The windswept duneside cliffs towered over the roiling seas. Thunder crashed across the skies as rain began to fall in a torrential downpour. A seaside town stood by the cliffside, battered by what could only be a catastrophic encounter. The bodies of the dead—men, women, and children—lay strewn across the streets.
And a single hooded figure prostrated himself before a wrinkle in the sky. Cracks spread across the air like glass, tearing open a hole into an unknowable void that shimmered with various lights as small yet uncountable like the night sky. A single shadow stared forth from the crack, its hollow red eyes looking at the world without a single ounce of care or mercy.
Like liquid, it poured through. Its viscous colorful black fluid leaked into the world, collecting and coalescing into a humanoid silhouette. Once it completely took form, it raised its hand and black vines spread across the land, sea, and skies as it sought to choke the world in its grasp.
As if sensing her presence, the Shadow snapped its head in the direction of her gaze. A smile spread across its shadowy features as it uttered a single sentence.
"Do you feel like a hero yet… Sophia?"
Lucia awoke with a start, cold sweat dripping down her head. She breathed rapidly and her heart raced, threatening to burst from her chest. She gripped her sheets tightly before taking a few deep breaths like her mother taught her to calm down.
"A… Shadow," Lucia whispered.
"Lucia. LUCIA!"
Lucia's head snapped up at her mother's words. Her young mind was in a turmoil from her recent string of problems, namely her most recent nightmare and the issue with her newest friend, Val.
Uriel's gaze softened when she saw her daughter's somewhat haunted expression. It was one she had seen a handful of times in children during war but she never thought her own daughter would have it. She walked over and placed a hand on Lucia's shoulder. "Sweetie, is everything okay?"
"Mama, do dreams come true?"
Uriel blinked at her daughter's question. "Dreams…?"
"I had a bad dream last night."
"About?"
"A Shadow."
"A Shadow? Like shadow people?" Uriel asked.
Lucia shook her head. She gripped the fabric of her track pants and looked up at Uriel. Her eyes furrowed as she tried to describe to her mother what it looked like. "It looked like a shadow person but it was scarier. It was in a town by a beach. And there was a guy wearing a hood there. And the Shadow looked at me after making a bunch of plants and…"
"And what?" Uriel felt a sense of foreboding creeping up her spine.
"It said something about someone named… Sophia?"
Uriel almost froze. Was Lucia having dreams about Ukraine? She shook her head slightly. No, wait, she said it was by a beach. Uriel looked at her daughter for a few seconds before letting out a sigh. "Dreams do come true, Luci. But only good dreams. If you have a dream that comes true, then that means you're either a good person or a special person called a Prophet."
"Then, I'm a prophet?" Lucia asked.
"Er…"
Uriel didn't know how to respond to that. Her daughter was looking at her expectantly, as if Uriel knew the answer. She scratched her cheek a bit nervously. "Only your Auntie Ellie would know that, Luci."
"Oh."
Uriel sighed. "I'll ask her for you."
"Really?" Lucia's eyes lit up.
"Of course! Mama will ask Auntie Ellie all about Prophets. But for now, let's finish this survival exercise, okay? One day when you get big, you'll go on all sorts of adventures, right?" Uriel said, steering the subject back to the matter at hand.
Lucia nodded fervently as she followed after her mother.
"Today, we're going to learn how to set traps."
Lucia stole glances at Val the whole time during class. She scribbled furiously in her notebook about different ways for her to get to Val's house. After Irina had pointed out the fact that Val's father was a Devil, Lucia worked on overdrive to find a way to save her. It had been a few days since they had enrolled in school.
After that first day, Val had become a bit withdrawn from Lucia, refusing to even utter a word to her for the first two days. It was only thanks to Irina's help and some persistence on Lucia's part that she was able to get on speaking terms with Val again.
As she looked back down at her notebook, her mind went on overdrive as she drowned out the teacher's math lesson about a thing regarding times tables.
"Miss Lucia, can you please answer this question for the class?"
Lucia blinked when she heard the teacher call her name. She looked up and saw Miss Wiederhold pointing at the board.
5 x 5 = ?
Lucia stared at the board for a few seconds. "25."
"That is correct. But I would like it more if you paid a little more attention instead of doodling in your notebook, Miss Lucia."
Lucia's cheeks flushed red as the whole class turned to stare at her. She childishly began to plot revenge against her teacher, who promptly returned to teaching the math lesson.
"Are you okay?"
Lucia looked to her left to see Val staring at her with a concerned look in her eye.
"Yeah, I'm okay," Lucia smiled.
"How did you know the answer? Miss Wiederhold called on everyone. Not even Kristoff knew the answer," Val whispered.
Lucia glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw the blonde boy who dismissed her stories of her mother slaying a dragon. She smiled smugly. "Well, duh. My mama taught me. Mama is the smartest person in the world."
Val's eyes widened. "Really? My mom is smart too. She knows how to make really good noodles."
"My Mama…"
Lucia grimaced when she remembered the last time her mother tried to cook.
It was impressive that the Institution was intact, much less all of Germany. Lucia overheard the Exorcists in the compound thanking God that Lady Uriel did not cause a Chernobyl-type incident after she tried to cook an omelet with her Power of God.
"Luci?"
"Y-Yeah, Mama is good at cooking too," Lucia laughed nervously.
"Miss Lucia. Val. Please pay attention while you're in class," Miss Wiederhold called out to them.
"Y-Yes, teacher!" the two replied simultaneously.
School ended uneventfully as it always did. Lucia wondered how many more years of school she had to do until her mother was satisfied. However, she had to admit that spending time with Val in school was fun. Lucia rushed out of school to find Val standing next to someone Lucia had never seen before.
Usually, it was that Demon Man that came to school and picked up Val but now it was someone else. The woman was almost the same height as Aunt Rikka, being a head taller. She had kind look in her green eyes. However, that kindness hid a skittishness as well as a profound sense of fatigue. Despite it being warm outside, the woman wore long-sleeved clothing and the collar of her sweater covered enough of her neck from view.
"Mom," Val said as she walked over to her.
Lucia followed her, with Irina trailing close behind.
"Ah, Val. How was school?" Vali's mother asked.
"It was fine," Val replied.
Lucia was a perceptive child. She immediately noticed the difference in how Val responded to her mother's words as opposed to her father's. The way Val's eyes lit up and how she smiled whenever she talked to her mom. It didn't feel… how did the adults put it, forced? Lucia nodded inwardly.
As she and Irina stood quietly behind Val, Val's mother took notice of their presence and pushed up her glasses. "Val, did you…?"
"Oh, yeah. Mom, these are my friends. This is Rin," Val said, gesturing to Irina. "And that's Luci." She grabbed Lucia's hand and pulled her forward.
Lucia blinked at the sudden attention from both Val and her mother.
The older woman smiled gently in a way that almost reminded Lucia of her own mother.
"Hello there, my name is Eleonora Zora. I'm Val's mother. It's very nice to meet you, Miss Luci," Eleonora greeted.
Lucia blushed. This woman was very pretty. She nodded shyly. "M-My name is L-Lucia Reid, Miss Z-Zora!"
"I'm Irina Shidou, Ma'am," Irina bowed politely in front of the woman.
"Ah, what polite kids you two are. Thank you for being friends with my Val. Lord knows he needs more of those," Eleonora said.
"Yeah, he… wait… huh?" Lucia blinked.
"Val, let's go home. Your father will be home in a few hours and I still have to make dinner for him. You know how he can be when he's hungry," Eleonora said as she gently patted Val on the shoulder. The girl (?) looked up at her mother and nodded. She gripped her backpack tightly and waved nervously to Lucia and Irina.
"I-..."
"Can we come over and play, Val?" Lucia suddenly lurched forward and grabbed Val's hands.
Val blinked as her (?) face turned red from the sudden contact. "P-Play…? U-Um…"
"Right, Rin? We can come over to Val's house to play for a few hours! I just have to let Mama know to send Griselda!" Lucia beamed. "We can even bring Asia with us!"
Irina seemed a bit more apprehensive at the idea of going to Val's house. Not after what she sensed with Val's father. But she couldn't let Lucia go alone to that demon's house. Her father taught her to always help her friends and she nodded. "Mmm! I want to play at Val's house too!"
"Eh? Wait, you two want to—"
"Yes. Miss Zora! We want to play with Val!" Lucia said. Her happy and expectant face was not something she expected and Eleonora felt some of the stares of the other parents on her. She sighed and relented.
"I don't mind you coming over but what about your mother?" Eleonora asked, attempting to dissuade the girls into coming over.
"Mama will say yes! I'll go ask her!" Lucia ran off to go find her mother.
Eleonora sighed. She had to keep these girls away from the house. If her husband found out that their son had guests over, then she could only imagine what would happen to her sweet precious boy. She looked down at her son, the apple of her eye, gripping his bag nervously.
"Mamaaaa! This is my friend!"
Eleonora looked up when she saw Lucia dragging her mother with her.
"Ah, Luci, slow down!" Uriel said.
Lucia came to a stop in front of Eleonora and Val. "Mama, this is Val and this is her Mom, Miss Zora!"
Uriel looked at Eleonora. Her eyes drifted over to the young child beside her. The snow-white hair. Hazel eyes. And that unmistakable aura that felt both like a Dragon and a Devil combined. Her face remained impassive as she glanced at Val.
A Devil's aura and a Dragon's aura. A Dragon-aura coming from a Devil. The mother seems human but the Dragon Aura seems to be too strong to be a common dragon-type Sacred Gear. It can't be…
Uriel glanced at her daughter, who happily chatted with the white-haired kid.
"I apologize for my daughter's forwardness, Miss Zora. I am Auriel Reid, Lucia's mother," Uriel said.
Eleonora nodded. She was a bit stunned by the woman's sudden appearance. Lucia's mother was younger than she expected. Auriel appeared to be in her late to mid-twenties. "Um, yeah, it's no problem really. I'm just happy that Val got to make friends with other kids. I was a bit worried since he never really seemed to talk about school but now, when he comes home, he always tells me about this girl he became friends with."
"What a coincidence. Lucia always talks about her new friend that she made at school. I never thought I'd get to see him in person," Uriel said as she glanced at her daughter and Irina having a conversation with Val. Her gaze flicked back to Eleonora. She caught a glimpse of a slightly dark patch of skin peeking out from the collar of her sweater.
Hmm, this woman and her kid must be…
"A-Anyway, your daughter was asking if she could come over and play with my son. I'm fine with it but I don't want to impose," Eleonora said.
"Please, Mama!"
Uriel glanced at Lucia, who looked at her with pleading eyes. Lucia had never begged her for something like this before. Lucia had begged Uriel for many things. Things children usually never beg for such as training. However, for Lucia to beg for something so childlike, it was extremely endearing.
But… Uriel glanced at Val for a brief moment. "...Hmm."
Lucia waited with bated breath as she watched her mother's eyebrows furrow in deep thought. After a few seconds of silence, Uriel let out a sigh.
"Only until 5 PM."
"YES—!"
"BUT! You have to bring Selda with you. She'll accompany you and Irina to the house," Uriel said.
Lucia nodded her head rapidly. She didn't care if Griselda had to come along. As long as she could save Val from the Demon Man that was his father, then she was fine with it. In fact, Lucia welcomed it. While she didn't know how good Val's father was, Lucia knew Griselda as the second strongest person in the building.
"Can Asia come too?" Lucia asked.
Uriel raised an eyebrow. "You want Asia to come too? She has lessons today."
"Please, Mama! Please! Please! Please!"
Uriel glanced around, noticing that the other parents were looking at her with judgment in their eyes. Lucia was putting her on the spot.
"I'll clean my room like you ask next time! I won't make Rin clean the room!" Lucia clasped her hands together as she tried to offer her mother something that would make her say yes.
Uriel pinched the bridge of her nose and relented. "Fine. If I let you go over, you have to do all your chores and half of Asia and Irina's chores, got it?"
Lucia stiffened when she heard her mother's condition.
Irina and Asia's chores? All at the same time? Lucia began to wonder whether or not this was truly worth it to go and stop Val's Dad at the expense of doing chores. She clenched and unclenched her small fists before nodding.
"Y-Yeah! I'll do the chores," Lucia said.
Uriel raised an eyebrow. "Okay then. Selda will come with Asia. Be good for Val's Mom, okay?"
Lucia nodded and grabbed Irina's hand. "We'll be good!"
"And Lucia," Uriel said.
"Yes, Mama?"
Uriel pulled Lucia toward her and wrapped her arms around her.
Lucia was a bit taken aback by the sudden hug but melted into her mother's embrace.
"Be careful. Selda is there to get you out if anything happens, okay?" Uriel asked as she pulled back and held her daughter's shoulders.
Lucia nodded in understanding.
"Good. Have fun with your new friend, okay?"
Lucia nodded and ran back over to Val and Irina.
Val's house was much closer to the school than Lucia had realized. She figured with a father like Val's Dad, he might have wanted to live in some dusty old cabin somewhere away from town and conduct evil experiments on Val and her mother. But this was far from what Lucia had ever expected.
Val's house was a small two-story house in the middle of the suburbs in Klostern. It had a slightly worn brown roof and the lawn was overgrown. There were a few envelopes stuffed into the mailbox but nothing else. She followed Val and her mother up the walkway to the front steps. Irina trailed right behind her, looking at the house warily.
Lucia's eyes shifted color as she scanned the house and Val's mother.
Val still had the protection from whatever it was she (?) had around her.
[Eleonora Zora Lucifer]
[Estimating Combat Level… Strength: 7, Speed; 8, Durability: 8, Magic: 100, Skill: 15 Calculating average combat level: 138]
[Age: 34, Race: Human, Gender: Female, Marital Status: Married to Raezavan Lucifer]
[Special Trait: Hero's Mother]
[Equipment: Watch, Cellphone]
Raezavan Lucifer? Is that Val's Dad? And Lucifer. I heard about that name from Mama… Lucifer. He's supposed to be a really bad guy. Does that mean Val's Dad is bad too? And then Val must be… Lucia looked at Val, who was trying her (?) best to maintain a conversation as they entered Val's house.
Is Val bad too? No, wait. Val is super nice. She must be a good Devil then, Lucia nodded to herself and smiled. That was it. Val was super nice. There was no way she (?) was evil.
"Val, you can take your friends to your room. I'll prepare dinner for your father when he gets back," Eleonora said as she set Val's backpack down against one of the couches. Lucia looked around the living room, noticing how bare it was. It was like they just moved in. There were no photos of Val or Val's parents anywhere.
There were empty bottles of something called Johnnie Walker Whiskey. Lucia walked over and tried to grab it when Eleonora snatched it before she could even lay a finger on it. "Sorry, Miss Lucia but these aren't for kids. This is… bad stuff that grown-ups drink."
"But if it's bad, why do grown-ups drink it?" Lucia asked as she scanned the whiskey.
"Because… it makes them feel better and forget about things. Things they don't want to remember. But it can also make them worse to the ones who care about them," Eleonora said, her jaw tightening as if she were remembering something horrible. She closed her eyes and put on a brave smile for Lucia. "Why don't you go play in Val's room? I'll let you know when I have snacks ready."
Lucia nodded and walked up the stairs. As she walked down the hallway to Val's room, she noticed a door that was slightly ajar. Lucia passed by it, trying her best to ignore what was inside and to be a good girl like she promised her mother. However, in the end, curiosity won out and she peeked inside.
The door slowly creaked open and Lucia stepped inside. She held the straps of her backpack tightly as she surveilled her surroundings, trying to find anything to bring to her mother in hopes that she would smite this evil man. But the office looked plain. Almost too plain.
Lucia walked up to the desk of Val's father, making note of the empty picture frame that sat on the table. She glanced at a small partially opened envelope that sat on the desk. There was an odd symbol stamped onto the paper. It was an eight pointed star with multiple inscriptions in Enochian written along the center and on its four longest arms.
Before she could touch it, Lucia's head snapped up as she heard someone's voice outside the door.
"You stupid bitch. I'll deal with you later. Goddamnit!"
Lucia looked frantically around the room for somewhere to hide. She spotted a small space behind one of the couches in the room and dove behind it as the door slowly opened.
Val's father walked in, running a hand through his hair in frustration and muttering bad words under his voice. "Fucking bitch. Who the fuck does she think she is to make all those decisions!?"
The man walked over to his desk. He set down a bottle of that stuff adults drink.
"DAMN IT!" He roared in a rage, throwing all his papers off the desk. "All that hard work I did here! Now I have to move because we might get caught by the damn church! FUCK!" Raezavan hissed.
"Fuck fuck fuck! Haaaah. I need to make my move tonight. Yeah, yeah, tonight. If I move tonight, I can get back in his good graces and not end up like…," Raezavan shivered as if he were remembering something horrific. A magic circle suddenly appeared in his ear, pulsating dimly.
"Yes, it's Raezavan," he said as he paced around the office. "Y-Yes! Yes, Ma'am! No worries! I can be ready by tonight! Yes. Yes! I can bring my kid too! Has he awakened it…? N-No but…! NO NO NO! I promise I can get results by the end of the night! Just give me more time, please!"
The person on the other end of the magic circle had rattled him.
Lucia narrowed her eyes as she peeked around the corner of the couch.
Raezavan's hands were shaking as he turned his back to her. "Yes. Yes, I understand we're on a schedule. It's… It's just that I ran into a small problem… Yes. Exorcists… Yes, I'll handle them right away! Yes, thank you, Grandmother—! Hello? Fuck, that's that," Raezavan sighed in relief as the call ended.
He took a deep breath before running a hand through his hair and leaving the office.
Lucia snuck out from behind the couch. She needed to leave before he came back. She could always steal the letter later. And with that, Lucia hastily made her way out of the room without making a sound.
Lucia sat on the floor of Vali's room. Unlike her shared room with Irina and Asia, Vali's room was devoid of anything personal that made it her (?). There were a few pictures of her (?) and her (?) mother but none of her (?) father anywhere. There were no toys or anything except a couple of books.
Asia was on a chair to the right and Irina was leaning against the wall, both unsure of what to do or say.
Val, herself (?), didn't know what to do. It was like she never had friends over before.
It had been two hours since they had gotten there. Asia had arrived 30 minutes after Val's father got here. She had been dropped off by Griselda, who was patrolling the premises but promised Asia that she would be close by.
"So, Val, what do you usually do at home?" Lucia asked.
"W-Well, I just read. Or do what my Dad tells me," Val mumbled, clearly having no clue of how to treat her (?) newfound friends. "If I don't do what Dad tells me, I get in trouble. I get sent to the bad room with Dad. The bad room hurts a lot. Mom tries to make Dad not take me there but I don't want Mom to get hurt. Dad says it's for my own good and what he's doing for me is to make sure I'm ready."
"Ready? Ready for what?" Irina asked.
"V-Val's Dad s-sounds like a very mean person," Asia chimed in, her green eyes darting around the room skittishly.
Lucia nodded. "That's right! Val, your Dad is a very mean person! I don't do what Mama tells me all the time and Mama doesn't send me to any bad room! I don't even do my chores half the time." She smiled and puffed her chest as if it were something to be praised and celebrated.
"Yeah… Asia and I have to do your chores," Irina said.
"Well, Mama is a good person. Val's Dad is a very bad person. Val didn't do anything wrong. Besides—"
"Please stop calling my Dad a bad person," Val said, gripping her (?) shorts tightly. She (?) looked up. "I-I like Dad! I didn't have a Dad for a long time. Mom told me that he was out there working for us. A-And he came home! If I'm not good, Dad said he and Mom will leave me forever. I-I don't want to leave Mom… or Dad." The last part came out a bit hesitantly.
Irina glanced at Lucia, who stared at Val for a couple of seconds. "B-But Val, your Dad sounds a bit…," Irina began.
Asia looked between Irina and Vali, biting her bottom lip in nervousness.
"Can we stop talking about D-Dad? I just want to play with you guys," Val said.
"Ok! I'll go get the snacks from Selda!" Lucia clapped her hands and got up. "Rin! You're in charge!"
"Me? Wait, Luci! What do we do?" Irina asked, a bit panicked at Lucia suddenly leaving.
"Don't worry! I know a game we can play when we get back! Hehe, I hope Selda brought brownies!" Lucia said as she left the room.
Except… Lucia's smile threatened to erupt across her face as she spotted the door to the office slightly open. "Selda's probably still downstairs talking to Miss Zora. Now… Now I can go and see what kind of bad guy stuff Val's Dad has!" she hummed to herself as she sneakily made her way to the door.
She thought of all the ways she could expose this man to her mother. Lucia tiptoed to the door and pressed her back against the wall. As she shimmied her way over to the doorway, a voice echoed from inside that made her body freeze.
"We're leaving tonight!" It was the voice of Raezavan, Val's father.
"Tonight! Raezavan! Raezavan, listen to me! What about Vali!? His school! You can't just expect us to pack everything and move again!" Eleonora pleaded.
Lucia could hear the sound of clattering and rustling papers everywhere. Wait… Val is a boy!?
"Fucking hell, woman! You do what I say when I say it! It's bad enough that you're stupid enough to bring a Nephilim brat and a fucking Exorcist here to my DAMN HOUSE! After everything I did for you and that brat!" Raezavan spat.
"I did it for him! He needs friends, Raezavan! He's just a boy! He's not a tool for you to use!" Eleonora argued, her voice rising in pitch.
"What did you just say to me?" Raezavan said in a low tone.
Lucia flinched when she heard an audible smack and a cry of pain echo through the hall. She heard someone fall to the ground.
"Did you just fucking talk back to me!? You do what I say when I say it! You don't think! I think! All you do is raise the damn brat! Got it!" Raezavan snarled. "You're fucking lucky I even came back into your life!"
"Raezavan, I—"
"What did I say about talking? Huh? What!?"
"I-I'm sorry… I wasn't thinking—"
"That's because you never think! It's not your job to think, it's fucking mine! Got it! Remember that you're only here because of that brat! You're lucky I'm even considering taking you with us! FUCK! You're just as stupid as you were when I met you in that bar in Prague! What is so hard about this to understand!? This is a simple fucking concept!" Raezavan stomped around the room.
"Please… don't take Vali with you. I'm begging you! He's just a—"
"I said shut your stupid mouth, whore!"
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Lucia rounded around the corner of the doorway.
Raezavan's eyes widened as he froze mid-swing of his hand.
Eleonora stared at Lucia, stupefied by the sudden turn of events.
"Haha… the fucking Nephilim. Fuck. FUCK! Ok, ok! You know what… this might be my lucky day actually," Raezavan began laughing a little.
Lucia glared at the man in front of her. She took a slight step back. Her wings appeared on her back. "S-Stay back! I'm an Angel!"
"Of course, you are," Raezavan mocked as he walked toward her. His hand clenched and unclenched into a fist. A murderous smile appeared on his face. "Now, little girl." Demonic energy crackled around his fingers. It was filled with a hateful amount of light that Lucia could feel crawling on her skin.
But before anything could happen, Eleonora lunged at Raezavan and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"What the—!? Woman, what are you— Let go you bitch!" Raezavan spun around, trying to pry his wife's arms off from around his waist.
"Lucia! Run! Go! Run now—"
"Bitch!" Raezavan's fist slammed into the side of her head, causing her to let go.
Eleonora fell to the ground. Her vision spun and lights exploded around her as she tried to regain her senses. "Lucia… run…" She whispered as she caught sight of her husband's feet stalking closer toward her.
"Miss Z-Zora," Lucia said. She glared at the Demon Man in front of her. I'm not a kid anymore! I can do this! Lucia gathered holy power to her hands. Enochian script appeared around her.
"Huh? What are you…?" Raezavan turned around to see holy energy crackling around Lucia.
Lucia threw her hands forward and unleashed a mass of thick clouds into his office.
"What the hell!? You stupid brat! Where did you…?" He narrowed his eyes as he tried to find her. However, the mist was too thick. He could see no further than his elbow. He clenched his jaw. "You damn brat! Show yourself—!"
A bullet of black and red energy slammed into the side of his head. "Gahhhk—!" Raezavan was thrown off his feet and slammed into the wall. He gripped the side of his face, thrashing in pain as the light-infused darkness of Leliel chewed away at his flesh. "Aghh! You motherfucker!"
Lucia ran through the mist toward the downed Eleonora. "Miss Zora! Come on!" Lucia grabbed her hand.
"L-Lucia…?"
"Let's go!" Lucia tried her best to pull the grown woman to her feet.
Eleonora's eyes softened slightly as she got to her feet. Before Lucia could react, Eleonora grabbed her into her arms and ran out of the fog-covered room. She ran toward Val's room and threw open the door.
"Mom?" Val looked up and his eyes widened when he saw the growing bruise on his Mom's cheek. "Mom! Mom, what's going on—!?"
"ELEONORA!"
The kids stiffened when they heard the angry roar of Val's father echoed down the hallway.
"Kids, let's go. We have to get out of here now!" Eleonora urged as she heard Raezavan's footsteps echoing from his office.
"M-Miss Zora, what's happening?" Asia asked.
"I'll talk about it later. Let's go now!" Eleonora said.
"But what about Dad—"
"Vali Lucifer! You listen to me, okay? We need to go. Come on," Eleonora said to her son as she set Lucia down.
"Lucia, what's going on?" Irina asked.
"Val's dad. He's evil! He hit Val's Mom!" Lucia waved her arms. Her wings flapped in tandem with her frazzled emotional state.
"What?"
"And he wants to kill us!" Lucia added.
"You little brats…"
Everyone in the room turned to see Raezavan a few feet from Val's room. His eyes were full of murder and rage. The side of his cheek had been completely eaten down to the bone and blood trickled down to the floor. "I'll kill you for that, you stupid brat." His fingers twitched as red energy crackled around them.
"Irina…," Lucia said as she stood in front of her.
Irina shook in her spot, gulping as she tried to put on a brave face.
This is just like with the vampire. Just like with the vampire! Irina chanted inside her mind. Asia, on the other hand, was cowering behind Irina. The girl trembled at the sight of Raezavan as she closed her eyes tightly and gripped Irina's jacket.
"Don't you dare touch them or—"
"Or else what? You'll call the cops? I'll kill them too," Raezavan laughed as he stepped closer.
Lucia clenched her fists tightly as fear and adrenaline overwhelmed her body. Her eyes changed color as she took a glimpse at Raezavan.
[Raezavan Lucifer]
[Estimating Combat Level… Strength: 250, Speed: 205, Durability: 225, Magic: 400, Skills: 110. Calculating Combat Level: 1,190]
[Age: 675 years, Race: Pure-Blooded Devil, Gender: Male, Marital Status: Married to Eleonora Zora Lucifer]
[Special Traits: N/A]
[Equipment: Demonic Brilliance of Evil Light]
[Identified as [Enemy]. Acquiring weaknesses… Weaknesses: Light Power, Holy Power, Holy Objects]
Just like the vampire. B-But 1000!? How can we even…? Lucia gulped. She clenched her jaw as she tried to remember something. Anything her Mama told her that could get them out of this. Without thinking, Lucia whirled around and snatched something from Asia's hand.
"L-Luci!? What are you—"
On impulse, Lucia threw the crucifix Asia was praying with at Raezavan.
Everyone was caught off-guard by the sudden action. The crucifix bounced uselessly off Raezavan's chest, who looked stunned by the sudden action.
Acting on her training, Lucia grabbed the holy water from her backpack and sprayed it across the devil's face.
"AGGHHH!" Raezavan recoiled in agony as he felt the holy water boiling his flesh. He stumbled back, clutching at his skin.
Eleonora, seeing the opportunity, grabbed the children and ran out of Val's room. She huffed as she made her way to the stairs and ran down them.
But before she could even reach salvation, the entire house glowed and the space between her and the front door elongated. Eleonora's eyes widened in shock as the door kept getting further the more she ran toward it. Her lungs burned from the strain of holding two kids in her arms. After a few minutes, she slowed to a stop and set her son and Asia down on the ground.
Eleonora panted heavily, sweat dripping down her brow. That monster's magic. Was this how it was going to end?
"Luci, what do we do? He's going to kill us!" Irina said as she stuck close to Eleonora.
Lucia wasn't faring any better. Even if she had been trained by her mother, the fear was getting to her. She took a shaky step forward and looked around. Her eyes darted from place to place, remembering everything her mother had taught her.
Luci, remember to use your surroundings to your advantage. An effective trap is one that uses one's environment to the max.
Her eyes widened as she stared at the kitchen sink.
"Rin! Asia, come with me!" Lucia grabbed their hands and ran toward the kitchen.
"L-Lucia, what are you—"
"Remember when Mama taught us that Miracle that makes more things?" Lucia said as she climbed onto the counter. She pulled at the sink head. To her surprise, it detached from the faucet and stretched out a few inches.
"Yeah?" Irina said.
"Hehehe…," Lucia sprayed water onto one of the dirty plates. She held her hand above the stream and infused red light into it. "Remember when Old Man Ferdinand made us sit through one of his lessons about Devils. We can hurt Devils with Holy Water."
Irina's eyes widened as she caught on to what her friend was attempting. She quickly scrambled her way onto the sink.
"I'll shoot and bless the water. You and Asia need to keep making more water!" Lucia said.
Irina reached her hand out and pulled Asia onto the countertop.
"Kids, what are you doing…?" Eleonora said as she ran over to them. Val followed close behind.
"ELEONORA! I KNOW YOU AND THOSE BRATS ARE STILL HERE!" Raezavan called out as he descended the stairs slowly.
"Hey, Mister! You're a stupid motherfucking, wiener-sucking dumbass!" Lucia screamed.
Asia yelped at Lucia's sudden use of curses. She looked to Lucia with wide and horrified eyes.
"D-Don't tell Mama I said it!" Lucia hissed as she aimed the faucet at the entryway to the kitchen.
Raezavan came lumbering into the kitchen, his steps measured and composed. Red energy cloaked his hands and there was murder in his eyes. "So this is where you've been? Eleonora, you stupid stupid bitch. This is all going to be your fault. If you had just listened, then I wouldn't have to do this."
"Raezavan, you…! Stay away from these kids!" Eleonora tried to put on a brave face as her husband approached.
"Hey!"
Raezavan turned to see Lucia aiming a faucet at him.
"Oh? And what is that going to do, little girl? Maybe I should rip your wings off first. I've always wanted to see what fried angel wing tastes like," he said.
Lucia felt a wave of fear go down her spine as he approached. She clenched her jaw and remembered her mother's words. "Rin! Asia!" Lucia barked.
Irina and Asia began to pray silently as Enochian script surrounded them. They held their hands out toward Raezavan, who just laughed as nothing seemed to happen.
And without a single second of hesitation, Lucia let loose the water. Her hands glowed a light red as the holy power entered the stream. As the water passed by Irina and Asia, it exploded forward.
Raezavan's eyes widened as the torrent of water slammed into him with the force of a bullet train. He was slammed against the wall, crying out in pain. "You fucking brats— Huh!? H-Holy Water! Where—!?" Raezavan howled in pain as the water began eating away at his skin.
"Raagggh!" Raezavan summoned a barrier around him to stave off the water and he began slowly walking forward. There was nothing but utter rage in his eyes. His clothes had been shredded from the sheer water pressure and the volume of Holy Water that bombarded his flesh had stripped off his skin at his torso, exposing raw tissue and muscle underneath.
"I'll kill you filthy braaats!" Raezavan snarled.
"Run! RUN NOW!" Lucia screamed at Eleonora as she poured in more Holy Power into the water.
Eleonora snapped out of her stupor and grabbed Val before bolting toward the door. Unlike before, she was able to reach it and ran outside.
"NO! NOO! YOU BITCH! I OWN YOU!" Raezavan faltered and was blasted back once more by the water. His jaw clenched as he endured the living hell of having his flesh slowly melted away by the holy water. "Damn it! DAMN IT!" An incandescent black light exploded from his hand and he fought back against the stream of water.
"N-No! Rin! Asia!" Lucia said as she saw Raezavan slowly walking toward them.
"L-Luci, what do we do!?" Irina yelled.
Asia just shook where she sat as she desperately kept chanting the Miracle.
Lucia looked between her friends and the Devil, who was inching closer with each passing second. "I-I—"
Just then, a vase flew from out of left field and struck Raezavan in the side of the head. He stumbled, causing the black light to disperse. The water surged forth unabated and he was thrown once more against the wall.
He turned his head slowly to see Eleonora standing with her arm outstretched.
"You filthy…. GRAAGH!" he howled.
"Take this!" Lucia said as Enochian script floated around her. She performed the Miracle on the water, adding to the doubling quantity already performed by Asia and Irina. The force threw the kids back, away from the faucet as a literal cannon shot of holy water flew from the faucet.
"N-NO!" Raezavan's words echoed through the house before he was blasted through the wall of the house. He slammed through several of the neighbor's fences before crashing into a car on the other street. The sound of the car alarm echoed through the neighborhood.
"D-Did we win…?" Lucia asked as she sat up, rubbing the back of her head.
"I think?" Irina said. She winced as she rubbed her arm.
Asia came running over and began healing Irina's arm with her Sacred Gear. "C-Can we go home?" Asia pleaded.
"Yeah, let's go home," Lucia hopped to her feet. She winced and turned to see one of her wings bent at a weird angle. Lucia reached over to touch it but winced when her wing throbbed in pain. "I think… I broke my wing. Mama is going to be so mad."
"L-Let me heal it!" Asia said as she walked over and placed her hands over Lucia's broken wing. A soft green light emanated from her hands and soon, Lucia felt the pain disappearing and her wing returning to normal.
"T-Thanks, Asia!" Lucia smiled as she spread her left wing.
"K-Kids, are you alright?"
The three turned to see Eleonora walking toward them.
"M-Miss Zora! S-Sorry for making your kitchen dirty!" Lucia said.
Eleonora's eyes widened before she laughed. She reached forward and pulled the three girls into a hug, surprising them. "Don't worry about that. I'm just happy that you three are okay. Let's get you three home."
And with that, the four exited the ruined household. Lucia walked out onto the street and saw Val waiting for them.
"Mom! Luci!" Val ran toward them and came to a stop. "Luci! Mom! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" Lucia grinned. "I'm super strong. My mama is an Angel, you know!"
Val paused when he saw a cut on her cheek that Asia had missed. He quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small band-aid. "There's a cut." He reached over and put the band-aid over her cheek.
Lucia's eyes widened and her hand flew to her cheek as she took a step back. "T-Thanks."
Val just smiled.
"So you're a boy?" Lucia leaned in and narrowed her eyes.
"Eh? I've always been a boy," Val said. "And my name is Vali."
"But, but you look like a girl!" Lucia protested.
"I-I don't!" Vali said, his cheeks turning red.
"Luci, you really didn't know Val was a boy?" Irina narrowed her eyes as she walked over to her friend.
"S-Shut up! He has long hair and a cute face! There's no way he's a boy!" Lucia reasoned. Her childish mind could not comprehend the fact that men could have long hair.
"But Otou-san has long hair," Irina replied. Asia nodded in response.
"U-Uncle Touji has muscles!" Lucia said in a smug tone, as if she had just proven herself right.
"I am a boy though," Vali said.
"ELEONORA!"
The group froze and turned to see Raezavan limping toward them.
Eleonora gasped as she took in the sight of her former husband. The man had been all but torn apart by the Holy Water. His left leg was twisted and a bone was sticking out his shin. It was a miracle that he was even shambling toward them. His side had been completely torn open, exposing bits of his internal organs and parts of his innards were sticking out. His right arm had been shredded and melted by the Holy Water, leaving a bloody stump and the right half of his face was shredded off, leaving a thin layer of necrotic meat and bone alongside his eye.
"I'll kill you. I'll kill all of you starting with that angel brat!" Raezavan raised his remaining arm and gathered black light into the center of his palm. In a fit of rage, he fired the blast at Lucia, who could not react on time.
However, before it could reach her, Vali jumped in front of the blast and raised his hands.
"VALI!" Eleonora shrieked in horror as she dove for her son.
But it was too late. The blast engulfed Vali, consuming him in black light.
"VALIII!" Eleonora wailed.
[Divide]
An unknown voice announced and the blast of black light suddenly cut down by half.
[Divide]
And with the second announcement, the blast had completely evaporated, reduced to wisps of light that became absorbed into a pair of wings that now protruded from Vali's back. The wings were mechanical in nature, being white in the arms with a membrane made of blue light and resembled a pair of dragon wings.
Lucia's eyes widened as her [Warning System] took in the information before her.
[Sacred Gear identified… Divine Dividing. Class - Longinus]
"W- What the hell…? IT WAS A LONGINUS!" Raezavan seethed.
Vali looked at his hands and then at his wings in surprise. He turned toward Raezavan with a fierce glare on his face. "You! You tried to hurt my friends!"
Raezavan flinched and took a slight step back. "You filthy brat! Stay back! I OWN YOU! I MADE YOU WHAT YOU ARE!" Black light and energy crackled around his remaining hand as he prepared to fire another blast at them. However, a pulse of holy energy filled the area.
"I only went to buy the kids more snacks but… it seems a lot happened while I was gone."
Lucia's eyes widened in recognition at the sound of the voice. Raezavan turned his head.
"S-Selda!" Lucia cried out in relief.
Griselda stood a few dozen feet behind Raezavan, blue eyes narrowed into slits as she took a step forward.
"Another one? How many of you are there!?" Raezavan swung his arm in a fit of rage and fear.
Griselda took in his state before looking past him to see the state the others were in. "A Devil, huh?"
Raezavan's left eye twitched in annoyance as he took to the skies. Two pairs of wings unfolded from his back, carrying him higher into the air. "Damn it, damn it! DAMN IT!" The crackling energy in his hand expanded until it was the size of a truck. "I'll kill you all!"
Griselda stared calmly at the man. "As the Apostle of Lady Gabriel, I shall not tolerate any transgressions against my charge." Three pairs of ethereal blue wings manifested on her back along with a triangular halo above her head. Her form flickered and her body disappeared.
"W-Wha—!?" Raezavan's eye widened. "Where did she—"
"Behind you."
Griselda reappeared behind him and planted her heel in the small of his back, kicking him back down to the ground. He struck the ground with a tremendous amount of force that shook the street and set off all the car alarms.
"Ugghh… you…," Raezavan rasped as he looked up into the sky. "I will not die here! I am the descendant of Lucifer!"
Griselda stared at him coldly as she raised her own hand into the air. "O' God, O' Angels, grant me the power to deliver justice upon this demon." Her hands glowed blue as a swirl of ethereal blue water surrounded her, forming into incredibly dense balls of fluid.
"This is the Power of God belonging to my Lady, Gabriel. It is called Mabul Mayim. The very Power that can be seen in the Great Flood that destroyed the Earth in Genesis," Griselda said as she closed her fist. The waters condensed even further, forming incredibly small but hyperdense masses of water.
"I-Impossible…! G-Gabriel!" Raezavan snarled.
"Drown in the depths of God's Grace in insignificance, spawn of Lucifer," Griselda said. The dense bullets of water fired at rapid speeds that even Raezavan could not follow. He gasped in pain as the water bullets pierced his body repeatedly before expanding and swallowing him in a swirling mass of water.
"Eleo… nora…" Raezavan reached toward her.
Eleonora grabbed Vali and turned him away from the gruesome sight.
Raezavan's flesh peeled off and his blood and muscles boiled inside the sphere of water. Griselda closed her fist and the water sphere condensed, exploding in a bloody mist and leaving no trace of Raezavan behind.
Griselda landed on the ground, brushing some of the water off her coat when she stumbled forward. She turned around with a small smile as Asia, Irina, and Lucia all clung to her legs and waist. "It's okay. I'm here, you little goblins," Griselda said in a soothing whisper as she wrapped her arms around all three girls.
"But Mama—"
"No buts. You are grounded and you have to pick up Irina and Asia's cleaning duties for your room."
Lucia shrank under her mother's gaze as Uriel sternly silenced all attempts of Lucia to bargain with her mother.
Uriel sighed as she walked over to her daughter. "Luci…," she said as she pulled her daughter in for a tight embrace. "Don't you ever scare me like that again? Okay?" Uriel whispered as she tightened her hug around her daughter.
Lucia nodded, burying her face in her mother's arms. "Does that mean I'm not grounded anymore?"
"No. It means you're grounded for 3 weeks."
Lucia pulled away with an audible groan. "Mama…!"
"Fine, two and a half weeks," Uriel said.
Lucia huffed and crossed her arms, realizing that was all she could get from her mother. "Okay…"
"Now go. I'm sure your friends are worried about you, Luci," Uriel said.
Lucia nodded and hopped off her chair. She ran out of Uriel's office, past a surprised Eleonora, who walked inside.
Uriel gestured for her to take a seat in the chair in front of her desk.
Eleonora complied. She fidgeted with the sleeves of her sweater as her gaze darted around the office. Her eyes lingered for a few seconds on a photo of Uriel with six other individuals. The white-haired woman in the photo looked strikingly similar to her husband and Vali, and the infant in Uriel's arms must have been Lucia.
"I apologize for my daughter's behavior," Uriel said as she took a seat behind her desk.
"N-No, it's fine. Had it not been for her… I think my husband… err, ex-husband would have killed me," Eleonora admitted.
Uriel nodded. "Coffee?" the Archangel offered.
"N-No, thank you. I'm fine," Eleonora politely refused.
"You understand that as an Archangel, I cannot turn a blind eye to a pure-blooded devil living in my town. Let alone the fact that he sired a son that possesses a Longinus. Actions must be taken to preserve the safety of the people of this city," Uriel said as she took a sip of her coffee.
Eleonora's eyes widened at Uriel's words and she bowed her head deeply before her. "P-Please. Do not harm my baby. He's all I have left in this world. I beg you! Please, if you have to take anyone's life, then take mine!"
"Raise your head. I'm not going to kill you or your son."
She tentatively lifted her head to look at Uriel, who set down her coffee cup with a clink.
"Lucia seems to be fond of your son. I don't want to take my daughter's friend away from her nor do I feel right about killing a mother and a child who did nothing wrong. Which is why I am going to make you an offer, Miss Zora," Uriel said as she folded her hands.
"Y-Yes?" Eleonora stared at Uriel with a guarded expression.
"How would you like to work for me?" Uriel asked. She had a disarming smile on her face.
"W-Work…?" Eleonora asked.
"Yes, work. I offer reasonable work hours and pay. As well as 4 weeks paid vacation if that's what you're looking for—"
"N-No! It's not that. But why would you do this for me?" she asked.
The Great Seraph blinked before taking a sip of her coffee. "Because my daughter is friends with your son and… you tried to save my child. It's simply my way of repaying you. Please think about it."
The younger woman just nodded mutely as the weight of Uriel's words began to sink in.
"Now. On to another matter," Uriel said. She reached into the air and reached into a rippling space in the air. After fishing inside the ripple, Uriel pulled out an envelope with a small stamp that had an eight-pointed star.
Eleonora's eyes widened as Uriel placed the envelope in front of her. Her green eyes darted between the envelope and the Archangel. Her lips trembled as she struggled to find the words to say to the Angel before her. She licked her dry lips as she shook slightly before Uriel, feeling like a mouse with its back against the wall and facing a lion.
"It seems as if you've seen this before. Good. Now, please tell me all you know about this 'Church of Finality'."
Housekeeping
Royalrain20xx: Well, that interaction at the end sure was ominous-but first, how about we discuss some good ol' fashioned childhood cringe! Honestly, reading Lucia talking about what Uriel actually does to normal kids who don't even know a lick about the supernatural brought up some painful core memories from whenever I said some fantasy crap as a kid. I figured there'd be some self-isolationism on Lucia's part given that she's not fully on board with the social norms she'll have to grow used to, but I didn't think it'd happen on literally the first day of school XD. Really, Irina being the social butterfly that she is, I'm kind of shocked that "Val" wasn't the first person she interacted with, but hey, at least Lucia managed to have something go right for her. And given "Val's" questionable father, that tonal shift once Lucia caught a glimpse of thier bruise was certain a highlight, despite brief moment that it happened.
Either way, nice first day of school ending with potential danger is classic DxD, literally nobody in the supernatural can get a break. All that I'm looking forward to next time, is seeing how the kids will proceed with devils being in their sights.
Sidenote: Cusing Lucia was such a precious moment… I'll get the swear counter ready.
I did draw upon some painful core memories when I wrote that scene with Luci bragging about her mom. It was a very painful scene to write just based on childhood cringe alone. But yes, Lucia will get better with social norms later on but she'll still be our Lucia. I do hope you enjoy everything Val's father got coming to him. Yes, but that is Lucia's two teammates gathered. Don't worry. If Asia seems like she's just there, she'll get her moments with Lucia. I do plan to have some things after this... 2 year time skip since she'll be 10 in the next chapter and she'll meet the red-haired girl in her dreams, ahaha. Hope you've been having a good holiday season so far.
Axormin: Once again you keep a consistent feel with Lucia being an excitable and socially inept child and Irina being a normal girl with magic powers.
Im curious to see how the girls are gonna fight literally devlish parental abuse!
I know you have big plans in the future and even with the tonal shift i hope you dont get rid of the inherent humor that comes from the actual chemistry of the cast and their bond with each other.
Like i understand this is a story about a girl growing and her life shifting narratively as she ages but i think even as a teenager or a full adult the random and insane and just upbeat wont disappear. Itll just chnage in the form they appear. Like things will just become funny for the viewe while being dangerous and absurd to our heroines.
Regardless. Have a good holiday season.
Hey, Ax. Happy holidays! Well, I know I respond to you over discord so I don't know what to say here, lol. But yes, I will try to preserve some of the funnies that the kids go through as the years go on even after the incident that will happen in a couple of chapters.
NexusPrime42: I'm going to take a guess that "Val" is none other than Vali who gets mistaken as a girl not sure how much his fate will change with Lucia involve and curious on how it go (Unless you plan on having Lucia pair with Vali).
Another thing I keep imagining since last chapter when Asia was introduce is her being adopted by Gabriel for some reason.
Why, yes, Val is Vali. But his fate is changing a lot. It's a bit of a spoiler but the group Lucia forms will serve as an effective replacement to Vali Team. Since you know, Vali's fate was changed so he never went to Azazel and never go involved with the Grigori. Speaking of the Gabriel thing, that is interesting. Gabriel would have been a good choice but in the end, Sandalphon would be the most likely angel that will adopt Asia since she did take her away from her Church.
Anyway, that's the chapter done. The DV scene was very uncomfortable to write for me. But let's get a few things done with this chapter.
Vali: Yes, shocker. Val is a boy. I always imagined pre-Slash Dog Vali as looking somewhat girly before he grew up a little. But also, yes, Lucia is kinda (incredibly) dense. There was a thing I discussed with a few friends over Discord about this but now that Vali is essentially a member of the Church, he will meet Helel and I will explain the whole Lucifer-Helel fiasco later on. But it will be briefly be glossed over in the next chapter where they go to a festival in Italy.
Lucia's Dream: As you all know, Lucia has dreams of the future. Just remember this dream for future chapters. This has something to do with that tonal shift I was talking about.
Apostles: So Griselda is an Apostle. Her Miracle is called Mabul Mayim which according to GPT means "Great Flood". Yes, Gabriel has a water-based Power of God. I was thinking of introducing a few more Apostles for the Archangels that will play supporting roles later on so look forward to that. This is primarily a Heaven-focused fic since the MC is a Miracle Child so that means more into Church structures! Yaaay! The only one that doesn't have an Apostle is Helel for reasons.
Eleonora: Yes, she will be support staff. Nothing more there. At least it's nice right? Vali gets to keep his Mom unlike in canon where her memory of him got wiped to keep her safe. Will she learn Miracles though? Yes, as a form of self-defense but she will not actively go out and hunt people down like standard Exorcists.
The Church of Finality: Now, we got a glimpse of our antagonistic group. Remember them. They will be a very very very big problem for the entire planet even starting now. The group is tied in a way to Lucia's visions.
Anyway, that's it from me. This is me signing off.