Malebranche

**Malebranche**, also known as the **Evil Claws** are twelve living weapons that the original Four Great Satans created using the crystals that were excavated from Agreas and modeled them into weapons, using the Sacred Gears as a reference. Due to their unique power to transform them into weapons, the Original Satans referred to them as **Satanic Arms**.

## **Summary**

The original Four Great Satans created the Malebranche, living weapons, which were created in secret using the special crystals found in Agreas, using the Sacred Gears that the God of the Bible created as a reference. Though the Four Great Satans used them, they later sealed them fearing their devastating power. As such, none of the Malebranche was used in the Great War, because even if the Devils won, they believed the Malebranche would later kill them in their sleep, describing them as *extremely crazed combatants*.

After the Great War, information about the Malebranche wasn't revealed to the public, so their existence was just treated as a rumor or legend. The ones who knew about them were the original Four Satans and the Heads of the Six Houses of Lucifer. Aside from them, Lord Zaoroma Nebiros knew about the Malebranche, as the others who did know about them have died.

Considered living weapons, the Malebranche possess both a body and consciousness and can change between their normal forms or into combat gear to be wielded.

Barbariccia and Scarmiglione were partially unsealed during the Devil Civil War, with Barbariccia feeling uninterested in that era and instead wishing to fight against the Longinus and their wielders instead. They were sealed away in the deepest space below Lucifaad, but at the end of the Civil War were moved to Zaoroma Nebiros' underground research lab to be unsealed when all the Longinus possessors have assembled.

## **Appearance**

As they are currently sealed away, they are described as 12 Stone Statues.

## **Members**

All members of the Malebranche are currently sealed away with documents left by the original Satans saying that "only the leader, Malacoda, must never be awakened".

Known Members of the Malebranche are:

 Barbariccia
 Scarmiglione

## **Abilities**

Even while sealed away as statues, each of the Malebranche releases an *indescribable pressure and indefinitely daunting aura*, while their leader could emit an *an aura far deadlier than all the other statues*. Each of the twelve Malebranche can transform between their normal forms and combat gears to be utilized by their wearer, with their powers being so great that even the original Four Great Satans feared them.

They are able to transfer part of their power into another Devil boosting their powers based on their compatibility and with different effects.

Scarmiglione gave an unnamed descendant of Beelzebub a small amount of his power as just a demonstration of their power. The descendant’s demonic power and King of Flies ability was enhanced to the point of trasforming into a gigantic chimeric fly, which could disperse corrosive poison, and caused him to become intoxicated by the power. He became so dangerous that Sirzechs needed to use his true form and Ruin the Extinct to annihilate him.

## **Trivia**

* The **Malebranche** (Italian: [ˌmaleˈbraŋke]; "Evil Claws") are demons in the *Inferno* of Dante's *Divine Comedy* who guard Bolgia Five of the Eighth Circle (Malebolge).
* They're considered the Devil version of Sacred Gears.
* Malebranche were candidates for enemies in the 5th arc.
* Within the *Inferno*, the demons provide some moments of satirical black comedy. There are twelve Malebranche named in the poem:
	+ Alichino (derived from Arlecchino, the harlequin);
	+ Barbariccia ("Curly Beard");
	+ Cagnazzo ("Nasty Dog");
	+ Calcabrina (possibly "Grace Stomper" or "Frost Trampler");
	+ Ciriatto ("Wild Hog");
	+ Draghignazzo ("Nasty Sneering Dragon");
	+ Farfarello (possibly "Goblin");
	+ Graffiacane ("Dog Scratcher" or "Scratcher-dog");
	+ Libicocco (possibly "Libyan Hothead" or "Windy");
	+ Malacoda, the leader ("Evil Tail");
	+ Rubicante (possibly "Red-faced Terror" and a reference to Cante de' Gabrielli, who as Podestà of Florence condemned Dante to exile);
	+ Scarmiglione (possibly "Trouble Maker" or "Disheveled")