The Garden of Eden burned for the first time in history. Bodies of Devils and Angels alike were scattered throughout the sacred grounds. The once beautiful and thriving sanctuary was now a desolate ruin. Nearby rivers flowed a crimson red and ashes rained from the sky.
The only glimpses of beauty that remained were the two trees at the center of the garden, the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Both appeared untouched by the chaos surrounding them. God rested along the base of the Tree of Life. His breaths were harsh and only made possible by holding together the mortal wound across his throat with his left hand. He had Lucifer to thank for the handicap. He allowed his head to thud back against the bark in defeat. Blood flowed between his fingers, something most believed impossible.
"It turns out you can bleed after all, Father."
God looked up and saw Asmodeus leaning against the tree. His armor was in shambles, blood tearing from his eyes and missing his right arm. God gestured him towards the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil to which Asmodeus limped before collapsing at the base.
God remained silent. They both knew that any attempts to speak would shorten his already limited amount of time.
"My brothers will rest easy knowing you will be joining us in the Beyond." Asmodeus chuckled painfully. His remaining limbs slowly began to go numb. Every breath grew heavier. "Azazel was wise to surrender. He'll get to see his people rebuild."
Asmodeus noted the sorrow in God's eyes. "The Angels will be fine. Your Seraphs will see to that."
God smiled. Unknown to Asmodeus, it was the first time he had done so since the start of the war. Tears flowed from his eyes while he removed his hand from his throat. Asmodeus was frozen in shock as his father took one last breath and fell to his side.
Asmodeus could only sigh. He was now left alone waiting for death to take him as well. He could feel his grip on life slipping. He began to wonder which god of death would bring him to the next life. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a bright shine of light. He looked at his new company and smiled weakly.
"I'm sorry to say…I'm not the one you were looking for."
Secluded within the opulence of one of Hell's greatest estates, a disgraced princess sat in solitude. Her long crimson hair draped down a gaudy wedding dress that did little to conceal her bust. Her blue-green eyes stared at her reflection with disgust as she inspected her appearance in the mirror. This dress was not only an insult to her pride but an insult to her beauty. She had no choice but to wear it tonight. She was getting married, after all. The wedding of Rias Gremory and Riser Phenex.
In an attempt to avoid the marriage she challenged her betrothed to a Rating Game. A battle of both peerages to decide her fate. No matter her training, expansion of her peerage, or planning, it wasn't enough. She could do nothing as her much more experienced opponent decimated them in battle.
As much as she wanted to put the blame on her parents for this wedding she knew it wasn't their fault. The Great War and Devil Civil War had caused the population of pure-blooded devils to be reduced by over 50%. This caused the Elders to demand a child from every remaining pillar family be wed to produce more pure-blooded offspring. Due to her older brother Sirzechs Gremory becoming Sirzechs Lucifer, this left Rias Gremory to be the child left with the burden of being wed to the third son of the Phenex Clan.
Zeoticus and Venelena Gremory could do nothing but attempt to console their daughter. They even arranged for the wedding to be held in the estate of Asmodeus. It was the very same place their own wedding was hosted over a millenia ago.
"Where did it all go wrong?" Rias whispered to herself. At this moment she was broken. She thought nothing could save her from this. That it was her fate to fail.
Behind her another maid entered the room and bowed. "It's almost time, my lady," The maid said.
"Of course it is," She sighed. "I'll be there shortly"
Rias wandered through the estate heading towards the hall her wedding would be in. She took her time admiring the paintings that decorated the walls. As a child her parents always told her stories about the first Asmodeus. It always surprised her how close the two were to him. Even more so when she found out that Sirzechs would get some personal training with the King and Prince every now and then. Without that training he may have not become as powerful as he is now.
She was also fascinated by all the different statues she found on her walk. They varied from Dragons, Pegasuses, Unicorns, Griffons and so on. She marveled at the fine detail of each statue, the delicate craftsmanship they each possessed.
As she turned the corner she felt the atmosphere of the hallway change. She froze in her tracks and began to analyze her surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place at first, until a blue magic circle appeared at the end of the hall. When it faded away, large double doors appeared. As much as she wanted to flee, she just couldn't. She was drawn to the door. It was calling to her. Despite her better judgment she walked towards it. Just as her hands were about to touch the knobs the doors opened themselves.
When she made her final steps inside the room the two doors slammed shut behind her. The room was not unusual for the quarters of a High Class Devil. The only thing out of place was a large capsule where the bed would normally be. There were paintings scattered across the walls. She recognized one of the men in the paintings to be the first Asmodeus.
Rias walked closer to the capsule, curious to its contents. The inside was obscured by shadows, broken up by electric surges flowing within. Although she was unable to see what it contained, she sensed someone in it. After a few moments of inspecting the capsule, Rias subconsciously summoned a magic circle in the palm of her hand and placed it in its center. It was then that her Power of Destruction emerged from the circle, rapidly eating away at the capsule. She stepped back in shock of what happened but it quickly turned to curiosity when she saw what remained.
On the floor where the capsule previously sat lay a brown-haired man. His attire was eerily similar to that of her brother, but he only had the left pauldron and black bolts of electricity surged through the cloak. He slowly opened his striking gray eyes and examined the room. He attempted to rise to his feet but fell back, unable to gain his balance. Rias assisted him to the nearest seat so he could regain his faculties.
The man tightened his grip onto the arm rest and he chuckled. "Clever bastard," He whispered to himself. He looked up to Rias and stared deeply at her. The crimson hair gave away her Gremory heritage, but she remained unfamiliar to him. She lacked the Runeas' bubbly personality and Chysis had a much more mature appearance to her. "Who are you?"
"My name is Rias Gremory, daughter of Zeoticus and Venelana Gremory"
The man thought for a moment. 'They had another child? They must have used their vial of Eden's Nectar' He groaned as he stood before the girl, finally having enough strength. He was a full head taller than her. Taking another glance at the girl he saw how closely she resembled Venelana. She had her mothers beauty and her fathers hair.
Rias said nothing and could only stare at the man. She wondered when and why he was sealed away in his pod. He was clearly a Devil but she couldn't tell which clan he descended from. That was until she looked back to the paintings on the walls. He was an exact match to the second man illustrated beside Asmodeus. "You're an Asmodeus." She spoke in disbelief.
The man nodded. "My name is Issei Asmodeus. Son of the great Devil King Asmodeus," He replied, turning to her to reveal all six sets of black, bat-like wings. He began to frown. "Or at least, the former Devil King Asmodeus"
"I'm sorry Lord Asmodeus." Rias inhaled for a moment before continuing. "Your father and the other Devil Kings died over a hundred years ago. They died battling God in the Garden of Eden. There were no survivors besides God himself."
Issei pursed his lips in doubt. He refused to believe that his father would allow himself to be killed without taking God with him. He would have to look into it later. For now he had other questions that needed to be answered. Especially concerning the gown she was wearing.
"I hope I'm not delaying your special night. We wouldn't want to keep the groom waiting now would we?"
Rias scowled. For a blissful moment she had forgotten that she was wearing this damned dress. "I'd agree if it were a groom of my choice. Though tonight I'm in no particular rush." The hardening of her face told him everything he needed to know. Issei thought for a moment. Arranged marriages weren't common in his day. He could only assume that due to the death of millions of Devils during the great war, and the fact Devils had famously low fertility rates, the sole purpose of this marriage was to keep the bloodlines pure. It was shameful really. Especially when her betrothed was less of a majestic phoenix and more of a ravenous dog. He wouldn't allow this to happen. Not to a Gremory.
He summoned a magic circle in his hand and out came five golden vials containing a pink liquid. He again pursed his lips before sighing and stored them away. "Go to the main hall. I will join you there shortly." He stepped closer to Rias before resting his hand on her shoulder. "Your family has always been loyal to mine. Tonight I will repay that loyalty. Now go."
Rias' eyes shined bright. A glimmer of hope had returned to her. She launched herself into Issei, wrapping her arms around him and digging her face into his chest. "Thank you. Thank you so much." She wept.
He said nothing but gently returned her embrace. After a brief moment she removed herself from him and bowed before leaving the room. He remained in silence, dragging his hand down his face as he sighed. The grim reality had finally hit him. His father was dead and could only assume the same remained true for his mother. For all he knew he was the last of the Asmodeus bloodline. A single tear escaped his eye as he stared at the paintings on the wall. He never got a chance to say goodbye.
He wiped away the tear and composed himself for his entrance. It would be the first time anyone had seen him in over a century. His heart raced. He toyed with a silver ring on his left ring finger. It momentarily soothed his nerves. That was before he felt it pulse, beaconing to another.
"Grayfia"
In the Dining hall of the Estate of Asmodeus many different families conversed among themselves. Nothing of substance, of course. The Elders were openly proud of the wedding. Most notably Lord Rainard Phenex, as he viewed this as an opportunity to get closer to Sirzechs so he may gain whatever influence he fantasized. The Lord and Lady Gremory, accompanied by their son Sirzechs, appeared to be in favor of this union. But that was nothing more than a façade.
It was no secret that the third son of the Phenex Clan was a womanizer through and through. The way he paraded his all female peerage around was proof enough. He made no attempt to hide the fact he saw its members, with the exception of Ravel Phenex, as tools to satisfy his desires.
The Lord and Lady looked towards their daughters peerage which sat in the corner of the hall. They all remained silent, ashamed by their failure. All but a certain blonde ex-nun who blamed herself for the situation at hand.
"I-f only I...I was strong e-enough this wouldn't be happening" She wept silently.
"Asia you don't need to be so hard on yourself. No one blames you for what happened," her friend Akeno assured. She tried her best to stay composed for the poor girl. As Rias' Queen, she had the obligation to keep her feelings in check.
"You need to relax, Asia. We'll have another shot at this and next time we'll be ready for their tricks" Kiba added.
"Yeah seriously screw those d-bags" Koneko said stoically. She nodded to the table of Risers peerage where Ravel wasn't holding back any of her bragging rights.
"My talented older brother won himself a bride by demolishing the Gremorys. Of course I never doubted that he would win" Ravel said. The group sighed and sat silently until the sound of metal tapping glass echoed through the hall.
"I thank you all for coming to this historic occasion. Today two great dynasties will be joined as one. Lord Riser from the House of Phenex shall wed Lady Rias of the House of Gremory. And now I present to you my bride, Rias Gremory!" Riser pointed to his side where a magic circle appeared and summoned Rias.
The Gremory peerage looked toward their King. They momentarily felt anger, especially when they saw the ridiculous gown she was wearing. But that was when they saw what looked to be satisfaction on her face. That couldn't be right.
Zekram Bael stepped behind the couple to prepare for the ceremony. He went on with the proceedings while the two gazed into each other's eyes. Riser's were fueled with lust, but they were met with her sharp determination. He chuckled to himself, believing that she had submitted to her inevitable fate.
"If anyone has any objections, speak now or forever hold your peace" The Zekram said. The hall remained silent. Rias' peerage wanted to speak up but the guards were suppressing them. This was Riser's big moment. Nothing would ruin it.
"I object" A commanding voice echoed throughout the room. Quiet gasps were let out. Everyone gazed around the hall in an attempt to find the source.
"Who dares interrupt my wedding!" Riser yelled.
That was when a blue magic circle appeared in the center of the hall and revealed Issei. "I would apologize for the intrusion; but seeing how this is my home I couldn't help but let myself in."
It took only a moment for the Elders to recognize him. They all stared in shock at the arrival of the son of Asmodeus. After not being seen or heard from in the past hundred years it was only logical to assume he had perished at the end of the war.
Riser, however, had had enough of this charade. "Guards, seize him!" He commanded.
Lord Phenex shook from his disbelief. He extended his arm out, blasting the floor beneath the guards with hellfire, knocking them away. The elder Phenex turned toward Issei. "I beg your forgiveness, my Lord. My son is a foolish boy who clearly forgot his lessons on your greatness."
The Lords and Ladies of all present pillar families came before the Asmodeus. The younger Devils were split on who bowed and who didn't. Those much more educated in their history such as Sona Sitri and Seekvaira Agares joined the elders while others such as Zephyrdor Glasya-Labolas and Magdaran Bael remained confused as to who had caused the disturbance.
Issei gestured for all to rise and stepped towards Lord Phenex. "Your flattery is unnecessary, Rainard. I am here to say that this wedding is over."
"My lord?"
Issei released his wings and flared a fraction of his power. "I, Issei Asmodeus, son of the Devil King Asmodeus, once again lay claim to the Gremory Clan as my Wards. I hereby nullify this engagement between the daughter of Zeoticus Gremory and your son."
Rainard grit his teeth. "Preposterous, The Gremorys have agre-"
"I will abide by your commands my lord," Zeoticus interrupted. His wife hardly attempted to hide her satisfaction. "As unfortunate as this may be, my family has served the Asmodeus clan for generations, Rainard. I'm sure you can understand."
Before Rainard had the opportunity to interject, he was again cut off by another red-haired Devil. "My family is known for its strong sense of duty. We've never been ones to break faith so easily." Sirzechs stepped forth, now standing beside his father.
"I understand that Lord Lucifer. But we as Devils have a duty to keep our bloodlines pure." Rainard replied.
Issei cocked a brow. Sirzechs was now Lucifer? He wondered if the other Devil Kings' names were now taken by others as well. Questions for later. "If it's pureblooded children you seek Rainard, I will be glad to reimburse the nullification of this engagement with two vials of Eden's Nectar." He summoned two of his remaining five vials and offered them to Lord Phenex. "I'm sure your first son, Ruval, would make great use of one. Perhaps you and your Lady can make use of each other."
Rainard eyed the vials before eagerly accepting. "Thank you, my lord"
The pillar families in attendance to the wedding had left shortly after the deal was made between Issei and Rainard. While Zeoticus and Venelana briefly spoke and embraced their Lord, they made arrangements to reconvene the next day. The only ones which remained were Issei, Sirzechs, Rias and Grayfia. The last of which had been attempting to avoid him the entire night.
Issei stole glances at her while he spoke with the two Gremorys. The silver-haired queen refused to meet his gaze. Her eyes were cold and her face remained expressionless. He hadn't seen her like this since she was removed from Rizevim's service. She even wore her old French maid attire.
"Rias you should head home. It's getting late and I'm sure you and your friends have much to celebrate." Sirzechs suggested.
Issei's attention now refocused on the siblings.
"I guess you're right," Rias admitted. She turned back to Issei and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Thank you for everything"
"My pleasure."
"Grayfia, please accompany Rias home. I'll be staying here for a while" Sirzechs ordered.
Grayfia placed her hand on her chest and curtsied. "As you wish, Lord Lucifer,"
Issei stepped forth and reached his arm toward her. "Grayfia, I need to-"
He was cut off by a sharp pain on his right cheek. It was the first time she had ever slapped him. Her cold stare had been replaced with a burning fury. She took Rias' hand and summoned a magic circle to take the two back to Kuoh.
He could still feel the impact of her palm against his skin.
[A/N] It's crazy to imagine that I started writing my first fanfic over 6 years ago. I was a dumb kid back in high school with no knowledge of how to write a cohesive story. Unfortunately my stories suffered for it and had a lot of plot holes and dumb writing. I also had a bad habit of revealing story elements waaaay too early to the readers. That said, Fallen Scales, Black Prison of Supremacy, Prince of Asmodeus 1.0 and A Killers Hope were enjoyable to write and I'm glad that lots of people enjoyed them.
This rewrite of PoA will take some elements of the original but will also have lots of changes. When I originally wrote my first stories I would almost never reread each chapter. I sat down and wrote them then immediately posted. There were some exceptions when I had someone beta read them. Now it will be different since my girlfriend and I will be making multiple drafts of each chapter.