"Call it what you will - a revelation from god, or a curse of the demon king. The fact remains that our world came to an end.
A heretic called upon an unearthly light, and devastation ensued. Chaos drawled out of the depths of the ocean, from the black abyss.
Death upon death... Nothing but death in this barren land. Who can we pray to? There are only demons and fiends here.
A voice in the dark beguiles me. "Truth is a mystery, unraveled by the candles' flames."

-from The Journal of a Man Who Wandered into Another World

DxD: Nocturne

The First Night: A Demon Among Devils

He wasn't entirely sure how it happened. The last thing he recalled before awakening in a park, sat atop a small wooden bench, was fighting against the core of the Vortex World, Kagutsuchi, his demons at his side. He remembered how the white orb continued to wail and scorn him for his actions, having chosen a path that did not align with any of the paths of Reason. It was not that he did not want the recreation of the world, he simply disagreed with his friends, and Hikawa's, ideals. The Reason of Yosuga promised a dictatorship of the highest form, a world with Social Darwinism and Meritocracy as the sole governments. The weak would be trampled upon, routed out and erased, and only those with strength, those with real power, could build and shape the world as they saw fit. The Reason of Musubi promised an isolated world, with individuals ignoring one another's businesses, events, and personal problems. They would not be able to interact, their bonds severed, and their links broken. The Reason of Shijima promised stagnation, a world where all was one with the void, neither able to progress or degrade. All things would be caught within a world of nothingness, joined together. There was also the state of things to consider.

Through traveling the depths of the netherworld, the Labyrinth of Amala, and retrieving the Candelabrum, he learned the true nature of the order of the world. Kagutsuchi, the core of the Vortex World, is only but a piece of God, the Great Will's cognitive functions and designs. It existed for the sole purpose of creating a world, based on the foundation of the Reason that proves itself worthy. However, it was not a sole, singular action. It was a cycle of death and rebirth, and endless loop of destruction and creation. A world would last for so long, a few years at most, before it would be destroyed by Kagutsuchi, and the Vortex World would come into being again, and with new Reasons set into place, a new world waiting to be born.

Be born.

Grow.

Die.

Be born again.

A world is created, populated by mankind, and is then destroyed. A cycle that drives the flow of time. If he destroyed Kagutsuchi, he would end the cycle, and end time instantly. Creation would no longer be possible, no new world born, and no world reaching an end. All there would be is chaos, a world void of neither life and death. The world would be reverted to it's primordial state. Darkness, in all of it's prime, would reign supreme, cloaking all of the world within it's threshold.

And he chose to end the cycle, with all the implications it entailed. Kagutsuchi fell, and the Vortex World fell into darkness. Light, progenitor of creation, had succumbed to the darkness, progenitor of destruction. He expected the world to be gone, to be forever out of reach. He could have chosen to return his world to it's former glory, a world with no set course, an existence uncertain, untamed and left to soar to the skies as it saw fit. However, he knew that his world would not last for long, that it would fall into chaos within a set time. It was better this way... though perhaps whatever little remained of his humanity, if there was even a shred of it, felt a pang of regret in his heart.

When he came to, he found himself in an unfamiliar place. A city he had no knowledge of, a world that even shouldn't be here. Kuoh was an irregularity, and right from the beginning, he knew it was a world completely outside of his knowledge. Any and all traces of his previous world, the hell he faced being a testament to what sort of life he held to give up his humanity, all for the sake of ending the cycle. Recalling his journey made him test to see if he still possessed the power he wielded in the final battle. His tattoos and horn were missing, but he still felt the incredible, overflowing, chaotic force that dwelled within him, being cultivated within countless days, perhaps even years, of slaughtering all that stood against him and his comrades. He was still capable of summoning his demons as well. Pixie, his first companion, one who trusted him without fail, stood at her small stature, pure power flowing at her fingertips (and slightly miffed at the prospect that she could not be with him all the time, as she would attract far too much attention). Cu Chulainn, once known as Setanta, carried his lance at the ready, his alliance to the Demi-fiend resolute, and willing to cut down any who dared to stand in his way. Metatron, a demon forged in the image of the strongest Angel the Celestial Plains had to offer, answered him with silence, a solemn nod confirming his allegiance, and willingness to follow one who ended the cycle once more. Other demons stood with him as well, all of them swearing their allegiance to him.

He tried to find his friends, and his beloved teacher, Yuko, but to no avail. Their existences were gone, as if erased from the world. Even Hikawa's corporation was missing, and that in itself was raising alarms. His friends, he understood... but a multi-billion corporation? There was no way he wouldn't miss that. It also did not help matters when he learned that no one even knew about Cybers. If nobody knew what it was, then it was clear where he was.

Reality sunk in, and it threw him for a loop. Entering another world? A result of killing Kagutsuchi? He'd thought he had seen it all, after all the crap he went through. It was a bitter feeling, realizing that the world he knew, despite all the despair and suffering it brought, was gone. He had made many memories there, but at the very least, the companions he made still stood alongside him. Pixie was glad that she could be at his side, Cu Chulainn giving him a smile of assurance, and Metatron, a nod of his standing. The other demons made their opinions known as well. The Fiends accepted the fact that they resided within a new world in stride, and would continue to follow him, recognizing him as the demon that stood above all others. The Harlot was intrigued by the prospect of a new world to be explored, while Hell Biker complained that there were few roads he could actually find thrill in riding on. Trumpeter was silent in his opinion, a clear sign that he was pondering their situation. Beelzebub merely cackled with laughter, remarking that he was as interesting as always in the situations he found himself in.

Eventually, after a long while, he resigned himself to the fact that his world was gone, and that he alone remained, a testament to it's existence. Life continued, so he went about doing what he thought best, finding a small place of residence, and a menial task to perform. After a few months, excessive boredom became apparent, lacking the thrill of excitement or the constant flow of battles that would make themselves present to him. Boredom was no stranger to him, but having no battle present made him slightly anxious, so he found a way to relieve it, if only to some extent. He had managed to find a small apartment to live in near the outskirts of the city, a bit shoddy but still a comfortable place to live in. He also found a part-time job at a small cafe, which he found to be rather soothing and relaxing at times.

In regards to boredom, he found a public academy to attend. It had originally been a private all-girls academy, but a recent change in management led it to becoming co-ed, and it's standards lowered to a certain degree. It still remained incredible with it's academics, providing the finest teaching staff available. The material was relatively easy, and he made sure to lower his athletic abilities. He learned that the school had a club built for the purpose of exploring the Occult, which he became interested in. He had always been interested in the occult, partially the reason why he accepted Hijiri's magazine. He thought about applying to joining, but upon recalling that the idols of the school, the supposed Two Great Ladies of Kuoh Academy, were members, he relented. He had no desire to deal with the mob of fans that would no doubt hound him. Being in these halls brought some semblance of normalcy to him, as if he were reliving his days as a human being prior to becoming a demon. The buzzing chatter, the flow of students in the passing halls, and the lectures had brought forth some peace of mind.

Though he wondered if these times would last.

She wasn't human.

From the instant in which they met, he immediately knew as they passed each in the hall that Rias Gremory was not human. It was partially because of that reason that he tried his best to avoid her.

It wasn't that she was a bad person, per say. Oh no, far from it, in fact. She was definitely living up to her reputation as one of the two Great Ladies. She was warm and gentle with everyone she encountered, and would always greet them with a heart-melting smile, regardless if they were seniors or freshman. As far as she knew, she was always willing to lend a helping hand to whoever needed it, and would work to the best of her abilities when her help was needed, completing any task she was presented with in a graceful nature. It was within her nature, he supposed. Either way, she was certainly living up to her reputation, inhuman as she may be.

They were like a stark contrast to one another. A former human who fades into the background, never really bothering anyone, while another is always in the spotlight, smile at the ready.

He was also aware that she was the president of the Occult Research Club, the same group he pondered about applying to before relenting. As far as he knew, the club composed of the red-haired beauty herself, the second Great Lady of Kuoh, the black-haired and purple eyed senior named Akeno Himejima, the blonde-haired "bishounen prince," Yuuto Kiba, and lastly, the unofficial mascot, the small, white-haired, and quiet girl known as Koneko Toujou. It was like a club of hypocrisy, with the members all loved and adored, while the club's purpose was anything but, as most people simply write off the occult, or simply have no interest. More often than not, it is a subject that is widely ignored, unless you are that sort of person.

He was still confused as to what Rias was in the first place. Her presence was a clear indicator that she was not human, but she didn't feel like a demon. A demon was chaos incarnate, a being that lived for destruction, but that said, they were demons with a set group or order to them. In their case, Clans, or Races. Pixie was of the Fairy Race, demons who held themselves with great magical influence, but are typically tricksters in some shape or manner. You can immediately tell what kind of demon a Fairy is, simply by watching their behavior or body language. Cu Chulainn was a Genma, a sort of upper counterpart to the Yoma, if what the Ganesha he met said was to be believed. They are typically demons with some form of loyalty and admiration, but each member was unique to their own. In Cu Chulainn's case, he was the chivalrous type, one who believed in the power of the Demi-fiend, power that would protect all that were in need of it. Metatron was of the Holy Race, demons who were fashioned after the angels themselves. They were demons, but held such a regal, noble stance that they were an existence of peculiarity. Metatron was a demon that was born, fashioned after the holiest of the celestial hosts in Heaven, after it's fall in the deepest depths of Amala. He held none of the original's traits, only a sense of what was right and wrong to him, and his loyalty to the Demi-fiend, one who sought to end the cycle.

Rias Gremory was not a demon, but her existence seemed to be in comparison to his own, if only of a more lighter. She did not exhibit bloodlust, or smelled of destruction. No, hers was more of a light-hearted, temping, if not mischievous presence. Whatever she was, it was clear that her existence was not the same as his, and he preferred it that. He continued to avoid her, as he did not want her becoming aware of him. The last thing he needed was confrontation. He was enjoying this time of peace and quiet, however short it might possibly be.

Unfortunately, it appeared that his evasion of her had not gone unnoticed. He was not like the other boys here, who would become tongue-tyed or speechless or go wide-eyed at the prospect of a wonderful beauty giving them a look. He was grateful for that fact, because if her were, he would get a Megidolaon to the face, courtesy of one Pixie. She was strangely clingy to him in that regard. At any rate, in the times he was unable to avoid her, he would give her a nod of acknowledgement, and go back to what he was doing before. It apparently put him away from the rest, but that was how he preferred it. He did not want to mingle with anyone here.

No one could replace Isamu and Chiaki.

The slips he gave the redhead that tried to speak with him could not be considered anything but avoiding her, as if she were the plague. Still, she had not given up, and the more he tried to avoid her, the more she persisted in cornering him. In the few months since he arrived to Kuoh, it had almost become like a game of cat and mouse to him, with him as the mouse, and Rias as the cat. That said, it was a game of patience than anything else, and he held more than enough patience to play the game. After all, he spent long hours, possibly even days, defeating demons and robbing them of their Magatsuhi for himself and his companions, in order to obtain greater power. If the recent, scowling smiles she presented to him after spending her break periods trying to find him, only to discover him in their next class from the very beginning were anything to go by, it was clear that he was beginning to win.

He regretted not being able to be friends with her, at the very least. The images of his friends still haunted him, their looks of cold indifference as demons present before morphing into forlorn, saddened, and broken, after having their Reasons shattered like glass. He couldn't afford to allow anyone close to him.

Not ever again.

He had, in no way, considered Issei Hyoudou to be a friend. In fact, he solemnly wished he would never be friends with the brunette. Unfortunately, however, if the way the boy treated him was any clear indication, he regarded him as such. He tried to make himself scarce and fade into the background, as he always had, but like Rias, Issei would try and find him. Unlike the redhead, the boy actually managed to succeed, and for several long, agonizing hours, he was forced to listen to the boy as he was regaling him with tales of the female body, such as their breasts, fine legs, curves, and worst of all... harems. He could swear, by the LIFE of him, the boy was an Incubus, a demon of the Night Race. Demons of that clad were perverts in all manner of speaking, especially the menfolk. Issei was much worse than them, perversity on par with even Lilith. He shuddered at the memory.

Never agree to drink with the former wife of Adam, lest you find yourself naked in bed with scratch marks and said demoness right next to you. He wasn't sure what happened that night, but if the glare Pixie sent his way was any indication, it was obvious what transpired. After said incident, Pixie had not spoken to him for at least for what seemed like a MONTH before he managed to find a way to get her to forgive him, despite it not being completely his fault. That said, she was still bit antsy, even after she throttled the demoness through the wall with a Megidolaon.

He still felt a little guilty about the whole thing.

Lilith was not a bad demon, she was simply doing what was in her clan's nature: seduce. In her case, though, she and Nyx agreed that he was unlike any demon. He had good looks, a well-toned body, and power beyond any normal demon. He was power incarnate, they claimed. A behemoth that stood atop a mountain of corpses, reigning supmreme over them all. Almost like their king. He knew very little about the demon king they spoke of, only that he was TRUE power. He knew very little of him, but he was aware of how the demons, no matter their race, revered him. They worshiped this being as if he were a God. Their God. One thing was for sure, the desire for battle had never been so excited when hearing about the King of Demons, as if his truest, demonic self, desired nothing more than to face darkness incarnate. At any rate, back to the topic regarding Lilith, ever since the day they met at the Tower of Kagutsuchi, she was heavily enamored with him. They were not allies, merely acquaintances at Nyx's bar. He wasn't sure why she was attracted to him in particular, but had not thought much about it. That, and she appeared to be civil at best, offering him a drink. Normally, he would decline, as he was underage... but being a demon had it's perks.

A shame about still being able to get drunk. He really should have taken Cu Chulainn's warning more seriously.

Issei, however, was blissfully unaware of the workings of a harem, of how dysfunction and rare-working a harem worked, unless you were someone from the old ages, where harems were common. From what scatterbrained and youthful arrogant ideas the pervert let slip, it was clear that he thought that everything would all come together perfectly. He failed to factor in human emotion into the equation.

That did not mean Issei was a bad person. He failed to bring himself to hate the boy. He couldn't even dislike him. Perverted tendencies aside, he was still a decent human being, and possessed an admirable loyal streak. He wouldn't abandon his friends, no matter what the circumstances were. It was a trait he admired, and respected to some degree. A part of him almost envied that side of Issei. If he had more of such a quality, then perhaps Isamu and Chiaki would still be with him, and his world, returned to it's former splendor.

Issei actually reminded him, if only a bit, of Isamu, oafish and clumsy as he was. Despite being a victim of bullying, he was steadfast, and always remained loyal to his friends, and would overcome any obstacle. Such traces of his best friend now only existed within memory, for that person had been replaced with one who desired only solitude.

Still, the boy's constant yapping of women and harems was beginning to annoy him to no end. He was half-tempted to introduce him to Mara, just to erase the pervert's lecherous streak, but then decided not to. He was happy for Issei when he told him he had finally found a girlfriend, as it would mean he would have less time to pester him with his tales of debauchery. However, just as fast as it happened did Issei change. It almost seemed as if he was stunned, like something had happened and he was still reeling away from the shock of it all. He also noticed how the boy's presence had changed, as it was now like that of Rias Gremory; similar to a demon, yet not, but still inhuman. He also felt something else, a presence completely unknown to him, an unrecognizable stench lingering about him. Whatever the case, the melancholy the boy expressed lasted for weeks, to a bare minimum, and now it was Issei who avoided him and retreating away when he approached.

He should have felt to feel some form of peace during this time, but he did not. Pixie suggested that perhaps he had grown somewhat fond of his company, perverted discussions aside.

Then, Issei Hyouou stood in front of him when school had reached it's end. What had once been sadness was replaced with violent anger, something that surprised him.

"What would you do, Musegi-senpai," Issei asked him, clearly serious about something. "If someone you cared about, despite meeting her LITERALLY only yesterday, was in danger, but your friends say it's too dangerous to try and save her?"

That question took him by surprise. Where had this come from?

"I mean, I know it's my fault that Asia-chan is in trouble, so I can't just leave her there to hang, you know?" the brunette continued, clearly distressed about this person named Asia. "I know Buchou told me not to go after her, but it's still my fault that she's in trouble, dammit!"

He raised an eyebrow. Buchou? Wait, was he referring to Rias Gremory? What did she have to do with this?

"I just can't stand seeing her being tortured by that... that bitch!" He nearly recoiled by the venomous tone that made itself known in the brunette. That was the first time he ever heard Issei speak so... darkly, before. "That's why, I need to help her right away! So... what would you do, Musegi-senpai?"

He considered the situation. From how little the information that had just been dumped onto him was, caution would clearly be the wisest choice. He told the pacing boy as much.

"You're right!" Issei grinned, flicking his nose as he slammed his fist into his palm. "I should be cautious about telling Buchou about what I'm going to do and rescue Asia-chan right away!"

...That...was not what he had said at all.

"Thanks, Musegi-senpai!" The boy flashed him another grin, this time a grateful one. "I'm going to do exactly as you say!"

Wait, what? Before he even had time to question him, Issei spun around on his heel, and took off in a sprint. He could have sworn he saw a trail of dust piling behind him as he did so. He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he looked at the direction that the brunette had run off in. He was sure that this would come to bite him in the ass, afterwards, but somehow, it didn't feel right leaving the boy alone by himself. Maybe Pixie was right, maybe he had grown fond of his company.

At any rate, it was clear that the boy was going to do something stupid. That in mind, he stepped forward, and then hastened after him.

The church, he easily recognized. He could see this eyesore even on the outskirts of town. He had walked by it on a few occasions, on his way to Kuoh, but never so much as set foot on it's grounds. The place was a house of God, the same being that had decided that his world needed to be put through the dimensional grinder and then put back together from scratch, and repeat the process, over and over and over. From where he stood, the sounds of combat had all but faded, leaving a pregnant silence. Obviously, Issei was in there somewhere, fighting something. Whether or not he succeeded was unknown, but the presences he sensed from within the chapel disturbed him. They were not like him or like Issei and Rias. In fact, it felt like the opposite of the two latter individuals, almost holy in a sense, but diluted, almost tainted.

He placed a hand against the wooden frame. The last time he pried into matters that were not his own, he had almost met his end at the hands of Hikawa, and at the hands of demons who wanted his head. He saw the boy charge right into the church, and waited for about half an hour. The pervert had still not appeared, so he concluded that Issei had lost the fight. He could still feel his presence, albeit slightly weakened. Obviously, he had ended up getting his rear end handed to him.

A small, hidden smile crossed his face, feeling the stirring of his demonic self sluggishly coming awake. When was the last time he felt the thrill of battle? He pushed the door open, and took a quick glance around the church. He found himself almost chuckling at the sight. He saw the rows of wooden pews that should have been arranged in neat rows scattered haphazardly over the antechamber. He saw black marks charred across the walls, evidence of some great fire or an equally great battle, or perhaps both. He saw shards of colorful glass strewn across the floor, the remains of the chapel's many stained glass windows. And then he saw her, garbed in the robes of a nun, chained to the crucifix, her head hung low, locks of blonde hair dangling limply from her skull. He saw found Issei himself, lying on his stomach, his body body battered and bruised, and lying in front of the crucifix with girl that was bound to it.

He took a step inside, pulling his hand out from his trousers. It had not gone unnoticed, as Issei lifted his head up, revealing blood dribbling down the corner of his lip, his left eye black and swollen, and an irritated, bloody bruise on his right cheek. He grunted as he pulled up his head, and stared at him with utter shock and worry. Recognition came first, and then panic. "What are you doing here, Musegi-senpai?!" he groaned, his voice weak. Obviously, whoever had done this had done quite a number on him. "You've got to get out of here! It's too dangerous!"

Dangerous? That had been when he noticed the presence of the figures he had sensed earlier prior to entering. Three were clad in black, and varied in appearance. One was a bearded man in a trench coat, leaning against the wooden beam behind him with his arms folded over his chest. A small blonde girl sat atop the ruined remains of a bench, dressed in a Gothic Lolita style, swinging her thin legs up and down, leg by leg. The third was a dark haired beauty in a revealing dress, her face set into a look off utter boredom, a face he was accustomed to wearing, having experienced great lengths of boredom himself, sitting in a chair with an arm slung over the edge. He immediately recognized the fourth figure, showing herself almost immediately to Issei's warning, and then he understood the change.

The black-winged existence known as Yuuma Amano smiled at him, as if not bothered by his intrusion. The gathering particles of light that swelled up in her hand spoke otherwise, forming into a glowing white spear.

"Die," was all she said before she threw the spear.

The strike was swift, fast and hurdling straight toward him with a terrifying speed that any normal person would have been hit dead on, straight to the chest, and heart obliterated. He dodged it with ease, his body weight shifting to the right as he moved his left foot back in line with his right, bringing the left half of his body with him. The spear whizzed past him, hot air blowing against him, and struck into the wall behind him, leaving behind a black scorch mark.

"Dammit, Raynare, why are you doing this?!" the brunette screamed in outrage, unaware that he had managed to swiftly dodge the strike. "Even if your a freaking Fallen Angel, that's no excuse to hurt humans!"

Fallen Angels? Well, that explains the black wings. Still, he was a bit disappointed. He met many demons that were Fallen Angels, such as Samael or Azazel, but they held appearances that had gone against their previous status. They appeared as terrifying creatures, boasting immense magical power. Compared to them, these Fallen Angels were rather disappointing. The wings looked impressive, but their appearance was anything but. He was a bit put off by the little girl. Something about her screamed against her seemingly innocent nature. He learned to not judge by appearances, as a result of his encounter with a small, particularly lethal little ghost girl that had nearly killed him on many occasions as a result of a tantrum.

"Why?" The woman's face was set into a leer, glaring down at him with utter disdain. "It's because you are human! Your nothing but bugs that deserve to be crushed and exterminated! Your nothing! No, your less than nothing! Both you, and your shitty Devil friends!"

Ah, so that's why Issei and Rias had such similar presences. Still, Devils? Not demons? He wasn't aware that there was a distinction. Still, the woman's rant and opinion on humans irked him somewhat. She sounded so damned high and mighty, so pitifully arrogant that it almost made him yawn. Forget being a Fallen Angel, she may as well already be a demon... albeit as weak as a Willow-o-Wisp. No, wait, scratch that. That would be an insult to the phantasms.

"You missed," the blonde girl with curls complained, eyeing him from her perch with a look of distaste and slight interest.

He realized that he had become the center of attention. The woman called Raynare stared at him, giving him a peculiar glare.

"How did you dodge that?" she asked him. "Who are you?"

"What are you doing, Musegi-senpai?!" Issei screamed at him, his voice ragged with pain. "Run! Get out of here! I'll hold them off!" He was mildly surprised when the boy half-rised, getting onto his hands and knees, before a long, slender leg pinned him to the ground, a spiked heel digging into his back, eliciting a cry of pain.

"I don't know how you managed to dodge that, human." Raynare tilted her head, ignoring the struggling brunette beneath her foot. "You should have died."

If he were human, then yes, he would have. He sincerely doubted that, even if the spear struck him, he'd die. He had taken much more serious wounds than that. Surt's flaming sword hurt like absolute hell, it almost felt like he was being cooked alive by the sheer intensity of those flames.

"Oh well, it doesn't matter. As they say, second time's the charm."

She forged another spear, and threw it. Again, he dodged it. This time, he jumped away to the left, the spear lodging itself into the spews of benches before reducing it to burnt, charred splinters.

"Not bad," Raynare gave him a smile of approval. "Your much better than this dumbass" For emphasis, she twisted her heel, creating a yell of pain from the brunette. The third spear came, this time aimed at his leg. He performed a backflip, throwing himself into the air as the spear pierced into the ground, and landing on his hand. The fourth came just as quick as the last, and this time, launched himself off of his palm, leaping back quite a ways as the spear lodged into the floor.

This was beginning to grow so boresome... This woman wouldn't even be worth a challenge. He got his hopes up for nothing. Oh well... least he could toy around with her somewhat. She was relieving some built-up boredom.

Raynare threw her head back, laughing as she continued to throw spear after spear at him, watching as he dodged them all lazily. "This is soooo much better!" she remarked, creepily pleased. He frowned when he noticed that the other Fallens were now watching him with interest. "So, so much better! Oh, why couldn't you have been given the Sacred Gear instead?!" Sacred Gear? What was that? He pondered about it as he tilted his head to the right, avoiding having his head skewed by a light spear. The strike wouldn't have killed him, but it would have made for an annoying headache. "Poor Issei-kun let me kill him so easily," The boy in question sobbed out of frustration, unable to do anything in his beaten state. It almost made him feel sorry for the poor brunette. Almost. "Can you believe it?! He just lets me kill him, just like that! It was so easy, but it just wasn't any fun! I want to have some actual fun! I want to enjoy the sight of my prey slowly dying!"

She threw her hands in the air. In response, dozens of spears appeared above her head. The maddening, insane grin on her face perfectly matched the look only a demon could give... still made her less than a Willow-o-Wisp though. "So let's have some fun!"

He groaned when they all launched themselves at him. It wasn't that they struck all at once. They hurled themselves at him, one at a time, and then another spear took it's place. It was like raining holy needles. He continued to dodge them with ease, each whizzing past him as if they were all nothing. He was starting to grow bored again. He was also thinking about what he should do for lunch. While he did not require food, it was still apart of his routine. That, and he liked how it tasted. Maybe he should go for some take out. He recalled that a new Chinese restaurant had opened up not too long ago, so maybe he could order something from there?

"This is how it should be!" the delirious Fallen laughed, eyes gleaming with madness. "This is how things should have been! Pathetic, lowly creatures like you, fleeing and running away from us like the insects that you are! We're better than you! We are superior to you! We are like gods compared to you maggots! You deserve to be judged for simply coming into existence in this world!"

Those words caused him to halt. The last spear had pierced into the ground beside him, fading out of existence a second later. Something about what she had just spoken had caused something inside of him to suddenly snap awake. He had been judged before. He had been judged by many demons in the beginning, his status as the Demi-fiend less than pleasurable. He had been judged by his friends and Hikawa when he rejected their Reasons, and even by their Sponsers, who thought little of him. Kagutsuchi had judged him, scorning his name and his very existence for his actions against the Great Will. He had been judged, from the very moment he set foot in the Vortex World.

And he did not like to be judged.

He rose from his crouched position, the demon self that had been born the day he killed Metatron slowly coming awake, in all of it's angered, unadulterated rage. "Stopped running, have we?" Raynare mocked him, grinning. "Given up?" In response to her inquery, he glared back at her. His hands reached to his tie, undoing the red knot before tossing it aside, and moving to unbutton the blazer. "Such defiance," the woman whispered, sadism clear on her face. "Such insolence. I'm going to break you, I'm going to have you beg and grovel at my feet for your pathetic end. I am going to draw out your entire existence, until your world is nothing BUT agony!

What did she know of agony? He knew agony. He walked hand in hand with it. He lived and breathed in agony. What would she know of true agony? Had she been forcibly stripped of her humanity? Her body forced to become something horrid and grotesque that made her own friends recoil in fear of her? Had she been forced to fight for survival in a world known only as Hell? After her world had come to an end in the blink of an eye? Had she lost her friends to that kind of world? Changing? Becoming less than human? Had she willingly forfeited her heart, in order to obtain the power befitting that of a demon? Had she chosen to kill her friends, with her own two hands?

He undid the last button of his jacket, and tossed it aside, just as he did with his tie, and then worked on the dress shirt. A spear of light slammed into his shoulder, piercing through skin and bone, causing him to stagger a bit. "Whoops," Raynare's features became became a twisted form of exaggerated innocence, a gloved hand cupping her cheek. "I couldn't help myself." He ignored her words, and gripped the spear by the shaft, pulling it out. As soon as the tip left his flesh, red, sewn strands began to quickly appear, repairing the hole instantly. There was no pain, only irritation and anger that would soon be made manifest. Unfortunately, a hole was left behind in the fabric, but he wasn't concerned about that. He undid the last few buttons of his shirt, and then allowed the sleeves to fall from his slim arms, and fall to the ground, close to his feet. The woman's eyes shot up instantly, and her purple irises shined in contempt. "Why you pathetic...!"

"What are you doing?! Run dammit!" Issei screamed, tears running down his face. "You can't fight them, Musegi-senpai! Just run! Run dammit all! For fuck's sake, just run-" He was silenced when Raynare gave him a swift kick to the head, smashing his face into the ground.

The anger was coming to a boil. He wasn't sure why, but that strike against Issei, against the boy he had started to grow fond of, had ignited the flame in his blackened heart. This would be no fight. Far from it... this would be nothing short but a slaughter.

"Despair, tremble," Raynare grinned sickly, her madness becoming ever so present as she raised her hand, and forged another light spear. This one was slightly larger. "Know that you will never match me. Fall, like the insect you are. Succumb to death, and die for me." She threw the spear, this time, it was aimed directly for his heart. Unlike before, he felt no need to dodge.

There was no longer a point. He swung his arm, knuckles brushing against the shaft as it came close to him. It broke apart, shattered to pieces as if it were mere glasses, and dispersed into mere orbs of light as the remains touched the ground. The Fallens became alarmed by this, but what made them tremble was the power that, after remaining silent for so long, had finally reared its head, and made it's presence known to all that stood before it.

Green lines marked his body, glowing softly in the dimness of the church, fashioned like tribal paint. A singular, sharp horn held atop his neck, standing tall and proud, purple electricity cackling around it, and all around his body was the stench of death tainted the air with each step he took, a trembling force of power exerted with each foot touching the ground. The holy ground became overcome, and devoured by the darkness that stood within it's halls. Burning, bloody eyes glared before them, glowing with intensity and rage at the prospect of being judged by a pathetic, insignificant crow. The personafication of death waltzed toward them, and he promised nothing short but pure, agonizing pain.

"...you dare judge me?" the Hitoshura breathed, a bloody mist exhaled from the corners of his mouth. The grossed darkness had only provided him with a more terrifying, deathly visage, so vastly approving of his nature as a Fiend, the very embodiment of death itself. From within another realm, the Fiends felt his presence, and cackled with joy. The Fallen Angels had sealed their doom. "You dare to judge me? You? The lowliest of the low? A pathetic, measly crow with no power, but numbers?"

The Fallens recoiled, terror fully expressed.

"I have faced monsters that would make all living creatures that walk upon this earth tremble with terror. I have fought gods that would have reduced even an entire continent to naught but mere rubble. I have killed demons that would have ended your entire, pathetic, worthless existence with so much as a single snap of it's fingers."

He stopped at the foot of the stairs, and spread his arms out. Power of the purest of darkness, power that only a true demon, could wield in all of it's glory, flowed from him.

"You have dared to judge me... You dared to judge one who killed time herself. I am one of many who embody Death itself. Death's vastness holds no peace. I come at the end of the long road. Neither human, nor devil... all bends to my will."

Red met violet, and a terrifying grin formed on the demon's face.

"I am the Demi-fiend... and you will die."

May you prevail...
Our strength, our hope...

A/N: Yeah, this prologue is heavily similar, if not a total copy-n-paste, to The Crimson Lord's "A Demon Among Devils" fic, but I found it to be the best way to introduce the Demifiend here, and as you can see... Yeah, he's gonna be terrifying beyond trepidation. Ladies and gentleman, if you have noticed that I have deleted Forgotten Humanity, then you had best know that I am on a journey of redemption. Both this, and DxD: FINAL, are works that shall redeem me for my mistakes in my previous fic. People complain about that I am nerfing SMT in Highschool DxD: Shatter Destiny, DESPITE the fact that I am just getting started on that story, as we are only a few chapters in.

Also, because this is the DxD world, God is indeed dead, but this is DxD God, not SMT God. Just want to point this out before you bash me. Anyway... yeah, that's about it. Tell me your thoughts in the reviews. How do you feel about this prologue of things to come? Did you like it? Did you hate it? Feedback is very much appreciated, and I hope to see you all again in the next one. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this story! You all have a wonderful day, or night, wherever you live!

Please, be safe! Demons Anarchy of Pride, OUT!