Issei and I flew back together to the castle of my brother. All around us, a scenery of destruction and ashes made itself known.
I turned to look at Issei. He was also sending looks to the destroyed Earth under us, to the results of the destruction we had brought on this layer of hell "Don't feel guilty," I told him.
"We burnt so many things. I burnt so many things. I know that some people were consumed by my flames," he spoke.
"And? Issei, this is hell. Those people have been here suffering for aeons. Their concept and notion of time were changed so that they could feel more pain. Don't feel guilty."
"If they were in hell, doesn't that mean that they deserve it?" he asked me.
"If Asia hadn't been reincarnated, she would have been here or in a similar place Issei." He reacted as if I had slapped him.
I pushed down the guilt I felt looking at his hurt expression. He needed to crush, destroy the guilt in his heart I knew wanted to drown him, a guilt that was searching for any excuse.
"Asia? Here?!" he spoke in disbelief. "There is no one more kind than her."
"Asia healed a devil Issei," I reminded him.
"She didn't know he was a devil. She only healed him because it is in her nature to care about people!"
"The laws of heaven are strict Issei. It didn't matter she didn't know. Before the heavens, she sinned, before the heavens, by healing him she entered into a pact with a devil."
"It's not fair," he whispered.
"No, it is not," I agreed with him. "Things aren't as black and white as they seem at first look. I was able to reincarnate Asia but imagine Issei, how many were not lucky enough to be reincarnated? Even then, how many were sentenced here for all eternity for finite crimes?"
"Bishamonten, the god I fought against. He didn't care that the people of the city were innocent. For him, they were tainted. He didn't care that he took their lives. He didn't care that he butchered them. He did all of this because we were living amongst them. He was a god yet I never saw something as monstrous, as demonic than him."
"Gods, monsters, demons, dragons, in the end, we're all the same thing. We think we're better than the others when we're all monsters," I told him.
"You're wrong Rias. You're not like that."
A chuckle escaped me. He didn't know how I literally chose to eat the flesh of a living god and cannibalize Kagutsuchi without caring about the morality of it. He didn't know that I hadn't cared about Kuoh and him when I began fighting.
Maybe if I hadn't lost myself in my fight against Kagutsuchi. Maybe If I hadn't let myself bask in the dark feelings buried deep in my chest, maybe Issei would still have his parents right now.
"I am just like them Issei." I watched as he opened his mouth to try to make a rebuttal in defence of my character. "I would have done the same thing or even worse if it meant that you and the others, that my family would thrive."
I wouldn't say that I had accepted this fact but I had recognized it. This was me, the real me. I could try to act more virtuous than I was but my core was the one of an uncaring and greedy monster who only cared about what she saw as hers.
Maybe I would never truly accept it but this is not something I felt I could deny anymore but even then "You're partially right. I most likely would not do the things they have done. Do you know why?" I asked him as we landed before the castle.
"Why?"
"Because I have all of you." I felt the demonic energy of the other members of my peerage coming closer to me. It seemed my little bout with Issei was enough to wake them all up.
I turned to look at the dumbfounded face of Issei "I know that in the deepest darkness, you would be there to guide me to the light. Am I wrong?"
A smile bloomed on his face "No Rias, you can count on us."
A blur of yellow crushed against Issei. The surprise etched on his face as he fell on the ground made me want to laugh "Asia?!" he whispered.
It was indeed the ex-nun that was in his arms. Fat ugly tears ran from her eyes on his prone form. I decided to walk away from them, to the doors of the castle.
They needed some time together. I think that they deserved it. They would worry about the world and everything wrong in it later. Right now, the important was for me to leave the two of them to be together.
As I walked closer to the entrance, I felt myself being dragged into a hug. I knew this touch. I knew this smell. "Hi Akeno," I told her softly while leaning into her arms.
"I already know what you're thinking. It wasn't your fault. My grandfather, Issei, this wasn't your fault Akeno."
"You must know how I feel about your words Rias."
"Yeah. I know how you feel, I know that even with my words, you still feel guilty. My brother and I lost against this monster. There is no point in blaming yourself."
"I know that yet it still is enraging. He turned me into a weakness. I want to tear him into a thousand pieces with my bare hands."
"You're not The only one. You're not the only one," I whispered to her.
"What did he take?" she asked me.
"What made you think he took anything?" I asked her stalling more than anything else.
"For multiple reasons. First, there's the fact he's an Archdaemon and monsters like him don't act unless they gain something from it. Secondly, I can see your soul Rias, not as much as I do with others but I can see it and something's different. I can see a thread, a chain connected to your essence, a chain that feels like him."
"He gave me a choice I desperately needed. He gave me the possibility to make sure none of you would fight."
"The moment you accepted his terms was the moment he already won Rias. The question is if what he's truly planning will be bad for you."
"Does it change anything?" I asked her softly.
"Not it doesn't. In the end, I'll be at your side like promised."
"You know the love you have for me could be the cause of your demise, right?"
"If I die because of love, if I die because of you, then, it would be a worthwhile death."
"Loving me would mean staying at my side forever Akeno. There is no point if you leave me."
"Understood Rias. It is Understood. I'll grow stronger so that I'll never leave you," she told me.
"We would all grow stronger, stronger than our forefathers, stronger than the Endless themselves. Akeno, love you."
I felt her take a deep breath and her heart began to beat faster "I love you too Rias."
"PRESIDENT!" I heard the voice of Gasper yell.
Relulunclty, I retreated away from her embrace. I wished I wouldn't have to. That was fine. I'll do it again later.
My gaze travelled to the approaching forms of Yuto, Gasper and Koneko. I took a step phasing through space and time to reappear before them.
With one move, I engulfed both Gasper and Koneko in my arms. They clung to me immediately as if they had been lost in the desert for a long time and finally found an oasis.
"I am there now. I am there. Nothing wrong will happen again. You're safe, we're safe," I spoke softly.
Softly, I directed my demonic energy and made it touch their skin quickly and softly, so they wouldn't be able to feel it. A demonic seal appeared and disappeared in an instant sinking into their souls. No matter how far away they were, I should now normally be able to teleport to them.
It could be said that I had turned them into beacons, my beacons. I would die before letting anything like what previously happened to them be repeated. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I won't let myself be caught off-guard a second time.
My gaze travelled to my knight. Already he looked better than before. He looked more ale, more healthy. He looked as if he wouldn't die at any minute of exhaustion anymore.
I know that there'll be consequences. I know that I created to myself even more enemies but it was alright. This happiness I was feeling right now. This warmth that made me feel as if everything was okay. I will crush anyone trying to remove it from me.
*scene*
The land of Yomi was a desolate place, one full of darkness and horrors. It was a warping place that turned good into evil, beauty into ugliness and corrupted the souls of its inhabitants.
Yomi was a realm that was alive, as alive as Earth was, as Yggdrasil was, as alive as Indra himself was. Yomi had been there before the birth of Izanagi and Izanami and would probably still be there even after the death of the sun.
Indra was only wearing a black short, a green Hawaiian-themed shirt. A barrier made of pure divinity surrounded Indra. He walked fearlessly as if he were taking a stroll in a park as monsters attacked him and died by coming too close to the celestial being that he was.
Such a place wasn't one that was worthy of his presence but sometimes, you had to walk into literally shit to gain diamonds.
He was hungry. He hoped the servants had cooked something new, something exciting that he hadn't tested yet. He made sure to obstruct his future vision so that he would not see what they were cooking.
He had known before even the thought entered the mind of Kagutsuchi that the god would attack Kuoh.
He had known it decades before the god en came back from the aether. Something that troubled him and still did. At some point, his perfect vision became less than perfect, clouded, obscured and it infuriated him to no end.
Plans meticulously prepared, plans that took centuries to be put into motion were all suddenly destroyed and it was because of Rias Gremory.
He had seen a different future once where the only thing that made her worthwhile was the fact that she gave herself to the current red dragon emperor.
This pathetic being shouldn't have been able to go against what was supposed to be, to go against Fate and win.
Indra couldn't directly see her future and the future of those she was closely involved with but he could still see the rest of the tapestry, the threads of fate of others.
He would have killed the parents of the girl before she was conceived if it wasn't for the New Lucifer and the new Beelzebub.
This is why when the Beelzebub helped the United States, Indra made sure to give let's say a little boost. A little boost that was enough to enrage Kagutsuchi, a little boost that was enough to kill Ebisu, something that had assured Daikokuten would be more receptive to the words of the son of Izanami and like everything Indra did, he succeeded.
He couldn't directly plan around, or see the future of Rias Gremory but he could assess her, poke her indirectly to see what made her tick. He already knew the Shinto gods would fail but you couldn't make an omelet without breaking some eggs.
She only proved to him that he was right. She was too dangerous. He had thought about maybe using her but wildcards that could explode in your own hands weren't fun.
Indra hated the Abrahamic faction, how barbaric they were, how they thought themselves superior when through heaven and Earth, he only, was the honoured one.
They were strong, something he couldn't deny but it didn't mean that they were unbeatable. A little nudge there, A little nudge here and things that would have turned inconsequential or wouldn't exist became sources of discord.
He would let the Abrahamic pantheon bleed itself dry, help make things worse if needed and when a weakened winner would emerge, Indra would smile at them and behead them.
This was why he was actually in Yomi. He finally arrived at the place he had wanted to reach. Before him, a woman sobbed, her face against the Earth. Poor poor poor Izanami, losing a child twice.
Indra took a loud step on purpose and the primordial Japanese goddess turned toward him. Yikes, he understood why Izanagi had run away from her.
He could see remnants of a once transcendental beauty but now, what was clearly left, could clearly be seen as the ugliness.
Raw black flesh that seemed to be in an endless necrosis. Sticking protruding bones and cartilage. Maggots and centipedes that crawled into her flesh. Indra hid his disgust behind a smile "Ô honoured mother of the land of the rising sun. I have heard of your loss and came here to present my respects."
"Y̸o̸u̶ ̴s̵m̴e̴l̷l̴ ̵o̷f̷Dy̶e̶u̵s̷ ̸a̴n̶d̴ ̶P̷r̸t̴h̴v̸i̴.̷ ̸W̶h̸a̵t̴ ̸D̵o̷ ̷y̸o̷u̴ ̵w̴a̴n̷t̷ ̵f̵r̵o̶m̷ ̴m̵e̶ ̷D̷a̶e̴v̵a̶?̶" the goddess rasped.
"The loss of a child is something that can never truly be replaced but even then, I think it's a shame you were robbed by the devil of your child."
A bubble materialized over the prone form of the primordial goddess. The bubble twisted, changed until when it fell into the hands of the goddess, what lay there was the form of a baby, a dead one with crimson hair and purple eyes.
"T̸h̴e̵ ̵c̶h̴i̴l̴d̴ ̸i̵s̸ ̷d̸e̶a̴d̴. Ț̶̢͉̤̙̋̇͠H̷̛̞̦͕̪͔̣͕͋̚È̴̢̫̯̮̥̝͚ ̸̛̠͓̀̎̀̌̀̃̚Ċ̴̡̧̣̌̇́͘H̸̨̧̛̞̀͑̄̅͘̚Ī̷̱͒͂̇͘͜L̴̢̛̩̪̯̽̀͗͆͐D̶̡͎͊̃̉̌̀͋ ̷̧͓̮͇̳̅̌́͌̿͊I̴̟̳̬̼͎͝S̷̼̣̹̪̼̟͇͑̍̀̅̐ ̶̡͈͚̭̻̩͇̐̿́͝D̷̯̲̩́̍Ė̶̹̄̈́̄̒̕̚À̸̦̉̌D̸̡͔̲͈̯͉́̎̓̇͊̂!̵͖͛ ̴͙̮̭́͌͐͂̑͝Y̷͖͙͔̹͋̿̅́̅Ō̷̡͍͖͚̄Ǘ̸̜̋ ̷̬̦̞̯̱̥̙̣́̾̇͐̾̄̌̂Ḓ̵̀̐̎Ą̷̣̰̝̥̺̅͛̊̂̕͠R̶̢̪̹͇̉̐̂̏̈́͝E̷̮͓̊̊͗̉̽̔͑̈́ ̸̛̘̰̈̾̾͆̌̓̚M̵̛͍̙͖͓̝͐͛̽͜O̷̧̡̗͍͓̠͋̽͝C̴̡̟̈͗̍K̵̺̱̤͈͖̋̿̌̆ ̶̖̠͍̹̬̲͇̲̀̄̉̑̉M̵̀͑͛ͅÉ̴̛̩͖̘̭̞͒̾͜ ̶̨̛̪̭̲̬̥̀̄̈́̈́̌͛I̴̛͇̓̋Ǹ̶͇̹̥̓̌̇ ̵̪͘M̸͖̪͕͉̓͋Y̴̟̯̞̑̍͒̓̔̋ ̴̢͚̗̤̆̂̈́̅̏̓̋̽R̶̠̩͓̤̺͆̈́̎̽͜Ḛ̷́̉̾̈́A̶̢͗͆͂̂̊̆̂̋L̸̮̲͕̥̳̻͋̅̎̔M̵̙͚̌͜?̵̧̛͕̩̱̗̹̬̋̆̋̔͑̑͝"
the goddess's voice boomed in the caverns of Yomi.
From the walls, they arrived. Dead heroes, dead emperors, dead gods summoned to to the bidding of Izanami. Even with all his might, Indra knew it would be a bad idea to choose to fight Izanami in Yomi. It is a good thing he wasn't there to fight.
"Death doesn't always mean an end. It could also mean a beginning my lady. This child may live on if you share your essence with his if you let it become yours. A mother without a child, a child without a mother."
The gaze of the deity went back to the corpse she was holding. A black miasma appeared and came out of her eyes and sank into the corpse of the dead child.
Indra watched how the black essence of Izanami reached the heart of the baby and made it beat again. In Yomi, for the first time since the beginning of time, a new life was born.
"My child, my baby," the dead goddess whispered almost drunkenly, almost in reverence "My Takehito."
Slowly, Indra retreated, fading out and leaving the Japanese afterlife to reappear before the door of Svarga. Indra felt a smile bloom on his face. He had played his card. He just had to wait to see if he reached the jackpot.
In a world where every strong motherfucker got future sight, the arrival of someone that denies them their bullshit advantage is most of the time encountered with extreme cruelty and violence. Those who are a little knowledgeable about DC comics will understand more quickly the importance and meaning of this chapter. I hope you all like it. Anyway, I have on my Patreon more than three chapters of Infernal Comedy in advance and two of Demiurge. Don't stop yourself from visiting if you want to read more.
We found ourselves in one of the supposedly numerous gardens of the palace. Even though I had tried to minimize any damage that could have been made by Issei, I hadn't been able to leave the castle unscathed.
The only thing left from the room that once was assigned to Issei and Asia was ashes. Apparently putting down the flames was not enough. They had brought with them heat, scalding heat that would have been mortal to Asia and the remaining servants if they weren't devils.
My brother wasn't there because he had to according to the words they apparently heard him say have to leave urgently according to one of the maids to make sure the consequences of my action would be handled.
I really needed to do something nice to him. All this time, he had been dealing with my problems.
Maybe I could offer a guitar? I knew the basics of how to make one due to the fact that I had learnt to partially play it in my childhood.
Maybe I could create an electric guitar. For the things I didn't understand, I'm sure I could find manuals somewhere or people ready to teach me how against money. In the worst case, I would straight up create one with magic.
The cool thing with devil magic was that I didn't need to know what I was doing. Sure it could help but I didn't have to. As long as I had power, there was nothing I wouldn't be able to do.
So maybe an electric guitar inscribed with runes. A guitar that could create real lightning. I had forgotten most of it but I knew there were runes representing Thor, the thunder. I'll check the library after. It would be dumb if I made the guitar explode because I wrote Erwaz instead of whatever else I should have written.
'Domination,' I mused internally in the chair-like throne I sat on with Gasper and Koneko on each of my legs was such an interesting concept.
I hadn't used it against Issei but I could feel its presence, beating into my soul like a secondary heart to a tune I couldn't understand yet.
What was domination? Some would call it the ability to subjugate others, some would define it as the exercise of power or influence over someone or something, or the state of being so controlled.
Those definitions were sorely lacking. Domination wasn't looking at the world, looking at its rules, about what shouldn't, couldn't be done and still do it shamelessly.
Domination was having a sense of self do great, so deep that everything coming against it would break.
It didn't matter that gravity should make flying impossible. You rose and didn't fall because you were stupid enough, hedonistic or egotistical enough to believe in yourself and be able to accomplish the contrary.
This was domination, this was the thing that made Ddraig a dragon worthy of being called celestial, this is the power that allowed the monster trapped in the soul of Issei to fight against to be so strong that all the different factions of the Abrahamic pantheon needed to work together to put him and Albion down.
Boost, such a simple and silly concept, such a ridiculous idea. What was boost other than an application of domination?
What was boost other than the consecration of the stolen authority of the red dragon Emperor?
This impossibility, even though it was just a sliver of it, I held it in my soul. This was just a mere ember I knew but ember could grow into a bonfire and maybe with time shine as bright and hard as a star.
I couldn't wait to see what I could do with this. Domination was nothing else more than potential.
My gaze travelled to my pawn. Each of the members of my peerage was also given opulent chairs even though less than mine. The only reason why I haven't reacted negatively to this was the fact that I knew that most of them were not used to such comfort and luxuries. It'll come with time so I swallowed my words.
Issei looked happy. Sure I could still some anxiousness in his gaze but it was different now. With Asia there at his side, who was still hugging him and hadn't stopped from doing so, his worries and fears were probably put in the back of his mind.
"I have something to announce to all of you," I spoke softly even though I knew my words reached clearly the ears of the members of my peerage.
I could feel the attention of most of them directed at me. "The underworld will officially enter today in war with heaven and its allies. It would be announced that low-class and middle-class devils would be forcefully conscripted."
Even with my words, I didn't see or feel the telltale signs of panic bloom. They knew that I wouldn't be talking so calmly if I hadn't found something close to a solution.
"I spoke with my grandfather after. We made a deal. He would make sure that something may be done."
Akeno's tea cup cracked into her grip which was a feat in itself. What we were using was specially created to be manipulated without any destruction or damage but ultimate class beings. Why did it make more hot though?
I felt Koneko stiffen and heard the rhythm of her heart changing. I crossed my gaze with hers. Words didn't need to be said.
'Are you alright?' her eyes conveyed. 'Are we alright?'
The only thing I projected back was confidence and assurance. I kissed her softly on the forehead.
The eyes of Yuto had turned cold and as sharp as razor blades They looked like the the surface of an iceberg full of anger and wrath. "Will I need to put one my blade into his heart president?"
Gravity existed, stars were bright, water was wet and I will put my blade in the heart of your grandfather. Yuto said it as if it was evidence, just a formality.
I had fought against my grandfather and saw the monster hiding behind the curtain. I should have baulked at the ridiculous words of Yuto, at their absurdity yet I didn't.
He had already done something nigh impossible for most devils. He healed Koneko, healed her with a sword. He fought against a god and won when he shouldn't have.
I could still feel his demonic energy. He could be said to be at best at the level of a high-class devil. It shouldn't have been enough to win against a popular and widely worshipped deity even though they were technically a minor one.
He didn't need to be strong, I realized. His sacred gear was all he needed. As long as he had enough imagination, I'm sure that there was nothing he wouldn't be able to create.
His words that would seem nonsensical at first seemed now more than just mere words. I possibly held a blade above the head of my grandfather, one that would fall only when I wished for it to do so. This was a boon I was so lucky to have. It seemed I had partially inherited Rias's luck.
"Hey! You're speaking of Rias' grandfather!" Issei shouted at Yuto.
"Issei, Yuto isn't wrong to react in such a way," I spoke softly. "We are devils Issei and my Grandfather is an Archdaemon, something worse. He's one of the direct children of the original Lucifer and Lilith. He's someone who committed so many atrocities that Hitler and Genghis Khan's combined achievements would look like those of an ant."
"An Archdaemon even at best is always malicious Issei."
He looked dumbfounded. In many regards, I realized, he still thought himself of as a human. What happened with Ddraig probably changed his mindset to be more similar to the one most supernatural beings had, but it hadn't been a complete thing.
"You're supposed to be family," he whispered. "Family doesn't hurt each other."
I saw how Akeno stopped moving just for a brief instant at his words. I felt as Koneko and Gasper both subtly flinched.
This was kinda sad when I thought about it. None of us could truly say that we came from perfect families.
Gasper and the way he was treated by his pure-blooded vampire for something he couldn't control.
Koneko who was an orphan, who had been raised by Kuroka, Kuroka who would kill their old master and flee from the underworld branded as a criminal even though she killed their old master because he wanted to experiment on them.
It disgusted me that even though Kuroka could be right, more the victim than the monster in this situation because she killed a pure-blooded devil, no justification would be able to be given.
Akeno with Baraqiel and the fact that the members of her mother's clan were the ones to kill her mother and almost succeeded in doing the same thing to her.
Asia never truly had a family. The closest thing she had to one was the church, the church that excommunicated her because of something she didn't know because she was tricked.
I was with the Archdemon grandfather who probably was putting me in one of his schemes where even if I found a way to win, I would lose or the parents who didn't care about my feelings when they decided to marry me to someone they knew I hated. The closest thing to a family member I knew I could count on and who I loved with all my heart was my brother, Sirzechs, the literal devil.
Weirdly, it was Yuto who was the more like Issei. His family, the other orphans of the Excalibur project had loved him so much that they had given their lives so that he could escape.
Issei was the only one who had the closest to what could be called a healthy relationship with his family, well this was before their death and Issei looking at the beheaded head of his mother.
We really were all screwed up, weren't we. I really needed to find a therapist or the devil equivalent of it.
"It shouldn't be like this Issei but it is how things are. Maybe in the future, things will be different but that's not the case right now," Yuto said to Issei.
"It won't be needed yet Yuto," I said to Knight putting an emphasis on the yet. He nodded and went back to lounging into his chair as if nothing had previously happened, as if he hadn't proposed to kill my grandfather for me.
"A tournament will be created, one between young Pure-blooded devils" I continued. "The three strongest, the three winners would be allowed to choose boons of their choice. The losers or those who didn't participate would also be forcefully conscripted into this war."
"The houses of the Ars Goetia won't like it," Akeno spoke.
"They won't but there is nothing they can say or do. It is the will of an Archdaemon, of a great king. Even the Satans themselves would find it hard to forbid his will."
My gaze travelled to each of them "I intend to win. I'll ask for all of you to be exempted from going to war." Now was time for the hard part "And I'll be the only one fighting," I finished.
As I had expected, denials and rejections of my decision erupted from the members of my peerage.
"NO!"
"As if I would let you!
"This is something I can't follow my king."
Even with their denials, I chose to at firm on my decision "You shouldn't be fighting. I shouldn't be fighting. None of us should be fighting or worrying about war. We should have been worrying about the next school Quiz or the cute person we saw the other day. I wasn't able to make sure you were not affected by the madness coursing through this world but I'll throw myself to the mercy of heaven before I let anything wrong happen to any of you again."
"This isn't what we talked about Rias. We're supposed to be at your side. I'm supposed to be at your side."
My gaze clashed against the amethyst one of Akeno, the woman I learned to love so easily and quickly "I know Akeno but I'm a liar. I find in me the prospect of any of you being hurt worse than you being disappointed in me. Something will go wrong. I know it without a doubt. My grandfather is playing a game I don't understand but that I know would only bring out misery."
"Let me tell you a story Rias, the story of a warlord," Akeno said to me as her eyes glassed out as if she was looking at something only she could see. It was probably the case with the fact she was half fallen angel and thus able to see and understand the make-up of reality more than I currently could."
"This is the story of a hero. The hero was a fool, one who fell in love. He found terror in the possibility of anything wrong happening to his loved one so he changed. He ignored the fact that he wasn't alone, that if he had explained the problem to the one he loved, that if he had asked the help of his loved one, the evil would have been vanquished. He didn't understand this too lost in his arrogance, in his pride."
"He left his loved one searching for the power that would be enough to render null the coming threat. He searched and searched and searched until one day while resting under a tree, he met a devil. What would you give for your love? The devil asked him. Can you guess what he answered?"
"Everything," I spoke softly. This was what I would have done "He gave everything to the devil."
The other members of my peerage seemed to be engrossed in the tale. Issei looked more pale than usual, almost disgusted, almost regretful. I'm sure he could easily see himself as the hero who gave everything. He had after all almost done the same.
"Yes. His exact words were I'll become your body, mind and soul the moment I die if you give me enough strength to win, to protect the one I love. He tried to trick the devil by asking the devil to make him a god. Like this, I would be able to protect her and the devil would never have my soul the hero thought."
I could almost see images of the story as if I was in a cinema room watching a documentary or a movie "He went back to his loved one happy thinking he had found a way to defeat the evil, protect his love from the evil without risking her safety by letting her fight at his side."
"Something bad happened to her, am I wrong?" I asked her.
"The monster found her alone while he wasn't there and killed her. To add to the insult, the monster chose to desecrate her corpse. He skinned her from head to toe, dismembered her corpse and put them on pikes so that the maggots and vultures would devour her corpse. The hero was enraged. With his new strength, he fought to avenge, to do what heroes do, kill the monster. The monster was strong but the hero found himself the victor. When he struck down the monster, he realized looking at the corpse that the monster wasn't truly one. The monster looked identical to him. He was the monster. He was the one who killed the woman he saw as the one of his life. In grief, he tried to kill himself. He grabbed his sword and plunged toward his heart. His sword broke. The devil knew that the hero wanted to trick him so the devil let him think he was doing so. The hero would be condemned to wander Earth for all eternity entirely alone."
"The soul of the hero was something very valuable but the devil found more worth in the suffering he knew would be self-inflicted by the hero. The hero was strong enough to protect the one he loved but failed because, in the end, he was alone, because in the end what he saw as care, as love was only pride. He had been too prideful to see that the strong could be defeated. He had been too prideful to see being alone at the top would never be enough."
"It is not pride. The hero wanted only the best for his loved ones," I told her.
"Does it change anything? They still died. His strength didn't matter because he hadn't understood that sometimes, being alone at the top could be a failure in itself. He didn't understand that no matter how stupid one choice was, only a choice could lead to a miracle." Life came back to her eyes yet she was different, more. Her shadow seemed deeper and when she opened he mouth, it seemed as if her words were echoing "Will you be the hero, Rias Gremory?"
"No, I won't be the hero. I'll grow strong enough by myself to discard every obstacle in my path."
"So your answer is power? You think the reason why the hero failed was because he hadn't enough?"
"He had enough power Akeno. The problem was that it was a curse disguised as power. The problem was that it came from the devil. My power is mine."
"In the end, I don't care about what could happen to me. If Death came to any of us, I'd be there to fight her off. If the dream itself tries to trap you, I'll go fight him for an eternity if I must."
"That's selfish of you Rias. Why can't you see that we're there for you, with you?!" she yelled.
"Because I don't want to lose any of you!" I shouted back. "When I saw Koneko laying that day prone on the blackened ground of Kuoh, I felt as if I had died. When I saw what happened to Issei, when I realized that I could have lost all of you, everything, I wished to myself to make sure that none of those times would happen again!"
Realization seemed to bloom in her eyes "You see us as weak, all of us."
"This isn't what I meant."
"No this is what you truly meant Rias. You're scared because you feel like, think we aren't strong enough to stay at your side."
"Aken-"
"Don't lie to me Rias, don't try to lie to me now. I thought that the new strength I gained was enough to stay at your right but I was wrong. Your grandfather proved it to me."
"It is not a question of strength or weakness Akeno. I simply don't want anything wrong happening to you."
I watched her rise from her chair "You can protect us against the entire world even if you wish to do so. To do this, you would have to become God. Only God or something similar could be strong enough to ensure that the reality they wish for was."
"Then, I'll become god, for you, for all of us!"
She came closer to me. She stood over me seemingly towering like a mountain. I swore I saw a glimpse of something else, something lurking "I'll stay at your side no matter what. I realize now that I don't care if it's not what you want because you give to the ones you love what they need, not want. Have you ever thought about how this decision of yours makes us feel?
"Let's speak in the only language you seem to understand. What do you think would happen to us if anything happened to you? Sooner or later you will face something like the monster of the story, something you won't be able to adapt from, grow strong enough to win against because you chose to fight alone."
It won't happen I wanted to tell her. It already happened my mind reminded me. You already met the darkness when you didn't expect it. The only reason I was still alive was because of Olethros. I knew that if I encountered something of a similar calibre or lesser, I wouldn't be helpless as I was due to my essence but this world was one that seemed to be one of endless escalation.
My gaze travelled to each member of my peerage. They were looking at Akeno and me. They looked anxious. With my demonic eyes, I searched deeper, plunging my gaze into their souls. They weren't only anxious. They were scared, I realized with disgust.
I refused to meet the gaze of Akeno. It felt as if the sun was personally making me suffer his wrath. My embrace over Koneko and Gasper tightened more for my comfort, my sake than anything else.
I watched from the corner of my eyes Akeno kneel on one knee. "Rias," she called my name softly.
Relulunctly, I turned toward her ready to meet his case probably full of disappointment. Akeno was right. I was scared because they were not strong enough. The attack on Kuoh showed me that this wasn't a shonen.
Things could and will go badly. Nothing was promised except strength. Nothing was promised not even time.
I had gained everything by transmigrating into this world. I didn't want to lose this. Before all of those events, when I first reincarnated and thought things would have been identical to the canon I had wanted to create, transcribe into this world mangas from my previous worlds. I had wanted to live, live with everything I had to the point where I would make Dionysus seem boring. What was more cruel? Never have anything or have everything and lose it.
I finally met her gaze "I promised that I'll grow stronger," she told me.
"Me too Rias," Issei shouted.
"Same for me my king," Yuto spoke.
"I don't want the president to be hurt," Asia said softly.
"I don't want to lose you," Koneko whispered in my arms.
"Me too," Gasper said after her, engulfing himself even deeper in my embrace.
"I wish things were different," I told them. "I don't agree but you are not my slaves, you are my family."
I watched their gazes harden, focusing in a way that the gaze of people their ages shouldn't. "Prove me that you'll be strong enough and I'll let you fight me in the tournament."
"UNDERSTOOD," they all replied simultaneously.
An old poem, one that I hated but had stuck in my mind all this time invaded my mind once again
'To hear your heart speak mysteries, divine;
Since I have seen you smile, have watched you weep, Your lips pressed to my lips, your eyes on mine;
Since I have sensed above my thoughts the gleam Of a ray, a single ray, of your bright star (If sometimes veiled), and felt light, falling, stream
Like one rose petal plucked from high, afar;
I now can say to time's swift-changing hours:
'Pass, pass upon your way, for you grow old;
Flee to the dark abyss with your drear flowers, but one unmarred within my heart I hold.'
It should be impossible but I felt sleepy. I wanted to sleep. I honestly regretted having woken up this early today. Maybe if I hadn't, none of the things with my peerage or Zekram would have happened. Would have probably been woken up by Issei's rampage but still.
I felt a sight escape me. As my gaze travelled above me, it met the unreal phenomenon of a demonic energy oozing star falling toward us. Again with this bullshit. I really was beginning to seriously hate stars.
I kinda hate most of the chapters of this arc. They have a purpose and set things for the rest of the story and the next chapters but even then it felt as if they are slowing the story. Anyway, I have on my Patreon(https / www.pat reon. com/ Eileen715 without any spaces) more than four chapters of Infernal Comedy in advance and two of Demiurge. Don't stop yourself from visiting if you want to read more.
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