The next morning, the group was subtly hanging around Akira's school, keeping an eye on the local while he was taking part in track and field practice. Thanks to the medicine he had shown the group the previous day, he had returned to his normal appearance, which was almost unrecognizable from the Akira they knew: a scrawny young boy with an average build with brown hair which possessed a small tuft near the back.
"Man, I almost didn't recognize him!" Klonoa said.
"True that, Klonoa. I don't know what drug he was talking about, but whatever it is, it's potent." ZS remarked.
"Hey, hide your phone dude." the group overheard a boy saying to a friend sitting next to him.
"It's fine, our club advisor's in his own world." the other said. "Forget my phone, check out the super high schooler. He's being swarmed about that bizarre murder involving that other track member. It's been all over the news since this morning."
"Track member…do you think they're talking about that Koda guy?" Penny asked.
"I think so. According to Akira, he has been under a lot of emotional distress since then." Mayumi said.
"It must've been someone he was really close to." X said.
"A person has died, you really don't know anything about it?"
"You were teammates since junior high, right?"
"There were rumors that you two went to a controversial party."
"Like a drug party?" the first boy questioned.
"Apparently they were going to a party called Sabbath that has something to do with Satanism." the second informed him.
"If it let me run faster, I'd sign a deal with the devil too. Wasn't the guy who died fast too?" the first asked.
"Sabbath…Akira must have first become Devilman at one of those parties." Double D hypothesized. "We should file that away for later."
The group then heard another sound: the sound of someone sniffing, like they were crying.
"What's going on over there? Can anybody get a closer look?" Kieran asked.
"It's…It's Akira." Phantom said.
And indeed it was. Akira had tears flowing down his face as he cried, an expression of emotion that, to the alliance, looked almost alien to them.
"So…before he became who we knew him as, Akira used to be a quivering crybaby?" Frosta asked.
"Yeah, it looks that way…" Catra said.
"It seems the drug he took not only suppressed his powers, but restored his personality to its prior state." Alphamon said.
"He did say he wanted to make it look like Ryo was in control… I guess that meant literally reverting to his old self, inside and out." Catra said..
"Here's hoping he still has his memories." Mark said. "The last thing we need to do in this situation is fly blind."
"Akira's smarter than that. He wouldn't destroy his memories." Jin said. "He just has to be convincing."
"Like an actor, he has a role to play." Yuri said.
"Yuri's right. Let's just sit back and watch things play out. We just need to wait till the demons start showing up to get involved." Adora said.
Later that day, as the sky turned orange, the group followed Akira from the school, and watched as he got onto a boat that he managed to steer towards a dock.
"Now what's he doing?" Rin asked, as Merrin was watching from the bridge above with a pair of binoculars.
"He's riding a boat towards a dock. I can't tell where he's headed though." Merrin said.
"I can." Carmine said, pointing to a dock where four individuals were standing. "Isn't that the Miki we talked about?"
"Yeah, one of them is definitely her!" Mayumi said.
"Do we know who those other three guys are?" SE asked.
"No, I don't think Akira's told us about them yet." Shirou said, as they saw Akira standing up from the boat next to the dock.
"Oh, I get it!" Pinkie Pie-2 said. "Akira thinks those three guys are messing with Miki, so he's trying to stop them!"
"Oh, our boy must've been following her." Emo nodded.
"Well, I think he picked the wrong plan." Penny said, as they watched the three boys dump some wooden boards onto Akira.
"Wow, rude." Mark said. "Think we should - HUG THE SIDE!"
Mark's warning caused everyone to hug the side of the bridge as a white sports car came barreling past them at speeds that well over exceeded the speed limit.
"How rude!" E. Constance said.
"Jeez, they would've barreled right over us!" Eddy complained. "What kind of screwball does that?!"
The car came to a screeching halt in the street overlooking the pier, a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed in a white coat jumping out of the car and onto the wall. It was a man the group recognized immediately.
"It's him… I know that face anywhere." Adora said.
"So that's the guy you saw in Lyoko, huh?" Ragna asked.
"Yep. No doubt about it. That…is Ryo Asuka." Sachiko said.
"He seems like a normal young man but…I can sense it." Ace said.
"No surprise you can, Ace." Hope said. "You can sense Ryo's demonic side he's hiding."
"Hmm…but it doesn't look like he's even aware of it himself. He must have sealed his memories." Sheer said.
"Yeah, just like Akira said." Kieran said, before they witnessed Ryo pulling out a machine gun. "What the heck?!"
The group then witnessed Akira running up to Ryo, as the blonde haired man took hold of him, fired a few warning shots into the dock to keep the three boys from following, ushered him into his car, and drove off.
"So… Follow them?" Merrin asked.
"Follow them." Sachiko said.
The group there quickly got into a car of their own and followed them without getting too close.
"Geez, they sure are going a long way. Where are they even going?" Hope said.
"No idea. Probably to one of those Sabbath parties." Carmine said. "Rich kids do crazy stuff like that always."
After traveling until nightfall, Ryo and Akira finally came to a stop in front of a run-down church. The group watched as the two headed inside.
"Something tells me…we have to go in there." Mark said, looking none too pleased at the idea.
"Right. Just remember guys…say no to drugs." Hope said.
"What is this? A PSA from the 80s?" Eddy said as they headed inside.
In the church, it was just as Carmine had deduced. A party was being hosted, which Akira and Ryo were attending. The party was wild, with people indulging in copious amounts of drugs, alcohol, and sex.
"Called it." Carmine said.
"Uh… is it safe for us to be here?" Penny asked.
"...Nope." Mark said, spinning on his feet and beginning to walk back out the door, only for Bardock to grab him by his shirt collar. "Nu-uh, no way! I am not doing this!"
"You promised J-Hack." Bardock said.
"...Gosh dammit…" Mark groaned as he stopped resisting, the group staying close to the wall to avoid the crowd.
"Why would Ryo take Akira to this place?" Frosta asked.
"Places where sins are often committed are often a breeding and feeding ground for demons." Sheer said. "And this party has all 7 sins in play."
Sheer was right. The group could definitely see all 7 of the Deadly sins in play at this time during the party. The Lusting for pleasure, be it drugs or copulation. Greed overtaking minds as the partygoers desired more of everything, indulging in gluttony of alcohol and drugs. Sloth, in the fact that no one wanted to do anything else but the activities in front of them, and some people envious of attention others were getting. And of course, the feeling of Pride all in attendance felt, of doing what they wanted without fear of getting caught. To demons, this was like an all you can eat buffet.
"So do you think Demons will show up here tonight? Maybe this is the day Akira actually got his powers." Bow said.
"Oh without a doubt. No demon would be able to resist any of this." Sheer said. "Though…it is missing a bit of a touch." Sheer said before they suddenly heard screaming as they saw Ryo cutting into a few of the partiers. "Right…demons like the smell of blood too."
"Kinda glad Bloodless isn't here right now." Al said.
Just then, they saw Akira running into the crowd and restraining Ryo. "Stop it Ryo, don't do this, you can't!"
"They're all scum anyway, there's no need to be sad!" Ryo countered, waving around a broken bottle.
"You're the one who's scum!" a partygoer said as he hit Ryo in the face with a stick, drawing blood. Several other angry partiers then separated him from Akira, beating on the both of them.
"Okay, that's it! I've had enough!" Mark decided, standing up. "A fight, I can handle!"
"Somebody play Free Bird, because it's go time!" DW typed.
"Wait, we can't get involved until Akira says so!" Glimmer said.
"Uh…is that before or after we get eaten? Look!" Carmine said as one of the topless girls was morphing and changing.
"She's possessed! A demon's got her!" Frosta said.
"Then I guess it's showtime!" Simon said, showing half of his masquerade form with Alighieri.
The girl continued to transform into a rabid demon as the partygoers were still focused on Ryo and Akira.
"We have to get these people out of here." Mark said, no longer shaking. "Simon, you're on crowd control. If it looks like a demon, go crazy."
"Done." Simon said.
"Can we even get the exits secure?!" Eddy said, as more and more people began to turn into demons.
"It's taken care of." Kieran said as his Poliwrath and Politoad were guiding out anyone who hadn't turned.
"Alright. Let's go!" Mark said as the Alliance jumped into action.
(Cue: Grynoth- Granblue Fantasy Versus)
The demons quickly noticed the heroes jumping into action as they started attacking them.
Gemini slid into the fray and drew her Nichirin blade, Blazing Stallion, and used her Mifune Style of Flame Breathing technique, Wild Bronco, to cut down a few demons in rapid succession.
"Gemini, is that Flame Breathing you're using? I do not quite recognize the technique." Nedris said before using Holy on another group.
"It's a new spin on the style I came up with myself." Gemini said, slashing through some more demons. "Usin' the same moves as the Rengokus just wasn't workin' for me, so I adapted my way of fighting into a new style."
"Truly remarkable." Nedris said. "The time for the final confrontation with Muzan grows ever closer. Perhaps it will soon be time for me to take up arms of my own Nichirin blade once again." she said before using Hissatsu: Guren, by launching waves of solid energy through more demons before sheathing her blade as the demons were sliced in half.
"Yes, do it, Amon! Possess Akira!" Ryo said as he was recording the whole thing. "Huh? And just…who are those people?"
This new development led to Ryo getting his camera knocked out of his hands as it slid across the floor. That was the least of his problems, however, as a horde of demons closed in on his position.
"Crap. He's about to get chewed on." Kieran said.
In response, Ryo pulled out his machine gun and started blasting away at the demons. At first, it seemed like he would be alright, until a giant bird-like demon swooped down towards him. Though Ryo managed to kill it, its body fell down on top of him, causing him to lose his gun.
"Ryo!" Akira yelled as he ran towards his fallen (former) friend, a demon hot on his heels, eager to devour him.
"He's not gonna make it!" Carmine realized.
"(Could this be it?)" Mark wondered, even as he raced over to intercept the demon. "(Akira…you better be right about this.)"
(Cue Song Change: D.V.M.N - Devilman: Crybaby)
Just as the demon was within reach, it found itself stopped by Akira who underwent a drastic physical change before ripping it apart and began slaughtering any other demons nearby.
"So this was the moment in time Akira first became Devilman." Sakura said, slashing another demon.
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" ZS said. "We're in a church…so let's get to the exorcism!"
With Akira having regained his Devilman powers, the group's battle against the demons lasted only a few minutes longer. Soon, all of the demons were dead, the room stained with their blood.
"Is everybody okay?" David asked.
"Physically? Yes. Mentally?" Penny said, as she shook at the sight of the carnage. "Is it…always like this with you guys, big bro?"
"No, it's not normally this bloody." Mark said, shaking his head. "I'm…sorry you had to see that."
"I-It's fine." Penny said, forcefully steeling herself. "I'm okay…Just give me a bit."
"Akira…?" Midoriya said as the group turning to Devilman, who stood in the center of the room.
"(I've done it. I've turned Akira into a devil.)" Ryo thought as Akira looked back at them all with a chilling smile. "(And…I may have just created the most powerful, ruthless, and brutal devil in this world.)"
"He's…gonna be okay, right?" Penny asked, worried a bit for Akira, who re-experienced his first transformation.
"(I had forgotten this feeling. From that first night…)" Akira thought. "(It's…terrifying.)" he shuddered internally, even as his smile held.
Akira had stepped back onto the path he had walked many times before. It would only be a matter of time until he knew if he could reach a new conclusion…or fall into the same routine he had many times before…