Civil War: The Beginning

Putting another bite of food in my mouth I went through the motions, while looking around the table at my family.

Which includes my parents, Diehauser, my uncle Callum, and my young cousin/sister Cleria. Along with my two beautiful wives Angelica and Roygun.

Usually we are laughing are joking about any little thing.

But not tonight.

Actually it hasn't been like that since the year began.

There is a tension in the air.

But that's understandable.

The Civil War is about to begin after all.

The final five years have passed. I am now 60 years old, but that's really not a big deal when compared to the fighting that is going to start any day now.

All of devil society knows that its coming. Even though no one has said anything about it.

And they won't.

Because everyone knows the moment you talk about something it becomes reality, and no one wants this reality to come into existence.

Unfortunately life is a bitch at times.

Things are going to happen even if everyone stays silent. But we all feel a bit better in pretending nothing is wrong.

I of course know that's not the case since I am at the center of this shitstorm. But at least while eating I am going to run away from reality and enjoy my time with my family. Because soon I will barely be able to see them.

Cleria looked at me. "So big brother Asterius, am, when are you going to have your first child?" She asked me.

I am glad I wasn't eating or drinking anything, because if I was I would have spit it up without hesitation.

Cleria is in her thirties and knows all about sex, and while I hardly try to make my sexual exploits known to all I am not ashamed in talking about them either.

However that is really not proper conversation for the dinner table. Especially in the current climate.

I guess Cleria is just trying to lighten the oppressive mood in the room. But seriously, she could have picked any other topic than that one.

Also, ever since she was little she's call me and Diehauser her big brothers.

I wasn't the only one caught off guard by Cleria's words.

Angelica who was drinking from her glass started a coughing fit and nearly dropped it. As for Roygun she simply looked bashful and started blushing up a storm. I have no idea why though. It's not like she is pregnant.

Besides the three of us have talked about this in length and we all want children someday, but after this whole Civil War business is over.

"Cleria, that's not a topic for the dinner table." Callum told his daughter.

"Come on dad I'm just trying to lighten the mood." Cleria retorted. "It's so suffocating in this atmosphere I feel like I can barely breathe." She said. "And we all know the reason why. Are we seriously not going to talk about the fact that a war is about to take place in our society?"

Cleria does not pull her punches. She let that one loose without any hesitation.

"Cleria!" Callum shouted.

"No dad, don't try and stop me." She retorted

"Uncle, Cleria calm down." Diehauser said.

But the father and daughter ignored my little brother.

Seeing this I took my drink, and also Angelica's drink and tossed it on the two of them, breaking the building tension.

"You two need to cool off right now." I told them. "Cleria we all know about the war, and all of us a tense about it, so talking about it more than necessary won't do anybody any good." I explained to her. "Uncle Callum, the reason Cleria is talking about the war is obviously because she's scared of something happening to you. You are part of the army, and they will be at the forefront of this conflict, so cut her some slack. Both of you take a breathe."

"Asterius is right little brother." My father spoke.

"Yes, let's all just take a moment and collect our thoughts before this situation escalates any further." My mom spoke.

The father and daughter then took a moment to collect themselves.

"Sorry dad." Cleria said.

"I'm sorry as well." Callum spoke. "It's just, you don't know what war truly is." My uncle said. He then got a reminiscent look in his eyes, definitely remembering his time during the Great War.

My parents got the same look as well.

*Knock Knock*

All three of them came out of it however when we heard a knock on the door.

"Enter." I spoke.

A moment later Diablo and Zest entered.

"Sorry to disturb your dinner my lords and ladies, but we just received an urgent message from Ars Goetia. An emergency assemble has been called for three days times in Luucifad. All clan heads and heirs must attend, no exceptions." Diablo explained.

And so it truly begins.

During the meeting of the Anti-Maou faction leaders last week Zekram told us of his plan to call an emergency assemble in Luucifad as soon as he possibly could.

In the last five years we of the Anti-Maou faction have made ourselves known, and have since been in a political struggle with the Maou faction and their allies.

A struggle that has finally reached the tipping point and is going to become physical.

This meeting is definitely the one from canon.

Where a Beelzebub descendant orders the extermination of all Anti-Maou faction members in the city, regardless of civilian causalities.

This is the spark that will start the revolution.

But it won't go the way anyone will expect.

Instead it will go all according to my plans.

Time for the opening act.

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Sitting in the area designated for members of the Belial clan with my father and Diehauser in the Ars Groetia meeting chamber I watched as numerous devils yelled at each other at the top of their lungs, their auras rising, basically nothing getting done at all.

I tuned out most of it and focused my eyes solely on Zekram and Killian.

The two of them are on the floor of the chamber, right at the foot of the thrones of the Maou.

Which are all vacant.

Because one is approved by Ars Groetia as a Maou, they cannot sit on the throne of a Maou, even if they are direct blood descendants. Laws that were passed by Lucifer and the original Maou themselves.

I honestly have no idea what they were thinking when they did this, but I'm glad they did. Even their warmongering children respect the laws they put into place even now that they are gone.

I at least appreciate them for that. But that's the only thing I'm giving them credit for.

The yelling got louder, and louder, until finally Zekram released his aura, and yelled.

"Quiet!"

Feeling Zekram's aura I whistled. The man is Satan-class for sure.

Anyway, once he released his single worded command the auras of the other devils returned to normal levels and they all sat down and shut the fuck up.

The silence is music to my ears.

"Good." Zekram said. "Now then, as you all know I am Zekram Bael. The one who call this emergency session of Ars Goetia, and all of us in this room know why. The children of our deceased leaders are pushing for the Great War to begin again, but I know that none of us want that. So that is why I ask you here and now to stand with me. No, to stand with the Anti-Maou faction so that we may bring a true peace to devil society before it is to late."

"And we are going to achieve that peace by killing the children of our former leaders?' A devil noble questioned. "Can you really live with that Zekram? It would be like going against the original Maou themselves."

"I very much understand what you are sayinf." Zekram said to the noble. "However for our race to survive I will gladly stand against the Maou family's. Even if the original Maou were still here with us right now, I would do the same thing." He said.

Zekram is not lying. I can see the determination in his eyes.

"This is insane." Another devil shouted. "Even if we do stand with you the current heads of the Maou clan are too powerful for us to overcome. We would lose more than we could save, and then when it is all said and done, we would all be dead, and our children and the rest of our race would be forced to restart the Great War. Only we wouldn't be there to defend them."

'That's my que.' I thought.

Standing up I jumped down and joined Killian and Zekram on the main floor of the chamber.

Whispers starting as soon as I did.

"Isn't' that Asterius Belial, one of the strongest young devils around?"

"He's so handsome. I want to eat him up."

"Why is the gray-haired pervert standing down there?"

"If he is on our side we actually might have a chance against the Maou family's and their allies."

I put a smirk on my face listening to people talk about me.

Zekram just looked at me, a neutral expression on his face. "What are you doing Asterius?"

"What needs to be done. Just like you. We are on the same side after all." I said, smirking at him.

To Zekram's credit he stayed neutral in his expression, but I can feel the anger undercurrent he is holding back.

I know his game. He wants to be the central figure of the Anti-Maou faction on the political front. That way after the war is over he can rally his allies and consolidate power, but that's not how its going to go.

No, no, no, we can't have that.

Especially since my friends and I are going to be doing most of the hard-work.

It's time to show this old man that there's new blood in the game.

I turned to faced all the seated devils. "Everyone good day to you. My name is Asterius Belial for any who don't know. And I and my clan are part of the Anti-Maou faction. Not only us, but also the Gremory, Sitri, Glaysa-Labolas, Astaroth, and Phenex clans as well. Along with the Bael clan, and Agares clan. We all formed the Anti-Maou faction years ago. Even back then we knew that the bloodlust of the Maou children and their clans would not be satisfied until they went too war. But that war would destroy our entire race, and none of us could just stand by and let that happen. That is why we banded together, to oppose these tyrants who want to treat us as nothing more than cannon fodder. Listen well, I and my clan, along with the others currently a part of the Anti-Maou faction plan to fight. And we ask you to join us. I know it is scary, and I know you have no reason to trust us, so I will give you one." I said.

I then snapped my fingers and multiple magical circles appeared in front of every detail, depositing papers in front of them. Papers that detailed all the Maou clans attempts at wiping out pillar clans, and a lot of their other crimes as well. I also added in several things about us of the Anti-Maou faction acting against the Maou clan and their allies to save the pillar clans and a lot of the other noble devils.

It never hurts to guilt trip, and I will do it without shame.

This is war after all.

"How could they?"

"They would go this far!"

"They killed my son!"

"I had no idea."

More and more voices of protest went up, and they were also filled with anger and gratitude.

"Everyone calm down." I said. When I did everyone looked at me. "I know you all are angry, and so am I. Angry that those who want to lead us would kill us off so easily all because we had different opinions from them. It is not right. A change is needed, and the only way to get that change now is to fight for it. I am ready. What about all of you?"

"I am ready." Ruval said, standing up.

"I am as well." Serafall said.

"I won't let my people die!" Sirzechs said standing to his feet.

"Yes, if my friends will fight then so will I." Ajuka said.

"Let's do it." Falbium lazily said.

Once my friends declared themselves ready to fight, a lot of the other devils stood up as well.

"Yeah!"

"Let's do it!"

"Fight!"

"Fight. fight, fight, fight!!!"

The devils all started chanting.

They also chanted my name and the names of my friends, instead of Zekram's.

All according to plan.

I asked my friends coordinate this with me as to garner support for the cause. This also diminished Zekram's capacity in the political nature of this war, and I don't intend to let him recover.

The Great King Faction will still exist of course. But its' going to be my bitch.

Ah, this feels so good.

As Hannibal from the A-Team would say: Love it when a plans comes together.

I wish I had a cigar right now.

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(3rd Person: POV)

'Fucking traitors, the lot of them.' A descendant of Beelzebub thought.

Using a magic circle he eavesdropped on what was taking place in the chamber of Ars Goetia, and he didn't like it one bit.

A rebellion had officially started, and he wasn't having that.

He who had the blood of one of the devil races original leaders would not have descanters as subjects.

Disconnecting his magic circle the Beelzebub descendant looked out ahead of him. He was situated just on the outskirts of Luucifad with an army of 5,000 soldiers from his clans personnel army.

An insurance policy just in case today emergency session of Ars Goetia was actually an elaborate trap to stage a coup and overtake Luucifad itself.

That was not the case.

But that didn't mean the event wouldn't happen soon.

Seeing this the Beelzebub descendant decided to take pre-emptive measures.

He raised his left arm, and immediately after he did the commander of his troops flew up to him and landed at his side.

"Yes my lord, what is your command?" The commander asked.

"It seems that the whole of Ars Goetia has turned into a traitorous lot. Go and slaughter them for me." The Beelzebub descendant said. "Leave no survivors, and kill anyone or anything that gets in your way."

The Beelzebub descendant meant his words. Even if civilians were in his soldiers path he expected them to slaughter them without hesitation. After all if they didn't, then it would delay them from their goal, and the Beelzebub descendant refused to have that.

He wanted the members of Ars Goetia dead as soon as possible.

"It shall be done my lord." The army commander spoke.

He then moved to ready his drops.

But just as he did clouds formed in the sky over the army.

'What the hell?' The Beelzebub descendant thought. He turned his gaze upwards.

But right as he did powerful wind slashes, fire blasts, and water blasts rained down from the clouds and right into his army.

Not only that but a powerful beam of magical energy also blew down into the armies ranks, completely obliterating what was caught in its light.

"Fuck!" The Beelzebub descendant roared.

He had no idea what was happening. Or who was attacking him.

But in the next few seconds he got a glimpse of his attacks.

The first was Kaido, flying through the air.

As for the second it was something the Beelzebub descendant had never laid eyes on before.

It was white on color, and massive and moving through the air.

This monstrosity is known as the Iscariot.

Asterius's first functioning flying magical battleship.

(Image Here)

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(MC: POV)

Hearing a massive explosion everyone turned their heads and began whispering about it.

Except for me, since I knew exactly what is was.

One of my secret weapons.

Let's see how the Maou faction deals with this.

I really can't wait to see them struggle in vein.

Just thinking about it brought a sinister smile to my face.