{Two Days Later, Devil's Meeting Assembly of Lucifaad}
—Zekram Bael—
"Good morning, Lord Zekram."
The devils rose to their feet the moment the former Lord of Bael—one of the most influential figureheads of the Underworld aside from the Satans—teleported into the ancient meeting hall.
Unlike the other halls and auditoriums scattered throughout the Underworld, this meeting room was located in the ruined ancient city of Lucifaad. There was no deeper reason for the choice—only nostalgia. For the older devils, it was important that at least one place of significance remained in the fallen city.
"I hope you are doing well, Lord Zekram."
Zekram glanced to the side and found the speaker to be none other than the Lord of the Phenex clan, Eival Phenex. He knew the man well—an opportunist who would chase profit at every turn, even when it crossed the line into the immoral. Eival indulged in his sins freely, none more so than greed.
Zekram nodded silently, offering no words outside the matter at hand.
"Thank you for coming, Lord Zekram."
Turning his gaze to the left, Zekram recognized the speaker as the Lord of Agares, the second most powerful family after Bael. Agares also acted as a mediator between the Bael Pillar and the Four Satans. As the Pillar of Bael bore the rank of Great King, their word held enormous weight—even the Satans could rarely ignore it.
"Lord."
Zekram nearly let out a sigh but restrained himself. Before him stood his own blood, still wearing the same frown he'd worn for years—still carrying the same hate. And yet, despite the bitterness in his heart, the current Lord of Bael never failed to show proper respect.
"I gather that nearly everyone is present?" Zekram finally asked, noticing one man still seated, who acknowledged his arrival with the same nod he gave to everyone else. "Isn't that right, Mephisto Pheles?"
The man, wearing a knowing smile and letting his semi-long red and blue hair flow freely, gave a slight bow.
"Other than the Gremory Pillar and the Satans, everyone else has arrived," he replied, casting a casual glance around to make their absence all the more apparent.
The Lords of Sitri, Astaroth, Glasya-Labolas—and even some from the lesser pillars and extra demon families—had all gathered.
"Then we wait for their arrival," Zekram said, taking a seat that stood alone at the far end of the table. "They are the core of today's meeting."
Directly opposite him were four empty chairs which were reserved for the Four Satans.
"Lord Zekram," Lord Phenex began again, his patience already thinning. "If you allow, we'd like to begin discussing a few matters before they arrive."
He looked to Agares for support, and even glanced toward the Lord of Bael, who gave a slight nod, seemingly in agreement.
"Regarding the land and treasures, Lord Zekram—"
"We will discuss that when the one responsible for this mess arrives," Zekram interrupted firmly, silencing the room.
Though he looked like a dignified old man, Zekram was sharp, and even more than that, he was proud. An ancient being who supported the present generation of devils, he still carried the pride of the old guard.
He wasn't going to involve in cheap politics by discussing before the individuals arrived, his pride wouldn't allow that.
That said, the passing of years had softened him somewhat. And though many found it hard to believe, Zekram too had begun searching for compromise —which unfortunately wouldn't be possible this time around.
As the lords sat in tense silence, waiting for the one devil responsible for the mess to appear—they finally sensed something.
Magic circles flared to life—four of them at once—each emanating a terrifyingly powerful demonic presence. Alongside them was a fifth presence, calmer and weaker by comparison, though still quite strong.
And then, in the very center of the five, came something different.
It wasn't a magic circle.
It was direct teleportation—something only a rare few could accomplish.
And even more impressive was the calmness in that teleportation.
"Lord Lucifer," the lords greeted the Satans in order. "Lord Beelzebub, Lady Leviathan, Lord Asmodeus."
Four Satans—four of the most powerful existences in the Underworld.
Lord Lucifer, Sirzechs Lucifer, with his flowing red hair—formerly of the Gremory Pillar.
Lord Beelzebub, Ajuka Beelzebub, with his emerald green hair—formerly of the Astaroth Pillar.
Lady Leviathan, Serafall Leviathan, the petite yet terrifying devil—formerly of the Sitri Pillar.
And Lord Asmodeus, Falbium Asmodeus, the bald and burly Satan—formerly of the Glasya-Labolas Pillar.
Next to them appeared Zeoticus Gremory, with his sharp crimson goatee—the Lord of Gremory.
And finally, in the center, without the use of any magic circle, arrived the reason for this entire gathering.
Black hair, dark eyes, an unimpressed yet composed expression, and a strikingly handsome face—Faiser Barbatos.
"Please, take your seats," Sirzechs said, moving toward his own chair just as his father took the seat beside Lord Sitri and opposite Lord Phenex.
Everyone sat in order. A seat had been placed off to the side—close to the Satans, though not as regal as theirs, and in it sat Faiser.
"I can't believe it…" the Lord of Astaroth muttered in astonishment. "It's him."
"The demonic signature, the presence, the face…" Lord Agares looked just as stunned. "How?"
Zekram said nothing. He allowed the others to speak before making any decisions.
"As you must have read in the letter, he was captured by the Old Satan Faction and experimented on—his bloodline powers were to be extracted and weaponized," Sirzechs explained, causing Zekram to frown deeply.
As a firm believer in the rights of the devil pillars and a descendant of Lucifer and Lilith, Zekram was disgusted by the Old Satan Faction's actions.
"They failed, obviously," Serafall added. "They couldn't extract his powers, or control his mind. But they did manage to heal him. That's why he is in perfect condition, just as he was centuries ago."
"So… he hasn't aged because of that?" Lord Bael asked. "Since his body was preserved during the experiments, and he didn't actually live through those years?"
"That's what we believe," Ajuka responded. "I still need to run further tests, but it's certainly possible. And I've confirmed without a doubt that he is indeed Faiser—the son of the former Lord Barbatos. He carries the demonic signature of Lady Valefar as well."
"So you're saying there's absolutely no chance that he's an imposter?" Lord Phenex asked, clearly hoping otherwise.
"He is not, Lord Phenex," Falbium replied firmly. "We, the Four Satans, vouch for him."
Falbium was a brilliant tactician—the strategic mind behind the victory in the civil war.
He could read people better than most.
"Then there is nothing to worry about," Zekram Bael finally spoke. "We can move on to the main issue. But before that…"
To the surprise of many, Zekram smiled—a warm, genuine smile. "Welcome, Faiser, son of Faustus and Isolde. It is always good to have a Pillar devil return to us."
"Thank you, Lord Zekram," Faiser replied coolly.
Zekram was amused. "I thought you'd have no memories."
"I do have difficulty in remembering old details," Faiser answered. "Hazy, but they're there. And I don't need perfect memory to know that the calmest, most ancient demonic presence in this room belongs to the progenitor of the Bael Pillar."
Zekram was impressed by his confident tone and found it refreshing. Then again, the Barbatos Pillar had always been notoriously proud.
"Then before we move on to the core issue," Zekram said with a smirk, "what do you think should be done with the Old Satan Faction—since they had you locked away for centuries?"
Everyone looked at the old devil, too stunned by the sudden question to respond.
"That is not on the agenda, Lord Zekram," Ajuka reminded him. "The issue of the Old Satan Faction is to be discussed at a later time."
"Oh, but I'm only curious," Zekram said with a smirk. "I wonder what the boy who suffered for centuries has to say. After all, it is his right."
Ajuka opened his mouth to speak, but Falbium gave him a look that made him stop. They both knew Zekram—he was a cunning old devil who loved keeping everyone on edge. But he always had his facts straight, and in this case, it was Faiser's right to speak.
"It's true they turned me into an experiment for their schemes and tried to use me," Faiser said, maintaining his calm. "But I don't remember anything from before I woke up. I suppose I'd want to tear them apart if I recovered those memories… but in my current state, I don't feel much. As for revenge—I've already taken it on the devil who conducted the experiments. As for the rest… I haven't even seen their faces to care."
He looked directly at Zekram. "And in a way, I was supposed to die in the war. But they kept me alive. So, I'm not entirely angry either."
Zekram studied the boy for a moment, then finally gave a small nod of satisfaction.
"A good answer—worthy of a devil of the seventy-two."
Many devils exhaled quietly as the suffocating tension in the hall began to ease. But of course, as everyone knew, Zekram never let peace last long. At least, not for others.
"So, what do you want to do about your land, boy?"
"Lord!" Eival Phenex gasped, watching all his carefully laid plans crumble as Zekram seized control of the meeting. "We can discuss that gradually—"
"Oh, but there's no reason to delay, Lord Phenex," Zekram said, voice calm and sharp. "That is the very purpose of today's meeting—the inheritance of the boy, and his current status."
"But—"
"Lord Zekram is correct," Sirzechs interjected with a steady voice. "Faiser is the heir of Barbatos and has the blood of Valefar. He has rights to their lands and their treasure."
The crowd, growing increasingly anxious, remained silent—hoping that the prideful Zekram would uphold the welfare of the High-Class Devils as he always had. But this time was different.
The party they were opposing also happened to be a High-Class Devil, one of the strongest, and originally among the wealthiest.
"As things stand," Falbium began, reading from the scroll in his hand, "none of the Barbatos or Valefar real estate is unaccounted for—nothing lies unattended that can be immediately transferred to Faiser. House Bael had been the Pillar responsible for distributing the land among several houses. And now, it must also be House Bael that initiates the conveyance, returning the land to Houses Barbatos and Valefar."
Ajuka glanced at the bottom of the document. "However, the ruined mansions of Barbatos and Valefar still remain untouched. No one has claimed them. By default, Faiser currently holds ownership over those lands."
Many had long coveted that land, even though it was left barren. In the Underworld, land was a symbol of power. But with the risk of losing what they currently held, none dared act greedy now.
"The Pillars of Gremory, Sitri, Glasya-Labolas, Astaroth, Phenex, Agares, and Bael currently hold the largest shares of land," Zekram stated, turning toward his descendant. "The lesser houses possess smaller fractions, which can be recovered without significant loss. Reclaiming these will weaken the Pillars somewhat but the right thing must be done. Faiser is a high-born devil, just like the rest of you. He deserves his inheritance."
"Ripping away lands we've held and maintained for over five hundred years feels unjust, Lord Zekram," Eival Phenex complained. "Those were our rewards for the war. They're not just holdings, they're part of our lives now."
Zekram, surprisingly, didn't respond to Phenex. Instead, he looked toward the Four Satans, and then at his descendant—the current Lord Bael.
"Why don't you list the land that was distributed after the war, Lord Bael," Zekram said. "Specifically the Barbatos and Valefar lands, as those were two of the major transfers made to the Pillars instead of being allocated to the Underworld's public facilities."
Rewards. That's what the Valefar and Barbatos lands had been. Most other land transfers had gone toward rebuilding the devil population—used for homes, parks, and infrastructure. But some lands had been handed directly to the High-Class Devils who had contributed significantly to the war effort.
Valefar and Barbatos territory fell into that category.
"Then… I will begin with the transfers from five hundred years ago," Lord Bael said, frowning slightly. Five centuries might be nearly twenty generations for humans, but for devils, it amounted to barely two, that too was being generous.
Lord Bael turned through the pages of an old, leather-bound book—an ancient record that still hadn't been digitized.
"Several hundred acres were transferred from the Barbatos and Valefar holdings," he began. "Both Pillars possessed vast territories, as they held the ranks of Great Duke and Duke, respectively. Their estates included multiple farmlands producing rare alchemical materials, shipping infrastructures, vineyards, and mines.
"The farmlands, shipping facilities, and private estates were divided among the Pillars of Gremory, Sitri, Astaroth, and Glasya-Labolas. Meanwhile, the major vineyards and mines were allocated to Bael, Phenex, and Agares. Additionally, several smaller parcels of land were scattered across the Underworld and distributed as well."
The hall fell quiet. Many faces paled. Even Lord Gremory looked visibly uncomfortable at the sheer scale of territory they were about to lose.
But as many had anticipated, Zekram Bael was not a man who enjoyed watching others win.
He was a man who cared only for his own ideals and for his own amusement.
And that selfishness… he now displayed openly.
"Now then," the old devil asked, a sinister smile creeping across his face, "which Pillar would you choose, Faiser? After all, you can be heir to two, but lord of only one."
That was when everyone finally understood the game Zekram was playing.
Even Faiser.
* * *
"Lord Zekram," Serafall snapped and her expression barely hid her anger. "You can't seriously expect him to forfeit the entire land of one Pillar. Even when other devils take ownership of a single Pillar, they reassign the lands under the house they hold!"
Zekram laughed at that… damned old devil...
"When those devils inherit the lands," he said, "they reassign the properties evenly among their children. If they have two children, they name two heirs—one for each house. And don't forget, that's already rare. In most cases, when two heirs or heiresses marry, they don't lose their titles—they take consorts. And in the exceptional cases where a merger occurs, the land is already under their ownership, not reassigned.
"In this case," Zekram turned to Faiser, "the boy does not directly hold the land. He is not the lord. His father named him heir to Barbatos, but his mother was not the heiress of Valefar. By all rights, it would have been her brothers—his uncles—who inherited Valefar. But they died without heirs. No cousins, no lineage. And so, Valefar remains without an official successor."
That was when I realized it, seeing the nervous, uncertain expressions of the other devils.
"Technically, if we are to play by rules, not emotion," Zekram said, looking now at the conflicted Satans, "he has no claim over the Valefar properties. He is not the heir of Valefar. He is clearly a Barbatos and has been since birth."
"Yes!" Lord Phenex exclaimed, slamming his palms on the table. The greedy bastard looked positively thrilled. "He has no rights over the Valefar lands!"
"That…" Lord Gremory and Lord Sitri were speechless. But they both knew—they were powerless to argue.
"That does make sense," Agares said, equally amazed, though not sad. He, after all, stood to profit from me claiming only Barbatos land.
"So, only the land and treasures of Barbatos can be claimed by him?" Bael asked, amused and visibly pleased.
"As of now," Zekram smirked, "that stands true."
Half the Pillars secretly rejoiced at not having to part with their lands. The other half felt cheated and angry, but no one dared to speak.
Zeoticus was displeased but didn't show it. Sitri pressed his lips together. Glasya-Labolas and Astaroth wanted to protest but had no words.
"So you're willing to let the Valefar Pillar be forgotten?" Serafall asked in shock. "He's our best chance to reestablish the two fallen Pillars! And if he ever has children, they'd be the perfect heirs for both Valefar and Barbatos!"
This…
This was when I spotted the flaw in Zekram's logic.
"The Pillars have remained fallen for centuries, Satan Leviathan. And ancient law dictates that the only way one can inherit a Pillar is by possessing that Pillar's bloodline ability." Zekram scoffed. "Lord Bael—my own blood—had to disown his first son due to the lack of our bloodline ability. Even though he regained his heir rights, the only reason we allowed it was because he possessed a hint of Bael energy. And since Bael is stronger than his mother's bloodline, there's a high chance his children will awaken the Power of Destruction. That, however, is not the case with Faiser."
Lord Bael nodded as well, even with the frown that he was trying to hide. "Barbatos has historically had stronger genes than Valefar. If Faiser Barbatos couldn't awaken his Valefar ability and only inherited the Barbatos one, his children will never awaken the Valefar ability." He looked at Zeoticus. "You should know that better than anyone, Lord Gremory."
Zeoticus clenched his fists, knowing full well that all his children had inherited the Power of Destruction.
"As Faiser Barbatos possesses the bloodline ability of Barbatos and not Valefar, he shall be granted only the Barbatos lands!" Phenex clapped his hands in delight. "Isn't that right?"
But that… was where they made their mistake.
The crowd wasn't aware of the Valefar bloodline ability that I possessed.
And that was exactly when Zekram's plan fell apart.
"Lord Zekram, Lord Phenex," I said, barely hiding my smile, "if you're saying I can inherit the Valefar lands if I possess the Valefar abilities… then allow me to display something."
"What do you—" Lord Phenex frowned and tried to dismiss me, but he couldn't succeed.
[Rank: High-Class]
After all, even a High-Class devil wasn't immune to my abilities.
And just like that, he froze in place, unable to utter a single word.
"Then let me demonstrate to you… the power of Valefar."
And just like that, not just a few devils—but every devil lord—suffered a loss.
And damn, did it feel good.
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{A/N: Got a pat reon named RedLamp01 with 30+ chapters.
The reason I didn't post was because I was bedridden.
I have a shitty immune system, and the count of many necessary things like monocytes is way under the average count which is why I catch flus, infections etc fast. I am better now, so the update schedule should be back as well.
One night I was playing cobblemon, and next morning I found myself unable to get off my bed. Welp.
Also, about this fic. As you have seen, this is AU so I have changed quite a few things. Like the age of the characters. I have made it so that when I get to expanding on those characters' lore and pov, they are 18 and above (for obvious reasons). Also, some timelines and events are changed. Example will be someone who isn't supposed to have their gear awaken at this point in time already has their gear awakened.
As for the character of Zekram that I am going for is not necessarily a villain but a selfish old bastard that keeps Bael over everything else. But he is still a man that stood by the pillars and supports them, just that Bael losing in this case would sting hence he is supporting the "Bad" side. We will explore Zekram in time, but he doesn't hate the MC, he is curious and interested in him and finds him amusing.
AAAAnd if you notice anything contradictory about MC's past, let me know. Since I had 3 versions for this story and settled with one, there might be one or two chapters with some lines that I might have missed.}