A Family's Collapse

When… when will it end?

The tattered remnants of Begmal's mind reeled in pain under the hell that was La Grondement Du Haine.

When the child, no that abomination unleashed her attack, a torrent of fire erupted forth from the ground around the child, consuming all before it in a conflagration of hate, malice, and hellfire.

Shocked, Begmal squandered precious seconds in responding to the attack. As the heat of the hellfire pressed against him, a panicking Begmal poured all of his remaining magic to form an absolute crystalline barrier around himself. It served him well during the Great War, staving off blows from mighty 10 winged angels such as Kokabiel and Baraqiel.

Yet, it would mean nothing in the face of such overwhelming power. Instantly, it was incinerated, but before it would deal any meaningful damage, the flames withdrew, affording him minimal breathing space as he burned. Taking the moment's respite, he again flared the barrier back into existence, only for it to immediately disintegrate under the domineering power of the mocking flames.

That bitch! She's restraining the flames to prolong my suffering! Such arrogance! I shall-

Begmal's chain of thought was brutally severed by a stake through the stomach. Soon countless other stakes impaled him, each one barely missing a key vital that would have ended his misery sooner.

As the stakes burrowed into his cooking flesh, two impulses vied to control of his mind. The desire to end the suffering as soon as possible by resisting and forcing his own termination, against every life form's foundational instinct to survive, even if it is but for a second longer. The clash between the two competing forces wracked his mind as his dying body sent constant messages of pain, every moment an eternity of suffering.

Begmal, veteran of the Great War, disowned son of the Valefor Family, a devil responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of beings from his machinations throughout his life died a broken, insane man.

It took all of 12 seconds.

But the suffering he inflicted could not be sated by the mere 12 seconds he endured in life. No, all that suffering, all the rage were made manifest as the pillars of hellfire converged into an unmatched conflagration, reaching into the heavens as far as the eye could see. It was a trauma that could not be suppressed by magic, noticed by all the mundane people of the region witnessing the night sky turn red as hellfire seemingly erupted from the depths of the earth itself.

Yet while most watched in curiosity to the strange sight, one onlooker with 10 black wings reacted in horror when he realized the flames' origin. Panicked, Baraqiel abandoned all pretext of hiding himself from the public and flew with all speed to the ruins of his home, uncaring of disruptions the sonic booms of his speed was inflicting upon others. As he approached, the flames slowly sputtered and receded, revealing only two bodies intact amongst the burned out ruins of the home.

Fearing the worst, Baraqiel gently landed besides the two, silently praying to the memory of his father that perhaps they still live. His deferred faith was rewarded, as he found his daughter, Ritsuka breathing and alive, collapsed from sheer exhaustion. His wife on the other hand, was deathly pale, with each breath becoming ever shallower.

Damn the Valefor! The bastard tortured and poisoned Shuri! Ritsuka will be fine, but where are Akeno and Nozomi? Did they flee? But if I look for them, Shuri will die…

Looking down, Baraqiel debated within his mind for only a moment before gently picking up his wife and daughter.

I must save the ones in before of me. After I get them to Azazel, I can search for the others. They are strong, they are still alive. I know it.

Nodding, he poured all that remained of his power to protect his loved ones as he flew at great speed towards the Grigori headquarters. It merely took an hour for him to reach his friend, before promptly collapsing and falling into a coma once he saw his wife and daughter in safe hands. The Valefor poison was feared in the Great War for a reason, and not even the mighty Baraqiel could endure so long without treatment.

It would be two long years before he would wake once more, only to find a shattered family he failed to protect.

"What do you mean we have to leave?!"

"Exactly that Akeno. You need to leave his house and never come back. Suou is coming for you, and we cannot protect you from him."

Akeno stared at her progressive relatives as they spoke to her with remorseful eyes. Stunned at being thrown out of her relatives' home, her thoughts drifted back to the events of one month prior: running away from her home with Nozomi in tow, only to witness a hellfire consume their home from a distance. They reached their relatives' home the following morning and were greeted with open arms.

Days later, as the survivors of the Progressives' blotched siege returned home, they came bearing grim news: The conservatives allowed the devils to pass through their territory to attack Baraqiel's home. Their father was grievously injured and poisoned during the siege, but rather than stay for treatment, he flew back home with all his might, only to disappear.

It was the general consensus that the wounded Baraqiel died on the way back home, but without Baraqiel, Shuri or Souta, to act as a liason, the Progressives had no means to contact the Grigori for any information. Between their treacherous kin, the devils and youkai, they were surrounded on all fronts and isolated.

Shaking her head, Akeno looked once more towards her relatives, her quivering voice betraying the sense of abandonment and loneliness that plagued her mind.

"But… why?"

"Because we cannot protect you. We've always been the minority in the family Akeno, and with so many of our practitioners injured we cannot possibly hope to resist. If you want to protect yourself and your little sister, you must flee."

"But…"

"No 'buts' Akeno. We know it isn't fair but this is our only option. Now come, let's show you the supplies we have prepared for you."

Hesitantly, Akeno followed behind, downtrodden and sniffling to hold back the tears.

"Hm? What's wrong sister?"

Looking up, she saw her little sister staring at her in concern, while standing next to two backpacks and a couple of carry-on suitcases. Smiling sadly, Akeno lied to her little sister.

"Ah, nothing Nozomi. I was just thinking about papa…"

I can't let her know we are being chased out of this house. Not yet…

"Oh…"

Nozomi closed her eyes before running forward to hug her sister. The two cried in each others arms for minutes, not caring about the mournful looks of their relatives around them.

"Oh! Sis, did you hear? Our relatives are sending us on a trip! Kinda like a long vacation, right? They asked me to help pack our bags while they talked to you about the more adult stuff."

Smiling stiffly, Akeno tried to maintain the charade just a little bit longer.

"Ah… right."

Akeno looked awkwardly at Nozomi as they parted from the hug, their conversation finally intruded upon by their audience.

"Nozomi, mind helping us check to make sure we remembered everything?"

"Mm! Ok auntie!"

"Akeno, come with me, we have one last important matter we need to discuss."

Nodding, Akeno complied as she watched her uncle pick up one of the backpacks and lead her into the study. Carefully, he opened the bag, revealing several pieces of practitioner's gear such as clothes, gohei, talismans, and a single binder.

Pulling out the binder, he opened it, revealing several important documents, such as family registries, family seals, bank accounts, passports, and the like.

"Keep this binder safe Akeno. With this, you can move throughout Japan, and eventually, the world with these. Without these documents, you will become a stateless person in the outside world, with no protections against the mundane evils of the strewn about it. You need to be just as wary against the common man as you are against devils."

Her eyes wide in shock, Akeno nodded as she watched her uncle place the binder back into the backpack. Her eyes furrowed into curiosity as she watched him reach into his pocket and hand her a wallet.

"And finally, take this. It has 50,000 yen inside, as well as debit cards and IDs for both you and Nozomi. This is just as important as what is in the backpack so take care of it, understood?"

Timidly, Akeno grabbed the wallet and stared at it. Just in cash alone, it was more money than she ever dreamed of holding.

"Oh, just in case you don't know how to use a debit card, you place it into an ATM and enter a pin number. In this case, the number is the day and month of Nozomi's birth. Use this sparingly, as debit cards can be tracked unlike cash. Whenever you use it, leave the area and move to another region, understood?"

"Yes Uncle."

"Good, and lastly, the money in that account will last you years if you spend it wisely. Your mother and father placed all of their savings into this account, and we wiped out our own savings to bolster it. It is just short of 12 million yen in that account."

With that, Akeno's knees nearly gave out. Looking into her Uncle's eyes incredulously, she could barely bring herself to ask.

"W-why?"

"Akeno, while we may lack the strength to protect you, but we love you. You and Nozomi are our beloved nieces. We are family. And family does whatever it can to support and help each other. If we cannot shield you from the coming threats, we can at least provide you a means to escape and find your own happiness."

Tears began to form in his eyes as he gazed into the tears of her beloved niece.

"Akeno my child, all we ask is that you and Nozomi grow to become beautiful women content and happy with your lives. To know the joys of raising a family, to feel the absolute safety of living with your loved ones, as your parents once did with you and your sisters. Promise us that you'll do all that you can to find that happiness."

"I… I will uncle."

Kneeling down, he embraced his niece in a tight hug, tears now unashamedly streaming down his face.

"Good, I love you Akeno."

"I love you too Uncle."

"Have they left?"

"Yes, Nozomi and Akeno have just taken the train to Nara. From there, I do not know where they will go."

"It matters not, as long as they are away from here before the fighting starts."

"Indeed. It is strange, knowing that we will fight in an unwinnable war."

"Unwinnable if you make the victory condition defeating the enemy. Merely change it to 'protecting our innocent children from men shaped monsters', and it is doable."

"Indeed. Baraqiel, Shuri, and Souta may be dead, but most of the children yet live. Our legacy will not end here."

"Still, why make it sound as if we weren't going to fight?"

"And make the children feel guilty? They have enough to worry about as is. Perhaps in the future they will learn. But not today."

"Fair enough. How long until Suou arrives?"

"Either tonight or tomorrow."

"I see."

Raising a cup, Akeno's uncle looked at all of practitioners gathered around him. Men and women, many of whom were still recovering from the previous battle. Their bodies were broken, but not their spirits. Nodding, they followed suit, raising their cups and together in one voice chanted,

"For the Fallen!"

Days after the Siege of the Oniyama-kai

Souta paced alone in his cell, constantly contemplating the next steps required to pacify the clan and reunite it. It wasn't until he heard the door above open that he stopped. Forcing a small amount of energy into the wall, the hidden ofuda and talismans in the cell began to record.

Hm? A progressive seeking to free me with force? Well then, lets see how much information I can lure out of them.

Sitting down, he looked expectantly past the bars, only to be greeted by his older brother, and a gaudily dressed man with Blue hair and orange eyes.

"A devil! Here? What is the meaning of this Jirou?!"

"What, can't an older sibling visit his dear, imprisoned younger brother?"

"Not while standing next to an enemy of the clan. We have just spent years reducing the influence of the devils in Japan, and now you bring one inside our very home?"

"Heh, how hypocritical of you brother. You invited the Grigori into the family, so what is wrong with me inviting the devils as well?"

Jirou doesn't know the truth. It would seem Father stuck to my advice. Only Minato has an inkling of the truth and he can be trusted. Hmm… I will not be leaving this conversation alive, I'm sure. Jirou may be arrogant and stupid enough to let me live, but this devil is not. Let's see how much information I can lure out of this traitor before I go.

"Baraqiel married into the family. He effectively left behind the Grigory to join us and serve our cause. I can hardly see this smug devil doing the same for us."

Brow flickering in annoyance, the devil finally spoke up.

"This devil has a name, mortal. It is Daelris Maestreif. You should be honored to be in the presence of a high class devil of such stature."

"Oh? But your aura seems so, shall we say, underwhelming in comparison to Baraqiel. Tell me brother, what can this devil offer us that Baraqiel cannot?"

"Power."

"Really, Jirou? Really?"

Jirou you fool. Such deals always comes with strings attached. Why do you think a 'Deal with the Devil' always ends poorly for the mortals?

Jirou winced at the disappointment and sarcasm oozing from his imprisoned brother, while Daelris, standing behind Jirou smiled smugly, signalling to the wiser brother his suspicions were true.

"Hah… even with a devil at your side, what use will power afford you? You are but one man against a clan backed by the Grigori and Baraqiel."

"Ah, so you haven't heard then. Baraqiel has fallen in battle, and your allies in the clan are bloodied and weakened. Your faction has no power left, little brother. The family members wise enough to see the truth are already flocking to us. A full fifth of the clan follows me now brother, compared to the measly tenth you hold.

That tenth were the open supporters. In reality, the progressives were a full third. This is bad. Together that means just over half of the Himejima clan has fallen under the sway of heresy, whether it be devil or fallen.

"So? You are still massively outnumbered by the Clan."

"Perhaps, but once I become the successor it will not matter."

"You? Successor? Not even Susano'o himself would be able to come up with such a joke. You are far weaker than I, brother. The Vermillion Bird would not choose a traitor like yourself."

"And that is where you are wrong, brother. You and Father both believed that strict adherence to the old ways and power is what is required to inherit the sacred bird's energy. In that, both of you are wrong. The bird merely chooses whoever is the most powerful of the Himejima blood. And with Lord Maestreif's support, that will be me."

Narrowing his eyes, Souta glared at his former brother in contempt.

"Lord Maestreif? You already serve a devil? You treacherous dog! If Father and the conservatives fail to kill you, my progressives will!"

"Heh, heh. Hehehehehehehehe! Fool! Do you think I'm that stupid? My agents informed your progressives during the battle of our father's treachery in allowing those strays to attack Baraqiel's home! Your followers are effectively in open rebellion against Father and unified in cause, will bloody the orthodox followers. With so many able practitioners falling to each other, and with Lord Maestreif's blessing empowering me, who do you think Father and the Bird will choose?"

"Idiot. You would enslave our clan to the whims of a devil for the illusion of power. Even if you succeed, the other clans will strike us down for falling into corruption. Under you, the Himejima we were born to will be utterly destroyed, or enslaved to the devils."

"Pff, what a hypocrite brother. You turned your back on tradition as well."

"Perhaps, but at least our family would be free, masters of our own fate, and not slaves to a petty devil."

"Oh please Lord Maestreif gave-"

Himejima Jirou never finished, as Daelris Maestreif suddenly grabbed him by the collar and roughly pulled him back and into the floor behind him, before erecting a barrier to stave off the flames of purification erupting from the cell before them. Grouchily, Jirou glared at the devil's back until his eyes widened in shock of what his 'ally' had shielded him from. Besides a wall of holy fire bearing down upon them, several earthen stakes erupted from where he once stood.

"Hmph, impressive for a mortal. But, it will only take you so far."

Annoyed, the devil raised his palm and gathered a fell blue energy that coalesced into an unstable sphere. Then with a flick of the wrist flung it forward, easily piercing the wall of fire and the heart of the man powering it. Stumbling backwards, Souta somehow stood upright, despite having a hole where his heart once beat.

"How brother… How do you stand? And how did you practice your arts down here, where your powers are sealed?"

"Simple, coward… I am not weak."

Unsteadily, Souta raised an open palm towards his treacherous brother, and then clenched his fist, causing arrows of ice to materialize out of the water in the air and strike the coward from behind.

...only for it to be effortlessly swatted out of the air by the devil. Frowning in contempt, the devil rewarded Souta's efforts with two fell blasts to the knees, collapsing the dying man onto the cold floor of his cell in a pool of his own blood.

"Hmph, now all is as it should be. Let's go Jirou. With this, the progressives will believe Souta was murdered by his own father."

"Heh, fair enough. Goodbye brother, and don't worry. I'll take care of your wife and daughters as a good brother should."

As the two turned their backs on the dying man, they missed the ghost of a smile on his face. And once they left, they most certainly did not see the man dip his fingers in his own blood to inscribe sigils upon the walls.

"Hear me… sons and daughters of the… Himejima… I, Souta… have but one… request… to all those… who… believed in… me. Kill… Jirou… Kill the Devil… but more importantly… protect our children… they are… the… fu… ture…"

Pouring the last of his energy into the wall, the bloody sigils flared in power before fading away into the darkness. As the last embers of his life faded, Souta smiled ever brighter.

Good, in a few weeks, a Shikigami will deliver a recording of this to the progressives after it drank enough energy from the leylines to support such a journey. Heh, as always, it is good to have redundancies and backup plans for the unexpected. And with all this energy in the air, the fool and the devil never noticed the recordings. I die content, for I have already sown the seeds of your defeat. Father, Minato, all that I did was for the Himejima. I leave it in your capable hands now…

Alone in his cell, Himejima Souta died with a peaceful smile on his face. It was said that when his body was discovered, there was an odd sense of serenity surrounding him, as if the living had nothing to fear from him, for he would never become a hungry spirit looking to torment his family.

One year after Akeno's and Nozomi's flight...

"Were you able to get in contact with the Family Head?"

"No, Acting Head Minato, the traitors have blocked out all communications with the outside world."

"And of the Progressives?"

"Still hostile sir. They know the truth as we do, but are still bitter about Suou's raid."

"So we are trapped. We cannot press the attack against the traitors with the Progressive Threat behind us, all the while, more Devils and the remnants of the Oniyama-kai rally behind their banner."

"What about the other Great Clans?"

"They will not move without a request from Head Suou. That, or we suffer catastrophic losses."

"I see… how mercenary of them."

Discouraged, the practitioners sitting around Himejima Minato fell silent, the air heavy and depressed as they stared at a map of the region. The mournful silence was broken by the bitter laughing of Minato.

"Hah… the Himejima are in a civil war, with everyone but our own leader aware of it. Dammit Father, why did you have to personally lead the hunt for Akeno?! Heh… hehehehe… How absurd!"

The others at the table look on in concern at their leader apparently breaking down in front of them, only to stay silent due to their own reservations about the situation.

"Hah, I see… so that is the best way forward. Saburo, Youta, Takara, the three of you will take the train to Nara then deploy multiple long range Shikigami upon arrival. With the enemy controlling and monitoring all routes in and out of the region, expect multiple ambushes. Any family artifacts you think you might need to stave off the craven bastards, take. You will not be staying in Nara long, as your absence will embolden our enemies to attack. After you have deployed the Shikigami, proceed forward to link up with Family Head Suou and his bodyguards and return posthaste."

The three men nodded their heads before glancing at each other.

"Sir, when do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning. Devils are weakest during the day. I expect a list of all the relics required within 2 hours. Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good. Meeting adjourned"

As the practitioners rose from their seats and filed away, Minato closed his eyes and reflected on all that happened on the past few days.

To think Jirou would betray us like this, and manipulate our family into war… No death is too cruel for him. Still, thank goodness for Souta's foresight to leave a way to message his followers from prison. Unnerving to know that he pulled it off in the first place, but thanks to his message, the Progressives are merely hostile instead of aggressive. If we had to deal with Progressive raids on top of Jirou's treachery, the clan may have fallen to his coup instead of this tenuous position we find ourselves in. I hope you haven't killed those children yet father, for without them, I fear we may lose the clan itself.

Shaking his head, Minato grabbed a cup of tea and took a step outside, staring at the waning moon above.

After Souta's murder, Head Suou informed me the full truth of Souta's role in the family and instructed me to investigate his death. Suiting for that cunning snake. But he would have been a good successor to Suou, deftly manipulating friend and foe in politics. If only he were alive, we could have unified the Himejima against this common threat. But now… who can unite the clan? After the skirmish with the progressives, Head Suou retains his position only due to his power and influence with the family elders. He cannot possibly hope to rally the progressives and the new generation behind him...

How do we reverse this disgrace?

To his thoughts, the declining moon offered no consolation, fading slowly into darkness.

"Alright Nozomi, I'm heading out for another exorcism, be a good girl and stay safe."

"OK sister!"

Nodding, Akeno dressed as a shrine maiden smiled and gave her sister a tight hug before entering a taxi. She couldn't help but smile as she watched Nozomi stand on her toes to wave her goodbye.

It's hard being the grown up, but seeing Nozomi safe makes it worth it.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and slapped her cheeks.

"Right then, let's make this quick so I can cook for Nozomi tonight. How long until we reach the shrine, mister?"

"In this traffic? About 15 minutes. Training to be a shrine maiden little miss?"

"Something like that."

"Heh, how responsible. I bet your parents are proud."

Akeno winced at his words and quickly looked out the window.

"I'd like to think so."

All alone, Nozomi walked out of the hotel to explore. It had become routine in the months following their flight from the Himejima. Akeno would perform exorcisms to make a living, while Nozomi would stealthily wander the market and shops for sales they could take advantage of.

Their relatives gave them a small fortune, but Akeno was adamant in making sure it would last as long as possible. She would only allow the funds to be used for lodging. Food and anything else, she would pay for herself with the money she earned. It broke Nozomi's heart to see her older sister work so hard for her sake, so she took it upon herself to help in anyway she could.

So, as she did every morning, she wandered the shops, greeting all the employees while hiding from the scary men (Truant officers) who would come and ask her where her family was. Her sister Akeno told her to run away from strangers, and Nozomi was a good girl. After one particularly close chase in the shopping strip, an exhausted Nozomi wandered into a local park only to find a strange sight: two men dressed in black robes, adorned with the symbols of the cross. Normally, Nozomi would have fled and avoided such men, but they were crying.

Her sympathy and her curiosity overwhelming her, she walked over to the strange men, overhearing part of their conversation

"But if you leave Touji, we'll lose what little influence we have in Japan. Our numbers are not legion like in Europe."

"But I cannot bear to be here. After what we did to Masaomi… everything reminds me of it."

Did he lose family too?

"Um… excuse me is everything ok? Would you like a hug?"

The two men stared at the child that intruded in their conversation, specifically her black hair and purple eyes.

Those eyes… that aura… a Fallen Angel? Sent here to fish for information about us?

Glancing at each other, the men nodded before turning their attention back to Nozomi.

"Whatever makes you think that child?"

"Well… you were crying. People cry when they lose someone important to them right? Whenever I'm sad about my family, a hug makes me feel better. So it would make you feel better, right?"

The two blinked in confusion before glancing at each other once again. The grieving man, Touji, flickered his eyes between his compatriot and the child, sending an unspoken message.

Let us preach the Lord to this child. A true Fallen will try to squirm out of hearing about his Grace.

"Thank you child, but I can always turn towards the teachings of the Lord for peace."

"The Lord?"

"Yes, the Almighty and benevolent creator of the world. Would you like to hear about him?"

"Mhm!"

"Good, let us start with the tale of Genesis…"

For hours, the two priests regaled the child of stories of the bible, pausing only when little Nozomi had questions about the prophets, Jesus and his disciples. They soon found themselves enjoying the company of the small child, for such genuine interest in the faith was so rare in their homeland.

Huh, the world truly is wide. Everything about this child screams fallen angel. But such innocent admiration for the Lord, no fallen would gladly display respect and adoration for Heaven like this.

"Wow… Jesus was really nice."

"Indeed child. He was a great man. But I was wondering, what do you like the most about him?"

Tilting her head, Nozomi looked up at the priest and smiled.

"The most? Well, he loved everyone, right? So much that he let himself get hurt a lot to protect everyone. Someone who would let themselves get hurt to protect you is family, so doesn't that mean he's family? And you are supposed to love family, right?"

The two priests smiled warmly at her answer, with Touji gently patting the little girl on the head.

"You are such a smart child. You remind me of my daughter"

"Hehe…"

Glancing around, he noticed that the sun was approaching the edge of the horizon, it was already evening.

"Oh my, it would seem we took up far too much of your time little one. It is already evening, shouldn't you run back home?"

"Mm… I have a little more time mister. Big sis won't be home till sunset."

"I see, and your parents?"

Nozomi's one bright demeanor immediately wilted, her eyes watered and she looked down onto the ground, her body trembling.

"They…"

Upon seeing such a bright child becoming so distraught, Touji knelt to lower himself to her level.

"What is wrong child? I'm a priest, it's my job to listen to the woes of others. You've done such a good job listening to me, so would you honor me by allowing me to listen to you? I promise to do whatever I can to help."

"*Hic* Really?"

"Yes, really. I will listen. Tell me, what happened."

"I see… you and your older sister are brave. Those bad men, you said they had bat like wings?"

"Yes…"

"Devils… Those men are what we call devils. Evil entities that harm mankind for their sick purposes. To be attacked by such things, your mother and father truly must have been good and just people."

"Yes…"

Nozomi's eyes watered at the sincere praise the man was giving her fallen parents.

"Remember when I said I was a priest Nozomi?"

"Yes?"

"Our job is to listen to people, but also to protect them from devils. Tonight, when you see your sister again, can you tell her to meet us in this park tomorrow? If she is willing, we are willing to take you with us. The church is a safe place, we can drive away any devil that comes for you. Your bad relatives won't come for you either."

"Really?"

"Yep, really."

Nozomi's expressions flickered between hope and doubt, unable to accept or reject his proposal. He was after all, barely more than a stranger in her eyes. Seeing her hesitation, Touji took off a glove and extended his pinky.

"Pinky promise."

Smiling as her eyes widen in shock, she eventually wrapped her own pinky around his.

"Promise!"

Ruffling her hair, Touji smiled as they swung their hands and recited the playful oath.

"Ok little one, we'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok mister! See you then!"

As Nozomi ran back towards the hotel, Touji's compatriot walked to his side and sternly stared at the man.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? The girl's father was obviously a Fallen Angel."

"Let not the sins of the Father fall upon the child. Did you not see her reverence for the Lord as we preached to her? Did you sense any of the malice associated with those traitors? No, it is clear that she is innocent. It would speak poorly of us if we prevented those of fallen blood from sincerely rejoining the congregation. After all, isn't it our duty as priests to be good shepherds, and rejoice when we find a lost sheep and return it to the flock as the Lord once did for us?"

"You speak the truth Father Shidou, my apologies for questioning you."

"It is alright Father Saito. To doubt is to express faith, for it means you are thinking of the Lord and how to best serve him. But for now, let us follow this child. The Lord allowed us to meet this child for a reason, and we should see it through to the end."

"Indeed, in the name of the Lord…"

Shit, shit, shit… SHIT!

Panting, a young Akeno ran through a mountainous forest, her clothes ripped and torn from the foliage and previous battles, her skin glistening in the fading moonlight from sweat.

I need to get to Nozomi before that monster does!

A dark chuckling echoed in the forest, only to be replaced by a dark baritone voice.

"Ah, look at you, puny human. Panting and scurrying about like an insect. It suits you. You robbed me of my meal, so it's only fair that you provide me with a replacement. Your sister will be a tasty snack for sure."

Dammit! If I had known that tourist was a man contracted to a devil, I would have never intervened against that stray! Now there's a devil after Nozomi, and I gained the attention of a proper peerage! No… relax Akeno, you can turn this around. Your family in the Himejima gave you the tools to deal with this. All you have to do is keep pace and you can protect Nozo-

Akeno never finished the thought as the earth before her erupted into jagged spires. Rolling to the side, she felt the familiar signatures of the Himejima artes.

"I see, that bitch Shuri taught you well, Akeno."

Akeno's eyes flashed in fear as she saw an elderly man and several practitioners run out of the foliage to surround her. She never met him in person, but she saw the pictures in her relatives' homes, as well as the descriptions her aunt and uncle gave her. Radiating power, the man took steps towards her, the demonic energies of the devil rapidly retreating at the appearance of such a powerful intruder.

Himejima Suou, head of the Himejima Clan and holder of the Vermillion Bird's power, had arrived.

"It is time to cleanse the family of this final stain. If that foul stray doesn't deal with your sister, you won't have to worry. I will. You both can enter the Samsara together."

His power suffocated the air, it was nearly enough to bring Akeno to her knees in sheer terror.

But she did not kneel.

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and raised her worn gohei in a purification stance. Suou scoffed at the child, noting the various errors in her stance before pausing as he looked into her eyes. He saw desperation, yes. As well as a good amount of fear. But more than anything else, he saw one emotion that triumphed over the others.

Determination.

Acknowledging her bravery, he motioned for his followers to back off. Seeing the circle around them widen, he slowly adopted his own stance, his aura and demeanor resembling the very mountains around them. Steady, massive, immovable.

Moments passed in absolute quiet. An unnatural stillness filled the air as all the animals, sensing the danger, had long since fled. The shadows of the forest ever lengthening as the moon waned into a new moon above them, wreathing the region in a familiar darkness.

Then, as a gentle breeze rustled the leaves around them, Akeno's abilities surged forth. Spells and artes used to destroy evil and exorcise spirits were launched in rapid succession. Akeno's words and motions flowed continuously, a river trying to carve a mountain.

Akeno's mastery of the Himejima artes could only be described as rudimentary. A child of only 10 summers could not possibly hope to master the complex artes of such an ancient family. But what little she learned from her mother, she practiced religiously while on the run with her sister.

Blow after blow, arte after arte, Akeno never relented, all for the sake of changing her fate, as well as her sister's. Each strike was filled with the wish, the determination to overturn the cruel future before them.

But the Future refused to change.

Suou merely stood his ground, his aura passively overcoming most of Akeno's attempts to harm him, moving only to parry with a closed fist whenever he felt it might be scratched. But his eyes never left Akeno, studying her movements, judging her every action. After 30 minutes of merely defending, he wore a remorseful smile.

"Ah, if only filthy blood did not course through your veins Akeno. You would have been one of our greatest practitioners."

Nodding in respect, he slowly walked forward, only this time parrying and deflecting everything Akeno flung at him with his closed fists.

"You fight well. Do not worry, I will make it painless. After I am finished with you, I'll hunt down that stray myself and give your sister a painless death as well."

Akeno's breaths became erratic as she desperately used more and more of her family artes. Then, as Suou slowly approached striking distance, she abandoned her spells and charged forward raising her right fist to strike her foe. Only to for it to be effortlessly caught in his hands.

"I find no joy in this child."

"You… will… not… touch my sister!"

Flicking her left wrist, a talisman hidden in her sleeve entered her hand. Her secret weapon, meant for the stray devil, was brought to bear. Filtering her energy through it, it glowed a divine light, and fired a spear of light towards her foe. Suou's eyes widened in fear at the sudden attack, quickly tilting his head out of the way and releasing Akeno. A single stream of blood trickled down from his ear, pricked by the sudden attack.

"Impressive child, but not enough!"

Swinging his arm, Suou swatted away Akeno's arm holding the talisman, sending the next spear of light to the side, nearly impaling one of the guards. Then, without giving her a moment to spare, he struck her in the stomach with his free hand, channelling his energy through it and sending the child flying into the trunk of a nearby tree. Collapsing into the ground, Akeno willed her body to rise. But her determination had long surpassed the limitations of her body. No matter how much she struggled, her body would collapse again under her own weight.

"You fought well child. Goodbye, may your next life be a better one."

Closing his eyes, Suou channeled the holy fires of the Vermillion Bird to bear. A massive channel of divine fire gushed forward to devour the girl before it. Akeno closed her eyes and silently cried.

Nozomi, I'm sorry. I won't be cooking tonight…

But the expected heat never arrived. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw an older man dressed in fine clothes standing before her, holding back the sacred flames of the Himejima with a magical barrier. After a few tense minutes, the flames eventually receded.

"Now now, Himejima Suou, no need to be hasty. I cannot allow you to kill this child."

Frowning, Suou glared at his guards, who in turned cringed at his disappointment in allowing an intruder to slip past. His gaze sent an unspoken promise.

I will be retraining all of you in situational awareness. Personally.

"And why is that, Bishop of the Gremory? Or should I call you by the name you used before you abandoned your humanity, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa?"

The devil smirked at his words.

"This child saved the life of one of our clients. It would be in poor form to let someone we are indebted to die. Besides, why are you even here Lord Himejima? Shouldn't you be home dealing with the insurrection?"

"Insurrection? The progressives are hardly worth my time. They barely had the strength to stall my pursuit of that child, and after one skirmish their power was proven to be wanting."

Akeno's eyes widened at his words before once again watering in guilt.

Aunt, Uncle… they fought Suou to protect me and Nozomi? Don't tell me they died too…? Is my blood really cursed? Will I do nothing but cause suffering to everyone I love?

"The Progressives? Why would you… Oh my, you truly don't know?"

"Know what? Answer me Devil, I'm not in a kind mood after your intrusion."

The devil could only give a wry smile as he watched a panicked practitioner run desperately to the agitated Suou.

"Lord Suou, Lord Suou, we need to return at once! We have been betrayed!"

"What?! Explain!"

"You son, Jirou, has made a deal with a devil, and he's leading a large force of devils and youkai against Minato and the others! Our homes are under siege!"

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa once again smirked at the scene

Good, this gives me leverage. Suou's lack of time should give us the advantage in negotiations.

"Heh, how amusing Suou. The Gremory aren't even involved in this struggle and we knew before you. What does it say about your leadership when even the uninvolved parties knows of your clan's plight before you?"

"Tsk, what do you desire devil?"

"To negotiate for the life of the child you wish to kill."

Glaring in frustration, Suou stayed silent for a moment before begrudgingly speaking.

"So be it. Make it quick, devil."

"I knew you'd see reason, Rias would you take care of this child while I talk to this man?"

"Mm."

Walking forward, a young girl with flowing crimson hair and a white dress approached Akeno. Looking down on the fallen girl, she had a slight frown, but her eyes betrayed the flaming compassion residing within. Reaching down, she gently grabbed Akeno's arm.

"Can you stand?"

Once more, Akeno tried to push herself off the ground, only for her limbs buckle under her own weight. But she did not taste the earth once more. The girl refused to let her fall. Although her limbs shook from the effort, she eventually pulled Akeno off the ground and slung Akeno's arm around her shoulders.

"I can't have you die here. After all, I need you to live for me."

"Who… who are you?"

"Rias Gremory, your king. But before that, your new sister."

"Sister? What do you mean?"

"Well, after you saved my brother's client, we did a quick background check on you and discovered you were a runaway. We couldn't let someone who helped us go unrewarded so we searched for you. Didn't expect your pursuers to be the head of the Himejima clan though…"

"So you are going to take me in? Despite knowing my history?"

"Yes, the Gremory value friends and family above all else. It matters not where you are from. Once we accept you, you're as good as our own blood."

"Then… then would my sister also count as yours?"

Maybe… maybe we can save Nozomi! I'd have to put my trust in this devil but, what choice do I have!

"Then please, take my back to my hotel room! Before Suou attacked I was chasing after a stray devil that wants to eat my little sister!"

"Wait, what?!"

The pair stumbled at Rias's shock. Akeno, feeling the tinges of hope looked up at her savior with pleading eyes.

"Please…"

"We need my brother's bishop for help, let's go back."

Nodding resolutely, Rias started walking them back.

Himejima Suou glared at the pair as they walked away before shifting his gaze to the insufferable bishop that stood in his path.

It would not be a sure thing, but I could defeat this devil before me, but provoking Sirzechs' wrath would be suicidal to the clan. Besides, with my son's, no, with Jirou's treachery, I cannot afford injury, not now. But how to negotiate... The devil knows time is on his side…

Suou furrowed his brow, pondering a way forward until he heard Rias cry out "Wait, what!" in the distance. The bishop turned away to face Rias, missing Suou's sadistic smile.

Ah, that's right, the other sister. We never did stop that stray, did we? Heh, time is now on my side. But even so, knowing the Gremory's reputation, they won't surrender the girl. Best if I focus on isolation and quarantine then.

Watching the pair hobble back to negotiating parties, Suou spoke sternly, barely hinting at the hostility underlying it.

"It would seem devil, that you too are pressed for time. In the interest of saving time, this is what I propose. The brat and her sister shall never return to the Himejima lands, nor bear the Himejima name once they reach of age. They will bear the Gremory name, and Gremory name alone. They are to have no contact with with any family members they may have had when they once bore the name Himejima. In return, the Himejima clan will never pursue nor engage in any hostility towards the sisters, barring self defense. This oath shall be binding, and shall never be rescinded without the consent of the Head of the Himejima Clan."

Shifting his gaze towards Rias, Suou took a step forward, his harsh gaze staring down at the young girl.

"Do you accept, Heiress of the Gremory?"

"Yes, on my family name I swear."

"Very well."

Turning his back towards the devils, Suou motioned to his followers to disperse. They had a war to wage.

After confirming the Himejima had fled, Rias and her brother's bishop created a teleportation circle to return to the town. Immediately upon their return, Akeno attempted to scramble out towards the hotel, only to collapse once again from her injuries. Without saying a word, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa picked up the errant child and manifested his wings, carrying her towards the hotel with Rias following behind.

...only to find the hotel room door broken down by fang and claw, the Himejima ofuda reinforcing the doors and barriers spent. Akeno's eyes widened at the sight, stunned by the horrifying realization that they were too late. Gently, Heinrich set Akeno down.

"Rias, watch over her, I'll check inside."

Nodding, Rias sat next to the grief stricken girl, holding onto her hands for support.

Yet before the bishop stepped in, a familiar face hobbled out. A stray devil, reminiscent of a centaur but with a body of a demonic boar stepped out. His body was riddled with burns and wounds, with his right eye burned, oozing with the fading aura of holy light.

Taking a glance at the bishop before him, and the shocked girl who denied him once before, he sighed, resigned to his fate before giving them a bitter smile.

"Well then, looks like I won't make it here alive. Heh, matters not. That little bitch put up quite the fight for a child. Wasn't expecting the holy light in the eye though. Oh well, it was a meal to die for. I wish you guys could have had a taste, she was positively delectable."

At his words, the light died in Akeno's eyes as she looked at the ruined door, eyes glazed over in grief. All the while, Rias stood up in absolute rage, her power erupting nearly uncontrollably. Her eyes were promising nothing but a messy death.

"Heinrich. Keep him still."

Nodding silently, the bishop accepting, magical formulas appearing around the stray, chaining it to the ground. The stray, knowing the futility of struggling, only laughed at the face of his approaching death.

"Heh, hehehe. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I MAY DIE BITCH, BUT KNOW THIS... YOUR LITTLE SISTER IS GONE BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"Silence, filth."

The Gremoy's power of destruction washed over the foul devil, slowly annihilating it, as well as the door and the walls behind it, revealing the aftermath of the attack behind it. The room was ruined, the beds ripped to shreds with several spent ofuda littering the floor. But at the back of the room, next to the bathroom lay little Nozomi's clothes, ripped, tattered, and soaked in blood.

Rias flinched at the sight before turning attention to her newest servant, a girl her age, whose lifeless eyes begged for the release of death. Speechless, Rias walked to her side and gave the girl a tight hug, ignoring the utter lack of reaction.

"Let's go home."

Once more, a teleportation circle appeared beneath Akeno, but once more, she merely stared blankly ahead.

It would take over a year of Rias's relentless care and fretting for the girl to return to life, to smile once more, even if only for a moment.

Surrounded by the love of her new family, Akeno took to the lessons of high class devils to great effect as she slowly overcame her depression. But she could never forget her first family, whenever her black wings manifested, or her holy lightning would materialize. Memories of all the happy days lost would assail her, to the point where she swore only to use the demonic magic born from her reincarnation.

As Rias's peerage grew, Akeno welcomed the new additions with open arms. She saw reflections of her loneliness and sorrow in the eyes of each child her king rescued, and soon saw each new addition as a new sibling to her family.

Yet, even though she began feeling satisfied with her life, it never filled the dull pain in her heart. Her longing for her little sisters lead her to care for all female underclassmen in Kuoh academy after she enrolled with her king's peerage, much to the delight and gratitude of the students.

But despite her best efforts, Akeno could never fully dispel the air of melancholy that surrounded her. Even after being regarded as one of the great ladies' of Kuoh Academy, one moniker always seemed to follow her.

The Beauty with the Hollow smile.

Author's notes

You know when my editor read Begmal's death, he asked:

"But what would cooking devil smell like?"

I responded:

"Imagine pork, for he was a pig in life."

That aside, heya peeps!

Just started my next semester for my masters program, and holy crap! To paraphrase what my professor said on the first day:

"This is hell you are walking into. In this course alone, you will be doing more work than in all the masters level courses you have taken over the past few years combined."

So yeah… there is going to be a slow down on my release schedules. I'm going to try to release the next Truth chapter soon, and in that author's notes I have to explain a lot of things, seeing how I didn't explain the events that occured that well and caused A LOT of misunderstandings.

That aside, what do you guys think of this chapter? Longer than normal, but I couldn't find a good point to divide it without making the chapters seem fillery or way too short. Next Shackles chapter will be the start of the proper story.

Oh, important question because both my editor and I couldn't' find the answer…

How old are the main characters at the start of Highschool DxD? It would be nice to have so I can measure out the years properly.

And in case any of you were interested, the preliminary poll results were in a word, interesting. Initially, the Campione story was the most requested followed the dragon saint. For a few weeks, the infinite stratos story was in 4th place edged out by the lord marksman story, with the golden ending being dead last.

Then, once I mentioned the poll to you guys, Dragon saint and Campione vied for the top spot, and infinite stratos fell to the bottom. Oddly enough, heir of justice was second to last for a while and marksmen was in 3rd place, but there were minor fluctuations. Then, once I told the truth fans, dragon saint skyrocketed, and heir of justice and golden ending briefly passed campione before Campione climbed back. As it stands now, here are the results:

Dragon Saint DXD

The Eldest Campione!

In the Wake of the Golden Ending

The Heir of Justice

The Knight of the Bow and the Lord of the Bow

The Legacy of Crimson

I'm going to keep the poll up for a while longer, because the results are still in flux and they are all within striking distance of each other. Except Legacy of Crimson. You guys don't like that one for some reason now. lol.

Lastly, initially, Shuri was going to live, but so many people said she died and I don't want to make you guys liars…

:D

Editor's Notes:

Never look back on your Dark Ages… all that awaits you there is the shame that such a time in your life existed.

"There is no sight of maturity, there's nothing resembling an education, there is no sign of growth. All I can see is constant, unwavering, BALLS TO THE WALL DEGENERACY!" -Editor to friend as he looks through his own shame.