DISCLAIMER: DxD doesn't belong to me. All th rights to Ichiei Ishibumi and its respective magazines.
'You're worthless...'
'You're scum...'
'They waste time and effort in a lost cause such as you.'
'You'll never reach either Rias or Sirzechs.'
'Just give up, you eyesore.'
'It'd have been better if you never existed...'
Alice Gremory was used in hearing those and many more belittling and insulting words. He thought he would get used to them as he got older and more mature, but alas, he couldn't, he shouldn't, but he would hear them nonetheless, no matter his own efforts to change that.
Born and raised as a pure-blooded devil heir of the Gremory clan, the twin brother of Rias Gremory born just a few minutes earlier than his illustrious sister; the children of Venelana, the previous heiress of the Bael clan of devils, and Zeoticus, the head of the prestigious Gremory clan; not to mention the siblings of the one and only Sirzechs Lucifer, the strongest devil alive, who lead his fellow kin against the arrogant original satans, their descendants and their suicidal ideologies against the other races of the Three Factions, emerging victorious due to his abnormal power and mastery over his Bael side's Power of Destruction abilities, now becoming the de facto leader of the devilkin alongside his beloved wife, Grayfia Lucifuge, and his fellow Anti-satan leaders, now the new four demon lords.
Born in a time of peace and prosperity, plus his shared genes with an individual such as Sirzechs, his twin sister already showing signs of a prodigy, everyone had high hopes for the second heir of the clan, with their signature crimson hair and bright blue eyes inherited from his dear father, plus the best the Underworld could offer in education, tutoring and time. Alice, being Rias' twin, had everything to become a formidable devil like his brother and sister...
He had everything... Except talent. Except aptitude, except any innate prowess for anything.
Years passed, then a few more, then a lot more, and then some more, and little by little people started to realize something about Alice: he was a failure, a zero, a lost cause. Unlike his talented siblings, the young heir only started to manifest control over his signature Power of Destruction a bit later than his other relatives, to the point some thought he was born without it like his cousin Sairaorg; and even after manifesting it, the best he could create from it was a small blast of annihilation, easily dodgeable, highly predictable, a harmless offense unless the enemy would stay stationary, unlike his sister's, which was the epitome of havoc, or his brother's, who could become ruin itself.
Alice wasn't just lacking in natural abilities either: as soon he and the other discovered, he lacked any talent for combat or magic. Souji Okita, Sirzechs' dearest Knight, tried and tried, but he was unable to pass any form of swordsmanship to the young heir, who couldn't keep his stance right nor hold his weapons tightly enough, a small swing being enough to make it fly off his hands. In an actual combat, he would've been killed more times than one could count. And no matter how much Grayfia taught him, all Alice could do was simple magical tricks and small flames and drops of water, nothing more or less. It wasn't any different than to just cup a handful of water and throw at others.
How about academics? No such luck: Alice couldn't get a single question right on his tests or exams from his tutors, his many tutors. While Rias would pass such with flying colours, it wasn't uncommon for a professor to just... Give up on the boy and leave their teaching position, all the way complaining that it wasn't worth it. Alice would receive many ruler slaps on the back of his hand, sometimes so many it would become as red as his hair, but he couldn't improve at all...
In short, Alice Gremory was a lost cause, an unworthy heir, a loss, scum... A failure.
Yet, even so...Even so...
...
"That is enough for today, lord Alice."
"N-No! I can... I can still go on... Just... Just one more time..."
It was dawn time, the artificial moon was already up high in the purplish Underworld sky, indicating nighttime approaching. From above, we see the castle of the prestigious Gremory clan, one of the remaining 72 noble devil houses and the progenitor of the current Satan Lucifer, Sirzechs, the strongest devil alive, lifted in all the glory only a family as wealthy and powerful as them can hold. Crossing the main hall, being greeted by several maids and butlers and taking a few turns in the corridors, we reach in a form of a training room, where two figures stood: a silver-haired beauty of perfect proportions and soft features, wearing a french maid outfit, and a young man of bright crimson hair and blue eyes wearing a white shirt and black pants, panting heavily and looking at a small dummy with a rather obvious target painted at it.
It was Grayfia Lucifuge, the silver-haired queen of Annihilation, and her brother-in-law and heir of the Gremory clan, Alice Gremory.
"Lord Alice, your efforts are appreciated, and I shall comment on your tenacity positively, but that is quite enough for today. One more try and you might collapse once again." With a sigh, the silver-haired beauty commented stoically, seeing the breathless young lad using all of his strength to stand up and lift his hand, a palm pointed at the target on the dummy by the other side. She had high hopes for a miracle, but she had no pleasure in seeing failure either. On the other hand, Alice took a deep breath and furrowed his brows again.
"One... Just one... One more time..." He commented, despite putting a bravado, clearly exhausted. Grayfia let out a heavy nod, and with trembling fingers, the young heir clenched his hand and summoned in front of it a rune with the symbol of the Bael in it, dark sparkles gathering there and then... "C'mon... C'mon... There!"
And then, from said rune, a blast of Power of Destruction was shot, the signature ability of his mother's side, a powerful blast that annihilated anything in its path. The recoil ended up being too strong for him, and as a result his arm violently was shot back, one wonder how it didn't just snap off the rest of his shoulder in the process, and he lost balance for a moment or two before regaining it and put his two feet on the ground. Finally regaining his stance, Alice turned forward to see the result of his attack...
Only to see a small, pathetically slow puff of power of destruction simply hovering above the ground, little by little losing speed and altitude until it hit the ground and dissapeared, leaving a small burn black mark on the training floor... Alongside many, many other similar marks, all over the place except where the should be, the training dummy staying tall and mighty as if mocking him.
"That should be enough. Lord Alice, please, let us return to your quarters so that we can get ready for supper." Grayfia called for him, half expecting him to comply and half expecting an opposite reaction. Unfortunately for her, Alice simply wipe off the tears and sweat off his face and lifted his hand against the dummy once again, despite his stance being clearly on the verge of a collapse, his arms trembling and fingers showing signs of burning, a clear indication that his body was losing control of his power of destruction and harming its own user.
"N-No... Please, Grayfia... I can... I can still..." But the heir of the Gremory couldn't finish his sentence. Out of the sudden, his vision turned blurry, his head got lighter and he couldn't feel the ground below his feet. The grasp on his stance lost force, and now all that was expecting him was the hard, cold ground... Fortunately, Grayfia was there to catch him before he could fall. Snapping back to reality, he looked at his brother's dear belle, and sighed, masking his face with a hand. "I... I can't... I'm... I'm so sorry, Grayfia..."
"No worries, lord Alice. We can resume your training tomorrow." She said, softly placing a pink towel on his forehead and helping him stand. Alice was a bit dizzy due to his overuse of his own natural ability, note that none of his other siblings ever had that kind of problem, but once he could tell left from right, he decided to sit on the ground and take a deep breath to regain strength... Hah, like he had any. Once out of peril, the Gremory maid bowed and turned around to exit the room. "If you excuse me, milord. I shall prepare supper and inform your dear father and mother. Please, do not be late for it. I expect much from the heir of Grem-..."
"Grayfia... I'm a lost cause, ain't I?" Grayfia blink in surprise for that interruption, turning her head around to see the fallen heir of Gremory, still sitting on the ground, the pink towel hanging from his head. However, she hears a sob, then a whimper, and slowly Alice's form recoiled in a fetal position, arms supported on his knees and then head resting on them, making the pink cloth fall and show that he was crying, red eyes and tears. "No one ever tells me that... But I know, okay? Brother Zechs... Rias... They're talented and powerful... While I struggle to just make a measly ball of destruction... You can say the truth, okay? I know that... I'm a failure, I'm worthless... I'm dumb and weak... I'm a lost cause..."
"..." The Gremory maid couldn't help but take a deep breath and be very careful about her choice of words from there. There it is again, her dear brother-in-law doubting his own efforts. Truth, compared to his illustrious brother and sister, Alice was... Lukewarm and not as talented, but we were talking about Rias Gremory and Sirzechs Lucifer, and even for other devils, there was a huge gap, not just regarding him. Grayfia also knew how much he was trying, today wasn't the first time he collapse trying to hit the target, and even with no results, she could see some progress. Moreover... She approaches the fallen Gremory to kneel next to him and pat his head. "Milord, to compare yourself to your siblings will bring you no joy. Follow your own pace and I'm sure that you'll become a devil of name. Certainly, with such spirit, your efforts will not go to waste."
"..."
'Stop...'
"Now, shall we get going? Please, look presentable for today's dinner. It'll be unbecoming of the heir of Gremory to come with such strong scent of sweat." And with one final show of affection, Grayfia stood up and walked away from the training room, making sure to remind the other servants to clean the burn marks all over the floor. Alice, who still had his head hanging low, sniffed a few times, letting his tears fall and he would gasp and whine in frustration for a few more minutes or so.
She didn't answer him... But he knew it already. He always knew.
...
"Akkun! It's your big bro~! I'm back for dinner, just like I promised!" A few minutes later, we move from the training grounds to the corridor of the Gremory castle. Alice was finally able to recompose himself and, after drying his tears and sweat, stood up and walked out of the bathing center where he took a cold shower and changed for dinner. On his walk to his room, however, he bumped right into his dear older brother, the Satan of Lucifer and considered one of the strongest devils alive, Sirzechs, who greeted him with a smile and excitment. However, seeing Alice's downer expression made the older Gremory gasp and be a little taken back. "But, oh no, you look so sad. Is something to matter, Akkun? Grayfia is not mistreating you with her training, right? I know she can a bit too harsh regarding those... Ah, don't say that I told you that, or else big bro might get himself into trouble. Heheh..."
"..." However, constrasting with Sirzechs' cheery disposition, Alice's downer aura just wouldn't leave him. The younger brother took a close look at his older one: Sirzechs... Was indeed imposing, his stance was strong and the aura surrounding him was incredible, almost overwhemingly so, but still... His smile was warm; his demeanor, friendly, and above all else; he loved him, he loved Alice with all of his heart, there was not a single moment he didn't show such in front of him. And that...
'Please... Stop...'
"Is... Is not like that, brother Zechs. I should be the one apologizing to Grayfia. To make her lose her precious time tutouring me when she could be doing something more, I just feel bad. I hope she doesn't hate me for that." Alice admits it, a puff of smoke leaving his mouth and a wary lip twitch looking back at his brother. In response, the elder Gremory patted his brother's head in an affectionate gesture, a small chuckle leaving his lips.
"Don't worry, Akkun, I'm sure Grayfia wouldn't ever hate you. If you're doing your best, then I bet she's far from mad at you." Assured Sirzechs. Unbeknown to the great Lucifer, those words only make Alice's heart sink even further, but not as much as his next sentence. "Same goes for me. Don't ever forget, Akkun: your big bro will always be cheering for you, no matter what! We're brothers, after all! Plus, Ria-tan is getting into 'that age', and she's not as fun as you now..."
'Just... Stop...'
"Oh, Sirzechs. You're back. Glad to know you'll be joining us for dinner." A third, lower voice was heard in that same corridor where the Gremory brothers were sharing words, and with that, their same attention was turned to that direction. The one standing there was none other than Zeoticus Gremory, the current head of the Gremory clan, a famous archmage and known magician in all the realms, plus the father of Sirzechs, Rias and Alice. He approached the duo as they politely bowed to their father, who chuckled seeing his beloved sons, scratching his crimson facial hair. "And it seems that Alice is back from his training. Excellent, nothing less from my dears sons."
'No, don't say that... Please, don't...'
"Your praises are wasted on me, dear Father." Alice bowed down to the eldest Gremory, partly as a show of respect and gratitude for the head of the clan, and to avoid making eye contact with those bright blue orbs that matched his. Also, he didn't want to show him the grimace he was making right now by hearing his words of praise, words that he didn't earn. The two older members exchanged confused glares, but shrug it off as Alice's typical behaviour. He was always... The quietest among his siblings, and no matter how much they tried to make him come out of his shell, the results were almost null. Maybe he was also into 'that age', only reacting differently than his sister.
"Very well, then. Sirzechs, I heard from dear Grayfia that Millicas has been progressing in his training as well, and I think you should be aware of such. To think he would hold such mastery at such young age! I just hope she isn't pushing him too much." Zeoticus tried to change the subject in order to make Alice feel more comfortable, and instead focused on his dear grandson, Sirzechs' son Millicas, and his enormous progress. Little did he know, those other praises made the clenches around Alice's heart tighten, as despite the age different between them, Millicas, who was barely pass toddler age, held more potential and power than his uncle. Almost twice as older, yet weaker in every way. Truly... Pathetic. A light soothing chuckle escaped the eldest Gremory's lips. "Truly, what an... Imposing woman you've chosen, my dear son."
"I can say the same about you, father. Perhaps we Gremory men just like choosing those kind of partners. Hahah~." Another heartedly laugh came from Sirzechs, but then... Silence, both Gremory males suddenly went quiet and scanned the surroundings, trying to find any trace of those careless words that might've escaped and reached either of their belles's ears, a cold sweat running down their brows. Gremory women... Were scary, indeed. When they felt the area clean, they shared another heartwarming moment. "But you said Millicas has been progressing smoothly? I knew he would. Grayfia-tan knows best about how to train him."
"Indeed." Zeoticus nodded, satisfied.
"Oh my, look at the time. Better go prepare myself for dinner. See you later, father, Akkun." Taking a small glance at his watch and blinking a few times, Sirzechs excused himself from the presence of both his father and brother and walked towards his own quarters, ready to dust off the tiredness of his work as the current Lucifer satan and prepare himself to eat, leaving the eldest and youngest Gremory males to themselves. Zeoticus turned to Alice, and waited for any word that they could exchange, but nothing came. Only a sigh from the latter.
"I... I should be going too. I see you... I see you at dinner, father." Alice murmured, head still stuck mid-bow and sluggishly walking to his own room. After hearing about his brother, nephew and sister-in-law, Alice's moral hit a new low, and the last thing he wanted right now was attention, his father's above all else. He passed Zeoticus and was ready to turn a corridor...
"Alice... I heard about the results of your training with Grayfia as well." But before he could be far enough, he heard Zeoticus' voice reach his ears, making him freeze completely. The current shock made the younger Gremory lift his downed head and gasp morosely, to then tightly close his eyes and wait for the worst, any demeaning words or his true thoughts in the matter now that were only the two of them. But what came was... "She said you're making progress, and your tenacity and effort during such impressed even her. You're shaping to be a great devil it seems, glad to know that. I'm proud of you, son."
"..."
"...?"
"E-Excuse me, father..." Zeoticus couldn't see, but a small string of blood ran down from Alice's lips from a wound he himself inflicted in order to not give in and break right there, his knuckles also paling for holding his fists so tightly. No more words from either, or at least as far as Alice was concerned, as he dashed away as fast as possible from his father's sight, blindly trying to get away from his father's hopes and kindness.
Why? Why was he doing this? Was that some kind of torture? Or maybe he wasn't as smart as he thought. He should be furious, he should be depressed, to have such a failure as a son. Why didn't he scream, why didn't he belittle Alice? That... Doesn't make sense, doesn't make sense at all! He was so focused in getting away, Alice didn't even notice himself bumping into someone, another person he didn't want to see right now.
"Oh my, are you alright, Alice? Don't scare your dear mother like that." Once he recovered from the sudden and soft shock, Alice turned upwards and saw his dear mother Venelana Gremory, the former heiress of the Bael clan from which the Gremory siblings inherited the legendary Power of Destruction. The Flaxen-haired madame of Destruction was a bit surprised by the encounter, but then sighed and smiled at her younger son, her violet eyes noticing the small marks under Alice's eyes and a small dry track of blood from his mouth. She soon reached a handkerchief for them in order to dry them and put his dear son in order. "And you have been crying again, I see. Please, don't look so unsightly; a proper noble should make himself an example for his peers. Here, let me clean you."
"N-No, mother. Please, leave me be..." Alice pleads, but all came down in deaf ears for Venelana, whose powerful presence made the Gremory male comply silently, getting his face cleaned with care. Once that was done, the Gremory madame smiled to herself, cupping her dear son's face to look at it, despite his best efforts to look away.
"There, all done. You should look after yourself more, my dear son. You're such a handsome young man." Venelana smiled. Alice, on the other hand, grit his teeth and could feel his eyes twitch again. Those praises, wasted on him yet again. One, two seconds passed. "Moreover, I've hired a new tutor for you. Don't worry, this one passed with the highest marks during his time in Lilith university. You won't have to worry about him leaving anytime soon. And I shall partake in your education as well, so the only thing I can ask is that you do your best as well, understood?"
"..."
"Alice...?"
'No, just... Don't. Just... Stop.'
"Mother, I appreciate your efforts, I really do, but... Please, I don't this is necessary anymore." Alice admitted, reaching for one of his mother's hands on his face to try to escape her grasp, which was firmly holding him in place. She blinked in confusion. "All the other tutors... They always say I'm a lost cause, and you and I both know that after the fifth, it should be clear as day. Maybe... Maybe you should turn those to Rias, she has always been the best, and all the others always praised her for her intelligence..."
"Alice, what did I tell you?" In a show of affection, Venelana pulled Alice closer for a hug, making his chin rest on the curve of her neck as she pulled him closer from the back of his head and middle of his spine with her hands, her mouth reaching for his ears. She could already hear him sobbing. "Stop comparing yourself to Rias or Sirzechs. I know you can do great, son, I believe in you. All you need is the right person and the right ways, and you will shine your own light. Until then, me, your father, your sister and brother will be right by your side, cheering for you."
"..." Nothing from Alice, Venelana was expecting him to cry and bawl himself out like he always did, already patting his back so that he could let all out. Instead, however, came a question, the first time ever. "Why? Why... Why do you always say this? Why do you keep believing in a failure like me?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Venelana sighed and smiled, snuggling his dear son as she could. "Because you're my son, my dear son. And no matter what... I'll always love you."
No matter what, I'll always love you.
No matter what, I'll always love you.
No matter what...
... I'll always love you.
...
...
"Alice...?"
"..."
"Son...?" Venelana wasn't expecting what would occur next: no words, no sobs or crying. No, Alice simply reached his hands for her arms and removed them from himself, then gently pushed her away. She tried to call him once again, but he was unresponsive, only walking with a certain gaunt back to his room. Once alone, she could only sigh to herself. Alice was having another moment it seems, but she hoped her words reached him, and that he would think of them from now on. None of those were lies, by the way.
As for Alice, the Gremory lad finally reached for his room after bumping into every person he wished to not bump into, and reaching a hand for the knob, he opened the door and entered his enormous room, typical of devil nobility such as himself. The room, that could double as a playing field for the olympics, had a shelf filled with dusted books, books that he couldn't even read pass the first volume without having to ask for explanations; a shiny sword hanging from a wall, a sword that would always fly off his hands during training no matter how much he tried and how many calluses his palms would collect; a studying desk which he had so many bad memories of, teachers coming and going only to yell at him, hit his hand for every wrong answer and then quit and exiting said room fuming, a massive bed where he refused to lay on because otherwise he would be left alone with his own toughts, and a window with the clear view for the rest of the Underworld and the Gremory territory. Once he took one, two steps inside, he gently pushed the door close and locked it in order to have the room only for himself, and then...
"... Hic, hic... Hic... Ah... A-Ah... Uuuuuh~..."
All that weight he has been carrying since his training with Grayfia crushed at once on him, and tears streamed like rives down his eyes, as he felt his body become weaker, making him unable to stand, and sit on the floor in a fetal position, his face grimacing in pain, despair and sorrow.
All of them: his dear parents, his strong but kind older brother, his strict but gentle sister-in-law, and her prodigious sister... All of them loved him so much, all of them supported him so much, and what does he give them in return? Nothing but disappointment and failure. Neither a scholar nor a warrior; not versed in either his inherited abilities or magical ties. All of them had titles and honours in their names, but him? Nothing at all besides the obvious: the zero, the failure, the worthless one. Then why? Why so much love, why so much trust? Why, just why?
...
'Because they secretly hate you, of course.'
"..." Alice didn't respond, but he could hear it. Still in a troubled position on the floor, he could hear the voice in his head mockingly saying what he already knew. He grit his teeth, and held his legs closer to his body, as if trying to suck his own body in and just... Dissappear.
'Like you didn't notice. Even you can't be that stupid, right? The moment they leave an earful from you, they can only badmouth and call you what you really are: a worthless heir, an unfitting leader, a waste of space and time and effort. I'm surprised that they didn't try to get rid of you. They already have Rias and Sirzechs, no need for a smudge on the family name.'
"..." Still, no response from Alice besides a silent nod. He hears another mocking laugh, the echo inside his head getting worse and louder.
'Oh, I know! Maybe that's what they want: a little good-for-nothing seed to show how truly lucky they are since the others could've ended just like you! That, or maybe all they want is to have you around to show how 'kind' and 'welcoming' the Gremory are, even for the lowest of the low such as yourself! I gotta say, they truly are saints or want that sweet, sweet prestige if they are willing to put up even with you.'
"No! That's a lie! Father and mother and Sirzechs and Rias are nothing like that!" But this time, Alice rebounded the slandering words, shotting his head up and screaming to the voice inside his head. No, that's not right! They could secretly hate him, resent him, despise him, but they wouldn't step so low as to keep him around just to play face for others, that was a no for the Gremory name! He hears an amused hum in response.
'Then what it is? Tell me, you eyesore. You trash, you waste of space.'
"..." Alice now turns his head down once again.
'No answer, huh? Dumb, weak, talentless and a spineless coward above it all. No matter how much you train, you will always be lacking; no matter how much you study, you won't ever get a single answer right; no matter how much people tell otherwise... You're always be the worst there is, the scum of the Gremory clan, the useless one. Tell me, in a clan with the great archduke Zeoticus, the Flaxen-haired madame of Destruction Venelana, the Demon lord of all devils Sirzechs, the the silver-haired queen of Annihilation Grayfia and the crimson ruin princess Rias, why do they ever need someone like you? I'd have been better if you never existed, if you have never been born...'
"..." And again, no answer, like always.
'Milord, compare yourself to your siblings will bring you no joy. Follow your own pace and I'm sure that you'll become a devil of name. Certainly, with such spirit, your efforts will not go to waste.'
'Stop trying to keep up with your siblings, you trash. You'll never reach them, so just keep being the bottom-feeder that you are and maybe you'll get somewhere that is not rock bottom.'
"..."
'Same goes for me. Don't ever forget, Akkun: your big bro will always be cheering for you, no matter what! We're brothers, after all!'
'You're an eyesore, you loser. Never forget that: for every failure you commit, for every slip you take, I'll be there to laugh at it, to show how much of a piece of rubbish you are compared to me.'
"..."
'She said you're making progress, and your tenacity and effort during such impressed even her. You're shaping to be a great devil it seems, glad to know that. I'm proud of you, son.'
'Don't you think your own shortcomings can escape my knowledge. Why must you disgrace the name of Gremory like that? Why must you waste her efforts on you? If something remotely useful ever comes from you, I'd be a miracle.'
"..."
'Because you're my son, my dear son. And no matter what... I'll always love you.'
'I just withstand your worthlessness on principle for being your mother. I could be doing so much more... Be happy that you were born from me, because otherwise... Nothing but hatred would come from me to you, my failure of a son.'
"..."
...
...
"You're... Right... You're... Right." And Alice admitted finally, the voice in his head laughing triumphantly as a dull light came from Alice's blue eyes. No matter how much he tried to convince himself of otherwise, no matter how much he thought about his dearest's words, nothing but scorn and hatred would probably come from them. And now... Silence, the voice inside his head laughed one more time before finally coming quiet, and he lowered his head, tears not falling anymore, because he had no more reason for them. He could only take a deep breath... And accept it. "Father... Mother... Brother Zechs... Grayfia... Rias... I'm sorry."
Indeed, sorry.
Sorry for being weak; sorry for being dumb; sorry for being worthless in any sense; sorry for dirtying the name of Gremory, sorry for being such a failure... Sorry for existing.
Just... I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
I'm... Sorry.
...
*KNOCK-KNOCK!*
"Brother? Are you there? It's time for supper." After a while, Alice snapped from his own darkness hearing his dear sister's call for a meal. As fast as he could, the Gremory heir cleaned the dry trails of tears from his eyes, combed his hair as he could and stood up to answer the door. Once he did, he faced a certain someone he knew a bit too much: his dear twin sister Rias Gremory, whom he shared not only the same birthday, but hair colour, eye colour, height and weight; however, while he was a fairly handsome young man, she was an stunningly beautiful lady, indeed carrying all the good genes from both Bael and Gremory. Her presence alone was radiant, and Alice couldn't help but to faintly smile with her around. The Gremory heiress politely bowed for her older twin brother for a few minutes. "A good day to you, my dear brother. Come, let's eat. I heard from Grayfia the chefs made a particularly delicious meal."
"Okay, Rias. Uh... You just go on ahead, I'll... I'll get myself ready." Alice weakly smiled at his sister, stepping into the darkness of his room once again. Before he could close it and let himself into the black again, Rias came closer to look at her brother's state.
"Alice, you seen... Unwell. Is there anything you want to talk about? If lord Bael came badmouthing you again, I remind you that he's like that with everyone, pay no mind to it." She reassured her brother. More than anyone, Rias knew how much Alice felt about himself, and to make matters worse, none of Lord Bael's words would remedy or improve the situation for every of his visits. After all, he treated even his first-born like trash for lacking the Power of Destruction, and since he couldn't say a thing about Rias or Sirzechs, he would waste no opportunity to belittle Alice. However, Alice's shakes his head negatively, but that didn't reassured her in the slightest. "Are you really fine, brother? I respect your privacy, but if you need anyone, at anytime, you can always count on me, you know that, right? Please, if you're unwell, don't hesitate to call for me."
"..."
'How come you're my older sibling? I hope you're aware that I could be doing anything other than listen to you and your problems. Unlike you, I can get my own peerage and servants, so a failure like you is a no-brainer for me.'
"I'm fine, Rias. I really am. Please, go eat and talk to our family. I'll... I'll be going soon."
And after that, no more words, as Alice closed the door before any more could be exchanged. Rias looked down for a while, stunned, but decided to give her dear older twin brother some time and space, only hoping that he wouldn't take long to come down for dinner, for he looked a bit too slim and malnourished. Maybe Lord Bael had come to badmouth him once again to dump his own frustrations on the sibling with no name for himself yet, maybe another tutour had yell at him and stormed away from the Gremory castle, maybe he was just feeling down, the possibilities were endless. Well, if he ever needs someone to vent and talk to, he knew he could count on her, like always...
The Gremory dining room was brightly lit, as for today Sirzechs could finally find some time in his busy schedule to come and have dinner with his family, including his dear parents, his beloved little sister and his adored son. Grayfia could join them at any time, but unfortunately she was on Maid-mode for the time being, and couldn't join as his precious wife. Oh well, there was always next time.
Once Rias came, Zeoticus asked about the older twin, and Rias answered that he would be coming down soon. Zeoticus, Venelana and Sirzechs smiled, relieved; maybe his mood had improved since that afternoon? Hopefully he would join them soon, for they had great news involving him: both the lords of Gremory and Phenex had some time to discuss matters regarding their clans, and seeing how... Reluctant Rias has been regarding her engagement to the third son of the Phenex, Riser, they decided that maybe it would be best to elope instead Alice with their youngest daughter, Ravel. After all, for the small moments they had together during gatherings and formal balls, they seemed to get along fine, at least better than Rias and Riser could ever hope to get, his naturally quiet nature working quite well with her prideful yet intelligent and polite self. Who knows, maybe an engagement would help Alice develop his own self-esteem and work his insecurities out, something both his parents and siblings were hoping the most.
Plus, for her age, Ravel was intelligent, sagacious, a bit prideful like her brother yet, but with better social skills and cues than him. Maybe she could help him organize and build his peerage, perhaps even a harem if it works out better than expected. Those thoughts of course came from Zeoticus, who received the infamous Gremory pinch from his dear belle Venelana.
Laughs, more talk and ideas were shared among the members of Gremory, but it didn't take long for them to notice the absence of the younger heir despite his promises of an early arrival. Grayfia offered herself to go and seek for Alice, but Zeoticus and Venelana stopped her, claiming that he might be tired and was coming soon enough. After all, Alice would always come late and be the first to leave, and today wouldn't be different... Right?
More minutes passed, and silent befell the main dinner table, all attention turned to the door leading to the dining room, but with no signs of a new guest, butlers and maids sharing some words about it as well. In the end, the silver-haired maid offered her assistance once again, and worried about his child, both the head of the Gremory and his lady allowed her to do so. Sirzechs also stood up to see if his brother was alright, but held himself once seeing the worry on his own son's eyes, missing his dear uncle as much as everyone. The Lucifer had to pat Millicas on the head to assure him that nothing was wrong, and that uncle Alice would be coming soon to join and have fun with them...
However, today, that wouldn't be the case, as for when Grayfia reached for Alice's quarters and knocked the door, she received no answer.
She knocked once again, and once again no answer came. Lucifer forgive her actions, but she would have to rely on force to solve this problem; Forcing the door open, nothing for Grayfia Lucifuge, the Gremory maid came to face an empty room, not a single sign of life from any corner of that enormous resting place. The shelves were wide open with a few books missing; the sword used for training spars was gone; the closet had a few clothes less from the last time she counted; leading to the world outside, to a clear view from all the Gremory territory, there was an open window, the night winds softly blowing the silky curtains; and resting on a desk, a small letter, signed by Alice himself.
Grayfia knew she should inform her masters and family about the missing heir as soon as possible, but the fact that her brother-in-law apparently vanished on thin air blindsighted her better judgement, familiar instincts overpowering her duties as a maid, and she reached for the letter on Alice's desk to open it and read what was written there...
To whoever member of my family reading this letter;
Thank you for caring for me, thank you for resing raising me. I will be forever greatf- grateful to be born as a Gremory and raised as their son and hair heir. I've met so many wonderful people during my stay, people who had the patience and kindness to support and love someone as uzeless useless as Alice Gremory. I wish I could offer something in return, I would give you all the world and I still don't think that would be enoff enough... But, unfortunately, I don't think they would never need it, nor I would be able to give anything else other than deeza- disappointment or shame for our name.
A failure like me shouldn't be even near you all, someone born with no talent or aptitude for anything. I tried my best, but my efforts came as froot- fruitless, and I'm afraid that if I stay any longer, I would not only ternish tarnish the Gremory name even further compared to my dear siblings, but drag them down with me, to my own pace, the pace of a failure, a zero, a worthless heir.
So, this is a goodbye, dear father and mother, brother Zechs, Rias and Millicas. I wish you all the best the world can offer, but that's as far as I can go. Mother, father, I'm sorry that you gave birth to someone as useless as me; brother, sister, I will not stay any longer and ruin the repta- reputation you helped build for our clan. As for all the other servants, especially lady Grayfia, I'm sorry for causing so much trouble for all these years, and make you falsely smile for my antics and shortcomings.
If we ever meet again, I promise that I'll have become a Gremory that you all could be proud of. If that's not the case, then even if all the praise and care you gave me were fake, even if your encouragement was just for the principle of me being part of your family, even if you're actually relieved that I'm gone before I could smudge the Gremory name even further... I love you all. And I'll carry you all in my heart., forever.
Love, Alice Gremory.
...
...
And the rest was silence.
Grayfia could only look outside the open window leading to the world, her fingers firmly gripping the forgiveness letter stained with tears and Alice's signature sloppy handwriting. Even if there was nobody there, she was glad she was facing away from the door, so that no one could see the face she was making after reading those words, small drops moistening the floor beneath her feet and gasps struggling to maintain composure. Inside her head, a million thoughts were running wild, thinking how it came to this, if it was her fault in the matter, and why did he do it... But only one concrete fact remains:
Alice Gremory, the heir of the Gremory clan... Was gone.
And that's a wrap, good job everyone. As for you, my dear reader, thank you for reading up to this point. I wish I could give you a cookie or something.
But hello, DxD fandom. Hellhound is back, and I hope you had a great read with the first chapter of this fanfic. After a small hiatus from my works thanks to that pandemic, I gathered all my mental strength and brainstormed something to write. After all, I already did a story about Azazel's son, so... Why don't write a story about someone from the devil side of the world? Meet Alice Gremory, the scum of the Gremory clan. Truth to be told, it was more fun writing this chapter than I've imagined. After all, I already wrote a confident and nonchalant character in Kokuto, so I thought... Why not come up with someone who cares a bit too much, but has no power nor confidence as such? I think I can work things out for our little redhead and his struggles to make his family proud, after all, all of us want to be accepted, for all sides, no? Gremory rejects are a dime in a dozen regarding fanfics, but lets try writing one that doesn't involve rejection, but someone who wants to improve and prove no one but himself wrong. Maybe even build a harem in the way, but uselessness... Is not very attractive.
As for why he has a girly name... Well, not only Alice is a type of chess variant, the same way as (R/L)ias, but if you break down the katakana, Alice is an anagram for Rias and vice-versa, and I thought it would be a neat idea for Rias' twin brother. Someone who's at the same time similar yet distinctive from the crimson princess of destruction. It's cute in a way.
With that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I love it to write it,stay safe and I can only say that its good to be back on the writing game. See ya. Hellhound out.