Hey there everyone! Tohka Yatogami here, and as I'm sure most of you already know... it's finally happening!
With the skills and courage to do it now in my hand? I'm finally beginning the true and official rewrite for Legend of the Heavenly Dragons, which is going back to the original version's story that many have been asking to see for so long! Before anything else, I'd like to give my thanks to CrimsonPyre for helping me finally take the steps in both my skills and courage that I need to finally do this, as there was always part of me that wanted to redo the original story, and kingpariah for offering to be my co-writer.
An important announcement I need to make about one thing everyone can expect from this rewrite? As a twist, instead of me adding a race by including Demons as a separate species... this time I'm removing one, and taking the Fallen Angels out of the picture!
Before anyone panics over that? This doesn't mean anyone who is a Fallen Angel isn't going to appear, just that in this story, they will either appear as an Angel or a Devil to add in a little surprise factor, and because it fits with something from the original I'm extending on. For anyone that's curious to why I'm not going to have the Demons in the rewrite? It's because "When Dawn meets Dusk", which was LOHD until recently, has since made the concept its own.
The best part about this reboot following the old story is that while I get my momentum for this version going, both versions of the original over on Archive of Our Own will now be fully uploaded! I'll be uploading Chapter 2 before they become public, but the wait for them is now over.
Expect this version of the story to also fix a few issues, some I remember others talking about and ones that came into my own view, though I'll go into them more as they come up. Also, compared to not just the original, but all my DxD stories in general? The power scale will be more balanced and focus on giving a more equal ground for everyone during the battles in the story.
Now, let's not keep this story waiting and get the show on the road!
[Chapter 1 - Twilight Beginnings]
Silence.
That was all that could be heard in the area around them, but not because there wasn't a sound to be made. No, the silence came from something more... something much worse than a lack of noise, for it represented everything breaking down. That there was nothing more to be said as everything was caught between the brightness of white, and the darkness of black.
Both colors were represented as streaks up in the sky. The former let out slow, yet controlled wisps. This contrasted with the latter, which released fast, yet erratic bursts that somewhat resembled a thunderbolt when someone drew it in a zig-zag design.
*"BOOM! BOOM!"*
After clashing with one another for a few minutes, the two forces briefly stopped, with their mere presence and close proximity causing a sound resembling that of thunder to briefly echo across their battlefield.
"Satan, will you truly not listen to reason? It's not too late for us to stop fighting and end this nonsensical war."
"There you go, acting as high and mighty as always, while claiming to know what's best for everyone... always refusing to open your eyes! We've already been fighting to this point without stopping! If you don't have the resolve to finish this like I do, then when don't you do me a favor and let me end you!?"
A sigh left the voice tied to the light.
"I guess it was pointless for me to try. Why should I bother arguing with you when you've let your heart truly become one with the horrifying power that's infected you?"
The voice of light soon turned serious, letting its power flow.
"But know this... I guided this world without issue long before you came to be, so I have every right to know what's best for everyone! You are the one who refuses to admit your own errors, including how this all came because of the sinful actions you took over choosing to despise what no other being besides yourself stood against!"
"How dare you insult me, Yahweh! All of them were brainwashed by their so-called loyalty to you! They cannot tell right from wrong when you don't give them the choice to see the wrong, and now..."
The voice of darkness let its power surge from its body, pushing against the flow of power being released from the light.
"Now, the time has come for me to give you the justice that you've deserved since the day you betrayed me!"
"Then let us finish this."
The darkness roared as it began to transform, taking a horrifying shape. When its transformation was over, the darkness known as Satan had taken the form of a large black and red beast with characteristics coming from different animals like a lion, a leopard, a bear, a dragon, etc.
It had seven necks, seven heads, with ten horns, as well as seven long thick tails of different shapes. It also has four stout arms and two legs that are even thicker than its arms. Its torso resembled that of a primate's, leaning forward and being covered by black fur and red scales all over its body. Its size was well over several hundred meters, making it significantly larger than almost anything that existed.
The light calling itself Yahweh also changed, but didn't transform as much as arm itself with a powerful weapon and sturdy armor. After fully equipping itself with both, the form of the light had now become that of a Mecha-like machine of the same size, with the look of an Angel in their more eldritch depictions, being white and blue in color.
It had no feet, and what looked to be a hundred wings attached to a spherical body with a spiked shape, with two of those spikes having shards of distorted light gathering and extending from its tip to eventually take a form resembling that of two arms, albeit they were so thin and skinny that it gave a ghostly and malnourished appearance that, if seen by the weak of heart, would drive them to insanity from the mere pressure of its presence.
"Your end is decided!"
"Your end is here!"
Both of them let out their full strength, yet not even unleashing their greatest abilities, causing black and white to spiral as the powers of light and darkness clashed as if they were trying to maul one another past the atomic level. Both powers spread and continued to devour their battlefield, with the scene zooming out to reveal itself as a landmass comprised of three continents.
One that, as of this battle, would be forever scarred, leaving the upper left corner they fought in as the smallest continent.
~ July 7th, 2008: Kuoh Town
The sounds of cicadas and birds were heard throughout a small town in Tokyo Prefecture, with the day being welcomed by a clear blue sky and a bright sun. Everyone who was currently outside looked happy and fully enjoying the day.
In one area of the neighborhood, a small two-story house came into view, and once it came into focus...
"Uh oh... where's my sleeping bag!?"
Frantic sounds quickly came from a room in the house, where the sight of a young boy of 5-years could be seen as he flipped his room apart to find the sleeping bag he just mentioned. As he took a moment to rest his burning legs and catch his breath, it was shown he had spiky hair of a chocolate brown color and eyes that were a golden brown.
"If I don't find it soon, then I won't make it to camp in time!" He panicked.
He started crying once that thought reached his head, luckily for him, fate chose to intervene at that moment through someone entering his room.
"Oh Issei, what will I do with you?" A feminine voice playfully sighed.
That voice made his tears briefly stop as he turned around, seeing someone he was familiar with as they stood at his door.
It was a young woman, specifically a teenage girl of a high school age. She had long, dark gray hair with matching eyes of a matching color and light skin, who currently wore a dark blue sundress with short sleeves and light green sandals.
"Cleria... thank goodness you're here, please help me!" The boy known as Issei cried, after running up to hug her leg.
Cleria sighed as she kneeled down and rubbed Issei's head.
"There, there. Just tell me what's wrong?" She asked, still rubbing his head.
"I... I can't find my sleeping bag anywhere, and I can't go to camp without it!" He sniffled.
"Ah, so that's why you've been crying." Cleria realized.
She walked to the center of her room and looked around.
"With how excited you've been for this Summer Camp, having to miss it because of this would be pretty upsetting. Lucky for you, if I remember right, then your sleeping bag is currently..." She continued.
Issei watched as she knelt by his bed, and reached under to pull out his missing sleeping bag, making his eyes widen.
"Oh, it's under your bed? How did it get there!?" Cleria asked, giggling after she did.
"Because... you put it there the other day, knowing that I'd forget where it was." He remembered.
After saying that, he blushed in embarrassment.
"Good thing I did, because now you don't have to worry about missing Summer Camp." She reassured him.
Issei's blush faded as she pat him on the head, making him smile.
"Now, let's get you over to the Summer Camp, otherwise you'll definitely miss it because we were too busy dilly dallying." Cleria suggested.
"Yeah, let's go!" Issei agreed, raising his arms up in excitement.
Cleria smiled and quickly pulled Issei into the air, then placed him on her shoulders and held onto his legs.
"What form of transport would you like today?" Cleria inquired.
"I want a horse! Giddy up!" Issei answered.
"Alright, one horseback ride coming right up!" Cleria cheerfully shouted.
She mimicked a horse sound before running out of his room and down the stairs, briefly stopping to jog in place near the kitchen, where Issei turned his head.
"Bye mom! Bye dad! See you in..." Issei shouted.
He looked at Cleria for a reminder, who giggled in response.
"Two weeks." She answered.
"See you in two weeks!" He shouted, waving them goodbye.
"Go get them Issei!" His father encouraged.
"Make sure to have fun!" His mother cheered on.
"OK! Bye!" Issei replied.
Having said his goodbyes, Cleria resumed her run to the camping grounds, with Issei laughing the whole time. Her run lasted 7 minutes, bringing her from the middle of town to a forest clearing that was within the town's borders.
[Yuru Camp: Campsite Theme - At the foot]
Once he saw the camping grounds, Issei smiled as he saw a few adults working as chaperones and dozens of kids that were between his age or older by two years, already talking with one another. Cleria soon put Issei onto the ground and kneeled down.
"Remember Issei, you likely won't get to choose what group you'll get, so make sure you accept whatever they decide." She stated, using a stern and gentle tone.
"OK!" He nodded.
"Then let's get you signed up!" Cleria exclaimed, pumping her fists as she got back on her feet.
She guided Issei to the registration stand.
"Hello there, are you here for the Summer Camp?" The chaperone asked, smiling at Issei.
"I am, and I'm ready to have some fun!" Issei answered, barely able to contain his excitement.
The chaperone giggled as Cleria wrote down all his information.
"Let's see... Issei Hyoudou, is it? Would you like to be part of the Flower Group, the Leaf Group, or the Sunny Group?" The chaperone inquired.
"I want the Leaf Group." He chose.
The chaperone soon grabbed a leaf-shaped badge and placed a name tag onto it.
"Here you go." They replied, handing it to him.
Issei placed it on the left strap of his camping bag, then turned around to show Cleria.
"Ta dah!" He smiled.
"It's the perfect fit for you." Cleria replied, clapping at the sight.
She bent down her knees again, rubbing his head as she did.
"I have to go back now. Remember, the adults here are trying to keep your safe, so make sure to listen to them and ask questions if you aren't sure about what you can or can't do." Cleria reminded him.
"OK, I promise." Issei replied.
"Pinkie promise?" She asked, holding out her pinkie.
"Pinkie promise!" He replied, holding out his pinkie.
They locked their pinkies together.
"Good luck Issei, and enjoy your time at camp!" She smiled.
As she left, a chaperone began leading Issei to his group.
[Insert Song End]
He had no idea what he'd be doing yet, but despite that he didn't know, and he had yet to do any camp activities? Issei already had a strong feeling that he'd find something special at this camp.
Time flew by until the sign-up period ended, and the remaining chaperones came with the materials they still needed.
By then, the sun had set to reveal the night sky, which was illuminated by a full moon. All of the kids were gathered in their groups, with a campfire already burning and each group's respective chaperones behind them.
*"WHISTLE!"*
The sound quickly caught everyone's attention as the head of the Summer Camp walked into view.
"Hello everyone! I'm Councilor Nakajima, and I welcome you to our Summer Camp." Nakajima greeted.
Everyone bowed a little in response.
"Good to meet you, Councilor Nakajima!" The kids greeted.
She smiled at that, then lightly clapped her hands together.
"As most of you probably noticed, today was mostly for allowing everyone to sign-up and set things up. So, for our first night? We'll be enjoying S'mores, camp stories, and a few songs around the campfire." Nakajima explained.
"Is there a limit to how many S'mores we can eat?" A brunette-haired boy with glasses asked, raising his hand.
"There is, but lucky for all of you, we have enough that everyone can enjoy five. Just make sure not to take any extra marshmallows or chocolate." Nakajima answered.
Hearing that they would all get five made the kids smile.
"Now, let's give you all sticks for your marshmallows. That way you can cook your S'mores however you'd like. If you want your chocolate warmed up, please ask a chaperone so they can heat it by one of our lanterns." Nakajima requested.
Everyone did just that, with Issei quickly getting his marshmallow cooked to a golden brown and having a chaperone get his chocolate to a melted state.
"Here goes!" He smiled.
He took a bite, making the marshmallow gush out the sides.
"Yummy!" Issei said, his voice muffled by the chocolate.
As he savored the taste of his S'mores, the same boy with glasses and another with his hair in a buzz cut both bit into theirs at the same time. When they did, their faces got covered in both melted chocolate and marshmallow goo.
Upon realizing the same thing happened to the both of them at the same time, the two boys began laughing at each other, all in good fun.
"Our faces are a mess!" The kid with the buzz cut laughed.
"I think you and I will be great friends." The kid in glasses smiled.
They shook hands.
"Matsuda Yasuaki." The kid with the buzz cut greeted.
"Motohama Takurou." The kid with glasses greeted back.
Likewise, two girls were shown to be roasting their marshmallows by spinning them, quickly noticing the way they were doing it was identical. One of the girls had short pink hair, while the other was a brunette wearing small twin tails.
"You roast it that way too?" They asked at the same time.
Both blinked at that before letting out embarrassed chuckles, with the pink-haired girl bowing slightly to be polite.
"My name's Katase Yui." She greeted.
"Hi there. My name is Murayama Kaori, it's nice to meet you." The brunette greeted back.
Issei watched as a lot of the kids were already showing signs of becoming fast friends, and as he was about to join in, he noticed something.
"Hmm?" He blinked.
Walking away from the campsite, a kid who was part of the Leaf Group headed towards a tree stump, making him curious to what said kid was doing.
"Is there something over there?" Issei wondered aloud.
He then followed them to wherever they were headed.
The kid in question sat down on the tree stump before they pulled out some binoculars from their camping bag. They began looking at the sky, but before they could make much progress...
"What are you doing?" Issei asked.
Hearing that, the kid jumped a little, turning around as they saw Issei.
Now that he could see their face clearly, Issei realized the kid before them was a girl that looked to be a year older than he was. She had silvery-white hair, which was kind of wavy and reached a little below her shoulders, white skin, and periwinkle eyes.
"Oh, uh... I just wanted to see the stars. That's all." She replied, answering somewhat quietly due to how suddenly Issei had surprised her.
"Huh? But can't you do that from the campsite?" He asked.
"I can, though if you look up at the sky, you'll understand why I came here." The girl explained.
Issei was confused, and decided to look up, making his eyes widen at how bright they now looked.
"Wow!" He exclaimed.
"The light from the campsite makes it harder to see them, so I wanted to step away for a moment. Promise you won't say anything?" She requested.
"Sure thing! Plus, now that I'm here?" Issei promised.
He sat on the stump with her, making her scoot over.
"I wanna stay and see them myself." He admitted.
The girl smiled at that, and while Issei just watched the stars without a plan, she was looking for something specific. Once she found it, she gasped.
"There it is! There's Venus!" She shouted happily.
"Huh? What are you talking about? Venus is a planet, not a star." Issei asked with a confused look.
"And you're right, but you can actually see the other planets if you know where to look." The girl explained.
Issei's eyes widened.
"Can I see!?" He asked.
"Sure, I'll even guide you to it." She offered, handing him the binoculars.
Issei looked through them as she guided him, gasping once he saw Venus.
"That big dot with the orange hue?" He asked.
"Yeah, that's it. If we had a telescope, you'd be able to see the smaller details." The girl confirmed, smiling as she did.
"This is... wow. I had no idea you could see the planets among the stars." Issei breathed in awe, pulling the binoculars away.
He then turned his attention to the girl again, making her look at him.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Hope you don't mind me asking, but... was there any special reason behind why you were looking for Venus?" Issei asked.
She scratched her cheek slightly.
"This might sound a little silly, but I was hoping that finding it would be a sign of good luck." The girl answered.
"Good luck? How?" He inquired, understandably confused.
"Well, the planet Venus can also be called the Morning Star, which means light bringer. That sounded like a form of good luck to me, so... I thought finding it would give me good luck." She explained.
"OK, but... what do you need good luck for?" Issei inquired.
After being asked that, Issei saw her lower her head and begin rubbing her left arm, making him worry he said something he shouldn't have.
"Because... I just moved here." She admitted.
Issei gasped after hearing that.
"Does that mean..." Issei realized.
She soon lowered her head and looked away from him.
After hearing that, Issei took her hands in his, surprising her a little as she turned to look at him again.
"Then... starting right now, you and I are friends!" Issei shouted.
Her eyes widened at those words, thinking she was hearing things.
"W-What?" She asked.
"I said that we're friends now, so I don't want to hear you say you don't have any friends here, because you do have one now! And that friend is me!" He exclaimed.
The girl stared at Issei for a moment, making him worry. That worry grew even more once he saw tears form in her eyes.
"A-Are you OK? Was it stupid of me to just say we were friends out of nowhere? If it was, then I'm sorry that-" Issei apologized.
He was cut off by the girl giving him a big hug.
"Thank you... thank you!" She smiled, crying a little.
Issei paused for a moment, then smiled as he realized the girl was happy for what he said, prompting him to hug her in return.
"Your welcome. Also, your hair's really soft. Like a fluffy blanket." He replied.
She looked at him in surprise and confusion, which made Issei shrug his shoulders.
"I have no idea why I said that." He admitted.
After a few seconds, the two suddenly let out a laugh at how random his compliment about her hair had been.
"Oh yeah! Now that the two of us are friends, we should probably tell each other our names." Issei realized.
"Could you go first?" The girl requested.
"Sure thing. My name is Issei Hyoudou, and you?" Issei greeted, holding out his hand.
"My name's Valiana Himesaki." She nervously greeted back, doing the same with her hand.
That made Issei blink a little.
"I'm not sure if I can remember that. Do you mind if I give you a nickname?" Issei asked.
"Go ahead." She permitted.
"OK, then I'll call you... Vali!" He smiled.
"Vali." She repeated, smiling back.
Accepting her new nickname, they shook each other's hands, cementing their new friendship.
Meanwhile, back in Kuoh Town, an old building was seen next to a fancy school. However, the inside was a bit misleading since it looked much fancier and more intact than the outside of the building implied.
Within what seemed to be a living room, the sight of Cleria sitting at a desk was seen, signing a few documents for some kind of business.
Her work eventually came to a pause as she noticed a gray magic circle with a crest shaped like multiple chains linked together, getting her attention as a familiar face began to manifest from it.
It was a man with a graceful face whose hair and eyes matched hers in both colors, wearing an open red jacket with golden lining that showed off his chiseled abs, along with long black pants and a belt with a symbol made from linked chains. He also wore brown boots with black gauntlets of a similar design.
"Diehauser!" Cleria exclaimed.
She tossed her pen to the side before running up and hugging her older cousin, who smiled as he hugged her back.
"What brings you here?" Cleria asked.
"Thought I'd see how my cousin was doing." Diehauser replied.
That made Cleria give him a deadpan look, making him flinch.
"I know you're lying. You never have enough time to come visit someone just because you want to see how they're doing. Now, tell me the real reason you're here." She stated, tapping her foot as she did.
"Alright, alright. You caught me. There's a document I was asked to give you since this is your territory, as it contains something too risky for it to use any public channels." Diehauser admitted as he pulled out the paper.
Cleria looked confused as she moved her arm to take it, but Diehauser pulled it away before she could.
"Hold on. Before that, I'm also here because of your relationship with that Church Exorcist." He added.
"Seriously? Not you too! I've already said this a hundred times, and I'll say it a hundred more if needed..." Cleria groaned, her normally happy face turning sour.
Diehauser backed up as Cleria stomped forward a few steps and pointed her finger right at his forehead.
"I don't care what anyone says! I love Masaomi, and I'm not letting anyone tell me who I can and can't fall in love with because of some stupid ages old stigma our kind has!" She shouted.
"Calm down, I didn't come here to tell you to break up with him or anything!" Diehauser defended, holding his hands out.
Cleria blushed in embarrassment as she heard that.
"Sorry, I'll let you finish talking first." She apologized.
"Thank you." He replied.
Taking a moment to clear his throat from the shock of her recent reply, he continued speaking.
"I just want to make sure you're being careful. While this kind of relationship could help reinforce our current truce, you still need to make sure you take your time and look at everything the two of you are doing, because if things go south..." Diehauser explained.
Hearing his voice trail off, Cleria began to sweat a little.
"Well, because you come from the Branch Family, the higher ups won't hesitate to execute the both of you." He revealed.
Cleria immediately backed up into the wall.
"They'd be willing to kill me!?" She panicked.
"In your case? Yes, they would kill you without a second thought, whereas I'd just be blackmailed since I'm currently the Head, but lack an heir. Although, if I had two children-" He answered.
"Stop! I don't want to hear anymore!" Cleria interrupted, already knowing what he was going to say next.
She took a moment to hold her chest, needing to catch her breath from the shock of his revelation.
"Though now you get what I'm warning you of, right?" Diehauser inquired.
"Yeah, I've gotcha. I'll make sure to watch what I'm doing." She promised.
He smiled at that.
"Thank you. Now that I've taken care of that, here's the document I was talking about." Diehauser continued, handing it to her.
Cleria read it over, and her eyes widened at its contents.
"Here, really? And I have to watch over them!?" She asked.
"You and I are close, so she trusts you." Diehauser confirmed.
A nervous look soon appeared on Cleria's face, and Diehauser couldn't blame her for making it. The revelation on the document was something that had come out of left field.
"Honestly, I wish she was able to look after them..." Cleria admitted.
"But you know why she can't. If it wasn't for my own position, and what their daughter doesn't know, then I'd be the ones watching them. She believes she's Human, so we need you to watch over them because you're both in the Human world." Diehauser replied.
She sighed and nodded her head.
"Alright then. I don't know how good I'll do my job, but I'll at least try to do it." Cleria promised.
Diehauser smiled as he heard that.
"That's all we ask for." He replied.
Right as he was about to leave, Cleria managed to remember something important.
"Oh! Before you go, I heard an interesting rumor a while back, and it's something you'll want to hear because it's connected to the Rating Games." Cleria stated.
That caught Diehauser's attention.
"What kind of rumor?" He asked.
"Have you ever heard of the King Pieces?" She asked.
Diehauser's eyes widened after hearing those words.
"I'm sorry, but did you just say... King Pieces?" Diehauser questioned, thinking he misheard her.
"Yeah, like an actual Evil Piece based on the King in Chess, but even better." Cleria confirmed.
He turned around and gave a look that told her to continue.
"Apparently, it's a discontinued Evil Piece that was used at the beginning of the Rating Game era. It had a stronger boost than that of a Queen Piece, though it may have just been for one's natural demonic power, that was too erratic. Some people could get ten times the boost, but others up to hundred, maybe even more. Ajuka ended up having to destroy them all." Cleria explained.
After saying that, Diehauser did something that Cleria would never have expected him to do after hearing that, or in general.
Laugh as if she had just told him a joke.
"Cleria, I know you love talking about gossip, but do you really believe a story like that?" Diehauser replied.
"I thought it sounded fake myself, but I think I've managed to find proof about the theory that Ajuka made the Rating Game here in Japan, as in I may have found the very location he did it! I'm planning to go search and prove this is true." She said, clear excitement on her face.
Diehauser's eyes widened at that.
"No, absolutely not! Don't bother with anything related to the Maou for any reason." He shouted, a clear warning in his voice.
"But-" Cleria replied.
"Remember what we just talked about? If this is true, consider that the real truth could be those pieces were so dangerous that they had to have all knowledge of their existence wiped out." Diehauser added.
She sighed, realizing she had no retort for that, and simply closed her eyes before nodding her head.
"So, do you promise me that, no matter what, you won't approach that place?" Diehauser inquired.
"I do... I won't go near it." Cleria promised.
Realizing he understood, he let out a relieved breath and softened his expression.
"Thank you. Now, I better get home, so I'll see you next time I'm able to." He smiled.
"OK, see ya." Cleria replied, waving goodbye.
Diehauser waved back before disappearing through a magic circle, and once she did... a mischievous smirk formed on Cleria's face.
"We didn't pinkie promise." She whispered to herself.
Sitting herself back at her desk, Cleria quickly glanced at a paper detailing a certain location before putting it back where it was.
A paper that contained the image for a King Piece in Chess.
The two weeks at Summer Camp passed by in a flash, and before any of the children realized it, their time at camp had come to an end.
As they were packing their stuff up, Issei and Vali could be seen talking to each other.
"While we weren't here for very long? I'm glad that I came to this Summer Camp." Vali smiled.
"Me too." Issei agreed.
Through the two weeks they spent together, Issei and Vali had quickly become the best of friends, with their friendship having helped the latter become comfortable enough to accept Kuoh Town as her new home.
"Especially since you and I both live here, so we can see each other whenever we'd like!" Issei continued, raising his hands out.
Vali giggled at that.
"Somehow, I knew you'd say that." She remarked.
"It was that obvious?" Issei said, faking surprise.
Both of them laughed.
"Although, now the question is... how do I find out where you live?" Issei wondered aloud.
"That's easy. I'll just ask around, and hopefully find where you live." Vali answered.
"Because once you find where I live, you can bring me to your house, and then we'll both know where to find each other!" He realized.
She nodded, holding out her pinkie.
"Promise that we'll find each other?" Vali asked.
"Promise that we'll find each other!" Issei replied.
They locked their pinkies together, forming their promise as a familiar face arrived.
"Issei!" Cleria called out.
Hearing his babysitter's voice, Issei turned around to see her, and then waved.
"Be there in a second!" He replied.
Looking at Vali one last time, they gave each other a hug.
"See you soon." Issei smiled.
"Same here." Vali smiled back.
Once they let go, Issei ran over to Cleria, who lifted him into the air and spun him around.
"Hey there sport, did you have fun at camp?" She asked him with a big smile on her face.
"Yeah, I even made a friend!" He confirmed.
"The girl you just hugged goodbye, right?" Cleria assumed, taking a moment to look at her.
He nodded and hummed his answer.
"Unfortunately, I have to wait a bit to see her because we don't know how to find each other's houses." Issei mentioned, sighing a little.
Cleria raised an eye at that.
"And why are you unable to find each other's houses?" Cleria inquired.
"I don't know how to find my house by myself." Issei answered.
"You mean the same house that I know how to find and often take you to and from on a near daily basis?" She mentioned, playfully smiling as she did.
Those words made Issei blink a few times, then turn red in embarrassment.
"Oh... then could you tell her for me?" He requested, too embarrassed to look at her.
"Sure thing. Besides, unlike when I dropped you off, I'm here to bring you and another kid home, so I need to find them first." Cleria answered, smiling at him.
"Really?" Issei asked.
"Yeah, a girl by the name of Valiana Himesaki." She confirmed.
He gasped at that.
"That's my new friend's name!" Issei revealed.
Hearing that surprised Cleria, making her look at Vali again, causing her own embarrassed blush to form on her face.
'I really should have realized it was her after seeing her hair.' She thought, doing her best to hold a poker face.
Cleria placed Issei on the ground, then walked towards Vali.
"Excuse me."
Vali soon turned towards her, seeing Issei standing beside her.
"Yes?" She asked.
"Is your name Valiana Himesaki by chance?" Cleria inquired.
"Yes, why do you ask?" Vali inquired.
"My name's Cleria Bella, and I'm your cousin. Your father's my uncle." She greeted.
That surprised her and Issei.
"R-Really!?" Vali asked.
"Really, and he's asked me to come pick you up, which I think will help you and Issei find out where the other lives." Cleria confirmed, winking at the end.
She smiled and let out an excited gasp at that moment.
Around 15 minutes after she picked Issei and Vali up, Cleria brought the duo to Issei's house.
"This is where I live." Issei said.
Vali took a good look at the two-story house with white walls, a red roof, and a balcony connected to one of the second story rooms.
"That's my room." He added, pointing at the balcony.
"Wow, my house looks a lot like this one." Vali replied.
That surprised Issei.
"Really?" He asked.
Cleria let out a slight giggle, which confused the two.
"Houses in such neighborhoods often do." She mentioned.
"Really?" They both asked.
"Really, it makes it easier to manage the space if anyone has to fix, remove, and/or expand on them." Cleria confirmed.
She then brought the two to Vali's house, and to the surprise of the new best friends, she lived only 3 minutes away.
"No way, we're neighbors!" Vali realized.
"Huh? But I thought neighbors had to live next to you?" Issei asked in confusion.
"Anyone within a 5-minute walking distance can count as a neighbor." Cleria replied.
"Oh, OK." He replied.
Vali soon turned to the two and bowed her head in gratitude.
"Thanks for walking me home. I'll see you soon!" She smiled.
She walked to her door, where a woman with blonde hair and periwinkle eyes like her own opened the door, which Issei assumed was her mother.
"Come on sport, let's get you home before we're so late that your parents decide to call the police." Cleria joked.
"That could happen!?" Issei asked worriedly.
"I'm kidding. We'd need to be gone for at least an hour before they considered doing that." She replied.
Issei smiled in relief as put him on her shoulders.
"All aboard the Cleria Express!" She announced.
Issei cheered as she jogged towards his house, briefly glancing at Vali's house as he began to imagine what they'd do tomorrow.
~ November 20th, 2014: Kuoh Town
A few years went by until it was six years since Issei and Vali first met, and their friendship only grew stronger during this time. Not only had their bond grown since then, but so had they.
For Issei, he was already showing signs of becoming a handsome young man. Unfortunately, over the years, the effects of puberty ended up turning him into a pervert, which lead to him developing a fetish for big breasts. Luckily, due to Vali being a girl and his best friend, that perverted side of him had managed to be controlled, or he internalized it at the very least, due to both of them feeling awkward around that time.
Cleria would always tease him over this.
As for Vali, she had already developing a few signs of becoming a beautiful young lady, due to hitting puberty earlier. Although it left her embarrassed at first, while Issei's newly developing perverseness had been at its worst? She had grown amazingly huge breasts for her age, and with how the rest of her figure was developing, had already begun to catch the eye of a few boys (except Issei) who were starting to see girls differently.
"So, how was school today?"
The scene opened to Vali's house, where she and her parents were having dinner.
She was in her school uniform and her mother was wearing the usual housewife attire. As for her father, who had hair in the shape similar to Issei's, he had the same silvery-white hair as she did, golden eyes, and was wearing common business clothes.
"The same as always." Vali answered.
"Of course it was." Her father chuckled.
After doing so, Vali's mother nudged her elbow onto his side, getting his attention.
"Come on sweetie, I think it's time we tell her the good news." She suggested.
That caught Vali's attention.
"What good news?" She asked.
"Well, I've been doing so well at work, that after so long... I can now say with full confidence we won't have to move again!" He announced.
"Huh?" She blinked in confusion.
Vali's mother decided to take over, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder.
"Remember what we said to you before we moved here? Well, ever since then, your father has been working hard to make this our official home. After a lot of work on his end, he was finally able to make it happen!" Her mother explained.
"So, we were at risk of moving all this time, and I never even knew?" Vali asked, a horrified look on her face.
"I'm sorry about that sweetie, but it's why your father worked so hard to prevent it." Her mother apologized.
"I knew you wanted to stay with Issei, and used that as motivation to make that a reality. Now it is, and I can say, without a doubt, that nothing will ever separate the two of you." Her father smiled, placing his hand on Vali's other shoulder.
It took a moment for it to sink in, but after hearing everything her parents had said... tears of joy filled Vali's eyes as she covered her mouth.
"Mom... dad... thank you!" Vali said, feeling the tears flow out.
Both her parents smiled at how happy their daughter looked.
[Sonic the Hedgehog: Solaris Phase 1]
Unfortunately, that joy was short lived as her parents looked at the ceiling, letting out horrified gasps as they saw a magic circle had appeared. It didn't take long before Vali noticed it as well.
"Mom? Dad?" She asked, having no idea what was going on.
"Sarah! Vali! Get behind me!" Her father warned, glaring at it.
"Razevan, be careful." Sarah begged.
Vali could only watch as all the lights in the house exploded, making her scream briefly as a figure hidden by the darkness that now enveloped the house descended from the ceiling through the magic circle.
"I commend you from managing to hide from us for so long. Unfortunately, I'm afraid your game of hide and seek won't work anymore." The shadowed figure stated.
Razevan growled before holding his hands out, doing something that Vali couldn't see, but knew wasn't normal because of the brief flash that resulted from it. Unfortunately, it didn't work, and then...
*"SLASH!"*
*"SHRIEK!"*
Vali let out a horrified scream, with her mother holding her close and staring at what they saw.
Her father was lying on his back, grunting in pain as he laid in a pool made from his own blood.
"Game, set, and match."
The unknown figure charged a big flash, and before she could process it, Vali heard her father's screams as his silhouette was swallowed by the blinding light.
"Dad!" She screamed.
"Get away from my daughter, you bastard!" Sarah shouted.
She formed magic circles like the one the figure came in from, unleashing various things Vali was too traumatized to focus on.
"Vali, get out of here, now!" Sarah screamed.
"No, I can't leave you!" She refused, shaking her head.
The shadowed figured laughed before throwing out their right hand, and before Sarah could even react, she let out a hoarse shriek as her body suddenly turned gray and broke apart like stone. Almost as if it had rotted away.
Vali's eyes went blank, struggling to process everything.
"Now, it's time for you to come with me." The shadowed figured stated, giving a sinister chuckle as he reached for her.
However, before he could? Something struck him in the face, creating a huge flash that shocked Vali so much, she fainted.
[Insert Song End]
The last thing she heard before blacking out was a man's screams.
After an unknown amount of time passed, Vali felt her senses return, struggling to open her eyes.
"Oh, thank goodness, you're OK!"
Recognizing that voice, Vali managed to open her eyes, seeing Cleria smile at her with tears in her eyes. Once they were fully open, Vali felt Cleria hug her tightly.
"I almost thought you'd never wake up!" Cleria cried with shaky arms.
"C-Cleria? Is... is that really you?" Vali asked, struggling to stand up.
She pulled away from the hug and nodded her head, unable to say anything. It was a few seconds after that when Vali recalled what happened to her parents.
"Please, tell me where my mom and dad are? Tell me that I was just having a bad dream..." She begged.
Cleria went silent after hearing that.
"No, it wasn't a dream... and you were completely sane during all of it. Everything you saw was real." Cleria answered.
Those words made Vali's eyes shake in horror.
"And now it's time that I tell you the truth." She continued, closing her eyes in partial shame.
"Huh?" Vali blinked.
Taking a few steps back, a pair of black wings resembling that of a bat's if they lacked their membranes, like most kid-level drawings of the nocturnal creature, unfolded from her back.
"W-What are those!?" She questioned.
"The truth is... I'm not your cousin, or related to you in any manner. My real name is Cleria Belial, and I'm a Devil." Cleria revealed.
"A... devil?" Vali said in disbelief.
However, the shock quickly faded when she recalled the things that shadowed figure had done, and that Cleria must know why her parents were killed.
"Wait, who broke into my house? Why did they kill my mom and dad? What are my parents, and... what am I?" She asked all at once.
"I don't know who attacked you specifically, other than they were part of a group that was after you, because despite what you've thought all of your life? You and your father aren't Human, or rather... not completely." Cleria explained.
"We aren't? Then what am I? Was that why that person attacked us?" Vali asked, partially in disbelief.
"It was, because the truth is... as of your father's death, you are the only living descendant of Lucifer, the Devil King." Cleria revealed.
Vali's eyes widened at that.
"Then, that means I'm..." She realized, briefly glancing at her back.
"Yes, your true name is Valiana Lucifer, and I was asked to protect your family by orders of his wife, Lilith, because she was unable to bring you into her protection." Cleria confirmed.
"What do you mean?" Vali asked in confusion.
"Because of some trouble back at home, it was deemed safer for your family to live here on Earth, and I was watching over you to make sure you were safe. I was doing my job well the last six years... until the other day." She explained.
Those words made Vali's eyes widen, and Cleria closed hers as she looked away slightly.
"You see, my cousin told me not to stick my nose into something I learned about six years ago, and I did. At first that wasn't a problem by itself, but then I dug too deep and got the attention of the wrong people. In doing so, not only were myself and the man I love put on a hit list, but... I caused your family to be found. Your father had no idea." She confessed.
Hearing that, Vali's mouth opened, and then she felt a strong surge of anger as she realized that Cleria's actions had killed her parents.
"This... the reason for all of this... was because of you?" She said, despite it sounding like a question.
She ran forward and pushed Cleria to the ground, staring at her with complete fury as tears continued to fall from her eyes.
"My father said I could finally stay! But because of you, my parents are gone!"
Cleria's face tightened at that.
"How could you be stupid to-"
"You don't have to tell me! I know that this is all my fault! I lost someone just as precious to me because I stuck my nose where I shouldn't have!" Cleria screamed.
Those words caused Vali to stop, her anger vanishing from her face.
"Before this, I was already swimming in dangerous waters, and my cousin always told me that I was naive and that I should consider everything I do. He made me promise not to look into the very thing that caused all of this to happen, but I didn't listen because I used how we didn't make a pinkie promise as a loophole, and..." She continued.
She covered her eyes, starting to cry.
"And because of that? The man I love gave up his life, just so we could rescue you!" Cleria revealed.
Vali's gasped as she recalled the last thing she heard before blacking out, and covered her mouth.
That masculine scream had been his.
"I'm... I'm sorry." Vali apologized, now regretting her small burst of anger.
She helped Cleria to her feet, who wiped her tears and shook her head.
"No, don't be. This is all my fault." She replied.
Cleria took a deep breath before grabbing Vali's shoulders and looking her in the eyes, making Vali see hers had become completely serious.
"Anyways, you're still in great danger. We have to run away before it's too late! I'm afraid we have no other choice but to leave this town, and more than likely... we can never come back." Cleria revealed.
Vali's eyes widened, realizing that her father's news no longer mattered, and worst of all...
She would be separated from Issei.
"I can only give you enough time to say goodbye to Issei, but don't tell him the truth. We can't risk him knowing and being killed like your parents were." Cleria continued.
Despite how much it hurt, Vali nodded her head as she silently cried, feeling Cleria hug her.
"Please, forgive me for all of this. I'll spend the rest of my life, no matter how long or short, making sure they don't capture you." She apologized.
"I'm scared..." Vali admitted.
"So am I, but no matter what, we'll find a way through this." Cleria promised her.
One last whimper left Vali's throat before she hugged her back.
Issei was in his room, scratching his head before finally slamming it onto his desk as he faced his mortal enemy.
Homework.
"My god! Something, anything... please give me a distraction!" He begged.
"Issei, are you home!?" Vali shouted.
His eyes widened, shocked that wish had actually come true, and opened up his window. Unfortunately, the happy face he expected from Vali... was the one thing he didn't see.
"Issei, can you come down for a moment? I... need to tell you something important." Vali quietly asked.
'Oh boy... that alone raises a red flag.' Issei realized.
It barely took even a minute for Issei to close the window, rush downstairs, and then meet Vali in his front yard. Once he saw her up close, his eyes widened as he saw the clear signs that she had been crying, making him nervous.
"What's wrong?" Issei asked.
For a moment, Vali tried to speak, but struggled to get the words out. Tears fell out of her eyes as they did, and only served to make Issei increasingly worried for every second of silence that followed.
"Issei, I... I have to move away because of my father's job!" She lied.
His eyes widened as he froze up, hearing glass shattering in his head.
[My Hero Academia: Nighteye's Farewell]
Vali saw his body shake, followed by him starting to hyperventilate, and quickly grabbed his shoulders.
"Issei? Issei, are you OK?" She questioned.
He soon blinked as he held his chest, starting to breathe normally again.
"Y-You're moving away? But why!?" He questioned.
Vali sniffled in response, then closed her eyes.
"Believe me, I don't wanna leave... and even my parents tried to stop this, but we couldn't do it. My dad just can't afford to quit his job and find another one here." She replied as the tears began to cascade down her face.
Seeing her tears, it became clear to Issei that nothing could be done, and it was breaking her as much as this news was hurting him.
"I just... had to say goodbye. I don't want to have any regrets." She continued.
He sniffled as he nodded his head, feeling it was the only good news he would get.
"If that's the case? Then take this." Issei begged.
Vali looked at Issei as he reached into his pocket, taking out a pair of necklaces, which were simply black string tied around a metal charm. One was a circle with an outline and a dot in the center, and the other was a crescent moon.
They were the astronomical symbols used for the Sun and Moon, which Issei said represented himself and Vali respectively.
"I... wanted to give you this on Christmas as a symbol of our friendship. However, if you're not going to be here, then... I want you to have it now. That way, no matter how far apart we are or where we end up? The two of us will always be friends, because we share the same sky." Issei said softly.
"Just like the sun and moon." Vali continued, feeling new tears form.
The two of them tightly hugged each other, letting their cries go silent.
Once they broke off their hug, Issei put the moon necklace on her, and Vali gave it a look before giving him one last smile. As a result, there was one thing she had to say before she had to go, before she lost this chance forever.
"Issei, there's something you need to know. When you offered to be my friend, the reason why I was so happy? The reason that I cried? It was because..."
She nearly choked at that moment from her own tears.
"Because you were the first friend I ever had!" She admitted.
His eyes widened at that.
"Before we came to Kuoh Town, my dad's job took him all across Japan, so we never settled down somewhere for long. As a result, I never had anywhere that I could call my home until I came here." Vali continued, feeling more tears cascade down her face.
"Vali..." Issei said, starting to tremble.
He held out his pinkie, with his hand shaking every second he held it out, before looking giving Vali a begging look.
"One last pinkie promise, OK?" He requested.
"Alright, but what kind of promise?" She asked.
"Promise me that, one day, we'll see each other again?" Issei begged.
Those words made her eyes widen.
'We may never see each other again... that's what Cleria told me.' Vali thought.
Despite that, she still held out her pinkie.
"I promise, no matter how long it takes, that one day... I'll see you again." She promised.
Their pinkies locked around each other.
After they let go, she took a few steps back, and then give him one last look.
"Goodbye Issei, and... thank you, for everything!" She sniffled, her voice cracking.
With those words, she ran off before she could completely breakdown in front of Issei. As he watched her leave, and continued to do so until she was completely out of view, Issei's fists tightened before he ran off.
He said nothing as he kept running, barely holding back most of his tears. Eventually, he made it to the forest where he and Vali first met during their Summer Camp, until he found the stump where he first spoke to her.
"Vali..." He said with a shaky voice, taking a deep breath after he did.
On that fateful day, everyone heard Issei release a loud scream of anguish from the forest, and it wouldn't be until the week afterwards that everyone learned what happened.
[Insert Song End]
Because that was the day... he lost his smile.
~ December 25th, 2017: Kuoh Town
Silence filled the building that was once owned by Cleria Belial, only for it to suddenly be broken as the door opened for the first time in 3 years.
The one who opened the door was revealed to be a middle-aged looking man with black hair and peaceful violet eyes, who was wearing an expensive looking suit, and exuded a strong aura of dignity.
Standing at his side was a tall, beautiful young woman with white skin, blue eyes, a buxom figure, and had long, beautiful, thigh-length crimson hair that was considered her most distinctive feature. Said hair also had a single strand sticking out from the top, loose bangs covering her forehead, and side bangs framing her face. She was wearing a white button-down shirt with long sleeves, with a black ribbon on her shirt collar worn under a black shoulder cape and a matching button-down corset, a magenta skirt with white accents, and brown dress shoes over white crew-length socks.
Her outfit was none other than the female uniform for the High School division of Kuoh Academy, which she was set to start attending in April.
"Now that you've been the acting Head of Kuoh Town for half a year, I've decided to give you, as both a reward and my Christmas present to you..." The man replied, looking at the redhead to emphasize the latter part.
In response, the redheaded girl simply rolled her eyes and let out an expected sigh.
"The former base of your predecessor, the old school building, as your own." He finished.
"Well, at the very least, this place looks quite nice despite what the outside implies. Although, won't it seem strange for me to start regularly coming here?" She inquired, after looking around for a moment.
"Not to worry Rias, your father has taken care of that by having the current student Council President make this into a new club, which we've named the Occult Research Club as a safety measure. That way, if someone does come inside at a bad time? You can pass it off as an occult trick or research." The man explained.
"That's actually pretty clever. After all, this building's outside already looks like something related to the occult." Rias replied, assuming that they had noticed that as well.
The man chuckled at that, walking her over to Cleria's old desk.
"Now, see this desk here? While you're free to use it however you like, that left drawer was used a lot by Cleria, so don't open it." He stated.
He winked his left eye at Rias, which made her raise an eye.
"We want to respect her legacy, so you really shouldn't open up that drawer to see what's inside." He continued.
He winked his left eye again, making Rias notice a pattern.
'What are you trying to tell me?' She wondered, unable to figure out what his message was.
"It isn't going to look good if you really dug into the secrets she may have hid there, considering what led to you replacing her in the first place." He finished, chuckling a bit.
This time he winked his right eye, which made Rias' widen.
"Now, if you'll excuse me? I need to go back home and deal with a small situation." The man stated.
He gave Rias a slight bow before disappearing through a magic circle.
Once he was gone, Rias looked left and right to make sure no one was watching her, and then opened up the left drawer, where she found a sealed letter.
"This is..." She gasped.
It was a letter from Cleria, addressed to her potential successor, along with a broken Queen piece.
And that's all, for now.
Right from the start, I've made the tone for this story's beginning a little more bittersweet than before, as Issei and Vali's separation happens because of something beyond her control, rather than her own choice. This helps set up Rias to be more involved than she was during the first arc, as after reading it again, I realized she was kind of just... there for the earlier chapters, where she gets dragged into everything.
This time, her role in the beginning, and her eventual friendship with Issei and Vali, is going to be formed through her own actions. That way, it doesn't feel like she became their friend out of nowhere.
I'm also working to set up a stronger connection to all the events in the story, as while it did exist before, there were a few blind spots and times where I felt thing could have been better built up. This is a big reason behind why Cleria has a bigger role than she did before. As for her relationship with Issei? She was nothing more than his baby sister, so don't look much deeper into that. Another thing is that this time, I'm going to make both Issei and Vali have equal importance to the story, as Vali had unintentionally taken the spotlight at a certain point.
While the initial tone for this first chapter was different, I can assure you it won't stay this way for the whole story. I just felt that starting this way helps give better momentum to everything that will follow in the same way V1's events took a while to go from somewhat depressing to lighter, which I think will help this story's original message show better than before. Sometimes, to get a better look at hope, things need to look hopeless.
Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^