~ I have added this Fanfic to my Patreon. If you'd like to read advanced chapters, feel free to check it out!
~ I'm planning to increase the number of advanced chapters to +50 this weekend!
~ I've edited some of the previous chapters to remove anything you might consider "cringe" or "unnecessary." I'll continue reviewing them from time to time!
~ Very soon, we'll return to releasing two chapters daily, including bonus privileges for Power Stone contributions
<><><><><><><>
The devil gestured to the table and the chairs surrounding it.
"Please. Sit."
He did and then blinked when he realized that from the way the seating was arranged, he was placed at the head. It was unmistakably a gesture of respect. He was not sure what to make of that.
They sat down when he did, Diehauser alone on one side, while the remaining three claimed the other. By chance or by intention, Sirzechs was the closest to him, and the man winked at him when their gazes met. That alleviated some of the tension but fueled the nagging feeling within him that he was not at all going to like the outcome of all this.
"Would you like something to drink? Tea perhaps? I am quite partial to human coffee, myself," one of the female devils dressed in maid's clothing stepped forward, bearing a tray of refreshments. When he shook his head, Diehauser gave him another smile, "On to business then? Very well. But before that, I believe introductions are in order."
"That is unnecessary on my part," Sirzechs was the first to say, "He has already met me. I made a detour before the Rating Game began."
The man Diehauser had called Lord Phenex raised an elegant eyebrow.
"Technically, a visit before the match begins could be considered giving one side an unfair advantage."
"You would not begrudge a brother's visit to his sister, Lord Phenex," the devil replied easily, "especially before the event that could determine her fate for the rest of her life."
"No," the man admitted, "I would not. It would be something I would have done as well, in your place. Though, I will point out she did not need your help, or any of our help for that matter in determining her fate."
A thin smile graced Sirzech's features.
"My sister has always been fortunate in finding good servants to support her."
"This one is more than just a mere servant," the man turned to face him, and while there was no resentment in his gaze, there was no acceptance either, "I am Lord Phenex, one amongst the Seventy-Two Pillars, Head of the Phenex Clan, and the father of the son that you just defeated most violently."
Ah. That would explain it.
The figure sitting by Lord Phenex's side took that as his cue for his own introduction to begin, and nodded politely at him.
"I am Lord Gremory, one amongst the Seventy-Two Pillars, Head of the Gremory Clan, and father to Rias."
There was an undercurrent of meaning in his tone, as soft-spoken as it was, and had he not been as observant as he was, he probably would have missed it. The devil was judging him, this he knew, though for what reason or what purpose, he did not know. He found he that did not particularly enjoy the feeling.
The one who seemed the most cheerful of the lot, the one who had started it all tapped a finger against the table when it came to his turn.
"And I am Diehauser Belial, one amongst the Seventy-Two Pillars, Head of the Belial Clan," wry amusement found itself onto his face in the form of a smile, "and I have come forth to greet the one who has summoned my most esteemed ancestor."
He twitched. He should have known. On the opposite end of the table, Lord Phenex sighed.
"It was better when the real Belial said it."
"I imagine it was," Diehauser replied cheerfully, "But that's the thing about our ancestors, isn't it? They all tended to be rather boastful beings."
"And in most cases, they had the power to back up those boasts," Lord Gremory quietly added in.
"Indeed," Diehauser turned to him, "Tell me, boy, what do you know of the Great War and the equally as great but far less glorious schism that followed?"
He frowned. Sona had told him about these things, back in the student council room, and Rias had made mention of them. But their descriptions always had been fleeting at best. He had a basic understanding, and that was it.
The devil took his frown to be his answer.
"There were originally three great factions," Diehauser began, "The Angels, the Fallen, and us, the Devils. For a variety of reasons, we fought against each other and for a very long time. We call that period of time the Great War. I will not bore you with the details, but suffice to say, it was quite the bloody affair."
"That is considerably underselling it," Lord Phenex interjected, "Bloody is a word to describe battles. We fought ourselves to damn near extinction."
"Would have fought ourselves to extinction if the Old Satan Faction got their way," Sirzechs amended.
"It was a very close thing, you must understand," Diehauser explained further, "After centuries of nonstop conflict, our forces were exhausted to the point where the next great battle would have undid us as a race. Our population had been decimated that much. By then, the original Satans that were our leaders were long dead, slain in the Great War, and among them, many of the greatest of our kind that served as their commanders and generals. But the deaths of so many high ranking devils had a curious side-effect," the man smiled at him, "It allowed us to think for ourselves."
"The Four Great Satans were immensely powerful beings," Lord Gremory said evenly, "and as such, they ruled the Underworld with an iron fist. Lesser devils were beholden to their will, and any that disobeyed were put to death and their clans destroyed. Their names were Lucifer, Beelzebub, Asmodeus, and Leviathan, and their reign was marked by both violence and strife. "
"In short, they were evil," Lord Phenex said bluntly.
He found that he could not disagree with that statement.
<><><><><><><>
~ If you like the story, please leave a review!
~ Push the Story forward with your [Power
Stones]
~ (Soon +50) Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
https://p-atreon.com/Anshufanfic
(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)