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.
Here the pervious chapter that forget about
'Alright! Gasper is with Issei, Kiba, and Saji while Koneko is with Asia, Xenovia, and Sona's peerage. Let's see… Let's go with Karlamine first,' Elros thought. They had a fun time at Disneyland, but now it was time to get to know Riser's peerage a bit better. Rias explained that all he had to do was call out to them and they'd appear.
"Karlamine! You there?" Elros called out into his room. Almost immediately, a magic circle opened. The beautiful knight stepped out, wearing comfortable clothing as opposed to her armor. Karlamine's blonde hair fell around her shoulders. She wore a white top with a silver jacket, bottomed off with blue jeans.
"Can I help you, Ma - sorry, Elros?" Karlamine greeted him.
"You can! Are you busy?" he asked.
"Not particularly, no," Karlamine said.
"Wonderful! How would you like to go out on a walk with me?" Elros asked.
"Umm… sure. But I must ask… why?" Karlamine wondered.
"No reason in particular. I'd like to get to know you better," Elros said. Karlamine blushed but returned his smile, nodding.
"Certainly, my lord," she said, bowing.
"Please, none of that either. My friend - that's much better," Elros said cheerfully as he put his arm around her shoulders and led her out the door.
-o-
"You're very different from Riser," Karlamine noted.
"I hope that's a compliment," Elros said with a smile.
"Indeed. He… was not a good man. No sense of nobility or noblesse oblige," Karlamine said. As she said that, she heard Elros sigh deeply.
"Not a fan of the term?" she asked with a smile.
"Not even a little. Noblesse oblige… the entire concept is ridiculous, especially in this day and age. The power has shifted entirely from the nobility to the people - which is how it should be. I'm sure some would disagree - and certainly, it's their right to do so - but that doesn't lessen that fact. Not to mention the fact that it's a fraud, to begin with. Noblesse oblige… if they really wanted to oblige the people, they'd offer them ways to move forward or up in status. But no, they'd rather hand out small gifts, small things here and there and keep a class down as a whole," Elros said.
"Indeed. But many families in the Underworld believe in the concept greatly. Although Earth seems to be better in that regard," Karlamine noted.
"Does it, though? Sure, we don't have the aristocracy anymore; instead, we have a political class that still stunts the people while giving a free ride to the new aristocracies of oligopolies. The best thing now, however, is that the people can have their voices heard. And if they decide they don't like how something is being done - and if they possess the necessary will - they can change the system," Elros said.
"At great cost," Karlamine reminded him.
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants," Elros quoted.
"Who said that?" Karlamine wondered.
"Thomas Jefferson. Third President of the United States," Elros said, smiling.
"Hmm… perhaps," Karlamine said.
"So I'm wondering, Karlamine - how did you become a knight?" Elros asked.
"Hmmm… truth be told, I don't remember now. I feel as though I've always been a knight. It certainly has appealed to me, as least. To fight with honor… there are few greater things," Karlamine said.
"I see. You remind a bit of Kiba. He's a knight in Rias's peerage," Elros said.
"Oh, the male swordsman? Yes, I saw his prowess - quite a formidable opponent!" Karlamine said, smiling wide as she remembered him. Elros raised an eyebrow but grinned. Suddenly, he whipped his phone out.
'You still with the guys?' he texted Kiba.
'Yeah. What's up?' Kiba replied.
'You remember Karlamine? Knight from Risers Peerage,' Elros said.
'Yeah, she's a swordsman. Damn good one,' Kiba replied.
'She needs a kindred spirit to talk with, I think. She likes swords, you like swords. What I'm asking is - you free? I'm sure Saji, Issei, and Gasper will live,' Elros said.
'Uhhh… sure? Just text me the address, I guess…,' Kiba said.
"Hey, Karlamine?" Elros asked.
"Mmm?" she asked.
"Kiba would love to discuss what it means to be a knight further with you. He certainly knows a lot more about the subject than I do. What do you say?" Elros asked.
"A-are you sure, sire? I don't want to impose, nor do I wish to make you think that…," Karlamine trailed off.
"Elros, not sire. And sure I'm sure! I think you two would get along swimmingly. I already texted him the address. Just meet him here," Elros said, showing her his phone.
"Then I shall leave at once. Thank you, s- Elros," Karlamine said, smiling brightly as she stepped into a magic circle.
"Eärendil, you smooth criminal - you've done it again," Elros complimented himself cheerfully.
"Hmmm… Hey, Marion - you free?" Elros called out into the empty space in front of him. The beautiful brunette maid soon appeared, a light smile on her face.
"Am I next? I get the feeling you're going to be going out with all of us today," she said, smiling.
"Yes, you are. Free now?" Elros asked.
"I am… but if you don't mind, could we invite Bürent as well? We're… kind of inseparable," Marion said, blushing.
"Sure. Bürent?" Elros called out. The second maid stepped out just as quickly, smiling as well. Both wore a black tank top and white jeans, stunning with their hair let down. Holding his arms out, each took one and they began to walk.
-o-
"Ah! Love the beach!" Elros shouted as his head broke through the water. Marion and Bürent were lazing around on the sand, admiring his figure as he walked towards them.
"Having fun?" Bürent asked, tilting her sunglasses down and taking him in. She couldn't help but admire his figure. Whereas Riser was sort of tall and lanky, Elros was even taller and defined. He obviously worked hard to keep in shape and it showed; muscles rippled across him, his scars adding to his handsome physique. She couldn't help but bite her lip as the water dripped off him, adding a nice overall sheen to his body.
"You have no idea! Why don't you girls join me?" he asked as he shook some water loose.
"Mmm, it's so nice here, though," Marion said.
"It's nicer in the water! Come on! Let's see how far in and deep we can go. I kinda wanna have a Jawsmoment," Elros chuckled.
"Jaws?" Marion asked, frowning.
"You haven't seen Jaws?! The movie!" Elros said, aghast.
"Mmm, I don't think we've seen a movie period. Riser didn't exactly give us much free time. Plus, we were the maids so we were often catering to his… needs," Bürent said uncomfortably. Elros frowned at that.
"I'm sorry. I hope he didn't make you do anything you didn't want to," Elros said.
"We didn't have much choice, unfortunately. Yubelluna was his favorite, though - after his sister. He… monopolized her time," Bürent added.
"Monopolized her time?" Elros asked, anger seeping through his voice - what did they mean by that.
"He… I'm sorry, I shouldn't say. It's something that she will have to tell you," Bürent said. Elros nodded
"I'm sure he wasn't… all bad, though?" Elros said as he dropped down on the sand, crossing his legs as he observed them. They both sat up, shifting slightly.
"Riser is like a lot of other High-Class Devil children. He has a significant option of himself, not caring much about others. His servants he treated as such, usually… just toying with us. We weren't really given the option to have lives of our own, especially not after he Reincarnated us. Sir Ruval was a good man, however - he kept us as safe as he could. Lord Riven is the same; kind and caring, much like his wife. Lady Ravel is… a brat, but deep down she's an innocent child. Riser, however… I'm truly happy you beat him. But I do wish you wouldn't have given the others the option to leave. I'm sure they were just afraid of leaving him - what he'd do," Bürent said, gulping as she criticized Elros.
"Hmmm… I can see your point, but everyone has choices to make. If I forced them to stay - even knowing what I know - I'd be taking away their freedom. That's something I just can't do. People need to be able to make choices for themselves, whether good or bad and cognizant of the consequences. The girls made theirs, and I hope that Riser might learn to be a bit more humble now. Or perhaps his parents will rein him in," Elros sighed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to criticize you," Bürent said nervously.
"Kidding me? I love it when people correct me. I tend to make rash decisions from time to time," Elros said with a grin. That put her at ease.
"I dunno about that. You were pretty in the zone during our fight," Marion said.
"Yeah, but I also had a choice to become a Devil or not. I made it in less than two days. Something tells me most people would've considered it for a much longer time," Elros said.
"Why'd you become one?" Marion asked, hugging her knees to her chest.
"Hmmm… It seemed like an interesting opportunity. Extended lifespan to do what I want? That's nice. Besides, what's life without some mystery?" Elros said.
"Is that it?" Bürent pressed.
"I can't say for sure yet. I haven't been one for a long time. Once I have an answer, I'll let you know," he said, winking at her.
"You're certainly different from other Devils," Marion said, the admiration in her voice evident.
"In a good way I hope," Elros said as he sprung up.
"Yes. You're a good man. That's much more than can be said for others," Marion said as she got up as well, Bürent following. Elros squeezed himself between the two and put his arms around them, flashing them a charming smile.
"Remember that you're welcome to be yourselves with me. No need to hold back or anything. If I do something you don't like, let me know. I do tend to be a bit… uh…. what's the word people use…," Elros wondered, wracking his mind.
"Touchy-feely?" Marion giggled as she put her own arm around his waist, caressing his side gently.
"Yes! That's it. I know not everyone likes it, so let me know if you don't and I shall stop immediately," Elros said.
"Mmm, it's fine. So long as you don't… you know…," Bürent said.
"I understand," Elros said, smiling. At that, he set his eyes on the water.
"Now, let's get in the water and find a monster. And once I get home, I'm putting in a home theater and we're going to binge watch the shit out of every movie I can think of. Might as well put these years to use!" he said as he ran towards the water and hopped in. Flashing a smile at each other, Marion and Bürent followed.
-o-
"We had fun today," Marion said as she squeezed some water out of her hair, giggling at Elros's antics in the water. He had managed to find what he was looking for - a shark - but it slapped him in the face as he got close to it before it swam off.
"Good. We should do this more often," Elros said as he nursed his face - being bitch slapped by a shark was definitely a first for him.
"Definitely. Thanks," Bürent said, stepping forward and hugging him tightly. Elros smiled and returned the hug, pressing her close to him. She kissed him on the cheek, blushing. Marion stepped in next, also hugging Elros tightly as she rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
"You have a… calming heartbeat," she said, turning red.
"Ha. I'm happy you think so. Feel free to listen to it whenever. I had a great time as well. You two are awesome," he reiterated, grinning.
"That said, I think it's time for us to go. We'll see you around," Marion said as she opened up a portal.
"Umm… could we text or call you? Even if we just wanna talk?" Bürent inquired.
"Definitely! You've got my number, yeah?" Elros asked.
"Yup," she replied brightly.
"Then whenever you'd like," Elros said. With that, they stepped through.
"Let's see… Isabela, you wanna hang out?" Elros called out after they were gone. Immediately after, Risers former rook - Isabela - stepped out. She was still wearing her mask, the orange fiery hair falling around her face. She wore a tight green tank top that exposed some cleavage as well as tight ripped black jeans.
"Hello," she greeted, smiling at Elros.
"Hey! You wanna kill some time?" Elros asked cheerfully.
"Certainly. What did you have in mind?" she asked.
"Hmm… What do you like to do?" Elros inquired.
"You're… asking me?" she replied, uncertain.
"Yup," Elros said.
"Ummm… I'm not sure, really. I enjoy walking in my off time," she shrugged.
"Ah, perfect. This beach stretches out far. Shall we?" he asked, holding his arm out.
"I'm afraid I'm not that kind of girl," she said, smiling.
"My charms hardly failed me before. This is troubling…," Elros grumbled before smiling again and nodding.
"Then let's walk!" he said dramatically, leading the way.
-o-
"Isabela?" Elros asked.
"Mmm?" she responded. They had mostly walked in silence, Elros humming here and there and continuing contently. It was an odd feeling for her; she had never been summoned by Riser to simply walk. With Elros, however, it appeared that he was more than happy to just do that - as though her mere presence was enough to elate his mood.
"Can I ask why you wear that mask?" Elros asked. As he ended, Isabela came to a sudden stop.
"Why?" she asked, her voice surprisingly cold.
"I'm just curious," Elros said.
"It's none of your business," she said icily, continuing to walk. Elros stared at her back for a second before catching up.
"You're right. I'm sorry," Elros said.
"What?" Isabela asked, stopping again.
"What do you mean?" Elros wondered.
"You're sorry?" she asked, her visible eyebrow raised.
"Yeah. You're right. It's none of my business. I was just curious, but if it's personal, I understand," Elros said.
"I… see. You won't order me to take it off?" Isabela asked uncomfortably.
"Nope," Elros said.
"Why not?" Isabela asked.
"If you want to share it, you can of your own volition. I can't just order people to do things. Not my personality," Elros said. Isabela regarded him for a second before she smiled.
"You're very different, Elros Eärendil. Most masters would've gotten angry by now and either ripped it off or forced me to remove it without compunction," she said.
"Well, I like to think that my ego isn't that fragile. Same goes for my pride," Elros chuckled.
"Mmm… yes, you're correct about that. Lo- Risers ego was comparatively very fragile. You should've seen how he lost control in his fight against Issei Hyoudou. When he used his Holy Weapons, Riser simply lost control of himself, began to shout him down - how Devilkind needed him to marry Rias, how it was his obligation and duty," Isabela said.
"That's… really fucking creepy…," Elros grumbled.
"Indeed. His obsession with her was… frightening, even for Lady Ravel. Lady Rias is quite beautiful, however. She's the jewel of many a Devils eye," Isabela said.
"Trust me, I know. Anders and Bastion are creeps number two and three that I have to fight off. Weirdos," Elros sighed.
"You don't seem to mind to fight for her," Isabela noted.
"Not at all. I'd do anything for Rias," Elros grinned.
"She is lucky to have you," Isabela said.
"And I her," he responded as they began walking again.
"You have several beautiful women under your… purview, do you not? Yubelluna, Marion, Bürent, Mihae, Karlamine, Xuelan… perhaps myself," Isabela said.
"Not just perhaps - you're quite beautiful. But yes," Elros replied.
"Yet you have chosen not to have us… please you," Isabela continued. Elros could tell she was uncomfortable with the topic - since joining, she had likely wondered if he would do such a thing.
"No, I haven't. And I won't. That wouldn't be kind to you guys," Elros said, frowning.
"Most other Devils in your place would've," she said.
"I like to think I'm not like most Devils. Like I told Marion and Bürent, sometimes I can get… touchy feely, I guess. I'm a lover like I told Rias. But I don't want to make you guys uncomfortable. From what some of the girls already told me, it wasn't easy being in Riser's peerage. I want you to have a more enjoyable experience with me," Elros said.
"I see," Isabela said, taking what he said in. Suddenly, her hand went to her mask.
"Aren't you uncomfortable doing that?" Elros asked.
"I am… but… I need to know that your word is true. I haven't removed this mask in front of anyone - yet… some of the girls in the peerage do know why I wear it. I am.. trusting you, Elros. Trusting you not to be afraid or disgusted," Isabela said, gulping.
"Alright," Elros replied, his brow furrowing. He wondered what she was talking about.
As she removed the mask, Elros's lips parted in shock. He could understand to some degree why she wore it. The entire right side of Isabela's face was severely burned. Elros saw red masses of muscle, the bones to her cheek, a milky-white eye, and even parts of her cheek. The blood vessels were burned, so she no longer bled - the inside of the mask made that evident as only small pieces of muscle were stuck to it. As her hair fell around and covered it, she gulped as she awaited his reaction. Elros saw a tear in her only good eye as she did. He felt his rage grow immensely as he saw what had been done to her - likely on purpose.
"Well?" she asked, her voice faint.
"Who did this to you?" Elros asked quietly.
"What?" she asked.
"Who did this to you?" Elros repeated.
"… Riser," she replied.
"I should've beaten him harder," Elros snarled. He moved forward gently, lifting her face to look at him. To her surprise, she saw his eyes mist over - as though he were about to begin crying. She felt the aura that was around him - his anger towards Riser was palpable.
"I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve this," he said as he gently touched caressed her cheek, gulping.
"You're… not afraid? Or disgusted? Most people would run away by now," Isabela said.
"I'm not even slightly afraid. I'm just… angry that Riser would treat you this way. If I see him again…," Elros said, his voice low and dangerous. Isabela was almost floored by the amount of willpower and anger that radiated off of Elros. The very environment seemed to pick up on it; the wind had stilled and the waves stopped rolling in on the beach. No bird chirped, no speck of sand moved, no sound was heard - nothing felt, but his silent fury.
She had to make sure, however. She gently grabbed his hand and slowly brought it to the other side of her face - the burned side. She gauged him for even the slightest reaction - disgust, disbelief, paleness, whatever. But she found none of it - even as she pressed his hand against the soft and crusty muscle, against the ridge of her cheekbone, against the hardness of her teeth. Elros made no motion to move his hand away. She let go of it, simply letting it rest there. To her shock, he started moving it of his own accord, gently touching her face here and there, feeling for himself what the damage was. It was almost too much for her; she began to cry in full force as she felt it.
"Isabela," Elros whispered as he moved forward and embraced her. She rested her burned cheek against his, finally letting the tears she had kept in for such a long time filter out. Some of the peerage knew what happened to her - Yubelluna, Xuelan, and Mihae - but the others were blissfully unaware. He was only the fourth to know what Riser had done to her for refusing to service him.
"Riser did this to me after… he requested something unbecoming. I said no. So… he burned… me. Not to show his powers to the others, or to make an example; but because he could. Ever since… I've…," she said, her sobbing getting louder. Elros felt his heart begin to break as she told him that. He held on tighter, pressing her closer to himself as he rubbed her back.
"I'm sorry…," was all he could say - for what else was there? Another threat against Riser? That would come should he ever see him again.
"But… Are you not afraid? Truly?" she whispered in his ear; she had to check once more.
"No. Not even a little. Thank you for confiding in me, Isabela. It… means a lot that you trust me. I'm sorry for what he did to you. But you don't have to be fearful around me - especially not with this. The only that's bothering me now is that I let Riser get off too easily. I should've torn his wings out again and again and again," Elros seethed, his teeth grating against each other. Isabela felt a bit of a shiver down her spine at the anger in his voice - something she didn't think he was capable of. Gulping she twirled his hair around her finger before leaning back.
"May I ask you to do something for me?" she asked, her voice faltering.
"Yes," Elros replied.
"Will you kiss my cheek?" she asked, feeling embarrassed by asking such a question. Elros, however, simply smiled. Putting a hand on her good cheek, he leaned in and kissed her burned one, resting is lips there for a second. Isabela felt a jolt through her body as his lips touched. They were rough, to be sure - but she felt it; felt how warm he was towards her. As he leaned back, she saw he was still smiling.
"I was afraid… that I would never be wanted after this," Isabela said.
"Nonsense. You're absolutely stunning," Elros said as he brought his hand up again, caressing it.
"You truly think so?" Isabela asked.
"I do," Elros replied. She smiled as she leaned in, kissing his cheek as well.
"Thank you. If it's alright with you… Elros… might I retire for the night? I… have some things I need to think on," Isabela said.
"Of course," Elros said, finally letting go of her.
"I… I… if it's not to much trouble, might we do this again? Very soon. It… I don't… it's new to me, to walk like this with another. But… it's nice - with you," Isabela said hopefully.
"Of course! Ask me anytime! If I'm asleep, just wake me up, alright? Just know that I'm gonna be here for you. Whenever you need me," Elros said, smiling.
"Thank you, Elros," Isabela said, smiling brightly as she put her mask back on. Filled with joy, she opened a portal to her room and stepped in. As she left, Elros's smile fell.
'Start praying to God or the Devil that I never see you again, Phoenix. I'm taking you right into fucking space. We're going to see how bright your fire burns while you're choking for your life, pretty bird,' Elros thought viciously to himself before breathing deeply, calming himself down.
"Xuelan? You free?" he asked the space that Isabela left. Xuelan appeared. She wore a stunning blue dress with a deep plunge that showed an ample amount of cleavage. As it went down the legs, there were two large slits that exposed their creamy length.
"Hey. I heard what you're doing for the girls… so I dressed up. Hope you don't mind," she said, blushing.
"Not at all. You look beautiful. Shall we?" he asked, holding an arm out for her that she happily took.
"Let's. I'm kinda hungry, so can we do dinner?" she asked.
"Of course, my lady," Elros said as they headed towards the city.
-o-
"You sure you want to sit outside?" Elros asked Xuelan as he opened the door for her. They had chosen to eat at a beachside restaurant in the crisp and salty wind as opposed to the warm interior.
"I am. I don't wish to be interrupted if it can be helped. Thank you," Xuelan said as he pulled out a chair for her.
"Not at all," he said, taking the seat opposite her and drinking some of the water that was in front of him. He pierced her gaze with his, turning her even redder.
"What? What is it?" she asked quietly.
"I'm sorry. You're very beautiful," Elros replied sheepishly.
"Thank you," she said, smiling.
"Not at all. So how are you liking it at Gremory Household?" Elros asked.
"Loving it, truth be told. Much different from the atmosphere at the Phoenix Household," Xuelan said.
"Yeah, I think the others feel the same way. Mr. and Mrs. Gremory are great," Elros said, grinning.
"Indeed. I've always heard that the Gremory's have close relationships with their servants. It appears to extend to everyone within the household. We aren't… kept to our rooms and can roam freely. Even talk to Mr. and Mrs. Gremory as equals," Xuelan said with a bitter smile. Elros frowned at that: it seemed as though every girl had another, even worse, experience with Riser.
"They didn't let you walk around?" Elros asked.
"Riser didn't, and his parents and siblings never really overturned his order, either. They figured it was his responsibility and he could do as he wished," Xuelan said as she turned towards the beach, gazing over the stunning blue and towards the setting sun.
"I see. Isn't there a process by which a Devil can… you know, leave a peerage?" Elros asked.
"They can be released by their masters - but we knew better than to ask Riser to do that for us. He'd just laugh and berate us before working us harder. We just had to suck it up and keep at it. That said, don't think we went easy on you during your fight. We were giving it our all," Xuelan said with a smile; Elros returned it and nodded.
"Are you happy with how things worked out?" he asked.
"Extremely. I… never thought… never dreamed… that we would get out of that position. We were all yours as soon as you beat him but were shocked when you gave us the choice to choose for ourselves. Most Devils would have simply taken us and incorporated us into their harem or something similar. But not you. You let us choose for ourselves. It wasn't very hard for me to make my choice," Xuelan said with a smile.
"Well, I hope you're happy with me. The other girls told me a bit about what Riser is like. You don't have to have that kind of fear with me. As far as I'm concerned, you're pretty much free. And if I can help you with anything, you've but to ask," Elros said.
"I'm curious why you didn't at least take Lady Ravel," Xuelan said.
"What do you mean?" Elros asked asked.
"Riser tried quite hard to take Rias. I thought for certain you would take his sister for some vengeance," Xuelan said.
"Na. She might be a little brat, but she's just a kid - Koneko's age, I think. Plus, why would I want to torture myself? I mean come on… did you hear her talk to me? 'As if I need your service! Don't talk back to me!'" Elros said in high pitched voice. Xuelan couldn't help but giggle at that; he did a good impersonation of Ravel.
"Na, that'd be more trouble that it's worth. Besides… as much as I dislike Riser, I wouldn't want to break up the family. I'm sure his parents chewed him out for making such a bet with me - for putting their daughter's freedom on the line, then losing. It's better she stayed," Elros said seriously.
"Mmm… I see. And do you intend to take any of us?" Xuelan asked nervously.
"Nope. That wouldn't be fair to you guys. Besides, Rias would kill me, then Akeno would kill me again," Elros laughed. Xuelan smiled.
"I am definitely happy with how things turned out. You're a good man," she said.
"Tell Akeno that. Now I'm sweet, handsome, charming, and a good man. Can't say I only have a couple good qualities anymore," Elros said cheerfully as their food arrived. As they took it, they looked back out at the ocean. The setting sun gave it an almost fiery appearance.
"It's quite beautiful here," she said.
"Extremely," Elros said.
"Perhaps we could come here again soon?" Xuelan suggested.
"Whenever you want. If it gets me outta school, that's even better. I do apologize, however," Elros said.
"For what?" Xuelan asked.
"For not making time to see you guys sooner. It's been several weeks. I shouldn't have waited so long. But then a mission came up, then my dates with Rias and Akeno and I just lost track of time," Elros sighed.
"Please, don't worry about it! Truth be told - if I may be frank?" Xuelan asked hesitatingly.
"Of course," Elros nodded.
"It was nice to have a few weeks to ourselves without being called to do anything. I… have had time to reflect on my life with Riser. I'm happy that it's behind me - I believe that same goes for the others. Personal time was rare for us with him, so to have so long without interruption was… peaceful," Xuelan said.
"I'm happy to hear that. I've been worrying that you guys thought I forgot about you or something," Elros said as he let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Not at all. I thank you for being so considerate of how we are and how we feel. It's… more than we deserve, perhaps," Xuelan said.
"You deserve that and much more," Elros said, the passion in his voice evident. Xuelan could only offer a bright smile, having no words to respond with. They began eating in a pleasant and peaceful silence.
-o-
"This was nice," Xuelan said as they headed down to the beach after finishing this meal.
"I'm glad you thought so. We should hang out again soon," Elros said.
"I would like that. So, whose next?" Xuelan asked, turning to face him as she crossed her arms over her chest, brushing some hair behind her war.
"Mmm… I think Mihae, then Yubelluna. And Saji texted me a bit earlier saying he wants to see me about something, so I'll do that as well," Elros said.
"Got it. Enjoy. I think Mihae likes you," Xuelan giggled.
"She's quite beautiful. But then, so are you," Elros said with a warm smile.
"You're sweet. Thanks again for this… I'll call you?" she asked, moving a bit closer
"Anytime you'd like. I'll always be available for you guys if you need to talk or something," Elros said. Xuelan smiled as he said that. Resting her hands on his shoulders, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek before opening a magic circle and leaving. Elros was about to call out for Mihae when a magic circle appeared and she stepped out.
"You must be able to see the future. I was just about to call you!" Elros said with a smile.
"Ah! I'm sorry… should I have waited?" Mihae asked, blushing madly.
"No, no, not at all," Elros said, brushing some hair behind her ear.
"If I may… could we simply walk? I've already eaten and this location is so… beautiful," she said, looking out at the ocean.
"Of course. Let's head towards that overhang," Elros said, nodding towards a rocky outpost that made a short tunnel. Holding his arm out for her, they began walking.
"I've heard from Marion and Bürent what you're doing for us. You're truly a kind spirit," Mihae said.
"You girls are gonna make me blush. Thank you for saying that. They've told me about their experiences with Riser and it doesn't… sound that good. I'm hoping that with me, you girls have a better time. Should you find that you don't want to stay with me, I can set you guys up with some cash or something," Elros said.
"No! I wish to stay!" Mihae said, a bit loud and eager. Elros looked on in surprise but smiled and nodded.
"As you wish," he said.
"Sorry. It's… I don't know what I would do on my own. The life I remember has been one of servitude to Lord Phoenix. Truth be told, the freedom you've given us already is more than we can say we had with him. It's been… a new experience at the Gremory Household," Mihae said.
"Are you liking the experience?" Elros asked.
"Very much," Mihae said.
"Is there anything I could do to make it better for you girls?" he asked.
"I… no, no - that's quite impossible," Mihae said, shaking her head.
"What is it? If it is in my power to give, you shall have it," Elros said.
"Would you perhaps consider… moving us into your home, now that it is built?" Mihae asked, blushing madly as she asked. Elros stopped and slapped himself in the face - hard.
"DAMN IT!" he said.
"Please forgive me for making such a foolish ask! I… I don't… I'm-," Mihae began, before she felt a comforting hand on her shoulders. She saw Elros shaking his head.
"No, no - I'm sorry Mihae! I'm such an idiot! Christ - GAH! Ah, damn it, Mikey! I'm kicking your ass when I see you next!" Elros yelled to the clouds. He thought he heard a distant chuckle that sounded like Michael and grumbled before turning to Mihae, smiling.
"Please, forgive me. I've been… so caught up in my own life, I forgot that I have that place. It's… just been Rias, Akeno, and I there. I'm sorry. Yes. Yes, that shouldn't be a problem. I'll talk to Mr. Gremory about getting that done as soon as possible. I don't think Rias and Akeno will mind, either. Damn it. I'm sorry it took me so long," Elros said apologetically.
"Please, Lo-," Mihae began before Elros put a finger to her lips.
"No Lord Elros. Just Elros," he said.
"Elros… please, it's fine. I know you've been busy and likely will be until the conference in the Underworld is settled. I'm sorry for bringing it up in such an uncouth manner," Mihae said.
"Not at all, Mihae. I'm happy you brought it up. I've so many things to keep track of, I sometimes lose sight of what's in front of me. You girls deserve so much better than that. I promise I'll do my best to make sure I don't lose track of it again. I ask your forgiveness," Elros said humbly. Mihae was floored by the deference he showed her. Riser would never ask for forgiveness; nor would Ravel; nor, for all their gentility and humility, Ruval, or their parents. Elros was different, however - even when she thought he didn't have to, he still asked for her forgiveness. She saw the pain in his eye - he obviously thought that he had hurt them.
"Truly, you don't have to apologize. It's… it's already so much better there than how it was at the Riser Household - the Gremory's are warm and kind. That you would consider moving us into your own home so readily… is more than we-," Mihae began before he stopped her again.
"Don't say it's more than you deserve. It's not even close. You all deserve so much more," Elros said, his voice surprisingly passionate to her. She smiled and suddenly sprung forward slightly, hugging him. Elros smiled as he held her, drawing her in and keeping her warm in the crisp night. She felt his calming heartbeat - gentle, rhythmic, peaceful. As she leaned back, she nodded.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"Not at all. Shall we continue?" he asked.
"Let's," Mihae said, taking his arm again and leaning on his shoulder.
-o-
"Thank you for such a wonderful evening," Mihae said as they stood under the overhang, listening to the ocean gently wash over the sand and recede.
"Not at all. Let's do this again soon," Elros said with a grin.
"I would like that very much. Although, I should retire now. I'm sure Yubelluna would love to spend some time with you," Mihae said, blushing. Elros smiled and brought his hand to her cheeks, caressing it. Gently, he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, making her blush even brighter.
"Oh my…," she whispered, feeling the spot burn.
"Sorry. Feel free to slap me if that was… out of turn," Elros said sheepishly.
"No… I enjoyed it. Thank you," Mihae said, leaning up on her toes and doing the same for him.
"Anyways, I shall see you soon, Elros," Mihae said, bowing before happily stepping into a magic circle. As she did so, Elros pulled out his phone.
'Hey, mind if I ask your dad to add a few floors to the house? I don't wanna impose, but the girls need a more permanent place to stay. Wanted to do this now before I forget,' Elros texted Rias. As soon as he did, though, he received another message.
'Message send failure,' it said. He raised an eyebrow and tried to send it again, but the same message was returned.
'Huh. Might as well try Akeno. Rias probably turned her phone off,' Elros chuckled. However, he got the same message.
'Uhhh… Sona. Tsubaki?' he thought, shooting them one as well. Same thing.
'Guess they're probably in a dead zone. That's weird… don't think there are any dead zones in the city… but, might just have their phones off. I'm sure Rias won't mind,' Elros thought.
"Hmmm… Ummm… Grayfia? Or… Mr. Gremory… or something?" Elros said into the open space. A magic circle appeared and Grayfia stepped out.
"Hello, Lord Elros. Can I help you?" Grayfia asked.
"Hey, Grayfia! Yes! Actually, could you just call me Elros?" he asked.
"Certainly… Elros," Grayfia responded.
"I just wanted to ask… you know, if it's not to much trouble - if Mr. Gremory might be able to add a few floors to the house? It was built pretty quickly so I assume it's magic or something. I can pay for the material and labor and stuff," Elros said. Grayfia smiled and shook her head.
"That won't be necessary. Lord Gremory has been wanting to do that for a while now, I believe. Would you like a home theater as well?" Grayfia asked.
"Hmmm… no! Well, if he could add a room for the home theater, that'd be awesome. But no furnishings! I wanna do that myself. Make a project of it," Elros grinned.
"As you wish. I shall attend to it at once. Enjoy your evening," Grayfia said, bowing and leaving. As she left, Elros called out into the air once more.
"Bella? You free?" he asked. Immediately afterward, Yubelluna appeared. She was wearing an extremely tight purple tank top that left little to the imagination as well as tight black jeans. Her hair went down in its usual wavy fashion.
"Hi," she said, smiling as she embraced him.
"Hello. You look beautiful," he said.
"Really? I'm not really wearing anything special," she replied.
"You don't need to. So, what would you like to do? Already eaten?" Elros asked.
"I have. Perhaps we could just go to that cliff there? It appears as though the view would be spectacular," Yubelluna said, pointing to it.
"Absolutely," Elros said. She took his arm and flashed him a charming smile as they began walking.
It wasn't long before he noted her shivering; the night was setting in and the temperature dropped; they could almost see their breath in front of them. Elros quickly took his jacket off and put it on Yubelluna. As he did so, he was surprised to see her blush.
"Aren't you cold?" she asked.
"Na. I'm used to extremely hot and extremely cold temperatures. I just wear jackets so I can be a knight in shining armor when the time comes," he said with a grin. She giggled and tightened her hold on him as they continued.
-o-
Elros and Yubelluna had were both sitting on top of the cliff, overlooking the beautiful and vast expanse of ocean before them.
"This is nice," she said as she rested her head on his shoulder, gently smacking her lips.
"It is. Beautiful view and company," Elros said.
"Ha. You're sweet," she said.
"Thanks. So how are you liking it? I mean the transition," Elros said.
"I'm enjoying it quite immensely. You're a far better Master than Riser, that much is certain," Yubelluna said.
"I'm not your Master. I'm your friend," Elros said.
"I know. You're quite fond of saying that. The first time you did so, we found it a little hard to believe. The relationship the Gremory's have with their servants is rare. The relationship that you have with us - as lax as it is - even more so. You don't even want us to preface you with 'Master' or 'Lord'," Yubelluna said.
"That just makes me uncomfortable. Elros is much better," he said.
"And just in that, you're far different from Riser. He always wanted us to preface his name. Ravel was much like that as well," Yubelluna said.
"How… was your experience like with them?" Elros asked uncertainly. He saw her smile fall before it came back, albeit bitter.
"What have the others told you?" she asked quietly.
"Nothing. Marion and Bürent said it wasn't their place to say; that you had to be the one to tell me. They just said he… monopolized your time," Elros said quietly. She let out a bitter laugh.
"Yes. That's quite a gentle way of saying that he forced himself upon me countless times," Yubelluna spat. Elros was dumbstruck as she finished.
"He… are you saying… that he…," Elros began, wondering how to say it.
"Raped me? Yes," Yubelluna said. Her voice broke as she said the word; the tears of long past coming back to ahead.
Elros felt a visceral anger he hadn't in a long time. He knew Riser was a terrible person. He expected that he might've beaten his servants, that he might've made them do terrible things. He even expected that he sexually harassed them. Of all the things that went over the limit, this one raced passed the finish line with the force of a fireball. It took every ounce of willpower he possessed to not open a magic circle to the Risers home and tear his wings off.
"You're disgusted, aren't you? That's why you're not saying anything?" Yubelluna whispered, looking at him. As he snapped back to reality, he saw her tears. Yubelluna's exterior was shattered as they flowed down, ruining the makeup she had put on.
"What?" he asked, taken aback.
"You're disgusted. Of course, you are. It's why I didn't tell you… why… even amongst the girls, only a few knew. What kind of man would fall for… or love… a…," Yubelluna said, her voice constantly shuddering. Elros felt his heart begin to shatter as he saw her. Yubelluna was strong; she was confident; she exuded the same aura that Rias did - one of power and strength, of unwavering confidence. To see it all break before his eyes wrenched him.
"No. Absolutely not. Yubelluna," he said, using her full name as he put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him and saw his eyes; she saw the emotions pass over them. Pity. Sympathy. Anger. She lunged forward at him, taking him to the ground below and holding him tightly as she cried into his chest. Elros was still for a moment before he finally put his arms around her and held her closely. He would only let go when she was ready.
-o-
Elros rubbed Yubelluna's back as she cried into his chest. For the first time in a long time, he didn't know what to say - all he felt he could do was assure her that everything would be alright as he rocked her gently. Suddenly, she began speaking.
"He would… touch me whenever he wanted. He often ordered me into his room to.. perform on him. When I first refused, he tossed me against the wall and told me that he would have me labeled a Stray. But if I stayed with him, I'd be taken care of. So… I… acquiesced to his demand. He quickly became more demanding… more… violent. It got to the point where there were some days I simply couldn't do anything because I had no energy left. He eventually simply stopped asking and just came into my room to take what he wished. The others couldn't do anything. I simply had to… take it, as he would tell me," Yubelluna said, her voice breaking constantly. Elros held her a bit tighter, running his hand through her hair comfortingly and making sure not to let his hands go too far down.
"It was… degrading. Humiliating. Painful. Every night, this is how I'd sleep - crying. Hoping… wishing… that some day, I'd be free. Which is why… I thank you, Elros. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you," she said, as she cried harder.
"Shhh, shhh. You're safe now, Bella. You're safe here. You're safe with me," Elros said soothingly. He felt her tighten her hold on him, making sure he wouldn't leave.
"I'm not gonna leave. I'm not going to abandon you. And I will never, ever make you do something like that. You're my friend," Elros assured her.
"Forgive me for laying this matter at your feet," Yubelluna said as she gently let go. She rested her hands on his chest and pushed herself up, getting to her feet and looking out at the ocean, wiping her tear stained face. Elros quickly followed, waiting for her. As she turned to look at him, he saw the pain in her eye. He moved forward to offer her comfort which she accepted.
"Are you.. okay with this? Okay with me… touching you?" Elros asked quietly.
"I don't know. Before this, the only semblance of touching I had was his. But… yours is different. You're… warm. Your touch is… comforting as opposed to revolting. When I heard that you had saved me, I couldn't believe it. But then I saw the footage. You… shot down like an arrow and held me. You even took the brunt of the damage," she said, looking up at him.
"You were gonna get hurt," Elros said.
"Why save an enemy?" she asked.
"I had no quarrel with you or the girls. Just Riser. I didn't want you all hurt," Elros said.
"I tried my damnedest to beat you," she said.
"I know. That attack was damn powerful," Elros chuckled, eliciting a giggle.
"I hate that nickname… 'Bomb Queen,'" Yubelluna sighed.
"Bella is much nicer," Elros said.
"Mhm," she replied.
"I'm curious… if… you know, he did all that… why did you kiss me? Wouldn't that be uncomfortable?" Elros asked.
"That… was a spur of the moment. You're unlike any man I've ever known. You're so… warm and caring when you're with someone. Yet on the battlefield you're… a…," Yubelluna paused, wondering if she should say it. She was surprised to see an odd smile on his face.
"Monster?" he whispered. She nodded.
"Yes… I'm sorry for comparing you as such, but I can't find a more apt word. The difference was night and day. When Riser kissed me, it was… disgusting. Like… kissing a slobbering dog," Yubelluna said, shuddering.
"But when you did it… there was a passion. You were surprised but you went with it. I… just had to experience what it was like with someone else in case… I never…," she paused. Elros brought her in for a hug which she accepted.
"Thank you for saving me," she said breathlessly.
"No, thank you for confiding in me. That… couldn't have been easy. You're a brave person, Bella. You're powerful. I'm happy that I know you. I'm happy that you might consider me a friend," Elros said.
"I do. I do," she whispered, leaning back. She leaned her head against his, biting her lip.
"Rias said it was fine if I kissed you," she said.
"I know. What do you think?" Elros asked.
"I… would like that. Very much. If that's acceptable for you," she said, gulping.
"Whatever you're comfortable with," Elros said as he caressed her lips. Bella smiled as the words reached her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed her body close to his. It was a picture perfect moment; both of them were holding each other on top of a cliff, overlooking a beautiful ocean under a glistening night. Her long, wavy hair gently billowed in the wind while she was warmly ensconced in his jacket and his arms. She had never had this moment with Riser or anyone; no one held her in such a way before. Biting her lip gently, she leaned up and pressed them against him. It was electric to her senses - much different from her first kiss with him. They slowly revved up until her tongue was in his mouth, looking for his. Finding it, they meshed against each other. She felt him tighten his hold ever so slightly as he leaned into the passionate liplock, making sure that she was having an enjoyable experience. She lifted her leg as the sensation went through her body. She brought her hands to his cheeks, holding him there as she took gentle control.
It went on for minutes before she finally had to come up for a breath of fresh air. She looked at him, lips parted with a deep longing in her eye - but this wasn't the time. No. That would come later, she thought.
"That was… amazing," she said.
"I'm glad you thought so," Elros said, smiling warmly at her.
"I… will retire for the night, I think. Thanks for taking me out here," she said, moving to take his jacket off. However, he stopped her.
"Keep it. Please. Whenever you wear it, know that I'm right there with you. And if you ever need me, you just need to shout and I'll come rushing over. I'm not going to leave you, alright? I'm going to be here for you," Elros said as he kissed her forehead. Yubelluna felt tears come to ahead again as she nodded, smiling wide.
"Thanks," she whispered.
"I'll see you soon in the new place, yeah?" he asked.
"Definitely. Now I need to talk to Rias about sharing you in bed," she said with a laugh. Finally, stealing one more kiss, she opened a magic circle and left through it - her spirits soaring.
As she left, Elros frowned as he looked over the horizon: the duel was on his mind.
'Anders… Bastion. They're just like Riser. I hope they've their affairs in order. I'm going to break them,' he snarled to himself.
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