Royce Glasya-Labolas

**Royce Glasya-Labolas** was the first trueborn son and heir to the Glasya-Labolas Clan after Falbium abdicated to become Satan Asmodeus. He was assassinated by his younger brother Zephyrdor for the position of heir.

## Appearance

According to many, Royce looked like a more gentle version of his half-brother Falbium, with black hair falling down his shoulders and melancholic gray eyes. One might even mistake him for a woman if they don't look close enough.

## Personality

Royce was said to be the opposite of the typical Glasya-Labolas, being gentle, caring, and an overall pacifist. While he was more interested in becoming a scholar than a warrior, his battle skills were so great that no elder could disagree about his becoming the heir despite his gentle heart.

He was charismatic and when he played the high harp, people would flock around him to hear the songs he played, and with that, their hearts were snatched by him. However, he remained loyal to his betrothed Latia Astaroth, even though their relationship was purely platonic, as he himself had no interest in any relationship, romantic and sexual alike.

He loved his siblings greatly and mourned alongside his mother every time she delivered a stillborn, and practically acted as a father to his younger siblings, Zephyrdor and Iryuka. He also greatly admired his half-brother Falbium and wished to become his assistant when he grew up.

## History

### Early Life

Royce was born as the first trueborn child of Lord and Lady Glasya-Labolas, sometime in the early years of the Devil Civil War. When he was born, he was so frail that his mother refused to let him out of her sight for even a minute, and would let no one but her touch him, even his own father.

Being the younger half-brother of one of the Anti-Satan Faction's leaders, he was protected by dozens of legions of armed men at all times. He would grow up hearing his brother talk about tactics and strategies and military plans more than he would hear fairy-tales, and learn how to read a man and a room better than many skilled politicians.

The most traumatic memory he had was possibly that of the Siege of Dreadfort, when a group of Beelzebub devils tried to siege Dreadfort, the Glasya-Labolas Clan's familial seat, in order to capture and kill Falbium, or at least, capture Royce as a hostage. Their plan, however, went horribly wrong when Falbium captured and imprisoned them instead, and would horridly tortured them for 244 days and nights before skinning alive on the 245th day. During the course of three months, there wasn't a day that Royce didn't hear the prisoners' screams, and while he understood why his brother did, it still led him into becoming a pacifist later in life.

### Life & Death

As the Devil Civil War ended, the Netherworld finally saw peace and Royce had the chance of growing up like all normal children did. He went to school with friends his age, and later one welcomed his younger siblings, a brother named Zephyrdor and a sister named Iryuka. He was trained by the greatest scholars in the Netherworld, all loved his eagerness to learn and they themselves were eager to teach the younger half-brother of one of the strongest devils there ever was.

At some point, he became engaged with Latia Astaroth, the third-in-line for the position of Duke Astaroth and the niece of Ajuka Beelzebub, Falbium's friend and fellow Satan. Due to the age gap, none developed any relationship other than platonic ones, as Latia came to see Royce as a brother figure even more than her cousin, who despised and looked down on her.

However, for unknown reason, in late 20XX, he became ill due to an unknown disease and soon died a year later. His death left many shocked and the entire nobility mourning for his family's tragedy, with his mother becoming overwhelmed with shock that she did not speak or laugh or do anything but to look solemnly out the window for hours at time, hands still clutching Royce' favorite scarf. In the aftermath of his death, his younger brother Zephyrdor became heir to the Glasya-Labolas Clan.

A year later, true events behind his death were revealed, as it was Zephyrdor who poisoned him with Diodora Astaroth's help in order to become the family heir. The latter, on the other hand, had his own motives as Royce was stated to have been investigating a series of excommunicated nuns from all across the world after an encounter with an unnamed devil, and would have figure out him and his connections with the Khaos Brigade had he hadn't been killed in time. When news of this was revealed, Zephyrdor was beaten on the verge of death by their own mother while Iryuka was made the new heiress of the Glasya-Labolas Clan.

## Relationships

* **Falbium Asmodeus**: Royce's older half-brother. It's said that Royce admired him greatly and tried his best to be just like him and even wished to one day become his assistant. He was also said to be personally taught how to wield and fight with a sword by Falbium, which resulted in him becoming one of the greatest swordsmen in the Netherworld.
* **Zephyrdor** & **Iryuka Glasya-Labolas**: Royce's younger siblings. He doted them greatly and tried to shield them from most of the Glasya-Labolas Clan's dark history, including raping, torturing, and flaying people alive. Even when he was dying, he had never suspected that Zephyrdor would have any reason to hurt him.

## Abilities

**Demonic Power**: As a pureblood devil, Royce possessed a large amount of demonic powers and all the standard powers and abilities of a regular devil, including the power to perform spells using the Glasya-Labolas Clan's magic circle.

* **Excoriation** (皮剥ぎ, *Kawahagi*): The signature hereditary ability of the Glasya-Labolas Clan, which allowed the user to gradually removing the skin of his opponent while forcing them to remain awake and alive at all time. While he was the heir, due to his pacifist nature, it is unknown if he was skilled at his house's hereditary power.

**Master Swordsman**: Royce was mentioned to be a master swordsman, even among the most skilled swordsmen in the Netherworld and had been trained by his brother ever since an early age. It was because of his swordsmanship skills that stopped the elders from removing him as heir, as it was too great to not be utilized by the Glasya-Labolas Clan.

**Master Musician**: Royce was a musician and played a multitude of instruments, with his favorite being the high harp. Whenever he played, people would flock around him to hear his music and would stop their work so no noise could interrupt his songs.

## Trivia

* It's heavily implied that he's asexual and aromantic.
* He was in his 300s by the time of his head, barely older than 15 for the long-lived devils.
* His funeral and mourning was nearly a month-long and the mourning period lasted for a year.
* Rumors said his mother skinned his corpse so that she could preserve him for eternity.