Prologue 1-2

Sitri Castle - 1983

Time flew past Bruce after that meeting with Doctor Fate. Before he realized it, over a decade had passed and he had acclimated well to Devil Society. If anything his two lives had taught him, he knew how to be charismatic and really rally individuals to his side, a talent that Bered wanted to capitalize on, so he invited Myskia over for brunch.

Upon entering the small veranda that overlooked the Sitri lands, he spotted his best friend sitting at a small table enjoying a drink. It was an odd feeling having someone else in his small group of trusted individuals. Sure he respects a lot of heroes but only a few he could actually say he was close to.

Clark Kent and Kent Nelson for one. Dick, Tim, Alfred and Barbara were like family to him. Lucius Fox was a quiet yet stalwart friend he also confided in. Selina… his heart actually ached for her. She knew who he was under the mask but she also saw the man beneath that as well. She could read his true intentions well. How he missed her.

"Lost in thought, Lord Cimerius?" Bered question amused. Bruce snapped out of his thoughts.

"Idle thoughts, Lord Sitri, nothing more." He replied with a smile. "It's good to see you, Bered, as always."

"It's good to see you too, Myskia. I'm glad you could come over on such short notice."

"It was no issue on my end. I've been spending my time training or observing Rating Games." Which is true. Bruce didn't really get out unless he was invited personally. He spent most of his time training and getting used to his power and his body. His servants questioned why he trained without using his magical power but he explained to them that having a solid base improved everything else.

"I noted that you haven't obtained a peerage yet?"

"I'm planning on claiming a territory first before moving in and claiming new peerage pieces." Myskia's old peerage died in the attack so he was awarded new Evil Pieces which would allow him to obtain new members and reincarnate them as devils. Ajuka Beelzebub, the creator of the Evil Piece System, was surprised that when Myskia came to get new pieces, he got a mutated Bishop, Rook, and Knight pieces.

"Things should be clearing up now that we've entered a cold war." There had been fights over the last few years but the Three Factions were at a tense cease fire. Sirzechs Lucifer, their leader of the Devils, even had a rather friendly relationship with Azazel, leader of the Fallen Angels.

"I wouldn't mind a crack at that crow who put me in a hospital bed, but I'm also one for peace."

"Don't we all. Kokabiel has gone silent over the last few years and nobody has seen him in the human world." Seeing the frown on Myskia's face, Bered quickly changed the subject. "Digressing, I asked you here for two reasons; one reason is strictly business and the other is personal."

"Let's start with business first." Bruce told Bered as one of the Sitri maids brought them refreshments and snacks.

"Zekram Bael has been making moves and gathering up those who support traditionalistic values." The Lord of the Sitri Clan spoke before taking a drink. "So much so that he's been skirting the line of treason against the Four Satans."

"Men like Zekram don't actually care about the politics behind the movements they start, just as long as they won't get investigated or lose power." Bruce commented. "As long as he continues to use Traditions as a platform, he'll draw in more individuals who are more connected with their sins."

Myskia's sin was Pride. It was that Pride that nearly cost him his life. Bruce's sin was Wrath. His anger at the injustices in the world drove him to righteous vengeance.

"It sounds like you have something on mind, old friend."

"You could say that. I'm going to use Zekram's platform against him." Bruce replied before taking a drink of his own drink. He enjoyed the tea served at the Sitri home but he desperately craved a cup of Alfred's Earl Grey tea. "It's from my understanding that he "wishes" to keep Pure-Blood traditions, though after meeting him several times, I could tell he cared about keeping his power." Reading these Devils was easy. They projected their intentions loudly and then acted surprised when he read them.

"I believe in our traditions as well but even I know that the glory days are over." After all, the Sitri Clan was part of the upper thirty-six while the Cimerius Clan was part of the lower thirty-six of the seventy-two Pillars. "With the Advent of the Evil Pieces we've nearly doubled our forces from what it was after the war."

"When I spoke to Lord Beelzebub about the transformation from other races to Devils, I particularly asked him about the reproductive compatibility between Pure-Blood and Reincarnated Devils, he told me there's a higher chance of off-spring than between two Pure-Bloods. What our peers don't realize is that instead of considering them to be lesser, we should be considering it as simply adding to our bloodlines. Imagine Bered, we can add new and exotic new powers into our bloodlines like never before." Bruce wondered if he even believed what he was saying. Maybe he's gotten too into his role over the years.

"Explain." Bered had a thoughtful and interested look in his eyes. Bruce knew he had his friend caught in his charisma.

"Take for instance your clan, my friend. The Sitri is vaunted and praised for their unparalleled control over water. But say you reincarnate an Atlantean into your clan. They have the appearance of normal humans but they have excellent strength, unparalleled swimming skills, and can stay submerged in water like we breathe air. Some are even known to be hydrokinetic." Bruce knew he'd have to apologize to Arthur later. He probably doomed Atlantis with his spiel. Bered was nearly salivating. The thought of total dominance over water was too much for the Devil to resist. He'd have to go for the kill. "Even half-breeds are strong."

"Such a concept makes sense to me but why hasn't anyone thought of this before?" Bered questioned Myskia.

"Blood purity. A lot of the remaining Pillars focus hard on maintaining such purity even though birthrates of devil coupling have been declining. As with my discussions with Ajuka, reincarnated devils are pureblood from a genetic standpoint, often taking on genetic markings of the Devil that reincarnated them while retaining their functions and abilities of their previous race. It's why Tannin is still physically a Dragon even though he's a devil."

"Why didn't Ajuka tell anyone this?" Bered was flabbergasted. That info turned everything he knew about the Evil Pieces. Bruce gave him a look. "...the Pure-Bloods.."

"Exactly. Think about it, if they knew all of this they'd be rushing everywhere to obtain powerful beings just for breeding purposes."

"That makes too much sense…" Both men fell into a comfortable silence as their drinks were topped off.

"What was the personal reason you called me over, Bered?" Bruce questioned as he began to take a drink.

"Why have you been avoiding my daughter?" Bruce began to choke on his tea. Bered grinned as his friend tried to regain his composure.

"Bered-" Bruce tried to speak.

"Come now Myskia, you know as much as I do that she has eyes for you." Oh how he wished it wasn't the case. He had met Serafall a few dozen times and those times were enough for the woman to declare how "mysterious and handsome" he was and how she wanted to be with him. It wasn't a new experience to Bruce, having a woman vy for his attention but not the daughter of his best friend. It felt like it was Barbara trying to date him, it just felt weird.

"I realize that she has… feelings for me, but how do you feel about it, her position aside." Bruce was worried that Bered might be the type of father who'd destroy anyone who hurt his baby girls, position be damned.

"Myskia, I don't think I'd trust anyone else other than you. You've always been respectful towards me and my Clan. Besides, with as headstrong as she is, do you think either of us could dissuade her?"

Bruce internally groaned. Bered was right after all.

Underworld, 1990

Bruce grimaced internally. This was the event Kent had warned him about. He was unfortunately held up by Serafall who was trying to woo him. Word got out that The Bishop of Prodotis Narberius had rebelled and killed her Master. The reason didn't matter why, Pure Blood had been spilled. There was nothing he could do about that, but now he had to stop a massacre.

Dawning a helmet similar to his Batman Cowl with no pointed ears, tactical defensive armor that was covered by a long black trench coat that held his gadgets, he made his way to the rallying point for the devils who were going to cause the massacre.

He caught sight of the main instigator and grimaced. That was Lord Angram Bael alright. The man did nothing without his father's knowledge but to his knowledge Zekram Bael was keeping quiet, at least that was what he heard from Bered. Still..this wasn't the time to sit here and ponder on politics. He needed to stop them from mobilizing and fast.

Reaching into his coat, he retrieved a few pellets. Normally he'd carry smoke bombs but most Devils weren't affected by such things. Instead he made special smoke bombs made with imported Holy Water he had Kent bring him. The smoke was laced with the substance that was nearly toxic to Devils and had the added benefit of disrupting any Devil Magic in the area.

With a quick toss the pellets impacted the ground where they were gathering and soon the entire area was covered in holy smoke.

"W-What the hell?!" "I can't breathe!" "It burns!" That was his queue. Donning a mask to cover his mouth to keep the smoke out of his own system, he leaped into the smoke dispatching each and every devil before they realized what was going on. They were weakened after all by the holy smoke, and with his own physical training, he was hitting harder than they would ever anticipate. Soon the smoke dissipated and he stood over a half dozen unconscious mid to high level Devils. Quickly tying them up with some rope, he used a magical Device that sent all of his captives into the Hall of the Seventy Two Pillars.

He quickly moved away, not noticing a pair of golden eyes watching him from the shadows.

Two Days Later

A rather tired Serafall had made her way into the bedroom of Myskia Cimerius. Said man was used to this as like Bered had told him she was too headstrong for anyone to handle. That said, the staff did nothing to stop her as she entered the bedroom, stripped down until she was comfortable and climbed into a rather startled Myskia's bed who was not expecting this at all.

"Can I…help you?" Bruce asked both tired and startled.

"I don't know who stopped those Devils from attacking the Nekoshou but they saved us so much trouble." Serafall said, snuggling up to the lord of the mansion. "The fact that they had planned to massacre them over this was insane and could've sparked a war that we would've lost. Also added to the fact that information came out that Lord Narberius was planning on experimenting on a young Nekoshou really was the icing on the cake."

"Hmm." He'd have to thank Kent for helping him get that information out there. "I'm glad we were able to avoid a war we would've lost but that doesn't explain why you're in my bed, snuggled up to me, in…lingerie of all things."

"I know you're wary of dating me because you're my father's friend but right now, I just.. Need this, alright?" She pleaded to him quietly.

Bruce said nothing but held her close as she fell asleep in his arms. He hated to admit it, but it…felt right to hold her like this. His heart was still set on Selina, but somehow Serafall wormed her way into his heart over the years. Silently, he was thankful that Devils weren't monogamous.

PWI: Normally I wouldn't put author notes at the end of the chapter like this but I wanted to explain a few things before I signed off and start on the final part of the Prologue. Time is skipping rapidly because Forty years to a long-lived species like Devils isn't long at all. And also not a lot happened in between the key points that was worth mentioning. I have been hinting at a few things that will be happening in the future and we did get to see what Kent and Bruce were planning.

Also before I get messages of Bruce being out of character or leaning into the Devil Society way too much, this isn't the first time Bruce had to go undercover and do things that he personally felt that was morally wrong (see anytimes Matches Malone was around). He's a master of disguise and subterfuge but there are some things that can transcend the mission at hand, like true companionship and romance.

That said, the next chapter is the end of the "Bruce is A Devil" Arc and the start of the "Bat Peerage" Arc. Also I wonder who that was watching Bruce demolish a bunch of Devils…

Edited: its been a while since I've delved into DXD, thanks for the reviewer, i changed a little of the story to make sense.