Rewriting Your FATE: Irregular Demon Lords.
-Chapter I: Bloodlines-
(Gintama OST: Madao)
"Mother… who is my real father?"
The innocent yet desperate question shouldn't have come as a surprise for her, as the possibility was always there. She herself had planned to one day tell her son the truth of his parentage, but so far she had not found the right occasion to do so.
Now, her preteen son and heir of his father's lineage had taken the initiative.
Still keeping an oblivious façade, she replied to him.
"Honey, your father is your father. The current head of the Gremory Pillar and my husband"- she explained with a disarming and innocent smile –"why would you make such a question at this age?"
Her son remained quiet for a moment, but she could see in his face that he was plagued by doubt and dare she say fear. It was such a contrast with his usual demeanor, always carrying himself with ease and confidence.
Unfortunately, now he was breaking tradition and stubbornly continued his inquiry.
"I… heard you arguing with father"- she could hear a change in tune in his voice as he mentioned the man who up to this point had been considered his progenitor –"You were both talking about how the magic of the Gremory cannot recognize me as the rightful heir by blood, and how both of you expected such an outcome."
She make no sign to interrupt him, even as her anxiety and concern grew the more her son spoke about his personal plight.
"I…I love you, and I love my father as much. He was the man who raised me, who took care of me and taught me how to conduct myself as a proper member of the Devil Society. I also know he truly sees me as his son, but listening to him talking about me not being one of the Gremory by blood…"
Her son looked directly into her eyes, pleading.
"Mother…If I'm not truly a Gremory… then who am I?"
Such words, and such a haunted sight pulled at her heartstrings. She know the day would come, but she was not really expecting to have this conversation until her son had effectively assumed his position and become an active player into the politics of their world. He already had enough responsibilities ahead and he didn't need to shoulder a truth that would make him question himself to this extreme.
But perhaps… perhaps it was for the best.
In hindsight, better her son questioned the truth and dealt with it now than let it burden him after he had walked a path ignorant of his true heritage. Besides, she owed that not just to her son, but to the man who had actually fathered him, even if there were no traces of his blood or appearance in their child.
Putting both of her arms onto his shoulders and looking at him with love and reassurance, the mother gave the answer her child so desperately wanted.
"Sirzechs, know this. Regardless of the identity of your biological father, YOU are both a Bael and a Gremory. I know this and your father knows this. It goes beyond blood or physical resemblance, you take after myself and BOTH of your fathers in your own way"- she began before giving him the actual reply –"With that said, take a seat at the bed and I will tell you about the man who helped bringing you into this world."
"Remember the incident that affected our families 15 years ago?" –his mother began, and he was quick to answer.
"You mean when you were cast away after both you and father were attacked in your wedding party by a group of unknowns with a wielder of Dimension Lost?"
That had been quite the happening even beyond the Pillars of Bael and Gremory. The very night the two families were united by marrying their chosen heirs, the newlyweds and their body guards were taken by surprise by a group of masked attackers that made their way to them. It was a quick and easy task given they had a wielder of the Sacred Gear Dimension Lost, capable of creating gateways even to the Dimensional Gap so long as the human mastered it's power.
While the attacking party had been eliminated or subdued, the wielder of Dimension Lost had used all he had to whisk away the couple into an unknown destination. His mother had gotten the man with her Power of Destruction, but the dying human still managed to use his power on her instead of the two as he originally intended.
The very night Gremory and Bael united by marriage, one of the pillars of this union had been forcefully banished in a matter of seconds, without a trail to follow.
Interrogations took place, but the surviving members of the attackers perished the next day under mysterious circumstances. The ones heading both Pillars wanted to keep the incident hidden, even as they used their resources in hopes of finding the missing heiress. Of course the Gremory didn't put that much effort in comparison to the ones who had lost their current heiress, but even they eventually lowered their efforts and started paying attention to her half-brother.
That didn't mean the Bael would not continue looking for the ones responsible for the incident, and had they found them blood would have been spilled without mercy. But for the sake of keeping up the appearances, they decided to continue working as usual. People beyond the two families had been invited to the wedding, and word eventually spread of the happenings, but the Bael could not show weakness in front of possible rivals in the daily struggle for power that made up Devil Society.
Even asking to the Demon Lords for help was considered too risky, as those four believed truly in the survival of the fittest and would probably try to use the incident to fuel the animosity with the Fallen or even Heaven, an outcome neither Bael nor Gremory were currently looking forward. Not out of the goodness of their hearts, but simply because they would rather avoid losing more members of their families to another Great War.
In the end, only Zeoticus Gremory continued the search for his missing wife, even as he was mocked and pitied by others around him.
Three months passed, and the pressure to marry Zeoticus to another heiress grew strong, just as the conspirators within the two families concerned and even outside claimed to have found evidence of guilty parties in the ranks of the other factions of the supernatural. Yet the man he still called father never surrendered, and continued searching and hoping.
Those hopes were answered by the fifth month, not by the hand of Zeoticus Gremory, the Bael or even third parties within or outside Devil Society.
One Day Venelana Bael, now Gremory, had simply fallen from the skies and in the gates of the Gremory state, in front of a very surprised Zeoticus.
She had returned older, bearing wounds and wearing clothes designed for a general more than an aristocrat, and they looked like they had seen better days.
None of this mattered to the Gremory heir, as he had grabbed the asleep woman into his arms without hesitation and taken her into his own room before calling for a doctor amongst the servant of his family.
Five months after being forcefully banished, Venelana Gremory had returned to her husband's arms and into her life as a member of the Devil Society. And months later, Sirzechs Gremory had been born.
No one could ever truly get anything from Venelana in regards to where she disappeared to and who were the responsible parties behind the attack.
In her own cryptic words, the one responsible had been killed by her hand and the place she had ended up in was no more, reduced to an empty mass of earth and rotten water. The people that helped her return home were most likely death after doing their best to help her, and the one responsible for their demise must have died as well.
"Yes, that very one. I never told anyone what truly happened in the time I was gone, and as you know I returned older than when I just married. Tell me son, how old do you think I am right now?"
Sirzechs started sweating then and there.
Oh boy, it was one of those questions. Asking a woman her age was considered rude, and some took it worse than others. His mother was very understanding and hard to anger, but he didn't want to annoy her still.
Seeing his hesitation, Venelana giggle into her hand and put him at ease.
"It's alright, sweetie, I'm not going to be mad at you for a serious answer from a question I just made. To help you, I was right your age when I was wed to your father, so how older do you think I got this year?"
Both relief and confusion filled his mind, so he chose the latter emotion and replied.
"… 30?" –he suggested the obvious answer, and was surprised to see his mother shake her head in denial with a small and more subdued smile.
"I am currently in fifty despite my appearance, Sirzechs".
(Get Backers OST: Makubex-Extended)
"But how? Everyone knows you went missing for five months, not decades. How could you be so much older- I mean, how could you be so sure?" –he finished with a hasty correction, not willing to try his mother by using the taboo word.
"For all living here and even outside this Underworld, less than half a year passed since I went missing. But for me… in that world, those were two decades with all sorts of experiences."
That world. What could she…
"What do you mean by that world, mother?"
Her answer came after she took a seat next to him on her bed, before looking deep into his blue eyes as she spoke.
"The Dimensional Gap connects to more than the different planes of our own reality. Beyond the Underworld and Heavens, beyond the world of humans and the hidden worlds of the many different pantheons still active to this day…there are other parallel realities whose rules differ from ours. Places where the reign of the Gods and Goddesses has long passed, humans handle magic for the sake of it, and struggle to share the world with the few remnants of the supernatural that still didn't abandon the outer layer.
Think of another reality, where the power of magic has been decaying as humanity moved away from superstition just as the supernatural hid further and further away. But even there, magic and mysteries could still become powerful from time to time, even beyond what you have seen so far in this Underworld or read in the tales of yore. A reality with its own hidden monsters, far crueler and deadlier than even our esteemed leaders could hope to accomplish."
His mother stopped talking for a while, most likely letting him digest all the information she had just dumped into him.
Parallel Worlds… Dimension Lost operated under the idea of gates that could enter even into the domain of other factions if the wielder became good enough, and his mother's disappearance confirmed that it could even open a path into the Dimensional Gap. But that the latter was connected to fully separated realities, was a huge revelation.
It would explain her argument about being older than what was assumed.
It would explain why she couldn't find her way back for so long.
And it gave the answer he sought to his original question a whole new perspective.
Like…
"…Was my birth father from this parallel world?"
This time, his mother's smile turned sad, and Sirzechs almost regretted the question even as the opportunity of learning about his true heritage was at his grasp. The answers he sought were not worth making his beloved mother suffer.
But she simply put her left hand over his own to reassure him of her will to continue, and she did.
"Yes. And others who I learned to treasure in my heart, even as everyday their fates still bring a measure of grief for being the only one left.
A woman who proudly announced to the world her wish to become its ruler, using her charisma and her own strength to challenge the Supernatural without relying on its blessings. Always holding her head high, hear heart filled with pride and her desire to have it all rivaling even the greed of the Gremory. One who would always seek the one she loved to never let them go, who would fight against them and at their side, who would unite their dreams to her own to reach into the impossible.
A second woman whose family had been forced into their own undoing by choice and circumstances, who struggled with the power of her blood but refused to become a mere beast. One who experienced betrayal and failure, but stood strong and mastered her own lineage. One who was not always honest in expressing her feelings, but would always repay kindness and trust with actions.
A third woman who was adopted into a famous family of warriors and priests and who sought to surpass her sister figure and be worth of the affection of the man they both loved, only for the latter to become a beast and destroy all they cared for. Yet she still found strength in new bonds, and her will to become more than a follower chasing after others and living in regrets allowed her to become one of the most accomplished sages and magicians of both eastern and western kind. A lovely girl who always smiled and awoke in everyone a natural wish to care for her and become a part of her life.
A fourth woman belonging to the Holy Church, who had been abandoned to her fate against an impossible foe for daring to give more importance to people than to the self-imposed mission of the Holy Orders. Yet even death did not stop her, and she remained steadfast in her path instead of hiding after getting a second chance. She remained this way, even willing to work with some of the very creatures she was supposed to hunt down mercilessly, all for the sake of a kinder world, and until the moment death claimed her for good.
A fifth woman who had been saved by the one before, but still got cursed by her guilt and the invincible foe that claimed to be kin of her blood. A high-ranking member of a magical society obsessed with avoiding terrible futures, haunted by what she considered the inevitable. Yet even as her body died and transformed into undying and thirsting flesh, even as her mind was ravaged the more she fought against her impulses and after taking new burdens for the sake of those she saw as family… even then she remained loyal, devoted, and still did what she could to create the possibilities that should not be there. A woman who lost her own self into a chaotic sea of souls, but put herself together all for the sake of those who loved her, and who she loved as well.
A final woman who lived in stagnancy, neither a woman nor a child. Wielding power and authority rivaling those of the Divine, she had been created as nothing but the eventual replacement of her forefather, to eventually be reduced as nothing but a vessel for his return amongst the living. Yet even as she refused to fight for the future or deal with the past, she held the world stable with her power and cunning, until forces beyond her control provided opportunity for betrayal an fulfilled her fate. A woman who valued no one but herself and the only one who truly served her with loyalty, and who eventually repaid the acknowledgement of the ones sacrificing all to release her… even if she would always both love and curse them for making her see the truth of her path.
Finally… there was your father. The man who became the lynchpin between all of these legendary women, including your own mother. A man who was more like a sword than a human, sometimes acting as a machine driven by an insane purpose before being an actual living being. A man born from a tragedy that would follow him to the very end, yet being one of the purest souls I had ever seen in all my years. Even as he had no proper sense of self and was constantly pursuing an impossible goal, he also cared deeply for the happiness and well-being of others, eventually learning to value those closest to him instead of threating people as targets to be saved.
Your father was born from the fire that annihilated his past, a mark that would always follow him even as he found a reason live with himself and truly care for others and his own existence. There was no one else we could have fallen for, and who could have accepted all of us and stood for us with such honest concern and resolution."
His mother spoke of these people with such respect and fondness that Sirzechs could not help but wish to see them instead of just hearing about them. Still, one particular detail caught his attention.
"Wait…MY birth father was a human?"
"Technically speaking, yes. He was a poorly trained magician, or magus as they were called there, when he started his journey in this story, but by the end of it he had already stepped into the realm of the conceptual, and you were conceived around that time. Even so, one of those people I mentioned ensured his heritage would not be present when I returned, probably knowing there was a way back for me. Really, that cunning vampire princess..." –finished his mother going from pondering to sighing in annoyance, though Sirzechs noticed it lacked actual venom.
"Why?"
"It was the time of our final battle and I wanted to show my devotion to your birth father after all we had been through. You must understand that I really did not expect to return to my home world, so I had made up my mind that our final fight would be FINAL. Had we all settled there after victory, or even returned here, I was willing to give myself to him and only him. I asked the vampire princess to make sure I could only have children with him as a show of my conviction, and her contracts are very much permanent once fulfilled."
This answered his current question, but also made Sirzechs question the stability of his own family, a concern he voiced to his mother.
"Your father had his suspicions not long after your birth, and I decided to be fully honest to him alone, he who sought me even when all others had desisted. While our relationship will never be what it was before my disappearance, we have learned to value our old friendship more than the love that was never meant to be. Our marriage still holds as you are Gremory to all others, and should it be necessary Zeoticus is willing to formally adopt you even if our Ancestors are in opposition. He still has the affection of the other women seeking him, and I will make sure he is not engaged to some gold digger that does not value your father beyond his noble status. I owe him that much and I value him that much, even if I shall remain akin to a widow for the rest of my life."
There were no more questions afterwards.
Venelana spoke no more words even as she remained in her place over the bed.
Sirzechs was digesting all the answers even as he embraced his mother and was embraced in return, crying for the woman who had chosen to sacrifice her own freedom to move forward for the sake of those she loved currently living and for the memory of those who were no more.
He even cried for the family he never knew, for regardless of their origins and race they took care of his mother and loved her, and in the end they made sure she could return to her own world.
And while Zeoticus Gremory will always be his true father in his eyes, the man who had gained his mother's heart would become from now on more than a mere progenitor.
And so, they remained in the embrace for close to ten minutes, but it may have been longer to him.
Sirzechs felt oddly at peace with the truth, something even he knew was not the usual response considering the disdain Devils had to those born from impure bloodlines. For him, however, the truth opened new paths ahead to live up to his legacies, and become much more.
But for that he wanted to ask one more thing from his beloved mother.
"Mom, I know it may bring some painful memories especially now but… could you tell me more about the people you met there…about my birth father?" -he said in a soft voice, hoping to convey his willingness to not press on.
"I would also like to know more about the ones who stole your heart, Venelana"
!
That had come from the door, where his father was standing with a mischievous look on his face, probably knowing he had succesfuly startled the mother and son pair.
"Dad… when did you-"
"Oh, I just arrived when your mother was telling you about the friends she made on the other side, and also found myself wanting to know more. You see, she told me more details when I first confronted her about her time away, but never fully elaborated on those she was close to, or even those she scorned. So if it's not too much to ask…"
His father summoned an elegant but simple chair and calmly took a seat in front of the bed's right, before continuing.
"Can I join this reminiscence?"
He looked at his mother, who merely giggled in her left once more, her mood uplifted even at the unexpected arrival.
"Then let me tell you both the story of the Legendary Eight and the War against the Evil God, about how I met your birth father and the ones who shared my love…"
3 years Later, Gremory Castle.
Venelana Gremory knew of war.
She had spent 20 years fighting one, for the sake of survival and for the sake of creating something better out of victory, no matter how small the chances were.
She had learned of the horrors and the losses, of the hardships and failures that were so common in war, especially for the weaker side.
The Anti-Satan Faction lead by her son and his friends may possess more raw power thanks to him and Ajuka Astaroth, whose only match in the Satan Faction was the very son of the original Lucifer. But the two decades of experience she had gained taught her that wars involved more than just a contest of pure strength.
The accomplished strategist that was the young Falbium, and even the old nobles who had survived the Great War of centuries ago… they were still outmaneuvered at every step by Rizevim Lucifer and his many generals, actual veterans of the conflict of the Abrahamic Factions. Sirzechs may have gathered to his side both young and old Devils who were not obsessed with crushing their old enemies for the sake of proving themselves and just simply living up to their worst, but the current Demon Lords had more experienced officials in their ranks.
Venelana knew from experience, that a war could not be won with just living legends unless you were one of the Heavenly Dragons or Crimson Moon Brunestud. And even they met defeat eventually.
Dragons cared not for the world they lived in, and the original Brunestud was simply obsessed with building his own kingdom regardless of consequences; but her son and his allies wanted something out of this tragic war, they had more than their personal pride at stake.
And Rizevim Lucifer knew this. And he exploited it.
Devils were certainly no Saints, but even they had things and people they valued, who were both their source of strength and weakness. Lucifer and the other Demon Lords had to be defeated for her son's faction to emerge victorious, but the same was not necessarily the case for the rebels.
Taking full advantage of his ironclad control over the Devils on his side and the great advantage in manpower as well as resources, Lucifer controlled the battlefield and baited the less experienced and less centralized forces under Sirzechs. While the super powers on their own side could enter battle and force the enemies to surrender or be destroyed, they could only achieve this in one or two places at the time, while Lucifer was free to divide his forces to strike when there was a weakness.
Sometimes Falbium could read the Demon Lord and prepare proper countermeasures, even succeed in crushing the attacks and raids to their villages and cities.
Sometimes the genius Ajuka countered Lucifer and his followers with a unique invention of his or his infamous Kankara Formula.
But the Demon Lords could afford loses, and even went as far as to hire forces from other factions, mercenaries interested in the spoils of war that could be sent to their deaths without inflicting real loses on the Satan Faction. Of course, this was done in secret and propaganda kept the masses from the ignorant of the hypocrisy of the warmongers.
The Anti-Satan Faction could not afford this path.
None were willing to accept their pay, none were willing to ally with them and almost no one within their own ranks was willing to support asking for help from others in fear of hastening the escalation of the conflict into another Great War.
Meanwhile, Fallen's attacks had become common as the months passed, from mere raids to their supplies to even actual attacks to their quarters or states. Hades' cronies were also contributing to create more pressure, and even the Vampires decided to join in the assault to their forces.
Most likely, Rizevim had allowed the situation to leak and even convinced these outside players to participate in the civil war, giving in the process more support to the claims of the Satan Faction of the need to initiate another Great War to protect themselves.
The strategy behind such moves was to corner her son into a no-win set of situations.
If he continued putting most of his resources, including himself, into the offensive, the continued attacks could eventually cost the vulnerable homes his army had left behind, even his own.
If he abandoned the offensive and focused on protecting his home and the territories of his allies, Sirzechs would lose the momentum and allow the Demon Lords to recover their lost ground.
And if he dared to spread himself thin in all corners, he would lose it all and truly make the resistance he was leading pointless.
The Anti-Satan Faction began as a refusal to shed more Devil's blood into a renewed conflict with the Fallen and the Angels of Heaven, but now the war hawks and plenty of different races harassed them from every direction. Sirzechs and his three friends could barely hold their faction together, and even then defections had already taken place.
Ajuka may be a genius in research and new ways of combat, Falbium a genius tactician and perhaps strategist, and Sirzechs and Serafall might hold lots of raw power to battle… but Rizevim easily surpassed them all in fighting a war.
Unfortunately, there was little she could do to alleviate their more immediate burdens.
She was not considered someone with enough experience and pull to have her counsel properly taken into consideration, and pressing her way into the command structure would create an authority threat to the young leaders.
Sirzechs and his friends had decided to enter this war, and it was them who had to win it so it they could effectively replace the current Demon Lords and put an end to the bloodshed. Regardless of their mistakes and inexperience, she would not take this away from them.
Instead, she would support her son by protecting his home.
It had been a decision driven by a better understanding of the war, and Venelana knew that the Gremory would most likely become a target of many attacks to come.
For all his smarts and cunning, Rizevim Lucifer was still a vain character, unused to the more modern ways of war she had seen in a future centuries to come. Devils were proud of their powers, and power was the coin used to make deals and escalate in their society. The warmongers in the Satan Faction were also prone to displays of arrogance and cruelty, using might to make right and making sure their enemies understood where they stood, or perished as examples to other potential rebels.
And so, even the powerful and experienced Demon Lord Rizevim Lucifer was still somewhat predictable, and Venelana knew he would attack the Gremory, who were much more vulnerable than the Bael, in order to hurt Sirzechs and force him to play his tune.
She was proven right in her decision to stay behind.
(Jin-Roh" Original Soundtrack - Grace Omega by Mizoguchi Hajime)
Sirzechs and Zeoticus had taken measures to protect their own territory from most known enemies, and even considered the possibility of other factions trying their luck as the civil war progressed into a stalemate.
She herself had prepared for such possibility even before the war officially started, especially when it came to escape routes if they ever became necessary.
Even then, it was because of her staying behind that the Gremory's Castle had yet to fall.
Whether it was overconfidence or even part of an unusual strategy, Rizevim sent a huge force to besiege her home, a mix of loyalist as well as forces from other factions and races. Not a mere horde of ravagers, but instead a coordinated and professional army with clear instructions of what to do and how.
A force lead by none other than the current Leviathan and Asmodeus, two of the four ruling Demon Lords.
Under normal circumstances, the Gremory would have fallen, only to be effectively eradicated to be made an example by the Satan Faction of the prize of defying the rule of the Demon Lords.
But Venelana was there, participating in the fights and giving commands to the limited troops at their disposal, turning a quick defeat into a slow and costly war of attrition.
For two weeks, the Devils inside the Gremory state had been isolated from any form of communication or magical escape, holding attack after attack with no clear schedule in their sunless Underworld. Unable to properly sleep, their supplies growing scarce with the huge number of mouths to feed after accepting the refugees from the villages outside and the ever more tired troops protecting the ones unable to fight.
Her experience fighting alongside her old companions had not taught her how to command armies, but she knew how to motivate the men and women risking their lives against the invading force, just like her son did.
Nevertheless, they had been giving grown in the passing days, even as the invaders had suffered huge losses with every gain in terrain they got. The Demon Lords were a proud pair, and even as they grew impatient they simply replaced the fallen soldiers with fresh troops.
And now, the Castle was surrounded.
Filled with a huge number of Devils, both noble and peasant, warrior and non-fighters sharing their almost depleted rooms and resources.
The last battle had dealt a new blow to the invading forces, and bought enough time to erect magical barriers around the Castle.
The fact that one of the Demon Lords had been so close but refused to engage in combat showed that they were being either prudent or considered involving themselves directly unworthy of them.
Regardless, Asmodeus had simply ordered the last raid to retreat before announcing that they had half an hour to lower the barriers and come out in surrender, less all of the survivor were massacred in the upcoming attack.
That had been 15 minutes ago.
On one hand this created pressure from those fooling themselves into thinking that there was hope for mercy if they complied with the demands. Before this turned into a more chaotic situation, Venelana was quick to break such illusion, reminding them of the razed villages and the very reason they had been attacked in the first place.
"I may be valuable to my son, but most of you have no worth as political hostages. That army has no mercy left within, not after how much it has cost them to push us to this point. Not while is being led by such ruthless characters who are here to make an example of all of us."
None had attempted to argue afterwards, but even defusing that potential disaster in time changed nothing of their plight. On the other hand…
On the other hand, Venelana knew what was coming, especially after seeing the pissed off Asmodeus.
At last all or nothing attack, abandoning all strategy except the use of rotation of waves of troops with the sole purpose of extermination.
Until this point, Venelana had been conserving her strength after the first few days of battle, knowing that there were only two ways viable to her to end this without extermination.
Waiting for her son or his allies to somehow magically appear behind the loyalist forces and either destroy them or force them to flee and abandon the siege.
The alternative, could only work if the majority of the enemies and the two Demon Lords came within range, overconfident and also carelessly trying to win and completely disregarding retreat.
And now, the time had come.
Before anything else could be said however, one of the surviving officers sent by her son rushed to her current location.
"My lady!" –He said before stopping to take a breath and properly convey his urgent message –"My lady Venelana… Young Master Gremory has managed to communicate with us, he wants to-"
"Put him on the line" –she replied with steel, and the soldier obeyed her command.
Two weeks of isolation and siege, but Venelana was finally able to listen to her child's voice after what feel like another decade.
"Mother… the time is short before this line us cut once again so I'll get to the point. If you can all hold for at least one more hour, we should be able to get there to lift the siege. Father and I are coming, so-"
"You must remain there Sirzechs." – She cut him off with a voice that left no room for argument. Of course that was not enough.
"Mother you can't be serious! If we go there, we can quickly lift the siege and save the survivors including you. We will need to relocate you all somewhere else, but-"
"We have less than 15 minutes before the next attack, and believe me son, it will be huge. It will be the blow to make an example of the Gremory and to destroy both your reputation and the moral of your army. To make you lose yourself in grief and rage with the news, or fool you with fake news of hostages to restrain your choices. Besides, if you abandon your position to spend time protecting us, Rizevim will most likely reveal whatever he had prepared for your leave."
"…"
"You are right, however, in that the people must be moved. When the time is over, I will create an opening for them, and destroy this whole army and maybe the Demon Lords leading it."
The other end remained silent for tens more seconds, taking away more time from the doom clock.
(Majin Vegeta Sacrifice theme (The real one) Father and son moment)
"…Are you telling me to abandon you? Then I refuse!"
"Sirzechs Gremory!" –She shouted from her end –"don't you dare throw away all of your efforts for the small hope of rescuing me! You are the next Gremory Head and most certainly will become a leader of our people once you put an end to this farce of a war. But for that you need choose those people that will most likely live under your rule, and not the ones about to die…
Please son, I understand how painful this must be for you, believe me I do. But you have continue forward while Lucifer is most likely expecting the opposite. Send others you trust in order to protect the survivors, but do not come here or send Ajuka here to get me. For the sake of your dream, and even for my own sake, do not play into the hands of your enemy."
Her voice was filled with emotion by the end, and the line was silent for seconds once again, before her son replied.
"You told me I AM the future Gremory Head... then I choose to act as a Gremory, mother! We Gremory embody greed, we do not let go of riches and power, not even those we care for. I refuse to sacrifice those I love for the sake of a future yet to come!"
She should be mad at his stubbornness, yet it was also so familiar that she could not help but release a deep sigh, before a smile made its way on her face.
"You also are his son, you fool. You would sacrifice an advantageous position on the chance you can save others, putting those you care for above yourself without a second though, and dealing with the consequences as you go" –she said fondly to him –"thank you for giving your dear mother such a nice memory trip"
"Then-"
"Which is why I must do this" –she interrupted him for the last time –"Do what you want and learn from your choices, wherever they take you. End this whole mess and live a long and happy life with one or as many wives as you want, and be sure to have some lovely children of your own, Sirzechs.
I will help paving your path…Goodbye, my beloved son."
"Mo-"
And with that, she cut off the communication, looking at the officer who had stood at her side all this time.
"How much time do we gave left?"
"…five minutes, my Lady"
She simply took the information with a broader smile, one usually bore by the strongest woman she had ever met in all her years. Showing conviction and readiness for challenge, she spoke.
"Well then, now that preparations and goodbyes are properly done, I should be making my way to the stage… the prelude to my last act!"
Gremory Castle, 5 minutes later.
(Vegeta gets bean-Extended)
The barriers protecting the castle held for about 12 seconds before they all collapsed under the power of two Demon Lords.
The invading army got close to the now unprotected building, ready to be unleashed upon its prey.
Asmodeus and Leviathan remained vigilant even as they looked at the sole figure standing proudly in front of all other remnants of the Gremory House, and whatever was left of the garrison stationed by the rebel Sirzech Lucifer.
Her flaxen hair reaching just after her shoulders, her violet eyes filled with determination and mirth, reflected in her proud smile.
Wearing a dress mostly in red but with black covering bellow her chest, her belly and backside.
From there, bat-like long wings spread ready.
But most importantly, they saw her whole body suddenly exuding a powerful crimson aura.
"Welcome to my humble home, esteemed Demon Lords. My apologies but I am in need to prepare a proper gift for my upcoming meeting with some old friends. I shall dispose of you lot quickly then, so I can move onto more important matters.
With that said…here I come!"
And then the whole place exploded in a crimson light of dead.
N/A: More stuff to read, finally got time to post something. Do not fret, I will continue the other crossovers but updates from them will take their time. I simply found the lack of proper Venelana fanfics surprising, and since I enjoy shipping poor old Emiya with different ladies, this came to be. Think of this work as an alternative version of the fic with a similar name, only no reincarnations into other bodies and no mix with Digimon.
Hope this finds you all in good health