That completely changes the playing field."
Shiva listed a few things that could be done almost immediately because they were the simplest ones.
"That could be done... though you left out the most important matter out of the all... mortals. The Illithids will be coming primarily for the mortals, which makes them a great variable and uncertainty."
Indeed...
This was a touchy subject for most Gods because, although the Gods did not depend on Faith to survive or to maintain their power or anything, at least for the majority of them, the Faith produced by humans and other mortals still played a significant role.
Gods could refine the Faith and assimilate it, use it to either expand their Divine Force or to deepen the comprehension of their Divine Domains and even Divine Authorities. There were many things that could be done through the Faith, not to mention that the Souls of the Faithful were one of the most valuable resources for God.
"It will need to be discussed at the Supernatural Gathering. Though if you ask me personally, it's a failed project. They are arrogant, self-centered, and have completely abandoned the worship of their Gods. And despite that, we need to save them from certain extinction if those dammed abomiantions arrive or Daemons break from the Netherworld to the Earth."
In essence, they were... for many of the Gods, they were a failed project.
Contrary to Shiva's indifference, Indra's great distaste towards humanity couldn't be hidden at all.
"That will change with time... both of us know that with what is coming for us, it would be time for the Supernaturals to return to our rightful place. The seclusion was a mistake; humanity went down their path, but with the presence of Abyss and now of Illithids, some things needed to change."
It was decided that, after the Great War of Supernatural, all factions would withdraw from Earth, leaving humans to fend for themselves. Many centuries have passed since that point already, and yet the effects are still affecting all of them to this day.
"I will contact Okhwang and Odin with this information; both of them could be trusted and would see the severity of the information and the future. They would help us to prepare for the Gathering. Zekram said that he would contact Michael and Azazel and also some of the more reclusive Primordials from the Netherworld."
Both Okhwang, the Jade Emperor, and Odin Borrson, the All-Father, were one of the strongest Gods in the Draconic Deus and leaders of their respective Pantheon. Most importantly, both of them had a strong power of Foresight and would be open to discussion.
If what Shiva saw was true, then he could imagine that it would be pretty hard to convince some of the Pantheons and factions to actually participate in the collective action against their enemies from the outside.
***
2nd Layer of the Netherworld - Pandemonium, Devil Domain, Agares Territory, Agreas
Agreas was a city located in the Agares Territory within the Devil Domain. It was built upon the floating island... a naturally floating island. Due to its uniqueness and everything, it was one of the most premier areas of the entire Devil Domain.
The fact that it was located in the heart of Agares Territory, helped, because Agares was the second-highest-ranked Pillar Clan, and Agares was one of the strongest Clans of the Devil Race. Among the Pillars, the Agares Clan held the Rank of Archduke and maintained one of the largest Legions among the Devil Clans.
The Clan Head of the Agares was a High Ultimate-Class devil, which, coupled with their Clan Trait, Time, made him a rather fearsome powerhouse. Due to their Clan Trait, the Agares Clan was traditionally tasked with the apprehension of the Stray Devils and Criminals.
Time Clan Trait allowed the user to control time to a certain extent. The most rudimentary usage of the Clan Trait allowed the user to create a time barrier, which can slow or increase the flow of time within it. The barrier can be expanded to a larger range, which can prevent enemies from escaping its radius.
"It's so pretty here..."
Serafall bolted around the streets of the Agreas in glee, because this was the first time that she was in the city after more than ten years or so. The last time that she was here was when she was around seven years old.
"Sera..."
Sirzechs muttered because she was behaving like a little kid... pretty often, which was sometimes embarrassing, though it was also one of the reasons why he loved her so much.
She was just that kind of person who was overly enthusiastic in her child-like, innocent happiness and enthusiasm over the things. He followed after Serafall together with Grayfia and Roygun, who were slightly embarrassed by Serafall's antics.
Though it was Grayfia who was embraced the most, as the almost ever-stoical woman looked at everything that Serafall was doing with a great deal of shame and disdain.
"Heiress of the House Sitri is behaving like a country bumbpkin who never seen a city. Utter disgrace."
The Heiress of House Lucifuge commented as suddenly Serafall stopped in her steps and looked at her silver-haired rival with contempt as she was battling her inner desire to freeze her in the spot.
Roygun retreated a bit further next to Sirzechs as another wave of exchanges began between Serafall and Grayfia because the two were constantly arguing... the most common topic of discussion was how to act prim and proper.
"At least while I am a user of Ice Magic, I am not an icicle myself."
Serafall remarked back as the two of them exchanged insults like this almost on a daily basis.
Contrary to Serafall, the Heiress of the Lucifuge was all prim and proper, all about the rules and everything in that regard. Grayfia was extremely strict with the rules, as she was all about proper behavior, etiquette, and everything like that.
Serafall, on the other hand, was something like a free soul... she was never shy about expressing herself and doing what she wanted, regardless of time and place. Though, even Sirzechs had to admit that it wasn't the most appropriate behavior around.
"That wasn't really creative, Miss Sitri... but what would one expect from someone like you who knows only how to imitate others."
Grayfia said with something that one would mistake for a grin. Sirzechs knew her long enough to see that she was actually enjoying this banter between them very much...
They would continue for this even for hours if given enough time, but he wasn't really keen on listening ot their insults one after another. While it was entertaining for the first few minutes, after that, everything became repetitive.
"Zechs, I am rather hungry... we should go to find something to eat."
Roygun said to Sirzechs as he nodded because he was too hungry and wasn't in the mood to listen to Serafall's and Grayfia's round of curses and insults at each other.
"That's not a bad idea... where do you want to go?"
The selection of restaurants in the Agreas was top-notch, far better and higher than the other cities across the Devil Domain.
"Perhaps some Japanese cuisine? There has been an influx of the Yōkai that were migrating to the Netherworld from the Earth during the past decades."
Sirzechs pondered where they would eat, and in the end settled on Japanese cuisine as they searched for a local restaurant run by a Yōkai who had come to the Netherworld from the Earth.
Many of the Yōkai species actually preferred the enviroment of the Netherworld compared to that of the Earth, because the Netherworld was much more closely aligned to their elements.
This was specifically true for the various Oni Clans or Oni Tribes, which were very similar to the Demons and Devils in nature and actually preferred living in the Netherworld.
It also helped that the already mentioned Onis, for example, were war-like species that loved waging wars and fighting battles, so the Netherworld was like a dream place for them.
Sirzechs knew that over time, more and more Yōkai would be migrating to the Netherworld through the few Dimensional Pathways that connected Avernus to Japan. The pace was rather slow, but the new devil government under Zekram Bael's leadership actually did a lot to help accommodate the Yōkai migrating to the Netherworld.
Mainly because as human technology progressed, the environment of the planet became less and less favorable toward the Yōkai, who actually preferred a deep connection to nature and an unpolluted enviroment.
As they reached the district of the Agreas Island, where most of the restaurants were located, Grayfia and Serafall ceased their insulting trading, which was something that both Sirzechs and Roygun were pretty much grateful for.
It was rather taxing listening to it for several hours, not to mention that neither of them was very creative when trading insults, truth to be told. Or it would be more prudent to say, that everything that was said between them was already repeated over and over and over...
Nothing new.
"This is certainly new here..."
Roygun stated as she looked at the new restaurant that was opened here... she was visiting the Agreas rather often, because the territory of the Belphegor Clan was not far from the Agares Territory.
"Maybe... I am not that frequent a visitor here like you are."
Sirzechs said as he looked at a narrow wooden building tucked into a foggy side street, with its paper lanterns glowing in sickly blues and fox-fire greens instead of the warm yellow that was traditional for the Yakoi places owned by the Kitsunes.
The sign above the door was brushed in crooked kanji that seemed to shift when someone wasn't staring straight at it, and a little wind chime made of bone and jade clicked softly, even when there was no breeze.
"We should go in! I am curious about the Yōkai!"
Serafall said with glee, as she was interested in the Yōkai running the restaurant, while the rest went into the building after she bolted in. Inside, the restaurant smelled of charcoal smoke, soy sauce, and a faint metallic note. The floor was dark, polished wood, worn smooth by centuries of clawed feet and sandal soles.
Low tables were set with mismatched bowls: some cracked and ancient, others carved from black stone or shell. The shoji screens don't quite hide the kitchen; shadows flicker behind them in shapes that match their Yōkai shapes.
All four devils sat together in one of the VIP booths in the restaurants, which gave them a nice view of the open grill as a female kitsune waitress with too-bright eyes and a tail that occasionally slipped free poured sake that steams like hot breath.
"It's very nice here..."
A tanuki chef joked loudly while flipping skewers of river fish that still twitched. In the corner, a rokurokubi hostess bows deeply, her neck stretching just a little too far when she welcomes new guests.
As they sat down and spoke for some time, a beautiful female kitsune waitress who had two tails came to them and passed them menus. They were written on old wooden plaques and changed every week.
All of them started reading the menu, which was a combination of traditional Japanese cuisine with the mystical Yōkai touch.
Dishes included miso soup with mountain mushrooms picked at midnight, noodles dyed black with squid ink and Yōkai herbs, and sweet dumplings stuffed with red bean paste and something described only as "spirit sugar". Drinks range from plum wine that makes one's reflection blink to clear sake, said to let humans see ghosts for exactly one hour.
"So what are we going to order?"
The atmosphere was half cozy, half unsettling. One could hear quiet laughter, the clack of chopsticks, and the soft crackle of the hearth, but also the whisper of old stories drifting between tables.
"I want to try something from everything..."
Serafall said cheerfully because the topic of money was the last thing that was a problem for the rich heirs like them. Even if not for that, all of them were at least Ultimate-Class powerhouses, which meant that they could easily make large sums of money with little to no effort at all.
So in the end, everyone ordered a lot of food, as the restaurants were becoming swarmed with guests, primarily of the visiting devils who were tourists to the Agreas, troops and soldiers that were patrolling the city, or other Yōkai that lived in the Agreas.
A friendly warning was carved into a beam near the ceiling:
"Do not stare too long at other guests. Do not ask where the meat comes from. Always finish your bowl."
As the waiters were bringing the food to the table, countless smaller dishes were being delivered one after another in a beautiful symphony.
"Wow... this is really tasty."
Sirzechs stated that the food was pretty tasty... it wasn't really known, but the Yōkai were really good cooks, and he liked the atmosphere in this place. It was rather cozy, much to his tastes.
He also liked the food, and judging by his girlfriend's silence, she was also liking the food, and the same thing could be said about Grayfia and Roygun, who tasted the exclusive Yōkai dishes that one would find only in the capital cities of the Yōkai species across the Han and Japan.
"You think so too?"
Serafall stuffed another spring roll into her mouth as she said, with Grayfia raising her eyebrows about Serafall's eating habits behind the table. However, she refrained from commenting about it for the sake of peace behind the table.
If nothing else.
"I second that... It's very good and pretty different from the traditional devil cuisine."
Roygun seconded Serafall's statement about the Yōkai food as it was nice to have something different from time to time.
"Well, considering the number of Yōkai that are migrating from the Earth here, sooner or later, you would find plenty of places like this even in your own territories."
Sirzechs knew that the amount of migrating Yōkai would only increase because the growing density of Magic in the Netherworld was extremely appealing to any Supernatural Race, as they could easily grow stronger in the enviroment like this.
"So, where are we going after eating?"
Serafall wanted to tour Agreas together with her boyfriend, ideally after she got rid of Grayfia and Roygun, but Sirzechs shook his head in denial, because he planned to go train. He felt that he was making significant progress with the Magic Rule of Destruction.
Reaching the High Ultimate-Class couldn't be achieved through many means... or rather, it couldn't be achieved just by increasing one's Magic capacity or something like that... it also couldn't be achieved by artificial means like conducting rituals on oneself.
Technically, the last method was viable, but the results were pretty sketchy, truth to be told.
Magic Rules were the fundamental principles of the world... they dictated the behavior of the world and how everything worked and functioned. If a person wanted to be classified as the High Ultimate-Class, they needed to touch the Realm of the Magic Rules and use the Magic Rule.
Like Sirzechs, who used the Magic Rule of Destruction that came naturally to him because of the Power of Destruction, which was based on the Magic Rule of Destruction and the Divine Authority of Destruction.
"I want to go train... I have a feeling that my understanding of the Magic Rule of Destruction has progressed considerably after fighting with the Greater Daemon Ka'jagga'nath."
During the fight against the Greater Daemon Ka'jagga'nath, the Lord of Bloodtide, Sirzechs felt that his usage of the Power of Destruction still had some room for further development.
Which was actually pretty good.
Because it meant that he wasn't at the peak of the High Ultimate-Class.
"I am going back home... in truth, I am preparing to reach the High Ultimate-Class by myself, as my father said that I was close to reaching the High Ultimate-Class."
Among the three of them, Grayfia was closest to reaching the High Ultimate-Class, and Serafall was the second closest due to her mutated Clan Trait of Ice Control, which was very powerful.
Though in sheer deadliness it was behind that of Grayfia's Exctinction Clan Trait, which was like a one-way ticket to understanding and using the Magic Rule of Exctinction and Magic Rule of Anti-Life.
Both extremely powerful Magic Rules, especially the Magic Rule of Anti-Life.
And among the three of them, ironically, it was Grayfia who trained the most and had the most extensive knowledge of Magic. Sirzechs knew that Grayfia was the most diligent out of the three female devisl, because she was extremely hardworking.
Roygun was pretty lazy... most of the time, while Serafall tended to go out to play.
"Another High Ultimate-Class powerhouses from our Domain are always welcomed."
Sirzechs commented as he took another bite of the piece of meat that he was eating...
The Devil Domain lacked powerful experts... especially when facing the threat of the Abyssal Incursions, the Devils were doing everything in their power to cultivate more and more powerhouses.
Fortunately enough, for the Devil Aristocratic Clans, it wasn't a problem for their descendants to reach High-Class and even Ultimate-Class after proper training. Many of the Clans had strong potential of reaching the High Ultimate-Class after rigorous training.
Even right now, each Clan was headed by at least a peak Ultimate-Class Clan Head, while some of the stronger Clans with more powerful Clan Traits had even High Ultimate-Class devils in their ranks.
"And you are going to use the Divine Sparks that you obtained from those two Gods in the Frontier?"
Grayfia knew that the devils had only a few Demigods from some of the strangled Demigods that remained in the Netherworld after the Dusk of the Gods. Some of these Demigods were hunted down by Devils who used their Divine Sparks to become Demigods themselves.
What was unfortunate even more was the fact that several of them had already been killed by the invading Abyssal Daemons.
"Yes... Ajuka wanted to do some tests on the Divine Sparks, as they are becoming exceedingly rare, and I think that he will want to observe my Ascension as a Demigod. We devils are one of the few species that are capable of walking the Path of both Magic Rules and Divine Authorities simultaneously."
Sirzechs remarked that in the past few decades, the only people who became Demigods were his parents, who used the Divine Spark of a Major God that they killed to become Demigods.
Unfortunately, due to the lack of suitable resources, both Venelana Gremory and Zeoticus Gremory were stuck at the stage for some time, but they were cunning devils...
Sirzechs was sure that they were scheming something to become full-fledged Lesser Gods. They were both lucky and unlucky at the same time, because the Divine Spark that they obtained contained two Divinities.
One was related to the Destruction and another to the Balance, which was a very rare combination. Unfortunately, because of this, neither of them could use it, as neither of them was fully compatible with the Divine Spark.
Thus, they came up with the idea of dividing the Divine Spark into two parts, which, on one hand, solved their problems, but on the other, it tremendously weakened the Divine Spark itself, so when they used it, they became just Demigods.
In the entire Devil Domain, the Bael-Gremory Block was the strongest political and military faction. They were the only sub-faction of the devil race that possessed someone on the God-King Class.
Not to mention, they had multiple High Ultimate-Classes and one of the few Deities. Not to mention, the sudden developments were equally interesting, because when one regarded the relationship that Sirzechs had with Serafall and Grayfia... and also Roygun Belphegor.
"Shame there are not more Divine Sparks in the first three Layers... I bet that I would make a totally cool Goddess! One fighting with crime and evil!"
Serafall didn't wait long to make herself known that she was present. Which one again, wasn't anything out of the norm for anyone who knew her.
"If you were a Goddess, then even a troll could become an archmage."
Grayfia commented as Serafall pouted, but her eyes were not leaving her arch-rival at all.
"Now, let's return to the topic. If you want, you can go with Ajuka and observe the Ascension... I guess that in the future, there would be more than enough opportunities to become Gods for everyone here."
Sirzechs was confident that sooner or later, the Dusk of the Gods would repeat itself and there would be time for the devils to seize the Divine Sparks for themselves. He also heard from Zekram that sooner or later, they will have their opportunity.
"Well, good luck with that. I am being assigned to the Hunting Squad to hunt down some powerful Stray Devils that are hiding in the Wastelands of the 3rd Layer... apparently, they are in cahoots with the Daemons, some organization consisting of Stray Devils and Demons."
Stray Devils or Stray Demons were the Devils or Demons that were basically traitors to their race.
It was a relatively new term that was used to describe those who sold themselves to the services of Abyss or enemies so evil, dangerous, and repulsive that they were declared race traitors on the spot and were to be killed on the spot.
There was no second-guessing when one was fighting against the Stray Devil.
"Really? I thought that you were avoiding things like that, Roygun?"
Even Sirzechs was surprised as he asked this question, because he knew Roygun well enough to know that she would never go into the Hunting Squads out of her free will.
"Don't have a choice... my Clan Trait is well-suited for breaking Magical Defenses like Wards and Bounded Fields, and the idiots are in a place that is extremely well defended."
Roygun complained like a petulant child because she didn't really want to go... but it was a personal order from the Ars Goetia High Council, which ruled the entire Devil Domain, and any Ultimate-Class devil couldn't refuse the order when it concerned the safety of the entire Devil Domain.
"I will talk to my grandfather if I can join, if it would be possible. When are you leaving there?"
In fact, Sirzechs has never been in the Stray Hunt, as the devils called it, so he was rather interested in this endeavor. Not to mention, this was a cult that was working together with the Abyssal Daemons...
Which was considered the highest kind of treason among the Devils and Demons alike.
"In a week or so... nobody really knows because the squad doesn't even have a leader for the mission... if anything, it would be either Clan Head Agares or Diehaser Belial."
Roygun said with newfound eagerness because the prospect of going on the Stray Hunt together with Sirzechs seemed to be pretty interesting and nice.
"Hmm... Diehauser is a very promising devil and his mastery over the Worthless and Martial Arts has reached a ridiculous degree."
Sirzechs actually approved of the choice, as he was well acquainted with the Diehauser Belial. The Heir of House Belial was only a few years older than Sirzechs and was a very powerful devil.
The House Belial was in possession of Clan Trait Worthless, which allows the user to invalidate things, such as special abilities, properties, or effects. Usage of Worthelss had basically two requirements.
First, the user needed to understand the properties of the Ability or Effect that he wanted to negate. Secondly, the Ability that the user wanted to negate needed to be either weaker, on the same level as the user, or stronger to a moderate degree than the user.
The second condition was particularly tricky, because the user couldn't negate Spells or Special Abilities that were considerably stronger than the user himself. In practice, it meant that if someone with High-Class Demonic Energy Reserves was using Worthless against someone using Spells cast with Ultimate-Class Demonic Energy or Mana, the Worthless wouldn't really work.
The disparity between the power of the user of Worthless and the target for the negation couldn't be that overhelming. Sirzechs always thought that Worthless was one of the most powerful and problematic Clan Traits among the Devil Aristocracy.
"And the Demons? Whom are they sending out for the mission?"
Because the cultists were on the 3rd Layer of the Netherworld Gehena, Demons were sending their troops to participate in the mission.
"Supreme Overlord Voldigoad sent his oldest daughter, MacDou Voldigoad, to lead a squad of Demon Enforcers."
He heard that Voldigoad was the strongest of the Supreme Overlords, though it wasn't like the Demons had many of the Supreme Overlords. Everybody knew that if they had more of them, they would have taken over Pantheon or two.
"Interesting... most of the Voldigoad's Lineage isn't really showing themselves in public."
Demon Race has three Supreme Overlords who were the main rulers of the Demon Race, or rather, the main decision makers, as the Demons were far from being centralized under a singular banner.
Supreme Overlord Anos Voldigoad, whose Dungeon-City Delsgate was located in the heart of the 3rd Layer Gehena.
Supreme Overlord Forzelotte, one of two female Demons among the Supreme Overlords, whose dungeon was located in the 1st Layer Avernus.
Supreme Overlord Kyablis, whose dungeon was also located on the 3rd Layer of the Netherworld Gehena.
Supreme Overlord Hornet, one of two female Demons among the Supreme Overlords, whose dungeon was also located on the 3rd Layer of the Netherworld Gehena.
And finally, Supreme Overlord Avel Necron, who was the oldest of the Supreme Overlords, whose dungeon was located in the deepest parts of Gehenna, and he rarely interacted with the rest of the Demonkind.
Each Supreme Overlord had beneath him a bunch of Overlords who were managing their own Dungeon Cities. It was widely noted that if not for the lack of organization and centralization among the Demons and their notoriety to fight among themselves, they would already be the majority rulers of the Draconic Deus.
Their collective strength was on the same degree as that of stronger Pantheons like the Hindu Pantheon, the Celestial Court, or Asgard. It was rahter ironic, because, for example, the Greek Pantheon was in exactly the same position as the Demon Race.
"Apparently, she is the most prized descendant of that old coot... and despite her young age, she is not that far from becoming Overlord herself."
Hearing what Roygun said impressed Sirzechs to some degree, because the Overlords among the Demons were comparable to the God-King Class of Gods. Basically, they were the strongest of the Gods, right after the Primordial Gods.
And the Demon Race had many Overlords that rose in their most complicated version of society... ironically, it was a version of society where even Devils were heading, because it was the most suited for cultivating the powerhouses.
Devil Domain itself had only a few people on the Overlord-Class... most of them were the surviving First Generation Devils. Zekram Bael was known to be one, Mephisto Pheles was heavily suspected to be one, and there were a few others.
And while they didn't have the numbers like the Demons or some Pantheons had, what the Devils had was quality, because due to the Clan Traits, each of the Overlord-Class Devils was very powerful, even compared to the other people in the same Class.
It was pretty hapless that after the death of Lucifer, the number of their Supreme Overlords was exactly zero.
Which was bad for their prolonged survival and growth.
***
Bael Territory, Bael Castle
Initially, Sirzechs wanted to head home, but he thought that he could make some use of Zekram's expertise in the Power of Destruction and Magic Rule of Destruction. In the end, he was the only Devil in the history of their entire species, minus Lucifer and his Generals, to completely master Magic Rule.
Abaddon, Mammon, Asmodeus, Leviathan, Beelzebub, Belphegor and Lucifuge were once Generals of Lucifer after he fell from the Heavens.
Among the Clans, the Asmodeus Clan, Beelzebub, and the Leviathan Clan were entirely wiped out during the Dusk of Gods, while the rest suffered moderate losses, though it was noted that their founders, Lucifer's Generals, were killed in action during the Battle of Lucifaad.
When Sirzechs arrived at the Bael Castle, it was rahter surprise that he was being awaited there by Zekram Bael himself. And the old grumpy devil was even in a good mood, which was pretty suspicious, truth to be told.
As far as he knew, his grandfather was never in a good mood.
Usually, he was complaining about something or someone, which was the most common thing he did for most of the time.
"You are in a rather good mood, grandfather... what happened, or were you replaced by a Doppelgänger?"
Sirzechs asked this as a half-joke, since the first Bael actually ignored his jab because he was in that kind of good mood. Seeing this really made Sirzechs think that he was replaced by a Doppelgänger, even though the shapeshifters were extremely rare within the Netherworld.
"Stupid brat... no... I heard good news from Ajuka and Mephisto regarding the Longinus Incinerate Anthem and the Divine Sparks that they are analyzing, and it seems that you would be able to use them much sooner than we have anticipated."
If there was one thing that made Zekram most happiest devil around, it was growing the strength of his Clan. Even though Sirzechs bore the surname of Gremory, he was as much Bael as he was because the Power of Destruction was stronger in him than in most of the Bael Clan.
And if everything went according to the Zekram's plans, then it would lead to the creation of a new House that would rule over the Devils and be of the Bael Lineage as well.
"This soon?"
It has barely been a few days since obtaining the Divine Sparks and Longinus-Tier Sacred Gear Incinerate Anthem, which was obtained only a half a day ago.
"Well, to speed up the results... we are working with that infufferable crow, despite his misgivings and everything, he is still trustworthy enough when it comes to the Sacred Gears."
Zekram said with distaste, and it wasn't that hard to know whom he was talking about.
"So, we are now also working with Azazel?"
Zekram just nodded, albeit very reluctantly, because to a certain degree, Azazel could be trusted with some things. Zekram knew the leader of the Grigori for many centuries and also knew that Azazel was put in rahter awkward position as the leader of the Grigori.
Position that Azazel never really wanted or was interested in, but it was given to him to lead the Fallen Angels, because he was the only God-King Class Fallen Angel. Not many knew that Azazel wasn't actually that far from the Primordial God Class...
In the end, he was one of the strongest Angels that were ever created by the God of Heaven, and his strength was only behind that of Michael and Azrael. Right now, among the Three Biblical Factions, after the "death" of 'Him', the Three Faction Pantheon was weakened; they still had a lot of powerful entities.
When 'He' was alive, his Kings of Angels were comparable to the Primordial Gods, not entirely, but they could fight them on equal grounds for some time at least, because the strength of the Primordial Gods varied tremendously.
It wasn't just because of 'Him' that the Biblical Pantheon was considered the strongest in the Draconic Deus.
"He is the most knowledgeable person about Heaven's System and Sacred Gear, generally speaking. And he is also one of the few who is aware that 'He' isn't really dead and that 'He' would return sooner than many would think."
Sirzechs wasn't really that surprised by this.
Because he was the favorite descendant of Zekram Bael, he had acess to the information that would be otherwise forbidden to anyone sans him. Like the information that the God of Heavens wasn't really dead and was in the process of revival.
Or that after the Abyssal Incursion, there was a secret alliance between the leaders of the Heaven, Grigori and Devils, or something like that. Or the fact that Zekram Bael and a few other ancient Devils were working together with Yahweh in the process of his revival, as they wanted the God of Heavens to revive as soon as possible.
They were aware that only his existence was the sole guarantee that the other Pantheons wouldn't attack them and conquer their races and territories. It was very well known that despite the animosity between the races of the Three Faction Pantheon, they were still considered Pantheon from the outsider perspective.
This means that if there were an attack from the outside, they would unite against the attacker, and they depended on Yahweh's might and power to prevent such attacks in the first place.
"And the prospect of the war with Grigori?"
Sirzechs asked because during the past few decades, the tensions between the Devil Domain and Fallen Angel Domain had only grown.
"Nothing changed on that front. Azazel, as always, doesn't really care much about the state of his faction, as he cares about his research... and Cadres like Satanael, Kokabiel and Baraquiel are basically doing what they want. It doesn't help that Stanael and Kokabiel are in control of 80% miltiary capabilities of the entire Grigori, and they are actively pushing for the war."
Zekram and Sirzechs spoke as they went to the deeper parts of the Bael Castle, as politics was one of the most common topics for the two of them. Well, more for Zekram, because Sirzechs wasn't much interested in politics, because he preferred to solve the problem with his fists.
It was much easier and also faster.
Meanwhile, for the first Bael, the politics and machinations that came with it were more or less his favorite pastime that alleviated his boredom when there was nothing much for him to do.
"Well, if you are speaking about Azazel, it's not really that surprising."
Because Azazel spent all of his time either carrying out his research or wooing pretty ladies and making scandals in the supernatural world... which was really true as he knew firsthand that it was a common topic for gossiping for his mother and her friends when they met during a teaparty... the entire organization was run by the Cadres.
"But don't they fear that if their true intentions are revealed, Azazel would kill them? In the end, the Governor-General of the Grigori was and is one of the most powerful Archangels ever created after the King of Angels grandfather."
King of Angel was a very special Angel who was standing in the same Class as the Primordial Gods. It was the title that was given to every single one of the King of Angels that the God of Heavens created.
Despite everything, there was one thing that was bugging Sirzechs. From what he knew, both Satanael and Kokabiel, while being very powerful Fallen Angels, were still only 10-Winged Fallen Angels, albeit their combat prowess was much higher than average peak High Ultimate-Class.
Yet, Azazel was a geniue 12-Winged Fallen Angel, Archangel of Forbidden Knowledge, and one who was stronger than many God-Kings and God-King Class Gods across many Pantheons.
And his most fearsome thing about Azazel was his cunning mind and tremendous knowledge of everything Magical and so on. He wasn't titled Archangel of the forbidden Knowledge for nothing.
Still, Sirzechs thought that with his Power of Destruction and Six Eyes, he would be able to fight even against someone like Azazel. At least, even if he lost, he wouldn't lose badly.
"Well, my dear grandson, that is an excellent observation and question in one. And for that, I actually have two theories that would explain it. The first is that both Satanel and Kokabiel depend on something or someone that would give them the power to meet Azazel in single combat if it came to that. Second, both of them are depending on the idea that Azazel won't really care about their movements and will let them do what they want, which I find rather unlikely. Though if we are speaking about Azazel, it's highly possible that he really wouldn't care, as he is more interested in his research than anything. Azazel was literally forced to accept the position, and he rarely involves himself in running the Grigori. Right now, he is more or less just a symbolic leader than anything."
Sirzechs listened to his grandfather, who rambled about the possible reaction of the Governor-General of Grigori to the situation at hand, as he suddenly stopped. He didn't really know which possibility was worse...
Though he would stand for the first one, because if two High Ultimate-Class Fallen Angels that were not far from reaching the Archangel realm of power received a power-up that would allow them to fight someone like Azazel...
It didn't really mean anything good.
"Then, there is a possibility that there is also a third possibility... that the two of them are just idiots and they don't have anything to depend on aside from sheer luck and coincidence."
Soon enough, two of them arrived at the training yard within the Bael Castle, one that was used by Zekram Bael personally when he was developing his Power of Destruction and using the Magic Rule of Destruction.
"But now, let's stop that discussion and let's focus on the important thing. You didn't come here just to visit me, right?"
As his grandfather asked, Sirzechs just nodded and spoke about the hurdle they were facing right now.
"When I was fighting against the Greater Daemon Ka'jagga'nath, I felt a certain indescribable feeling when I started using the Magic Rule of Destruction, though it felt more like I was still missing something for the perfection."
Zekram just listened as he knew exactly about what his descendant, whom he rather fondly called his grandson, spoke about.
"Do you know how one could become Overlord-Class Devil?"
Sirzechs blinked several times at the question as he knew the general idea but not the details themselves.
"As you are aware, all lifeforms are advancing through the use of the Source. There are two primary types of Sources in the Draconic Deus, which are the Divine Force and Magic. After reaching something that is called the Mortal Boundary, to breach the Mortal Boundary, one needs to do two things... Either Ascend as God or comprehend Magic Rule, which is the same as ascending Godhood, just from the Magic point of view."
This was something that he knew, so it wasn't new information.
"But for the Devils, the process is trickier... If a devil wants to reach the Overlord-Class, they don't just need to completely master the Magic Rule, but also need to complete their evolution to the next step. If the Super Devils are just a stage for the Partil Atavism, then only by completing the Atavism and becoming an Archdevil, one would be able to reach Overlord-Class."
Suddenly, Sirzechs saw Zekram's True Form for the first time as huge, draconic-like wings sprouted behind his back, he had three pairs of goat-like horns on his head, and his tail was much more bulky with a spear tip at the end of it.
This was Archdevil.
And the evolutionary stage above that of the ordinary devil.
And the reason why it was so difficult for the devils to become Overliord-Class was that there was no dependable method for forcing the Evolution. Sirzechs understood it, because most of the devils were not even able to evolve to the Super Devils.
Much less ot the Archdevils.
"What are you feeling right now is called Infernity, one could call it an evolved version of the Demonic Energy."
Sirzechs could feel some sort of suppression toward his very own being, but he was able to fight it off, even though it was pretty challenging at the time. The Infernity that Zekram Bael was wielding was overwhelmingly powerful...
Far more power than the Demonic Energy.
"You are rather lucky that you were born as a Super Devil already, because I can essentially force the evolution on you through my Infernity. Theoretically speaking, if you evolve to the Archdevil Stage, you will become Overlord-Class Devil with your current mastery over the Magic Rule of Destruction, and after using the Divine Sparks, you would be the sole Demigod Archdevil in the entire Devil Domain."
Zekram explained that Sirzechs actually thanked his luck because he was indeed tremendously lucky in this regard. As he was already Super Devil in the first place, forcing the Evoliution into the Archdevil Stage wasn't that problematic.
The Devils and Demons had pretty similar Evolutionary Stages, which were the following:
1st - Ordinary Devil = Most of the devils, no special abilities, just the average members of the species. Though it was notable to say that even the Common Devils were at least 5 to 10 times stronger than an average human.
2nd - Higher Devil (Devil Aristocracy) = Devils with the Clan Traits and stronger Bloodlines. Pillars, Extra Devil Clans, and so on... They were the ones that stood above the ordinary Common Devils due to their innate abilities and physical differences. They were also physically much stronger than Ordinary Devils, aside from possessing special abilities.
3rd - Super Devil = Partial Atavism, increased amounts of Demonic Energy, Demonic Energy Control and overall upgrades compared to the rest of the Devilkind, even when compared to the Higher Devils. This Partial Atavism could show itself in many forms, but it's the physical appearance or actual "upgrades".
"So Ajuka also won't have a problem reaching the Overlord-Class?"
The First Bael nodded in agreement.
"Bring him here once he hits the limit of his Magic Rule. I will do the procedure for him if you succeed."
Zekram said with a smile as Sirzechs nodded his head, before stopping in his tracks abruptly, because he caught something.
"If I succeeded?"
He repeated the words like a parrot while looking at his ancestors, who were just grinning at him.
"Well... the other Overlords of our race, either the current ones like Mephisto or Lord Lucifuge, achieved it on their own or through a method described in the Book of Lucifer, you would be the first one to become Archdevil in this way."
Suddenly, Sirzechs thought that it wasn't the best idea around. Now he thought that letting Zekram experiment with him, maybe, wasn't the best activity to pass the time.
"What are you thinking about, brat? Going to chicken out of it?"
Zekram asked when he noticed that his descendant was deeply distraught about something.
"Well... grandpa... I---I just don't think that this is the best idea, right? Well... you never tried this before on anyo..."
Before Sirzechs could finish what he was saying, Zekram was standing in front of him faster than he could blink, and suddenly Sirzechs felt the familiar feeling of the Infernity spreading through his entity body.
The Infernity overflooding Sirzech's body in a split second, as he felt that his entire being was right now being changed and rewritten in real time because he could feel that his body was getting stronger, yet the pain that he was also feeling was almost unbearable.
He felt huge pain on his head and his wings... he could see that he was growing horns, several pairs, one above his ears and one above his forehead. His wings were growing and expanding...
Becoming more like that of a dragon's, and he also felt that a second pair of wings was growing on his back. The other notable changes in his body were in his physical capabilities, because he felt that his entire body was being strengthened tremendously.
Which shouldn't be that surprising, because the Infernity was far more volatile and powerful Energy than the Demonic Energy, and one needed to have very powerful physical capabilities to successfully use the Infernity.
Even his Six Eyes were reacting to the change, but he couldn't discern any obvious change in them right now... not like he was focusing on it because of the pain he was feeling from Zekram's Infenity, which was destroying and reforging his entire body anew.
The entire process lasted for around one hour, until the pain entirely disappeared.
Sirzechs then opened his eyes, feeling tired, very tired... yet he also felt far more powerful than ever before. Especially physically, he felt powerful, which wasn't even like him in the first place, because he never really trained his physical capabilities to the limit.
He felt different yet the same.
He also felt almost unnaturally comfortable, as this was how it was supposed to be.
It was very hard to actually describe, but he felt very comfortable and nice. One could even say that he felt peaceful like never before. His horns and another pair of wings were natural, like they had always been there, and the same could be said about his newly evolved tail.
"Well, this really feels nice."