Chapter 43: The New Order (Part 1)

"The accommodations in here are…sparse. Where's the sixteen poster bed, jacuzzi and wet bar?"

"I'm fairly certain one of those has not been invented yet, Harris."

"They've invented hot water and baths, that's good enough to make the natural step forward and create a wonderful fusion of the two."

"I'm of the opinion you just haven't looked hard enough."

Waving off Robin's wry observations Harris sat himself down in a finely sculpted chair, meeting the wary gaze of none other than the mother of all Devils herself, ragged and exhausted demeanor included.

He decided that if she looked pretty good while appearing as if she'd spent the last five years non-stop smoking, drinking and forgoing any kind of sleep then she must have been quite the beauty in her prime. Long raven hair, sharp eyes of amethyst and noble features not yet devoid of their regal majesty as a heavy dress concealed what Harris figured was an emaciated frame if her hollow cheekbones had anything to say about the matter.

And through the ensuing silence she merely stared at him, some unspoken signal having her attention shift to Euclid and Grayfia as they waited by the door, Lilith tonelessly commenting, "So it seems you have pledged your fealty to the new Lucifer…that didn't take very long."

Harris didn't need eyes in the back of his head to see Euclid stiffen with shame and uncertainty, although Grayfia was quick to respond with a quiet, "The laws and traditions laid down by your late husband decreed that we do just that, Lady Lilith."

"Be at ease, that was no criticism. Assuming everyone's goal is to avoid a crisis of succession you made the right decision."

The tension in the Lucifuuge siblings went down by an appreciable margin, Lilith once more affixing Harris with her full attention as she stated, "And since we are on the topic of succession…may I be so bold as to inquire what will become of my son in your new kingdom, Xavier?"

Languidly shrugging the Shapeshifter responded, "If he keeps his nose out of my rule and doesn't get any funny ideas he's free to do what he will. If you have any attachment to him I suggest figuring out a way to keep him out of the line of fire."

Which was just a polite way of kicking the can down the road rather than any statement of truth. Rizevim had been a right pain in the penis in the original storyline and Harris had no intention of letting the walking plot convenience go free, the moment they figured out where he'd scuttled off to the guy's ass was grass.

"Probably not a good idea to say that to his mom until we know for certain how she feels about him."

While she didn't pursue the topic Lilith clearly seemed ready to reserve judgment as her expression was carefully guarded, tone bland as she next inquired, "And what is to be my fate in this new rule of yours?"

"Well considering your power to create new Devils at a prodigious rate exist and are a thing, you're going to be on something of a forced vacation in The Tower with your only outside trips being under myself or my companion's watch, at least until you have time to recover and can protect yourself."

Lilith paused for the briefest of moments, slowly stating, "It sounds as if you have no intention of making use of my talents, desiring that I withhold my strength and instead regain its former height."

"In not so many words, yes."

The woman allowed herself to show obvious confusion and disbelief, skeptically stating, "And just how do you intend to rule without this boon? My inherent stranglehold in the creation and birth of new Devils was not just a simple force multiplier for my late husband, it was the bedrock of our society. He would take the newly birthed or awakened Devils and induct them into this faction, training or instructing them while the other three factions would seize the leftovers or overflow, capturing or converting them to their own causes. How do you think we were able to carve out such a vast amount of territory for our kind despite the incredible casualties and loss of life, when a healthy child might be born to a family once every three decades if they try repeatedly and enthusiastically?"

Harris had to resist the urge to chuckle as Madoka slightly blushed at the implication, the male nonetheless replying, "Well that's obvious, we're going to have to change the way we fight. Throwing bodies at the problem isn't going to work anymore and quite frankly it was a waste to forgo the benefits of a massively increased and sustainable population by getting most of it killed."

"And I suppose you will kindly tell our enemies that they should abide by this new ideal and follow it to the letter? That there exists no benefit to taking full advantage of our now weakened state?"

"I won't need to tell them anything, they'll do so of their own willing accord."

Lilith looked like she was going to release a disbelieving scoff, only to stare at the Lucifuuge siblings before shaking her head in resignation, instead asking, "Who are you and your companions, exactly? I am familiar enough with Merlin - even if 'she' seems to bear little resemblance to the one I know of - but the rest are of undeniable mystery."

"Oh?"

"No need to play coy, while I may have been locked within this spire for a significant amount of time I have not been deaf and blind to what occurs outside of it. Robin? The apparent tactician and strategy deviser with a uniquely unsettling aura."

"Well strategy is more of a dual responsibility between the two of us…"

Merlin's petulant mumble was met by an amused smirk from the aforementioned tactician, Lilith's eyes now falling upon Est who had calmly sat upon the former's lap for the duration of the meeting, silently watching the proceedings.

"Sentient weapons are no unique phenomenon, although one that can so seamlessly absorb magic even at the level of a Satan? You would be sought after by every soul of every pantheon, yet not so much as a whisper has been made of your existence. Questionable, to put it lightly."

Lilith now wore an open frown as she stared at Madoka, musing, "And I would wager that…unique sensation that just gripped Lucifaad not long ago had something to do with your hitherto unknown fourth, now wouldn't it?"

"Wait, what did I do? I did something strange, right?"

Plaintively begging for someone to give her the answers she sought Madoka was only met with confused or willing silence, Harris introducing her with, "For the record this is Madoka Kaname, a Goddess that I recently invited who will be helping me with a project moving forward."

"...A Goddess."

"Well 'Goddess' is a really important and dangerous sounding title, I'm actually pretty happy just being called a normal girl if you'd like. Magical girl if you insist!"

True to her nature Madoka was swift to downplay her own importance, Lilith giving the girl a look that suggested she thought she'd taken leave of her senses while Merlin just beamed, opening her arms wide and proclaiming, "Oh enough of all this stiff and boring talk, come give your big sister a hug~!"

"Ooh, big sister?!"

Eyes practically sparkling with innocent glee Madoka happily accepted the Magus' offer to plop down in her lap and receive all sorts of attention, Merlin clearly over the moon at the prospect of someone to pamper who wouldn't fight her every effort.

"That didn't take long."

Putting that interaction aside for the moment Harris turned back to the perplexed Lilith, stating, "Well as for myself…"

He pulled off his shirt, revealing the lightly glowing pattern Monad had emblazoned upon his chest as the Devil's eyes widened, immediately recognizing the emblem without further prompting.

"...So you are of the Gnostic faith? There is no small amount of irony in what many decried as minorities or heretics now coming to power within our lands, having killed our most powerful with his own two hands."

She took a trembling breath, steadying herself before quietly asking, "And what is your goal in this realm, Xavier? Revenge for the world's denouncing and marginalizing of your Godhead?"

"Nothing nearly so dramatic, in fact I was given this more as a means of convenience and circumstance than it was any kind of hardcore faith in the system. And as for my goal?"

He allowed a smirk to adorn his lips.

"What better way to curb destruction and war than to lead the ones who initiate a fair amount of it?"

Unlike most others who he'd said such ridiculous sounding bullshit towards Lilith merely frowned rather than express any form of open disbelief, silence quickly turning into a series of wracking coughs as she weakly announced, "Regardless of your intentions and designs, it seems I have no say in it. I would hesitate to call my current condition healthy."

The words were understandably bitter, Harris replying, "Well either way you're more than welcome to take your time until you feel marginally more intact, believe it or not I'd actually welcome the perspective and experience of one who's seen much of Devil society change over the centuries."

"We shall see if that statement holds true in the future."

Smirking at the woman's reserved tone he gestured towards his companions, stating, "Grayfia and Merlin will be your primary caretakers and guardians for now, if you have any questions or concerns take it up with them and they'll act of their own accord or forward any requests to me."

While Merlin would know exactly what he wanted to hear and not hear - as well as enthusiastically solve any problems using her own judgment - those words were a not so subtle implication of trust in Grayfia's aptitude and ability to discern what was important and what could be taken care of with her own initiative, an implicit faith that she wouldn't abuse the incredible resource that was Lilith.

A tiny risk on his part but he was willing to gamble on the woman's loyalty considering the last few years of service. Not so much for Euclid, however. The Devil had briefly tensed with disappointment at not being tasked as Lilith's guard before masking it, Harris inwardly shrugging. While he wasn't willing to give the male the benefit of the doubt yet considering how doggedly he'd served Rizevim in canon the fact that Grayfia was here and keeping him on an even keel provided the hope that he'd eventually stick around for genuine reasons.

Until then, he was getting non-critical duties and sticking by Harris' side.

"Well, this conversation has been entertaining and everything but for now I have a contingent of uncertain and surly Devils to reel in before they get any funny ideas. Euclid, Grayfia? You'll be following me around for the next few days and seeing how I operate so you get an idea of how to carry out my orders or directives if I'm not around. Est? Madoka?"

"Okay."

A muted flash of light accompanied the Sword Spirit once more attaching herself to his hip, the shapeshifter announcing, "Everyone else stick close to Lilith for now, I'll have a more concrete idea of what we should all be getting up to as soon as I finish corralling the children."

"Is there any point in reminding you that those 'children' are almost unanimously older than you, Harris?"

"It's all about the attitude, Robin."

"Of course it is."

Nodding at Lilith as they departed Madoka curiously asked, "So where are we going? It sounds like you have a lot of interesting people to meet."

"That's putting it lightly. I hope you four don't mind sitting or standing around a lot because we're going to be getting our miles in solely by talking our ears off."

He met Grayfia and Euclid's reserved expressions with a savage grin.

"Ready to see me give everyone else a migraine for a change?"

Serafall tried - and very nearly failed - to hide a smile from appearing on her lips as she watched the meeting proceed, something she knew Sirzechs was trying to do as well, fingers occasionally clenching together in a bid to physically keep his mirth in check.

"We've clearly been spending too much time in Harris' company if we're starting to find things like this as genuine entertainment."

Or perhaps it was just the simple novelty of seeing things from the other side of the equation, of other people having to deal with the man's particular brand of insanity after spending years experiencing and living it firsthand.

"We've sat and done nothing for long enough, the seat of power within Lucifaad remains unclaimed and silent, it's time we either take it for ourselves or force the new 'Satan' to make his move."

"Are we even certain rule was his goal to begin with? What sovereign deposes the previous and then leaves it uncertain as to who now holds the reign of power?"

"Mmm…you know what? It is pretty funny watching other people squirm."

The Sitri, Gremory, Phenex, Marax and Andras family heads had convened at the Gremory estate within Lucifaad, all seated in a tight and anxious circle, refreshments unanimously ignored as Serafall and Sirzechs sat off to the side, the only heirs present as they politely - and gleefully - listened to what was happening but made no comments of their own.

"And who would you have take the seat? We are not the only ones with ambitions or ideas of what should come next, assuming power only to be met with rebellion and resistance at every step isn't what I would describe as a more favorable state than what we currently find ourselves in."

Quaria Marax - a severe and uptight man that made Serafall's mother seem lively and warm in comparison - calmly replied, "The Gremory should be an obvious choice, wouldn't you agree? Your son has spent considerable time working with Xavier and you have a reputation for fairness and success, even discounting Lucifer's public shaming of your family only to meet with an…untimely end shortly afterwards."

Zeotichus blandly responded, "How kind of you to volunteer myself and my line for this duty, to trailblaze a path where none have before and discover just where the limits of our authority actually lie. Or do you assume Xavier will be in a forgiving mood, fresh off the kill of his previous prey?"

Kinia Andras was next to speak, her lithe body and soothing demeanor making her the natural voice of reassurance as she announced, "We don't ask that you assume all of the risk, our families will publicly back your claim and make it apparent that you did not make this decision on your own. But the Lucifer faction - assuming it will even go by that name now - needs a voice of authority. It won't be long before someone other than us decides to take the plunge and stake their claim and then what do we have? Anarchy as everyone who stood still realizes they have no choice but to either bend the knee or go their own way."

Venelana raised the obvious concern, archly asking, "You say you want us to be the 'voice of authority' and that you will back our claim…yet all we have to go on is your word in that regard. And it is a rather bold action to take considering we have no idea what Xavier desires of this uncertain silence."

Castelan Phenex was quick to add, "Caution and patience - as dangerous as it may seem at this juncture - will ultimately serve us better than haste and daring. Our previous experience with Xavier during Charlemagne's demise was one of speed and leaps of faith, no matter how eloquent or sensible his arguments may have been…and we walked right into his designs with none the wiser until the dust had settled."

The man shook his head, gravely warning, "The man seems to thrive on both never being predictable and forcing others to dance around his designs, I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if this is just his way of discovering who among Lucifer's faction will remain loyal despite all that's occurred and who will rebel."

"A round of applause for the Phenex, he's close enough to the truth for it to be deserving of an accolade."

All eyes flicked towards where none other than the man in question strode inside with Est on his hip, bodies tensing and moods cooling as Serafall and Sirzechs merely traded glances with each other, genuinely not surprised that he'd somehow picked that exact moment to show up…what was surprising was the shockingly pretty girl following in his wake, slight of frame but possessing an undeniably soothing aura, the pair figuring that this was just one of Harris' latest strategies and that they would get introduced sooner rather than later.

"I guess he somehow convinced the Lucifuuges to follow him…"

"Bets on how he managed that?"

"Grayfia - to my eternal surprise - wasn't nearly as unpleasant as I imagined, perhaps she fancied serving Xavier more than Lucifer?"

"And I thought my family dynamic was horrific…"

The pair's whispered conversation faded as they watched Harris seat himself in one of the unoccupied sofas as the mystery girl matched his motion, guilelessly staring at everyone present, Grayfia and Euclid seamlessly taking up position behind them with completely neutral expressions, their uniforms immaculate and spotless.

The raven-haired Devil had to wonder what was going through the sibling's minds, so quickly moving to serve a different master they had previously engaged with for centuries. Sure, it had been a clear cut and obvious rite of succession Lucifer had entered into yet how many people had really expected the Satan to fall in battle?

"But, honestly, speaking about sedition and treason so casually when I'm nearby? Do I need to start making examples of those with adventurous ideas?"

While she and Sirzechs didn't so much as flinch the rest of the room obviously wasn't acclimated to the man's sense of 'humor', tensing before Harris dryly replied, "Wow, things must be pretty bad if that's got you all riled up. My predecessor must have been a dick."

Some of the tension left the room and was instead replaced by wary intrigue, Zeotichus cautiously stating, "That you now appear before us suggests that you have need of either our services or counsel, Lord Xavier."

Serafall sent Sirzechs a raised eyebrow, her redheaded friend shrugging in a clear lack of concern at his father's almost hopeful words, the man clearly wishing that the nightmare of uncertainty would come to an end and they would have a clear line of direction moving forward.

"Yeah, pretty much. Jokes aside everyone has proven to be quite the patient bunch, circumstances considered. Not at all what I expected from a species heralded as creatures of avarice and desire."

The tone was clearly joking, yet another minor amount of tension leaving the room as he clapped his hands, announcing, "Alright, to business. In two day's time I'm going to be holding a meeting with the entirety of the Lucifer faction invited. Pillar families, military leaders, mercantile gurus…anyone and everyone who has some kind of role in the daily running of this operation is to show up. The first job I have for all of you is to compile a list of aforementioned actors and their individual characteristics or desires as well as a summary of their past performances under Lucifer's reign. I'll leave it up to your individual discretion what's included or excluded, as well as what the highlights are."

He offered an amused smile, remarking, "I'm curious to see what you all come up with."

Zeotichus seemed understandably resigned at that, as if his one hope of a firm direction had been dashed as Xavier continued with, "Lady Lilith has also agreed to stay with the faction, although she's confined herself to The Tower due to health complications, which I imagine will be fixed up in good order since Robin and Merlin are watching over her."

Serafall briefly wondered what the truth of that statement was, curious if Lady Lilith had earnestly desired to stay or had merely been forced to.

"...Is it wise to delegate Lady Lilith to the sidelines during this time?"

Quaria Marax's words were reserved but blunt, the man continuing with, "Her contributions to the war effort and Lucifer's prosperity were unmatched, stopping them will heavily impact whatever further machinations are put into place. Especially ones of a military import."

"Agreed. Which is why for the foreseeable future we're not going to do anything more than the bare minimum required in terms of picking fights. Instead we'll have a whole slew of unconventional battlefields to choose from. Any of you familiar with the Vampires or Yokai?"

There was a steadily mounting sense of resignation that once again almost had Serafall breaking out into open laughter.

"Well, you'd better start getting used to it, because I just so happen to have a very close friend in the Vampire covens who's interested in potentially forming a close relationship with the Devils and I'm married to the Princess of the Yokai, so it'd reflect rather poorly on both of us if I couldn't get my own faction onboard with a treaty of open trade and borders or something similar."

For the first time Serafall felt her brain come to a jarring halt, genuine shock replacing silent mirth.

"What? He's married to the Shinto Princess? When did THAT happen?!"

"Oh, and where are my manners? Introductions, then. My newest companion?"

The girl politely bowed, Serafall snapping out of her shock as she happily announced, "Greetings, everyone! My name is Madoka Kaname and I look forward to working with all of you~!"

There was no shortage of questioning looks sent Harris' way, the male guilelessly replying, "I guess you could say she's my head priestess or some other equivalent. Or maybe it would be more accurate to say I'm the word bearer, after all…"

A familiar and confident smirk that had Serafall's stomach performing loops - and not in the good way - was the only warning they received as he said, "Devils no longer need war with Heaven when Madoka will be the one to grant them eternal rest and peace when they inevitably die. I bet no one ever thought to look for paradise in Hell, huh?"

"No," Serafall thought.

"No they did not because who the fuck WOULD?!"