Devilman: The Rebirth

by Nanto99

Akira had lost everything: his friends, his home, the love of his life and at the end his own life. But what happens when fate decides to give him a second chance at life? Now, reborn in a similar yet completely different world, watch as Akira meets new friends, old enemies from the past and discovers his new place in this world. Watch the rebirth of Devilman.

23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: The Die Is Cast

One hundred miles from the city of Tokyo, in a forest of the countryside, beneath the cloudy night sky, stood a gigantic U-shaped mansion, with a four stories tall tower on his left wing and a courtyard in front of its entrance, surrounded by a concrete wall, except for the front gate of the courtyard, which faced directly in front of the entrance of the mansion's two store tall Entrance Hall.

This was in fact the new hideout of Satoru and his henchmen, chosen due to how hidden it was from the rest of civilization. What really was poetic irony was the fact that the mansion was in fact a front for a hidden facility used by the Human Alliance in its research on the evolution and biology of the Devil-Beasts. And contrary, to what the Human Alliance was formed for, it housed a corridor in the lower basement of the facility full of cages, used to imprison Beasts, both those who had retained their humanity and those who had not, which would be later experimented on. Now those cages were being used to imprison several beasts who had been offered to join the Crusaders's cause but who had refused. As a result they would be given the choice: join them or die from starvation.

In the mansion's main office hall Satoru could be seen discussing his plans with Lilith's lord, Atun, while the Crusader of Ice, Izumi, stood in front of the window, staring outside.

(OST: "Observation From The Goddess = Devil Lady Soundtrack = /hollowuo/devilman-lady-ost-kamigami-no )

"I hope this place appealed to your liking, Mister Set. Or should i say… Atun?" Asked Satoru, sitting on a lounge chair with his arms on the chair's arms.

The Demon Hero, sitting in front of him with one leg on top of the other and his hands clasped in front, simply narrowed his human form's blue eyes on the young beast in front of him, smug smile on his lips before replying "Mmph. I guess there is no more need to hide my true identity from you." in an equally smug, confident tone "And i must admit it: it is always fascinating to see humans building such large constructions, driven by their arrogant desire to always build larger and more grandiose edifices. What really is ironic is how even the most complex and most durable of constructions, which can take them years or even decades to build can be so easily destroyed in the span of mere minutes or seconds. Amusing isn't it? How the fragile and insignificant nature of those weak creatures is reflected in everything they build. Truly their arrogance and hubris knows no bounds."

Satoru merely chuckled darkly in response to the demon's mockery of humanity's hubris before replying "Then i guess you'll agree with me on why they need to be eradicated. Their very existence is an insult to nature itself. Think about it, Atun: animals have no malice, they are merely guided by their own instincts to survive, to preserve their lineage. That is what allowed life to evolve for bilions of years on this world. Every animal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding enviroment, but humans do not. Instead they have multiplied, multiplied until every single resource they could get their filthy hands on was consumed. And the only way for them to survive is to spread to another area and repeat the process. Do you know what other organism on this world follows the same pattern? A virus, Human beings are nothing more than a disease, parasites who have refused to evolve and who have desecrated and polluted this once beautiful world."

Atun listened stoically as Satoru eloquently elaborated on his view of humanity, making no effort whatsoever to hide away his utter contempt for them in spite of maintining that trademark sinister smile of his. A smile returned on his lips before he asked "And let me guess: You are the cure to this so called "disease"?"

The one who replied to him this time was the beautiful Izumi who came at his side, hands in her white coat's pockets and answered "Indeed. When a forest grows too wild a purging fire is inevitable and natural. And from the ashes of humanity, our kind will finally take what is rightfully theirs." her voice as cold and emotionless as always.

Satoru then declared "You see that is what natural selection does: it leaves the survivors stronger and more intelligent. By removing themselves from natural selection humans have stopped to evolve. But now the world will change again and thus evolution will take its course once again. And this time they won't escape this winnowing." at the same time a bolt of lighting struck outside several miles away, illuminating for a moment the outside view.

Atun then got up and walked towards the window of the room while smugly replying "Those are indeed some valid observations. And you are right, humans are indeed weak and fragile creatures who have stopped to evolve, constantly deluding themselves of their own superiority as they scurry around in their short, pointless lives."

A satisfied smile formed on Satoru and Izumi's lips at Atun's speech, delighted to know that he shared their same outlook on humanity. However their smile died down the moment Atun, still looking outside through the window, declared "But you are missing one very important detail."

The young beast, interested by Atun's reply asked "Is that so? Then please, enlighten me."

Indulging the leader of the Crusaders's interest Atun asked "Why do you think humans have been able to exist for so long, gradually escaping the course of evolution?" earning a perplexed look on Izumi's face while Satoru's interest grew even more.

Izumi then replied, assured in her belief "Simple. Because their intelligence allowed them to put aside their differences and join forces in order to conquer this world and establish their dominance over all other lifeforms."

Turning towards them and narrowing his blue eyes to the Crusader of Ice's brown eyes, Atun bluntly declared: "Wrong. Because they have learned to adapt. They wanted to conquer the sea, so they created ships. They wanted to conquer the air, so they created aircraft. And that, my friend, is the true potential of humanity. For it is not the strongest nor the most intelligent species that survives but the one that can adapt the most to change. It does not matter how strong and intelligent you are, the world around you always changes. And nothing lasts forever." he then turned towards Satoru before concluding "Not even the kingdom you are trying to create will."

Izumi merely remained emotionless, as cold as ice at Atun's speech, but deep down she hated to be lectured by the Demon Hero. Who did he think he was in belittling their sacred crusade?

And so, she replied coldly, her disliking of Atun growing even more "Ironic for you to say that, given how your kind brought its end upon itself, just like humanity did in your original world." making no effort to hide her spite and disliking of the arrogant and confident demon hero in front of her.

Atun, however merely chuckled in amusement before turning towards Izumi, walking towards her and stopping mere meters before her and replying "Let me give you a bit of advice, beast." putting emphasis on the last word just to spite her before continuing "You are too young and overconfident. One day you will understand the hard way, what it truly means like to be utterly powerless, to be at someone's mercy and not being able to do anything about it. Such is the natural world: the strong survive and the weak die. But you were not born in it. Surviving is what makes you stronger. You will never understand it before you experience it for yourself, so do not push your luck. One day, it might run out."

A hateful scowl formed on Izumi's face at Atun's smug and mocking remark and the only thing that prevented her from attacking him right then was her master who had firmly ordered her to collaborate with him until their alliance would be no more. However that didn't stop her from balling her hands into fists due to the anger at being belittled by Atun. She will not forget this insult. And she will greatly enjoy tearing him apart if fate will grant her such an opportunity.

As for Satoru once again he was dissappointed. While he and Atun shared a distaste for humanity, their opinions on them were completely different. Atun had no interest in killing them and seemed to respect their ability to adapt to all kinds of situations. Once again he had proven that not only had he no interest in the Crusaders's cause, he even seemed to belittle it. No matter. If he wasn't going to be at his side, he will deal with him when the time comes. But for now, he will work with him, at least, until their archenemies will be dealt with.

At that moment dozens of dozens of grey demons landed on the courtyard, taking Atun, Izumi and Satoru by surprise. At the same time dozens of humanoid crow-like creatures, that were covered in jet-black plumage save for their feet (which ended in two claws in the front and a claw in the back, feet that were adapted for grasping and carrying objects while they were flying), sharp pointed beak and hands which were light purple in color, had large feathery black wings and very large yellow eyes devoid of pupils, had come in front of the grey demons and were staring at them, sizing them down, interpreting them as intruders. Those crow like creatures, were in fact Satoru's Guardian Crows, humans that he had personally converted into beasts due to his psychic powers, that used to serve as his bodyguards before he had recruited the four Elemental Beasts as his Crusaders. Now those crows, which had been mass-produced by the dozens had been tasked to guard the new base of operations of Satoru and his allies.

(Soundtrack Ends)

As soon as Atun, Satoru and Izumi came out in the courtyard and walked through the Crows who parted away to let them pass and bowed towards their master, Satoru, a smirk formed on the Demon Hero's lips before he spoke "Well, well…. It appears that Lilith has been quite busy last night."

As if on clue, his consort materialised in front of the demons, seductive smile always present on her lips. The demoness, in her naga-like form then spoke, after her crimson eyes met her lord's own "My Lord….. I have brought you your servants as you requested." Then all the grey converted demons bowed towards their master, earning a satisfied smile from the Demon Hero. One of them proclaimed "Master Atun…. We live to serve you." which only served to widen the smile of Atun.

"Ah…. Miss Lilith. So that is your true appearance." chimed in Satoru, sinister and calculating smile on his lips, causing the femme fatale to turn her eyes towards him. He then added "You are even more beautiful than i had imagined. And i see that your way of "recruiting new servants" is similar to mine." earning a smile from her before she replied in flattery "Awwww….. You are such a sweet child…" while putting one of her black fingers on her lips.

Izumi however, jeaolus at her master praising the demoness of seduction merely scoffed before adding "A fitting form for a parasite." causing Lilith's eyes to widen and turn towards the Crusader of Ice, before a scowl formed on her face and she gritted her teeth in anger and outrage "What did you call me?!" she asked, infuriated by the insult, earning a smug grin on Izumi's face.

"What's wrong? Are your ears so sullied with pollen that you can't even hear?" Added the black haired woman with a smug smile and tone. This insult almost sent Lilith over the edge, however instead of attacking the smug beast, she let out a mischievous laugh, narrowed her eyes towards the Crusader of Ice and spat back "Hehehe…. This coming from a woman who serves a mere child?" causing Izumi to gasp in shock and her eyes to widen before she added "Who hides behind her lackeys and lets them do their dirty work while watching from afar like a cowardly vulture? Unlike you, i do not pretend to be something i am not. Learn your place before insulting me, filthy beast."

And in an instant the tables had been turned. Enraged at Lilith insulting not only her but also her master and still resentful over Atun's lecture from earlier, Izumi bared her teeth towards her while her eyes turned blood red before roaring "HOW DARE YOU INSULT MASTER SATORU!" her voice assuming a deeper and more monstrous tone, while she began to assume her true form, doubling in size and tearing apart all of her clothes. Her skin became white like the feathers of a swan, a pair of large feathered angel-like white wings sprouted from her back, her muscles increased in size giving her an athletic but not overly muscular phisique, while vein-like structures began to form on the vast majority of her body. She now bore two black claws forward on her feet with a third one sprouting from the heel, giving her raptor like feet that could grasp objects, while the fingers on her hands were reduced to three, now armed with short but sharp claws. Finally a pointy, long tail sprouted from her rear while her hair hardened and formed two recurved horns on top of her head, the right one being longer than the left one, resembling a bird's beak, while a yellow eye-like organ formed on the right side of her head.

Satoru merely sighed. Izumi sometimes would not know how to control herself, in spite of her usual cocky and collected behaviour.

Lilith merely chuckled darkly, satisfied to have sent the Crusader of Ice over the edge and to have finally made her reveal herself for the monster that she truly was. She then declared with a smile on her fucsia lips "Fufufufufu… You have finally shown yourself for what you truly are. An ugly duckling, desperately seeking for someone to accept you. You really are nothing more than a spoiled child, just like the one you serve." Having heard of the tale from one of her many victims many decades ago, Lilith was delighted to see just how that poor beast in front of her fit that description of the poor duckling desperately looking for anyone to accept him.

Those words were the last straw. A blade of ice formed around, Izumi's left arm, before she roared "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS AFFRONT WITH YOUR LIFE!" the swan-like beast then charged towards Lilith, hell-bent on tearing her apart….

Only for Atun, tired of this pointless squabble to put himself in between the two demonic females and stated "That is enough. I do not have time for childish quarrels." voice cold as ice and eyes narrowed towards the Crusader of Ice's blood red ones. In the meantime his whole body became engulfed by a purple aura that began to flare in all directions.

"And the same goes for you Lilith." he added, glancing slightly towards his consort, wiping off the smile on her face. Her master was serious. She knew that in these times, there was no room for games. When that look formed on Atun's face, very few lived to tell the tale.

Izumi stopped dead in her tracks as soon as Atun released a portion of his power. All of the rage and outrage of the swan-like beast dissappeared the moment Atun revealed his aura, replaced by fear and terror at the amount of power being revealed.

"S-Such power…" was all she could mutter out in shock, paralised by what she was witnessing. She felt overwhelmed at that moment, her entire body shaking in fear at the power that Atun possessed. Her jaw dropped, but she coudn't say anything. She was THAT terrified. Never before had she witnessed such power in her entire existence. She realised at that moment that not even with the rest of her colleagues they would stand a chance against him in battle.

As for the young leader of the Crusaders it took all of his might not to gasp, but for the first time ever since the events that led to him becoming what he is now, his face visibly contorted itself in shock. He had been told that Atun was a powerful demon. But never could he have imagined how truly strong he was, until now. By merely revealing his aura in his disguised human form, Satoru realised that maybe allying himself with such a force of nature probably wasn't a good idea after all.

Nonetheless, he came at Izumi's side, put one of his small hands on her left thigh and spoke "That would be enough, Miss Izumi. And he's right. Such quarrels are meaningless. Our only concern right now, is to take care of our enemies." his voice soothing but at the same time reprimanding. He coudn't risk losing one of his most useful and most loyal colleagues. All due to Izumi's overconfidence and short-temper.

The swan-like beast's eyes turned towards her master and softened at his voice. She then lowered her head slightly, closed her red eyes and declared "I apologize. I should not have let my emotions get the better of me." while facing Atun and his consort.

In return Atun shot a commanding glare at Lilith, causing her eyes to widen. Quickly understanding his implicit order, Lilith lowered her head, closed her eyes and declared "And i apologize too for insulting one of your colleagues, Satoru."

Satisfied by the demonic ladies's apology at one another Atun's aura dissappeared and he spoke "Please forgive my consort, Satoru. Sometimes she does not know when to control herself." while Lilith assumed her human form.

"Apology accepted, Atun. And the same could be said for Miss Izumi. Beneath her icy exterior she does have quite a fiery temper." replied Satoru while glancing at the black haired beauty, who had returned to her human form, earning an ashamed look on her face.

At that moment the screech of an eagle interrupted the argument between Atun and Satoru's consorts. Turning towards where the sound came from, a smile formed on Satoru as his eyes spotted a large humanoid eagle-like creature soaring through the sky that had dark brown plumage that covered most of its body, wings attached to its arms which ended in three clawed hands, yellow scaled eagle-lik lower legs that ended in feet that had two recurved claws in the front and a third one sprouting from the heel, giving it pretty much grasping feet. And most unusually much like a certain owl-like beast, the creature had an eagle head with a recurved yellow beak, filled with small but sharp teeth and a light grey human-like face just underneath its neck and a bare chest of the same color.

With a chuckle, Satoru spoke in intrigue "Hehehe…. It seems that Mister Higa has returned." upon noticing that the Crusader of Fire was carrying a green haired girl in a burgundy body suit in his talons.

Atun and Satoru then began to walk towards where Higa would land. While they were doing so Lilith and Izumi, now in their human disguises, shot each other one last hateful glare before the swan beast declared in a threatening voice "This isn't over, demon. Be grateful that our masters need us now more than ever."

Lilith, not impressed by Izumi's threat, flashed back yet another one of her charming smiles before replying "Don not worry, my love. I will greatly enjoy making you my slave when the time will come. But until then, i shall follow my lord's wishes." earning an even more scornful glare from the Crusader of Ice.

"Mister Higa, i see that you have brought someone with you." Greeted Satoru while the eagle-like stopped in front of him, hovering in the air for a few seconds.

Higa then dropped the girl to the ground before landing in front of his master and his new ally. He then spoke with the face on his chest, after bowing slightly "I have, boss. Though unfortunately, she proved to be….. rather uncompliant."

The girl was in fact Mico. After being stalked by Higa, he cornered her into an alley, tried in his own way to persuade her to join his master's cause only to be rebuffed. As a result Higa assumed his true form and restrained her with his talons, carrying her in the skies all the way to his master's hideout.

"Is that so?" asked Satoru, sinister smile present on his lips as always before his gaze fell on the girl that laid on the ground before him. He then turned towards her and spoke " Tell me child. Why have you sided with those insignificant humans? You should know by know that they will never accept you for what you truly are." He asked soothingly, once again making no attempt to hide his hatred of humanity .

After getting a hold of herself, still on the ground and after talking a look at the dozens of grey demons and crow beasts, Mico's eyes fell on the young leader of the Crusaders and on the Demon Hero standing at his side. A scowl formed on her face before she bared her teeth and spoke "Bastard….. I know exactly who i am. I don't give a damn of how i look like, i'm still a human being! And i will never join forces with power-hungry monsters such as you!" her voice full of anger and outrage at the ones who stood in front of her, demons and beasts alike, even though she did not know the difference.

In response to her insolence, Higa grabbed her by the head and slammed her back on the ground, earning a grunt of pain from her before he coldly spoke "Watch your tongue when addressing Master Satoru. He has no patience for those like you, who refuse to embrace their true nature."

"You seem to misunderstand." Chimed in Atun bluntly, taking Higa and Satoru completely by surprise before he added "That girl is not a beast. She is a Devilman. One from the world i come from."

Mico, still pinned down by Higa, gasped in shock at the reveal that Atun knew what she was, while the two beasts did not. Atun then continued "And from what i heard, Amon became the leader of the Devilmen back on my world before that final battle." causing the green haired girl's scarlet eyes to widen in even more shock. That confirmed to her that the tall, silver haired man in front of her was a demon from Akira's world. Worse, it knew Akira.

Mico then asked, still in utter disbelief "You…. You know Akira?!" but the only thing that she earned from Atun was a wide, devious smile. The demon hero then ordered "Lock her in the cells below. She will be of great use to us. She will be another reason for Amon to seek us out." his smile widening even more.

Satoru then turned towards Higa before ordering "You heard him. Do as he says." With a silent nod, the eagle beast proceded to drag her inside the mansion. But before she dissappeared, she flashed a wide, defiant grin at her captors before she stated "Hehehe….. You fools don't know who you are dealing with. He will come for me. And oh man, will i enjoy watching him tear your sorry little asses apart." assured in the belief that Akira will save her, just like how he did many years ago from the Demon Busters.

But her taunt had no effect on both Satoru and Atun, the latter which replied "Trust me, it is exactly what i hope he will do." with an equally mischievious smile. Then Higa dragged Mico, inside the mansion, dissappearing into it,

He was pulled out of her thoughts by another creature landing at his right, in front of his consort and Izumi. The Crusader of Wind, had returned from his three day long patrol of the city in search of valuable allies.

(OST: Yu Yu Hakusho unreleased unnerving soundtrack: watch?v=T58ULfo3FLY )

"Kitano. I see that you have returned." spoke Izumi with a friendly tone to her ally, who turned towards her, face on its chest smiling at her. The owl-like beast then replied "Yes. And i might have stumbled upon, or rather, observed some individuals that might prove useful to us and our cause."

The Crusader of Wind then noticed that Lilith, in her human disguise, wearing nothing at all much like his colleague, was staring with interest at him, her long orange hair covering her breasts. The demoness then spoke "Such a pretty little owl you are." in her usual sultry, tone.

Unnerved by the demoness's seductive behaviour, Kitano scoffed and replied coldly "You are wasting your time, succubus. Your childish games mean nothing to me." while narrowing both his chest face's eyes and the owl head's yellow eyes towards her in dislike, earning a smug smile from his colleague.

Dissappointed by how unwilling and spiritless these so called "Crusaders" were Lilith merely flashed another seductive smile and replied "How unfortunate. I could show you many pleasures. Pleasures you coudn't even dream of." while running one of her hands on her chest, between her breasts.

"My only concern is to serve my master." stated once and for all the owl beast while Lilith rolled her eyes in dissappointment. He then made his way towards Satoru and Atun before bowing down towards him. Then he declared "Master. I bring you great news." lowering his owl head towards the ground.

Satoru in return smiled in content and replied "Go on, Mister Kitano. Give us your report."

Rising up to his full height of three meters, Kitano declared "It would seem that some of those demons have been hiding within human society, organizing themselves in small groups. From what i was able to gather, they too wish to continue their fight against humanity in order to reclaim their world."

Atun listened stoically as the Crusader of Wind shared the information he gathered during his patrol. Apparently the demons had learned nothing. Being annihialated in that battle and burning in the fires of hell for God only knows how long taught them nothing. They were still the same genocidal social darwinists they had always been. Granted Atun himself also looked down on humanity for its frailty but he never wished to harm them mainly due to how pointless it was to fight such weak beings who could provide no challenge at all for a mighty warrior such as himself.

Satoru on the other hand was very satisfied. The thought of adding so many allies to his cause overjoyed him. With so many beings fighting for his same ideal, humanity this time woudn't stand a chance against him.

Kitano then added with a wide smile on his chest face "But what really caught my gaze was one particularly cruel and rather nasty demon i observed two days ago. A hulking humanoid turtle who seemed to possess the ability to keep the faces of its victims on his shell, using them to torment others before eating them." he stated with a hint of malice and glee in his inhuman voice, making no effort to hide his praise of the turtle demon's depravity and cruelty.

Atun smiled at the reveal that one of the cruelest demons ever to exist was still alive. A plan was already forming in his twisted mind. The turtle will serve him well and will be a very valuable asset in his goals.

But before he could reply, Lilith beat him to it "Jinmen? Fufufufu… So he still lives. What an interesting turn of events." she chuckled darkly, earning Satoru and the two bird beasts's attention.

"I take it, that he is well known among your kind, right?" asked inquisitively Satoru to the femme fatale who replied with a sly grin "Very few demons are as cruel and depraved as him. As much as i hate to admit it, i have always admired his work. How he "collects" the faces of his victims, keeping them on his shell, and using them to break his prey mentally before devouring it."

This sparked Satoru and his two henchmen's interest. After all they were utter sadists, taking great pleasure in the suffering of those puny humans who acted like they owned this world.

"Well, well…." began Satoru with yet another of his sinister smiles, turning towards Atun and declaring "We may have just found the best ally we could hope for, Atun." looking forward to work with such a monstrous and deranged demon.

"Someone with his talent would surely be of immense help to our cause." stated Kitano while turning towards Izumi who came towards him and stroked the black feathers on his chest. He then added "With your permission, i will bring him to you."

"Not yet." stated bluntly Atun while all the others turned towards him "You should know that Jinmen serves no one. He deems everything as below him, even his fellow demons. He would not hesitate to eat even his own kind if he feels like it."

With a stoic expression, Satoru then asked "Then what do you suggest?"

"Leave him to his cruelties for now. When the time comes i shall pay him a visit. And with a little bit of persuasion…" he began with a smug smile, letting his purple aura out for a few seconds "He shall come to you."

Satoru, Izumi, Kitano and Lilith all grinned in satisfaction at Atun's plan. The young leader of the Crusaders then spoke with a dark chuckle "It would seem that your plan is more than just getting revenge on your greatest enemy."

The Demon Hero then turned his gaze towards the tower of the mansion and declared "On the contrary. One must always have an ace hidden within its sleeve, as humans would put it. Jinmen will serve his purpose if fate will demand it." as confident as always before taking a look towards the tower of the mansion "And rest assured: once Amon will discover who is held captive in that tower, nothing will stop him from coming to rescue her. And once he will come here….." he continued, referring to a certain individual that he and Lilith had captured a month ago and that was now imprisoned in the highest part of the mansion, intending to use her in the Demon Hero's ploy of revenge.

"I will have my revenge." he finally declared with a fist risen towards the sky.

"Very well then. We'll just have to wait for Mister Kotura to return then." proclaimed Satoru with his trademark sinister smile, looking forward to carrying out his plans. The die had been cast. And now, his crusade was ready to begin once again. The death of the two traitors of their respective kinds will be the foundation of his new world.

And this time, nobody will oppose him.

(Soundtrack Ends)