Hey guys what's up? So, I decided that I would be sticking my toes into DxD. I love the series and the characters, who would not? What I hate is the huge amounts of fanservice (I know, sounds weird because that was the premise). Well, the lore is exactly interesting. Devil civil wars, three major supernatural factions at each other's throats, humanity caught in the
mix. Well, I decided to tackle the civil war itself and it will be starring one of my all-time favorite girls in anime (hint, "Sparkle shine, your command is mine!") So, yeah, however I thought it would be cool to see the war from a human's point of view. So, without further ado, let me introduce you guys to the protagonist, Rowan!
Rowan surveyed the building, noticing the small amount of guards stationed around. Three in the back, two in the front and with one guy going in laps round. It seemed that the Eligos was at least smart enough to look after their goods.
He looked over to the side, noting the poor bastards that were left chained to the side of the building. Their milky white eyes, their decaying flesh. And oh, the smell! It looked like these poor souls thought it was wise to try and cross the local power players. He would make sure to at least put them out of their misery before he left.
Rowan sighed, letting out all his doubts and uncertainties in that one breathe. Ever since those other Devil noble bastards, the 'Anti-Satan Faction', the Eligos family had been stepping up operations. Supplies had been coming in and out of their warehouses, stocked full of fancy suits of armor and the other armaments that they needed to wipe out the 'rebels'.
He scoffed at that; the only good Devil was a dead Devil as far as he was concerned. His gray eyes snapped when he saw the one doing his rounds past around the corner, knowing that it was time to go.
The rogue called upon his power, a hardened leather cowl appeared upon his head, three onyx sigils etched in the patchwork. As he commanded the shadows that surrounded him solidifying into several small knives. He threw them at the two guarding the front door, the first one dropping without much issue. The other one looked out in alarm, his mouth opening to scream out his presence. He was silenced before he could let out a whisper, a pitch-black knife lodged in his eye socket.
Rowland smiled at the sight, the three runes on his head shining a bit. He could see all the wrongdoing that those two had caused, the pain and suffering that they inflicted upon their human underlings. The only thing that he regretted was that he did not have time to make sure that they suffered for their sins.
He hurried over to the door, seeing his surrounding as if it were lit up with a torch. One of the problems that new slaves always had adjusting to life in Nokkzaruz was that they were so used to the light, so used to living their calm peaceful lives that they could not function down here. Rowan did not have that problem. He had grown up in the gutter water of this city and he would most likely die down here.
I'll be sure to bring these bastards down with me though. Rowan thought, hurrying over to the door. He called upon his equipment again, a lockpick appear in his hands as he got to work. By his estimate, the guard would take about thirty second to round the next corner. That was how much time he would need in order to get in undetected. He got to work, jiggling the doorknob as he did so.
It took twenty seconds for him to break through, pulling the bodies inside as he did so. The guard would no doubt be asking questions, looking for answers as to where his fellow guards went. That is fine, he always did like a bit of a challenge.
"Huh?" Rowan heard the guard ask, no doubt looking about for his friends. "Astier? Oxiel? What'd you guys go?"
He knocked on the wall, hearing the guard jump a bit at the sound. "What the hell do you guys think you're doing? You know we can't touch the merchandise. The boss would have our balls if we did that." The guard said, sighing as he saw that the door was still slightly open. Rowan waited for a second, seeing the guard walk in, looking this way and that for his friends.
The rouge took a small amount of pleasure when he saw the guard's eyes open in shock when he saw his dead friends' bodies tossed in the corner. He leaped up before he could call out, the pitch-black darkness seeping over his skin, granting him the strength to out muscle the Devil.
"What in the-!" The guard screeched, cut off as Rowan put his hand over the man's mouth. He glared at the sniveling guard, seeing the fear in the man's eyes as he begged for mercy. He would find none.
"You know who I am don't you?" Rowan whispered, a small smile blooming on his face as he saw the realization spring in the devil's eyes. "Then you know that your time has finally come. Farewell, devil, come go back to whatever pit you crawled out of." He continued, pulling a dagger from the shadows and plunging it into the man's guts, slashing open his guts onto the floor. The sloppy sound of entrails hitting the floor sounded good to the rogue, smirking as he left the man to bleed out.
Rowan looked about the warehouse, standing up from his crouch. He noted the countless clothed bundles throughout the warehouse, nodding to himself as he surveyed them. It looked like the Eligos were stocking up on a lot of their supplies. He pulled one of the sheets off, whistling a bit at what he saw.
These are some well-crafted bits Rowland thought, picking up one of the blades. It did appear that the Eligos were indeed acting as a go between for their allies. He won't be shocked if they were one of the big suppliers to the Old Devil Faction. However, he knew that that was not all that they were shipping out.
Rowland threw the devil sword back with the others, heading off to the other corner of the room. He knew what he was looking for, had seen it being run out of here as he had so many others. He headed over to one of the bland looking crates, ripping it open with his bare hands. He had to cover his nose as soon as the smell hit him.
Inside was a fine red power, loaded onto several trays. If he didn't know any better than he would have thought it was a flour of some kind. However, he had seen what this damn drug had done to people.
The Eligos can never get enough of their precious Devil's Tears. The rogue thought, shaking his head. Devil's Tears was undoubtedly one of the, if not the, worst things to come out of Nokkzaruz. It made the user hyper and a bit more prone to outbursts of rage. At first. Then the user was so used to the stuff that it didn't matter if they were on it or not, they were always in a fit of rage and instability. He had known people whose lives had been ruined by this stuff. Just another sin in the countless others that the Necromancers are responsible for.
He picked up some of the dust, letting it roll through his fingers before letting it drop back. He put his hand completely in the addictive drug, pulling out a good hand full. He walked away from the crates, leaving a small red trail behind him as he headed back towards the front door.
Rowland looked back at the warehouse, shaking his head. All this and it was just a quick handful of coins to the Eligos. He knew that this wouldn't put much of a dent in their operations, that he was just one lowly human who had the balls to step up towards his so-called devil superiors. However, sometimes all you need is just one man.
He pulled out his flint and steel, striking it a few times before the red substance on the ground lit. It followed the trail back to where it came from, Rowland hurried out the door as soon as he could. He had learned a long time ago what happens when Devil's Tears was exposed to an open flame in such a confined space. He had heard someone once compare it to the flames one of the Dragon Kings could spit, hotter than any Hell he had ever heard.
As soon as he opened the door, he was off, hiding back in the corner he had used to scout the place out all night. It was not easy to describe the way in which he felt waiting for the storehouse to catch flame. However, as soon as he heard the explosion and the cries of the three devils still standing guard in the back, the decayed corpses that stood as a reminder of those who dared cross the Eligos family catching flame. It felt good letting those poor people finally find rest. They truly did not deserve to be treated in such a way.
He felt justified. He knew that he was doing the right thing. He thought of the poor souls that he had the fortune of seeing every now and then, telling tales of his exploits amongst their enslaved fellows. Of a man who made the darkness which suffocated them his weapon, of the terror that he inspired within the devils of Nokkzaruz.
Yes, just another night for Rowland. Another night for the Night Scourge. He smiled at the sounds of Devils screaming in terror, of the smell of the flesh of the guilty being burnt to a crisp. '=
He was the Judge of the Damned, and he would have his due.
Rowland leaned against his bar, picking up a glass as he began to clean it. Say what you will of the Eligos, but they did not keep a good enough eye on their underlings. Or make sure that their underlings were even good enough fighters.
I swear, Devils are so sure of themselves. It's good enough to them that you have a set of wings and enough brains not to stab yourself in the foot. He thought, overhearing some of his patrons whispering about his latest exploits. He smirked as he continued to serve out drinks for his customers, taking their coins all with that same bland smile. He could see some of his patrons shivering when he came to collect, the regular lechers paying up quite quickly when he allowed a bit of his aura to bled out. He let them know what he was, what he could do and most importantly, who they could potentially be pissing off if they didn't do what he said.
Rowland hated having to rely to such petty tricks. He knew that if he really wanted to then he could just take it by force. However, sometimes a more delicate touch was needed. Most of the people that frequented his bar were menial servants and the lowest ranking Eligos. As long as they stuck to themselves and didn't cause him any problems than they were free to frequent his bar. He needed their money after all.
Rowland was just waving goodbye to the last of his customers for the day, getting ready to lock the doors and call it a night. He needed time to plan his next move against the Necromancers.
What I need to know is who exactly is running their supplies through here. He thought, walking over to the doors and getting ready to lock the doors. There was a thumb at the door, Rowland sighed as he saw who it was.
"What the hell do you want?" The bartender asked, looking at the urchin who had his face up against the glass. He had been trying to discourage the boy, to get him off his tail for some time. It was dangerous knowing what he was doing when his precious bar was shut down. Many were too terrified to even whisper the name 'Night Scourge' by themselves.
And here's this brat, looking at me like I'm some sort of hero. He thought, scowling a bit as he opened the door.
The boy, for a boy he was, looked about in the middle of his adolescence. His shaggy hair and upkept appearance, the rags that he wore and the dirt clinging to his skin, told of the hard life that he had lived. Yet he smiled at Rowland with such a hope filled expression that he couldn't turn the boy away.
"Hey boss!" The urchin said, walking leisurely into the bar as if it were a second home to him. "Heard about the hit you just pulled last night. Wanted to come by, see how you were doing."
"Well, as you can tell everything is running just fine Rizamor." Rowland said, slamming the door and locking it. He didn't want any more unwelcomed intruders for tonight. "Now, can you please explain why you thought it was a good idea to contact me outside of the regular channels?"
The rogue knew that Rizamor would never try and reach out to him without a good reason. It was one of the main reasons he didn't try and intimidate the low-class devil into silence. It turned out to be a good choice as the urchin was very good at getting the information that he needed to continue his attacks on the Eligos family. Apparently, he had connections to all the homeless riffraff along with some of the less dangerous but still shady individuals that called this dark city home.
"Well, you did tell me to keep my ear to the ground." Rizamor said, popping down on one of the barstools. Rowland followed behind the bar, leaning against it as he listened. "You wanted to know who exactly was behind the reason why there is so much more war gear getting shipped out of Nokkzaruz."
"That I did Rizamor." The rogue said, pulling one of the clean glasses from under the bar. He picked up one of the cheap ales that he had in stock, pouring it into the glass as he listened. Once he did, he slid it over to the urchin. The beggar almost inhaling the drink as soon as he got his hands on it. "Do you know who it is then?"
"Well, sort of." Rizamor said, wiping his mouth when he was done.
"What do you mean sort of?" Rowland asked, taking the glass back and wiping it clean. "I didn't know that sort of was an acceptable answer to a yes or no question. You either know or you don't."
"Hey boss, I'm just telling you what I heard." The beggar said, raising his hands in surrender when he saw the deep glare sent his way. "Well, from what I have been able to gather the Malphas family has thrown in their lot with the Old Devil Faction."
"And your point?" Rowland asked, stressing that the man get to the reason he had decided to bother him for that. He had never set foot outside of Nokkzaruz. He had been born here and lived here his entire life. Anything out of this city he had not knowledge. "Are they some kind of big power players? Like the Bael or what not with the Anti Devil Faction?"
"Nah, nothing like those monsters." The devil replied, waving off the thought. "The Malphas aren't what you would consider front line fighters. They're good, don't get me wrong, but their powers lie in creating weapons as opposed to being the weapons themselves."
"So what? Aren't the Necromancers the same?" Rowland asked, a little confused. Devils were such infuriating creatures, with their abilities varying as you go from one family to the other. Why can't they be more like those filthy crows? At least they have the decency to be uniform. He thought.
"Nah, what makes the Malphas family dangerous are they're the greatest artisans the Underworld has ever known." Rizamor explained, "While some Devils will throw lightning, shoot fire or boil you in acid…the Malphas family can potentially create a weapon that can do all three at the same time."
Rowland's eyes shot up at the news. If such craftsmen did exist, then they could potentially turn out to be game changers for the entire war. Which doesn't bode well for those of us in the slums. He thought, his eyes still narrowed.
The only reason why the Eligos didn't try and root him out yet was because he was just one man. He could afford to slip back into the embrace of the shadows and simply disappear. Couple that with the ongoing war, when he really stepped up his game, and they couldn't afford to send many of their thugs after him. Though the ones that they did always ended up the same. The only reason why he even ran the bar was so that his contacts could reach him if need be. Like now.
"I thank you for the news Rizamor." Rowland said, nodding in thanks as he reached underneath the bar once again. The clinking of metal and opening of purse strings were the only thing that could be heard for a moment, a small brown cloth bag was thrown to the urchin.
Rizamor investigated the bag, smiling a bit at the glint of gold which he pocketed. "Thank you for this boss, always willing to work for someone that actually pays their followers.
"Yeah, just remember our deal." Rowland said. "Keep your ear to the ground and bring me any new information when it crops up. I don't have to remind you what would happen if the Eligos were to find out about who I am."
"You worry too much boss." The urchin said, smiling back at the rogue. The look of admiration he had in his eyes made it quite clear who had his loyalty. "Besides, there's no way that we would just stand by and let them cart you away."
"Really?" Rowland asked, skeptical of the notion. Others being willing to stick their necks out for me. Hell, I'd pay to see that day. He thought, scoffing a bit. This place had a way of depriving people of any naïve thoughts of heroism. The people here were without spirit or hope, so use to being beaten down by the scum that ruled this pit. That was one of the reasons why he had started his little one-man crusade.
And to be honest, it would probably be the reason why he would probably end up dying young and alone. He knew the odds of him succeeding. Even with the strange cowl that had fallen into his possession, he was still just one measly human against an army of cutthroat devils. But he would not have it any other way.
However, looking at the smiling urchin, Rowland felt that if he helped even one kid out of the thousands that suffered that he was doing the right thing. At least he was able to save one life. That was more than most could claim in Nokkzaruz.
"You bet boss." Rizamor said, cementing his statement with a steadfast nod. "Me and the boys will mess them up if they ever try and cause any problems for you. Now, if you would just let us-."
"Don't push your luck Rizamor." Rowland replied, giving the boy a look. "This is my fight. Not yours. I admire the enthusiasm kid, I really do, but I run my jobs solo. The Night Scourge must be a beacon of fear, something for those bastard nobles to run from when they hear a whisper of my presence. I can't do that if I have a bunch of kids tagging along with me." He finished, noting the dejected look that the devil was giving him.
He shrugged at that. He had told Rizamor a thousand times that he couldn't bring him along on his hunts. While a lot of what he said was the truth there was another reason he won't bring him along. Rizamor simply didn't have the stomach to do a lot of what working with him would demand. He knew that the kid had heard that he was some sort of vigilante shooting for the top dogs, concluding that he was some sort of hero for the common people.
It was true that he hated the abuse that the low-class devils took. However, it was more about the powerful kicking another whipped dog that he was mad about. The only reason he fought was for justice to be brought down upon those murderers. A wise man once said that sometimes, you must seek out justice on your own. He recalled, inwardly smiling for a second at a fond memory before forcing the emotion back down.
"Aw, come on boss!" Rizamor whined, "We can help you out! All you would have to do is teach us the way and then we could really stick it to them!" He exclaimed, pumping his fist as he thought of the scenario.
"Do you really want to help me Rizamor?" The rogue asked, looking at him skeptically.
"Of course!" Was the response he got, the only that he was hoping for. "I would be willing to do whatever it took!"
"Good." Rowland nodded, jerking his head to the door. "Then take that money and get out of here. Dispense it among the others and keep your damn ear to the ground. That's the role that I need you to do. Not playing hero, not following me around like a stray dog. I need you out in the field and gathering intel." He put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You already do enough. What you're doing, if the Necromancers ever caught wind of any of you then you would be put on the same shit list I'm on. In your own way, you're helping build my reputation on the streets."
Rizamor looked shocked at the words. No doubt he thought that just because he wasn't out in the field, doing the dirty work that he was doing that he wasn't helping with the fight. To be honest, if it weren't for the low-class devil and his fellow urchins then he couldn't get the information that he needed to do what needed to be done.
It isn't glamorous and no one is going to be singing about your glory. Rowland thought, remembering the man that had said the same words to him. But when all is said and done, you can say that you did the best that you could. No one could ask any more from you.
"Thanks boss!" Rizamor said, looking determined as he sprang back up. "I'll let the others know. And if we hear any more important news- "
"You'll tell me right away." The rogue said, giving the lad an encouraging nod. "That way I can decide what needs to be done."
Rizamor nodded back, heading out the door with a spring in his step. It made Rowland feel a bit better knowing that the others would have him to fall back on if anything mad happened.
He shut the door, locking it as he took one last good look outside the window. He knew that the odds of another visitor here so late at night was doubtful. However, there was nothing certain these nights.
Rowland walked up the stairs, looking about the second floor for a bit. The place was as much a wreck as he remembered it. There were only two rooms that he had cleaned up enough to live in. The others he simply didn't have a need for.
He pushed his way into the door on the right, sighing as he stripped off his work clothes. While he did play the part of hospitable innkeeper, he had grown to like it a bit. He would say that he had even developed a bit of pride in his skills with keeping the place fairly nice and the food and drink were a bit above the usual in the slums.
If I were just any old bastard, then I could probably say this is the best that I could do. Rowland thought, looking out the window as he took in the view. While there was not a lot that could be seen from such a low standing building, he could still see the great citadels and towers that doted the city. He knew these to be the many bases that the Eligos kept maintained. Bases that he had yet to be able to crack into. There was only so much that a single man could do, however.
The rogue sighed a bit as he set down on his bed. The room was quite empty of any personal touch. The only items in it being the bed, the small desk that he kept and the large map that occupied an entire way. On it were painted pictures of the numerous lieutenants that the Eligos kept under their employ. Most were some branch family or whatnot, not important enough to know their back stories as much as it was their roles in the syndicate.
Gorthrath Eligos. Rowland recalled, looking at one of the pictures that laid close to his location. The third son of a third son, by all accounts the man was not worth much mention. He had the signature dead black hair, the milky white eyes and the pale skin that marked the clan of Necromancers. He had been the one behind all the recent shipments in. No doubt trying to prove his worth to his family members by showing that he could pull his own weight.
Too bad he thought that it was a good idea to step onto my territory. Rowland thought, grinning to himself as he chuckled at the thought. The fat noble no doubt thought that his blood would be good enough to cull the people into submission. While that might work on the masses, the crowds used to keeping their heads down and doing what they were told, he had learned long ago that the only way to make things better was by taking a stand.
But if he were being honest, the recent activity so near his home was quite concerning. He was used to striking all over the city, not allowing his enemies to know where it was that he made his home. The name Night Scourge whispered about all over Nokkzaruz. He knew that he was no doubt over thinking things, that he was being paranoid. However, his paranoia had kept him alive for so long he had learned to trust in it.
It's not like it is going to matter. Rowland thought, already thinking out his next move as he looked the map over. Gorthrath was small time and he would deal with him like he had dealt with so many other lieutenants that the Eligos thought they could use to get rid of him. He wondered how exactly he would do it this time.
With a fat man like that flaying is much too dirty. The rogue thought, running through the regular techniques he would use to send a message to the high-class devils of Nokkzaruz. Ripping him apart with chains would be a good way, however I think impalement will be the way to do it. He concluded, nodding in confirmation.
While most would be a little disturbed as he went through the lists of how he would kill a man, getting sick at the thought, Rowland was numbed to it at this point. Were his victim an innocent or a run of the mill human he would never think of doing something like this. But to an Eligos, a family who paraded around the reanimated corpses of their fallen enemies and set them on the living? Such people were the reason for his existence.
Rowland nodded to himself one last time as he set off for bed. He made sure that all the windows and doors were locked tight, not taking the chance that someone might try and attack him in his sleep. Nokkzaruz was the kind of city that dealt with those that took chances like a dealer at a casino dealt with a drunk patron. It simply took everything that you had until you were out of money and trust. Then it took your blood and guts for because you thought that you could risk it all one last time and get out ahead.
Rowland thought of all the things that he would have to do in order to get ready for the next night. If he wanted to draw out his prey, he would need to up his game. He would need to be aggressive with his attacks. The Eligos were used to him at this point so he would need to be more. He would not be able to let up until he could be assured that everything was going to work out the way it was meant to. With the guilty being punished and the innocent being able to live their lives without fear.
He thought of the offer that Rizamor had offered him, shaking his head in denial. He couldn't afford to count on anyone's help. As much as it would make it easier, as much as he might hate himself for wanting companionship, if he were to let his walls break down and let someone in on this. All it would take was the Necromancers breaking that person and having them spill the beans to let all that he had fought so hard for slip away.
It is better to go it alone after all. Rowland thought, turning his back on the map. He knew that the odds of his success were slim, that he was still just one man no matter how strong. However, sometimes it just takes one man to make a stand.
The rogue fell into his bed, letting sleep take him for a few hours. He would need to wake up soon. There was always something that needed to be done. The recent war had done nothing to make his life any easier and he doubted that it would be better once it was all said and done.
So, what did you guys think? I know that it is a bit of a rocky start and I am just getting my bearing down. However, I think that once it is all said and done that the story should turn out to be quite nice. Sorry for the short length, the first chapter is always the worst for me but as I start to get a feel for Rowland and our other main character (you already know who it is) they should be getting progressively longer.
Now, something that I like to do is give a little footnote at the end of each chapter. It gives a bit of context in the current time period in canon and helps shed light on some events as they are seen in the present.
Rowland Moechor: Throughout the history of the Devil Civil War, there are few men that are so debated about as Rowland Moechor. Raised on the street of the pro Devil Faction Eligos clan, the man was a bit of a folk hero to the lower classes of Nokkzaruz. Some portray him as an ideological mad man, a killer who simply loved the thrill of a good fight and the torment that he would inflict upon his victims. However, there are others (most notably Lady Leviathan) who do naught but sing his praises. They say he was a champion of the common man and the one that would bring justice to those that would seek to escape from its wrath. No matter how he is seen, there is no denying that the name Moechor has gone down in history as one of the heroes of the Anti-Satan Faction, one of the few that were just shying of the fame that the new Satans are able to enjoy.
So, let me know what you guys thought in the comments section. If you liked what you read then please favorite and follow, it really makes my day. Have a good day and I hope you enjoyed the ride so far.