Capítulo 22: Death valley

Rias awoke early in the morning with a start. Looking over to Elros, she saw him peacefully sleeping while Akeno rested on his shoulder, her hand slipped under his shirt. She gulped as she looked around the dark room as the nightmare replayed through her mind. Elros had found out that they lied to him and they were investigating him behind his back. He found them nosing around what she imagined his first home to be like. Turning, she and the others saw him seething before he pointed his ring at them and they were encompassed in a green light. She ran her hand over his face before gingerly stepping out of bed and heading to the bathroom.

As she looked at herself in the mirror, the question came back to her for the umpteenth time since she had suggested the idea - should they be doing this? Should they be going behind his back, trying to learn about him? Should they just ask him directly?

'Tried that… he's afraid to talk about it. I can understand but… we're so close. I just… please don't be mad at us, Elros. Please,' she thought, looking down at the sink - her worry evident.

"What's wrong?" she heard a voice behind her, heart dropping as it floated over. Elros had woken up and gone to the bathroom as well. He stood in the doorway, still massaging his face.

"Nothing. Just thinking," Rias said.

"Hmm? About what?" Elros asked as he went over and hugged her tight.

"You've got that duel coming up. Just worried about you," Rias said as she put her arms around him, not wanting to look him in the eye.

"Don't worry, Rias. I've got it in the bag, alright? It's gonna be fine," Elros said as he kissed her head. She sighed as she felt the kiss; when he held her like that, when he kissed her, it was a feeling like no other. Like everything else simply washed away. She tightened her hold on him and nodded.

"I know," she whispered, kissing his neck.

"How about after I kick ass, we go out on another date?" Elros suggested.

"Yes. I'll show you around the territory my family owns," Rias said, smiling.

"Perfect," Elros said.

"Anyways, I'm gonna get back to sleep. I'll see you later," she said, kissing his cheek before making her way back to bed.

-o-

"Why the hell would anyone want to live here?!" Akeno said loudly as they stepped out of the magic circle into the blistering sun. As soon as they did, Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki felt it - the hot wind that ravaged the land. It was particularly high this time of year, specks of sand blowing into their faces. They had to shield their heads from the bombardment and began walking toward Crater - still a little while away. The sands shifted below their light weight, engulfing their shoes and socks and piling them with severe discomfort as it burned them.

"I don't know. My goodness, who would want to raise a child here?" Sona asked. As her particular powers were based on water, the dry and arid climate were opposed to her severely. The Underworld had always been comfortable and she hadn't ever spent time in the desert before, nor any other extreme - ice, desert, jungle, etc.

"It's… in the low 120s today," Tsubaki said. She made sure to check the weather before they came, gulping as she read the numbers. Today would be punishing, she knew.

"I feel like my skin is gonna burn," Rias said. She remembered Elros telling her that part of his training regimen included running in desert sands; she hardly felt able to walk in them, never mind run.

'No wonder he's so fit. I would be too if I trained in this fucking hellhole,' she thought, wiping some already creeping sweat off her brow.

"Seriously. His dad really is a monster for keeping him here. I don't… know how Elros could survive on his own," Akeno said as she looked ahead. The very land began to distort under the gaze of the sun, producing what appeared to be mirages and hazing the distance. The blue sky spread ever outward above them, a stark contrast from the yellow and golden sand below them. But even that sky would be hot here; no clouds loomed overhead.

"Where are we headed towards?" Sona asked.

"Crater. It's a small place a little while away. I don't know the precise location where Elros lived, but I… am assuming that someone in the town might. Only one or two families live there, I believe," Rias said.

"Why couldn't we just drop right in?" Akeno asked.

"And risk appearing in front of someone? I don't think that'd be a good idea. Plus, Elros lived in the desert for months; I'm sure we can handle it for a day," Rias said defiantly. She also wanted to experience what it was like for him; the others picked up on that. Nodding, they continued.

-o-

"Something's moving," Sona said as they all came to a stop, frozen still. Narrowing their eyes, they saw what appeared to be something pulsating not too far in front of them, but the sand whipping around made it difficult to identify.

"Screw it," Akeno said as she suddenly cast a barrier. She felt she should've done it a while ago, but it had slipped her mind - she was to focused on the heat. As they approached, they couldn't help but wretch.

Sprawled out in front of them was a coyote. It had an eye missing and it's stomach was blown open. Amazingly, it was still alive as blood curdled around the sand in front of it. It's breathing labored, it wasn't long until the horrifying smell reached their noses.

"Oh, wow," Rias said, covering her face at the smell.

"Should we… finish it?" Tsubaki asked. She was used to cutting through her enemies, but there was something different about this coyote. It was much more visceral than what they were used to it. It's good eye swiveled to them as its tongue hung out of its mouth. Sona was about to comment when suddenly, it stopped moving. Life drifted out of its eyes as its mouth hung open in a horrid expression. Before them, it died.

"Let's keep moving," Rias said, her voice shaking a bit. With a gulp, they nodded and continued.

"I think I can see the town," Akeno said. They nodded as they saw it as well; a building had finally come into view, or at least its outline. They continued their way towards it. On the way, however, the coyote played on their minds.

'Oh no… if that poor thing… Elros,' Tsubaki thought, the sight tugging at her heartstrings.

'How could a human survive that?' Sona wondered, gulping - could she survive that?

'He was six… how the hell did he live long enough to become a Lantern? That coyote is a predator, and it could barely move,' Akeno thought.

'Elros… I'm sorry for what you had to go through,' Rias thought. The trip was having another effect on her; she was starting to get a hint of why Elros wasn't keen talking about his past.

-o-

"Should we see whose home?" Sona asked as they approached a small home that resembled a shack. Looking around, it was a flooring sight. For miles around they could see no other building; they saw no stables or farm; they saw no animals save for the carrion birds flying over what they assumed to be the coyotes carcass from earlier; they saw hardly any semblance of life beyond themselves and whoever dwelt in this home. They had been waiting in front of it for the last hour, just wondering if they should knock. Who lived there? What could they tell them? Did they even know Elros or his father? The answers continued to fly around before Rias made her decision. Balling her hand into a fist, she rapped on the door several times and waited.

'No going back now,' she gulped.

They waited for around 30 seconds before they heard a rustling inside.

"I got it!" came the voice of an older gentleman. He swung the door open and looked at the four beauties that stood in front of him, raising an eyebrow: why the hell were they here?

"Who the hell are ya?" he asked. He was an older gentlemen, likely in his later 70s. He had a head of white hair, liver spots becoming eminent on his wizened face. He had a short beard and wore glasses, adjusting them to get a better look at the four Devils.

"Hello, sir… Ummm… We'd like to ask you a few questions about a family that used to live near here," Rias said.

"Huh. Dunno anyone that lived in Crater 'sides us. But we don't get many visitors around these parts. Come in," he said, ushering them inside.

"Thank you," Akeno said as she entered. He closed the door behind them and led them into a small living room where a woman was sitting on a chair in front of an old TV. She smiled as she saw them come in.

"Hello there. It's been a while since I've seen a new face around here," the woman said, smiling at them. Despite her old age (likely around the man's) she had stunning white hair that was tied into a ponytail and came to her back. She held out a frail hand and shook their hands.

"Hello, miss," Rias said, smiling back at her.

"My, aren't you girls pretty," she giggled.

"Thank you," Sona said, smiling back at her. The man re-entered with water for each of them, which he set on a table before sitting back down on a chair next to his wife. They took each other's hand and looked at the four expectantly.

"So are you two the only ones that live here?" Tsubaki asked kindly.

"Yes. Our granddaughters lived with us for a while, but they've left since then. Not many see the charm in living here," the woman said.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Sona said, frowning.

"Don't worry honey. It's been a long time. But what brings you around these parts?" the woman asked, sipping her water.

"We were actually hoping to learn something about a family that lived near here," Rias said.

"Mmm… do you know their name?" the woman asked.

"The last name is Eärendil," Rias said.

"Eärendil?" he asked. Rias nodded. He looked at his wife who sighed.

"We know a man by that name," she nodded, her eyes hardening.

-o-

"You do?" Rias asked, stunned. She didn't know how to react - while they had planned to do this and now were here, the next part of her plan was mostly a blank. What should they say? What should they ask? What was important? What could be skipped?

"Yes. Enyalius. Enyalius Eärendil," the woman said, her voice almost sad.

As Sona and Tsubaki looked at Rias and Akeno, they noted that both had turned pale white. Their eyes were wide at the mention of the name, their mouths slightly open.

"E-Enyalius?" Rias asked.

"Yes," the man whispered.

"Rias? Who is he?" Sona asked, leaning over.

"His father," Rias whispered back.

"Enyalius wasn't alone, however. He had a son… what was the boys name again, sweetheart?" the man asked.

"Ah. Elros," the woman said, smiling as she remembered his name.

"Elros?" Sona said, turning white as well. Tsubaki gulped as she went pale. This was definitely the right house (and the only one).

"Yes, Elros. A sweet child… but his father…," the woman trailed off. They noted her breath shuddering a bit as she looked at her husband - fear was in her eyes.

"What is it, miss?" Rias asked, before looking to the man who opened and closed his mouth. He took off his glasses, cleaning them with his shirt before putting them back on. She could make out the sweat on his brow - he was afraid.

"Why are you asking about him?" the man asked.

"We… we're friends of Elros," Rias said.

"Friends of his son?" the man asked, looking around. They all nodded affirmatively.

"How is the child?" the woman asked.

"He's good, miss. He's with a group of our friends in Disneyland," Rias said.

"And why aren't you there?" the man asked, eyes narrowed. Rias gulped; the man had a piercing gaze that made her uncomfortable. Mostly when guys looked at her, it was to imagine her naked; but he was piercing her being with coal black eyes, making sure she wasn't lying to him.

"We don't know Elros that well, beyond that he lived here. So we're just trying to get to know him," Rias finally answered. The woman looked at her husband, wondering what he'd say. He leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"I see. The boy doesn't know you're here," he said.

"N-no, sir," Akeno answered.

"You don't trust him, huh?" the old man asked.

"W-we do-," Akeno said but she was cut off by him putting a hand up.

"If you did… you wouldn't keep this from him. I suppose it's just as well," the old man said, although he was silenced by a look from his wife.

"That poor boy was nothing like his father," she said to the old man. Rias, Akeno, Tsubaki, and Sona exchanged a glance before looking at the man.

"The apple ain't gonna fall far from the tree. I'll tell you, girls, what you need to know. If only for your own good," the man said warningly.

"What do you mean by that?" Rias asked.

"Swee-," the woman began before the man cut her off.

"No, no. They need to know this, hon. They need to," the man said, gulping.

"What is it?" Akeno urged them.

"You say that the boy Eärendil - Elros - is your friend. Fine. Keep an eye on that one, though," the man said warningly.

"Why?" Sona asked, uneasy about where this was going. She could feel her heart beating a hundred miles a second, the same as the others.

"Because I guarantee you that boy is gonna be a monster - just like his dad," the man said, his eyes darkening as he said that. The wind began to pick up outside, whipping sand around - a sandstorm was brewing.

-o-

The girls sat, stunned by what the old man said as his eyes passed over each of them.

'Monster?' Akeno thought, eyes widening at the prospect.

"W-what do you mean by that?" Sona asked, breaking the silence.

"We know Elros. Well. He's the sweetest guy I've ever met," Rias said defiantly. She felt a rush of anger at the old man for saying such a thing about him.

"Perhaps. And maybe he'll stay that way. But I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up different. Not with a dad like his," the old man said.

"How do you know his father?" Akeno asked. The man leaned back in his chair, sighing. As he did so, it was amazing to them - it was as though he had aged even further. His hand went to his head, rubbing it gently before he brought back in his lap, looking at them.

"I served in Vietnam. Special Forces. Green Beret. Enyalius and I were partners on several missions," the old man said, licking his lips. He took another sip of his water as he looked over at the girls who seemed surprised by the revelation.

"You two served in war together?" Tsubaki clarified.

"We were partnered up on several… delicate missions. I went to support my family. Enyalius… Enyalius Eärendil," the old man said. He ladened the name with emotion, Rias could tell - but what emotion? Or which? She sensed… Respect. Reverence. Anger. Hatred. But there was one that was more potent: Fear.

"Enyalius is a monster. The most monstrous man I've ever seen in combat," the old man said, his voice faltering as he said his name again - as though afraid he'd appear.

The girls were listening intently. This was the first they had heard of what his father was like from beyond Elros - and it wasn't good. This old man seemed to confirm what Elros told them - that his father was a monster. Rias nodded weakly, silently urging the man to go on. The men leaned forward, his head in his hands as memories of war flashed in front of him.

"It was a bad situation all around. The public was against us. Many of us didn't want to be there. Dying for some bastard who was sitting in a high chair behind his desk, sipping whiskey and smoking a cigar," the old man said, his voice a snarl.

"But not him. Not Enyalius. He loved it. He loved every single bit of it. War was second nature to him. Good God, I've… never seen a man like that since. And I don't want to. Enyalius wasn't like the rest of us - he didn't care about the mission. He became a Green Beret because he wanted to be in the thick of it. He wanted action. We… we… it was during the high point of fighting in the war. We were in the middle of a jungle, a couple klicks off a village where one of ours was being held. It was just Enyalius and me - the VC had us pinned down damn good. I look over to him… I'll never forget it. There I was, scared and wondering if I'd see my girl again - and there Enyalius was, grinning. Smiling like a mad man. He looks at me… and says 'Cy, stay here. I got an idea,'. I try to tell him to stop - to not be a hero, but he ain't listening. He disappears into the bush off to the side while bullets flying at us from the direction of the village. I sit there for fifteen minutes - barely any time at all - and suddenly, it stops. Silent. Not a whisper. I risk coming out. I peer over the tree and I see him. But that's not it. He's surrounded by bodies, his guns missing. All he has in his hand is a bowie knife. I keep my gun trained and approach and turns to me, licking his lips and cheek - just covered in blood. We were pinned by twelve VC; he killed them all with his knife in fifteen minutes and piled their bodies smack in the middle of the path to let the bastards know that he was there. I didn't think anything of it at the time; I figured 'Damn straight, En. Pick off these bastards like it's nothing. Give them hell,'. Hell, shared a drink with him later that night while he washed the blood off," the old man said as he began to wipe more sweat off his face.

The girls were stunned by the revelation. Elros didn't mention that his father as a veteran - but then Tsubaki wondered if he even knew? There was obviously a lot of bad blood between Elros and his dad and he didn't seem like the one to sit him on his lap and tell him war stories.

"But… but that was war… right?" Sona asked weakly.

"That's what I… thought at first. But no. That wasn't all. Hell, that wasn't even close to beginning. Enyalius was the newest recruit - he was the greenest of us all. But that… he racked up kills like nothing! He fought like a man possessed. We were… we were all monsters then. But En was one beyond us," the old man said, a look of regret washing over his face.

"You don't have to tell us about your experiences if you don't want to-," Rias began, but he cut her off.

"You need to know. You need to know about him," he said. Rias nodded.

"A couple days later, they needed to send one of us out on a short recon - to a village that was being held by VC. Enyalius volunteered. The CO's didn't bat an eye - they loved him. He barely talked, but he walked the damn walk. He got things done. So they send him - estimated it to be a 24-hour mission. But something… went wrong," the man said.

"What do you mean?" Rias asked.

"I don't know how or why or what had happened but… Enyalius came back, barely 12 hours in. Said something happened in the village, that it was empty now. We walked there… and… we… God Almighty," the man whispered, his face buried in his head as he shook his head, his body trembling.

"What? What is it?" Rias asked, feeling her heart drop into an abyss - whatever it was frightened the man. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear it, but curiosity was strong this day. It had its claws sunk deep into her.

"Dead. Everyone was dead," the man whispered. The girls felt their heart drop as he said that. What did he mean by everyone? And how was that possible? If the VC held it, they should've been able to pick off a single Green Beret, even if it cost them some of their own.

"Everyone?" Akeno asked, her voice high and breaking.

"I know what you're thinking, girl. Everyone. Men. Women. VC. Dogs. Cats… the children. Oh God…," the man said as he held his head in his hands. His wife leaned over to rub his back; they could see the look of sadness on her face as her husband brought the memories up. But she didn't stop him.

Rias felt as though she had been struck by lightning. Her eyes went wide and her pupils dilated as the world came from his lips: children.

"Ch… children?" Akeno asked, her hand over her mouth as she tried to control herself. Memories of her past came flashing back but she quickly overpowered them; Elros was with her now.

"Do you know what vivisection is?" the man asked quietly, looking up. Sona and Tsubaki let out a gasp of horror; Rias and Akeno snapped their head towards them.

"What?" Rias urged them.

"Oh, no. Please… please don't tell us…," Tsubaki said, shuddering as she rocked back and forth. Rias gulped as she saw the sheer terror in their eyes; whatever it was, she wasn't going to like it - even as a Devil and someone used to fighting. Sona gulped before looking at Rias. She removed her glasses and wiped them on her shirt, thinking of what to say about that.

"Vivisection… is a type of surgery that's conducted to view the internal structure of an organism. It's not used much anymore because of the… inhumanity involved. You operate on live subjects," Sona said breathlessly. Rias and Akeno looked on in horror at the revelation. The man nodded.

"As we walked, we saw the smoke rise from the tree line. Embers wafted along it; we knew there was a fire. As we reached the village, we saw it was all burning down to hell. Their shacks were falling and we heard some of the screams of the townsfolk. Hanging there… on the fence as we got there. Some poor bastard had stakes driven his shoulders and he was screaming at us. Couldn't understand a word of what he said, but I knew what it was: 'Kill me. Kill me, please.' One of our guys popped him in the head just to shut him up, but we knew it was what he wanted - that was a mercy for 'em. We walked through the village, looking for anyone who could tell us what happened. We found one. One person alive. Couldn't been older than eighteen - the same age as some of the kids in the war. The bastard had his chest cut wide open - precise like, done to inflict pain. It was folded neatly outwards and we saw everything: his blood, his heart beating, his lungs. Intestines, spleen, name it. He was screaming: surrounded by birds pecking at his insides. That sound… I'm never gonna forget it… the sound a man makes as he's being pecked and eaten alive. They tore at his innards and the sod couldn't move; paralyzed. With fear. With pain. And the smell… Oh goddamn, the smell in that village. Burning flesh mixing with the people pissin' and shittin' themselves in fear," the man said, shuddering as the memories came back to him, vivid as though it happened the night before. However, he hardened himself and continued, "so we scared the birds away - we mighta been monsters, but we didn't wish that on anyone. We tried to talk to him but he couldn't get a word out. He just swiveled his eyes around us, landing on En. And when he landed on En… God. The bastard died then and there, eye wide. It was like En had taken his life without doing a damn thing. When we got back to base, he was debriefed; sold them something about how the VC did it, how he thought that they were gonna start razing villages because our boys were making progress. We bought it - En could sell the Devil his own soul," the man said, pausing to take a swig.

As he told the story, Rias felt an uncomfortable churning in her stomach. It was one of horror - of what the man thought Elros's father was capable of. She hadn't expected it to come this far - she thought that the man would talk about how he knew Elros and his father while they lived here; never in wildest dreams did she assume that the man knew Enyalius so intimately. But it wasn't just that… this old man feared Elros's father - and, despite his humanity, Rias now did as well.

Akeno's enemies would consider her a monster as they fought her. She took pleasure in the pain she rained upon them as thunder coursed through their bodies as burned them; as she drowned them in water, or whipped the air along their faces, or burned them away. But there were lines that she dared to never cross. She would not harm an innocent; she would not even think of harming a child. But Elros's father seemed to happily do either. Akeno could easily understand why Elros detested his father; he was a monster in every sense of the word.

Sona and Tsubaki were both shaken as the man told them the story. While he never expressly said that Enyalius committed the crimes, it was evident that the old man thought he did - strongly. They looked at each other and licked their lips, not knowing what to say next. Should they press? Should they leave it as is?

All four of them thought about Elros, sadness in their hearts - about what it was like to be raised by a monster like that.

"But… surely, he would've been convicted. These are… war crimes," Tsubaki tried to reason. The man shook his head.

"No. At that point, we didn't even question him beyond the usual - what did he see? How long did he observe? What details could he fill in? It was standard - hell, why would we think he did it? The guys loved En. I told you I did as well - I would've had the son of a bitch on my side anytime. Because if he wasn't with us, he'd be against us. And if he was against me… he'd kill me without a second thought. En didn't know the concept of mercy. As the war progressed, that was obvious. He never showed mercy; no sympathy or empathy. Just… cold killing everywhere. He hated using guns. Always avoided it. He used this bowie knife that he always had on him. I remember… the tail end of the war, I go up to him. I say 'En, some of us guys wondering… why the knife? You throw away your rifle when you get a chance,'. He turned to me and frowned like he was looking down on me… 'I want to see the whites of their eyes. Can't do that long range. It needs to be close,'" the old man said.

"He… needs to see the whites of their eyes?" Tsubaki asked uncertainly.

"He was the kind of man that joined the service looking for a legal way to kill sons of bitches. That's all he wanted. He didn't care about the country. Didn't care about responsibility. He needed battle. It's where he thrived - where he was most comfortable. Sleeping on an army base made him uncomfortable; you could tell. Sleeping in the thick of it - with bombs exploding around him, shells filling the air, and bugs crawling over - it was better than sex for him," the old man said with a wry laugh.

"So… how did you two end up living so close to each other? Elros said he grew up not too far from here," Rias said.

"After the war, I moved back home - a bit further away from here, a place called Barstow. That's where I met my wife. I… couldn't live in the world anymore. It wasn't for me. To much noise. Too much fighting. So we moved here - the most secluded placed I could think of. Lived here happy like for a long, long time. Then En moved himself and his little boy into a shack few miles away from here," the man said. As he said it, he turned whiter - like a ghost. The shift wasn't lost on the girls.

"What is it, sir?" Akeno asked.

"I can't explain it. Just… thinking about it is crazy," the man said as he took a sip of water.

"I'm sure we'll understand," Akeno said.

"No, no, no. It'll make no sense. Won't matter to the story anyways," the old man said.

"Every little bit helps, sir," Rias said. The man looked at them with a hard glance before he gave a shuddering nod.

"I'm old, girls. My wife is old. You can see that," he said. They nodded. Suddenly, Rias's mouth opened in shock. The man saw that and nodded - he pointed at her and they looked over.

"See! She knows what I'm getting at!" the old man said, a bit louder than he was.

"Honey, calm down. I'm… there has to… I'm sure there's an explanation," the old woman said. As the girls looked, looking of understanding came over them. They snapped their heads back to the old man, even more, attentive than they were.

"Musta been… dunno how many years - 18, 19, 20? En moved here. And I'll be damned… he didn't age a day! I swear on my LIFE, that when he moved across the way here… he looked almost the damn same as he did when we started serving! He used to have a head of blond hair when he started, but he shaved it. Grew out his beard a bit. But his body… damn same as it was in 'Nam. His eyes… even more lifeless and cold than back then. I remembered the pants he wore… the pants. Still fit him perfect," the old man said.

"Pants?" Rias asked.

"During one of our last missions, they wanted En to clear out a small squad of VC not too far away. Couldn't spare anyone else, so he volunteered. Goes out wearing clean everything. Three hours later, he's back to us. His jeans are bloodied to hell - we thought the guy was shot! No. We investigated. Some of the VC… had their heads stomped in, their chests caved in. He didn't just clear them. He slaughtered them. Left them out as carrion for the animals," the old man said.

Tsubaki felt as though she were about to throw up but she held it in - now wasn't the time. The others were much the same. They killed from a distance. Never had one them so viscerally taken lives.

"When I saw him the day he moved here… he was wearing those jeans. He never washed them. The blood was damn near painted on. And he looks at me and smiles. 'Cy. Good to see you,'. And in the window of that shack, I see his boy, Elros. The look the child gave me… I never saw anything like it," the old man said. Rias saw the cold sweat start on him again. He wiped it away with a shaking hand.

"The… look?" Rias asked.

"The boy, the boy! He has his dads eyes. I'll never forget those eyes as long as I live," the man said darkly.

"What do you mean?" Akeno asked fearfully.

"If En looked at someone, they damn well have had their affairs in order. From a young age, the boy had his dads bearing," the old man said.

"You're exaggerating sweetheart. We took care of Elros a few times when his dad left him alone," the woman said interjecting.

"Left him alone?" Rias asked.

"Didn't Elros tell you? His dad would often leave him alone for long whiles. It wasn't until we found him wandering around in 130-degree weather we asked him to come into our home. I asked him where his dad was. He said he went out somewhere, he'd be back in a month or two. Left the child enough food and water to last him that long," the woman said sadly.

"He just… LEFT?!" Rias asked, standing up in anger. The elderly couple was surprised by her reaction. They nodded in affirmation, which didn't help her much.

Rias was seething at the absence of Elros's father.

'HOW DARE HE LEAVE HIM ALONE LIKE THAT?!' she roared in her mind. Akeno was much the same, doing her best to suppress her anger.

'He and Baraquiel would get along nicely,' she thought angrily.

'Months?' Tsubaki thought fearfully.

'I can't believe a man would abandon his own child in such a manner. I… Elros…,' Sona thought, biting her lip.

"As I said, we invited him over for a little while. The boy was an absolute delight, I thought. He was… a bit reserved, certainly. But still quite charming. He only stayed for a couple of days before he went back, however. But he visited from time to time," the woman said with a fond smile.

"Elros told us that for a while, a woman and someone around his age lived with them. Do you recall them?" Rias asked as she calmed down.

"Mmm… yes, I do recall two others. One was a beautiful woman with red hair, not unlike your own, sweetheart," the old woman said.

"Really?" Rias asked in surprise, her hands running through her own hair.

"Mhm. Although she was certainly a bit older than you, although still quite youthful. The other boy… I don't know if he was her son - he had dark hair. But I saw him and Elros playing at times. We never spoke with them, however - and I don't think they stayed long. We did overhear… a fight one time. Between Enyalius and the woman, fighting about Elros," the old woman said.

"Do you remember what they said?" Rias asked, her heart beat rising: this was something she didn't know about nor did Elros ever mention it.

"Mmm… I don't. I only heard a small portion. She yelled something about how… this wasn't what she wanted. Referring to another woman, I believe. After that, Enyalius went silent. We saw the woman and the young boy leave and we never saw them again. We never heard from Enyalius after that, either - nor from Elros. My husband went to check several months later and… nobody was home anymore," the woman said.

"We… assumed they had just left," the old man said.

"Did you ever see… his mother?" Rias asked. As she said that, the man shifted in his seat. He looked to his wife who bit her lip as though thinking about a sad memory.

"I… never asked En. But… we asked Elros one time where his mother was," the man said, his voice shuddering.

"And?" Rias urged him.

"He… looked at me and just said 'I killed her'," the man said with a sharp intake of breath.

Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki were sitting still as statues as his words washed over them - the meaning they held, the starkness of what a child said to an old man. They couldn't bring themselves to look at each other as they began to internalize what that meant: 'I killed her'. It was a long pause before Akeno spoke, her voice shaking.

"W-what do you mean?" she asked quietly.

"That's what the boy told me. We had him over one time and my wife got fixed him up something to eat. Since it was just En and Elros, I asked the kid where the mom was in all this. He said that he killed her. I was shocked when he said that… so I asked him what he meant. He said that that was what En had told him when he could understand. That she had died as she gave birth to him; that he was the reason for her death," the old man said. Sadness had crept into his voice as he levied that upon them.

Rias was horrified that Elros's father would say such a thing - to his own flesh and blood no less.

'Oh no, no, no. Elros… it… it's not your fault! How could it be your fault?! You were a baby! You didn't do anything! Elros… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve that - no child deserves that. I love you. I'm going to protect you - like he didn't. I'm never going to leave your side. Your father… if I ever see him…,' Rias snarled in her mind. At this point, she wanted nothing more than to have his father's throat under her heel, driving it into the ground as he begged Elros to save his life. She wanted to make him suffer and vowed to do so if she ever caught wind of him. She felt tears seep out of her eyes; that was the breaking point for her. She knew that that had some effect on Elros. That was likely why he didn't want to talk about it with them. Because he likely felt that it was still his fault.

'Elros… no wonder you can relate to me so well. I know what it's like to have a dad like that… but no. No, I don't. As bad as Baraquiel was… he never blamed me. Your dad blamed you for your mom's death. Oh my goodness… I can't eve… I… I love you so much, Elros. Don't worry. You're going to be safe. I'm going to be here for you," Akeno thought as she cradled herself, stunned by the revelation. Knowing that Elros' dad beat him was bad enough; finding out that he tried to turn him into a monster was even worse. But she couldn't think of anything to top this - the psychological and emotional torture Enyalius inflicted on the love of her life. If she saw him, she'd make him rue the day he was born.

'How could a man do that to his own child? How could a father place that blames squarely on his child's shoulders?! As many horrible Devils, I've met, I can't think of anything like this… this… vermin. What… Elros…,' Sona though, taking off her glasses and cleaning them on her shirt. She gulped as she felt the weight of what she had learned on her shoulders. The guilt began to bubble in her stomach - Elros knew very little of her, she thought. Yet here she was, learning more about him than she should've. But there was no retreat now. All she could hope was for his forgiveness if he found out.

'I don't even know what to think. My family… turned their backs on me. But so did Elros's… no. This is worse. His father physically, mentally, and emotionally tried to break him. But I don't get it… how can he be so happy all the time? Is that just a facade?' Tsubaki thought as she stared past the man, into the distance. The sandstorm outside was beginning to subside at last, the rattling on the window growing quieter. It was a while before anyone spoke again, each digesting that.

"I'm… do you have a picture of his father… or something?" Rias finally asked, unsure of how to continue.

"No. He never posed for photos," the man said.

"You could look around the house. It's very small, perhaps five or six miles to the southeast," the woman said.

"Thank you for your time, miss. Sir. This… thank you," Rias said, getting up.

"Like I said… be careful of that boy," the old man said.

"I don't quite understand that. He… we know Elros - well. He's a wonderful guy. He's… sweet. Loving. Caring," Sona said defensively.

"Maybe what you say is true. And I hope to good God above it is. But I saw his eyes when he first came here. If that boy is anything like his father, then there's only thing he's gonna be," the old man said darkly.

"And what's that?" Akeno asked, a bit of anger in her voice.

"A monster," the man said.

"You say that… but how can you? He… he's nothing like his father from what you've told us," Tsubaki said. The man looked at them, rubbing his chin as though he was thinking about what to say to them.

"Their entire time here, Enyalius only ever spoke to me a few times. One time was to invite me on a hunt. 'Cy, it'll be like old times. You. Me. The kid,'" the old man began. The others sat down, listening intently.

"He paid for the trip so I thought might as well. It had been a long time since I had gotten out of here; thought a couple days would be alright. I told him I didn't wanna shoot anything… I just wanted to be there for the ride. He shrugged… agreed. Took us to South Island. New Zealand. We were in this valley, surrounded by deer and elk and stags. Beautiful place - like a damn painting or something. We get there and I put up a couple of tents. I ask him… when're we going? He just laughs and points to Elros. 'Not us. The kid. He's a natural, Cy. Go get a buck for us, boy. Down it. Then come get me to pick it up.' I gulp and look at the kid who just nods. Doesn't bat an eye. Turns and when he's gone, I look over and I jump up. 'En! He forgot his rifle!' And you know what his dad does? Laughs. Just starts laughing like it's the funniest thing he's heard," the old man said.

'He made Elros hunt for him,' Rias thought, gulping.

'Where is this story going?' Akeno wondered, her brows furrowed.

"The kid doesn't need a rifle, Cy. I gave him a handgun and a bowie knife. Don't worry. He knows what to do. Made his first kill last year,' he says like it's something to be proud of. I don't care who you are, but four or five… that's too young to be killing anything with a knife!" the old man shouted, as to the spirit of Elros's father.

"Sweetheart…," the old man said soothingly. He gulped and nodded, calming down.

"Sorry, hon. Always, I nod - I don't want to piss this man off in the middle of goddamn nowhere. So he's talking about 'Nam when fifteen minutes later I see him. The kid. He's walking towards us. He's covered in blood - his face. His clothes. He's dripping blood all over like he been bathing in it. Then I saw his eyes. They were like his dads - cold. The eyes of a monster. En sees him and smiles. 'Where's the buck?' he asked. The kid just nods in the direction and En goes off, leaving me with the child," the old man said.

'I'm going to be sick,' Sona though as she felt her stomach churn at the description. She imagined what a younger Elros looked like, set against a wide expanse of sky - dripping blood as he was covered in it, a lost look in his eye.

"I told him I didn't hear a shot go off. 'I don't like guns,' he replied. 'So… what did you do?' I asked. But I knew the answer. He took after his father, after all. 'I snuck up on it while it was sleeping,' he said. No regret. No emotion. Nothing," the old man said with a shuddering breath.

'Elros…,' Rias thought her hands over her mouth. This wasn't the Elros she knew. The Elros she knew was kind and loving; he put Gasper on his shoulders and wore Mickey mouse sweatpants; he was a flirt that everyone loved; he made wonderful and passionate love to her on the moon. He cared about her immensely, and she him. He wasn't a monster. He wasn't.

She suddenly remembered the Stray Devil that Elros had beaten. In less than 30 seconds, he mangled and broke her spirit; he was about to kill her when Rias stepped in. She remembered being stunned at his display of power; the ruthlessness he showed was different from how he had seemed when he first introduced himself. She remembered him talk to the man that was dying; how it was so calm and even. She remembers him give him a mercy killing.

Then she remembered his fight with Riser. She remembered how cold and efficient he had been during it. How he easily eliminated the eight pawns with eight shots; how he overpowered Riser's psyche and simply made him pass out from sheer force of will. She remembered the Demonic image he had as he stood in the center of the power he radiated, his eyes glowing a fiery green.

She remembered his fight with Vali. How he drove Vali's neck into the ground and gripped his wings. She remembered as he tore them off. 'Time to clip your wings, pretty bird,' she recalled him say. He had no sense of regret about doing that; he simply did it. He would've killed him if Kuroka didn't ask him not to.

But were those the acts of a monster? She told him to fight the Stray; it was her that he was fighting for when he beat Riser and his peerage; he fought in Issei's stead against Vali. Did he do those things because he wanted the thrill? Or because he loved and wanted to protect his friends?

'Elros is a good man,' Rias thought fiercely.

Akeno remembered how angry he had gotten in her stead when they went to her birthplace. How he threatened her uncle and his students - how he threatened to burn their life away.

'He did that to protect me,' she reminded herself.

"So En brings the buck back and we cook it. Tries to give the boy something to eat but he just shakes his head and goes on a walk. 'Leave him. He needs to mull over it. He's improving, but still sloppy,' Enyalius said. The bastard was grading the boy on how good the kill was. Anyways, I leave it. We eat and we both begin to nod off - don't even make it inside the tent. The stars are different there and we pass out under them. Then I hear a little rustling. Wakes me up quiet like and I look over. I still see the image some nights when I sleep. There he is… Elros. He's standing over his dad, whose just sleeping without a care in the world. He's holding the bowie knife in his hands, priming to strike. Then he looks at me. Locks eyes. I thought my entire body was paralyzed; I couldn't speak. I couldn't move. I couldn't do jack. He's looking at me with the same eye his father had when he killed someone. The same ice. I break out sweating and he looks down. Looks back at me then he leaves. God… I thought… I thought he was gonna slit En's throat that night. The boy looked ready to," the old man said.

The looks of horror were obvious on the girls faces as he finished his final story. That was too much for them to take in. That Elros - as a child - would think of murdering his own father? It was damn near inconceivable.

"I… I…," Rias began but faltered. What was there to say at a time like this? She looked at the others and they were much the same - they all had no words to express their feelings and thoughts on that.

"We… thank you for your time, Sir. Miss. We'll be leaving now," Akeno said as she rushingly got up and left the house; this was enough. Sona and Tsubaki followed.

"Thank you," Rias said to the old man and woman, both of whom nodded solemnly.

As they exited, they felt the blistering sun on them again. It was almost too much to bear to step into it once more.

"I… we shouldn't have come," Sona said, pale white.

"I agree," Tsubaki said. She didn't know what to make of what she had learned from the old man.

"Rias…," Akeno said, but she saw that Rias's mouth was parted slightly, trying to form words.

"I don't know," she whispered. She looked to the southeast, considering their next move: should they go to his childhood home?

"I don't… we…," Sona stuttered.

"I know," Rias answered.

"What now? Do… we continue?" Tsubaki asked, hesitant.

"We… have to, don't we?" Akeno asked. They all looked at Rias - their Inquisitor - for a reaction.

"Let's… do it…," she said, although the uncertainty was evident in her voice.

-o-

They had finally reached it. It was a small, one-story shack in the middle of nowhere in the desert - or at least what remained of it. They saw countless wall planks had fallen down due to years of bombardment by the sand and crag around the valley and the harsh winds. They stepped on what remained of the foundation, which was still hard.

"There's… nothing here but sand," Sona said as she observed the interior. There were no pictures. No items or things or tchotchkes. No furniture. Nothing.

"Wait… what… oh no…," Tsubaki said, her voice faltering as she brushed away some sand that covered the foundation.

"Wh- oh my God- ugh! Is… that blood?" Rias asked as she dropped to her knees, clearing it. She gulped as her suspicion was confirmed. Blood had built up on the foundation, pooling and staining it permanently.

"Do you think it's… Elros's?" Akeno asked, horrified at the thought.

"We know his dad tortured him. I… think that's a good guess," Rias said, her voice weak. As she got up, she looked around carefully - making sure that she didn't miss a single nook or cranny. But there was nothing else.

"Nothing. Not even a picture," Akeno said as they completed their short search.

"Why would you… why… here?!" Tsubaki wondered.

"I don't know," Akeno asked.

"How… do we face him? After this?" Sona asked. They all looked to her.

"If Elros ever finds out we were here… if he finds out that we learned so much… without telling him? We shouldn't have come here. We should've left it alone. We could've waited for him to tell us!" Sona said, her voice rising. She was berating herself for letting Rias talk her into this. But no - she thought; she made the choice to come here of her own volition. Rias didn't drag her. She came here because she wanted to learn about Elros as much as Rias and Akeno. Now she knew… but she wasn't so sure she wanted to know.

"He… he won't," Akeno said, feeling her heart drop as she said it.

"How can you say that?! We're betraying his trust just by being here!" Tsubaki said heatedly. They all looked at her in surprise - not expecting her to raise her voice in such a fashion.

'Some girlfriend I am. We've barely been a couple for a few weeks and I'm fucking sneaking around trying to learn about him. Please… don't be mad. Please," Rias thought, silently praying to herself. She knew that if the shoe were on the other foot - if Elros had snuck around behind her back, talking to her parents, she would be severely disappointed. But here she was, doing the same to him.

"Maybe… maybe we should just tell him. It might be easier," Sona suggested uneasily.

"Sona… he hasn't been part of the peerage for two months. I… he's still a New Devil. If he… if… he thinks that we betrayed his trust… I … we… no. We can't. Please. Please don't," Rias said, pleading with her friend. Sona looked at her with a surprised look - she had never known Rias to be afraid of telling someone the truth. She never hid things from people, always preferring to be straight with them. But her thought process was evident: she and Elros only began dating a few weeks ago. If something like this crept into their relationship now, she knew it would shatter it.

"We should've waited. Elros wears his heart on his sleeve. Sooner - or later - he would've told us. But no. We just had to know now," Tsubaki said, looking down. She felt tears well up in her eyes. It wasn't long ago that she had willingly confided in Elros - and he hugged her and assured her that he was there for her. And this was her repayment of his kindness: deception.

"Anyways… I think we should just… digest what we learned for now. Let's… head back to the hotel," Akeno said, her voice quieter than it had been. Sona, Akeno, and Tsubaki paused before nodding: they had a lot to think about. Opening a portal, they left.