I was born a Devil in my second life.
It was ironic.
It was cruel.
It was bewildering.
But most of all it was fortunate.
Not that I recognized that fact when I was born.
In my first life, everything was mundane.
I never faced the darker side of life during my twenty-one years that I lived. Not once.
I had survived three car crashes and a number of incidents that I luckily avoided. Every crash left me shaken and angry. Never fearful. Never scared. I wondered during that time. Why I didn't fear for my life. Why I didn't cower at the fact that my life had nearly ended.
It wasn't until my second life that I realized why.
None of those incidents had ever possessed a lick of malicious intent. All of the parties involved were unaware of the consequences, naive to the destruction and death their actions could cause. I had always escaped each event with the bare minimum of damage, of destruction both physically and mentally. And with each occurrence I escaped, my teenage immortality proved itself superior. My invincibility grew to the point where I was immune to the fear that mundane mortals would feel at my actions. Drunk driving? That was something for other people to worry about. It wasn't possible for someone like me to worry about a base matter like that.
I was intoxicated on my capabilities. My mental fortitude was unassailable and my body wasn't even worth mentioning. I didn't need anyone or anything to survive. My faith would persevere and no matter what I would do, God would forgive me. I was His child after all...
Then I died. Unaware. Bloated with mortal poison and my arrogance. I closed my eyes knowing full well I would open them in a few hours. How foolish. How conceited. I never thought Pride to be one of my flaws. But it seems that was my prevailing Sin. I had thought Lust and Sloth were my only faults. Maybe Gluttony at times. But Pride? I never bullied anyone. I never lorded my perceived status above others or tried to place myself in positions of power. I didn't think I was important.
Yet I never took Life seriously. I couldn't see threats to my life clearly even if someone had shoved my face into them. That was when I realized it.
I wasn't special.
I was lucky.
I broke. Like so much chaff against the current of a greater river. My ego. Shattered upon bluffs that rejected my beliefs. My identity, my place in the world, completely shattered like glass against so much untouchable stone. Finally, my meager spirit. My dreams, my goals. Everything I took for granted. Burned to a crisp, broken into imperceptible shards of nothing, grinded into dust, pressed into the dirt of existence.
I was nothing.
And then, through some inexplicable reason. I was something again.
More than that, I was someone again.
"Lana! You did it! You're amazing Lana... Two children belonging to the Gremory name. Love, you've done it again."
Warmth and sweat and unending care.
"-Ah... Ara husband don't tell me you doubted me?"
Clutched hands surrounding a bundle heat, of life.
"O-Of course I didn't! I simply awaited your success."
Curled around an immeasurable power, bound by circumstance, I couldn't comprehend.
"Liar. Hmmph, as expected of my husband. Even when I give birth he's only concerned with his reputation."
The other voice was pitched unnaturally high as if in fear. "O-Of course not my dear, I-I was simply worried about your wellbeing... Sirzechs! Come meet your baby sister!"
Suddenly, a presence entered the room.
I'm not sure how I knew. But I knew that I was in danger.
You hear about danger sense from fictional stories, manga, anime whatever...
It doesn't matter.
When you encounter real danger, life-threatening danger for the first time, it's enough to make you give up on all hope.
My cries echoed throughout the room as the predator approached menacingly.
"Shhh. You're okay. Mommy's got you now."
My mother's declaration only made me more aware of the threat that approached, raising my fear and causing my cries to echo louder.
And then I was swaddled in the embrace of pure destruction given form.
"Ahhh, Zechs-chan is so cute with his imouto isn't he Zeo?"
The deep voice of my father replied. "You don't have to tell me twice Lana. She's beautiful."
That was then I heard the voice of entropy. Of the End.
"Baby sister... This is my baby sister! Oh imouto, I'll protect you until the end. No one will take you from me, I swear it. Your Onii-chan will take care of everything."
A cough echoed in the room. "Zechs, don't you think you're being a bit proactive? She's only a newborn."
The other members of my family protested as my consciousness shifted.
I'm not who I used to be.
I can't be who I used to be even if I wanted to be.
Tears leaked from my eyes as I contemplated this.
I was now something else, someone else.
"I like Rias..." The warm presence declared. A hand stroked against my face. "Our Princess of Ruin, Rias Gremory."
"Princess of Ruin? That's a tad melodramatic son." Father replied.
"Not at all. Can't you tell? She's the same as me."
"Ah? Give her here Sirzechs." The voice belonging to my mother rung out suddenly.
"But I just-"
"Zechs~"
"Yes Mother."
I was helpless in this form, small and paralyzed. I didn't like it.
As my frustration grew so did the hands holding me grow gentler.
"Is it true Lana?"
"Oh undoubtedly. Even now the Power of Destruction bleeds from her."
"Haha! Take that Semmisites! Two for fuckin' two! Who's genes are inferior now huh?"
"Ara, honey you aren't arguing with my brother again are you?"
"...He started it."
An unnatural whining sound pierced the air followed by a panicked yell and the chaos of destruction.
"Ah, it seems that Rias is stronger than I predicted."
The absolute monster that was my older brother laughed nervously. "I see why Father warned me now." Fortunately for him, my mother simply sniffed in annoyance instead of demolishing another wall with his body.
"Sorry about that Ria, your father is wonderful and loves you very much. But he's also a fool. And fools need to be disciplined from time to time."
Uh, I'm not completely aware of what's happening, but I'm certain my mother just said something frightening.
God, is this some kind of purgatory?
It turns out that I wasn't that far off the mark.
My second life started in the depths of Hell. Otherwise known as the Underworld.
Now, I know what you're thinking. "MC what are you complaining about? You've been reborn in Highschool DxD! You were born rich, powerful and with a protective older brother that's literally Satan! Start your power fantasy and collect girls for your harem already!"
There's just one problem. My 'son' is gone.
It's an unfathomable tragedy.
It's true what they say you know. You never know what you have until it's gone.
Rest In Peace my 'son'. I promise I'll never forget you.
I digress.
Now, most in my position would have started plotting for the future, desperately bringing all of their canon knowledge to the fore to plot a course to survive the events that herald the apocalypse. They would have been horrified at their present state, unable to move, defecating themselves and being subjected to inane baby talk day in and out.
Me? I was a glass half full kind of guy.
I giggled loudly as my diminutive form flew through the air wildly, the purple haze of the Underworld's sky blurring past me.
"Oof! Don't worry Ria! Onii-san won't let you fall!"
I clapped my hands clumsily. To my surprise it didn't take much baby-talk to convince them that I loved flying through the air. Thus ensued a very high-risk game of catch.
"Go long Otou-san!" Sirzechs Gremory [Lucifer] called out as he clutched me over his shoulder in the ready position.
Not for me though.
"Remember! If you don't catch her, we'll be having an empty casket funeral." I blew bubbles menacingly towards my nervous father.
"H-Hey! Of course I wouldn't do anything like that. I'm her father after all. Why do we need a funeral though?" Zeoticus Gremory asked obliviously.
"Catch."
Obviously Sirzechs was my favorite.
Not that the rest of my family could tell during my first few weeks of life. I would always cry and scream in his arms, feeling death creeping up my neck with each passing moment.
In the end it was Grayfia Lucifuge-Gremory, Sirzech's wife and my sister-in-law that realized the root of the problem. Apparently I was something akin to a Sensor. Someone born with an innate sensitivity to spiritual and magical forces. Grayfia herself had the same ability and that lead her to make the connection.
While Sirzech's kept his magical power tightly bound at all times, the same couldn't be said about his spiritual 'weight'.
It was really fascinating stuff what she was talking about, but most of it flew over my head as I was distracted at the moment by my mother's not insubstantial breasts being pressed into my mouth.
The short of it is that Sirzech's title as [Lucifer] gave his existence more than a bit of importance. Thankfully by the next time he came to hold me, some sort of solution was reached.
Unbeknownst to me, there happened to be a mini-crisis in the Underworld due to [Lucifer] trying to give his title away to a random low-class devil before being forcefully wrangled by his wife.
"Ha, I'm safe." Zeoticus muttered as he caught me in a leap. I spat up on him vindictively and as tradition dictated tried to rip his facial hair out.
"Papa's so glad that Ria likes his new goatee!" He cheered, ignoring my antics.
Zeoticus really was a good guy. A good father too. He was definitely a fool though.
I still haven't forgiven him for when he left me in my crib and proceeded to show me how I was conceived with Mama.
Those memories are buried in a box never to be opened again.
"Ouch!"
I babbled victorious as I waved my trophy, a single lock of bright crimson hair. The maids 'supervising' our outdoor activity cooed at me. Well, the younger ones did. The older ones just looked terrified as Zeoticus held me carelessly with a single hand.
"Hup!" I took flight once more, happily laughing in the sky.
Not that I couldn't understand their plight. I'm not sure if 'responsible' and 'safe' are words that Zeoticus and Sirzechs know. This wasn't the first time they've done something like this.
I cried out in confusion as my momentum was suddenly halted, my head buried in soft mounds of flesh.
"Boys~"
It wasn't even the first time they've been caught.
"I'm home~"
"EVERY MAN FOR THEMSELVES!" My father shrieked as I heard the sound of him retreating swiftly through the underbrush that grew around the edges of the palace.
"H-Hi Mother! Lovely day we're having aren't we? H-How was your trip?"
"Grayfia darling."
"Yes Mother."
Not a moment later and Grayfia's presence vanished before appearing besides Sirzechs'.
At this point I was glad that I wasn't able to see anything. Sirzechs' tortured screams were enough nightmare fuel for today.
"Oh Ria. You're not hurt are you?" Venelana Gremory asked tenderly as she carefully used her hands to examine my body. "Haa. I'm so glad you're okay Ria. Those boys, honestly, not a brain cell between them. We'll have to get you settled for a nap and then I can take care of your fool father."
I giggled at that, continuing when she began to tickle me. "Ooh you like that do you? Papa's bad. Mama's going to have to punish him." She planted a kiss on my forehead.
"You're so sweet little one."
Four months into my new life and I had to say, life wasn't so bad.
I miss my parents, my siblings and friends.
But this new life? With a loving mother, foolish father, doting older brother and kind older sister? It was starting to grow on me.
Not to mention all the chaos I'm going to get up to once I get a bit bigger.
"Mama!" I gleefully shot through the air held aloft by small midnight black leathery wings.
"Oh!" Mother stepped back in surprise before catching me around the abdomen.
Let me tell you, being a Devil was pretty fucking awesome.
I'll admit that I was more than a little disappointed by the fact that God hated me by proxy in this world. Then again, I don't think I can really consider him 'my' God especially considering the fact that he's dead.
Where was I? Right, Devil perks. Being a Devil automatically gives you crazy superhuman abilities. Strength, endurance, your senses, everything gets a supernatural overhaul. I'll never stub my toes wandering through a dark room again.
But the best part? The magic. It's definitely the magic.
The Bael line's Power of Destruction is something that I've decided to call bloodline magic. For whatever reason, I've never heard of anyone making a distinction between ordinary Devil magic and magic that can only used by certain families of purebloods.
The Power of Destruction that dwells within the Bael family and now the Gremory family is insanely dangerous and a whole lot of fun. While I don't currently have the control to do anything truly outrageous, I make great use of it to freak people out.
I couldn't tell you how much furniture they've had to replace nor the amount of holes in walls that they've had to patch because of my antics.
Fortunately for my family, I was currently enamored with my wings. The bat-like wings that all Devils possess are something like an instinctive magic. Manifesting the wings is easy for most Devils, purebloods tend to come into them after two or three years. But flying with them? That's something that comes down to practice. And lots of crashing.
Obviously, given my maturity I wasn't content to wait around for something to happen.
My parents were a bit worried when I started jumping down staircases haphazardly. Eventually I got the hang of it though.
Using the Power of Destruction was easy. It was like liquid entropy or carbonated ruin. I can't quite describe it but it's always there, fizzling and bubbling beneath my skin.
My Devil wings by contrast weren't anything like that. My working theory was that Devil wings were something of a spiritual magic, something intrinsic to the identity of our species. They're magic wings, but not magical constructs if that makes any sense. More spiritual than physical given their predilection to ignore clothing.
Point is, I thought being thrown into the air was fun, flying under the power of my own wings makes that pale in comparison.
"Careful Rias! What have I told you about flying that fast in the house?" My mother scolded me looking down at me in worry.
I looked up at her innocently while flapping my wings futilely. "Have fun?"
She sighed before putting me down on my feet. "Be careful Rias. I do not want you to get hurt."
There was a giggle from behind her and being the curious person I am, I leaned around her form to look at the stranger.
The stranger was a slim woman around my mother's age from a glance (you never can tell with Devils). She had dark hair and crystal blue eyes and she wore a bright red dress complimented by a white threaded shawl.
She was also carrying a person. A small person. Her baby looked at me with placid violet eyes and an unimpressed expression.
"I'm sorry Miri, Rias learned to use her wings just a week ago. It's all I can do to keep her from crashing into everything." My mother explained with a fondly exasperated air.
The newly introduced Miri just giggled again. "Believe me Lana, I understand plenty. Sera was the same way when she young." She stepped forward and looked down at me. "Hi Rias, my name is Miri. It's so nice to finally meet you."
"Hi!" I waved up at her in a friendly manner. No doubt, this was the mother of Serafall Sitri [Leviathan]. Which meant...
My gaze drifted to the toddler.
Miri grinned at me before turning to her daughter. "Say hi Sona."
I gave my best partially toothed smile.
Sona's eyes narrowed at me before she turned her face into her mother's bosom.
Ouch.
Miri's good cheer was undaunted as she turned back to me. "Sorry Rias, Sona can be shy at times. Can you be patient with her?"
I nodded. Maybe if I was someone else I would be worried, insecure about measuring up to Rias Gremory of Highschool DxD by not being able to forge the relationships she had. If I was someone else I might be thinking about every facet of canon, every decision that I had to make just right to succeed.
Fact is, even if I did remember every detail of Highschool DxD in depth I couldn't, wouldn't act in that way. That might've been Rias. But that's not all I am.
"Thank you Rias, do you have a playroom? You and Sona can get to know each other while I talk to your mother."
I nodded again before toddling off in the direction of said playroom. Despite that room being specifically for me, it wasn't my favorite. It turns out that the Underworld's children toys weren't that different from regular toys. I hoped that magic would spice things up entertainment wise for the Underworld but I guess not.
"Be nice Sona, I'll be back soon." Miri said as she set Sona down on the ground.
My mother shot me a stern look. "Be careful Rias. Do not use your Power of Destruction."
I nodded solemnly. "I'm careful."
As they left I examined Sona. Her dark hair had numerous bright clips and ties in it creating a somewhat chaotic image contrasting the taciturn look in her violet eyes.
"Hi." I waved at her again awkwardly with a smile.
Once again Sona looked away even as she sat towards me.
I frowned as I thought. When was the last time I entertained a toddler?
At random I plucked a few cute toys with bright colors and shiny surfaces. "Here." I sat down near her and set some of the toys down in front of her.
Sona seemed determined to win the award for most stoic Devil of the year as she once again ignored my efforts.
Sorry Mom.
"Do you want to see some magic?"
At the word 'magic', there was suddenly a gleam of interest in her eyes.
Huhuhu. Magic for the win once again.
I picked up one of the toys, a fuzzy looking doll with three eyes.
"For my first trick, I will make this ugly doll disappear." I spoke dramatically.
As I held up the doll I could see Sona turn my way subtly her eyes locked on the toy.
I smirked.
With a careful flex of my demonic power it burst from my hands soaking into the doll. The Power of Destruction doesn't just disintegrate things. It erases them.
To Sona's eyes it would look like an amorphous mass of crimson energy swallowing up the toy before both of them disappear completely.
The Power of Destruction was a very volatile ability. Unless you possessed the ability, you simply couldn't defend against it directly. Thankfully, my own power wasn't able to harm me and even more thankfully, both my mother and older brother had the same magic.
That said, it took me weeks to figure out how to stop annihilating my own clothing.
"It's awesome right?" I asked as I wiggled my pudgy fingers.
Sona finally seemed to take me in before nodding. "I like magic."
"Me too." I smiled back at her. "Wanna play some more?"
Sona seemed hesitant but nodded. "More magic."
"I like the way you think Sona."
"What's wrong Miri?" Venelana asked as they walked back towards the playroom to collect the children.
Miri seemed uncharacteristically worried as she strode ahead of her best friend. "Sorry Lana. Ria seems like a delight. I just worry about Sona. She's always been so shy and doesn't seem to like to interact with others. Even with our family she tends to be quiet. I want them to get along."
Venelana took a moment to grasp her friend's hand. "Miri, it'll be fine. Rias is a handful, I admit. She's strong-willed, mischievous and reckless at times. But she's smart. Smarter than she lets on. Ever since she was born she's been like that. Like she was fully aware of the world around her. She has a wisdom that I haven't seen in anyone so young before. And I know she'll do her best to be Sona's friend."
Miri smiled gratefully. "Thank you Lana. I'm glad we came, it really has been too long."
"You're always welcome here Miri."
"Too slow!"
The adults turned as one at the childish yell, full of glee. As if their thoughts were one, they crept up on the entrance silently before peeking within.
Rias held her hands above her head, her brilliant crimson locks a wild mess and a wide grin on her face. A shifting mass of blood red destruction hovered in the air above her, humming to a tune only a Bael could recognize.
Opposite Rias was Sona, standing on her own as her violet eyes narrowed at the orb.
Despite the nerves that left her tongue dry, Venelana stayed her first instinct to swat the magic out of existence.
Sona raised a diminutive arm, palm facing the other girl. As the child focused, drops of water coalesced from the air swirling into a wobbly orb. Without even an utterance the projectile shot forward as if she had thrown it.
Rias waved her arms in response and the deadly magic she controlled wavered shifted away from its original position causing the projectile to miss. "Ha! You're gonna have to do a lot better to hit this!"
Sona scowled in frustration before firing another glob of water. Rias' eyes widened.
splash!
The Power of Destruction fizzled out as Rias lowered her arms.
"Bleh!" Rias stuck her tongue out and shook her soaked hair and face as if she were a dog.
A smile slowly grew on Sona's face.
"I'm gonna get you back for that Sona!" Rias cried out as she wiped her face.
Sona's tinkling laughter filled the room as the two mothers looked on fondly.
Rias growled playfully before stretching out her wet arms. "Here I come!"
Sona squealed as she turned to run.
"That's enough girls." Venelana said as she entered the room with Miri.
"Uh, Mama!" Rias looked around nervously. "We were just-"
"It's fine Ria." Venelana pet Rias' head softly. She picked up the child. "Someone needs to get cleaned up though after all that playtime."
Venelana and Miri faced each other with their children in arm.
Miri smiled softly at Sona. "Would you want to come back to see Rias sometime Sona?"
Sona looked at Rias for a moment before looking up at Miri and nodding. "Ria is fun."
"Are you okay with that Rias?" Venelana asked her child despite knowing the answer.
"Yeah! I'll get you back next time Sona!" The red-haired child pointed at her new friend in a challenging manner.
Miri laughed and looked at Venelana. "I guess I was worried about nothing."
Venelana shook her head. "Rias is just special like that."
"Enku faster!" I cheered loudly as the wind whipped past my face.
"As you wish princess." A deep gravely voice answered me. I tightened my grip on his antlers as the landscape passed us by at a faster rate.
Enku was one of Sirzechs pawns. He was also a qilin. What a qilin is, I couldn't tell you. His body was something like that of a large dog yet he was covered in scales and possessed a dragon-like face with branched antlers.
He was also the best babysitter bar none.
Six years since I had been reborn as Rias Gremory. Six years full of magical memories with my friends and family.
Most importantly, six years since I came into possession of a prodigious amount of demonic power along with the innate ability to use the Power of Destruction.