DISCLAIMER: DXD does not belong to me


Greetings; Ajuka Beelzebub speaking.

At least, that's the title I go by nowadays...

As the former heir of the Astaroth House turned Demon Lord, the chief adviser of Technology in the Underworld, the creator and manager of the Rating Games, rebel turned revolutionary turned leader and, last but not least, friends with Sirzechs Lucifer, Underworld's #1 troublemaker turned Demon Lord, I have seen lots of crazy stuff my way. 'Tis but the normal occurances for being one of the strongest of my generation plus one of Underworld's heads in a time of cold crisis which any wrong move can sprout a war that will erradicate the Three Factions if we're lucky.

Leaving those pertinent bothers aside, someone of my position, age and hobby tend to face some exquisite events and personnel my way, but I never thought one of the biggest conundrums I could ever see in most recent memory would come from a place closer to my heart. I'm not talking about how my brother-in-arms Sirzechs somehow pulled an enemy from the other side of the war and made her his belle; how my solution to the Underworld's natality problem resulted in dragons and other abominations fighting in my yard; nor how five grown devils wearing skin-tight suits and doing silly poses became a hit show. No no, the biggest mystery this Ajuka Beelzebub faced is...

... My best friend's little brother, Garith Gremory.

I was there when the twins were born. How come I not? That redhead sisbrocon practically dragged me from my lab so that I witness the birth of his pride and joy, doubled no less. Twins are mostly unheard of in all of Underworld's history and, while I don't believe in such silly superstitions, heralds of bad luck. One was a girl named Rias, and the other, a boy named Garith. I was appointed as their godfather, oh the irony amuses me to this day, and while I can't say we're that close considering my occupation, they have a special place in this heart of mine, more so than my brother Diodora since his... Blossoming adolescence. They are my best friend's little siblings after all, something Zechs doesn't seem to want people to forget, and I expected them to grow into respectful devils on their own, worthy of praise and the hope for devil society.

But that Garith lad... After that incident in which he hit his head trying to fly up high, he became... Weird.

I mean, Gremories are already weird. With their literal devil's luck, their unhealthy obsession and love for their servants, their hidden hobbies and idiosyncrasies (For starters, my best friend dresses his wife as a maid and the aforementioned Tokusatsu show), yet even among them, young Garith stands out for being quite singular in behaviour, yet despite being considered the smartest devil of my generation, I can't put my finger on why.

At first, I thought he was part of the spectrum, something I hope you can excuse me for: after all, when not engaging in a conversation or pulling pranks, he always seems to be staring at the nothing and smiling or grimacing for no particular reason while at it, his little eyes following an invisible line like one would read a book, even jumping in joy or cursing unprovoked. Someone with a keen eye can also notice young Garith staring for several seconds at things no one would pay a second glance at, and every time he faces someone, anyone, his eyes shifts a few centimeters above one's head, draws a reaction from him, and then he acts like nothing happened.

Unusual? Certainly, the Gremory staff and members might've picked up on that too, no matter how close they are. At least compared to young Rias, Garith's behaviour can be considered... Odd, like he has a flower garden for a brain.

Speaking of brain, another anormality I've found in young Garith came from a radiography I took during his recovery from the fall that started all. At first, I imagined everything was fine, boy just hit his head and had a concussion, nothing a few bandages and rest couldn't heal, but then... Somehow, anyhow, I notice how misshapen his brain became, not just that, some chunks of it were missing and by the deformations in it, it looked like he had lived thrice as much as his current age. He didn't seem to lose any senses or cognitive abilities though, and as time when on, the deformations on his brain went away for whatever reason. But even after that, nosebleeds and migraines afflict young Garith from time to time, and no matter how much I tried, there was no answer for their cause, they just seem to happen. Also, no medication nor treatment, all Garith would ask was a hug from a relative, and after it, must of the symptoms would go away.

Dopamine can't explain that shit alone, there was something going on. Also, I fear that, if a single hug can ease his migraines, once he reaches the age which sex and onnanism are common, he might end up in a coma...

However, the most alarming and curious thing about that lad seems to be that he's aware, or at least has knowledge, of information or events that brink of clairvoyance. I heard from dear Rias that somehow he knew about young Akeno's conditions and background, and tried to comfort her despite her becoming a tenant at the Gremory house not long ago. Of course, he was thrown out of the window for his troubles, but he seem to knew the intricacies and events that transpired her abandoment, something not even Sirzechs was aware for a while after taking her in. He was no stranger in researching the mysterious sleeping disease either despite being a rare occurance, and very hardly would affect someone of his age, yet, he tried his best to understand it and analize it, as if he knew someone close to him would eventually fall ill to it, and he wanted to prevent it as soon as possible despite the low chances, not wanting to take any risks for some reason...

He also avoids any form of Japan-related subjects aside from his training under Sirzechs' knight Souji Okita, having a serious aversion to them aside from his close relationship with the samurai and young Rias's growing fascination with the land of the rising Sun. When asked, he simply responds that country 'is not all that great underneath its presentantion' and 'it's a place of miserable, selfish and vain people' despite have never been there and the only exposure to it being his swordsmanship master, whom he's very close to. His choice of weaponry for close combat, a japanese sword known as katana, instead of a more traditional sword or any other western-styled arm further showcases his bizarre dichotomy regarding the niponic lands.

One event that cemented his supposed foresight was during the engagement treat between the Gremory and Phenex. As expected, due to the declining natality and population of the pure-blooded devils compared to their reincarnated counterparts, the council decided to arrange the union between members of the remaining 72 Pillars in order to combat such. A ludicrous, idiotic idea, if I may, but one that was carried on by the heads of said clans nonetheless. As such, young Rias was then arranged to marry the third son of Phenex, Riser.

Rias protested, of course she did, she is just romantic like that, and with her age and self-esteem, she wanted to marry someone that faces her not as the heiress of Gremory, but as herself, something young Riser has shown to not care about, if his choice for Evil Pieces are anything to go by. Her brother came to her rescue seeing his dear sister so reluctant about the engagement, and appointed himself... To marry Riser instead. And after that didn't work, he suggested marrying the fourth child of Phenex, Ravel. Young Riser was against that idea, claiming that no one will touch his little sister as long as he lives, and amusingly enough, we had a fight between two brocons screaming how precious and cute and wholesome their respective little sisters were and how they shouldn't marry a scondrel like each other, young Rias first beaming with hope and then losing it seeing Garith discuss her in a saccharine spectacle, young Ravel also leaving the quarters out of shame.

Since neither brothers were willing to withdraw from their positions, a match deciding the outcome for the clans's engagement treat was set, and young Garith faced young Riser for the sake of his sister. Suffice to say... He got his ass handed to him all days 'til friday, his body covered in so many burns we nicknamed him 'Balalaika' until they were treated properly and he was back to normal. Turns out, having the power to destroy anything is nothing when your opponent can simply regenerate from literal ashes; plus, despite his background and education, young Garith lacked the skills of proper combat and conflict, unlike young Riser, an aspiring Rating Games genius and no stranger to brawls due to his two older brothers, known figures in the ranked games.

We thought such devastating defeat and its consequences would break young Garith's spirit, that the shame and humiliation he was hit with was going to shatter all of his dreams and hopes, that his sister was a lost cause... Instead, still on the floor, on a stain of his own dried blood and covered in ashes of his own clothes, his entire body covered in burn marks, the second son of Gremory... Simply laughed. Garith simply laughed through his hoarse voice by the flames, and spoke an ominous warning:

"Heheh... Your loss, yakitori. You could've spared you and your stupid pride if you let me win, but now... I hope you are ready to face an even bigger trauma while my sister escapes your grasp."

The third son of Phenex laughed, the devils from the council laughed. One would be forgiven to think Garith was being a sore loser, deluding himself from his defeat and grasping a false hope for his sister. Yet... I humour the idea that he knew something, his conviction on an unseen event being too much to be just a coping mechanism for losing his sister to the third son and his first defeat ever. The engagement was settled, and Rias would marry Riser after her college graduation, something the son of Phenex reluctantly accepted for the time being.

Even with such confidence, the second son oofGremory apologized to Rias for being weak, and she apologized for putting his dear brother in that a horrible state. They are very close, as expected from twins, something I can admire knowing some stories between siblings in devil society.

I grew more and more curious about the boy. What, who, was Garith Gremory beneath the surface of the second son of Gremory, the heir of the clan? How does he function? How does he know stuff? While a taboo for someone my position and power, I thought a quick reading of his mind would quench some of my natural curiosity, and it would be so rapid he isn't going to notice. A simple sting on his brain to see the world through the eyes of that child. Couldn't hurt to try, right?

Wrong.

So wrong.

"Young Garith, if you excuse me..."

"Oh, lord Ajuka. How can I hel-...?"

*ZING!*

"Kh...!"

The reaction to it was...Unexpected. I was going to give a quick read inside his brain out of curiosity, but the results were devastating: not only I was unable to read his mind or search his memories, not even a flash worth of information, Young Garith out of nowhere let out a painful wail which echoed through the whole Astaroth state, holding his head for dear life and bleeding through his nose as he rolls and twitches on the floor before eventually succumbing to the excruciating pain and passing out from shock. One, two seconds of dull surprise, and I was quick to succour him out of his sudden migraine, which despite its severity, left no lasting sequelae, he only needed a few hours of rest to be back to full health.

That was, again, unexpected. There are numerous ways for one to avoid mind-reading, but I doubt young Garith had access to any of those considering his level of power, only the best such as myself being able to pierce through its defences and reach his thoughts. Even so, I couldn't reach them despite the intense yet brief attempt, him reacting in an unconvetional way to it, as if I accidentally switched on a defensive mechanism. Even during his sleep I can't read his mind, this time on a bit longer and harder attempt with no success, so I decided not to. Another item to add on the list of quirks this boy has: his mind being impossible to read and the painful reaction against any attempt on it. Indeed, weird...

...

Buuuuut~... Just to make sure.

"Young Garith, if you excuse me..."

"Oh, lord Ajuka. How can I hel-...?"

*ZING!*

"Kh...!"

And as he rolls on the ground while screaming and bleeding from his nostrils, I was now 100% sure it wasn't a coincidence, this boy indeed has an unseen protection against mind reading and other mental attacks, which triggers this painful reaction.

I'm gonna stop this now, I don't want my honorary nephew to end up with brain damage just for this old fox's morbid curiosity...

...

"Young Garith, if you excuse me..."

"Oh, lord Ajuka. How can I hel-...?"

*ZING!*

"Kh...!"

...

It wasn't for research, I just find his reaction too amusing.

I'm gonna stop now, I swear.

Garith Gremory, in short... Is a rather exquisite young man. He sees things others can't, he knows things others don't, both his mental and physical conditions have no grounded basis and seem to follow a random pattern with no certain origins. Maybe I am looking too deep into this boy's life, and he's simply what one can consider 'quirky', but I do wonder what goes through his head with those idiosyncrasies. Even as a devil, even as a Gremory, Garith Gremory is a strange boy.

But... He's not a bad boy.

His upbringing and the unusual kind nature of the Gremory might've contribuite to his behaviour, but Garith Gremory is not a bad boy. The second on the line as a clan head, he is always smiling, never jealous, never moody nor remotely shaken by unfortunate events.

While devil heirs usually grow jealous and resentful if ever surpassed by their siblings, specially the young ones, Garith has shown nothing but support, love and enthuasiasm to Young Rias's development in her inherited skill of the Power of Destruction, which by many times surpasses his own. She was academically gifted, naturally charismatic and talented in all attempts at magic, and even with the clear gap between their skills, the second son had nothing but pride towards his little sister, which extended to his brother and nephew, other figures one would be excused to grow jealous of, but not young Garith.

That extended to his other peers as well. Their rocky start aside, he grew closer and closer to my niece and more often than not, invites her or himself to a tea party, where the two talk for hours on end about trivial everyday events or some form of shared interest, leaving their position as heirs aside to engage in idle chats. The first son of Bael, exiled from his house due to his lack of power of Destruction, is also victim of Garith's love and admiration, the two cousins engaging despite the young Gremory usually getting caught in the crossfire and scorn young Sairaorg would receive because of his lost position, he also growing fond of his honorary aunt Misla. Even during his excessive training regimen, Garith decided to accompany Sairaorg, and even when usually returning home with a few bruises and broken bones, he never stopped smiling.

Compared to young Rias, young Garith lacked her natural talent for their signature ability or raw power, but that doesn't mean he wasn't gifted in other categories: Sirzechs, who has one of history's most talented swordsmen as his knight, said that his little brother was a prodigy regarding the ways of the blade, and for a while dismissed as only his typical sisbrocon bias, I heard from said history's most talented swordsman that the young Gremory's development with a sword was very abnormal, him quickly picking stances and techniques for someone his age. His physical prowess is also high, although very less so than his cousin's, his spar against the third son of Phenex showing that he isn't lacking as a fighter, his ultimate defeat notwithstanding. He might not be much compared to his sister or the other members of the four more promising young devils of his generation, but pitched against other heirs, he's clearly among the strongest, and I can only hope he will grow from here on...

As for social skills... Uh... Well... I'll admit, it's something he's lacking. Somehow, that boy is able to stir the ire of every person he meets, his first interaction with young Latia and young Akeno being prime examples in which he survived by a hairstring; bruises, black eyes and broken fingers usually being the outcome of his unfortunate nature, to say nothing about the first time he met the third son of Phenex and got roasted so bad young Riser himself gave him a Phenex tear to apologize for the mess. For those willing to put up with his behaviour though, he is a loyal son, brother, cousin, uncle and friend. Young Latia enjoys his company, a lot I may add, and I heard young Sairaorg's life had become a little brighter and his disposition a bit more positive thanks to Garith's periodic visits for snacks and training. Even the stoic and ever-asocial heiress of Agares tends to visit the Gremory household for them to build garage kits and watch a few episodes of Dungam, although I heard they stopped meeting after she became obsessed about her position as a heiress... That, or he discovered her hidden yaoi fanatism, a byproduct of a homoerotic work like her adored Dungam series, which greatly upset young Seekvaira. It is because of those plus his natural Gremory charisma and charm that I know he'll be able to build a strong peerage of his own, not unlike his brother's.

Garith Gremory, as stated, is a weird kid; but he has something most heirs and heiresses lack, something even the older, more experient devils tend to lack as well; something I from time to time forget that I have.

Garith Gremory has a heart. Come heaven or high water, that boy seems to be having the time of his life, not bothered by his disadvantages or shortcomings, which is rare as one grows old and face the responsabilities and weight of someone of his position.

That boy... Is having fun.

And I doubt it'll stop any time soon, specially now that both him and his sister finally made their noble debut and received their respective Evil Pieces from yours truly. Unlike young Rias, Garith had no one to first make into his peerage, but as always, that didn't seem to bother him, and thanking me for his Pieces, he accompanies his sister out of my office, talking out loud how he's gonna build a harem of evil pieces, something I assume he's just half-jesting about it... But you never know.

Garith Gremory is a weird kid, even weirder compared to the other Gremory. Regardless, he's also someone whom I have high expectations for, as both his honorary uncle and fellow devil. Again, those redheads never cease to amuse me...

I'll be watching your evolution and progress with great interest, young Garith.


[BOND LEVEL]

- Rias Gremory: MAX (Irreplaceable)

- Sirzechs Lucifer:MAX (Irreplaceable)

- Grayfia Lucifuge: MAX (Irreplaceable)

- Zeoticus Gremory: MAX (Irreplaceable)

- Venelana Gremory: MAX (Irreplaceable)

- Millicas Gremory: MAX (Irreplaceable)

- Ajuka Beelzebub: 50(Honorary Uncle)

- Okita Souji: 60(Sensei)

- Sairaorg Bael: 65(Cool cousin)

- Misla Bael: 30(Nice lady)

- Latia Astaroth: 55("Friend")

- Seekvaira Agares: 30(Fellow Dungam nut, currently strained after discovering her secret yaoi library)

- Sona Sitri: 6(Acquaintance)

- Akeno Himejima: -1,000,000(Everyday she wishes you were dead)

- Riser Phenex: 12(Loser, but respect for standing up for your sister.)


[NAME: Garith Gremory]

[LVL.: 75]

[RACE: Devil(High-class)]

[ALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil]

[TITLES: The Gamer(beginner); Heir of Gremory; Lucifer's little brother; Riz; Troublemaker]

[CLASS: Saber-Caster-Brawler]


(SKILLS)

- POWER OF DESTRUCTION(ACTIVE): The power of destruction inherited from the Bael. The demonic power to annihilate anything it touches. (lvl. 45)

- RECOLLECTION OF MENTEPSYCHOSIS(ACTIVE): The ability to 'remember' skills and knowledge from the past life at the cost of seizures and bleeding from the nose. (lvl. MAX)

- VOID THE DEVOURER(ACTIVE): A little gift from the heart~. Don't wanna spoil the surprise.

- CHARISMA(PASSIVE): Skill inherited from the Good natured Gremory. The ability to charm and enchant peers more easily.(lvl. 90)

- GAMER'S MIND(PASSIVE): DATA LOST.

- DISCERN FOR RICHES(PASSIVE): A quest skill. The ability to discern the [TRUE VALUE] of any object or item and receive the information of anything in reach or sight, also know as [APPRAISAL]. (lvl. 82).

- MIGRAINE(PASSIVE): Brain damage. The ability to resist mental or psychic attacks(buff) at the cost of constant headaches(debuff), unabling the user to think too deeply or too much. (LVL. MAX)

- HEALING TO THE BELOVED(PASSIVE): Healing skill. Recovers health, diminishes/removes debuffs and boosts -RESOLVE- and -STR- when hugging characters with Bond Level 10 or higher. (lvl. MAX)

-FEATHERED FEET(ACTIVE): A dancing skill, graceful and quick maneuvers in the art of dancing. Might be also useful for combat. (Lvl. 99).

-FLUTTERING MELODIES(ACTIVE): A musical skill, your fingers practically dance across the chords of a violin or the keys of a piano. It might not work for fighting, but the ladies do like artsy men, no? (lvl. 31)

-INTERMEDIATE SWORDSMANSHIP(ACTIVE): the evolved skill from [BASIC SWORDSMANSHIP, a myriad of others can be acquired now! Once a certain level is reached, it'll evolve into [ADVANCED SWORDSMANSHIP] and enabling new skills to be learned.(Lvl. 78)

- BASIC MAGECRAFT(ACTIVE): The bare minimum knowledge of devil's form of thaumarturgy, based on imagination and rune manipulation that is not inherited by genes. Once a certain level is reached, it'll evolve into [INTERMEDIATE MAGECRAFT] and enabling new skills to be learned. (lvl. 26)

- BRAWLER(ACTIVE): Weaponless martial arts learnt on the fly. Similar to pankration, it embodies all forms of physical armless combat with explosive punches and rapid quicks. Unlocks [BRAWLER] class. (Lvl. 33)

- KENJUTSU(ACTIVE): A swordsmanship skill focused on katanas and the eastern ways of the sword, like that of a samurai.(lvl. 59)

- SANDANDZUKI(Active): The signature move of the infamous captain of Shinsengumi's first unit, also known as Hyakkidouri. A certain-kill strike, it aims and strikes the victim's neck and shoulders for massive damage. (lvl. 1). -THE PLAYER HAS NOT MET THE REQUIREMENTS TO USE THIS TECHNIQUE YET-

- PRIVILEGE OF THE STRONG(PASSIVE): Nothing is impossible within your mind. Stats in STR, DEF, DEX, END and LUK increases 15% when feeling confident and oozing arrogance. (lvl. 56)

- EDGED SPEECH(ACTIVE): A tongue that is as sharp as a sword. Use words and mockery on foes to put them off balance and make them lose focus. Might buff then with the skill [BERSERKER RAGE, however. (lvl. MAX)


(STATS)

-STR: 180

-DEF: 200

-DEX: 500

-SPD: 344

-END: 210

-INT: 88

-WIS: 169

-CHA: 1,008,008

-LUK: 600


[EQUIPMENTS]

- ICHIMONJI-R(EQUIPPED): A replica of the famous Ichimonji line of Katanas, said to contain divine properties. A normal katana forged specially for you under Zeoticus's demand to celebrate your noble debut, near-impossible to dent, rust or break, fit to withstand the supernatural strength of a devil.

-EVIL PIECES(x15): A mystical item created by Ajuka Beelzebub in order to solve the Underworld's natality crisis. It reincarnates being from other races(sans deities) under the servitude of a [KING, a high-class devil.

- ROYAL RIBBON(EQUIPPED): A blue ribbon miss Grayfia gave you to wrap your hair in a braid not unlike hers. It has no special properties, but it looks cute on you.

- GREMORY COMPENDIUM: A book containing notes and information about locations, runes and people of interest; used to research supernatural affairs and possible peerage candidates. [THE DATA REGARDING JAPAN HAS BEEN SCRIBBLED OVER, THEREFORE UNAVAILABLE FOR RESEACH]


[PARTY(EVIL PIECES)]

- King: Garith Gremory

- Queen: [EMPTY SLOT]

- Bishop 1: [EMPTY SLOT]

- Bishop 2: [EMPTY SLOT]

- Knight 1: [EMPTY SLOT]

- Knight 2: [EMPTY SLOT]

-Rook 1: [EMPTY SLOT]

- Rook 2: [EMPTY SLOT]

- Pawn(x8): [EMPTY SLOT]


Phew, this chapter was fun but hard to write, specially since Ajuka is such an mysterious yet amusing character. To write a genius being little old me without sounding pretencious and using 20-dollar words all the time can be hard, but... Yeah. A little timeskip montage plus a bit of exposition to wrap up and end the childhood arc, as we know venture to Garith gaining his dear evil pieces.

Hello again, DxD fandom, Houki Minami speaking. I've always wanted to see how the Gamer ability looks to someone unaware of said ability, and honestly, while hard, this chapter was fun to write, specially since Ajuka seems to be a swell guy to write about, and his natural curiosity against the enigma that is my dumb OC is an amusing idea, a grown adult in a kid's body with an unseen ability and future knowledge of the novel's event, not even the genius satan is capable of reading Garith for better or for worse. But yeah, might've been a bit clunky, but this marks the end of Garith's childhood arc, understanding his ability, his relationships with his new family and peers and finally, facing a brand new world. Up next, Garith now will venture into the world and find his Evil Pieces to form the second best harem in the world... Jk, jk.

I hope you all liked this chapter and the end of the Chilhood's arc, and wait for the start of a new journey from now on. Thanks for reading up to this point, don't forget to RR, stay safe and have a nice day. Greetings from Houki Minami.