AN: Not really a fan of DxD, but it's got some potential if you get creative with it and that peaked my interest. Came up with this concept for a character who has a more substantial goal than becoming a harem king. It's got a lot of potential, but given I don't write sex scenes and my general hatred of harems in fiction, and the fact that I never got very far into canon DxD… All told I'm a terrible choice to actually turn this into a full fic. Still I was inspired enough to whip up a first snip, so here you go.
Manan Phenex, a distant cousin of Lord Phenex stood with cold calculating eyes as he observed the ritual chamber and the preparations therein.
Rituals were a form of magic largely ignored by devil society. When Devils shaped their magic with nothing but imagination and will the idea of spending time and energy on lengthy rituals was considered a laughable human practice. Manan considered this to be the height of folly and laziness. While the results were not nearly as immediate as devils might like, rituals offered opportunities for far more complex and powerful workings than a single devil could ever hope to produce otherwise.
Given Manan's near total lack of his family's vaunted abilities he had needed to look for less obvious forms of power and had grown to love this neglected branch of magic. For centuries he had studied, practiced, and toiled. Always pushing the field farther and farther forward as he searched for a way to rise to the vaunted heights of the main branch of the Phenex family. While not a complete magical cripple his weak ability to regenerate was simply not enough to do him credit as a member of a Pillar Family. Especially not when the main family had three sons.
Nearly three decades ago Manan had finally conceded that no ritual would ever allow him to rise to the level of power the Phenex family are meant to wield. He was too old, too developed. Instead he had started searching for a new method through which he might rise to power. An heir. A child of his loins that could wield enough power to stand on equal footing with any of the pillar families. A child who could strengthen all of Hell. A child who would become the first of a new Pillar Family to take the place of one of so many that were now lost to Hell.
It would not be the kind of personal power he had sought after for so long, but the social and political power of fathering a new Pillar Family would be an acceptable consolation prize. More than that, it would vindicate all his years spent studying rituals. And if the results could be reproduced? If he could father multiple children all capable of rising to the illustrious heights of Hell's pillar families? It would be an achievement fit to cement his name in history for all time.
The floor of the ritual chamber was smooth asphalt layered over concrete. But channels had been carved into the floor and filled with silver to create a massive silver on black summoning circle and in the center was the image of a bird beak thrown defiantly to the sky with wings swept down forming a near circle as the tips did not quite meet. It was not quite so abstract as the Phenex clan symbol but it hardly mattered. Manan's art was in the ritual itself not in the image. Even so he found the sharp, arcing, tribal nature of the image fitting for what he planned to create here. Now it was only a matter of waiting. The girl was six months along and all the preparations were completed. It was only a matter of waiting for the birth to take place now.
With a final smirk Manan turned and walked sharply from the room the sound of his footfalls echoing off the walls and slowly fading to silence.
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The young female devil lay on the floor in the center of the summoning circle, her legs spread wide as she pushed and screamed. Manan kneeled on the floor in front of her, hands ready to receive his progeny. At three points around the room were cages containing large birds of prey with yellow eyes, and beaks. Their feathers were dark grey, nearly black, except for the primary feathers which were sharp electric blue and seemed to crackle with energy. Thunderbirds. Though less famous than the legendary phoenix the thunderbird was perhaps even more powerful.
The thunderbird lacked the phoenix's healing tears and immortality, but still sported a respectable regenerative ability, and more than made up for the shortcomings with raw firepower. While a phoenix might summon a small metaphorical firestorm, the thunderbird could summon literal thunderstorms.
Once this proof of concept was tested and proven effective Manon might try for something more ambitious. Perhaps trying to convey the traits of a basilisk, or even a dragon if he could find dragons weak enough to be captured.
As the crown of the child's head emerged Manan began to chant and his assistants took up the chant as well from their places behind the caged birds. Dark clouds formed through magic formed along the ceiling and a gentle rain began to fall. The thunderbirds screeched and spread their wings batting them against the bars of their cages. The clouds darkened further to nearly pitch black and the rain quickly grew to a downpour even as the mother of his child screamed and the child emerged fully into the world with a scream of its own.
Manan cradled the child in one arm even as he raised the other over his head. His assistants tensed. As the final word of his chant left his lips Manan sparked a burst of lightning that descended in time with four knives. The woman and birds screamed in unison as their blood dripped to the floor of the ritual circle. Lightning and blood struck the circle filling it with power.
Cutting the umbilical Manan laid the child in the center of the circle and dragged the mother out by an arm. The circle began to glow flickering from sickly red to electric blue and back again. Manan and his assistants took up a new chant. The flash of lightning and the clap of thunder kept time to the verses of the chant. Finally, the chanting stopped and the miniature storm seemed to gather itself before a final massive bolt of lightning crashed down into the center of the circle striking the newborn child prompting the babes loudest shriek yet.
All was silent after that as the last of the artificial storm dissipated into nothing. For a moment no one moved. With a deep breath Manon took sure quick strides into the ritual circle and placed two fingers against the child's neck searching for a pulse. The babe was unconscious but the strong pulse of blood in his veins was unmistakable.
Manan threw his head back and laughed as he scooped up his child into his arms. It was now just a matter of waiting for the child to come into his abilities. In the meantime, he would continue to tweak this ritual to steal abilities from other magical species. This would be the first success among many if he had anything to say about it.
{}{}{}{} three years later
The child cried, and as had happened more and more frequently of late, the weather answered. Clouds formed far over head and rain began to fall. Lightning flashed and thunder rolled. The storm answered the little boy's wailing cries. Manan picked the child up and took him to a window which he threw open.
"Do you see it Vihar? The storm itself answers your call already. Someday I have no doubt you will ride those winds and command them with all the precision of a conductor before his orchestra."
The little boy looked away from his father and giggled at the rain and thunder. As quickly as they had come the clouds dispersed and with a tired yawn Vihar closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. Manan smirked, Thirty seconds of storm. A new record. Though it was little surprise even such a brief storm was enough to utterly drain the three year old. The fact that every tantrum served to strengthen his magic and quickly exhaust the angry child thus ending the tantrum was just perfect as far as Manan was concerned. Beneficial training with minimal headaches and fuss.
{}{}{}{} Four years post ritual.
Manan's modest manor house burned. Ajuka Beelzebub sifted through Manan's many notebooks completely ignoring the burning home a few meters away. He didn't look up from the papers at the sound of crunching gravel but he spoke all the same.
"This work is genius, a bit more costly from a moral standpoint than I like, but considering the sort of effect he was attempting to produce I suppose it's an acceptable price."
Sirzechs Lucifer hummed thoughtfully as he came to read over his friend's shoulder. "The life of the mother and three magical beasts of the same species. You're right, quite a few devils would consider that a cheap price."
"Not just magical beasts. Some of his notes suggest he planned to try the ritual using sentient sacrifices. He was particularly interested to see what would happen if he sacrificed angels. He estimated an eighty percent chance that attempting to give a demonic child the ability to use holy light would simply kill the child, and a twenty percent chance that it would get rid of our species inherent weakness to holy attacks."
Sirzechs frowned. "All the better we put a stop to this now then."
"Mmm. I'll hold onto the research." Ajuka responded. "If we use this sparingly, say once every two or three centuries I doubt the other factions will raise too much of a fuss. Though Manan's plan to flood Hell with new Pillar Families would have doubtless gone over as a prelude to war."
"For all that his patience leaves something to be desired I can't fault the man's ambition."
"What will you do with the child?"
"His closest relatives are the Phenex family." Sirzechs answered sullenly.
"And handing him over to your parents would be seen as favoritism, especially if his origins ever come to light." Ajuka smirked knowingly.
The Lucifer pouted at his fellow Satan, then sighed. "If the traits breed true the boy is going to be a political windfall for whatever family sponsors him. Still, I suppose Manan was a Phenex, so it's only fair they get the first fruit of his research."
"True, and there isn't much point in repeating this until we know if the traits breed true. He also had an interesting idea of using rabbits because they are known for rapid breading. Though he was rather certain anything that might convey increased fertility would preclude any other traits. Likely even removing any existing bloodlines from the parents. He decided to abandon that research because an army of weak devils would be far less useful than new Pillar Families.
"Do you think he was right? If we could produce even a handful of powerful devils that reproduce quickly..."
"It's hardly my area of expertise, but from what I do know the principals seem sound. I'm inclined to agree with his predictions."
"Disappointing. But then again if that sort of trend came to the other faction's attention, an army of canon fodder would still be an army. And I doubt they would be happy about it."
"So, we play the long game."
{}{}{}{}
Lord and Lady Phenex looked down at their several times removed nephew as he curled into a ball in his new bed.
"He's an adorable child." Lady Phenex cooed as she stroked the small but growing bulge of her own belly.
"And a fascinating opportunity." Lord Phenex murmured back. Brushing the boy's dark grey hair. "If we finally get the daughter we've been trying for, the two might be a good match. It would also help cement his connection to our family. A brand new Pillar Family indebted and intertwined with our own from their inception… That kind of relationship would be priceless."
"Perhaps, but if you want to play matchmaker it would be best not to let them grow up too closely together. We would want them to be friends, not siblings."
Lord Phenex hummed thoughtfully. "We'll have to plan things carefully. Still, we have a few months to plot before we know if we'll be having a daughter or another boy. And a few months after that until we need to make any decisions. I'm sure we'll have something planned out by then."
Lady Phenex leaned over and kissed her husband. "I do love your plotting face, darling." She murmured with a smirk.
Lord Phenex grinned back as the pair slipped out of the room leaving the child to sleep.