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"Quite so," Diehauser nodded, "Even the most ardent supporters of the Old Satan Faction will admit to that. They just don't happen to care. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. We are jumping all over the place in terms of our history, and I believe if we leap anymore it will leave our guest very confused."
He was not, but did not deem it necessary to tell them he was not.
"With the death of the Four Great Satans, a power vacuum was left in their place," Sirzechs took over the explanation, "By all accounts, the right to rule should have been left to their immediate descendants. But as Diehauser mentioned, we were simply too exhausted to continue the Great War, and that was what the Old Satan Faction wanted. To continue the war against the Angels and the Fallen, even if it meant the extinction of our kind. It was madness, and to stop that madness, some of us rebelled and formed a resistance. The schism that followed tore through our ranks and led to a very brutal civil war," the devil's handsome face bore a saddened expression, "Warriors who once fought together on the same battlefields turned against one another. Comrades-in-arms shed each other's blood. Brother fought brother, and fathers fought sons," Sirzechs paused and shook his head regretfully, "We lost many good devils in that conflict."
"Those were dark times," Lord Phenex muttered.
"Dark times and troubled times," Diehauser said seriously, "yet ultimately necessary for our survival as a species. We won the civil war, and banished the descendants of the Four Satans and their supporters to the furthest corners of the Underworld. With our newfound independence we put a stop to any attempts at continuing the Great War and focused on rebuilding both our infrastructure and population. The former could be done easily enough. The latter required our own Ajuka Beelzebub to devise the Evil Pieces system to turn willing humans into devils. Our numbers were simply too few for normal procreation methods to work," the man shrugged, "It is a system that remains controversial to this day."
"Pureblooded devils and devils turned from humans," Sirzechs smiled, "Some would say there is a notable difference between the two. Others would say the difference is slight if there is one. I would take that a step further and say that there is no such difference and as long as a devil chooses to become a devil, he or she will be welcome among us no matter their background."
"A noble sentiment," Lord Gremory said, "and one that is slowly but surely becoming the norm for all of us."
"And that brings us to the crux of the issue," a grin spread over Diehauser's graceful features, "A most impressive event we have witnessed today. The summoning of a devil that has long ago passed into the annals of our history and in his most primal state as well."
He noticed that all four of them were looking at him now, each sporting a myriad of emotions across their faces. Sirzechs seemed the most calm amongst them, but he could detect the hint of uneasiness that remained behind the mask. Lord Gremory wore a neutral expression on his countenance, but the lingering gazes the man would sometimes send his way were anything but neutral. Lord Phenex was scarcely different in that regard. Only Diehauser seemed to be in good spirits, but that was not exactly unexpected considering the events that had just unfolded.
"Belial," the devil's voice carried an unmistakable tint of reverence, "An Archdemon. One of the earliest Pillars and the greatest champion the Underworld has ever known. Other devils were renowned for their courage in battle or skill at commanding. Not Belial. From the moment it existed, its sole purpose was destruction. It was an elemental force of nature. A being bathed in fire and rage. Wherever it tread, Angels and Fallen alike fled before its demonic glory."
"Careful now, Emperor," Lord Phenex remarked, "Your words are beginning to sound like what someone loyal to the Old Satan Faction would say."
"Forgive me, old friend," Diehauser chuckled, "But it is not often one gets to see the ancestor he was taught to venerate from a very young age in the flesh. You will have to excuse my excitement."
"Of course," was the dry reply.
"It is a contradiction, what we feel about the Four Great Satans and our ancestors," the man continued, "On one hand, they are the reason for our existence. The powers we wield were passed down generation after generation from them, the original Satans and the devils that served them. I earned the title Emperor because of my ability at winning Rating Games. That would not be possible without the original Belial, the first Belial, passing down his strength to his descendants. We venerate these ancestors, respect them for their strength and power, and admire them enough that we name the most important offices in the Underworld in their memory," Diehauser tilted his head towards Sirzechs, "Lucifer is one among them. Beelzebub as well. But that is not to say we are blind to their faults," his face darkened, "They did monstrous things, our ancestors. Evil things. Things that would make us ashamed and horrified if done today. So we must strike a balance. A balance where we venerate our ancestors for their power, yet despise them for what they chose to do with said power. A balance where we respect those that gave us the strength we possess today, but scorn them for using that strength to do dark and evil deeds. A balance where we admire the Great Satans for being the ultimate devils, and nevertheless, revile them for leading us down the path of near extinction," the devil smiled at him, "It is a bit long-winded, I know. It is alright if you do not understand."
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