Volume 5 Chapter 0101 The Gathering of the Eight Devil Legions - I, The Dragon Overlord

In the first layer of Avernus in the Nine Hells, eight legions were gathering. The eight archdevils convened to discuss their strategies for the impending Blood War against the demons. Thirty thousand years ago, prior to the Terran invasion, the Blood War of the Nine Hells rarely saw the direct involvement of the eight archdevils; instead, generals selected by them represented their interests. However, in the new era thirty thousand years later, because this was the first Blood War of this new age, the devils had yet to ascertain which of their generals were best suited for commanding Blood War operations. Therefore, they had decided to take direct command. Of course, these archdevils would not risk entering the frontline themselves. Should they unwittingly be caught in the fray, even an archdevil could fall—a prospect fraught with great danger. "Fellow archdevils, regardless of whatever disputes we may have amongst each other, the Blood War is a testament to the honor of devils. We cannot allow ourselves to be defeated by those filthy demons. Thus, I implore you all to set aside past grievances and unite against our common enemy! Even if the Blood War presents us with opportunities, our priority should be to slay demons, gaining advantages through their slaughter!" "All our internal conflicts remain internal to Baator, and we must categorically prevent any external forces from meddling in the affairs of Hell, be it those filthy demons or the lofty deities!" Mephistopheles, the lord of the eighth layer of Hell, roared with righteous indignation. As the most cunning of archdevils, he and his allies harbored no intention to inform the others that they had long since forged an alliance with the Dragon God. The cunning devils sought to rally the others under the guise of righteousness, thereby cutting off their external support to seize the throne of the Archdevil for themselves. Righteousness may have no sway over the chaotic demons, but among the orderly devils, it does hold some influence. Nevertheless, the other archdevils received the words of this cunning archdevil with skepticism, nodding along with a measure of doubt. As devils, deception and lies were second nature, so such speeches were hardly to be fully trusted. Mephistopheles, witnessing their reactions, quietly chuckled, having anticipated this response. He quickly continued, "To demonstrate my sincerity and to instill confidence, I propose to hand command of the elite corps during the Blood War to Grand Duke Beelzebub!" The proclamation left the fellow devils stunned, momentarily doubting their own ears. The elite corps boasted the fewest yet most formidable soldiers among the ranks in the Blood War, composed of the mightiest devils from the eight layers of Hell. Each of its members specialized in teleportation magic, capable of deploying the entire corps behind enemy lines for a surprise assault. It effectively served as the special forces among devils. Competition for command of this corps was fierce among the eight archdevils, but none anticipated that Mephistopheles would relinquish control to Grand Duke Beelzebub! For over thirty thousand years, these two had been relentless enemies, yet now, in a bid to show sincerity, the eighth archdevil extended an olive branch? Staggered, the other archdevils found their faith in Mephistopheles' speech wavering, lending it more credence. Mephistopheles smirked inwardly, confident that these archdevils would never suspect how their long history of enmity and skirmishes had been nothing more than a ruse to earn trust, only to annihilate them at the opportune moment! Hell comprised nine layers, but who decreed that each layer had to have one sole ruler? It was conceivable to divide the realm among the triumvirate—each ruling three layers to significantly expand their individual authority and recognition across other planes. Of course, Nessus, the ninth layer, was a prize all three sought, and any contest for it would follow the elimination of the other five archdevils. Entrusting Grand Duke Beelzebub with the elite corps was a pivotal move, securing control over the most formidable Blood War army. At the right moment, a treacherous blow could be dealt, and the Dragon God, fond of female entities, would willingly accept the most beautiful devils in Hell as gifts in exchange for aiding this grand scheme to fracture Hell. With these 'adversarial' devils momentarily laying down their grudges, the others begrudgingly set aside their own disputes and swiftly began to delegate their military divisions. The 'Iron Guard,' experts in engineering and pitched battles, went to the fifth archdevil, Prince Stygia. The 'Gleaming Guard,' a band of devil thieves clad in luxurious celestial armor acquired through frequent raids on upper planes, found itself under the command of the third archdevil, Mammon... 'Flame Striders,' formed principally of Erinyes and pleasure devils, comprised a mage army aptly entrusted to the sixth archdevil, Queen Glasya. The 'Shadow Fighters,' known for their agility and mastery of deception in combat operations, were given to the second archdevil, the Iron Duke. 'Crawl Horde,' a support troop skilled in debilitating magic and manipulating disease and poison, enhancing devilish aerial divisions, was handed to the fourth archdevil, Queen Fierna. The 'Mara-Dominaal' represented the most standard army in human terms, with infantry, cavalry, and air force, forming the backbone of the devil army. Though ordinary, it was foundational, with a vast headcount, and suitable for frontline warfare under the direction of the first archdevil, Zariel, a fallen angel and former celestial general known for war command prowess. The eighth archdevil, Mephistopheles, led the 'Serpent Brotherhood,' a clandestine assassination squad adept at masquerading as demons, excelling in intelligence gathering and assassination, emerging as the Blood War's intelligence agency. Thus, the eight army corps of the Blood War—the 'Elite Corps,' 'Iron Guard,' 'Gleaming Guard,' 'Flame Striders,' 'Shadow Fighters,' 'Crawl Horde,' 'Mara-Dominaal,' and 'Serpent Brotherhood'—now had their commanders. These eight legions covered siege warfare, defense, espionage, magic, support, standard combat, aerial, terrestrial, and surprise assaults, each proficiently. The devils boasted a mastery in warcraft far ahead of the reckless demons. With these eight legions, the devils aimed to vanquish their demon foes, wielding them as crucial weapons even capable of defeating demons in Blood War. Despite presenting over two million devils, they faced the Abyssal demons, a foe tenfold greater, numbering over twenty million! When millions of devils and demons clashed on the same battlefield, the Blood War reached unparalleled brutality!