Sitri Central Hospital, Underworld:
Present Day:
3rd Person POV:
*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*
'How many days has it been since I've heard that soothing chuckle of his? How many since I've seen those beautiful blue-grey eyes? Since I've been wrapped in his warm embrace? Why won't he just wake up?' Akeno was staring at the still form of Isaiah, who was resting peacefully in his bed as countless machinery and IV's was attached to him. His left arm was completely bandages up, the deep violet of the poison now turned to a light lilac.
'Weeping Crimson Oak and Silver Widow venom alone can kill the average -Class devil in just under a minute. The fact that they used Blessed Holy Water, which is three time stronger than Holy Water, along with Wolfsbane…it's a miracle he hasn't been reduced to ashes. It will take a while for us to extract every drop of poison out.' She still remembered the words Lord Sitri uttered as he spoke with Lord and Lady Gremory. That was also six months ago and the last time she saw Lord Sirzechs along with the rest of his peerage.
All she could get from Rias is 'Mother says that the Supreme Commander of Decay is back, so I shouldn't bother him.'
It didn't take her long to know that the Lucifer that fought in the Devil Civil War has returned and he was out for blood.
"Still no changes?" Rias' voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she turned to see her along with Koneko walking into the room. She shook her head and Rias gave a sad smile as she sat down on the chair next to Akeno, Koneko sitting down on Akeno's lap as she wrapped her arms around her. They've connected over the past few months and since both of them barely leave the room, they've gotten closer than ever.
"How much longer?" Koneko asked softly and Rias smiled.
"Lord Sitri said the poison will be out of his body in the next week, so he should wake up just a few days after that." Koneko nodded before she leaned back into Akeno and closed her eyes. Akeno giggled softly as she hummed softly, feeling Koneko slowly slip into slumber.
"Mother wants me to help her prepare with her annual Royal Gathering that's happening in two weeks, so I'll have to go. I'll come back later." Akeno nodded, not looking away from Isaiah, and Rias sighed before she gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"He'll be fine. The idiot knows what will happen if he dies on us." Akeno gave a small smile and Rias giggled before she stood up and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.
'I can't wait any longer. I'm telling him as soon as he wakes up. If he doesn't want to, it's… it's okay then, but I need to know. I don't want to go through my life just wondering about the what-ifs.' Akeno thought to herself with a resolved look on her face right before she yawned abruptly, feeling the exhaustion settle in. Now that she thought about it, she hasn't had a good night's sleep since…wow, she really does need to rest.
"A…A little nap won't hurt." Akeno muttered as she leaned back into her soft chair, wrapping her right arm around the slumbering Koneko and intertwining her left hand with Isaiah's right hand before she fell asleep.
Unknown Location: At the same time:
"…Did I not tell them that this was of the utmost importance?" A male voice quietly asked, his voice echoing throughout the silence of his meeting hall. Three servants were kneeling at the footstep of his throne, not one even daring to breathe.
"Y-Y-You did, my lord." One of the servants stuttered out and the man hummed as he stared down at them, his violet eyes glowing with power as a dark crimson aura formed around him.
"Then why did they not send the 9th Inner Circle to take him out? Why did they only send the Middle-Class fodder of the 2nd Circle and a single member of the 4th Circle when I specifically ordered them to send a team from the 7th to make sure the kill is carried out as ordered?" The man asked as the air began to quake, an invisible pressure crashing down onto their shoulders as the servants quivered where they were kneeling.
"T-The Grandmaster said t-that even t-though they owe you a great favour, i-it is not worth t-them using a member of the 7th Circle, l-let alone a team, and t-they thought that a m-member of the 4th Circle would have been enough to take the boy out." The servant on the right said and the man hummed before he waved his hand and all three were clad in a crimson ball before they disintegrated into ash.
"Good slaves are so difficult to find these days." The man muttered with a sigh before he snapped his fingers and an elderly man walked in, dressed in a black tuxedo with a monocle on his right eye.
"Alexander. Nothing happened." The man uttered cryptically and the butler nodded as he disintegrated the ashes before rushing out the room with haste, the man in the throne sighing.
"He reminds me of the great slaves of the old days. Doing their job perfectly without asking for a reward. Why we had to get rid of the Soul Slave Contracts to appease these sub-par devils, I'll never know." The man muttered before he turned and stared out at the expanse of the Underworld, a small calculative stare in his eyes.
In Isaiah's Mind-scape:
Isaiah's POV(Six Months Ago):
"How long?" I asked as I sat on the ground and stared at the large crimson orb hanging in the wide expanse of the void that is my mind-scape, a representation of the poison still left inside me.
"Six months." Lycaon responded as he focused on slowly breaking the poison down inside my bloodstream.
"Wait, what?! Can't you do it faster?!" That's a lot of training time being lost!
"The fact that your body has not disintegrated into dust because of the Blessed Holy Water, the Weeping Crimson Oak, the Wolfsbane and the Silver Widow is only because of me focusing all of my power and attention on just healing you, so forgive me if I'm not a FUCKING GOD OF HEALING!" Lycaon growled out and I quieted down.
"…Sorry about that." I muttered and he grunted, not paying further attention to me as he went back to focusing all of his attention on getting rid of the poison.
"Why don't you…go and visit Sebastian? He's been dying to meet you." Lycaon grunted out and I turned to him in confusion.
"Who the hell is Sebastian?"
"The most powerful wielder of Canis Lykaon."
"Wait, what?! Where do I compare to him?!" I asked as I jumped to my feet, excited to hear about this Sebastian.
"Ha! Please, you're barely one of my top 20 wielders, pup! Sebastian was a monster with no equal, literally and figuratively! His kill count was over 700 000 beings from different races and species, the highest of any of my wielders and he was able to access the Fallen God Lycaon, the Juggernaut Drive variant of Canis Lykaon, with less than half a year of training." …Canis Lykaon has a Breakdown the Beast form and I'm still stuck at struggling to unlock the Balance Breaker?
Wait a second, maybe this Sebastian can help with Balance Breaker!
"Where do I find him?" I asked and Lycaon just grunted as a white portal opened under me before I fell through, landing on a grassy plains where the sun was shining brightly.
'…Since when did I have this in my mind-scape?'
"I assume with you being here, Lycaon would rather let me deliver the news to you instead of doing it himself." I heard a voice speak from behind me as I stood up and I turned to see a middle-aged man walking towards me, dressed only in a pair of torn black dress pants and his chest bare, revealing a multitude of scars that ran across his upper body with the biggest being a giant circle-shaped scar right over his heart. His long blonde hair was tied into a low-ponytail and his eyes were a sky blue with his sclera being pitch black.
"Uh, hello. Lycaon said that you wanted to see me?" I said/ asked and he gave out a sigh as if disappointed.
"I guess with Canis Lykaon not being yours since birth, you wouldn't have found this in the first place. That and Balance Breaker would have been impossible to obtain for you."
"Wait, what do you mean by that?" He looked surprised at my question before he sighed.
"I forgot not everyone and their mother knows about Soul-Based Spells these days. Well, let me put it this way. The girl who gave you Canis Lykaon, your Big Sis Lisa, used a powerful Soul Spell, Divine Binding, to remove Canis Lykaon from her soul and bind it to your own. Now a spell like this is usually only able to be done by Elder-God Class beings and since she was barely a Peak Mid-Class being, she had to use an alternate source of immense power to fuel it."
"...In other words, she used her soul to fuel the spell, sacrificing her own life in the process." I finished and he smiled and nodded as he sat down cross-legged on the ground, with me following his example.
"That's correct. However, since she wanted to be able to draw the attention of the search party who were coming after you two and give you time to escape, the energy used for the spell was not sufficient enough and the spell was never fully cast. Therefore, the binding of Canis Lykaon and your soul is not 100% completed. That's also the reason why you've never achieved the Balance Breakers for not only Canis Lykaon, but also Sword Birth. Since Canis Lykaon is not yours, it's constantly fighting your soul to be let free and since your soul is too busy making sure Canis Lykaon doesn't escape and force you to spontaneously combust, it can't allow Sword Birth to break through its limits and allow it to achieve Balance Breaker, disrupting the balance of your soul even further. Now, I know what you're about to say. Why can't you just use a runic scheme to create a new seal and complete the binding between Canis Lykaon and your soul? I just have one question for you. Do you have a natural affinity for Soul Magic?"
I closed my mouth as I felt the question die in my mouth, thinking about what he just said.
Soul Magic. One of the most powerful, but also most coveted forms of magic. There have only been about 50 Soul Magic users in the entire world and about 99% of them have been members of the Pillar House Dantalion. The other 1% were old and greedy human mages/ sorcerors who destroyed all documents of their research and took their secrets with them to their graves. Now I know I could just ask Zeoticus to ask a member of House Dantalion for a single copy of the runic spell I was looking for in exchange for a mild favour and I know he would do it in a heartbeat. There was just two tiny problems.
House Dantalion was wiped out in the Devil Civil War, every single member hunted down and killed by the Old Satan Faction because of just how powerful their Soul Magic was and I had to agree. The stories of how they created manifestations of Soul Magic that was capable of ignoring all resistances and defences a person had and ripped their souls out with one blow, using their souls to make the manifestation even more powerful. In fact, it was a young and powerful member of a branch clan of House Dantalion that killed off his entire clan and then joined the Old Satan Faction in search of glory and riches only for them to kill him to make sure no Dantalion will be born ever again. Though from the rumours, he made sure to take his payment in blood as he destroyed their main HQ along with about 30 km of land in every direction. The other problem was the fact that House Bael seized all assets and lands of House Dantalion after the war and that includes their Soul Magic, which is thankfully hidden behind thousands upon thousands of thousands of Elder God-Class runic schemes, phrases and spells.
'And if there's one thing I know about Zekram Bael from the hundreds of fanfictions and the light novels that I've read, it's that when you lend him a hand, he chops off all of your limbs before taking your head as extra payment' I thought to myself with a bitter smile.
"Wait, something doesn't sound right. How did Lisa use an Elder God level Soul Magic spell, something that should has been lost for centuries?"
"How she did it, even we do not know. She must've used another Soul Magic Spell to seal away those memories, because the earliest memory that we could see of her was her waking up on the front steps of the orphanage just a week before she turned." I grumbled as I heard that. Damnit, if we had access to Lisa's memories, I might have been able to explained it to MacGregor and with her knowledge on Soul Magic and his and Lord Gremory's extensive knowledge on runic languages, they could've figured out a way to complete the seal between Lycaon and myself.
"So, that's the reason I haven't been able to unlock my Balance Breaker?" He nodded and I sighed.
"Is there anything we could do other than releasing the seal?"
"Well…there are three options. (1) Since the binding is not fully done, that means Canis Lykaon can leave your soul safely and Sword Birth along with Blade Blacksmith, which that Andrew boy sealed inside of you, will finally be allowed to grow, (2) We can force the binding of Canis Lykaon to continue, but you'll have to sacrifice about 15 000 years of your lifespan in order for the spell to work and since you only have barely over 11 000 years of your lifespan left, that's not a safe option. That leaves option (3) you can keep both Canis Lykaon and Sword Birth as they are, but that means Blade Blacksmith will forever stay sealed, you'll stagnate at Peak Satan-Class and be unable to grow further since your soul will be too busy stopping the incomplete seal from not killing you. If you want my honest and most helpful opinion, I'd let go of Canis Lykaon. The ritual you did gave Sword Birth and Blade Blacksmith a massive potential boost, giving them the chance to be at the same level as Canis Lykaon if not greater and from the ideas I've seen running around in your head, you do have the potential to take them to the same level as the World Disaster/ Top Four Longinus. It is, however, still your decision to make. Do what you think is best for you." I sighed as I nodded before a question popped in my head.
"Wait, how do you know so much about this stuff? It's like…"
"Canis Lykaon was given to me by my dying friend in a war, just like Lisa gave you yours. Unlike you, however, I didn't have someone who could tell me all this and just like you wanted, I forced the binding to happen by using a complex Major-God Class runic scheme. Unfortunately, I not only bound Lycaon's power to my soul, but also his rage at the Gods who made him the way he was before the Big G sealed him away. That forced me into Fallen God Lycaon and made me kill over half a million humans and even more supernatural beings before Zeus himself came down and killed me. I do not wish for the same to happen to someone else, so that's why whenever Canis Lykaon is handed to someone by a wielder, I come out and tell them my story and the options they have before letting them make their choice. Every time they tell me I'm lying and do what I warned them about and every time, it's ends in them transforming into Fallen God Lycaon and killing everyone and everything they loved before the Hunters come and put them down." I nodded as I and I stood up before I spoke.
"I'll…I'll need to speak to Lycaon about this." I muttered and he nodded as he placed his hand on my shoulders.
"Like I said, take all the time you need, but if I can make a suggestion." I looked up to him and nodded and he smiled.
"If you can, make your decision before the six months are up. The peak time for a Devil to exponentially grow in power starts six months after you wake up, i.e. when you turn 13, and ends on your 17th Birthday. After that, you'll have to wait until you're 50 years old before your peak growth time starts once again and ends on your 7000th birthday. If you're going to let Lycaon go and start training Sword Birth, after your 13th birthday is the right time to do so." I nodded and he smiled before I saw the sunlight and the grassy plains begin to disappear as Sebastian's body broke down into wisps of black smoke.
"Looks like Lycaon is calling you back. It was nice meeting you, Isaiah and I hope you make the right decision."
"It's was nice to meet you as well, Mr Sebastian. Wait, can you tell me your full name, please? I want to go and do some research on you." He looked a bit sad at that before nodding.
"It's Sebastian Valet." My eyes widened as I remembered that name coming up in a history book I read and he chuckled as everything clicked in my mind before the void reappeared once again, Lycaon lying in front of the crimson orb with his head on his forepaws as he opened an eye, staring at my shocked expression.
"He told you his real name, didn't he?"
"…That was the Beast of Gevaudan? The La Bête du Gévaudan? The bloody Scourge of Europe?" I muttered and Lycaon chuckled. What the hell?
"Don't blame Sebas. He likes to keep his bloody past hidden from others." I nodded numbly as I sat down next to Lycaon, just staring out into the void before Lycaon's voice snapped me out of my shock.
"He told you everything, I presume?" I nodded.
"Yeah, why didn't you tell me?" Lycaon sighed as he turned his head to stare at the crimson orb.
"I wanted you to listen to Sebastian's explanation and his story and then make your decision. These days, you're too impulsive and I've seen hundreds of my 'wielders' do the same fucking thing over and over again, all of them saying that this time, they were going to be the ones who proved us wrong. You've been the most creative and the most promising of any of my wielders and to watch you throw your life away just for a bit of power that you would have easily gotten in just a few weeks of training…I couldn't do that, especially to one of my descendants." I turned to him as soon as he said that.
"So…you're telling me that I, Isaiah Azathoth, am one of your descendants…and you've never told me that at all?" He chuckled at that.
"I've been telling you this whole time, you're of my blood, the only great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandchild of my oldest son Lyca, my pride and joy. Oh, you should have seen him in battle. Tearing man and beast apart with his claws as he ripped out throats with his powerful jaws, drinking the blood of his enemies and feasting on their flesh. Ah, it's enough to make this old man cry in joy." As he spoke, his eyes glazed slightly over as he thought back, his usual prideful smile aimed at something other than me.
"…Of course, you would." I muttered with a grin and he laughed as I chuckled and leaned against his soft fur, feeling the familiar coldness of his void-filled aura enveloping me. It was…comforting, like the aura was a shield of protection. I guess that makes now since I know that I'm probably the last family member he has left.
"I've already made my decision." I said as we relaxed and he turned to me.
"Oh?"
"As soon as I wake up, I'm letting you free. It's like you and Sebastian said. As much as keeping you will make me powerful, I don't want to risk me getting blown up. The power boost I get from you is nice, but I don't want risk stagnating my potential just because I can't get the job done on my own. Besides, I'm pretty sure I can make Sword Birth even more powerful than you with the ideas I have in mind. …You're still helping me perfect my usage of Sword Birth and all of your blade fighting techniques before you leave." He chuckled as he nodded.
"Good to hear, pup. I'm going to take a quick nap to gather more energy and then we're starting with 'Lycaon's Sword Birth Fighting Camp'." I just laughed along with him as we laid in the void before I felt his breathing even out.
'Yeah, as much as it pains me to lose this much power…it's just not worth it.' I thought to myself before I closed my eyes, ready to take a quick power nap before I closed my eyes.
Six Months Later:
"Fuck. My head hurts." I whispered out as I slowly opened my eyes, my vision dull for a moment before it cleared, revealing the familiar sight of the hospital roof and taking a deep breath, I smelled that familiar sterilized room smell. Slightly lifting myself up, I smiled as Akeno slept in a chair on the right side of the bed, my right hand intertwined with her left as her right arm was wrapped around a sleeping Koneko on her lap.
I've had six months to think about how to approach the 'possible' relationship that might begin between us two and I've come to a decision to just say 'Fuck it', literally and figuratively. If she likes me and I like her, good. Let's just get together and worry about the consequences later. We're a little too young for the real relationship stuff, but that doesn't mean everything is off the table.
"…Isaiah?" I heard a familiar voice from the door and looked to see Rias staring at me in shock, a bouquet of flowers in her hands as Sirzechs smiled and waved at me from behind her.
"Hey, boss." I said softly as I waved with my left hand, snapping her out of her shock as she rushed around the left side before wrapping me in a tight hug. Akeno and Koneko must've heard the noise as they both woke up before their eyes widened as they noticed Rias hugging me.
"Hey, girls. How have you been?" I asked with a smile and Koneko instantly appeared on my lap, arms wrapped around me tightly as Akeno hugged my right side. I chuckled as I picked both Rias and Akeno up before putting them next to me, wrapping my arms around all three.
"Sorry I took so long to wake up."
"Shut the fuck up and keep hugging us, you bastard." …Did Rias just cuss? I looked at her in shock before turning to Sirzechs, who actually looked a bit horrified as Akeno and Koneko giggled.
"R-R-Rias Gremory! L-language!" Sirzechs stuttered out as he tried to reprimand her.
"Oh, shush you." Was her simple answer and I chuckled as Sirzechs slumped over in the chair Akeno was sitting in, drawing circles with his right index finger on his lap. We just sat there in a hug for probably 30 minutes before Sirzechs spoke up.
"Not to ruin this wonderful moment, but girls, can I speak to Isaiah…alone?" He asked with a nervous smile as the girls just glared at him before I spoke.
"It's okay. I'm not going anywhere and I promise we'll have a day-long team hug." Rias looked hesitant before she nodded.
"Okay. We'll be outside." She added as she glared at Sirzechs, who nodded rapidly before she gave me a final hug and stood up, Koneko and Akeno still wrapped around me. "I'll buy you all the sweets you want for a year and you can sleep in my room for an entire year." I said to both of them and they nodded slowly before letting go, Koneko giving me a quick peck on the cheek before she followed Rias out. Akeno looked a bit indecisive as she held my hand and I smiled before I pulled her closer and gave her a chaste kiss. I heard Rias gasp excitedly in the background as Sirzechs whistled lowly before I pulled back. "
We'll talk later." I said and she nodded, eyes glazed over and deep in a trance before she slowly followed an excited Rias and a smirking Koneko out of the room, leaving me and Sirzechs alone. He was grinning at me as he rose an eyebrow and I rolled my eyes.
"Not a word out of you."
"Looks like someone isn't going to complain about the 'my girlfriend/ wife is better' competition anymore." I groaned as he chuckled. I forgot about those. Man, now Zeoticus isn't going to get let go either.
"So, now that I know you're still the same old boy I know, why don't you tell me everything that happened that night and do not leave a single detail out?" I sighed before nodding, leaning against the cushion behind me before I told him everything. From when I arrived at the tournament to where they destroyed the barrier and came to get me home.
"I see. Well, your story checks out with what MacGregor and Okita had managed to get from the environment, which means that we're no closer to finding out who actually hired them or who they were." Sirzechs muttered as he rubbed his temples.
"Lycaon said that they're an assassin's group called the Dark Creed. The dozens of assassins that Lycaon faced were from the 2nd Circle and are Middle-Class Devils and the leader are from the 4th Circle and was a Mid Ultimate Class being. They're werewolf hunters that he's fought them once when he wasn't sealed inside Canis Lykaon." I added and Sirzechs hummed as he nodded.
"That's good information. Well, with your story, we'll be able to narrow down who hired them and see if we can't make that person pay…repercussions to you. Anyway, that's all I wanted to ask you, so I'll let Rias and girls back in." I nodded and he smiled before walking out and I laid back as I waited a few seconds before the three came back in and once again laid down and wrapped me up in hugs, smiling as I wrapped my arms around them.
"…Man, I have so much explaining to do to Hisoka. He's going to pissed that I didn't answer his requests." I broke the content silence and Rias giggled.
"Don't worry, I've already let him know. He says and I quote 'The newbie better not die and tell him he owes me ¥1 000 000 for all the gaming sessions he missed'." I chuckled as I nodded. A million yen was easy for me to pay back since I still had about $1 800 000 left from the time I 'negotiated' $2 000 000 off of the Gremory Family.
"…So, you and Akeno?" Rias began and Akeno hid her face in my shoulder as I just rolled my eyes, Rias giggling as Koneko smirked.
"That's for us two to talk about and for you two to not worry about." Rias just pouted as I felt Akeno giving me a light kiss on my neck, slightly tickling me as well as sending a chill down my spine. Satan damn, why was my most sensitive spots on my neck?
"Ecchi." Koneko's monotone voice came out of nowhere and I grinned as Akeno and Rias giggled.
"Time for a team nap!" Rias cheered softly and the other two nodded before they snuggled into as I just raised an eyebrow.
"You do realize that I've been sleeping for six months straight."
"And?" She asked with a smirk, which I returned as I closed my eyes.
"You know me better than I thought." I muttered and she giggled before I felt her snuggle deeper. She was lying on my left shoulder, Akeno on my right and Koneko hugging my chest.
'…Hey, Lycaon. You there?'
"You still haven't released me, so I think you know the answer to that question." Came Lycaon's amused answer and I smirked as I felt the girls' breathing even out.
'I suppose I deserve that. You happy for finally being able to roam free?'
"Meh. I'll be free for about a year or so and then after that, I'll be forced by God's System into another newborn human." I nodded before I closed my eyes.
'I guess a nap won't hurt.'
"Your Sin of Sloth is just as bad as your Sin of Greed." Lycaon spoke and I chuckled softly before I fell asleep.
The Next Day:
"Let him rest for a week and he'll have to only do light training for the next week, but after that, he'll be free to train as he did before his six-months long nap. Other than that, his body might be a bit lethargic from not moving for the past six months, so just have him slowly get used to walking around before you have him do something like running and sprinting."
"Of course. Thank you once again, Lord Sitri." Lord Sitri just smiled before he nodded, his long black hair swaying behind him as he walked out of the room, leaving me, the girls, Sirzechs and Grayfia in the room. I was now in a pair of baggy, dark blue pants, black sneakers and a black tank-top as my left arm was in a cast. Almost all of the poison was out of it, but it was still a light pink because of the fact that my arm never healed from me pushing it past its limit when I combined Touki and Storm Knight Aura and it couldn't heal because the potent poison that the Hunter gave me.
"Well, you heard him. No training or 'reading' for a week." Rias said as she turned to me and I shrugged, wincing a bit as I felt the slight pain from the still-fresh scar on my chest. I still don't know how the hell this thing didn't heal, but according to Lord Sitri, my demonic energy was too busy trying to counter the poison in my arm to fully regenerate the holy water-coated scar.
"Don't worry. I wasn't going to train anyway. The old man's probably going to ban me from the training grounds and the library for the next week or so." I struggled to stand up, my legs much weaker than I was used to. Akeno just giggled as she wrapped my right arm around her shoulders and her left arm around my waist, Rias pouting as she wanted to do that and Koneko just staring as she ate a box of chocolates she brought from home.
"You really like this, don't you?"
"What girl doesn't like her boyfriend being dependant on her?" I caught a rare smirk from Grayfia as Sirzechs and Rias giggled and Koneko smirked. I just rolled my eyes as I wrapped my arm tighter around Akeno's shoulder, seeing her happy smile as she giggled.
"Come, let's head home before Mother come and fetch us herself." Sirzechs added with a chuckle and we nodded as we stood next to him, Grayfia creating a big Gremory crest under us before we teleported away.
Gremory Castle, Underworld:
As the light of the teleportation died down, I smiled as I saw Lord and Lady Gremory standing there along with the rest of Sirzechs' peerage, though they were spread out throughout the courtyard and their attention were constantly on the surrounding area as they kept watched for anyone looking to finishing the job.
"It's wonderful to see that I haven't lost my favourite pupil." Lady Gremory said with a smile and I smiled back as I bowed, with her just giggling as she wrapped her arms around me.
"You're not usually one for hugs, Lady Gremory." I said as I took my arm off of Akeno for a few seconds to give her a light hug and I could feel her shake her head as she pulled back.
"Not that I'm complaining." I added quickly and she just giggled before Lord Gremory spoke.
"Well, as nice as this is, he still does need his rest, dear. And it's wonderful to have you back, Isaiah. It would've been hard for me to find another reading buddy." Lady Gremory just rolled her eyes playfully as I chuckled before Akeno put my loose arm around her shoulders once again and helped me walk to my room, Rias walking slowly with us to help and Koneko chewing on her chocolates as she walked along.
"Hey, Evelina." I greeted and she turned around. Her eyes widened as she saw that it was me and her form blitzed forward before I found myself wrapped tightly in a hug.
"Nice…to see you…too, but…I'm still…a bit sore." I gasped out and she quickly let go as I giggled.
"Hugs are fine. Just not too tightly." She just shook her head as she hugged me again, this time a bit lighter.
"Good to see you haven't died yet, kid."
"Those two haven't been a problem?" I asked and she shook her head.
"Their mistress always kept them in check." She said as she pointed at Akeno, who giggled as I stared at her before sighing. Of course, she would be able to keep under control.
"Well, that's good to hear and it would be nice to finally your delicious cuisine instead of hospital food. I thought being in a Devil Hospital would mean the food was good, but nope." She giggled before she smiled.
"Go and get some rest, Isaiah. I'll make sure to give you an extra-large plate tonight."
"Looks like someone is now fighting Lady Gremory for the spot of my favourite adult." She just rolled her eyes before she walked away, Akeno raising an eyebrow before she spoke.
"…Favourite adult?"
"Shush you." I said and she just giggled as we walked further.
"I'm sure you two want to talk, so I'm going to go finish my manga reading. See you guys at dinner. And before I forget, Isaiah, the new member wants to meet you, so we're going to their room in the afternoon."
'Huh, so eBay Dio Brando is finally here, huh? Time for me to create my own Dio in this world.' I nodded and she smiled before walking into her room, Koneko waving at us before she walked to her room. "Let's get you to your bed, mister." Akeno said and I just chuckled as we walked towards my room, Bardou and Joker looking up to see who it was before they jumped to their feet and ran towards me.
'I told you he would survive, Joky!'
'Master! You didn't die like a bitch! And shut up, Bar! I never said Master would die!'
'Yes! That means you owe me a cow leg, Joky!'
'…Fuck! Master, why didn't you die?!'
"If I died, Joky, that means neither of you would have gotten a cow leg. Technically speaking, Bar played you like a fiddle." He just grumbled as Akeno stared between us three, Bardou's tail wagging happily behind me as I just rolled my eyes.
"It really is amazing how you are able to understand and talk to them like that." She muttered and I just shook my head as she helped me lay down on the bed, Joker and Bardou going back to laying at the foot of the bed as Akeno fell down on the bed on my right, snuggling into me as I wrapped my right arm around her waist.
"Believe me. Sometimes, I wish I didn't understand them for the amount of dumb stuff they talk about." Both just gave a happy bark as Akeno giggled and I just smiled.
"So…" I trailed off and I felt her uneasiness as she twirled a strand of her hair with her right index finger, which I knew was something she only did when she really didn't want to say something.
"…I might as well tell you about my secret before I truly tell you about my feelings." Wait, what? I was surprised as she slowly stood up, undoing the top buttons of her shirt, revealing her creamy pale skin as she let it drop off her shoulders. I'm pretty sure all of my common sense flew out of the window as soon as I saw her skin and I'm 100% sure I was drooling a bit.
"Calm yourself, pup! I know you lust for her, but control yourself! Gods be damned, it's like all forms of sense fly out of the window as soon as the two of you are left alone in a room." Lycaon's voice snapped me out of my stupor as I quickly wiped away my drool, now noticing the Devil wing on the right side of her back and the giant crow-like wing on the left side of her back.
"I…I-I was a Fallen Angel/ Human Hybrid before Rias reincarnated me as her Queen. My mother was a former priestess from the Himejima Clan, one of the Five Principal Clans of Japan, and my father was Baraqiel, the Lightning of God and a Cadre in the Grigori." I had to wince slightly as she growled the word 'father' out, moving to sit behind her as I pulled her back and she smiled softly as she sat down on my lap, wrapping my right arm around her as her wings stretched out to lie on her lap.
"They met one day when my mother found him injured from completing a difficult mission. From that first meeting, their love for each other bloomed and after a few years, they secretly got married. They had a happy marriage and from that happy marriage came me. We…we were content to live as a happy little family in our shrine on the outskirts of Kuoh. U-Unfortunately, my maternal side of the family did not agree with my mother's choice of a spouse. In fact, they loathed the fact that she picked a Fallen Angel, a Cadre no less, as her spouse." A few tears had escaped as she spoke and I sighed as I rested my chin on her left shoulder, hearing her soft sigh before she continued.
"O-One day, m-my father had to d-do an urgent mission for the G-Grigori and my mother and I were left alone in our shrine. U-Unfortunately, my mother's family found out and they didn't waste any time to try and take us both out to get rid of the one blemish on t-their perfect record. K-…Kaa-san k-killed all 35 assassins sent after us that night, b-but she didn't a-anticipate that her own father and my grandfather would…would be there to kill her that night. S-She tried to buy a-as much time as she could, b-but she was killed in just a f-few seconds." She was full on sobbing now, her shoulders shaking as I hummed a random melody that came to my head, feeling her calm down slightly. She didn't even realise that she had reverted to calling her mother 'Kaa-san'.
"A-After the old bastard k-killed my Kaa-san, he, along with the few reinforcements he brought with him, t-tried to f-finish me off as quickly as p-possible, but it was at that moment when m-my father came back and killed all of them, also making s-sure to rip the old fucker's arms off." As she kept talking, the tears slowly dried up, her sad frown now turned into a small bloodthirsty grin as killing intent slowly leaked off her. I forgot that under that soft, well-mannered girl was a sadomasochistic monster slumbering in wait.
"Calm yourself." I whispered as I rubbed the back of her right hand softly and she nodded as she took in a deep breath before letting it out, repeating the process for a few more seconds before she continued.
"I admit…I-I…I hated my father for not being there to protect my mother a-and I hated my Fallen Angel heritage because it r-reminded me of the fact that…that he wasn't there to protect us like he promised. I-I still do, but I-I've come to realize that I…I was being too harsh. I-I still can't look at him without remembering that night nor d-do I think I'll be able t-to forgive him…but seeing you o-on that bed, trapped in a coma made me realize…that if I w-wanted to be able to be with you, to fight at your side, I…I needed to utilize all the power I have at my disposal, no matter how much I wish I didn't have to."
"…Well, that explains the dangerous sparking aura I felt every time I used Magic Sense to feel your aura." I muttered and she giggled as she readjusted her shirt and buttoned it back up, hiding the glorious view of her C-Cup, milky white breasts.
"Aw~" I whined softly and she just giggled as she left the top button open, giving me a slight view of her cleavage.
"You're 13 and I'm 12. I don't think tweens are supposed to act this way." I muttered with a grin and she just smiled as I picked us both up and laid back down on the bed. Her wings also disappeared as soon as I picked her up. Joker and Bardou went back to lying down as soon as they felt her calm down.
Man, she really bonded with them over the past six months.
"We have our Devil Genetics to blame for that. Moreso, for me with my combined Devil and Fallen Angel genes." Akeno said softly and I chuckled as I wrapped my arm around her waist. I softly rubbed her side and she shivered with a soft moan as she wrapped her arm around my waist, leaning her head against my right shoulder.
"Thanks a lot, puberty." She giggled at my words and I sighed as we laid in silence, just me staring up at the ceiling before I felt eyes on me and looked down to see her staring up at me with a smile.
"I still can't believe this is real. I feel like I'm dreaming~" She moaned as I pinched her side with a bit of Lightning Magic flowing through my fingers, making me grin as I raised an eyebrow and she pouted.
"Looks like it isn't a dream." "I hate the fact that you know my weak spots." I just chuckled as I leaned down and gave her a kiss, which she was more than happy to reciprocate as she moved to straddle me, my hand moving from her hip to her round butt as I got a nice handful. On the one hand, I felt like a little bit of a pedo. On the other hand, I was fighting a losing battle against my Devil instincts, so if you can't beat them…join them.
"As~as much as I would like…hm~as much as I want to continue, I ah~right there~…I want to wait before we go~go further~" I chuckled as soon as we pulled away from each other, my hand sparking with Electricity Magic as I rested it on her butt, watching her squirm as she struggled to keep in her moans.
"Fine. I can wait." I said with a grin as the electricity disappeared and she laid on my chest, slightly breathing heavier as I felt a sticky wetness on my stomach.
Well, well, well. I actually managed to make a girl cum just by fondling her ass. …Take that, Johnny Sins! I managed to do something you could never do.
"Let's get a bit of rest. You look like you need it." I muttered with a grin and all she did was nod slightly before she fell asleep on my chest, her breathing tickling my chest as it evened out.
'That's my master.' I heard both Joker and Bardou mutter and I lifted my head slightly to see both grinning as they stared at us.
"…Back to sleep or I'm kicking you out." Both heads instantly dropped back behind the bed and I shook my head as I laid back down, once more resting my hand on Akeno's ass before closing my eyes and falling asleep.
Later that night:
"Rias, you have about 20 rooms in total for your prospective peerage members, right?"
"Right!" She answered cheerfully as we walked down stairs, Akeno helping me as Koneko walked behind me eating a pair of chocolate muffins, a bag stuffed with an assortment of cookies tied to her side.
"Then why is the new member's room on the 3rd Basement floor?" I asked with a raised eyebrow and she just giggled.
"He's a bit of an…introvert and doesn't like his room, because a bit of light always gets into it. He's also the one who chose to be on this floor."
"…How the hell did you get a vampire to become your peerage member? Aren't those idiots even more arrogant than pure blood Devils?" She turned around in shock as both Akeno and Koneko gave me incredulous stares.
"How did you know he was a Dhampir? That was supposed to be the surprise! Akeno, did you tell me?!"
"Not one word. Then again, this is Isaiah, so he probably took what you said and figured it out."
"Wants a dark room, hates the light, introvert. As far as I know, vampires are secluded by nature, hate any type of light and always likes to live in darkness because of their natural affinity to shadows." 'And the fact that I already knew who it was.' Went unsaid inside my mind as Rias stared at me before sighing, grumbling about 'brainiac knights who keep spoiling the surprise' as we arrived at a dark oak door.
"Who applied the runic scheme?"
"MacGregor." She answered and I nodded as I went back to staring at it.
'Containment', 'Nullification', 'Aura Rebound', 'Redirection and Direction', 'Power by 20', 'Quadruple Power' and 'Expansion'. All of these were written in Divinitin and repeated probably over a dozen times in different types of runic schemes and patterns, not one word found in the same place of order twice. All of them arranged in such a way to form the Crimson Crest of House Gremory. A true work of art.
"Come on in. Gasper! Where are you?!" Rias shouted into the dark cavern/ room as we walked in, Akeno and I following her as Koneko followed us before closing the door behind us, the runic scheme once again reappearing on the door before I heard it lock.
"Eek!" I jumped slightly as I heard a high-pitched screech and what happened next even shocked me.
The one moment I was staring at the different monitor screens and PC's in the dark with my arm around Akeno, the next I was kneeling on the ground, a poison dagger created with Sword Birth in my hand as I held in at the throat of a quivering red-eyed, blonde haired vampire trap. The sparking white aura of Storm Knight Aura was raging around me and I stared at the Dhampir below me in shock before I saw him wince as a stray electricity spark hit him.
"Shit! Sorry about that. My body tends to react on its own." I apologized as I dismissed the dagger in my hand, struggling a bit to stand up, though not as much as yesterday. I can stand on my own, but the walking is a lot harder to do. Then again, if you were in a coma for six months, I suppose I shouldn't be ungrateful.
"Isa! Stop attacking people at random! And stop using pushing yourself! You're suppose to be recovering" Rias exclaimed as Akeno rushed towards me, helping me back away from the Dhampir as Rias went to comfort him.
"I blame Okita's Constant Vigilance Training." Was all I said and she sighed before turning to the still frightened Gasper, who squeaked as soon as I looked at him. He disappeared out of Rias' arms before reappearing in the corner of the room, hiding inside a cardboard box.
"W-W-W-W-Who i-i-i-is h-h-he?!" …I have a lot of work to do before I have my Dio Brando or Alucard.
"I'm Isaiah Azathoth, Rias' one and only Knight. I've been in a coma for the past six months since I got ambushed by 100+ assassins after my last contract."
"Wait, really?!" He bursts from his box, an excited smile on his face right before he realized he could see us and squeaked as he went back inside.
"…An easily excitable fellow, isn't he?" I said to Rias with a grin and she just sighed.
"I've been trying to get him to come out once and a while, but as you can see…" She trailed off as she pointed at the quivering box before I grinned.
"Leave me alone with him for a few minutes. I have an idea."
"Is this idea going to include maiming him, insulting him, disfiguring him or mentally scarring him?"
"…I'm not sure about the 'mentally scarring him' part, but there might be a few insults."
"…Fine." She grumbled as she turned to walk away.
"Go. I'll be fine." I muttered to Akeno as I gave her a quick kiss and she sighed before nodding, hesitantly letting go of me before following Rias and Koneko out. I waited until the door's closed and I saw the seal return before I turned to the box, which was now completely stil.
"You know, you remind me of a Dhampir I knew before I became a Devil."
"R-Really?" His voice came from behind me and I turned to see him sitting in another corner of the room, a pitch black blanket wrapped around him with only his eyes being visible.
"Yeah, but he was a lot more bloodthirsty, arrogant and…eccentric than you are." 'He also terrorized an entire family bloodline even from the grave before he got resurrected and reset the entire universe, but that's better left unsaid.'
"T-That sounds m-more l-l-like the u-usual vampire." He muttered and I chuckled as I walked before sitting against the wall near him, with him just staring at me from where he was hiding.
"Yeah, he did act like the usual vampire, but he also had an ability similar to yours, though his only allowed him to stop time for 5 seconds."
"…A-And where i-is he now?" He sounded a bit more curious than before and a quick glance to the side revealed that he was also out of his corner, having scooted a bit closer.
"I don't know. He disappeared a year before Rias made me a Devil and I've never heard anything about someone finding him or seeing him after that."
"W-Was…was he strong?" He sounded a bit hopeful and using Air Current Sense revealed that he was actually now even closer, sitting just a few inches away.
"The strongest Dhampir I knew, though he liked to call himself a 'True Vampire'. He had managed to increase his time limit to 11 seconds before he disappeared, which combined with his physical capabilities is more than enough time for him to finish off his opponents." Now that I think about it, I've always wondered why Dio didn't just rip off Jotaro's head and he would've won right then and there. Then I remembered Dio's arrogance and I sighed at his idiocy and hubris.
"I-I hope I-I can maybe b-become as strong as h-him." He muttered and I chuckled as I reached out and ruffled his hair, with him whining as he swept my hand away.
"The fact that you managed to freeze me for a split second should be more than enough to show you how powerful you truly are. Besides, with a bit of training and a bit more courage, you can reach his level of power if not surpass him." A lie, but a white one. Dio Brando as he was was a monster. Heaven Ascension DIO...
That's a monstrosity better left undisturbed.
"T-Thank you, but I c-cant even c-control my S-Sacred Gear and I-I'm too m-much of a wimp to even d-drink blood."
"Was there someone who trained you on how to use it and teach you everything on being a vampire?"
"Um…no. V-Valerie taught me the b-basics before we were forced t-to separate castles a-after the P-Pure Blood Vampires found out about our training."
"Well, there's the solution to your problem. You've never had any kind f formal training and therefore, you use your powers instinctively instead of consciously. That's why I'm here. I can't train right now, but they didn't say I couldn't teach." His eyes snapped up to meet mine and I could see the surprise and the slight glimmer of hope.
"R-Really? Y-You would train m-me?"
"Sure. We just have to go outside and-!"
"N-No thank you! I-I'm good!" He shouted as he wrapped himself tightly in the blanket and I sighed before an idea came to mind. If it worked for the canon universe, it should definitely work for this universe.
Without saying a thing, I forced myself to blitz around, feeling the burning pain in my legs as I searched through the entire room before I found what I was looking for. Picking up the paper bag and the pair of scissors, Gasper watched in curiosity and awe as I quickly cut out four holes, two for his eyes, one for his nose, and one for his mouth before rushing towards him, pulling the blanket off his head and putting it on him.
"And there! Now you don't have to worry about anyone looking at you or seeing your face." He looked surprised as he felt at his head with wide eyes before a grin came onto his face.
"T-T-Thank you!" He exclaimed as he hugged me and I chuckled as I returned it. Thankfully, the mental damage hasn't had much time to grow and fester as much as it did in the canon universe, so if I keep working on him now as well as Akeno, they should be alright with their heritage by the time the canon timeline starts. Now, the only one left is Koneko.
…I definitely need to ask Rias for a raise. I'm not a freaking therapist.
"Come on. Let's go show the girls."
"Okay!" He even sounded a lot more confident as he quickly pulled off the blanket and straightened his clothing before he helped me walk towards the door. I've just now noticed, but he actually looked a lot like a girl of Koneko's age with his black skirt, his black blouse, the black nail polish and the twin bat hair-clips that kept his bangs out of his face.
If I didn't know that he was a dude, I would actually have thought he was a pre-teen girl in her Goth phase. Knocking on the door, we waited for a few seconds before it opened up and Rias looked shocked at seeing Gasper's masked visage and Akeno just walked towards me and took me from Gasper with a smile, though he didn't walk away as he hid slightly behind me.
"…How?" Rias muttered in shock and I grinned.
"Sometimes, the most complex problems require the simplest solutions. I just talked to him, right Gasper?"
"R-Right!" He nodded behind me and I chuckled before I began walking, the door closing and sealing behind us as Koneko and Gasper followed Akeno and I. Rias was still standing and staring into thin air before she noticed us walking away.
"W-Wait! Seriously, Isaiah! How did you get him to come out?!" The only answer she got was me laughing and Akeno giggling as I continued up the stairs.
Later that same night, Midnight:
I had barely managed to sneak out of Akeno's, Rias', Koneko's and Gasper's grasps and stumbled to make it to Training Ground #2, Air Current Sense and Electroreception at full blast and revealing no one near me for five hundred meters.
"Well, this is goodbye, pup." Lycaon said and I nodded with a smile. He was in his bipedal form and the link I felt with him was almost completely severed, a small thread just barely helping us stay together.
"It's been a nice year training with you, old timer. And don't worry. If you're still a free beast after I've reached Elder God-Class, I'll come and seal you back inside me." He just chuckled before silence reigned across the training ground as we stared at each other with smiles.
"You know, I never got you a present for your birthday." I just rolled my eyes before he placed a claw against my chest, a dim blue and silver glow emanating from it before he removed it and I felt a bit of my Demonic Energy disappear.
"I've fully unlocked your werewolf heritage, but since you're a Devil, you won't have access to your full transformations, just a partial form. You still have the enhanced physical capabilities, but since wolves aren't beings of magic and mysticism, you lost a bit of Demonic Energy. You won't also have to worry about the moon phases influencing your power since you're not a full blooded werewolf, but you do have the worry about your combined weakness to silver weapons now both as a werewolf and a Devil."
"That's…that's more than fine, old man. I…I guess I'll be seeing you." I muttered and he chuckled as I gave him a tight hug, tapping me on the back as I held him for a few seconds before pulling back.
You know, I never had a father figure in my past life. I…I guess I finally had a chance to experience that.
"Until we meet again, pup." He bowed and I bowed back before he sank into his shadow, his presence completely disappearing and I felt the last thread between us completely shatter. It left me cold and empty. It might have just been the cold, night air, but I knew it was the fact that I just lost a part of me and there is a chance that I might meet him once again, but that chance was a sliver at best.
"So that's why you snuck out?" I heard Sirzechs's voice and turned to see him along with his entire peerage staring at me. He, along with Grayfia, were standing under a tree, with Okita and Beowulf sitting in the branches above them. MacGregor and Surtr were standing in the shadows and Bahamuth and Enku were just behind Grayfia and Sirzechs respectively.
"Yeah." I said with a sad smile as I walked/ stumbled towards them and he nodded, patting me on the head as I stopped in front of him.
"Sometimes, life likes to throw you a curve ball and destroy any semblance of direction you had. It's your job to pick up the pieces and repair it as best as you can. You've already done the right thing by letting go. Having power is good, but not when it stops you from progressing in life."
"And if there's one thing I hate more than anything in life…"
"It's stagnation." Okita's voice said from above me and I smiled and nodded up at him, which he chuckled at before he and Beowulf jumped down.
"Wait, why couldn't I sense any of you?"
"We've been alive for centuries longer than you, my dear boy. Hiding from the senses of an adept user of Air Current Sense and Electroreception is a bit of a challenge, but not that hard for us." Enku said from where I was and they all nodded as I looked at them before I grumbled. Just another reason to perfect and master my sensing abilities.
"Old man. As soon as I'm combat-ready, we're upping the level of Constant Vigilance and Sensing Training."
"And that's why you're my favourite student!" Okita cheered, everyone laughing at that as even Grayfia smirked.
"I'm your only student." I muttered and he chuckled as he ruffled my hair, with me grumbling as I swiped his hand away and took a final glance at where I said goodbye to Lycaon before I followed them back to the castle, Enku helping me walk back. Time for a new chapter of my life to begin.
A/N: Okay, for those pissed at me for removing Canis Lykaon with such a bullshit reason and nerfing Isaiah, I started this story with the thought that I would not give a Longinus to Isaiah, no matter what…and I gave him a Longinus as soon as I could. This is just me keeping that promise to myself and ret-conning that decision.(Also don't worry about him being a lot weaker. He still has his Touki, his Storm Knight Aura, his Sword Birth, his Blade Blacksmith and his newfound werewolf heritage. Like I said, me removing Canis Lykaon was a stupid, tearful and hard, but unfortunately, necessary ret-con.)
For those wondering about how's the story going to progress now, next is going to be another few chapters of rest, relaxation and contracts and after that, it's the training trip arc between Isaiah, Okita and one extra person(No, it's not Sairaorg) as they travel around the Underworld and the Human World to help Isaiah perfect his new abilities and powers along with his already existing ones.
I also asked this in An Arctic Trident, but would you guys rather have weekly shorter chapters or monthly long chapters? If it was weekly, I was thinking about like 2,000 – 5,000 words per chapter for weekly. This would help the story progress much faster at the cost of there being a little more cliffhangers than usual.
Other than that, I don't have anything immediate to say, so leave what you think of the chapter(and the chapter choice. Maybe I should do a poll? …Time to find out how to do a poll on Fanfic. N et and I see you all next time. Until then… Ba-Bye~!