"Sometimes it's more about the journey than the destination." – Jamal Crawford
Besides her foot tapping the ground and the occasional students walking by the clubroom, Rias ignored the noise and remained focused on the paper in her hand. Her blue-green eyes went line-by-line as she read the message repeatedly, trying to understand where it all went wrong. However, the crimson-haired girl's calm exterior hid the rage building up inside.
She put the paper down after reading the message for the fifth time.
"They can't be serious," Rias quietly stated, doing everything possible to restrain herself. "That's not what was agreed upon between our families."
"I'm afraid Lord Phenex's third son has been growing rather impatient." The other person in the makeshift club room – a woman with silver hair, red eyes, and a French maid outfit – remained stoic as she answered despite her red eyes flickering with a hint of sympathy. "He's putting pressure on your father to speed up the arrangement, claiming it was of the utmost importance for houses such as yours to unite. Not only in marriage but through blood."
Rias bit the inside of her cheek as she heard the maid's words. Her blue-green eyes briefly lit up with a crimson glow, angry at the situation she's been forced into.
"But I was promised the marriage wouldn't happen until I finished university," Rias reminded her. A scowl appeared as she demanded, "What changed, Grayfia?"
The silver-haired woman didn't immediately answer the question. However, after a few seconds of silence between them, Grayfia dropped her mask of stoicism for the moment, acting more like the older sister-in-law she was.
"Humanity," Grayfia stated bluntly. "Riser argues we as a species should be extremely concerned about the rapid development of these quirks. He's highlighted individuals such as this nation's number-one hero as examples of how far humanity has come in two centuries. It's one thing for humans to develop a useless ability such as glowing in the dark. However, All Might and Endeavor are prime examples of where this species is going. It won't be long until someone more powerful than either of them comes along in the world. Unfortunately, to your family's chagrin, Riser's words have reached…receptive ears in the Underworld."
"You mean bottom feeders," Rias remarked harshly.
Grayfia's eyes hardened.
"Mind your tongue," She told Rias calmly. "We may be family but I am still your brother's queen. The families he's spoken to are not to be disrespected, young lady. Do keep this in mind."
However, Rias remained steadfast despite such a rebuke from her sister-in-law.
"Then what am I supposed to do?" Rias retorted, narrowing her eyes at Grayfia. She then picked up her father's message and promptly used her destructive magic to turn it into ash. "I refuse to accept my fate, Grayfia. I was already against this marriage arrangement from the beginning, but this sealed it for me: no more."
"Rias." The silver-haired maid rarely used the girl's name. Today, however, was proving to be an exception to the rule. "I won't pretend to understand your feelings, but I do have to be honest and remind you of your duty as the heiress to the Gremory family. You're expected to take a husband and produce an heir."
"Yet I am being deprived of the opportunity to take a husband. One of my choosing, and I refuse to accept that pig as my husband."
Grayfia's red eyes stared directly into hers.
"Is that so?" The maid asked with a neutral expression.
"Yes."
In the back of her mind, Rias was already concerned about the fallout of refusing to accept these changes to the marriage arrangement and the impact it would have on her family. 'But I will not allow my life to be dictated by scheming rats and a disgusting pig,' Rias thought, her hatred for Riser growing to levels she thought were impossible.
While a million different thoughts were running through the young devil's mind, the maid, on the other hand, let out something resembling a chuckle. A noise that caused the hairs on the back of Rias' neck to stand up. Subconsciously, the girl felt an inkling of fear when she saw the smile on Grayfia's face.
"Your brother suspected you weren't going to accept these new terms," The maid revealed. "It's why he pitched the idea to your father to let you fight for your freedom."
Rias realized exactly what those words meant.
"A rating game," She grimaced as she discussed the topic.
"I know it's a less-than-ideal solution," Grayfia said sympathetically. "The only saving grace is Riser offered to let you fill out more of your peerage and prepare them for your match."
"How long do I have?"
"Two years is the most he's willing to wait."
When she heard the amount of time offered to her, a tide of fear and anxiousness slammed her body. 'There's…There's no way I can do both simultaneously.' Rias thought about her group and came to the sickening conclusion she was nowhere near strong enough to take down Riser and his peerage. A fact that disgusted her. 'But I can't be stupid about this.'
"Are there any other stipulations?" The redhead inquired, needing to know everything about this match. "Did he ever give an exact date or…?"
"No," Grayfia said. "Riser was quite generous regarding his terms. Even he stated it wouldn't be much of a match to fight you in your current state. After all, you've yet to expand your group since taking in Shirone, have you?"
Rias gritted her teeth and admitted, "I haven't."
"None of us won't deny the immense potential of your respective pieces, but their potential has to be realized for you to have a chance," The maid remarked bluntly. "That said, quantity is considered a quality all on its own for a reason. Your queen alone could wipe out most of his peerage…if she used her other heritage. The same can be said for your rook."
"And I'm not going to force them to use those sides of them." Rias hated the way Grayfia talked about her peerage members. She narrowed her eyes at the woman. "They're not tools to me. They're family."
Grayfia sighed, "I'm well aware of your family's mantra. However, even your brother knows your only real chance is to either unlock the full potential of your current peerage or add enough pieces to endure a lengthy match with Riser."
"But…"
"I know," Grayfia said, cutting Rias off. "Yasaka's been explicit regarding the behavior of kings on her territory. However, it's a problem you'll need to resolve."
The room became eerily quiet once she finished speaking. Grayfia understood the obstacles in the girl's way from recruiting to still learning how to use her mother's powerful magic. All of which were meant to discourage her from lashing out against the arrangement. 'Or that's what Riser and his family think,' The maid thought, secretly hoping Rias would find a way out of this situation.
Then, the girl finally responded.
"It won't be a problem for me," Rias stated confidently, standing up from her chair—a defiant glint in her eyes. "None of this will stop me from beating Riser. If this is required of me to win my freedom, I'll do it. I'll fight him…and win."
Rias saw the stone-like expression on Grayfia's face.
"Hmm." The noise from the silver-haired maid caught Rias by surprise. "If that is your wish, I assume you'll have no problem with me informing your family of your decision."
"Of course."
A slight smile graced the older woman's face, "Your brother will be pleased to hear your answer."
The crimson-haired girl watched her sister-in-law step back from the desk—a bright gray magic circle formed underneath Grayfia's feet a second later. Then, the circle rose from the ground and Grayfia disappeared from the room, leaving Rias alone with her thoughts.
'What am I supposed to do?'
Fighting Riser would easily be the most challenging feat she's ever done. The man's heritage was considered special even among the remaining pure-blooded families in the Underworld.
Rias stepped away from her desk and walked over to the window. Her blue-green eyes took note of the many students walking home with light snow coming down on them. 'Yet none of them have even a shred of potential in them,' Rias thought, doing her best to recall anyone in the school with any magic aptitude or possessing some sort of sacred gear. 'And that's not even getting into their quirks.'
Many of the humans attending this school had quirks she considered too strange to be of any real use or plain weak compared to her servants.
'But these humans still want to become heroes despite these weak quirks.'
As she continued to observe the students out on the field, the crimson-haired girl felt something land on her shoulder. Rias saw a small bat-like creature and smiled at it.
"Oh?" She said to her familiar. "You're back already."
The creature made a series of noises akin to squeaks. To any human, it would be impossible to understand. Rias, however, perfectly understood it.
"Good." Rias nodded, pleased to hear her familiar finish with its work. She reached out and patted it on the head. "I thank you for your hard work."
The creature let out another series of squeaks before disappearing into a puff of white smoke. Rias was about to return to her apartment when she felt a surge of magic somewhere in the city.
She raised a brow at the sensation, but it didn't take long to figure out the cause of it.
'Who would've thought people did things the old-fashioned way in this land.'
A smirk appeared on Rias' face. The girl raised her hand and snapped her fingers. A moment later, a crimson magical circle formed beneath her feet. Even her blue-green eyes glowed with an eerie red color to them. She soon disappeared from the classroom, deciding to investigate the source of this for herself.
A decision she'll come to look back on with fondness, realizing how much her life changed following this night.
(X)
"I hope this works."
Izuku looked at the strange pentagram he created on the floor of his bedroom with a healthy dosage of anxiety. His foot tapped the ground as he waited for anything to happen. He knew this idea was probably a waste of time but he had to try everything and anything.
After several minutes, nothing happened as the candles continued burning like normal.
Reaching the end of his patience, the boy concluded this little ritual was nothing more than some kind of joke. 'Oh, who am I kidding? Summoning a demon? That's just crazy.' Izuku shook his head, realizing how dumb it was of him to think this was a way to make his dream come true.
Izuku got up from the ground and walked over to the pentagram in the middle of his room. As he was about to start cleaning up the mess he made, something happened in the corner of his eye.
It happened momentarily but he saw a few candles flicker.
He furrowed his brows. Izuku leaned back slightly and looked over at his window. It was closed.
"That's…weird," He muttered.
However, the second those words left his mouth, something extraordinary happened to the pentagram. A crimson light came directly from it, bathing his room in the color. Izuku scampered away from the pentagram as his eyes refused to look away in the event of…
"D-Demon."
Izuku thought the ritual he came across in that book was just fictional.
His mind was already conjuring images of a horrific creature with horns, wings, and a tail. The book was rather…detailed in the description of demons, leading to a few nightmares since he got it a week ago. But the first thing Izuku saw rise from the pentagram wasn't a terrifying denizen of the Underworld. No, it was a rather pretty girl close to him in age with long, wild crimson hair and a set of captivating blue-green eyes.
Those same beautiful blue-green eyes took a glance around his room before they landed on him. Immediately, Izuku felt his heart rate skyrocket.
The girl didn't say anything initially, but he saw the gears of her mind working. Then it finally happened, she spoke.
"You're…cuter than I expected," She said while flashing him a smile and tilting her head to the side.
"U-Uh?"
The crimson-haired girl giggled at his dumbfounded expression.
"Let me guess; you expected me to be a hideous creature with wings, tails, and maybe even leathery red skin?" The girl asked humorously. When he blushed in embarrassment, the girl let out a sigh. "I hope humans learn to update their books on us. Honestly, we've never really looked like that."
Izuku's eyes widened, "W-Wait? Are…Are you a…?"
The girl smirked at him, "A demon? Well, the correct term for my kind is devil but it doesn't matter does it?"
"D-D-Devil…"
A million different thoughts ran through his mind when he heard her answer. Izuku wanted to believe she was playing tricks on him. There's no way devils, demons, or whatever are real, right?
"Oh my," The girl said out loud as if she sensed what he was thinking. "Are you new to this?"
"New?"
She nodded, "Yes, usually people who can perform a summoning ritual on their own tend to be aware of our existence but I don't think that's the case with you, is it?"
"I…I'm, um, just following w-what the book said."
The girl tilted her head, "Book?"
Izuku pointed to the item in question on his bed. While his mind was still trying to wrap around the idea of this pretty girl being an actual devil or demon, said girl walked over to his bed and picked up the book he bought.
For the next few minutes, she examined it.
"Um…"
"Where did you get this from?" She asked suddenly, looking at him with her brows furrowed.
"A store near my school," Izuku replied. "I, uh, tried going back to get some answers from the woman who ran it but it, um, it wasn't there anymore."
"Hmm." The crimson-haired girl appeared to be in thought. She asked, "Do you recall what this woman looked like by any chance?"
"Uh, well, she…" Izuku furrowed his brows as he struggled to remember. When he tried to think of the woman, his mind recalled no details. He saw the girl waiting for an answer but Izuku didn't have one for her. "I…I can't remember."
"I see."
The girl said nothing more as she continued to examine the book for the next few minutes until Izuku's mind finally realized the situation. His eyes widened after seeing the All Might poster on his wall. 'T-There's a…a real girl in my room.' He began panicking when everything clicked in his mind. 'Oh my God! I have a girl in my room!'
Izuku remembered one enormous detail about his room. Nearly every inch of it was covered in All Might memorabilia. Posters, shelves with action figures, and even the sheets of his bed had the man's face on it.
Unfortunately, Izuku didn't get a chance to prevent the inevitable from happening.
The girl merely raised her head and found herself directly facing a poster of All Might. At first, Izuku saw her raise a brow before she glanced around the room, taking note of his collection. The girl quietly giggled and asked, "Big fan?"
"Um…"
Izuku started playing with his fingers as he looked down at the ground in shame. In the back of his mind, he could hear the sounds of kids laughing at him. Izuku expected the same with this girl–even if she was a devil or something.
"What's your name?"
When he heard the question, Izuku lifted his head.
"Huh?" He asked.
The girl soon sat on his bed and placed the book to the side. She crossed her legs together. A moment that caused him to blush when he realized the girl wore a rather short skirt. But she soon grabbed his attention by introducing herself.
"My name is Rias Gremory."
"I-Izuku Midoriya," He quietly muttered back.
She nodded at him with another heartwarming smile, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Izuku."
His embarrassment reached another level when he heard the girl refer to him by his first name. It also doesn't help that she's easily the prettiest girl he's ever seen.
"Nice…Nice to meet you too."
"No need to be nervous," Gremory told him kindly. "I'm not here to steal your soul or anything. We don't do that these days. So what exactly is a cutie like you needing to summon a devil of all things tonight?"
Ignoring the part about him being a cutie and the part about stealing his soul, Izuku still didn't know if this girl was pulling on his leg about being a devil or if this was genuinely real. 'She doesn't sound like she's lying,' He thought.
But did it matter either way?
He took a deep breath before revealing the reason why he tried out a ritual to summon a devil of all things.
"I…I want to become a hero."
When those words left his mouth, Izuku closed his eyes as he waited for the girl to say something. However, she said nothing to him. After a few moments, Izuku cracked open an eye and saw the curiosity on her face.
"Why is that?"
Izuku had grown used to kids laughing at his dream after learning he was quirkless. Others ridiculed him, calling him an idiot for thinking a twerp like him can become a hero without some sort of quirk.
This girl, however, didn't laugh in his face. Instead, she kept a neutral expression and asked him a question, which left Izuku in a daze.
"You…You wanna know why?"
She nodded, "Of course, it's only fair for me to hear you out. After all, you went to all the trouble of summoning me tonight."
"R-Right," Izuku stammered out. He cursed himself for not being able to stay calm in this situation. Quickly, Izuku tried to get his wits together. "Well, I…all I want to do is smile at someone and make them feel like everything's okay. To know they're safe from whatever it is they're facing. That's…That's why I want to become a hero…like All Might."
At the very end, Izuku managed to gain the courage to look up at the redhead. His green eyes filled with a rare sense of determination, which didn't go unnoticed by the girl. A beautiful smile graced her features.
But it didn't reach her eyes.
"It sounds like a wonderful dream," She commented. Unfortunately, the smile on her face quickly fell. A frown replaced it. "That said, I can't give you a new quirk. That's not within my powers."
Izuku's eyes widened, "H-How…?"
"You aren't the first person to summon a devil with the hope of receiving a stronger quirk and I'm sure you won't be the last either." Her words cut through him like a hot knife through butter. The girl wasn't finished as she kept speaking, "I'm sure my words are disappointing to hear, but I'd rather not lead you with false hope. I'm sorry."
"No," Izuku quickly said, waving his hands. "There's no need for you to apologize. I…I always figured this would be a long shot. I think I should be the one to apologize."
The girl tilted her head in confusion, "What for?"
"For wasting your time," Izuku stated.
She smiled at him, "No need for you to apologize. In fact, I'm a little grateful for you summoning me on this particular night."
"R-Really?"
"I was…dealing with a rather troublesome issue. So this was a nice little distraction to get my mind off it." Izuku didn't miss the hint of sadness behind her words. When he saw her blue-green eyes stare directly into his emerald ones, he was more convinced something was wrong with her. "However, I believe this is where we should depart."
The girl got up from his bed, grabbing the book he bought from the store. "I'm also going to take this with me. After tonight, I'm afraid you won't need this anymore," She stated. "And it's more trouble than it's worth if you ask me."
He watched her walk past him and headed for the pentagram he created on the floor. As he sat on his knees, Izuku heard a nagging voice speak up, telling him to get up and help this girl. There was something wrong.
"Wait!"
Izuku shot off the ground. He turned to face the girl, where he saw her backside.
She stopped before looking over her shoulder at him with those same captivating blue-green eyes, asking, "Yes?"
Opening his mouth, Izuku wanted to say what was on his mind. However, the words struggled to form. His mind was doing everything possible to say why this was a bad idea. Then, among the white noise, Izuku remembered his idol.
'What would All Might do in my position?'
The answer was rather simple.
He gathered the courage necessary before making direct eye contact with the girl. His words soon followed as he tried his best to sound as confident as possible.
"I-I can tell something is bothering you," Izuku remarked loudly, keeping his eyes open despite a growing desire to close them in fear of the girl becoming angry with him.
At first, the girl appeared to be confused by his statement. She seemed prepared to dismiss his concerns but she stared at him for what felt like an eternity.
"I…" The girl started speaking but she cut herself short. She then looked at the book before continuing, "I appreciate the concern you're showing, Izuku. I do, but it's nothing for you to worry about."
"That's where you're wrong."
His answer was swift, and Izuku knew a lie when he saw one. He took a deep breath and decided to live up to the ideals of a man like All Might.
"And I don't like seeing good people being sad," He said firmly.
The girl seemed to need more preparation for his answer. She then furrowed her brows.
"But I'm a devil," She replied. "Besides, we just met, Izuku."
He shook his head, "That doesn't matter. A real hero doesn't need permission to do the right thing. I…I can tell whatever is bothering you, is making you sad."
A melancholy smile formed on her face, "I guess…you're not entirely wrong, but may I ask you a question."
"What is it?"
"What do you get out of this?" She asked.
"…Huh?"
The girl looked down at the ground as she held the book against her chest. "I can't make your wish come true and give you a better quirk. I also can tell you're new to this side of the world so you don't know who I am. With all that said, what do you get out of this?" Her words were meant to dissuade the boy from further prying, but they had the opposite impact.
"None of that matters," He retorted, rather angrily. It forced the girl to snap out of her thoughts. "I want to become a hero to help people. I-I don't care if you can't give me a quirk, Ms. Gremory. I've gone my entire life without one. Even if you could give me one, I would be disgusted with myself If I tried to use your situation to my advantage."
Heroes are supposed to be selfless. They're supposed to help those in need, regardless of who they are.
"I'm sorry."
Her sudden apology left him speechless.
"W-What?"
"I…misjudged your intentions. I assumed you were only interested in getting me to give you a quirk or a reward. For that, I'm sorry," She told him.
Izuku waved his hands, "No, that's okay. I, uh, guess I was being a little pushy."
"It's alright. I'm just not used to people being so…" Her voice trailed off momentarily. She then smiled at him, "Open about wanting to help me. So I want to ask you one thing; are you sure about this?"
Izuku nodded seriously, "I am."
"Good," She whispered sadly. "It's not a very pretty story."
When they sat on his bed, Izuku's attention was entirely on the girl. He may have been on the fence about whether this girl was a devil, but the story she told him made his blood boil at several points.
It didn't take being a pro-hero to understand that it was wrong to force this girl to marry someone she not only despised but who would never respect her. The boy only needed to think about his parents and see their love for each other. The final straw however was the sight of tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. She must've noticed him looking as she quickly wiped them away.
"Sorry, I probably had something in my eye," She said, downplaying her tears.
Izuku saw right through it. After all, he's had to put up a mask for years in the face of many people who've doubted his dreams of becoming a hero. 'Except her.' Izuku's brain briefly conjured up the image of a little girl with somewhat long blue hair and blue eyes, smiling at him when she said he would make an awesome hero.
He looked at the crimson-haired girl sitting next to him on his bed. All he could do was ask the big question on his mind.
"How can I help?"
The girl seemed startled by the question.
"Help?" She said, parroting the word. Her eyes widened, "Oh, Izuku, I-I don't want you to get involved. I…I was just…taking this chance to vent."
"But I want to."
"Izuku." The girl placed a hand on his shoulder. "I appreciate not only your offer but your willingness to hear me out, but this is not something for you to get involved with."
He pursed his lips, "Is it because I'm a human?"
While she didn't answer immediately, the silence from the girl was more than enough to satisfy the question. Izuku looked back at the girl.
"If I was a devil, would I be able to help you?" He asked quietly.
She sighed, "There's no need for you to throw away your humanity, Izuku. I didn't answer this summoning ritual to make you a devil. Besides, I don't think you should make such a big decision without thinking it through."
"Could I still become a hero even if you turn me into a devil?"
"It's not impossible…"
Izuku caught her off, "Then I'm willing to become one if it means I can help you."
"But you should know we devils live longer than the average human," She informed him. "It would mean outliving your friends and loved ones if they're human. Are you okay with seeing that?"
"I'm okay with that." He saw the way her eyes widened after giving his answer. Izuku closed his eyes as he remembered the day when the doctor told him he'd never develop a quirk. He closed one hand into a fist. "A part of me always knew hero work was dangerous. I've read plenty of stories about heroes who died while out in the field. If I'm able to make peace with that, I…I can maybe stomach the idea of watching the people I know and love grow old as long as I know they're safe."
"You're…" The girl stared at him, searching for any signs of lying. He saw the way she raised her eyebrows, which was followed up with a simple statement. "You're serious."
Izuku nodded.
The girl placed a hand underneath her chin as she muttered something. While he couldn't hear what she was saying, Izuku saw the girl glance at him several times. After an eternity, she responded.
"Why?"
It was a fair question. They didn't know each other, but Izuku knew why he was so willing to help. A real hero doesn't stand on the sidelines and watch a wretched tragedy unfold before their eyes.
"I want to help," He said as if it explained everything.
She smiled guiltily at him, "We're strangers, you know? Are you willing to throw away your humanity for a stranger?"
"I am."
He watched her raise a hand and create a glowing circle in the center of her palm. His eyes saw the strange design with all the symbols embedded in it. Then, suddenly, an object rose from it. Izuku was left confused by the object. He looked at the girl with confusion.
"A rook?"
The girl twirled the crimson chest piece between her fingers and nodded, "A special type of rook. It's how we turn willing humans like you into devils."
Izuku tilted his head at the piece in her hand before looking at her face, "Really?"
"Yes."
When he saw the girl nod, Izuku looked back down at the rook. He certainly wondered why a chest piece could turn humans into devils but maybe some things were meant to be taken at face value. Izuku's curiosity must've been noticeable as the girl spoke up.
"It's a system devils created as a way to…" She paused momentarily as if finding the right words to say. "Bulk up our numbers in light of events at the time of its inception. Evil pieces–as they're called them, allow devils like myself to find talented individuals who could be a boon for their king and bring them into their household."
Izuku realized what she meant by those words. His lips formed a straight line.
"I'll become your servant," He stated with finality.
"You would."
That revelation left Izuku somewhat torn but looking at the rook piece in her hand, his mind was already made up. He looked at her with his emerald green eyes, full of determination.
"I'll do it."
"Even knowing you'll become a member of my household?" She asked once more.
"Yes."
"If that is your wish, I will grant it." The girl stood up from his bed. She turned to face him, "Can you stand for me?"
"O-Oh, sure."
Izuku quickly stood up, taking note of the height difference between them.
As for the girl, she closed her blue-green eyes and began speaking softly. It was hard for Izuku to make out her words. If he had to guess, it was probably a chant. One that went on for a few moments until her eyes opened, revealing those same captivating eyes. However, there was an eerie crimson glow to them and a crimson circle of light formed underneath their feet.
Izuku's eyes widened at the sight. A part of his brain was telling him to flee. However, despite their glowing nature, Izuku was focused on her eyes, which he found alluring. A second later, the girl stepped forward and placed the rook piece against his chest. What it did next left him stunned.
It created a small rift in his chest before entering him.
"W-What?"
When the light died down and the glowing circle underneath their feet vanished, Izuku was in disbelief at what happened to him. He looked at the girl, hoping for an answer.
Except, she leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.
His cheeks became atomic red at the unexpected act of affection from the pretty girl, leaving him stuttering and struggling to think in the moment.
The girl must've found it amusing as she giggled at him, "I was right. You're cute when you're embarrassed."
Said embarrassment, however, didn't last for long as he suddenly felt sleepy. Izuku found it difficult to stay awake. He tried to ask what was happening but she shook her head.
"We can talk tomorrow, Izuku Midoriya."
The next thing he knew…
He had fallen asleep.