A/N: Okay, this chapter will follow up on the last one. I was going to make them one, but I wanted to break them up to give people time to process everything. This chapter is at the same time a flashback and not a flashback. Now before I spoil everything, let's just begin with the chapter.
Gremory Palace, Gremory Territory, Underworld:
3rd POV:
"When will he wake up, Lord Lucifer?" A japanese male in his late 20's, asked, dressed in a traditional Japanese Shinsengumi uniform. He was with seven other people in the room, looking at a blond boy who was sleeping peacefully in a bed in the Ruling Seat of House Gremory.
"I've already told Lord Lucifer it will be at least another hour or two before the patient awakes. Why do you not listen, Okita?" A skinny man in his late 20's with long and wavy hair that was a mixture of black and blond said. He was dressed in a crimson robe with dozens of different runes inscribed onto them.
"Now, now Sir Macgregor. We all know Sir Okita is not one to pay attention that does not interest him." A burly man in his mid-twenties with dark brown hair said. He was dressed in a black business suit.
"Even so Beowulf, is it impossible for him to just listen to me for one second?" Macgregor said, looking annoyed.
"HAHA! YOU MUST FIGHT FRIENDS! FIGHT TO SEE WHO IS RIGHT!" A 7 foot tall burly man with spiked up orange hair said as he drank from a massive sake gourd he had in his hand. He only had on the pants of a tracksuit as his upper body was bare, showing off his monstrous build. He had on a thick winter cloak that hid most of his upper body from view, showing off the scars that peppered his chest.
"…Why would we fight?" The man, Souji, asked as he looked at the massive man.
"FOR YOUR HONOR, MY FRIENDS!"
"Do not try to understand him, my friends. The only thing on his mind is fighting or drinking." Was heard from what looked like a merman. He had on no clothes as his dark blue scales covered most of the essentials from view. His eyes were an eerie yellow as they glowed slightly in the dim lighting.
"What Bahamut said. Surtr is one hard being to understand. Probably because he does not possess one." A 7 foot horse said, with massive red horns and was covered with red scales instead of fur. His face resembled that of a red Asian Dragon as his whiskers fluttered in the air.
"HAHA! AYE, FRIEND ENKU! THINKING IS FOR THE WEAK!" Surtr bellowed with laughter, making the only female in the room sigh. Her silver hair was tied into two braided pigtails as her blood red eyes looked back at all of them. Her icy blue magical aura appeared around her, making her French Maid uniform flutter slightly.
"Everyone, quiet down." The room immediately quieted down as no one dared to oppose their second in command. All except one.
"Why, Grayfia-san?" Okita asked, making Grayfia sigh as the rest snickered.
"Now, now Okita. No need to antagonize my wife like that. She's just making sure the boy is getting enough rest." The man sitting in a throne like chair at the foot of the bed said, his shoulder length blood red hair swaying as his blue green eyes glimmered with amusement. He was dressed in a royal blue garb that had pure gold accents and insignias and rubies encrusted into his clothes. His eyes were flickering between looking at everyone in the room and back to the sleeping boy in the bed.
"Of course, Lord Lucifer." Okita said as Sirzechs sighed.
"How many times have you told all to just call me Sirzechs?" Everyone chuckled at his words before Grayfia spoke.
"You are aware we are required to refer to you as Lord Lucifer no matter the circumstances. We must show the proper respect for someone of your ranking." Grayfia said matter of factly, making Sirzechs sigh with a smile.
"Of course, my love." Grayfia blushed slightly at his words as the rest of the group chuckled at them.
"Why are we all here, Lord Lucifer? Last I checked, we don't need the entirety of the Prince of Eradication's Peerage for just one Low-Class Devil." Macgregor asked and Okita spoke before Sirzechs could.
"Maybe he is a very important person that is being targeted by the Church and Lady Rias stole him and now we need to keep them from taking him away." Everyone except for Sirzechs and Surtr deadpan at him as Sirzechs chuckled and Surtr was considering the idea.
"FRIEND OKITA COULD BE RIGHT! AH, I CANNOT WAIT FOR WHEN THEY COME HERE! WE SHALL RIP THEIR SPINES OUT AND BEAT THEIR SKULLS IN!"
"No one is coming for him, Okita and Surtr, so there will be no fighting. I just want to meet the boy that took both of my sister's Knight pieces, one of which was a Mutated Piece, to become a Devil." Sirzechs said, making them turn to him.
"…Say what? He took two Knights, one of which was a MUTATION Piece…to become a devil? Where did she even find him?!" Okita asked as he stared in shock at the sleeping boy.
"Near the Vatican." Sirzechs said and everyone except for Grayfia and Macgregor turned to stare at him in shock
"…Why was Lady Rias near the Vatican?" Enku asked the one question they all wanted to ask.
"Ask Macgregor. He was the one taking care of her for the day." Everyone turned to him, and he shrugged with a sheepish smile.
"She wanted to go to Italy and when I told her no, she had Akeno distract me with magical theory before she disappeared through a teleportation crest. It took me a minute to comb through the entirety of Italy to find her and when I found her, she had already made him a Devil."
"My Bishop, one of the most powerful magicians in history, was outsmarted by a 11 year old girl who can't even control her magic properly." Macgregor looked embarrassed as Okita snickered at him. Grayfia was about to scold him right before they heard the boy groan softly as he sat upright.
"…Huh, I thought it was supposed to be another hour, MacGregor." Okita said mockingly, making MacGregor glare at him.
"It's supposed to be. I'm not sure why he's waking up early." MacGregor said with a frown as he stared at the boy.
"Well, he's awake now. Rise and shine, little guy." Beowulf said with a grin.
Isaiah's (*****'s) POV:
Man, my head is killing me. So not only do I feel like shit from getting gut checked, but I also have a massive headache from slamming through trillions of realities. And who the fuck was that old bastard?
"Well, he's awake now. Rise and shine, little guy." I heard a deep voice say and I groaned as I sat up right and opened my eyes to a clusterfuck of people from different species. A red haired man sitting in a throne at the foot of my bed, a beautiful woman with silver hair standing to his right side, two massive dudes with brown and spiked up orange hair respectively standing at the back, a Japanese man dressed in what looked like attire from ancient Japan standing near the door, a dark blue merman and a red scaled horned horse/ dragon hybrid standing near the windows and a man dressed in a crimson robe on the left hand side of the red haired man.
"Where-! Ouch! God-! Shit! That smarts!"I groaned as I held my head. Crap, fucking hell that hurts. Wait, why did that hurt? Hearing chuckles, I looked up to see the men looking amused as the woman glared slightly at me. Oh crap, maybe I shouldn't have sworn in front of her.
"Ah yes, I would avoid saying the G-word unless you want a really bad headache. Regardless, I must say it is a pleasure to meet the newest piece of my sister. I am Sirzechs Lucifer, leader of the Devil Race of the Underworld and brother to the girl who will be your new master/ friend. The people with me are all a part of my peerage."
"He's just been reincarnated, Lord Sirzechs. I don't think he knows what a peerage is." The horse/ dragon? Said and the man in the chair, calling himself Lucifer, chuckled sheepishly at his error. So…this man can transform into that…that revolting monster I saw in my memories.
"I…forgot about that. I don't want to take the spotlight from Ria-tan, so let's just say a peerage is like a second family you have. Are you following?" I nodded and the man smiled widely.
"Great. Now introductions are in order. The woman next to me is my lovely wife and Queen Grayfia Lucifer née Lucifuge. The man near the door is Okita Souji, my sole Knight. The man to my left in the crimson robes is MacGregor Mathers, my sole Bishop. The big guy with the orange hair is Surtr the Second and the big guy in the suit is Beowulf. They are my Rook and Pawn of 2 respectively. The Qilin near the window is Enku, my Pawn of 3, and the merman next to him is Bahamut, my second Rook. Don't worry, you'll understand when my sister explains it all to you." He added when he saw me stare at him in confusion. Why did that word 'peerage' sound familiar?
"That reminds me. Okita, Macgregor. Go fetch the girls please?" The Japanese man and the man in the crimson robes nodded as they walked out of them room and closed the door behind them. Now that I took a look around, everything in the room looked as if they costed millions. The bed along was a Victorian styled queen sized bed with a polished dark oak bed frame. The windows on my left stretched from ceiling to floor and were covered by black silk drapes that had red roses embroiled on them. The bed sheets were black and made of silk and the three thick comforters I was covered in were red with black roses on them. The pillows were fluffed already and felt really soft. The floor was covered with red carpet and the ceiling and walls had magenta wallpaper with black camels on them. This room is probably millions of dollars, and I can't believe I'm in it.
Hearing snickering, I turned to see the Horse/ Dragon, the merman and the burly orange haired man trying to hold in their laughter as the other burly brown haired man, Sirzechs and the silver haired woman looked amused at my wonder.
"The room is too big, isn't it?" The brown haired man said, and I nodded.
"It is a bit…much." I muttered out, making Sirzechs chuckle.
"Don't worry. It took the others a while before they became used to all the wealth around them. Now then, let's start with the start. Do you remember your name?"
"Isaiah, no surname. I'm an orphan that was part of a secret project that the Church took part in to make more Holy Sword users. Everyone was killed when the project was a failure. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who survived." Everyone in the room stared at me in shock, including Okita and MacGregor who had walked into the room with three girls, another red haired man and a flaxen-haired woman. The man was dressed in a white suit with gold accents and rubies studded into the buttons. His shoulder length hair was tied into a ponytail at the back, and he had an anchor-styled bear. His blue-green eyes were the same colour as that of Sirzechs and one of the girls with them. The woman was dressed in a low-cut white dress that showed off her massive cleavage with white heels and violet eyes.
The first looked 11 years old and had crimson hair the same color of blood that hung to her midback. She was dressed in a black and red shirt and a black skirt with red roses on it along with red sandals. The second girl looked the same age as the red haired girl and was dressed in a yellow sundress with yellow sandals. Her luscious black hair hung to the back of her knees and was tied into a ponytail with an orange hairband. The last girl looked 8 years old and was dressed in a snow white outfit that consisted of a white shirt, white shorts, a white hoodie and white sneakers and the shirt, hoodie and sneakers had small kitty faces on them. Her shoulder length white hair had two black cat hairclips in, and her golden eyes were dull as she slowly chewed on a cookie that she took from the plate of cookies in her hand.
"I just asked for his name?" Sirzechs muttered to himself in shock right before he glanced at Macgregor. Macgregor noticed the look and nodded before he walked towards me, and magical circles appeared around my head as he placed his hand on my head.
"Subconsciously suppressing a massive amount of trauma and hatred. It's going to hit him very hard when he finally tries to process it. I could knock him unconscious to slightly soften the blow if that would help." He said as he looked at me staring up at him.
"…Okay" I nodded after a moment of hesitation, and he nodded right before two crests appeared in front of my eyes and began to pulse hypnotically.
"B-but brother…I wanted to talk to him…"
"Now now, Rias. You can talk to him when he wakes up. Grayfia…" I could not hear the last part as all noises dulled before I blacked out
Memories:
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"Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to Isaiah~ Happy birthday to you~" I was facing children from ages 2 to 16 dressed in white outfits. The room was massive with two rows of beds. There were smiles on all their faces as they crowded around me and sang.
"Hip hip!" "Hooray!" "Hip Hip" "Hoorayy!" There goes Big Sis Lisa, going overboard as always.
"Come now. Blow out the candles, Isaiah, and remember to make a wish." Big Sis Lisa said from behind everyone. Closing my eyes, I thought about my wish before blowing out the candles.
"Wath dith you wishf for, Ivaiiah?" One of the youngest children, Leo, asked as he was eating a sandwich whilst waiting for the cake and I gave him a cheeky grin.
"If I tell you, it won't come true." He pouted at my answer before Lisa spoke.
"Don't worry, Leo. I don't think he made a smart wish. He probably wished for something like candy, didn't you?" I knew she was teasing, but she still got me.
"I did not, Big Sis! I'm smart enough to make in-in…"
"Intelligent?" She helped with a grin.
"Yeah, I can make intilligent choices." I protested and she giggled as the other children were eating at the massive cake I received whilst looking between us.
"Now, now, Lisa. You know not to antagonise him like that." A boy with dark blond hair and green eyes said as he grinned.
"Ah don't worry, Andrew. He knows I'm only joking." I just glared slightly at her, making her giggle as Big Brother Andrew sighed.
*BBBBBBBZZZZZZTTT*
"Hello, subject #3213. And how are you on this lovely morning?" Mister Valper asked, and I smiled as I jumped onto the table.
"Great, Mister Valper." I said as he rolled open a leather bag with a bunch of needles in them. When I first saw the needles, they scared me a lot, but now, I'm a big boy. I have to be brave and besides, they don't hurt as much. They all had sparkly blue water in them. Mister Valper said it's Angel essence or something. I wasn't really listening.
"Nice to hear that my favourite patient is happy. Do you know you're the only one that still can get these? Even your Big Sis Lisa can't take any more of it? That means you're almost ready to become a Holy Knight." He said as he took out the first needle. I looked at him with sparkly eyes. Even Big Sis Lisa haven't gotten as many as I've gotten? That's awesome!
"Really Mister Valper? Then how many do I have to take to become one?" I asked in excitement, and he chuckled as he finished rolling up the bag and put it away before filling up a glass with more of the blue water. Wait, he already finished the needles? That was even faster than I thought it would be.
Taking the cup from him, I gulped it down before handing it back to Mister Valper and he gave me a handful of candy.
"See you tomorrow for your next shots, Isaiah." I was already eating my third one before I nodded.
"Ockay. Shea you toomurrowh, Mishter Val'er." I said between bites before dashing to share the candy with the other kids, Mister Valper's laughter following behind me.
*BBBBBZZZZZTTTT*
"Ah, subject #3213. How are you feeling today?" An old man dressed in blue priest garb that was covered by a white lab coat asked with a soft smile.
"I'm feeling good, Mister Valper." Mister Valper was always my favourite. He always had chocolates and candy to give to me whenever I came here.
"How many times have I asked you children to just call me Uncle Valper?" He asked with a sigh, and I gave a cheeky smile.
"Millions." He chuckled at my answer as he placed a machine on my head.
"Haha, that's true. Now, have you managed to pick up the sword?" He asked and I shook my head as a frown appeared on my face. The machine beeped a few times before he took it off and hummed at what was shown on the computer screen in front of him.
"No…everyone keeps trying every day, but it just hurts us when we try to pick it up." I hated to disappoint Mister Valper. He was probably one of the few adults who treated us nicely.
"That's disappointing to hear, but don't be discouraged, my boy. I'm sure one day, you all would be able to pick up Excalibur and then, everyone can become powerful Exorcists and protect us normal humans from those evil Devils." I could only stare at him in awe and wonder. Another reason to like Mister Valper: He always knows what to say to make anyone happy.
"Now, I'm sure your brothers and sisters are worried, so you better hurry along. It was nice to see you, Isaiah."
"Nice to see you two, Mister Valper." I said as I rushed out to join everyone else in the courtyard. If I had looked back that day, I would have noticed the sinister look in his eyes as a malicious grin appeared on his face.
*BBBBBBBZZZZZZTTT*
"Rejoice, children. God has given the Pope a wonderous vision of a prosperous future. Unfortunately, that means you have to die, but do not worry. It is all for the betterment of humanity." Mister Valper's announcement sounded dull in my ears as all the kids stared at the TV in the common area right before hordes of armoured people came in and began dragging us away.
"Wait! Why?! Why do we have to die?!" I heard Big Brother Andrew yell at the screen and Mister Valper smiled.
"Ah, but subject #2495. Have I not told you of my favourite saying? 'You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.'" The TV screen shut down after that as we were the last to be herded away by force.
"Andrew, Alex. Plan Argent. Isaiah, get ready." Big Sis Lisa whispered, and I looked at her in confusion as Big Brothers Alex and Andrew nodded. Big Bro Alex was the third oldest after Andrew and Lisa as he was 15 years old. He had dark brown hair and hazel coloured eyes.
"Ow! Ow, ow, ow!" Lisa cried out as she fell onto one of the armed men.
"Oi! Stand up, brat." He yanked her upwards, not noticing she took his Light Sword. He noticed too late as she turned in on and stabbed him.
"NOW!" She yelled and Alex slammed into the guy next to him and took his guns before shooting the man in the head. Andrew's hand glowed before a silver blade with a golden hilt appeared in his hand and he used it to stab the guard closest to him
"RUN!" They both yelled as they shot at the other adults around them, and Lisa cut those who tried to attack us. We were running through the building that felt more like a maze. It was me, Big Sis Lisa, Big Brothers Andrew and Alex, and a dozen other kids running away. As we made that last turn, there was the exit, the door unlocked.
Just as I ran through the door, the entire entryway got peppered in bullet fire. One of the bullets ripped through my stomach as I doubled over and cried out in pain as I grasped the wound. Turning back, I saw a group of men with massive guns walking into the room, walking over the corpses of the other kids. Big Brother Alex was lying closest to the door, his usual pure white clothes dyed crimson, and the back part covered in holes. Big Brother Andrew had tackled Big Sis Lisa out of the way, as they were now near me.
"Take him, Lisa! Run! I'll cover you!" Big Brother Andrew yelled as he picked up Alex's gun and shot at the men who had shot at us
"No! We have to go together. Remember, together forever!" Lisa yelled as she ripped the sleeves off her top and tried to block my wound. Andrew just helped her pick me and pushed us towards the forest. I noticed the hand he placed on my shoulder glowing blue before the glow died down and he turned back to the men, the gun Alex took from the guard in his hand.
"LISA GO! NOW!" I have never heard Big Bro Andrew yell that hard at someone. It would have been really cool if it wasn't so scary. Lisa looked as if she wanted to yell back before we began running/ hobbling into the forest around us.
"…Fine. You better survive." She said as we ran away, and I heard him laugh.
"We both know that's not going to happen." Was the last thing I heard him say before I blacked out.
"…iah…asiah…Isaiah, wake up." I heard Lisa say, but it sounded so far away. Opening my eyes, the world was a blur of shapes and lines before I turned my head and focused on the shape .
"Good, you're awake. Listen, I don't have long. They're almost here. I'm going to draw their attention. You try and get out of here. Live your life to the fullest. Do not get hung up on revenge. Try to find a girlfriend that will love you for who you are and for the love of God…don't make me an auntie too early. Wait until you're at least in your twenties." Wait, why is she saying these? Aren't we supposed to be running?
"W-wait." I groaned out and she smiled sadly.
"I'm just sad I cannot see my cute little brother grow up to be a handsome man. Remember, I love you Isaiah. Before I go, I want to give you one last gift before your 10th birthday tomorrow." She said as the world began to blur around me once more. The only thing I noticed was a black fog appearing around her hand before she placed it on my chest and the black fog flowed into me. When I came to again, she looked a lot worse, and we were hidden inside a big tree. She smiled shakily as she gave me a kiss on my forehead.
"They…are almost…here. This…is it. Goodbye…little brother." She whispered right before she stood up on shaky legs and ran out of the tree.
"W-w-wait…" Even speaking hurt as I blacked in and out of reality. The last thing I saw a shape in the form Lisa running away in the opposite direction of the tree and dozens of shapes running after her right before I blacked out again.
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Running. That was all I have been doing for what felt like hours. Everything was amazing! Why did Mister Valper have to do that? Why do we have to die for God to feel alright? Why do we have to be sacrificed for some bastard God's plan? Why? WHy? WHY? WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!
"Hello there. Oh! Oh, you're bleeding!" I heard a girl's voice and looked up to see a girl with bright red hair. She was dressed in a thick yellow coat with a wool neck, a yellow scarf and yellow beanie.
"W-who *cough*…?" I couldn't even finish speaking as I coughed and spat out a bit of blood. The girl rushed to me and helped me lay down.
"I can help you, but you will not be a human after the process. Do you want me to?" She said and it clicked. She's a Devil. I'm talking to a Devil. Wait, why am I scared? God wasn't there to help me. Let's see if a Devil will.
"D-do *cough* Do it…" I rasped out right before I blacked out.
*BBBBBBZZZZZZZTTTTT*
Waking up once more, I groaned as I felt the pounding headache. As I sat upright, another pang of pain rang through my head, and I groaned.
"Uhh, what… Oh, you're awakeee…You're awake! Uh, okay, think Rias. What did MacGregor say I should do? Right, water." I twisted my neck to the right to look at a red haired girl sitting in a chair next to my bed. She picked up the jug of water on the bedside table as she poured a glass of water and gave it to me. Grasping it, I took a deep gulp as I drained the glass before I sighed when I finished it.
"Hi. I'm Rias Gremory. Nice to meet you." The girl said with a bright smile, and I groaned. She was way too loud in the mornings.
"Softer." I groaned and she blushed as she giggled sheepishly. Hearing giggles, I turned to my left to see the black haired girl and the white haired girl sitting on chairs next to my bed.
"Ara Ara~Maybe you should give him some time to breathe, Lady Rias." The black haired girl said and the red haired girl, who I assumed is Rias, blushed even more red.
"B-but Akeno~! I wanted to talk to him!" She whined loudly, sending another pang of pain through my head.
"You can ask your questions. Just be softer." I said and she blushed before she nodded and smiled brightly.
"Okay. So…uh…" She trailed off, not sure what to say.
"…You don't have any questions, do you?" The only answer I got was an embarrassed blush and sheepish giggles as the black haired girl, Akeno, giggled, and the white haired girl smirked slightly before her expression fell back to the same dull look.
"*Sigh* Why don't you ask what my name is?" I said and she nodded rapidly.
"Yeah, yeah! What's your name? Do you like anime? Or manga? How come I found you bleeding in the forest? Were you running away from the stupid Exorcists? Oh, maybe I should have healed you before making you a Devil. Wait, that would mean I would have to…have to…t-to b-be naked…with a boy…Alone…naked…with a boy…" She trailed off with a bright red blush on her face. I just stared before I turned my deadpan stare to the giggling black haired girl.
"Is she always like this?" I asked in a dull tone, and she grinned slyly.
"Sometimes, but she doesn't blush this much. She must see something she likes." Rias squeaked slightly at that while I sighed before turning to the quiet white haired girl.
"You look like the only sane person out of the three. The name's Isaiah. May I know yours?" The only answer I got was a dull stare before she went back to eating the biscuits. Scratch that. They're all insane.
"She's Toujou Koneko. I'm Himejima Akeno. It's a pleasure to meet the newest member of the peerage." There's that 'peerage' word again. Why does that ring a bell?
"That word? What does it mean?" I asked, knocking Rias out of her daydreams.
"What word?" She asked as she tilted her head slightly. Why did she do that?
"That 'peerage word. The other redhead kept talking about me being part of your 'peerage'. What does that mean?"
"Ohhh…brother didn't explain it to you? Well, a peerage is kind of like a second family that only a High-Class Devil can have. It is based off of the strategy board game humans call 'Chess'. A peerage consists of 1 King, 1 Queen, 2 Bishops, 2 Rooks, 2 Knights and 8 Pawns. There also Mutation Pieces and Unused Pieces, but that's going into unnecessary details. Does that help?" Wait, wasn't there another Piece? Something about a King? Maybe there was and she was hiding it, or she did not know about it…or I might just be making it up.
"Sort of. Your brother told me I was in your peerage as a Knight'. Was does that mean?" I asked and she smiled.
"Well, when I brought you back as a Devil, I used both of my Knights to turn you and one of them was a Mutation Piece, which is really amazing. I mean, two Knight Pieces already mean you're pretty strong, but a Mutation Piece on top of that makes you SUPER powerful. Maybe I can finally kick Riser's butt and get out of that 'marriage'…." She trailed off as she began muttering to herself. The only words I caught were '…flaming chicken…', '…chop off his feminine balls…' and '…destroy any chances of him having kids…'. I decided to break her out of her muttering before she gave me any more nightmare material.
"Who's this 'Riser'?" Damnit, all these names and they all sound familiar, but there's something stopping them.
"No one important. Just an idiot who doesn't know what 'no' means." She said dismissively with a wave of her hand. Huh, guess I'll find out at a later date.
"Now then, where was I? Oh yeah, a peerage is great, but most Devils treat their peerages as slaves. Not House Gremory though. Grandmother would have a fit if she found out we did. We treat our peerages like family and mother likes to teach Akeno and Koneko everything to know about being a proper lady. You would join them in studying when you're healthy again. Okita-san also said he wants to train you in sword fighting."
"It's swordsmanship, Lady Rias." Rias squeaked and I turned to the door to see Okita, MacGregor and Grayfia entering the room.
"Sorry. 'Swordsmanship'." Rias said with a roll of her eye, making Okita grumble before he turned to me.
"Don't worry. I'll teach you the basics. After that, you'll have to find your own style to train in." He said as MacGregor walked towards me. Now that I was fully awake, he looked a lot scarier. I don't know why, but there was this aura around it that just made me feel…well, it freaked me out. He said nothing as he waved his hand and magical crests appeared over my entire body. More magical circles appeared on his hand, and he placed it on my head. Humming now and then, the magic circles disappeared before he spoke.
"Everything looks fine for now. I still want you to take a month and not do any physical exercise. There is still some trauma, and you will have nightmares now and then, but with enough time, those might disappear as well. Other than that, you're good to go. Just don't strain yourself." He said before he turned to Grayfia and nodded before disappearing in a flash of crimson.
"Did you hear that, Isaiah?! You're free to leave!" Yep, she is going to give me a lot of headaches.
"Yayy." I cheered dryly, making Akeno giggle as the white haired girl smirked. Okita snickered whilst the edges of Grayfia's mouth quirked up slightly before the tiny smirk disappeared.
"Lord Gremory has decided to grant you the room as your own. Since you are deemed healthy, you are to go to the dining hall at 8AM tomorrow for breakfast. After that, you will follow Akeno and Koneko to the library for your etiquette lessons and normal school studies with Lady Gremory until 2PM. After that, will be lunch with Lord and Lady Gremory where you will dine and behave yourself. After that, Okita will begin your theoretical training at 3PM until 6PM where you will have an hour of free time. Then at 7PM will be dinner. Once dinner is done, you have free time until 10PM where you are to go to bed. This will be your schedule until you either learned everything Lady Gremory wants you to learn, or you have to go along with Lady Rias to the Human World. When you turn 13, you will them begin with you Devil jobs and duties that is befitting as the sole Knight to the Heiress of House Gremory. Do you understand?" I nodded, but I was still dumbfounded by what I heard. Did she just tell me I had to follow a rigorous schedule for the next 3 to 4 years…just like that?
…Oh, hell no, I'm finishing everything in the next few months. I want to start with real training. I remember how powerful the beings were from my memories and no way am I going to let a perverted Dragon protect me like a damsel in distress. I'm making it my goal right now to be the first reincarnated Devil to become a Satan. I don't know how, but that is my life goal right there. In fact, I'm going to aim to be part of the top 10 strongest beings of this world by the time I'm 20. No more having to get my ass whooped waiting for someone else to save me.
"Good. Okita, you are to go over your schedule with him. Lady Rias, your father and mother were looking for you. Akeno, come with me. It is time for your lessons on being a Queen. Koneko, Ayame has finished baking the rest of the cookies for you. Isaiah, when you are done, you are free to do whatever you want. One of the maids will come to fetch you for lunch with Lord and Lady Gremory, Lady Rias and Lord Lucifer." Koneko's eyes lit up slightly as she nodded before she walked out of the room.
"Well, I guess I have to see what my parents want with me. See you later, Isaiah. Bye." Rias said cheerfully and Akeno gave a slight bow before they followed Grayfia out. Now, it was just me, staring at a grinning Okita who broke the silence first.
"She's a bit much, isn't she?" I stared at his grinning face in confusion.
"Who?"
"Grayfia. Who else?" He said as he sat down on one of the chairs next to me.
"It…does sound like a lot." I said with hesitation, and he chuckled.
"Don't worry, kid. You don't have to act like an upright noble with me like you have to be with them. We're just two dudes, talking about training." I was still on guard, but I lowered my guard a little right before a knife was placed at my throat. I froze up instantly, not even blinking as I stared with wide eyes at a serious Okita.
"Rule 1: Constant Vigilance. Anyone and everyone could be your enemy. You do not let your guard down for anything. Always be prepared for an ambush.
Rule 2: Honour belongs in duels, not on the battlefield. I'm not teaching you to be honourable. I'm teaching you to be a killer.
Rule 3: You will not yell any of your attacks at the top of your lungs like a maniac. We Knights are the weapon of our masters, silent and efficient. Our enemies do not hear anything except for the dead crying for their souls as we kill them. If you have to name an attack, you either think the name as you're attacking, or the name is spoken after you've killed your opponent.
Rule 4: We do not take hours or days to kill one opponent. If you are stronger than your opponent, kill them. Do not waste time bragging about your power and do not let give your opponent time to plan your defeat. Strike hard, strike fast and strike them dead.
Rule 5: We do not grant an opponent mercy. The moment they agreed to fight you is the moment you became their killer, no matter what. Letting a foe survive is not only ridiculous, but the epitome of stupidity.
These are the five rules I live by, and these are the five rules I will advise you to live by. You can live your private life however you want, but the moment you step onto the battlefield is the moment you become a weapon for your master and a killer for your foes. Do you understand?" I nodded slowly and he nodded before he took the knife away and slipped it perfectly into his sleeve. I was still in shock as I took shallow breaths. Looking at him, he grinned at my pale face before he spoke.
"Meet me tomorrow at the 2nd training ground at the time you were given. If you don't know where, ask one of the servants, okay?" He didn't wait for me to respond as he disappeared in a gust of wind.
Okay…what…the actual…fuck? From my memories, Souji was supposed to be a laidback guy who was compassionate and kind to Kiba and acted as a sensei and an uncle. When did he turn into an assassin/ killer? Was the knowledge a lie or was he always like that and no one never knew about it?
"You know what? I don't care. Let's just get out of here." I muttered as I stood up. I also noticed I was in black silk pyjamas. How did I miss that? Looking around, I saw a pile of clothing with a note on top of it lying on the bedside table next to me. Walking towards it, I picked up the note and read it.
Dear Isaiah, the clothing was made this morning along with a few dozen outfits and a few dozen pair of shoes. They should all be in your closet. Grayfia probably took out clothing for you to wear until lunchtime, so you should probably put it on before she forces you into it.
From, Sirzechs.
Looking back at the clothes, I noticed it was a black shirt with red camels on it, a pair of red pants with black roses on it and black sandals.
"Man, they really like the roses, huh?" I said to myself as I went to the en suite and took a shower before changing into the pile of clothes. Opening the room door and closing it behind me, I looked left and right, trying to find somewhere to go.
"Let's see. What to do, what to do…" I muttered as I turned to the left, starting my journey of familiarizing myself with everything in the mansion. What do I need to do first? Training is covered with assassin Souji, normal lessons are covered with Venelana… oh I know. Time to study the one thing all boys have wanted to do from the first time they saw it: Magic. And to do that, let's do a little bit of self-study and start reading about this world. I know my first stop now. Stopping, I turned to a group of maids who were cleaning this part of the mansion. Seriously, were all the Devils supermodels? Okay, Isaiah, be confident. Just walk up to them and ask for the library. That's it.
"Uh…excuse me miss?" I asked softly and they turned to me. Some of them giggled as a brunette smiled at me.
"Yes, dear?" Damnit, even her voice sounds hot. Why was I this young?
"Could you tell me the way to the library, please?" I asked, listening to their giggles before the brunette answered. Life really is unfair sometimes.
"Aw, just walk straight for three turns, then turn right then right again and it should be the first door on your left." She said with a smile, and I gave a smile back.
"Thank you, pretty lady. Bye." I said as I dashed away, ignoring the giggles that followed after me.
"Okay, let's see. Straight for three turns…then a right…and right again…and finally first door…on…my…left…Ah, here it is." I said as I walked through the door and into a massive archive of knowledge. The room had to be as big as a football field or two, with dozens of shelves that each had rows upon rows of books. Some of them had Latin symbols on them, others had hieroglyphs, some of it had Japanese kanji on them and others had what was either Hebrew or Arabic…or were those the same thing? Luckily for me, there were labels that showed what each shelf had. Walking from shelf to shelf, I finally found what I was looking for.
"Lessons of the Improver: A guide to Enhancement Magic, Dance of the Heavenly Dragons: A guide to Bladed Weaponry, The Great War: A Time of Strife and Despair, Aspects of the Storm: A Beginner's Guide to Storm Magic, Birth of a Sage: A guide for Touki, Sun Tzu: The Art of War, Conqueror: A guide to Leadership and A Dummy's Guide to Demonic Magic. Most of the knowledge I need to be prepared for the future is right here. I just need a few more things and I will be golden." I muttered as I put the books on one of the tables in the library and pulled out a chair and began to read. Picking up A Dummy's Guide to Demonic Magic first, I began to read. It was a thin book, only about 20 pages long, but each page was printed double sided, and the font was also very small. It was 20 minutes before I finished it.
"Okay, so in order to use magic, I need power, imagination and power and since Devils are creatures of sin and desire, we are more in tune with our emotions than any other supernatural race. However, the secret to all magic…is desire. I need to desire for the spell to work. I need to WANT the spell to work. Demonic Magic is chaotic and violent, so I must also be assertive and dominant over it. Okay, so mostly like my memories, but also not precisely the same." I muttered as I put down the book and picked up Sun Tzu: The Art of War and Conqueror: A Guide to Leadership. The books were both a bit complicated and very informative. I picked Sun Tzu because I have faint memories of it from my previous life and Conqueror because when I become a King of my own Peerage, I need to be an amazing leader/ commander of the battlefield.
"Sun Tzu was a truly remarkable war general…for a human." I jumped a little in my seat and turned to face the older bearded man that looked just like Sirzechs. He was smiling as he stared at me before looking at the pile of books next to me.
"Lessons of the Improver…Dance of the Heavenly Dragons…The Great War…Aspects of the Storm…Birth of a Sage. Why if I didn't know any better, I'd say it looks like you're preparing to go to war." He said with an amused smirk, and I made a 'so-so' gesture with my right hand.
"War could happen anytime. I just want to be prepared." An unknown emotion flashed in his eyes for a split second before it disappeared.
"So young and yet already versed in the art of killing. Why did we fight in the wars if we must ask children to fight our battles for us?" He was muttering to himself as he sat down next to me.
"Uh…what?"
"Oh, nothing for you to worry about, my dear boy. Ah, where are my manners? The name's Zeoticus Gremory, Lord of House Gremory and owner of this little mansion. It's a pleasure to meet my daughter's new Knight." He stuck out his hand towards me and I grasped it before shaking it.
"Was Rias not supposed to be with you and Lady Gremory?" I asked and he chuckled.
"My wife chased me away for them to have some 'girl talk'." He said with air quotes, and I grinned.
"You sound sad, Lord Gremory." He pouted childishly at my words.
"Of course, I'm sad. I mean, I just wanted to spend time with little Rias, but nooo…I have to finish my work." Looking in front of him, I noticed the pile of paperwork that was lying in front of him.
"Sounds like a lot of hard work."
"Not hard, just never ending. Anyway, what do you say you and I have a little 'man talk' of our own while we work, huh?" He said with a smirk, and I thought about it before I nodded.
"Good, so…any girl you like?" I choked at his words and stared in shock at his grinning face.
"No, not really." He nodded and chuckled at my words.
"Okay, now you ask a question?" I thought about his words before I spoke.
"The church taught me about every Devil House's bloodline powerful, except for a few. They never could figure out what House Gremory's power was. Could you perhaps tell me what it is?" His face was blank as he stared at me in silence for a few seconds before smiling and nodded.
"Sure, you are going to receive the family crest to be able to use Demonic Magic efficiently and there is a chance a weaker version of it might manifest in you. Well, House Gremory's power are passive abilities, namely having massive demonic energy reserves and near-perfect control over this energy. What I mean by that is that the average Gremory Middle-Class Devil is about as powerful as the average Ultimate-Class Devil and where most Devils are only able to control 78% of all their magic and the rest goes to waste, we Gremory have control of 90% of all our magic. That's why we are also the least of all the Houses since most of us fought as the vanguard of our armies and were wiped out in the last two wars. Some Houses still have one cadet branch or three, but every branch of House Gremory was eliminated, with the members of the Main Branch being the only survivors."
I was reeling from all this information. So, could that be why the only Gremory members I saw in my memories are only the ones in this Mansion. Wow, that must suck. Wait, could that be why he was pushing Rias to get married with this Riser guy, who I still for the love of Satan can't remember?
"How is that possible?" I asked him and he chuckled.
"That's two questions in a row, so you owe me two now. Well, it's because of my ancestor Runeas Gremory. You see, Lucifer in the beginning was as powerful as God himself, however he could not take on God and the entirety of his Angelic Army, so he decided to descend to the Underworld and create his own army, where he met 3 Demon Kings and granted each of them a seventh of his full power, giving them more power than they could achieve in their entire lifespan. What he did not consider, however, is the fact that these three Demon kings would grow to be almost as powerful as he was. The only reason he was still their ruler was because of his own power and his innate ability to use Light Magic, which was deadly to them. He also took one of his abilities and engraved it into the essence of his children every time one was born, thus the birth of bloodlines.
My ancestor Runeas was given the ability to create incredibly powerful runes if she just imagines their effects, but it was not the power she desired. So, she used that ability to create hundreds of powerful blood runes and changed her bloodline into massive demonic reserves and near perfect control over magic. No one knows why she did that and since she is no longer with us, we'll never know. Although House Gremory still has extraordinary skill in Demonic Runes, in comparison to the extinct Houses of Dandelion or Gaap, we might as well be ants in front of an elephant." Oh…damn…that's a lot to take in.
"Now then, that's enough about me. Your turn. So, you mentioned a Holy Sword Project when I first saw you. What exactly was it?" I was kind of expecting that question. Looking down at the table, I took a deep breath before I spoke.
"The Holy Sword Project was something that the Church wanted to use in order to create more wielders for the Excalibur Fragments. They would train us, feed us, teach us and experiment on us in order to create peak superhuman exorcists capable of going toe to toe with all supernatural species." Zeoticus stared at me with no expression on his face as he tried to process what he just heard.
"And exactly what, pray tell, were these…experiments?" He almost sounded hesitant to ask.
"Well, most of the time they injected with these sparkling blue-white liquid. Other times, they made us drink it. There were also the rituals and surgeries, but I don't remember what happened during those." He looked shocked at my words before releasing a deep sigh.
"And they call us 'the Devils'. Anyway, your turn." I thought about my question before I spoke.
"Hypothetically speaking, could a Devil use Light Magic?" He thought and hummed about it before he spoke.
"Not…exactly. We can use flashlight spells, but there has not been a Devil that could use True Light Magic. It might be possible, but it is insanely difficult to use." I nodded before he spoke.
"Okay, my turn." And with that, a friendship began to slowly blossom as Lord Gremory, and I spoke and chatted about the smallest thing we could think about.
5 Hours Later:
It was after five hours of reading and talking that a servant walked up to the table that me and Zeoticus were sitting at.
"Ah, Evelina. What brings you to our… 'man-cave', right?" I nodded and he smiled as he turned to the amused maid. She had brown hair, blue eyes and looked like a supermodel MILF. The maid outfit she had on was stretched to the limits when she bowed.
"Good evening, Lord Gremory. Lady Lucifer has asked of me to prepare Isaiah for dinner in an hour." Zeoticus nodded as I finished reading The Great War and put it on the finished pile. I still have to read Birth of a Sage, Aspects of the Storm and Dance of the Heavenly Dragons as Zeoticus and I were talking whilst reading/ doing paperwork and the books I've read so far were both amazing and really informative.
"Should I pack them away?" I asked Zeoticus and he shook his head negative before he spoke.
"The attendants will pack them away later." I nodded before climbing off my chair and turning to Zeoticus.
"It was a pleasure to speak with you, Lord Gremory." He just chuckled as he stood up and ruffled my hair.
"Oh, the pleasure was all mine. And please, call me Zeoticus." I nodded before I followed the maid out of the library and to my room. When I entered, I saw a white dress shirt, black dress pants with matching dress shoes, a red tie and a black vest, all in my size.
"Your bath has been prepared with different soaps and bath salts and I will check on you in about 30 minutes to get you dressed." I nodded and she smiled before she bowed slightly and walked out of the room.
"Okay…still not used to it." I muttered before taking off the clothes and walking into the en suite. The bath was steaming and yet, it didn't even burn. In fact, it felt warm and soothing. I was floating in the massive bath that could fit 10 of me, deep in my thoughts as I tuned out everything around me.
"You spin me 'right round, 'right round~ Like a record, baby~ Wait, no! I need to think! No singing! I need to figure out a way for me to become powerful enough to take on Gods in the next five years or less. I also need to acquire a 'True Form' that is powerful enough to combat Sirzechs Lucifer. Oh yeah, becoming a High-Class Devil is going to be hard considering how racist those pure bloods are. What else? Oh yeah, I know where the beings with the most potential are, so once I become a High-Class Devil, I could go after them and might be able to persuade them to join my-ehm, I mean our side. Yeah, that's it. Now, I need to assimilate and look through all of the memories I have on my previous life.' And with that began half an hour of floating in the water whilst looking through thousands of memories. The memories just flashed through my head and yet it felt as if I was watching each one of them dozens of times over and over again. I was not only looking through the memories of the show, but also paying specific attention to the memories I've had from my previous life of my school life and the only two 'mangas' I still remember.
"Isaiah, it's time to get out." Evelina's voice knocked me out of my thoughts, and I sat upright to see her standing at the edge, waiting for me to get out.
"Okay." I said as I stood up and climbed out of the bath. She wrapped me in a towel before picking me up and walking out.
"I can walk on my own, miss." I said and she giggled.
"Yes, but this is faster than letting you walk alongside me." Evelina said right before she placed me on the carpet in front of the bed and towelled me off before she dressed me in the outfit from earlier. She then gelled my hair back and stood back to see her handiwork.
"Ah, don't you look handsome~" She cooed as she pinched my cheek, blatantly ignoring my deadpan stare.
"I think we're going to be late, miss."
"Ah, don't worry, dear. There's still 10 minutes left, but I suppose Lady Rias would want to speak to you. Come now." And I jumped off the bed and following her out of the room as she closed the door behind us before walking to the dining hall. It was five minutes later and who knows how many left-and-right turns when we finally arrived at a massive door, which had golden roses and camels on it. Two butlers were standing on each side of the door as they bowed slightly at us before opening the door.
The dining hall was breath-taking. Chandeliers with rubies and diamonds hung from the ceilings as massive windows that stretched from floor-to-ceiling were covered by red silk curtains that were embroidered with black roses. The table was made out of dark oak and was covered with a red and black linen tablecloth. The chairs were black Bordeaux chairs with red cushions, though the two at each end of the table were bigger than the rest. The table was set for 8 people.
Everyone was already seated, and they all turned to face me walking into the room. Rias was smiling brightly as Akeno just giggled at her. Koneko looked at me before turning back to stare at the massive cake on the table. Sirzechs was sitting at one end of the table with Grayfia on his right and Akeno on his left. They were playing with what looked like an one year old baby that sat in Grayfia's lap. He/ She looked distinctly just like Sirzechs with the same crimson hair, but they had the same blood red eyes as Grayfia. Lord Zeoticus sat at the other end of the table with the brown haired woman that I saw before with him on his left and Rias on his right. He smiled at me as I walked in and gestured for me to take a seat. I bowed slightly and sat in between Akeno and Rias, with Koneko sitting directly across from me.
"It's wonderful to see you again, Isaiah. This is my wife, Lady Venelana Gremory née Bael and the boy you see with Grayfia is my grandson Millicas Gremory-Lucifer." He said as he pointed at the woman and the baby respectively.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet my daughter's Knight." The woman said with a smile, and I bowed my head with a small smile.
"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Gremory." She giggled behind her hand and the baby babbled and giggled when it saw me.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, little Millicas." Grayfia and Sirzechs smiled in amusement as everyone else giggled.
"Ah, a well-mannered boy. Such a rare case in this day and age." Venelana said with a smile, and I smiled.
"I was taught to always show respect to those of higher standing to me." She nodded in approvement before staring straight at Rias, who giggled sheepishly at her stare.
"Uh…sorry?" Rias said/ asked, making Venelana sigh as Sirzechs chuckled.
"Now, now mother. We both know Rias is not one to bow to others." Venelana sighed at his words before clapping her hands. Servants entered the room with plates of what looked like a pasta of sorts and placed them in front of us.
"It's not a bit much, is it?" I heard Rias ask me and I shook my head with a smile, making her sigh in relief as she nodded before turning to the food. Zeoticus nodded as the servants bowed before walking back to where I assume the kitchen was.
"Let us eat." Zeoticus said with a smile before we began to eat.
"So…Isaiah, I hear you and my husband were having a little 'man-talk' in your little 'man-cave'." I heard Venelana say as I went for the first bite. I turned to see her staring at me in amusement and Zeoticus shrugging his shoulders with a smile.
"Lord Gremory wanted to get to know me better and I wanted to know more about House Gremory." I said and she nodded.
"I thought I told you to call me Zeoticus, dear Isaiah?" Zeoticus said with a raised eyebrow and Venelana frowned at him.
"Let the boy be, Zeoticus. If he wants to address you with the proper respect, let him." Zeoticus chuckled at her words, and I smiled.
"So, I hear you're going to join Akeno and Koneko for their lessons with Mother. Are you looking forward to them?" Rias asked and I chewed my food before I nodded.
"I'm not used to etiquette lessons, but the teachers at Church used to say that I have a great memory." Venelana hummed with curiosity as she looked at me.
"Really? Well, we'll have to see then. Who knows, you might be my greatest pupil yet." I just gave a smile as I continued eating before Sirzechs spoke.
"How has your studies been, Akeno? My wife is not working too hard?" Grayfia mock-glared at him as she kept the baby from touching the knife in her hand.
"Lady Grayfia has been kind to me and has taught me very valuable knowledge." Akeno answered and Grayfia smirked at her.
"Thank you, Akeno." Grayfia said with a smile, and Millicas babbled at her, making Akeno giggle as she smiled and nodded.
"And how has your day been, Koneko?" Grayfia asked she looked down at Koneko, who had finished eating and was now eating her third slice of chocolate cake. The sides of her mouth had cake on it and Venelana wiped it off for her.
"…Good." Her voice was so soft and I had to strain my ears to hear her.
"That's good to hear." Grayfia said right as the baby looked annoyed at not getting to touch the knife. Koneko gave a small smile before it disappeared
"Mahma…Foodsh." Millicas babbled as he reached for the knife. Grayfia just smiled as she fed him a piece of beef, which he chewed and played with. It was not long before dinner was done. Rias, Akeno and Koneko decided to have a sleepover in her room, so I decided to turn in for the night, but Lord Sirzechs stopped me.
"So, Isaiah, I heard Okita is going to train you?" I nodded before I spoke.
"Yes. He said he's going to teach me how to be 'a weapon' for my master." Zeoticus chuckled at my words as Sirzechs sighed.
"Well, he'll be hard on you, but he means well…most of the time at least." He muttered the last part as Zeoticus smiled.
"Well, we won't keep you awake any longer. You'll need all your energy if you want to survive Venelana's lessons." Lady Gremory just sighed with a smile as I grinned.
"Good night, Lord Gremory, Lady Gremory, Lord Lucifer, Lady Lucifer, Lord Millicas." Grayfia just sighed as Sirzechs and Zeoticus chuckled and Venelana giggled.
"Say bye bye, Millie." "Bye!" Millicas said with a happy wave, and I smiled at him before waving back.
"Good night, my boy." Zeoticus said and I bowed before following Evelina back to my room.
"Good night, miss Evelina." I said as she opened my door, making her smile as she giggled.
"Good night, Isaiah." She said before she closed the door. Walking into my room, I took off the clothes and got dressed in just a white vest and a pair of trunks. Closing my eyes, I laid back on the comfortable bed.
'Okay, this is your new life, Isaiah. Forget about the past and focus on the future. I need to become powerful. Let's mark this day as the day the Demon of House Gremory is born.' And with that, I fell asleep.
A/N: I know for most people this is a bit boring, but next chapter is where the real time skips start, and it is where the true story begins. Also, if someone has not noticed, this is going to be a MASSIVE AU. I'm not going to use too many OC characters and I like to take inspiration from other anime, so some characters might have moves and abilities from other anime, i.e., the Gremory family being the Uzumaki's of DxD in this fanfiction. Also, Isaiah's Sacred Gears and heritage. Yeah, in order for me to truly make him as powerful as possible, there are going to be a great amount of changes. Now then, I can't reveal too much, so see you all next chapter. Also, one person said they can't wait to see this story unfold. Well, I am here to say that mid-July is when the updates of the story truly begin, because the entirety of June is going to be nothing but me writing out fanfictions for different franchises.