{Late afternoon, Barbatos Estate}
I wore the brooches that had been presented to me at my Lordship ceremony—the one that marked me as the lord of Barbatos and Valefar.
Serafall had left me to handle this on my own, and Elmenhilde was at the manor.
So it was just me at the center, with Ingvild and Bova standing a few feet behind me. And in front of me? My legions. The devils who served me.
Over fifty-five thousand of them—a massive army for someone with no experience to lead.
"Good afternoon, everyone." My voice carried, enhanced by magic. "I believe this isn't our first meeting, but it is the first time in a setting like this."
When I received my legions from the Satans—and a few who had served my parents returned to me after my awakening—I had met them to introduce myself.
Now… this was different.
"I know that most of you might not truly be happy serving under me." There were too many faces to focus on one, so I let my eyes drift across them. "Some of you served different families, some as reserve forces for the Satans, and many under the former Lords of Valefar and Barbatos. And well, I am not them."
I was the lord of the two pillars, but I hadn't fought by their side in the past. I had no real experience of war.
"I am lacking in many ways, and I accept that." I didn't shy from admitting it. "I have no experience leading such a massive army. I have no experience in war. And yet here I am, asking you to follow my commands, to fight for me, and even to die for me if needed."
Most faces remained stoic. Unreadable.
"My father was a true leader. He never lost a war and only died to secure an escape route for the Satans." He was a monster—a respected monster. "My uncle, the one to have been the Lord of Valefar, was kind. He made sure no unnecessary blood was spilled. He, too, was a respected devil."
"But I am not them. I cannot be them. Maybe you are disappointed to serve me, maybe even frustrated listening to me. I will never be them. They were devils forged by war, living in times of unrest."
Still, no whispers. They were trained. Loyal to the cause. Not gossipers.
"But we are not in a time of war. The sacrifices of my parents, my family, and your former lords gave us this era of peace." The peace existed because of them. Their sacrifice. "And that is my goal too—to maintain this peace. To make sure their sacrifices were not in vain. To prevent another civil war. I intend to keep this peace."
Finally, a flicker of reaction. A few eyes turned toward one another.
"I had been lazy. Foolish. Childish. No one knows that better than me. Because of my childishness, I failed to protect the ones I cared about."
But.
"But no more." I declared. "I will not let another war break out. I will not let devil society crumble again. And I will not let the people I care about die."
My voice rose, my fists clenched.
"The monster that caused it all—the terrorist who killed my parents, your families, and loved ones… he is still alive. His allies are still alive."
Rizevim.
"Rizevim Livan Lucifer—the one who killed my parents and your loved ones—is still alive. And devil society cannot stop him without starting another major war, collapsing into a civil war with as many casualties as the last one."
I had seen the numbers. The statistics were horrifying. Deaths beyond counting. Sacrifices left unavenged.
"The Satans cannot do it. The other lords cannot do it. The elders cannot do it. They cannot fight without sparking a major war."
This was reality. This was their present.
"But it isn't the case for me. For you. For anyone serving the pillars of Barbatos and Valefar."
Finally, I saw the reaction I had been waiting for.
"What… do you mean, Lord?"
An older devil, a little past middle age with streaks of grey, spoke up. One of the commanders of the Barbatos legions.
"You heard me right, commander." I looked at him. He led six thousand six hundred sixty-six devils—a true leader. "We have a chance to avenge the fallen. To strike Rizevim. And even if we fail to kill him, we can make him suffer a loss he will never recover from. No other devil lord has this opportunity—but I do. You do. We do."
Murmurs spread. More devils started speaking, letting their voices be heard.
"How, my lord?"
A scarred man with blonde hair spoke up. One of the surviving commanders from the Valefar side.
"You must have heard of the recent commotion among the vampires—the war they are fighting—and it is growing worse by the hour." I could see the lower devils nodding. I continued. "A recent meeting revealed that this is the work of Rizevim and the Old Satan Faction terrorists. They interfered with the Tepes vampire faction, sparking a civil war similar to the one we fought in the past. A smaller one, yes—but a civil war nonetheless. The same kind that took my parents. The same kind started by Rizevim."
I looked at their faces and saw the same hatred burning in them—if not stronger.
"The treaty signed by the Satans and the Lords prevents them from intervening. And yet, the faction struggling against Rizevim's side came to us for help… which we failed to provide." I let out a sigh. "The side backed by Rizevim made it impossible for any devil head to aid the weaker side. And as it stands, Rizevim is winning."
"How can we fight them?"
This time, it was a commander leading another Valefar legion, appointed by the Satans.
"Because I wasn't there when this treaty was signed, the pillars were considered fallen back then. As a result, we are not bound by that treaty. We are now a variable—ones who can change the course of this war, fight against Rizevim, take revenge for what he did to us and our families, and make sure another war doesn't break out in the devil world because of him. We can protect devil society by fighting alongside the Carmilla faction of the vampires, against the Tepes faction, against Rizevim—and against the terrorists of the Old Satan Faction."
With that, I unleashed my demonic power, my Ultimate-Class strength, the signatures of both Valefar and Barbatos blazing around me.
"I have inherited the powers of both my parents, of both noble pillars, Barbatos and Valefar. And with that comes twice the responsibility to avenge them! Twice the means to avenge them! Twice the power to support you!" I declared. "I may not be as experienced, but I will not back down, I will not be scared, and I will not fall short against Rizevim. With the might of Barbatos and Valefar, your support, and the help of the Carmilla faction… we can defeat Rizevim and his followers! With your help, we can avenge our families. With your help, the experience of our commanders, and the strength of our army… we can protect the devil society."
I turned toward my queen and rook. "We have a Longinus user among us, a true descendant of the Original Leviathan—my queen, Ingvild Leviathan."
They already knew her, and I could see the pride in their eyes.
"We have the son of the Blaze Meteor Dragon, Tannin's son—Bova 'The Destroyer' Tannin, my rook and a monster of a dragon."
Then I extended my arm toward them. "And if you stand with me, I have you—the most skilled devils, the ones who fought alongside the former lords, who survived and protected devil society."
I paused. "Lend me your strength, and I promise to fulfill your revenge and protect our devils. Blood for liberation—that is what I ask of you!"
I went silent again, letting them absorb my words. Seeing the fire in their eyes, I took another step forward.
"Stand with me, and we shall win."
Finally, it was enough. The commanders of each legion—five from Barbatos and three from Valefar—stepped forward.
"I, commander of the first legion of Barbatos, Valor, stand with my lord."
"I, commander of the second legion of Barbatos, Steinor, stand with my lord."
"I, commander of the third legion of Barbatos, Alan, stand with my lord."
"I, commander of the fourth legion of Barbatos, Heinz, stand with my lord."
"I, commander of the fifth legion of Barbatos, Lukas, stand with my lord."
Then the Valefar commanders stepped forward.
"I, commander of the first legion of Valefar, Aleskor, stand with my lord."
"I, commander of the second legion of Valefar, Nox, stand with my lord."
"I, commander of the third legion of Valefar, Grian, stand with my lord."
And with that, I had my army. The extra devils stepped forward as well, choosing to be a supporting force—a backup for the legions.
I had my legions. And so, I declared:
"Then I, Faiser Valefar-Barbatos, Lord of the pillars of Valefar and Barbatos, promise to lead you in this war against the Tepes and the Old Satan Faction."
I, too, now had people willing to fight for me, willing to die for me.
I… had truly become a Devil Lord.
* * *
{Same Time, Castle of the Tepes Faction}
—Valerie Tepes—
She was tired. Exhausted. She wanted to stop.
"Around ten more," she heard her father say, and she continued pouring the liquid from the three goblets she had manifested.
"Seven dead, three injured."
Her Longinus was a heavily guarded secret.
Everyone knew she possessed a Longinus, but only the high-ranking members of the Tepes faction knew the details of her weapon.
"You messed up," King Tepes scoffed. "You allowed a devil lord to join the Carmilla side. And one with a Longinus user at that. This is the least you can do to make up for it."
Her Longinus was the Sephiroth Graal—a true-rank Longinus, one of the highest. It had once come into contact with the blood of Christ, turning it into a legendary item. Hers even had subspecies that allowed her to form three goblets, greatly increasing her abilities and resistance.
But every time she used it—to bring back the dead, to meddle with souls—it left a scar on her own mind and soul.
"Keep going!"
With every soul she brought back, with every vampire she revived, she was haunted by horrifying memories and pain. Physical and psychological. And even though it wasn't her fault that Faiser had joined the Carmilla faction, she was the one punished.
She was a noble in name, a royal from her father's side. But in truth, she was nothing more than a tool for King Tepes. A slave with a Longinus that made his faction stronger.
As much as she loved the vampires, as much as she loved the Tepes faction, she couldn't help but hate her father.
Even her brother—the one person she had trusted most—had turned a blind eye when their father began exploiting her for her Longinus. He betrayed her. She felt nothing but scorn.
Yet, she could do nothing. All she could do was use her Longinus and suffer for the sake of the Tepes.
The only vampire who had ever shown her genuine care was nowhere to be seen, serving under the Gremorys, and would most certainly oppose her if it ever came between her and them.
In truth, she knew no one truly cared for her. She had always been everyone's option, never their choice. A tool they used but never loved or protected.
And even so, she loved the Tepes faction deeply, willing to stand against anyone and everyone for its sake. It was her identity.
A half-blood, a dhampir, certainly—but still a Tepes. She would stand with them, even if it killed her.
'But… is it truly a sin to want someone to make me their priority? To see me as a person, not a tool? To genuinely love me?'
To her, that felt like a dream. One that would never come true.
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{A/N: Got a pat reon named RedLamp01 with 30+ chapters for this story (60+ total).
Till Chapter 81 available on Pat reon for this story.
Volume 1 has finally been completed on Pat reon with chapter 81 (Longest chapter as well, 7k+ words)}