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Prologue
A bolt of lightning shattered the black sky illuminating the Japanese countryside. An autumn storm was quickly approaching, bringing with it a harsh wind that tore at the remaining leaves on the trees. They seemed to hold to the branches trying to live, if only for a moment longer. But, too soon, they were overcome and callously scattered into the rocky gorge below.
The flash of light revealed a small figure at the bottom, a child whose cry had been masked by the thunder. A five-year-old boy gasping his last breaths.
At his tender age, he was experiencing what no child should. He was frightened and in pain and had tried to move or scream, but all he could do was stare at the sky, unaware of the tears streaming down his face.
The pain began to fade, and though he was only a child, he realized he was dying. At that moment, he no longer felt fear, only anger, and searing hate. If only he could climb back up and make his father pay for what he had done.
That was when he saw him.
A figure with dark, leathery wings hovered above him.
Kazuya Mishima. He heard a voice inside his head.
How does it know my name? The boy wondered as he took in the creature's frightening appearance.
I know everything about you, Kazuya. The creature's deep, rasping voice echoed softly in the child's ears.
You can hear what I think?
Of course.
Are you an angel? Kazuya asked though he knew it couldn't be.
He hoped it was an angel because he had always obeyed his father and tried his best to be well-behaved. He hoped it was an angel because, in his young mind, it was what a good boy deserved.
Angel? The creature laughed. That is the last thing I am.
You're a devil, aren't you? The angels he had seen in books and on television didn't have bat-like wings, horns, or talons that he was sure could tear him in half.
Are you frightened? It grinned, revealing sharp fangs and a mouthful of white teeth that made for an unsettling contrast with its dark skin.
...Are you here to kill me? A devil would do that, but in all the stories, good triumphed over evil. He wished he could move his head to look around and see if an angel was on its way to fight the devil, to save him.
It laughed once more. Kill you? You will die at any moment. Why would I need to kill you?
Why are you here?
I am here to help you...To help us.
How are you going to help me? Kazuya was surprised by the statement. It made no sense for a devil to help anyone. Everyone knew that. However, everyone also knew that a father was expected to protect his children and keep them safe. What his father had done was the opposite. Maybe the world was wrong, maybe angels were evil, and devils were good.
I can heal your wounds and give you back your life in addition to great power. You would like that, would you not?
I don't want to die. Kazuya was afraid to die. He had not ever been more afraid of anything in his life. His mother had died and was never seen or spoken of again. He didn't want that. He didn't want to stop existing, to go from being a boy to being nothing.
Accept my proposal, and I promise you will not. I, too, am dying. To live in your world, I require a body. I need to live inside of you.
What the creature said made no sense to the boy. But you're so big. How can you live inside me?
Not in physical form. I will occupy your mind, your being.
Will it hurt? It was a silly thing to ask. After the pain he'd just experienced, there could be nothing worse.
A little. You cannot expect to receive something while giving nothing.
Kazuya hesitated and wondered if it was telling the truth. Devils lied, it was what they were known for, but his thoughts returned to his father, who was supposed to be his teacher and protector. He thought of the angels who were supposed to help but had not come to his aid...nothing made sense. If everything he knew was a lie, maybe that meant that devils told the truth.
If you accept, you will be able to make your father pay... To make him feel the same pain that you are feeling.
...All right. His father did deserve to pay. An angel would not have approved of what the creature was saying, but what it was saying was the right thing.
At his words, the creature disappeared and, in its place, leaving a purple light that cast an eerie glow in the dark. It began to surround Kazuya's body, and as it did, it healed his wounds. He started to feel again. He was soon aware of the raindrops falling on his face, the smell of the wet earth beneath him, and the cold that the wind brought with it.
He sat up. As he looked down to survey the damage he had received, he noticed the large, jagged scar. It began beneath the left side of his collarbone and ended on the right side of his abdomen. It was as wide as his hand at the center and tapered off at each end. Though he had to squint to see in the dimness of the night and the purple glow distorted the color of his skin, he could tell that it was darker than his natural hue.
He had no time to react as the purple light gathered and then pierced his body, making him scream in pain. A few moments later, it was gone, and the pain had dissipated.
Kazuya stood and cast his eyes toward the heavens. With newfound determination, he began the long and arduous climb to the top.