Chapter 40
Author's note: Just found a big-ass plot hole in my novel. Shit. Well, let's all just say this is an alternative universe where other factions, after centuries upon centuries of inactivity of the Biblical God, started suspecting his 'death,' since I imagine that he was quite active considering the number of sacred gears. Hell, you could even imagine that some rumor started that he was dead by some factions that were suspecting his fall, and without Heaven truly proving it false, it became a quite tangible rumor to distant factions.
And inside the church, Heaven used a few tactics and reinforced a few rules so that the rumor would be, at best, thought of as a madman's raving.
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Absolute Silence
The term refers to a situation where no audible sound is present in the atmosphere or around a being who can hear it. But to the supernatural race, like the Devil's, it would be impossible, as due to their exceptional hearing capability, even if they are alone and in a quiet environment, they could still hear their own heartbeat.
The small, relentless sound that continuously rings in the ears of the devils. The stronger they were, the clearer the sound would become, just like in the massive room where Zekram is currently sitting along with the heads of all the remaining noble houses.
Gremory, Bael, Phenix, Agares, Asago, Barzabel, Paimon, etc. It continues. And without exception, all the heads of houses were sitting in the quiet room silently, with only their heartbeat being the gentle reminder that they aren't in space or any plane of existence where sound doesn't exist.
Some of the faces of the heads of the houses had a frown like no other marring their beautiful or handsome faces. While others had a neutral expression that showed not a single slip of what they were feeling, if one looked very closely, one could see how even those who had exceptional facial feature control were showing the storm that was brewing inside by their other bodily features, like their paled and tightened hands, stiffer than normal movement, and their eyes that normally should be as sharp as an eagle, unfocused or blurry.
Yet, despite their not-ideal mental condition, they have to move on and start the meeting. At least that was the thought Zekram Bael had. Though he couldn't entirely blame them for their...instability. As he wasn't faring that much better, and personally, he doesn't think his mental capability would be much better even if he were younger and bolder.
Uncertainty of that one's survivability or existence after the Great War was a thing that Zelkam learned to live with for so long, yet hearing that he was truly still alive and started moving still shook him to the very core. Most devil houses believed that he was just mortally wounded during the Great War and was just recovering in the deepest parts of Heaven, on his throne, silently, with his blood silently dripping down to the sky. At least that was what mothers among the devil population said to their disobedient children, to warn them and to get them under control.
And ironically, it is one of the main reasons why, despite devils, especially old devils, being creatures of desire, they still functioned and worked together with so little ...trouble. Though now, devils would need even more obedience soon enough, for a storm like no other is coming.
Zekram slowly opens his eyes and gently stirs his demonic energy to get the attention of all the devils present. An act that others followed flawlessly as they all turned their attention to him, with none of their unfocused, blurry pupils and frowns visible on their new physical features, a remarkable transition, Zelkam thought. Then he opened his mouth. "Let us start the meeting." His voice was dignified yet had a power that was cultivated through the millennia that he lived. Instantly transitioning and changing the quiet atmosphere, as even his son, Lord Bael, who was sitting beside him, straightened his already straight back even more.
"As you have quite possibly known by now, our ancient adversary, the First Light, has come back and is now rapidly recovering his army as we speak." He started the speech, not wanting to waste time by going through some insignificant matter like how some family's son or daughter is doing this and that, as currently he wasn't in the mood, though he would have normally entertained this gesture with no resistance, as he even likes the act.
And the head of the family, just as expected, nodded along with his words as they listened closely, already knowing and having started preparing for almost two months. "And I think you all have a considerable amount of knowledge on how he was in the past and what he had done, considering that the whole Bible was all about him." He said as he surveyed every head of the clan's features to see if there was any foolish one who hadn't read even the Bible, part of their race's history. Thankfully, there was none that he could see. "And today, we are here to determine what we, no, devils as a race, would do now that he is preparing for another war.... Any opinion ?" He asked the heads of houses.
A few seconds of silence lingered in the room before the first one rose.
Head of the Barzabel clan, head of the lower-ranking family, and one whose preference for a laid-back approach is well-known. "We all heard of his power, his creation, and his deeds, yet I can not imagine that he would still be capable of things that he had once done. As, after all, the primordial essence had mostly dried up, and all the gods around the world had weakened to a certain degree. So I vote that we stand by and observe the fallen and heaven clash, at least until the fallen or heaven has received considerable damage."
Yet, just like how when there is light, there would be shadow, another being, specifically the head of the Paimon clan, countered. "You propose we sit idle while Heaven tears through the Fallen? Are you mad—or just naïve? You're underestimating him. Did you not hear of his creation, the Sacred Gear, Angels [Heavenly System]? He probably created a machine or ways to ignore the absence of primordial essence. I vote that we should collaborate with Fallen and strike against Heaven fast and deadly. Time is the essence that we now don't have much of." His voice was sharp and condescending, a clear sign that spoke that the two families were at odds with one another.
But an ally of the Barzabel clan, Lord Asago, backed him up the next second. "Then that is all the better, don't you think so? If he has a way to ignore the absence of primordial essence, other gods—no, almost every god in the world—would want a piece of him. His technology and creation would instead become an obstacle, a curse that would weigh him down."
Yet, despite the Asago family head's words, the head of the Paimon clan did not relent on his view, for he saw no flaws in his logic. "Do you think he is a [fool]?" He could just go through some simple political maneuvers and get himself dozens of allies. Even if some of them don't agree to aid him, he could neutralize them by just promising them a path forward. So my point still stands, Lord Asago, or are you seeing a thing that I could not ?"
The conversation between the lower-ranking devil families was sharp and unrelenting as they fought to protect and display the opinions they had on their minds. Yet, not one high-ranking family or even the archduke himself revealed what their view on this was, as they just passively observed their interaction. For they are assessing and trying to see what path they should take to minimize the damage while protecting their best interests.
"Do you think they would allow him that much power? Their pride wouldn't allow them to be a pig that was controlled by a fisherman's rod. They would not relent and would not give up on it."
The talk that low-ranking devils' houses continued on for quite a few minutes, with them raising some doubts about his capability of creating a replacement for primordial essence, yet his mere talent and crafts crushed any hopes of it. And even if he doesn't have it, it's quite possible that the holy energy that was collected through the centuries that he was 'recovering,' and the ones that he is still receiving today, would allow him to not worry about holy energy for the foreseeable future even if he used a considerable amount to recover from his 'mortal' wound and to create angels, since they unconsciously imagined that he would create a considerable number of angels to bolster up his army.
Though there was one thing that was missing in the long talk that the low-level lords had. A very important matter that would need all of their attention and focus due to how much importance it needs. Which, in more direct terms, meant the sacred gears. An instrument of mass destruction and equally great authority corresponding to it.
So after tens of minutes of talk, the first high-ranking clan head, Lord Phenix, spoke.
"Lord Zerkam, do you mind sharing some of your insight into the matter of...sacred gear and some other tactics that Heaven might deploy ?"
Zelkam turned to Lord Phenix in response to his question, noting his somewhat grimmer-than-average eye glow and how he was the first one to speak. Quite unlike him, Zelkam thought, but he could somewhat understand his thought process.
During the Great War, quite a few clans specialized in healing among the pillars, but due to how much Heaven along with Fallen targeted them, almost all of them were wiped out. So, as the sole source of Phoenix tears, a medicine that could quite literally save or change the very battlefield, their fate was grim, and they could even be counted as soon-to-be-dead birds walking, as their chances of survival were ironically the lowest here.
So thinking that revealing some information would be a good way to start, Zelkam turned to all the lords present in the room one by one. Especially the lower heads, since their debate has been quite loud.
"Before he died, the sacred gears..." Zelkam spoke, his voice deep and elegant, yet his eyes lost a bit of focus as he dug through his ancient memories. "Sacred gear users were once called Blessed Children and were one of the main weapons heaven deployed." All the other clan heads quieted down and listened closely to what words he had to say and also what new information they could get from him, as most of the information they have is no doubt inferior to the one who witnessed it firsthand. "All of the human child used to be personally chosen by that One and bred and trained to best utilize their granted gear. They were carved and molded into the perfect vessel for their gear, in prospect, the perfect tool for the heavens, as they live to serve, to obey."
"During that time, we didn't have any way to steal or use the sacred gear against heaven, as the moment their user betrays, dies, or their sacred gear is separated, they would teleport to heaven and would lash out at anything that got in its way." Frowns adorned some of the heads of clans' faces as they felt some emotions, such as worry, frustration, and a small bit of fear tugging at some edges of their hearts. "So we did the only thing we could: we killed sacred gear users, sealed their gear, and buried it in the deepest reaches of the underworld to get rid of the scourge that just won't stop festering. Yet the number of successful attempts was limited, and we couldn't indefinitely keep it sealed due to how much resource and demonic energy it required daily to replenish the decayed and worn seal. As it was continuously trying to return to Heaven."
The edges of Zerkam's mouth slowly turn neutral as he stops speaking, his eyes turning a bit red and veins that coiled like snakes becoming visible to the naked eyes of the heads as he continues, yet the words that come out of him are noble, elegant, and slow, just like any other day. "So, even after he 'died,' in fear of Michael regaining full control. I and a few others devised and created a way to counter that massive flaw, later perfected and integrated into something even more vital to our race by Ajuka Beelzebub. [Peerage system]. A system that is capable of neutralizing all control of heaven over sacred gear users until the user is dead or the sacred gear is separated. Also, one of the key reasons why our race's population is as much as it is today," Zelkam turned to the head of the clan sitting in the room and reassured them. "So, as long as the sacred gear user is in a [Peerage] or has been in one. You don't have to worry about their sacred gear going out of control. That, I am certain."
Then, a silence descends upon the room as Zelkam stops talking, for he had told them what they needed to know. And the rest, his son, Lord Bael, shall speak.
And his son, taking the silence as a cue, started shifting the topic to something more... militaristic and political in nature.
"No matter our interest, the undeniable fact that war is coming would not change. Nor would it disappear so..." Lord Bael started, yet before he could, a knocking on the door interrupted him.
His eyebrows touched each other, and his eyes took on a shade of gray as he turned to the door where the knock came from. "Enter." He spoke, and the one who knocked slowly walked in, his movement stiff and robotic as he kneeled with cold sweat dripping down his very forehead, already knowing that he would be executed if he didn't have a good enough reason. "I bear vital information," he said.
Lord Bael turned to look at his father, Zelkam Bael, and a few other high-ranking family heads before motioning to the new arrival. "Speak."
"Yes, Lord, Just an hour ago, a few of our contacts within the church had reported that the heavens had started a mass purging, a massive one that is all across the globe".
The faces of the lords who were sitting in the room took on a shade of gray as some contacted their spies that they planted, yet none received any reply.
"And they aren't just interrogating some or executing the suspicious ones. Instead, they are looking through every one of them, not leaving even a single child spared. And Lord Beezlebub wished to inform you that he would be evacuating the nearby stronghold while also 'scouting' ahead. He and other Maous also want the pillar to 'contribute' to the main army by next week, either by soldiers, food, or resources."
Zelkam's face tightens, and his vein pulses like a raging horse as he silently sits. Feeling angry at how Ajuka had just so casually decided to do something like this, yet some part understood the message that Ajuka was sending him.
"Obedience"
That was the message Ajuka sent to him through his actions. Now that times of peace are over, he would have to give away his seat of power to the Maous, for there is no possible way to engage in war with two 'kings,' as their mere interests, which would no doubt clash, would reduce the flexibility and power of their race by quite a few percentages. So he will, but he won't give away his political power nor his hands on the government. No, he would only give away military power that he had on the 'main' army as they wanted, as he was certain that they would change now that times of peace are gone.
Though a small part of him was feeling a bit confused at why Ajuka was the first to do something like this, personally, he thought Sirzechs would be the one to make the first move. Since during the Great War, he remembered how little care he gave to the interests and rules of Pillar. There were even several times when he outright killed disobedient or cowardly pillar 'members.'