Princess of Desolation (High School DxD - Rias Gremory SI Chapter 3)

Sirzechs was floating high up in the sky, over the training area in the Gremory territory dedicated and made specifically for his little sister. It was a large swat of land capable of holding multiple colosseums. It held many different terrains, from thick forests, to snow field, etc.

Currently, in the vast open meadows, somethings were causing sudden large gashes in the land. It wasn't focused on one area but seemed to appear all over the grassy field.

To Sirzechs's eyes however, he could easily see and follow the movement of Rias and his Knight, Souji Okita, sparing at literal lightning speeds.

At how fast they were moving, they should be leaving cracks, or holes in the ground, but an application of demonic power helped in keeping their feet steady. It was for the same reason they weren't lighting up the air as they moved.

The clashes of the two devil's blades were so fast, simply missing caused blades of wind to fly and cut into trees, rock, or structures far away. Every collision of their blades, made shockwaves that could be felt through the air and ground.

A hundred blows, parries, blocks, feints, and mixes of kicking or punching, would happen in the blink of an eye. Anyone would normally think this was a fight to the death.

But to Sirzechs, it was the normal sight of his sister insanely obsessive training. In no way was Rias safe of course, it's why he always felt worried when she sparred with anyone, even if he did acknowledge her strength.

However like usual, Rias was training in the nude, her body covered near head to toe in red glowing seals to restrict and weaken her. The seals were numerous enough to act as ribbon clothing, if said ribbons were body paint.

And that was only the first of her self-made limits to constantly push herself.

The cigarette she had in her mouth even now, was filled with Gu poison. A poison that originated from China so deadly it used the person's own mana and life energy against them. Rather it infected life energy into acting erratic, thus the rumor about it causing all the food one had consumed the previous few days to come to life in one's stomach and attempt to cut their way out. When Rias breathed in the smoke, she would destroy it in her body with the Power of Destruction, not letting a whiff of it out least it kills someone.

Then there was the only actual item of clothing that she had were her Leizu silk gloves. Unlike normal silk, Leizu cloth, named after the empress that discovered silk, held the magic property of reinforcing positive energy. It would be highly used by magical healers of all kind, if it didn't have one fatal flaw. Any drop of negative energy, no matter how small, would started a chain reaction, corroding and breaking down the silk till all connected pieces were destroyed. A being of naturally dark energy like devils plainly, could never be able to touch Leizu silk without ruining it.

Sirzechs could still remember the thousands upon thousands of pairs Rias went through while still perfecting her control.

Frankly the Lucifer would say that Rias had perfect control of her demonic power. Or at least, he can't fathom anyone with more control of their own energies than her. Even now, she was controlling every strand of hair on her head, so as not to have them block her vision while fighting.

Yet, Rias would always say it was never enough. That she must always reach higher levels. And if she reached the peak of perfection, then she must keep going ever higher, since it's only the peak we can see, not the only one there was.

Rias Gremory was the embodiment of pride in oneself.

Or is that because of what she did to herself? The thought returned back as it always does.

Sirzechs could remember a time when Rias was...not normal. He would never think that he dislikes his sister's current self, or that he wished she was different. Rather, he remember when she used to be more timid, anxious, happy and innocent. She was like any other kid, except...he didn't know if it was his fault due to being a Satan Class Devil (well, much higher than that actually, but that's what's written on the official papers), or him being Lucifer, one of the rulers of the Underworld, or being born to a prominent family like the Gremory, or whatever other reason.

Sirzechs knew that Rias was aware of her grand her position is in life from a young age. From the moment she was cognizant of it, Rias felt pressured by her future duties. He didn't know who she got the attitude from, but Rias was a perfectionist. She would work her hardest in her studies, in learning magic, in learning her demonic powers and traits, in memorizing manners, in habits and skills that a lady of her position should know. In everything.

Rias would work into everything with such fervor that... In the beginning everyone was so proud of the hard working Gremory Heir. Everyone, including himself, encouraged her behavior. It was only later that they realized the problem. Rias would always meet Sirzechs, her parents, and even her Grandfather Bael's expectations, exceeded them vastly even. Yet she never met the goals she set for herself.

The reason she was seen as a prodigy, wasn't because she was the most talented, nor because she did as everyone expected of her, but because her self-imposed goals vastly outstripped anything anyone could ask of her.

Rias was trying to form shapes out of her Destruction energy from the get go. Something Sirzechs at the time found adorable, and told her it was something that would take her years to manage, months maybe given her dedication. She did it in three months, and was crying in self-loathing and not joy when she did. Because Rias wanted to reach that milestone in 3 weeks.

This pattern would repeat. Over and over again, if Rias was given a task, she would finish it in phenomenal time limit, just not the one she set for herself. And that self-inflicted idea that she was a failure, would cut into her heart over and over again.

Rias eventually burned out, and Sirzechs as well as his parents had to forcibly tell her to rest. That she had no more work, no more lessons, no more goals that she should purse. It wasn't helpful at the start. Rias loathed, as she would say, waste time and be idle. She hated being told not to practice her powers, or do anything but relax.

Then that day when Rias was six years old came.

Sirzechs remember feeling nothing but terror when he rushed home that day. He was told that Rias tried to use the Power of Destruction on herself. He remembered seeing her asleep on her bed, half of her body looking like it was burned and flayed.

The idea of suicide was alien to Devilkind. It's not like it couldn't happen, but rather they had to be extreme circumstances to result in it. In all his life Sirzechs never could even conceive the idea, that Rias's perfectionism would push her to that point. Sirzechs, as well as their parents, Zeoticus and Venelana, had used entire stocks of Phoenix Tears, to heal Rias only to be told grave news by the family doctor.

"The physical damage was merely a side effect, the actual damage was to her soul."

That day was the darkest day of Sirzechs Lucifer's life. To be told that Rias tried to destroy her very soul, out of her depression at the thought that she couldn't meet her own standards.

There was so much that Sirzechs wanted to say. So much he wanted to do. He wanted Rias to wake up and tell her how much she meant to him. To tell her that she was perfect as she was. That he would always accept her as she was. That she didn't need to kill herself to reach some impossible standard, and feel worthy of her family.

We weren't the ones worthy of her.

Sirzechs swore that day to pay more attention to his sister. To place her above even his own role as Lucifer. He was ready to tell her all that the second she woke up.

But when Rias finally opened her eyes again, none of the grief, sadness or anger that she usual held was there. There was nothing there was a sense of calm and focus.

It was at that very moment, that the Princess of Desolation was born.

"I'm sorry if you thought I was trying to harm myself. I swear I wasn't. I would never do that to you or myself. I love you, Mama, Papa, Big Brother, and I would never want you to be sad. But I couldn't stop hating myself. Rather, I hated my laziness. I hated that I couldn't focus and work hard on what I wanted. That I could never give a 100% to something I worked on. I hated that part of me. I hated it. I hated, hated, hated, hated, hated, hated it. I wanted to destroy it. ...So I did."

From then Rias was different. It took a long time for Sirzechs and their parents to allow Rias out of their sight, but in the time they observed her, they saw a much more content Rias. In fact she was far less frantic than she was before, when it came to her studies, training or duties. She would work at a calmer, sedated pace.

But the consistency of her worth ethic shot to insane heights. When she gave herself a task she didn't stop till it was completed.

It took a lecture from Sirzechs, while restraining Rias to get her to learn the importance of adding rest periods to her schedule, as well as the importance of sleep. He even went as far as to get a biology textbook and show her why resting was important.

Rias made studying devil physiology as well as Senjutsu and Ki her main goal afterward, memorizing biology and chemistry books afterwards, as well as one that deal with demonic energy. From there she worked on meditation, and demonic energy control till she could recharge her stamina from ambient mana, and got back to work.

She did at least learn to sleep and not be awake for weeks on end trying to learn a control technique for her demonic powers.

From there, Rias's insane routine would continue, till she reached a level of power she deemed acceptable. She became an Ultimate Class Devil by the time she was seven.

Thankfully at that point, introducing her to other children, and encouraging her to have a social life wasn't something she fought, but rather embraced. With the same intense focus that she gave everything else. At least she became more mellow once she reached Satan Class levels of power.

Then puberty hit.

And the less said about that the better. Sirzechs sighed, as he remembered how Rias started to act once she gained an interest in sex.

The battle below Sirzechs suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

Rias had managed to spin away from Souji's down slash, and swing her crimson blade made of Destruction right into his face. The construct was mere centimeters away, when Souji managed to block it with his greater speed, but the power behind Rias's swing was too much. It was just about to throw Souji off his feet, when Ria's eyes widened and she jumped back with tremendous speed.

The two combatants looked at Okita's blade to see a small cut into the metal, from when the swords met.

"Tsk," Rias frowned and clicked her mouth.

"I suppose this is my win, Lady Rias...although in these spars it never feels like it anymore." Souji chuckled.

"I was one minute away too." Rias pouted.

Rias's goal in that spar was outlast Souji till the bell rang, but most importantly to not let her Destruction Construct Sword let out it's destructive property, but only deal damage as a blunt object. While Souji's goal was to mess up Rias's concentration enough, that her magic blade would let loose its inherit power.

"I think you did pretty well, Rias." Sirzech said, announcing his presence as he floated and touch down on the earth. Not that neither present devils didn't sense him arriving.

Rias looked like she was able to say something, before holding herself back, and just smiled toward Sirzech.

"Hey, Big Brother." Rias ran to greet him with a wide open smile.

While Sirzechs hated that day with all his heart, if there was one positive he could name from it, it would be that Rias's smiles were much more pure now. They were no longer tainted with guilt and sorrow.

"Hello, Rias--Ooofff," Sirzechs smiled as Rias's launched herself into hugging him. He answered her hug back, and materialized a towel and sheet to cover his little sister.

"Thanks," Rias said back as they separated. She took the towel, wiping her face, even if the action wasn't needed as she destroyed the sweat and dirt the second Sirzechs announced himself. The sheet hung loosely around her body, Rias making it stick to her shoulders but not putting any effort to cover herself.

Souji and Sirzechs greeted each other, before Souji stood back, letting the siblings talk.

Rias stood with her hip cocked to one side, while rubbing her face with the cold towel, and leaving her body open for Sirzechs to view. A body now truly naked, as the tattoo seals began to disspell. Sirzechs sighed with an exasperated smile at his little sister's antics.

"Shouldn't you be in Romania?" Sirzechs asked, as Rias placed the towel around her shoulders.

"I'll go there later." Rias answered. "We're still on for next month, right?" She asked with an excited smile.

Sirzechs slightly winced an action that didn't escape Rias's preceptive eyes.

"About that... Look Rias, our match might be delayed two to three months. Ajuka told me that he's gonna need some time to calibrate the Barrier Field to withstand both our powers." Rias intensifyly pouted. "I know I told you we would have our spar, no holding back, next month, but this time it's out of my hand. It's a technical issue. I can't do anything about it, really."

"Big Borther Sirzechs," Rias narrowed her eyes.

Oh no, she used both my title and my name. She's mad.

"You're not telling Ajuka to take his time behind my back, or worse, telling him to actively delay finishing up the pocket dimension spell." Rias scowled like an adorably angry gremlin.

"Of course not!" Sirzechs waved his hands in front of himself to placate her. "It's just, spell making is very delicate work. It's not something you can rush."

"That's what you said last month!" Rias took a step forward leaning with her body into her brother's personal space, and letting her breast visibly dangle for him to see. Sirzechs took one back, and tried not to look too far down.

"That was a different problem." Sirzechs said. Shit, she's onto me! He didn't want to harm Rias. Regardless of how strong she got, what she was asking for was too much this time. Wanting to spar with him at this true power... even he didn't know if Rias was strong enough. He couldn't risk it.

Rias kept up her pout and staring contest. Sirzechs met her cute glare with the resolve of a Satan.

Tears gathered at the edge of her eyes.

"Bwig Buwather." Rias spoke. "You powamiced!"

Oh no, she's using the cutesy voice. Sirzech gulped. No! She's playing you. You know she's playing you. Come on, Sirzechs, stay strong! You have your pride as a Lucifer to uphold!

"I'm sorry, Rias, but we're gonna have to reschedule our match to later." Sirzechs said with his full willpower and resolve.

Rias's lips quivered.

Oh no! I'm sorry, Rias-tan! I'm sorry! Big brother didn't mean it!

Before he could voice the words, Rias turned and ran toward the Gremory Main Estate.

"Big Brother is a meanie! I hate you!"

Much later when Sirzechs's Queen came to retrieve him when he was late for his meetings, she found him in the Gremory training field with a worried Souji fussing over him.

Grayfia found her husband standing like a statue, a fake smile with tears of blood running down his face.

"It's fine. Really. I held my ground. I did my best." Sirzechs said in a monotone voice.

"Rias." Grayfia asked Souji with a sigh.

"Rias." Souji nodded, sighing in return.

Grayfia wondered what Rias wanted this time to make up with her brother. She hoped it wasn't another absurd request like wiping a SS-Class Stray Devil's record clean, so Rias can take her as a Peerage member.

Hopefully it would be something quick. We can't have the Lucifer having a nervous breakdown everytime he talked to his sister!

AN: This was originally going to be much longer...But I'm lazy. So here, enjoy this and see you all later.