Cult of Diablos

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## General Information

### **Base of Operation**

Unknown

The **Cult of Diablos** (ディアボロス教団, *Diaborosu Kyōdan*) is an ancient, secretive, and power-hungry organization that serves as the primary antagonists of **The Eminence in Shadow**. Considered a little-known myth at best by the public, their existence is carefully concealed as they manipulate global affairs from the shadows, seeking to control society while using the demon Diablos' power to gain immortality so that their rule will be eternal.

They have members in many high-ranking positions across the world and have manipulated history from the shadows, having long distorted the truth about the Three Heroes and renamed the "Curse of Diablos" into Demon Possession. They seek to ultimately resurrect the demon Diablos to gain further power and improve the Tears of Diablos which the Cult uses to grant its leaders immortality and strength, as well as abducting and experimenting on descendants of the Heroes to further their knowledge and goals.

Until Shadow Garden appeared, they were all but unopposed.

## Membership

The Cultists are shown as power-hungry, self-serving, and ruthless, caring little to nothing of the lives they trample and end in pursuit of their goals. A handful of their agents have been shown to have once been decent people, but have been long broken by the Cult into joining their ranks, with the Cult having established 'traps' to lure in occasional would-be heroic individuals for elimination or forced recruitment. The vast majority of the Cult, however, is compromised of the "Children of Diablos" who are raised within the organization.

### Children of Diablos

The **Children of Diablos** (ディアボロス・チルドレン, *Diaborosu Chirudoren*) begin as orphans or young citizens (typically from poorer families) who possess magic affinity, even the smallest amount, that the Cult kidnaps and brings to special facilities to be raised under the Cult's eye. These children will proceed to undergo a brutal regimen of harsh training, brainwashing, and administration of drugs that kills most of them in order to become the vanguard of the Cult of Diablos with their combat power that far surpasses any normal knight. It's said that fewer than 10 percent of them manage to "graduate" (survive) this process. Subsequently these graduates are organized into rankings of 3rd, 2nd, and 1st.

The 3rd Children are those that survived but are deemed worthless, considered as the failures among the graduates and to be nothing more than disposable pawns. Their minds are too corrupted for them to leak any classified information if interrogated, and their fighting prowess is more powerful compared to the average knight, thus the Cult makes use of its failures.

The 2nd Children are mentally stable, while the relatively few 1st Children are said to be considered some of the most powerful warriors alive, possessing very significant power by the world's standards.

The 1st children are the strongest among the Children of Diablos, they are also allowed to appear in public, but limit their powers and use of red pills.

Among the Children of Diablos, those who have provided exceptional contributions to the Cult are granted a name. Most *"Named Children"* are 1st, but 2nd being named is not unheard of, if rare.

### Knights of Rounds

The **Knights of Rounds** (ナイツ・オブ・ラウンズ, *Naitsu obu Raunzu*) are the leadership echelon of the organization, consisting of the 12 strongest Cultists. Gaining a Seat position among them could bring an unbelievable amount of influence, prestige, and wealth. Being *"Named"* is almost considered a requirement as a gateway for a position in the Rounds.

Each member of the *Knights of Rounds* will take 1 drop of the Tears of Diablos annually to maintain their demonic strength and immortality. Only 12 drops a year can be produced, which is incidentally the number of Seats within the Knights of Rounds. Thus all other members in the Cult are hope to join the Rounds by gaining a Seat, for seeking both the immortality and power promised by the position. It is possible to lose a Seat.

There is also another requirement to become a candidate of the Knights without being "Named" and 1st and 2nd Children are allowed to participate. They will be nominated by their leader, which is a member of the Knight Rounds from their respective factions, if they have completed a very significant contribution to the operation mission given by the Cult.

Although 12 cult members hold seat positions within the Knights of Rounds, the highest authority position itself has an internal hierarchy because it doesn't necessarily to dictate the hierarchy making each number on a seat position do not determine how big the hierarchy level and it's probably done to increase their own influence in the organization by increasing the important contributions and power, as well as connections.

Not even one member of the twelve knights could randomly select a member for a vacant position from the available seats and there are some infighting on any faction, which they can put their own pawn to have more decision power. So, every member of the knights with more powerful seat positions are trying to leads and entice others also tempt any opportunists cult member by promised a promotion and make them to become a member of the Rounds, including all of its benefits and immortality which makes drives them to commit any atrocity by doing their dirty work, no matter how inhumane or homicidal deed that they use for whatever it takes to ensuring their allegiance to the cult with/without the intention of ever fulfilling the position.

When a member obtains a Rounds position in an available seat, their positions are not the same as equal since there was little to no communication between each other because they have their own levels of achievement in addition to the strengths and abilities that the members have.

After the appearance of Shadow Garden, Some members of the **Knights of Rounds** has degraded in quality and someone with a weak track record of achievements, who should never be able to obtain a Seat position normally, blaming Shadow Garden and the Cult's leadership for having grown complacent due to their immortality.

## Equipment and Artifacts

With the passing of time, the cult has created, collected and stolen all kinds of artifacts, weapons, among other things to increase the power of its organization and that of its members throughout the magical world and at the same time, used the powers of powerful entities, as living weapons among other things, such as:

## Known Members

### Knights of Rounds

The highest authority within the Cult; they consist of the organization's strongest knights and receive the "Beads of Diablos", which granted them demonic strength and immortality.

1. Unknown
2. Unknown
3. Unknown
4. Unknown
5. Unknown
6. Unknown
7. Unknown
8. Unknown
9. Unknown
10. Unknown
11. Unknown
12. Unknown

### 3rd Children

These children are the 10 percent who are deemed worthless; bearing no names, and as such, will never be recorded below.

### Allies

Over time, the cult managed to persuade or force the individuals of other races and people with different statuses and positions to temporarily work with them from the outside and complete missions requested by the cults leadership before being able to fully enter the organization, acting as collaborators, conspirators, sleeper agents, and spies. Regardless of their loyalty, they are easily expendable for the organization.

## Sect Factions

Considering the fact the Cult exists since ancient times and all attempts to oppose them were swiftly dealt with, they become arrogance as they always been at odds with each other member that always wishing for eternal life and ruling the world from the shadows, as well as possessing wealth and fame. Also, doing engaged in the strife tension of internal power struggles against each other faction, because their own desired of selfishness and greed as they only lusted on the demon's power which they have not worked together for hundreds of years.

Each member of the Knights of Rounds has their own faction, which divided into 12 different Sect faction using their name on their faction; namely:

1. Unknown's Sect Faction
2. Unknown's Sect Faction
3. Unknown's Sect Faction
4. Unknown's Sect Faction
5. Unknown's Sect Faction
6. Unknown's Sect Faction
7. Unknown's Sect Faction
8. Unknown's Sect Faction
9. Unknown's Sect Faction
10. Unknown's Sect Faction
11. Unknown's Sect Faction
12. Unknown's Sect Faction

## Trivia

* The name of Diablos from Spanish word and Diabolos (διάβολος) from Greek word, often translated as "Devil".
* The Knights of Rounds are based on the Knights of the Round Table from Arthurian legend, with some members even sharing the names of the real knights.
* Within the Cult "Knights of Round" members, there are some names are also inspired by gods and divine beasts from Norse mythology,