Diversifying perspectives. Proving the technology spearheaded by Baal.
To fulfill these two objectives, a certain Heroic Spirit was summoned. Upon learning of the "Biblical Revision" plan, the spirit offered this critique:
"We need an alibi."
To make the Biblical Revision a perfect crime, the Heroic Spirit elaborated their theory.
The Bible's influence on the world is immense. It's not just the largest religion. Without Jesus Christ, the Common Era wouldn't exist. One pretext for the Age of Exploration was missionary work. Much of the world's shared ethical framework stems from the teachings of the Cross. The Bible is the most printed and sold book in history.
Rewriting its teachings requires meticulous consistency. Simply altering records would seem unnatural. Merely swapping memories would cause discrepancies.
Even if the Bible's influence weakens, empowering other pantheons would defeat the purpose. Godly tragedies would persist; demonic screams wouldn't cease. The balance between mystery and civilization must remain unchanged, with only the Bible's definitions altered. This demands careful historical tampering. The Demon God Pillars understood this, but the Heroic Spirit proposed an approach from a different angle.
If Goetia's plan was akin to "document forgery," the Heroic Spirit's suggestion was to prepare "false testimony."
In the past, royal houses across nations declared themselves "descendants of gods," claiming the right and duty to rule due to divine blood. Of course, even if gods existed, these self-proclaimed divine lineages rarely had such heritage. The Hero Faction is similar. The existence of a "descendant of Cao Cao" implies the historical Cao Cao lived. A man "inheriting Heracles' soul" confirms the legendary hero's existence.
The same must be done here. To align with the rewritten mythology, modern heroes must be identified and imbued with elements tied to the revised Bible.
In crude terms, it's like retroactively adding a bloodline to a manga protagonist or writing a future arc to adjust the main story's setting.
A perfect candidate had been identified: the spear that killed Jesus Christ, spotted before Florence Nightingale under the control tower's surveillance. Some say, "He who wields it shall conquer the world."
But the spear alone isn't enough. Not as a wish-granting device, but as a cup to interfere with the "system." Not as an execution tool, but as a cross to unravel God's legacy.
Securing the worldline with holy relics—this was Baal's strategy. Once executed, the possibility of the great endeavor's failure would be eliminated.
Preparations to burn the Underworld are underway. Negotiations with realms equivalent to the hells of various mythologies are complete. Since the Age of Exploration, the Bible's forces overemphasized "missionary work." All mythologies do this, but they overdid it. Recent damage from "Evil Pieces" swayed the lords of these hells to agree.
The realms equivalent to the heavens are trickier. The gods above are notoriously unreliable, as any mythology reveals.
If negotiations with these heavenly gods are neglected, burning Hell would require swiftly burning Heaven afterward. Even after incinerating Human Order for three thousand years, burning a single world isn't simple. Intervention from Indian mythology, with powerful deities like the war god Indra, would be particularly troublesome. Individually, they don't match Goetia, but as a collective, they're formidable. The knowledge-hungry Norse god Odin could also rise as a threat.
The final issue is the angels of the Bible. If they devise countermeasures against the bands of light, that's manageable—surpassing them would suffice. The worst scenario is a desperate Seraph noticing Goetia's true intent and self-destructing with Heaven itself. They'd likely ensure the explosion yields no usable energy. If that happens, the fuel supply would run dry. Hell alone can't sustain the Biblical Revision, their great endeavor.
Thus, Flauros' strategy is crucial to resolve these issues. They need the apostle most trusted by Heaven, the Church's strongest warrior and bearer of a high-tier Longinus, to betray them.
Once, the Underworld had four Satans: Lucifer, the Morning Star; Beelzebub, Lord of Flies; Leviathan, the apocalyptic beast; and Asmodeus, the great demon of lust.
All perished in the Biblical three-way war. Devils suffered the most, not just from depleted numbers but from losing all four Satans. With four leaders, total annihilation was devastating.
After the war, a great civil war erupted among Devils. The Old Satan faction sought to continue the war, while the revolutionary faction—later the New Satan faction—aimed to rebuild the nation. The revolutionaries won, stripping the Old Satans of power and exiling them to the Underworld's fringes. Their titles were reduced to mere "positions." It's unthinkable they wouldn't harbor resentment.
Thus, it was almost inevitable that the Old Satan faction—self-styled True Satan—turned to terrorism.
Their ideal is, frankly, laughable: Devils, or rather Satan, ruling all.
"What's going on?!"
"Where's Ophis?! What about the promised snake?!"
Ophis isn't just a dragon with near-infinite power. That such power is "merely strength" is the real issue. Ophis can create "snakes" that amplify their user's power. These snakes have various uses but are primarily for enhancement.
Ironically, the "false" Satan, as Shalba calls them, are stronger than his faction. The snakes are essential, allowing Shalba's group to reach the level of former Satan—though it also means they need snakes just to match them.
Does he doubt the claim that Sirzechs Lucifer is ten times stronger than the original?
The snakes previously provided by Ophis were depleted in experiments and trials. Searching for Ophis to replenish them, they only now realized she's gone. The entire Khaos Brigade has been looking, but no one's seen her in days.
Replenishing the snakes is now hopeless.
"Those Hero Faction brats are getting cocky too!"
The Hero Faction, the second-largest in the Khaos Brigade, has shown odd movements lately. A strategist named Napoleon joined them, altering their demeanor. It's hard to pinpoint, but their "aura" has shifted, or perhaps a "madness" has emerged. A group once merely arrogant now exudes something new. Shalba doesn't realize his aversion stems more from fear than disgust.
Hades, from Greek mythology and a covert ally, has recently grown reluctant to cooperate. The reason is unclear. Hades openly despises the current Underworld—or rather, the Bible's forces. The three factions' treaty should disadvantage him, yet he refused the aid of his Reapers, signaling no further cooperation.
This won't do.
They can't disrupt the upcoming three-faction summit. Wizards and True Satan Devils might manage numbers, but they lack decisive individual strength. The plan was for Katerea Leviathan, of Leviathan's bloodline, to challenge the leaders alone, but Shalba and Creuserey Asmodeus must now join her.
They don't entertain the thought of losing to the likes of Sirzechs, but they acknowledge their strength. Their plan's derailment fuels Shalba's fury. Ignoring his own role, he directs his anger at Ophis for breaking her promise.
Then there's the flesh pillars. Shalba doesn't care if they attacked churches or the founders who chose false Satan over true ones. But according to some sources, they call themselves the True Seventy-Two Pillars. Such hideous monsters defiling Devil names are unforgivable to a Satan's bloodline. Their strength, identity, or purpose don't matter—he plans to crush them in his rage.
The recent destruction of Hexennacht, the witch faction tied to the Khaos Brigade's Nilrem wizards, is also linked to those monsters. The loss of the Incinerate Anthem, a Longinus, is a significant blow.
"Damn them! Damn those false, hypocritical Satan! That idiot dragon! Those wretched tentacle monsters!"
The true Beelzebub clenches his fist in humiliation. The choice to seize a future over past pride doesn't exist for him. Thinking or acting on it isn't the issue—that choice vanished the day they lost to Sirzechs and his ilk.
For the Old Satans' bloodline, there were no other options.
"Request from Gaap. Heat overflows. Anger spills. Are we to wait idly until Baal and Flauros' strategy concludes? Are we to endure this rage? Let us slay as many of our counterfeits, Heaven-defiling Angels, and human-mocking Fallen Angels as possible!"
"Proposal from Glasya-Labolas. Prioritize eliminating Sitri's counterfeit."
"Rejection from Goetia. The Satan' deaths would spur Devil activity, disrupting our plan if they become too alert. But, Glasya-Labolas, why raise this now?"
"Confirmation from Baram. Glasya-Labolas' counterfeit, Satan Falbium Asmodeus, is said to delegate all duties to his peerage. This laziness is known and tolerated in the Underworld. Is that what you find unforgivable? But why such hatred for Sitri's counterfeit, Satan Serafall Leviathan?"
"Response from Glasya-Labolas. I feel greater rage toward Sitri's counterfeit than my own. Why? Why is such a magical girl impostor tolerated?! A mere authority figure indulging in childish antics, broadcasting her disgrace publicly! That woman is mad! The Devil race is mad! What value is there in such a magical girl fraud?! Why don't they realize her shameful appearance disgusts those who see it, repulses those who perceive it?! That woman… her very existence is an insult to them!"
"Question from Decarabia. Explain Glasya-Labolas' true intent."
"Answer from Barbatos. Unclear."
"Speculation from Paimon. Even accounting for her race, Sitri's counterfeit is beyond the age to be called a girl. Devils can appear youthful past a certain age, but Serafall Leviathan adopts a magical girl persona with an age-appropriate body. Glasya-Labolas can't accept that."
"Denial from Amdusias. That's not the root of Glasya-Labolas' rage."
"Report from Bune. The three factions are holding a summit, likely to form a treaty. Our information, including Gremory's incident, will be exchanged."
"Supplement from Asmodeus. Satan Sirzechs Lucifer, Satan Serafall Leviathan, Archangel Michael, and Fallen Angel Governor Azazel will attend."
"Supplement from Ronove. Rias Gremory, Sona Sitri, and their peerage will attend as witnesses."
"Supplement from Orias. A ceasefire and joint front are almost certain."
"Question from Halphas. Why don't they start a war? Why end their conflicts? Battle never ceases. Pain never fades. They spiral longer than mortals at the abyss' bottom. Why think fear of us alone can unite them? Why choose to ignore their mutual distrust? If that could stop the fighting—why didn't they do it before?"
"Order from Goetia to Glasya-Labolas. If you're eager, handle some errands. But your forces are limited. Cool your head."
***
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