Chapter 8: The holy devils' offspring
Okay I know what you are all thinking, you probably think by now that the main character in this third and final part is going to be Issei and his son Ryujin right? Well, that's not quite the case here. As you were made aware in chapter 0 of this part, Issei has brought into this world another 7 powerful, demonic, dragon children. And these next few chapters will give you a glimpse of their story and their development as the future ray of hope for the demon world. As the name of the chapter implies, this chapter will be dedicated to the offspring of Asia and Issei. Arthur and Elizabeth or Ellie for short.
Arthur used to be a cry baby when he was younger, but is that the case today?
Also, I want to apologise for the delay of this chapter, I've been very busy at work and doing online courses for my job, so I haven't had much time to allocate for writing. But hopefully, this will be worth the wait . The next few chapters will be based on Issei's family until I can figure out where the plot is going in this story and this will also give you an opportunity to get to know the new character's and their unique personalities.
Elizabeth Gremory's P.O.V
Hello everybody! My name is Elizabeth Gremory but please call me Ellie. It will make talking to me so much easier.
Don't get me wrong I love my name! It's so pretty and makes me feel like a princess and my dad definitely treats me like one 😊.
Now I know my big sister has probably said this already, but I love having a huge family!
I'm sure she has also told you all about our extended family so I will just tell you about my mummy and papa.
My mummy's name is Asia Hyoudou-Gremory! My mummy is so beautiful, she has golden hair which is almost as bright as the sunshine that peers through my window every morning. Her eyes are a shade of sparkling green which look just like the emeralds she has hanging from her ears.
We may be devils by name, but my mummy is the most generous, caring, and selfless person in the world!
I heard from Papa that she runs a charity to help children and families who have lost their homes to accidents or natural disasters like earthquakes and floods. She told me that she lost her home once and doesn't want the same thing that happened to her to other children and families.
I really admire my mummy and I love her so much!
Mummy also bakes cookies with me and Freya on the weekends and heals me if I ever hurt myself.
Whenever I see mummy smile it makes me smile too, so much that my cheeks start to hurt a bit.
My Papa is the same as Risa's papa and that's why Risa is my older sister!
Papa always plays with us when he gets home from work.
But lately papa seems very tired, and his clothes which are clean and stylish, have looked tattered and torn when he comes home.
Mummy says I don't have to worry, and that papa is just training to keep us all safe, but I really wish my sacred gear gets strong enough to protect him someday.
Aunty Rias told me that even though my shield is small for now, there is a chance it will evolve and increase its power. Maybe then I can protect everybody and keep them safe from evil?
I've also noticed papa keeps going to see Ophii every day, and whenever he leaves the training room with her, he looks like he hasn't slept in days, like his stamina was drained from him in an instant.
But he still comes to play with all of us, no matter how tired he looks.
Mummy is really good at healing cuts, bruises, and general injuries but lately it seems her sacred gear twilight healing has levelled up again. Now, she can also heal stamina, which seems to help papa feel less tired when he gets home from work.
First, in the morning after I wake up, I go to the prayer room.
After learning that devils don't usually pray in school because it's supposed to hurt them, you may think that I'm a bit unusual, but I wouldn't trade this precious one on one time I have with my mummy for anything.
Papa works so hard, so knowing that I can prayer for his safety and ask for Archangel Michael to keep him safe, helps me feel less nervous when he comes back from work exhausted.
Plus, mummy told me that prayer is a form of meditation and by repeating this ceremony, I may as a result improve my flow of magical power.
And I know what you're thinking, what about the throbbing head-splitting headache? Well thanks to Archangel Michael, papa was able to construct a special spiritual room just so mummy, aunty Xenovia and I could pray without worrying about harming ourselves due to our devil nature.
After morning prayer is my favourite part of the day, breakfast.
And before you state the obvious, it's not just because of the food.
You see, the reason why I love breakfast and dinner so much is because of the time I get to spend with my family.
I feel so warm and full of happiness when I'm surrounded by my mummy, my papa, my aunties, and my uncles.
A feeling of serenity and bliss washes over me like a waterfall whenever I dig into my papa's or any of my family members' delicious cooking.
Normal P.O.V
Arthur Hyoudou-Gremory gazed upon his master as he wielded his mighty broadsword.
Kiba was Arthur's master in swordsmanship and has been guiding him down the path of a warrior since he was strong enough to wield the wooden sword he was gifted as a baby.
However, whilst being Kiba's student, Arthur didn't wield a broadsword.
Arthur gripped tight to the crimson hilt of his blade and released it from its scabbard slicing through the air like
Released from its seal, Arthur's blade revealed it's glorious form. The blade was thin with a crimson dragon etched on to its obsidian shaded blade.
Arthur's weapon of choice was a katana.
"Stronger, stronger!" Arthur's laser focused mind roared as the heavy clash of steel colliding echoed throughout the room.
"Faster! I've got to be faster!" The young swordsman commanded as he quickened his pace.
"An opening!" He stated as he thrust his mighty blade into the depths of uncertainty.
Kiba with a look of displeasure, effortlessly dodged to the side, launched his opponent's sword into the ceiling and struck the overconfident youth's back with the hilt of his sword.
Arthur crashed into the ground the ice-cold, steel texture resting against the nape of his neck once his body met the ground.
Kiba was disappointed in his student, this erratic rushed plan of attack wasn't the swordsmanship he had grown to appreciate. Arthur's usual style flowed like a serene river.
"What's wrong? You're not displaying your precise style of swordsmanship?!" Kiba asked launching Arthur towards the ceiling with a powerful boot to his abdomen.
Just as Arthur was about to make impact with the summit of the training dome, he rotated his body and pressed his feet against the surface of the ceiling.
With a lightning quick motion, the young swordsman released his blade from captivity and dropped from above towards his master who had already braced for his improvised assault.
"Dragon dive!" Arthur roared as his body began to emit flames and close in on his opponent.
Within the blink of an eye, the exchange was over.
The blonde-haired knight grinned as he felt the blade, he wielded begin to feel lighter and shatter onto the ground.
"Spectacular, that's more like it Arthur." Kiba said as his materialised blade disappeared.
"Sorry, I got careless." Arthur said feeling the exhaustion from all of his wasted movements.
"Look, I understand you want to get stronger, but learning the way of the sword takes time. It's just like a blacksmith forging a blade, the iron needs to be struck repeatedly to create a durable and powerful weapon." Kiba advised feeling the frustration emit from his student.
"I know, it's just I have to be strong enough to protect Ellie, and I have to catch up with Ryujin." Arthur explained as he attempted to stand.
Kiba smiled recalling his own past of frustration and his desire to protect Issei and his friends.
With a strong arm he hoisted Arthur up on to his feet and placed an arm around his shoulder.
"You're a good kid Arthur and don't worry, with the right spirit and if you keep training, you'll get stronger." Kiba reassured causing Arthur to smile which mirrored his father's.
"Thank you, Uncle Kiba. I'll do my best." Arthur responded feeling his exhaustion begin to leave him after he took a swig of his devil sports drink.
After a lively morning, the Gremory's grabbed their bags and raced off to devil school with their loyal hound guardian Fenrir in tow.
The Sekiryutei siblings were having a great day at school. That is until a particular bully decided upon their next unaware victim.
Elizabeth Gremory had just been raised upon a pedestal after receiving the highest score for her classes monthly exam.
Ellie was feeling elated and proud of her studious persona.
However, her fame was about to be acknowledged by the wrong person.
Just as Elizabeth was about to exit out onto the playground and enjoy a well-earned break from her lessons, she suddenly came face to face with an ugly representation of resentment and jealousy.
"Well, well, look who it is, miss my daddies a hero so I'm better than everybody!" A voice suddenly called out alerting Ellie of their presence.
Ellie could sense the ferocity from his voice and prepared herself for a confrontation.
"What do you mean Sada?" Ellie replied defensively, unable to comprehend why she was being targeted by her classmates frustration.
"Don't play dumb with me! You think just because your dad's the Sekiryutei that you're special, don't you? Little princess who deserves all of the praise and attention just because she happens to be the Sekiryutei's daughter. You freaks make me so mad!" Sada bellowed as he immediately closed the distance between them both.
"Hey Sada, take it easy!" Another child said as the brute got closer to her.
"Why don't you get off your damn pedestal princess?!" Sada practically ordered as he brought his fist down towards her.
A bolt of lightning like movement soared from the other end of the playground and darted towards the confrontation.
Arthur clenched the hilt of his katana with a bloodthirsty grip and prepared to strike down his enemy.
"Hey pal, why don't we just calm down and talk this out?" Ryujin said suddenly halting the enraged swordsman in his tracks.
Arthur felt his shaking fist forcing his sword back into its scabbard as Ryujin forced his assault back with a formidable force.
"Oh look, it's another wunderkind, why don't you back off and mind your own business, Ryujin?!" Sada ordered in an attempt to intimidate him.
"Sorry Sada I can't do that, not after you attempted to strike my little sister just then. Nope I'm afraid you're going to have to deal with me now buddy." Ryujin commanded allowing his sister to back away slowly towards her twin brother.
"Is that so? Then I guess you're going to get a beating instead Ryujin!" Sada said smashing his fists together, revealing his sacred gear.
Ryujin vaulted backwards avoiding the piercing rocks that emerged from the ground.
Sada brandished his boulder gauntlets and glared at his opponent.
"What's wrong Ryujin? Hurry up and activate your sacred gear so we can get started!" Sada roared feeling the blood rush through him.
"A true warrior only uses their sacred gear against a worthy opponent." Ryujin replied infuriating his attacker further.
"Don't underestimate me!" Sada bellowed as he slammed his fists into the ground, unleashing yet another row of spiky rocks.
Ryujin put his speed on display, weaving through the rocks like a professional boxer dodging their opponents punches.
"How about this?!" Sada yelled slamming his fists into the ground again.
However, instead of various small spikes, colossal stone spikes shot out from below.
Ryujin grinned before the mountain of earth and began to scale towards its summit.
Sada flew into a rage, gathering up his magical power he began to formulate a ginormous boulder in the sky.
Ryujin began to leap from the spire of the towering rocks and faced off against the ginormous projectiles.
"Now what will you do, chosen one?!" Sada yelled confidently as his special attack began to close in on Ryujin.
Ryujin repositioned his arms and exhaled a deep breath with his eyes closed.
With a swift motion, Ryujin slammed his fist into the giant boulder shattering it into hundreds of pieces.
Ryujin wasn't done though, worried for the safety of the others who dwelled below, Ryujin began to destroy the shards of the boulder his arms racing at a high velocity.
Crumpled dust scattered to the ground after Ryujin's machine gun combo of punches reduced them to rubble.
"Dragon rush!" Ryujin roared with his barrage of punches coming to an end.
Sada disheartened, accidentally deactivated the stone pillars he had created.
Both fighters stared at each other on the ground once more.
"You think you're better than me?!" Sada enquired as he threw a punch at Ryujin.
The first son of the Sekiryutei effortlessly dodged Sada's clumsy punch and quickly countered with his own to the chest.
Sada fell back as the wind got knocked out of him, only to pull himself forward to unleash a counter strike.
However, Ryujin saw this attack coming and quickly slammed a side kick into Sada's gut and knocked him to the ground.
The confident bully was reduced to a pitiful mess as he dragged himself away from the playground swearing revenge upon Ryujin as he retreated.
"Brother I was so scared!" Ellie whimpered as she held on tight to Arthur.
"Are you okay Ellie?" Ryujin asked receiving a light nod from his little sister.
Arthur looked towards Ryujin in shame.
"I'm sorry Ryujin, I got in your way." Arthur said in despair and confidence of his inability.
"What are you talking about Arthur? You could have taken that guy down in one strike if you wanted to. I was just worried you were going to kill the guy because your swordsmanship is so refined!" Ryujin said warming Arthur's core.
"You mean it?" Arthur asked feeling a slight positive wave towards his self-esteem.
"Absolutely, your talent is too pristine to waste on a guy like that. Do you really think Sada could appreciate the beauty in your swordsmanship?" Ryujin said making Ellie smile and Arthur feel a sense of value and respect from his older brother.
"And besides. (Ryujin got up close to Arthur and whispered in his ear.) You were so angry I was worried you were going to kill the guy. Us big brothers have to look after our sisters, but we don't want to resort to murder do we?" Ryujin said in a jokey fashion making Arthur smile for the first time today.
"Let's go home, shall we?" Risa said as she suddenly emerged from the crowd of her onlookers.
"Right behind you sis." Ryujin stated as he and the rest of the Gremory-Hyoudou siblings raced out of the school gates with Fenrir trailing close by.
Meanwhile, in a faraway office….
A young phoenix devil maliciously chuckled to herself as she put through a document through the system, signing her own name on the sheet.
Ravel left the office, were lying on the notice board of the underworld was an image of what appeared to be an obstacle course, a stage for a quiz show and a grand prize. The word Harem was all that could be read in the shadow of the night. But that's a story for another time…
So…. What is this mysterious document a certain someone is trying to put into practice? Is this going to be another trial for Issei? Or this a trial for somebody else? Once again, I'm still trying to formulate the plot for this story so the next chapter will be all about Kuro, Shuri, Freya or Blake. I'll try to get another chapter out soon but it's hard for me to write during the holidays. I'll do my best so please be patient Love you all!