When was the last time he cried, he didn't remembered anymore. All he remembered is that he was the one at fault. Having listened to something he turned from having his face in his palms. Was there any way to truly live without ever being condemned by the minor mistakes. Even for those who believe in redemption through good actions and feeling remorse about them? Is confession that much useless.

What to do when damnation is already determined?

I can only cry. He thought out loud as he felt a pair of hands on his shoulder, and he stared at his front to a pair of blue eyes. "What to do when all is lost?" He was asked by the blue eyes and all he could is see a flicker of darkness, yet there was a smell in the air of roses and chocolate. What was it? What was it that which he lost? He stayed still, lost in trying to find a meaning anymore, he just felt those tiny sparks in a single moment before they would be gone. Frustrated he would eventually cry and just continue on with his trail of tears forever, with no end at all.

"I know what you lost." The person said as he shook his head.

"No, I don't want to hear this!" He blocked his ears as he hung his head and got in fetal position on the very depths of darkness itself. "Would you close your heart forever!?"

"He's out there." He spoke out with blatant paranoia. "I can hear them speaking in the dark. Why? Why did you do it? Why?"

"Are you finished."

The light coldness of Clock reminded Tormented into the crevice of something he disliked as he turned away and remained hopeless.

"What is your story?" In the silence that was all what the voice said as he opened his eyes to face darkness asking him for the first time. He closed his eyes and cried, he didn't seem to remember at all. "You are?" He asked and all he could answer to that question was a single answer, in the depths of his chest he felt the only thing that could summarize his fears and his feelings. What was all this Sadness? "Sad." He answered, his eyes changing from their common brown color to a deep purple, almost as if purple smoke washed over his irises. "I…I don't remember. Do you know who I am?" He asked trying to find himself somewhere, or perhaps nowhere. Where was he now? That he wasn't before. He just didn't remember, that was all. He turned into a friend of the cold darkness.

"Why are you here?" The voice asked, as he seemed to bashfully stare into the darkness.

"Easy as falling asleep." The Dark Haired male with sad purple eyes whispered as for his reasoning to be in eternal darkness. The voices, the voices he heard many a times whispered that nonsense whenever he asked a why.

System Modular BSIOS Software

Detecting SMA Primary Presence…..Yaveh 8478124

Detecting SMA NeuroActive Module…..Yaveh 578631

Detecting SMA Secondary…..None

SMA Type : Human

Base Memory : 3'272,116.95kb

Extended Memory : 1,234kb

BOOTLEG – HS FAITH DRIVER FOR SOP, Version 2.37

BOOTLEG is successfully installed.

The reason why sleeping at times was a relief and yet also a torment, because in such darkness it is so hard to differentiate between being awaken and asleep. He rose his head to meet a man with short black hair and bright brown eyes, nothing unusual except for his hair color, compared to his dark hair color as black as his surroundings. "Perhaps this is all a dream." The white haired man's clear sincerity and wish to aid was seen, taking his hand and getting up. The white haired man took out a key and the sound of glass shattering went all around them, revealing a shrine and at his very front a floating Krystal, trapped inside it was a bipedal creature of midnight black fur which contrasted with the clear golden radiance of the skies beyond the shrine. Approaching his hand, he spoke out loud.

"What is this?"

"God is stern and just. Even Love and Apology cannot forgive sin's tattoo on the skin."

Biting his lower lip at Clock's claim, he touched the crystal and he felt pain in his head. With a loud scream it came to him, all the memories. Meanwhile outside black lightning coursed and attacked the bipedal black-furred being inside, which arched its back and its claws lengthened to the max showing how sharp they were. He sighed as he remembered now. She breathed out too and her eyes stared at him. One green and the other gold, golden as the very lust of those wishing riches. Golden that reflects the depths of her soul and the edge of her danger. The sound of glass shattering made him widen his eyes as he grasped her hand. From the pieces of crystal emerged many glittering lights, bits of energy and yet also matter. Why did he felt such uncanniness from such a thing?

"All those lights; are perturbed souls who you once knew; a portion used for this contraption. You've just liberated them."

The voice told and underneath the golden clouds glowered. It was until he realized he had her on his arms, her claws digging deep into his skin; he heard a whisper. The whisper of a voice, a voice of someone that he let down so long ago. As a computer program pop-up rectangular box appeared before him, it was all in a dream-like haze, he had no true vision at least, perceiving clear colors in the darkness. The constant sound of an Asystole reached his ears, he took a few steps to see at the mirror with neon-lighted edge, only to see bits and pieces of himself, parts of his body were trasluscent akin to a ghost.

Diodora_ has been loaded…

The following file Diodora_ is corrupted…

"What is this?" He asked himself not exactly realizing what it was, for as all he knew is that he was incomplete; and yet where are the sums of his parts. Where are the ghostly missing bits of his own body?

Do you remember yourself?

In his own subconscious a exasperated question rose and he felt anxiety crawl from his spine on his lower back to his fingertips. A radical tendency to overthink things which often conflicts with others, Self-interested enough to be radically ambitious (a person that will take itself to the utmost limits to always be above all others and prove it to the point of even using others if necessary to obtain such goals), Ambivalent Loyalty towards Self-Interests (a realistic trait that one has and molds their loyalties to appease their own self-interests depending on what they desire), Selfish, Overly emotional, heavily jealous, Grayed Morality, Depressive realist, Nigh-Passive, Hardheaded Idealist; the more he glanced into the list he could only glance at pity and sadness at the entire, so far all what he can recount of himself is a an evil existence with a depressive outlook on life with hopeful achievable goals.

Were they ever turned true?

He wonders himself.

A life marked by peacefulness, isolation from all types of conflict and cleverly managing problems to the point of solving controversies. He´d rather forget of the past, even if it defines him in a sense, it defines at least his sage-like nature for fear of being isolated or just judged by his cowardly nature, hiding. Closing his eyes as the floor neared him, in the darkness of his vision, in his own mind he chuckled, the situation as perhaps something out of humor and comedy itself. His realistic assessment being a paragon of self exasperation of human self-loathe being turned into a pile of human mistakes and regrets that he himself loathed and wanted to erase.

How does it make you feel?

Frustrated…

His own thoughts ended as he knelt and just blocked his face with his hands, wanting to turn away from the very shame his life had been turned into.

I comprehend your pain, for as I also am incomplete.

Right before the mirror a teenaged young man with dark cyan green hair, with a big scar on his chest, wearing a expensive pair of black pants and shoes, his purple eyes with golden haze in the core near the pupil and half-lidded stared back at me. He was a ghostly shade, almost transluscent except for a few bits that were visible through the mirror. Looking through the teenaged boy's sad face, turning to the darkness above him.

I've lost everything that mattered to me…

1ST Person P.O.V.

"Were you condemned?" I asked looking through the mirror with, emotions; so mixed that I felt myself lost. Staring at the mirror to the broken and incomplete stranger was a differing experience for me, to stare to someone just as incomplete as me.

…yes…

"I see…" I stayed silent and could only believe myself to be staring at someone who needed to be joined, yet perhaps I stared at myself. To my surprise I slowly regained my color and not being a ghost anymore. Teras cascaded down my eyes as my own endeavor paid fruit, as I was about to close my eyes and forever perhaps just let darkness swallow me.

…could you help me? I'm lost…

"It takes time, it takes time to review yourself and criticize. It's the most human thing to do, but it is inherent in all of us. Only oneself can save itself from the self damnation." My words made never more the sense and yet perhaps it looked as if I was getting nowhere, would they understand? Would they judge? Would God give me a chance?

I'm scared of going through that door…

I shake my head and lightly smiled, tears cascading from my eyes as I nodded. "It's the hardest work, going through the door and not being aware of what you might find. I was afraid, until I just wasn't anymore."

"I'm sorry." I heard Clock's voice as I turned to see at a grayed ball of light, on the center and on his palms another one yet I could only see the outline since it was invisible to me.

My name is Diodora Astaroth…

"What? No!" I cried out yet before my hands could do anything my eyes saw as the very own parameters were forcefully deposited into Diodora Astaroth's soul, and its blackened color cleared dimly. Huh? Turning my eyes to see before me the scene, it felt real as he could see only the ghost-like images of Issei Hyoudou in his Boosted Gear Armor and Diodora Astaroth sitting in a throne. As Diodora laughed out loud.

"Amazing! So, this is the Red Dragon Emperor!? But I have a snake from Ophis myself"

Diodora Astaroth had no chance at all, he had no chance, being mocked by a punch in the gut and then thrown away like mere garbage. He tried to attack but all Issei gave him was a punch in the gut. His shields and barriers meant nothing before Diodora, Issei just was mocking and playing with him. The underestimation of a sacred gear user, a cheat created by God lead to his downfall. And his final attack was for nothing. Not even trying to seal Asia at all.

"Shalba, Help me! We can still defeat the Gremory!" Shalba tried to crawl to Shalba who without any mercy rose his hand.

"Weak."

And then as if a fraction of second that same Diodora turned towards me. Feeling it crawling on my skin, I turned to Clock; the very being who saved me and pieced me together. He betrayed me.

"W-why?" I coughed out all while I felt the villainous being invade me. "AAAGH!" I cried out loud and closed my eyes. Feeling as if a thousand needles pierced my very head, as if it was being split open, Clock approached to me.

"Doctor. While your Anima's strength is commendable; it wasn't enough. You needed a catalyst, something to superimpose yourself over." Clock tried to explain but all to me sounded like rubbish in between the worst headache I ever had in my life, as the sharp tinnitus sound reached my, I groaned and lied on the floor fully and writhed like a worm being killed so slowly.

"I tried." A voice talked to me, turning in shock to see Diodora Astaroth looking up above, as if trying to find something that wasn't there.

"Funny t'was I find my death…and now someone else has taken it. Maybe I could finally rest." The Astaroth Heir replied with a tired visage as he balled his fists.

"No. NO!" I cried out all while Diodora smirked.

"Yes! YES! We're both alike. You are I and I'm you; we are the same. We have been condemned to a Life of BAD LUCK! YOU WILL DIE USELESSLY AS I DID! HAHAHAHhahahahahaha." The insanity of Diodora Astaroth seemed to try and latch onto me as I shook my head. I was better than this being, a whole lot better. I lived far longer.

You suffered. Your family left you alone to rot as mine did.

"It's here." Diodora Astaroth turned back and turn to him once again. "It's time!"

A loud scream rung through his ears as he gasped, his heart beating too fast for him to stay any focused. He found himself facing a strange ceiling and the sound of rain and thunder outside from the window. Closing his eyes and sighing, he opened his eyes once again and found himself facing his tine feet with a shocked filled gaze. He felt so strange and out of place. They were too tiny to be his; he turned to the side of the big bed and stared to the floor, thankfully this was levelled enough for him not to fall harshly to the floor. Taking a moment to jump off the bed, the room was nothing like anything he remembered ever being or having, thus he went to the single door, believing it was the entrance to the room it was a bathroom/restroom as the lights turned on, it revealed a bathroom that was too big to even be anything he ever had. He ran to the nearest mirror and the reflection wasn't his at all; before he cried out loud, he took a moment to take his visage. Reflecting back was a chubby fat face of a child on the eve of his teenage years yet not, with a vivid pair of indigo blue eyes yet around the iris a golden halo which gave a unique appearance to his eyes. Touching his face, he felt the pressure, it was all real. Through the reflection he saw himself, a silvery cyan green haired boy with spiked hair, so unlike the sleek hair he believed it would be.

~Hard to believe this face caused so much suffering.~ He though with a light smile gracing his features. Graced with the visage of Diodora Astaroth in his early ages was shocking, but nonetheless being in the skin of someone so useless it was killed so suddenly made him feel bad. He must be cursed with extreme bad luck to have ended wearing such a skin, which almost made him crawl and desire to reject it. ~Thus, I ended in the body of a serial nun rapist.~ He wanted to laugh at his misery at the gut-wrenching nausea he felt at himself and where he was forced to be.

"Lord Diodora." A kind voice replied to him, and he turned around to meet a white-haired woman dressed in a maid-outfit who lightly bowed towards him. "Good morning, alas…it rains." The woman once again called his attention politely, his mind was however distracted with the fact that he transmigrated into Diodora Astaroth. "Thank you…" He felt a whisper in his mind, out of the familiarity. He was one of the worst persons ever living in the DxD World, and yet; as he looked back into the innocent bright indigo eyes and at his own self; he felt loved. He felt, special, in a world of Gods, Devils and Godly Humans, he felt…lowly and humbled. In a world of Gods and Devils, in a world of Titans and Heroes, he was born but the lowest and scummiest of all evil doers, the lowest life-form treated beneath the shoes of all those above him. In such an unfair world he was handed, probably the worst character to cast, and its weight felt heavy upon him. He lightly shivered at the paranoia that started to down on him, his existence had a time and place of ending.

"Your lessons with Monsieur Allairo will start soon. Though, perhaps the Lord will wish to see his father first?" She asked to which he widened his eyes, and almost did a double take. He had a father? Did that meant he had a mother? Wasn't Ajuka Beelzebub his elder brother? "I would like to be lead there if I could please." He asked as politely as he could to the female maid who with a solemn nod turned and lead him through his room, as things started to move by themselves and clean. As if perhaps made out of psychic power, he wondered if the maid was a psychic. And how she ended in the House's service, someone so useful could've been acquired by someone else, like those more righteous than him. He shook his head and turned away ~I shouldn't bother about the future, when the present is more important.~ he thought, across his door through the hallway was another door, the maid twisted the knob gently. He was met with a big room yet a small twin sized bed. On the bed lied a blond-haired man, as he felt pain on his chest.

"F-father?" He asked as he turned to the maid.

"…why doesn't he answer?"

"…As you already know my Lord; your father had a conflict with some rebel remnants of the Old Satan Faction, yet when he won, he was stricken in the back by a powerful spell. Which left him in coma…and, *sigh*. The lady of the Household abandoned you just after giving birth, she never turned back never once after birthing you. She never loved you." The maid's even tone caused his chest to suddenly explode in a vibrancy of feelings, as he stared at his father, he could see the relation with the Phenex blond yet not the spiky hair. His face morphed into a face of shell shock. "Mother…" He thought, he remembered a voice but never a name, he used to have one in his past life but even his soul has forgotten the love of a mother and it needed it. He closed his eyes and hung his head as he felt rage inside his heart, a woman abandoning the very thing she birthed.

She never loved you.

She never wanted you.

~I don't need her.~ His decisive decision was to detach himself from the emotional umbilical cord of a woman that wouldn't even attempt to remember his name. The woman probably was a noble woman that was just breeding stock and walked away from them, left him alone with his father in a coma and thus that makes him the immediate one in charge of everything. Heh, so much for family. ~The richer a family gets, the more broken and twisted the values are.~ He wanted to snort at the thoughts, his lips smirked as he closed his eyes and in a way he smiled. He would have the power he has always desired, the money he always wanted to have and with no pesky barriers. ~Why am I crying?~ He thought as his sobs were heard around the room alone.

Because he cannot be strong, he cannot be independent, and he was always someone who needed love or attention around him. To always be aware he had a column to stand in others in case things got rough. In the end all he could do was stare with sadness at his father's unconscious form in a coma. Will he ever wake up, will he ever know about his life, would he ever bother with him?

~Did you face this Diodora? A loveless father and an absent mother? Where was Ajuka in all of you? Did he neglect you too?~ He thought with sadness as he felt the cold harsh loneliness around him. "You're entitled to the Astaroth Estate, yet due to your so early age we preferred it would be safer for the young Lord to have family around him, therefore you live in your Half-Uncle Lord Ryobbert Phenex's estate. We have assembled your own room and your Lord Father has his own too." He closed his eyes and hung his head, silent tears cascading down his eyes.

"I…I wish to be left alone, please." He pleaded at the wish of not wanting to be seen as weak by others and have their pity, that's what he didn't need right now. What use there was in having the pity of someone else? His sister abandoned him on his deathbed in his past life and his father condemned him to the realm of torment. Was this punishment for looking for granted what he was given in the past? Perhaps, perhaps not. "I'm afraid such a request isn't processable young master. You're only two years old, leaving you alone is not an order either Monsieur Allairo or I would allow ourselves to ever obey." The maid retorted and he growled in irritation and anger. So much for Devil servitude, he wanted to cry and scream at her but that would only bring him a waste of oxygen and air.

~Is this my penance for wanting to get out of it?~ He thought sadly and approached to his father, nearby his twin-sized bed was a chair. He sat on it with some effort and help from the maid and he took a hold of his father's hand, cupping the big hand in between his tinier hands and leaning his forehead on the dorsal of his hand. A gesture of reverence is owed to a man that even if he hasn't gotten the chance to be with, he bears through the worst of heartbreaks. He looked to his real father and could only mourn him; most of the Phenex Family members apparently were late risers therefore he had the benefit of having privacy in the early mornings. Or at least he had to feel elated about that, he wouldn't have liked to deal perhaps with the Phenex Family while he is mourning a father that he doesn't even knows about.

~What if I change my own fate?~ He thought as he settled his gaze upon his father. Perhaps what Diodora never managed to get that he might learn to cherish is the love of a parent or parents. It was strange being a part of the Phenex Family. "Lady Trisha, may I ask. How did I ended up being half-nephew of Lord Phenex?" His question was met with a gaze of surprise from the maid whom blinked lightly but chose to answer the question and obey her orders.

"Well, your Lord Grandfather Daegon Astaroth Phenex was the heir of both the Astaroth and Phenex Families, he married to your grandmother Princess Eleonora Lucifer, but she birthed only your Lord Father Cassygnus Rabastan who is legally the heir of the Bael, Astaroth, Agares and Phenex Families. Your Lady Grandmother's death caused Lord Cassygnus to feel so alone and thus Lord Daegon chose to marry his distant cousin Lady Katya Phenex and birthed your half uncle Lord Ryobbert Phenex. Legally and contractually, you are the Heir of all the Dowries your ancestors owned, however due to the immense power it holds; certain partial arrangements had to be made for the political seats of the Pillars in the Council to not be lost. Currently you are to live with your Half Uncle until you obtain your first evil piece, once done you will occupy your seat in Astaroth Castle." Lady Trisha summarized, and he nodded, it was something akin to a 'close-family' fosterage without it being a fosterage. His Half-Uncle would take care of him, and he supposed that he will take care of the affairs of the Astaroth Family while he's gone.

~I never would've thought I had kinship with the Phenex.~ He hummed deep in thought, trying to think how this would benefit him somehow. As he was lead through the classes with Monsieur Allairo.

The best way of avenging thyself is not to become like the wrong-doer

Chapter 0:

Oneself's Vengeance

On a balcony's edge, with a hand resting on it. Paper and Ink, a book, closed and sealed. With half-lidded eyes of melancholy his mind drifted down the memory lane, writing a diary about the past wasn't easy. ~Even after all these years, I'm still the same afraid and coward sage of a man.~. He criticized himself, seeing the flaws of his own personality that he has carried for years. Even then, the landscape was beautiful. The skies matched perfect the image of the place he lived at now, a very beautiful place. Having a chance to live his life once again, in another place entirely was a journey very few did and even less tried to do so. The skies matched perfect the image of the place he lived at now, a very beautiful place. The Underworld, the realm where Devils live, hardly is appreciated or allows its natives to appreciate its beautiful crystalline oceans and sights it can offer. The problem with most nobility is that they never give themselves the chance to open themselves, that is the reason of their arrogance and why in history have been always fighting rebellions from those they rule over. The Devils, a supernatural magical race created by Lucifer with the body of his wife Lilith. Creating the first three princes and afterwards creating seventy-two noble devils with a few counted extra-demon families. Giving them all powers and giving to each low and middle classed citizens to rule over. Yet today wasn't a day for celebrating; walking outside of his room and crossing the hallway to the room across him, opening the door, lying on a bed near a beautiful window; a spiky blond-haired man lied. He looked sick, pale, and almost dead, in a comma.

"Father." Lamenting with sadness, he never got to know him at all. Since he remembered his father had always lived with his eyes closed. Forgotten, forsaken, and abandoned; just like he felt. He never knew the love of a mother; and perhaps he never will. He approached to his father and sat down near his bed, taking a hold of his hand. Sometimes he wished to know her name, the name of the woman that left them both just in the sea. Did she had another family? Did she knew about him? At times, in his dreams; a beautiful high-born noble devil woman would chase his dreams, yet he knew every day that he would wake up and be all a dream.

"Sometimes I wish you were with me; to have a family and not what I have."

Others don't have the luxury of a good life; some are orphaned, others are just abused.

"Diodora Erthon Astaroth!" A stern and disciplined motherly voice brought him out of his musings.

He is lucky to be where he is. Diodora Astaroth in this life was lucky to have an uncle who cares and cousins who care about him, who even when it was never asked for took him and his father in when apparently no one cared. That was the Phenex Family's loyalty worth, through thick and thin family stays and everything else doesn't matter. He's ready to go to school, yet as always, he wants to visit his father before he's gone. At his ten-years of age and sixth grade of middle school, unlike most devils his family put him in the human world, unlike his cousin Riser Phenex preferred to be homeschooled. His father was a genius; he studied in the human world and lived in the Underworld in the times of the Civil War, was a hero and yet all he got from it was a deadly wound and nothing else. That's how much the Phenex and Agares are worth. His father was forgotten and just left to rot. Yet, what is to be expected of the Underworld; at his ten years of age and his second chance at life, nothing phased him anymore, he was no stranger to dying alone and being left alone to rot.

Hence that is the reason he connected so fast with his father.

"I'm ready!" He called back and sighed, he leaned his forehead on his father's hand, and he smiled. "I'll visit again." He replied with bitter melancholy and went back to his room and stored inside his tiny bookshelf the last edition of his life memoirs, the locket to a diary-like notebook was on his necklace; three keys each of different shape adorned the necklace his aunt gifted him last year. In such he kept the secrets of his past life, his regrets and his bitter remembrance, lessons that he would no doubt always have tattooed on the very essence of his soul which somehow has transcended into this new realm. Reading the newest edition of Nature Reviews over the latest breakthroughs on medicine was something that interested him heavily, a hobby he enjoyed.

"Diodora, don't make me go up there!" Lady Phenex's stern voice reminded once more.

"Ughhh." He groaned his displeasure, as he stared at his hair. He grew it long, his cyan-colored hair and his indigo-purple colored irises, paired with his European-regal profile. He chose to wear his spiked hair noticeable enough. Many of his family members were exasperated, since most of them gelled their hair to be combed back, he preferred it in his rebellious style. His aunt exasperated once tried to hint to just get rid of it. He of course ran away from that idea, if his Lady Phenex hasn't taken away his hair has been because he has ran away whenever the idea rose. Diodora Astaroth took his backpack and slowly descended the stairs, making sure to create as much noise as his ten-year old body could make.

"There you are." From the Kitchen's open door his mother's presence came into view, as she watched young Diodora walked down the stairs. "I put your lunchbox in your backpack already. Put on some shoes and I'll drive you to school."

His mother, a young blond-haired woman in her early to mid-twenties, her hair styled in a high ponytail. Maybeth Phenex is his aunt; and he has an elder half-cousin, Ruval Phenex. Said elder cousin at the moment was in his burgundy colored pajama shirt and pants. His other elder cousin Riser Phenex hasn't even woken up yet, he was lazy. All while his uncle Ryobbert Phenex in the table read the Underworld's newspaper.

"Good morning." Diodora greeted to his family members, even if he mildly looked like his father and grandfather; he looked nothing like his aunt or cousins, heck; he didn't even had his uncle's blond hair. Yes, being a child is hard. Even as a devil, all the exciting stuff one wants to do is forbidden by the parents for being 'too dangerous' or 'You're not old enough'. Forced to go through another six years of school plus those of college education, was the monster not addressed yet hinted by the stoic and disciplined voices of the parents. Forced to socialize with other children your age.

Being related to the Phenex Family meant many things and it was an enhancement also, at an early age he received education about the underworld, his race, what it meant to be a devil. It got him acquainted with the problem his race is facing, one that has reared its ugly head for quite some time.

Extinction

Extinction has become a glaring problem that fills the thoughts of studious nobles who aren't ignorant or obnoxious enough to not see the glaring problem. Something which was heightened with the end of the Devil Civil War. Counter measured were at once applied to counter this horrible development, yet instead of being effective it worsened the problem to the point of leaving merely a few decades before Devils disappear from the universe completely. Most of these devils, at least noble born ones, live in exuberant castles with luxuries all around them. And the castle near the ocean wasn't an exception, the castle had a very ancient look, unlike most modern households which choose a more mansion-like design, the Bael Family strictly chose the late-medieval castle design, it is a beautiful settlement. Treasure and riches weren't lacking for a devil family, such system maintained and carefully administered by the Agares Family, it has been for generations their duty. In between such big hallways and even bigger halls, it would be common for eyes to get lost in the gigantic luxury Devil castles offered, in between so much servants taking care of such buildings, it gave no room for many to not learn the name of their staff except those on the upper leading brackets.

Devil Families are a nobility structure where the first born inherits it all. Being the Heir of the Astaroth Family, he was expected to do many things in the future, a promising future. Of course, the Phenex Family housed him also as a way to honor the blood relations they had with his family with his father. Diodora of course at an early age was interested in what his older cousins did, their training with fire, Ruval's love for Martial Arts, his father's interest in fencing and of course his mother's own passion for devil history. Diodora was influenced by all he grew up with paired with his own interests of being transmigrated and you obtain a ten-year old boy who has read far more than most his age, who takes fencing classes with his uncle, Martial Arts classes with his cousin and who surprisingly has the Phenex Clan's Hellfire.

Yet, he felt there was something amiss, that it wasn't enough. Something poked and prodded at him, something wanted to sprout, and he felt it was limiting him. ~And this feeling once again has invaded my chest.~. He thought with melancholy, out of most of the members of his family he was well learned in matters of his spell repertoire. Yet even now he knew, it was never enough. Ruval still defeats him in Martial Arts, His Uncle is far too experienced in Fencing for him to stand a chance and he knew not even a quarter of what his aunt knows. This time, he had the chance. . ~In my past life I was too green, too foolish, too stupid and my parents didn't raised me accordingly to what could be for my benefit. This time, I'm the one in control, thus I can actually make a difference this time.~. The advantage of having an adult's mind in his child body. Appearing from the big doors of the Phenex State, a luxurious 1930's Bentley Six Speed Coupe waited for him. One of the butlers opened the door for him. The car ride was short, a ten-minute drive to Kuoh South Elementary. Devils in general, are not perhaps most of the welcomed crowds in the human realm. Even nowadays to be a devil in the human realm required far too much paperwork and contacts to do so, therefore; his family arranged him a human name and a human identity and taught him how to mask his devil signature and change his appearance with magic. In the human world, he was Daiki Matsuda.

~I've taken Matsuda's identity, the perverted friend of Issei Hyoudou.~ He thought realizing that Matsuda was too much of a background character and no one would be aware of his ancestry.

"Have a nice day." His Aunt's holographic projection said before disappearing. The car left him outside an elementary school, wearing a stupid school unform with a dumb backpack. Overall, an asset to humiliate him, yet it will serve him to strengthen his resolve. He didn't need to realize that his hair changed its color from the very Astaroth specific cyan color to black yet in its spiked way as always.

~As long as I'm in the Human world, my hair will be black.~

As he made his way through class, walking by scores of mumbling children. As he walked, however, he was scheming on his plan for the future. ~My greatest asset will be my intelligence; I shall waste these years reading, learning all what I can learn, reinforcing those skills that in my past life I could never grasp. Even as a Devil, I have to make my own way in the world.~. He thought unpleasantly yet the reality of the situation hit him. He shall not waste seventeen years of his life, but rather invest seventeen years of his life for the moment he is an adult reap on the benefits of what he built.

~And I shall study Human Medicine once again, to finally fulfill my dream of becoming a Cardiothoracic Surgeon.~. He smirked at the thought, he imagined it all already on his mind, truly he did. As he entered the classroom and took his seat, he ignored the children mumbling next to him as he took out his class notebook and started going through everything the professor asked him for. Making sure to aim always above average mark. Being born in 1992 made making money easier by knowing where to invest after all. Today they were reviewing the use of the addition operations, of two digits each. Basic things seen in the first pair of years in elementary school, the teacher without any effort challenged the students five planks, four of the five where of two digits but the last one was of three digits.

~Oh please.~ He shrugged in his thoughts, solving each of them like it were an academic competition. Reviewing his math operations, he nodded and took out an advanced grade math book which was an introduction to Algebra and Order of Operations, which were his Achilles Heel during early Junior High school. As all the students around him were having an effort with their first mathematical operations, even the smart ones of his age didn't solve them fast and took their time. What he noticed was that the teacher would only say which one were right and which one were wrong. No orientation whatsoever. As the teacher passed by, to the chair by his side a dark-haired boy with glasses was glared by the teacher.

"Wrong." The harsh teacher pointed, then the next one. "Wrong." It said once again, and for four other times it repeated the same word to the shaking boy as other students mumbled. As the teacher turned to him, he glared at the paper. Before turning away and going on with the rest of the class without saying a single word. He went on with his advanced math book, and started to review divisions, how they are done and how to do the process correctly.

As the teacher went to the side of the board and started to write many more math operations, atop the side there was a boldened mark of Homework. Solving the problems was almost a walk on the park, who wouldn't know them at his day and age and with his memories. They are basic skills to even survive adulthood. Of course, machinery did it but keeping check on your spending and your earnings was important for this stuff. Many groans were heard as the teacher shrugged, he though solved the problems and copied the homework, making sure to leave enough space for each operation to be done. He snorted at everyone's irritation and stress.

~And they've barely gotten a test of hellish Algebra.~ He snorted, those were truly hellish, all this work was walk on the part compared for what's to come. Yet he remained by himself, studying extra material, while solving the easiest problems the teacher could give him. From math they went to Japanese and learning the basics of the language, reaffirming what at kindergarten and at home has been learned, the Teacher passionately taught them Kanji and Calligraphy, something he would try and learn also.

He could only sweat drop at his mother's onigiri, three in total all triangles of rice and a dense rice ball. He sat on one of the stools with a book by his side as he read, today he revised advanced math subjects. As he did so, however as he heard somebody cry out, he turned sharply to see a group of three kids cornering a dark-haired child with glasses. He remembered what he went through in his past, having also lived a past life meant he was subject and victim of School Bullying which drove him away from his peers, for years he wasted his teenage years reading dramatic literature, being fan of pop-culture franchises and a video-game geek. Pairing himself with other geeks who also were relegated, his teenage years were wasted and by the time he came to college, the social skills college demanded weren't developed in High School, therefore once again he chose to pass his days in the library and make it his dream to 'Save Lives' as a doctor. Of course, in the end, he never got married, had lousy relationships and had no friends except a short group of four which turned to two on last year his best friend and his girlfriend. As they picked on the boy who was about to cry, he hung his head.

The problem with bullying is peer pressure, he realized. If you save a bullying victim, they will isolate you and will try to search a moment you are vulnerable to subject you to the same also. He tried, he truly tried to ignore it. As all those around him did; as they all did when they laughed at him in high school where was humiliated in the library.

He melancholically shook his head. ~I can't.~ He thought and closed his lunchbox and took his advanced math book and ran towards the direction of the problem.

"Teacher!" He cried out loud as the kids cried out loud and ran away in fear, the boy was an utter mess. He was crying, his lunch was scattered all over the floor, not edible. The boy's glasses were also on the floor. He knelt and took the glasses and gave them to the crying boy, cleaning them before handing them with care. "Here, I cleaned them up." He offered the glasses gently to the sobbing boy who took the glasses with shaking hands.

"My name's Matsuda, Daiki Matsuda."

The boy hesitantly took his hand and answered timidly. "K-ken…Ken Motohama." He replied shyly which got him to lightly tug at him to get up, once up the boy cleaned his eyes once again from the tears, he was red and puffy. "Come."

As he took the boy to the stools, he shared part of his lunch with the boy who shyly took one of the triangles and ate, as he calmly once again opened his book and continued to study. With pencil in hand, he went through various divisions step by step. As Diodora Astaroth ate, he was slowly learning how to make divisions, be cleaner in the operation process and overall be able to reach to a conclusion uniformly. After his lunch ended, the boy offered.

"Do you want to come over to my house after school?" Motohama offered kindly to which he rose an eyebrow. "I don't have many friends and my dad bought me a new DVD of those American Movies. Do you want to watch them with me?" His tone turned from embarrassment and sadness into excitement very fast. He almost chuckled, yet he nodded.

"Yeah, sure. I'll ask my mom when she comes to pick me. He offered, truthfully, he didn't care about Motohama and his movies, but his character is on the line. If he's seen being cruel to Motohama then he would be labeled as a bully and any points he made as being smart cautious melancholic boy would be diminished, more so his parents would reprimand him. Maybe he should also get in the trend of my peers to have something to collect. The rest of his classes went flawlessly; History always has deeply fascinated him, Geography was one of his average classes, and so on with the others. Taking his backpack with enough homework for the day, Motohama now followed him as his car was on the vicinity.

Maybeth Phenex P.O.V.

The Lady Regent of the Phenex Clan attended her youngest eight-year old daughter in her homeschooling, young Ravel was too attached to her young brother Riser. Father-In-Law Daegon Astaroth Phenex married twice, the first time he married with a Bael Female. Ryobberth's stepmother fell into a coma and died shortly after. Her husband Ryobbert was the second son of Daegon Astaroth Phenex, the only one of his second marriage. Maybeth fell for Ryobbert, and both married not out of duty but out of love, which eventually lead them to birth Ruval. Just as she ended reading another book, she heard a loud voice.

"I won't allow you to besmirch our Family's name."

"I LOVE HER!"

The last voice was quite loud and the sound of banging doors were heard, immediately she closed her book and got up, getting out of the Library of their house, opening one of the two maple wood doors, she was received by a big wide room which was actually a middle-receiving room, where the spiral ascending stairs lead to the personal bedrooms of each of her children and the master bedroom, across from her door to the right she could see her second son Riser stomping out as he fumed in anger. From the door appeared her husband as he called out to Riser.

"I haven't ended yet!" Her husband cried out loud which only caused her son to further ignore her husband and stomp upstairs to his room. She walked through- the carpeted floors and was received by her husband who seemed very upset as he scratched his head in irritation. "That boy…" He grunted as she rose an eyebrow in amusement.

"I cannot believe he's still obsessed over that girl. What does that girl have that makes him that crazy?" Ryobbert growled shaking his head not understanding the obsession Riser can have with Rias Gremory. She didn't blamed her husband for the darkness that plagued him and she won't do so ever. Yet, perhaps this time.

"I understand." She looked at the clock, it was nearing time to pick up Diodora from school, she turned back to her husband. The driver's trip from the underworld's road and teleporting to Kuoh's road wasn't that hard. As the car stopped by the sidewalk of the school. Diodora called for her.

"Auntie, I made a friend!"

The friend in question adjusted his glasses shyly.

"That's very good Dai-chan. I'm Maybeth, Dai-chan's auntie."

"M-motohama…Ken Motohama." The shy boy gestured as her son looked back at her.

"Mom, Motohama invited me to his home. Can I go? I promise I'll do my homework and I'll be home early." Dai-chan asked politely and bashfully, for a minimal moment he looked not melancholic or sad. She of course nodded vigorously.

"Of course, Dai-chan. Just let me escort you to Ken-chan's mom. Ok?"

Akemi Motohama was a disciplined woman, quite even more than herself. She was a home-working mom to a father who was a Businessman and a experienced Stock Market Runner. As her son was about to leave, she smiled.

"You have an appointment with your fencing teacher tomorrow."

Diodora nodded and smiled, which filled her heart at ease. That smile was one that was reflected through her boy's eyes. If for once she could take away the weight from her son, she would do so gladly. Arriving at home, she started to compose a letter for Venelana and Zeoticus Gremory, if Riser wanted to marry Rias Gremory. Who was she to deny her son happiness? She didn't knew why her husband was angry with the Gremory, but whatever it was it didn't mattered that much.

"Mmm, should I do Sushi…or perhaps something cooked. Hmm." She hummed.

By the time Diodora arrived after Mr. Motohama left him 'home', little Ken waved enthusiastically a goodbye. As her 'son' followed her.

"So, how was your day?" She asked to her son who nodded.

"It was nice. We saw movies and read some of the Comics also, we played Nintendo 64, and we made a tetris competition. Which I couldn't win." He hissed through his voice as she chuckled at her son's cuteness, it was always that whenever he faced a challenge at anything, he would hiss at it and then find a way to solve it. Her father was just that way too. "We also did homework and I tutored Motohama on Math." Her son detailed also with disinterest as he laid his advanced math book on the table.

'Perhaps advanced math classes would do him good also.' She thought observant of her child's interest. She sighed in relief, for a day at elementary school her boy did well and even managed to finally make a friend. Which eased her fears in her child being far too odd to be able to fit with his friends.

(Hours Later)

Ryobbert Phenex gasped as he turned around, the Lord of the Phenex Family turned to the ceiling once again and sighed in relief at the realization he was at the safety of home and with his wife sleeping by his side. He took a breath and sighed in calmness, lately he has been visited by the nightmares of his elder brother's tragic defeat. He went to his bedside table as he turned to his left and drank some water for his parched throat. He got up and went through his house, sneakily opening a door in the darkness of a room with the dim light of the moon reflecting peacefully on a young child with a mop of spiky silver hair snoozing peacefully.

'Nephew.' He thought with the genuine affection a parent would have to a child, the same genuine affection his elder brother Cassygnus had for him. The tragic tale of his nephew was one that no children should ever suffer. Why should children pay for the envious desires of adults? Yet, the devil society was rarely any forgiving, much less for children.

"Have I done a good job brother?" He whispered to himself more than to his nephew, Diodora was the vivid image of his beloved elder brother Cassygnus Rabastan. The same spiky hair, the same face and the same eyes; at times he would see the boy from afar with sadness, because it painfully reminded him of the brother he lost. Of the brother that was taken away from him, of the family that once united now divided. Cassygnus Rabastan Astaroth Bael was his elder half-brother, born to the same father but to a different mother. His heart ached each day when his nephew has to visit his father in coma; he had to lie by telling the boy his father sacrificed for the faction's ideals when in fact is the very own faction the one that betrayed him.

'All I know is that I will protect you Diodora, I will protect you from the Bael, from the Gremory, from the lies and from all what attempts to hurt you.' He thought, he didn't care if Riser felt hurt at him not making the bridge with Zeoticus to arrange him to Rias. But he won't allow the Gremory to ever approach to the Phenex again. Yet, there was something which hurts him more. That he told half-truths about everything to his beloved wife Maybeth.

He hoped he could one day obtain forgiveness, though he doubted such a thing would ever be possible.

Another school day, another monotone day with potential for Diodora Astaroth or Daiki Matsuda as he's known in the human world. Once more in the morning mathematics he did well, too well for someone his age and this time he reviewed the topic of Biology, more advanced than the stuff they were seeing anyway. As they made their planks the teacher revised the homework they left for at yesterday. Motohama's mom was strict enough, she allowed him to tutor Ken for Math, but she didn't allowed them to team up to do homework. Instead, she went impartial to say that she wanted each to do their homework separated on different placed at the house and even went as far and confiscate their notebooks to make sure it was that impartial. Going through the planks and acing once again, this time they were of triple digits mostly and few of double digits. The rest of the classes went, and the bell rung.

Before he could go outside with Motohama however, he was interrupted by a call.

"Mr. Matsuda." A feminine stern voice called for him and he turned to stare at Ms. Hikari, a teacher for all upperclassman, kinder than the teacher they had in first grade. And Principal of School, as she faced the two boys. "You are requested in the principal's office." She sternly called which of course he nodded and once in the principal's office she sat down with him. "Alright Mr. Matsuda, I'll hand you these papers. I will need you to answer these carefully and very precisely, this is a very serious matter." The woman replied and he nodded as she pushed forward a printed booklet-like paper, a pencil, pencil sharpener and eraser.

"You're exempted from classes today Mr. Matsuda, take your time to answer the test. Do not worry about that."

With the cumulative stress on his head, Diodora sighed as he went back to his classroom as the bells marked the end of the schoolday. Motohama came to him surprised.

"Is everything alright?" He asked and he frowned, not knowing what were those exams for. He was never good at pediatrics, and much less in psychiatry. It wrecked his nerves, should he have toned down on his knowledge? ~I'm stupid.~ He thought as Motohama kindly sat by his side and passed him the day's homework and the work they did on the day aside from math. He had many things to read back at home, not that he ever has been that lax in school anyway. "Thanks, Motohama." He sincerely thanked him which of course won his shake of head.

"N-no. It's alright." He replied which of course he smiled and nodded. As they walked outside school, his mother already waiting for him.

~Maybe I should just relax and ease my stress. I'm not doing anything wrong.~ He wondered with a smile, not caring about anything else as he went back to his mother and said his goodbyes to Motohama for the day.

It's been two weeks since Diodora befriended Ken Motohama and both have been inseparable best friends, the latter never leaves the former's side at school. It's been two weeks since the duo started to be the greatest of friends. Since he was so into Pocket Monsters his friend Motohama got so into it also. They were also fans of Super Sentai and the usual shows of their age. The kids around started calling them both 'The Shadow Duo', since he was the quiet one and Motohama the shy silent one, yet he spoke more than him. While he made an habit to consume books of advanced subjects from the ones they took at school. His fencing teacher since last summer got him into the first tournament with children of two years his senior and he did stupendously, he ended up in top four. Today was free reading and even his parents have made his reading schedule as such, so today he would read something outside his norm and that he might enjoy. Which ended up being a Sentai Warrior comic book, nothing out of his usual Comic read, but he enjoyed it nonetheless; which presented a nice twist on the overexploited tokusatsu genre. He himself had a more appreciative palette for Dramatics; Star Wars Comics or even Martin's books. He was holding his urge to start reading Shakespeare, but his parents kept those out of his way. Promising to gift him his first Shakespearean book on Christmas. He was debating between reading King Lear or MacBeth.

~MacBeth.~. He thought with a smile, he would appreciate reading the tragic book for once. He wouldn't say which book he wanted for Christmas, but he would drop heavy hints.

"Daiki Matsuda." The teacher sternly called in the middle of Homework reviewing as he turned back. "Principal Hikari waits for you at her office."

He frowned, this was the second time he was being called into the very own echelons of the Principal's office. Outside the classroom already the principal waited for him and in silence, tension and stress escorted him to the classroom. As he sat down the principal's old fax printed a page.

"Alright Mr. Matsuda, from today onwards this shall be your new class and your schedule." The woman pushed forward the printed paper as he looked at it, it was a weekly schedule for the first half of the year.

"I…I don't understand."

The woman leaned forward.

"Young Matsuda, as part of the NATO countries Japan also possesses very strict educational reforms. I shan't specify since your Parents have already been told and have agreed. You, Mr. Matsuda, are a gifted bright child, exceptional. One in the three groups of the grade. You're eligible for the GATE Initiative's Accelerated Education Program our school has. You shall share a classroom with other children with similar capabilities as you in the same school district. Out object of this program is for us public schools to grasp and be able to retain this talent inside our walls and not let it drift either to be ignored or in the clutches of private education." His world was spinning, this wasn't supposed to happen. Matsuda was just an average character in Highschool DxD, he was in the same grade as Issei and Motohama, he wasn't supposed to be like this.

"You mean staying with the Isolated Gifted class? Bu-but they are isolated."

"For good reason." The woman replied rightfully. "Gifted children are above the likes of commoners and the average people. The gifted class is geared towards educating NATO's future leaders in the Professional World. You shall be the leaders of tomorrow, for that…we invest in today Mr. Matsuda. So, from tomorrow onwards you shall be part of Kuoh South Elementary's GATE program." Ms. Hikari voiced which he blinked and bit his lower lip. "What about P.E. Miss Hikari? I'm already on Sixth grade, isn't it too late?" The school principal smiled.

"Your schedule would be adjusted with prior notification Mr. Matsuda. It will all be alright Mr. Matsuda, while our program has only been a recent addition, I promise you that by the end of your Junior High education you will be sufficiently prepared for High School and any career you wish to go after at College."

~Because you'll probably put me in this GATE program on those too.~ He frowned, will he be restricted from applying to Kuoh Academy just because it was a private school. He sighed and nodded, if his parents signed then it meant that perhaps maybe, just maybe he has a different path. A wholy another path than what 'TV Show Matsuda' was. He lived languidly by being a secondary character in the overall plot and being the character of his own brand new start. And his laziness by not keeping what he knew to himself has bit him in the ass by putting him once again with the Nerd Class.

"You may leave Mr. Matsuda, I expect you at my Accelerated Classroom tomorrow in the morning."

He nodded and left the principal's office, as the bell echoed through the school and tears cascaded down his eyes. He tried, he truly tried to change his life's destiny. He tried to change from being the same cowardly sagely nerdy boy that never managed to get out of his anti-social shell, only to once again be shoved inside the same shell against his own will.

~I'm sorry…I'm really sorry.~ For the first time in his life, he truly cried of sadness and melancholic rage all over his being, that the world always had a way to screw him over. Just this time again.