"The Book of Barbatos?"
As I flipped to the next page, a name was written in really neat handwriting.
"Falkner Barbatos, Progenitor of the Barbatos pillar."
So, my great-grandfather, huh?
The book was exactly what it claimed to be. The book of Barbatos. The first few pages listed the history of Barbatos.
"Created by Lucifer and Lilith."
That made me frown. It didn't say birthed or parented—just created, huh?
My knowledge of this world was only from the seasons I'd watched and a few wikis. I didn't have the full blueprint of the story. I didn't know all the lore or the character details.
So, this was news to me. Either the wording was poor, or the Barbatos pillar really wasn't born but created.
And as I kept reading, that doubt only grew stronger.
"Like the other pillars."
So, the other pillars were created too, huh?
That was… interesting.
"As every child, the pillars also started to have different views from the original Satans. And many were unsure of whether to fight in the war or not."
This… isn't talking about the civil war, is it?
The following pages were mostly about his childhood—how he trained under ridiculous conditions, grew up conditioned, but how that conditioning started to falter. The same was happening with other pillars.
He… started to hate the original Lucifer, interesting.
And what about Lilith? She was only mentioned when it said she created them. Beyond that—nothing.
"Tomorrow the war starts, and I do not know if it is wise to fight in it. Fight… for them."
I kept reading, getting pulled in deeper.
"I have a son, he is injured. To protect this bloodline, to protect my son—I have to fight."
So, he did fight.
"Not for the Satans, not for their visions. But for the Barbatos pillar and for the devils that I consider friends."
This felt… sad. I could already tell he didn't survive the war.
And I was right. The next parts talked about him fighting angels, dragons, and more. Standing strong, but getting injured beyond saving.
"If only… If only I had the power beyond space, if only I could break free from these constraints. Only if I could truly walk the void…"
Void Walker. That's the name of the Barbatos bloodline ability.
"Blink, Traverse, Transmit, Sever, Penetrate and Wield. And the hundred different branches created from them. If only I could move onto the seventh stage, if only I had control beyond space…"
Surpass and Wield. I had to blink several times at those words. Finally, a clue about the next stages of Barbatos ability. Even though my father had skills superior to mine, I never bothered to ask him to show me any Barbatos skills. And as a result, I had limited knowledge of the bloodline abilities.
"I am close to the Satans, to their level, far greater than anything Zekram can dream of. I could reach their strength, but I do not have time. The injuries are too severe, and even if I did survive, the strength of the Satans is not enough. I needed to reach the seventh stage, I know it exists. I know there is a strength that even the Satans haven't reached, a realm beyond their own."
Does he mean… the level of a Super Devil?
So, he knew about the possibility of Super Devils. Just that none had reached it during his time.
"So, my future generations… please reach it."
My chest felt heavy as I kept reading.
"The Satans have fallen, and I am dying. Though I can see the war ending."
This… was heavy.
"God."
"The one considered omnipotent has fallen, and heaven is in chaos." The texts trailed off. "I will die this week. The wounds are beyond saving and I do not possess any more strength to write anything else."
Even though I didn't know him, it felt sad.
"I can see hope. The new devils, the next generation, have different views from the old. There is hope for them—to free themselves from the curse of following the path to destruction, to build a better future for those who come after."
The handwriting got worse, proof that he wrote with great difficulty.
"Many things will change, hopefully for the best. But I know there will be change. My descendants, protect the Barbatos pillar. It is special. It holds powers that should never be lost. For the sake of the devils and the world, to prevent the next apocalypse… reach the next stages. Find a way."
That was the last of Falkner Barbatos. Nothing beyond that.
There were some more details about the ancient members of other pillars, but not much. All he wanted was to protect his pillar and the devils close to him.
A devil with a heart.
Following that was the next Barbatos—his son, Abeliel Barbatos.
"My health cannot be salvaged. I cannot train anymore."
Well that is definitely an amazing starting hook, isn't it? Enough to make me frown.
"Reaching the seventh stage is not possible for me, father. Forgive me."
I couldn't blame him for his health, but at first my grandfather felt like a great disappointment.
Or so I thought…
"Thus, I am dedicating my life to the pursuit of research—to find a way to reach the next stage, to support the Barbatos pillar, and to gather wealth."
From the deepest part of my heart, I had to apologize to my grandfather.
As I read further, I realized everything here—potions, treasures, knowledge—was his achievement. He was the reason Barbatos held so much land, even more than some King-ranked pillars.
He had written down so much. Most of the books here were his. Most of the potions were his. It was simply ridiculous.
Since he couldn't pursue strength, he pursued knowledge and wealth.
"I have realized that the seventh stage is unachievable unless one breaks free from the concept of space. No… one must acquire the other concept, the complementary power or ability. Though I have married and now have an adorable son, Faustaus, it will be up to him to understand this concept. I do not have time. My sickness is worsening, and so is this world. Tension between devils is at an all-time high, and I fear a war might break out."
The best part about this man was that he wrote down many branch abilities of Barbatos.
These branches had no names. They came from mixing and matching abilities and using them in unconventional ways.
Transmitting lava from a volcano onto an opponent. Teleporting a part of the ocean to drown an enemy. Burying them alive. Abeliel Barbatos created attacks and defenses that were highly unconventional.
The man was a genius. I could see so many abilities I never even thought of. Ways to use my power that were simply ridiculous.
This man was brilliant. And if he had just a little more time, I wonder what else he would have created.
Alas, he did not live long and died even before the civil war started.
And that led me to my father, Faustus Barbatos.
"There will be a war. It is certain."
His opening words were grim, but true. The civil war at this point couldn't be stopped.
"I have searched for ways, reached the level of my grandfather, and I am close to the strength of the dead Satans. But to reach that stage fully, I would need another hundred or so years. And it seems unlikely I will have that much time before the war breaks out."
He… was strong, wasn't he?
"I have found the element—the way to reach the seventh stage. And it is only possible by mixing Barbatos blood with Valefar blood."
I froze.
The reason for the marriage was… to grow stronger? He married Isolde Valefar, my mother, for that?
That thought left a sour taste in my mouth. But he was a devil. And I could understand him.
Even if it was wrong.
"How unfair it is. No matter how much I try, I cannot reach the next stage. I am about to reach the strength of a Satan, yet it is unfair that I cannot move beyond. Is it not possible for any devil to reach the next stage?"
It is possible—just not for everyone. Only for those born with ridiculous strength.
"Isolde is beautiful. She is the Valefar I am to marry, and I do not know how to approach her."
Huh. So it's not just a human thing to be nervous about approaching someone.
"I did approach her. She is a great woman. Pretty, smart, and capable… though she hated fighting."
At this point, I wasn't sure how to feel.
This was supposed to be my father and mother.
"I cannot do this." Huh? "I cannot lie to her. I cannot keep it in my heart anymore."
So…
"I ended up telling her." Oh. "I told her I approached her because I needed to merge our bloodlines. But I couldn't hide it from her any longer. She is heartbroken. I cannot ask for forgiveness. But I do love her. And I cannot hurt her for the sake of surpassing my grandfather. I cannot hurt someone as innocent and kind as Isolde for the sake of strength."
I had to pause. It made me smile, but also sad. The book didn't have that many words, but it had enough to make me feel something for my great-grandfather, my grandfather, and mostly… for my father.
"I cannot give up on her. I love her. I want her. I need her."
He… was a good man.
The next few pages told how he pursued my mother not just for months, but for years. Fighting alongside other devils as small rebellions broke out.
"I have seen Sirzechs Gremory. The kid is amazing. He has already reached the level of a Satan at such a young age. And so has Ajuka Astaroth. These two are not just devils—they have monstrous talent. Maybe… they might reach the stage my father and grandfather wished to reach."
So he knew them. And it seemed he knew them well. The book said how Sirzechs, Ajuka, and later Falbium came to my father to learn about the former devils—their rule, and the way they grew stronger. It seemed they had formed a bond. Maybe even friendship. But more likely a mutual respect.
"Isolde… she—she finally accepted my confession! She agreed to marry me!"
It was hard to explain, but I could feel his excitement even through the pages.
"She had been teaching the kid, Serafall Sitri. And that girl is a devil not just in name. She kept teasing Isolde to no end. Maybe I should thank her for helping me learn Isolde's likes and dislikes."
Serafall… did that? Do I have something to thank her for?
"We are getting married! I cannot believe it! I have reached the level of the original Asmodeus, and I am going to have a beautiful wife!" He… seemed happy. "Fulfilling my Pillar's wish, and making Isolde happy. I cannot ask for more."
Though tragedy struck.
"We have a son now, Faiser. He is adorable, and has the blood of both Isolde and mine. But times are tough. War has broken out, and the blood of the original Satans want to rule the devil world. We cannot allow that. For a better future for Faiser, and for the next generations to come… we have to stand against them. Zekram Bael is leading the army, and the kids—Sirzechs and his friends—they are truly monsters. I believe they have surpassed the dead Satans and reached a realm that cannot even be explained."
Then I felt like shit.
"Faiser… he doesn't want to train. He is capable. He has the blood of Isolde and mine and is close to awakening the Valefar bloodline. But he does not train, he wants nothing to do with war. And as his father… I too want him to stay away from harm, though it's just not possible."
My hands began to shake. Not from fear or sadness. But from anger. Straight anger.
This fucker, Faiser, did not train. That is why I was an Ultimate-class devil despite the ridiculous abilities and bloodline. This guy has been worse than Rias.
"I will fight this war to create a better future for him, so that he does not have to fight. I do not want Isolde to involve herself, but it seems like it will not be possible. She will fight, and she is capable. I will have to leave Faiser to protect the estate, and I will join the army alongside my wife. I hope this war ends without more casualties… though I know that won't be easy."
I… know what happens next.
He doesn't survive, does he?
"But I am unsure of what can happen, and so I am writing this down. I do not know what the next stage is, but I know that to reach it, one must have both the blood of Barbatos and Valefar. And my son, if you ever read this book, you have it. You need to reach the sixth stage of Barbatos and awaken the sixth ability. Also, you need to reach stage six of Valefar, and only then will you be able to reach the seventh stage in both, as the bloodlines complement each other, just like Gremory and Bael complement each other. You will be able to learn more about Valefar from your mother. But… if we do not make it, there should be records in the Valefar treasury about the sixth stage. If you ever manage to gain access to the Valefar treasury, search for them."
That… was the last of my father. With a note about not mentioning anything regarding the death of God.
"They want to hide it to protect heaven, and the underworld should respect that."
That was his request, and I could understand why.
And beyond those words, there was nothing more in there. Nothing else for me to explore in this place either.
It would take forever to figure out everything, but I knew where things were. And that meant I needed to get to the Valefar treasury.
Sure, I wasn't even at the fifth stage of Barbatos or Valefar. But to reach the seventh stage one day, I needed the knowledge from Valefar. Not to mention, knowing what the next stages for Valefar are would be great.
"Then, I should leave now."
I already figured I could return by going back to the spot I first teleported to and using the key. But isn't it a hassle to come here every time? And not to mention, I have yet to rebuild this mansion to properly use the treasury.
It's not ideal.
[You can assimilate the Treasury Key with the system to teleport in and out of the treasury at will, and to summon the items in the treasury at will.]
I stood there, blinking rapidly, like an idiot.
"I can do that?"
[Yes.]
If I don't do that, I really am an idiot.
Do it!
[Assimilating Barbatos Treasury Key!]
It took around thirty seconds, and then the key was gone from my hand.
[Assimilation successful. New feature added — Treasury.]
[Treasury: A subspace added to the system that can be accessed by you at will. You may enter or exit anytime, and time moves at a 1:1 speed in relation to the underworld. Items can be summoned out of the treasury as well.]
This system… it's way too broken.
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{A/N: Got a pat reon named RedLamp01 with 30+ chapters.
Next chapter, we visit the Valefar treasury xD.}