76Note at the Bottom
Wishes, hopes, and desires are in themselves values that only the privileged may speak of lightly solely because of the freedom granted at birth. For those whose wings were trapped and clipped since the beginning, what would one think as one looked to the dark sky above within a cage beyond escaping?
If it was pain, he knew of it.
It if was destitution, he called it friend.
Family? What did that word even mean if not to just endure?
Cold. Bitter.
Little hands that would not hold anything trying time after time to reach out towards salvation and discover the meaning of one's birth.
'You are a monster.'
A half-blood child of Lucifer.
A carrier of the True Longinus, Divine Dividing.
In a world that constantly sought to torment, belittle, and persecute him, only strength mattered.
His name was Vali Lucifer, a child of little more than five years of age with stunningly silver hair and sharp hazel-coloured eyes. Dressed in a tailored dress shirt, he would have had looked the very picture of an aristocrat's heir if nor for the large bruises and welts that lined his body from head to toe.
He winced from the acute stinging of his injuries, but even still, subtle as it was, he felt warmth in his heart. Wrapped around all of the wounds and swollen areas over his skin were thick swaths of white bandages tenderly secured to comfort him in any way possible. It was the most that woman could do for him as she was powerless against his father.
That woman was his mother. The only source of care and compassion he still had left to cling onto, which was why he had to get stronger.
With each day that passed, his father, Razevan Lucifer would fear him more and more. It was as if his father believed that by abusing him his fears would be alleviated, but in truth, it was the opposite.
In hardship, he showed no signs of breaking nor submissiveness. All that remained was an unblinking sort of determination. A defiance that he would no longer even give the satisfaction of a muted scream.
In those hazel-coloured eyes was a strength that was beyond anything that could be possessed by any other ordinary child. It was a true mark of a being with the blood of Lucifer. His massive reserves of latent magical energy were proof enough.
One day, he would surely achieve the Rank of Super-Class Devil.
Yet until then, he had to protect his mother at all costs.
He punched a hand into the dirt beneath his feet.
It wasn't as if he didn't know what was going on.
It was his fault. It was always his fault.
Every time his father would strike him or take him away for a beating, it was his powerless mother who would interfere. In turn, she was subjecting herself to his father's ire, and it showed.
The last time he'd seen his mother, she was limping, the impression of fingers around the cusp of her neck startling him to the point that his eyes dilated while his face paled.
For the first time in a long time, he suddenly felt fear and panic.
She was going to die.
If she meddled in his affairs any longer, then his father's patience would finally run out.
Run away. He had to run away.
It was this one decision that led him blindly ambling deep within a leafless underworld forest. He presently wasn't old enough to know just exactly where he was, but if one looked from atop the skies in an overhead panorama, then the area itself was easily identifiable.
Vali was both resilient and strong for a child, being comparable to what was known as a Mid-Class Devil at his age. When he had decided to run away from home, he'd done so without any plan in mind and fully exerted his natural strength.
Miles upon miles were traversed in minutes, making him well and truly lost as he didn't run with any direction in mind.
Inadvertently, he stumbling upon one of the most sanctioned and prohibited locations in the Underworld, a location known as The Valley of Revelation.
It was said that the final battle between the One God of the Heavens and the Four Great Satans of the Underworld occurred in the location. All kinds of magical light spells were said to linger in the surroundings, making it a death zone for any careless devils. Similarly, Great Satan level curses and magical restraints were also left behind.
It was well and truly a place that was to be avoided, more so because it was said that it was the same location where the New Four Great Satans took on the names of their predecessors and put a stop to the Civil War.
Vali was never quite sure of the details simply because he had never been told or was too busy recovering to care. Moreover, his family lived in complete isolation for he was part of the true line of Lucifer.
In any case, by ending up running to where he was now, he stumbling upon an object in his exhaustion that caused him to tense almost by instinct.
There, partially dirtied by mud and rain, was the shining silhouette of a cross.
A symbol of the One God.
A War Banner of the Heavens.
A relic.
And its light suddenly shone down upon him, a voice echoing in his ears, gentle yet serene.
"-"
He couldn't make it out, he couldn't understand.
In his daze, he could not react at all as the light around him became blinding.
Devils feared light, and even as a Half-Devil, Light was an enemy by instinct.
In the workings of his mind, he could only think of a single regret.
Was he going to die without even being able to save the one he cared for the most?
Damn it. Damn it.
BREAK
His vision was black while almost all of his senses seemed dull.
There was a numbing pain coursing through his body, but at the very least, it didn't last for long before subsiding. Groggily, Vali sat up from where he found himself sprawled over the ground. Finding purchase with his fingers, he dug them into the dirt beneath him and leveraged himself up.
His mind was blank, disorientation preventing him from thinking straight.
I'm not dead?
That was the first thing that he thought as he gradually composed himself. The area around him was different from what he remembered last before falling unconscious. He had been in a forest within a valley saturated with magical energy and traces of Holy Light, but now all that was around him was an empty field. All traces of magical energy and magical seals left behind had disappeared as if they had never existed.
No. Rather than just disappeared; they were extinguished.
He wiped the dust that had accumulated over his eyes with the back of his hand, while staring out at the tranquility around him. It was as if he was no longer in the same place as he remembered. If not for a marking he had made over a tree when he had stumbled in his escape earlier, then it would have had been too difficult for him to believe that he was still in the same place.
His legs wobbled as he stood up on his feet, his arms shifting to help balance his weight, but he was still feeling dizzy.
He could not understand what was going on, yet for the most part, he was just thankful that he was still alive.
He was a half-Devil, and the sheer potency of the power of light that he had experienced was beyond anything that any normal could have had possibly withstood. Was it because he was only a half-Devil?
He didn't want to dwell too much on the answer.
It wasn't important simply because he'd already passed the ordeal.
He would not consider what if's any longer?
Although he was still just a child, his mentality had already matured from an early age given the harshness of his home environment.
Check yourself first, and make sure that your fine.
His clothing was torn in a few places, but the cuts and bruises that he distinctly recalled had not healed before, had all vanished. He didn't even feel any pain when he pressed on the previously red spots and welts on his arms.
Just what was going on?
His mind began to whir into action, no longer hindered by his disorientation.
His body felt fine, if somewhat just a little lighter than before. Even the magical energy within him felt more stable.
Nothing was wrong.
It was as if he had not faced any kind of mortal danger at all, but he couldn't just forget about what had happened to him either. It had been real to have had been a dream or illusion. He soon discovered a piece of evidence that proved that he hadn't been hallucinating.
It was a wooden ring of birch whose bark was a dark shade of grey reminiscent to ash. It was stuck onto the index finger of his right hand and would not slide off regardless of what he did. Even worse, he became distinctly aware that he could not generate any of his magical energy as a Devil through his right hand any longer.
He could still feel that he had the magical energy, but it was like something was obstructing it or funnelling the power elsewhere.
It was highly disconcerting, to the point that Vali had found a sharp rock and attempted to shatter the ring. Wood was not stronger than stone, and this principle held true even in the underworld. Unfortunately, the birch ring would not shatter.
He was stuck with it.
He had to come to terms with this conclusion, but at the very least he was alive.
Now what was he supposed to do?
He began pacing around the vicinity, trying to ascertain whether or not there were anymore hidden traps that he just wasn't seeing. He'd learned his lesson the first time when he triggered some sort of light phenomenon.
Still, no matter how thoroughly he looked, there was simply no danger.
The tension gradually left his body as he sat down to think.
Where was he suppose to go now?
He was in the Underworld and Devils were inherently evil. Both his father and Grandfather were prime examples of this, making him unable to trust others easily. He had to survive for himself and grow strong enough to one day free his mother from his father.
He hummed in thought, before coming to the realization that he was entirely alone.
There would be no contact with others from now on.
He'd go nowhere for now.
The only way to live a peaceful life was if he was strong enough to fight for it and protect it from those who'd attempt to due him harm. It was therefore perfect that he was out alone in the middle of an uninhabited land. He could hunt for food and look for a source of water.
Right now, it was undeniable that he was weak.
Seeking shelter from another Devil?
There was no way that he was going to put himself at another's mercy again.
The Blood of Lucifer ran through his veins, he would become an Ultimate-Class Devil.
He swore it.
It would only be a matter of time.
All that he had to do now was train.
Although the area around him was deserted, he could see from the trees and the shrubs, that there was plenty of lush underworld vegetation. Edible vegetation meant animals that he could probably hunt.
Starting a fire would also be simple enough by using his magical energy.
This was doable.
There was nothing that was truly hampering his development here other than a lack of knowledge. He would be entirely isolated from society, meaning that other than what he was already taught and remembered from his family home, he would not be receiving any further education. It wasn't that bad of a demerit, but the problem was that most young Devils had a guide to teach them to fully utilize their latent magical energy.
He would have no such guide, and as such, would have to rely on himself and his own instincts.
Then so be it.
He balled his hands into fists, and allowed the traces of magical energy to course up his left arm. His right arm was still unresponsive.
He frowned, but he learned better with experience anyway.
While he lost himself in thought, small traces of a blue flame shone over the birch ring similar to embers.
The bark of a bush that would not burn.
BREAK
Three years passed with nothing eventful occurring in his life.
If anything, it was almost as if the food and shelter were coming to him naturally.
He'd be doing nothing and a random weak animal would spontaneously wander into his attack range and become his provisions, while he'd often end up stumbling on edible herbs, vegetable and fruit.
It was almost as if he was blessed, but Vali was appalled at the notion.
Devils took pain from anything related to Heaven. Even just praying for a moment was enough to cause discomfort. If he was truly blessed, his aspect as a Half-Devil would probably reduce him to ashes.
Therefore, he couldn't be blessed. Everything that was happening in his life in the forest could only be considered a coincidence.
When he was hungry, he got food.
When he was sick, he got rest. Even the weather never dropped to too low of a temperature or too high.
Honestly, speaking, Vali was beginning to grow confused, but everything that was happening to him was beneficial, therefore, he had nothing to complain about.
His training in magical energy was also going startingly well. In his family house, his energy had always been rampant, unbridled, but here in the forest, in was unnaturally calm and simple to utilize.
He stretched an arm out and immediately produced a small magic circle at the tip of his finger. The magic circle itself was composed of three rotating ovals bearing the crest of House Lucifer.
With a single thought, a single strand of energy shot forth and ignited in the air to produce a small fire in front of him over the cooking pit that he had made.
A roast was set over the pit, and a skinned animal was skewered overtop to be slowly roasted for consumption.
Life was somewhat difficult, but nowhere near impossible.
It was a far cry from his experiences at home.
His expression darkened visibly, but he quickly moved away from the matter.
Wait until you can actually do something.
Weak as he was now, his power would make no difference.
Lately, he'd been finding himself wandering more frequently, as if being led subconsciously by an outside force.
Vali himself didn't realize this, but this guiding 'force' would soon place him back on the road to Devil Society.
Devil's as Vali knew them to be were vile and untrustworthy creatures. This was true as even the earliest recording of Devils in human documentation involved the practice of selling one's soul for a price. A pact, where the Devils themselves were often the cause of the contractor's eventual miserable end.
The Story of Faust.
The Legend of the Seven magic Bullets.
Both were prime examples of the cruelty of Devils hidden within their honey laced words and promises.
However, were all Devils truly as cruel as the worst of them?
He was about to learn first hand whether or not he had the ability to truly trust a Devil because right now, he was no longer alone in the forest.
Magical energy condensed over his palm, tendrils of blue lightning singeing the ground black ashe cautiously entered a fighting stance.
"Who are you?" His voice was cold.
No one should have had entered the forest that he was calling his home lightly. It was both too far out from Devil society, and too close to what he now understood was a forbidden land in the Underworld, the Valley of Revelation.
What Vali failed to realize was that he himself had been the one to leave the inner forest's vicinity.
There was a child in front of him. A little girl with crimson hair staring at him dumbly due to how he had appeared from out of nowhere.
Rather than be truly frightened, she blinked at him in curiosity before growing restless. Magical energy soon pooled from out of her like an uncontrolled torrent, a far cry from the display of control that Vali currently possessed.
Still, the power that the girl was displaying was something that he had never seen before.
The very concept of it seemed to destroy everything around it, including space itself.
A power of Annihilation.
"I don't talk to strangers," she said cautiously. "And you're a stranger."
BREAK
What kind of reasoning was that?
Was it a trick to somehow make him lower his guard?
He could clearly tell that the girl in front of him was a Devil. The magic crest that surrounded the magic circle over her hands was proof enough that she came from a prominent blood line. In the Underworld, prominent bloodlines only came from those that descended from the Seventy-To Pillars spoken of in the Ars Goetia. In which, it need not be said that one was definitely a Devil if they were born from such a line of descent.
He himself was no exception. Aside from being born only Half-Devil, his magical energy was enormous, far more than even his father's who was several times his age.
In any case, he was starting to go off track. What mattered was that the girl in front of him was clearly a Devil, and that even if she was acting childish, she may be far more deceptive than she seemed.
Vali was using himself as an example of comparison. He looked no older than the girl in front of him, but his mind had already matured to the point where he could act if he needed to or decide for himself whether something was beneficial or not.
The most glaring point that he couldn't bring himself to accept, was that a little girl whose circumstances must have been different from his own, had voluntarily travelled to the middle of nowhere. Her clothes were finally woven with expensive silk, a purple dress with tiny frills near the hem and resembled an inverted tulip by the waist.
She was a spoiled child. He could tell.
The most he'd ever gotten from his father was a plain suit, and even then, it was only to maintain appearances in the rare occasions that he was brought out from his family home.
Why would such a rich girl by out in the forest by herself?
That was the root of his suspicion and doubt.
Unfortunately, he himself was the one who didn't understand that it was he who had wandered away from his initial location.
The two children were staring at each other in a heated silence.
Just when Vali was debating whether or not it would be best to subdue the girl and interrogate her, his ears perked up to the noise of someone arriving.
He grimaced.
Change of plans.
"Get out of here, and don't come back again," he warned.
He had no interest in the girl's name, so he directly turned his back when the girl soon began to dispel her magic in confusion.
"We're not fighting?" She asked bewildered. She'd only activated her magic in self-defence, but now it appeared utterly unnecessary.
"No," he replied curtly. There was no way that he would push his luck.
If the crimson haired girl was truly from a family that actually cared and spoiled her, there was no doubt that a guard or older relative was nearby to watch out for her. In this case, Vali could already sense another person coming, perhaps ten or fifteen seconds away from arriving. They were well within screaming distance, and if the girl was escorted by a High-Rank Devil, then they could appear at an instant.
Vali's strength was only comparable to a Mid-Rank Devil right now. It wasn't worth the risk.
"Don't come back, I won't be lenient next time." He warned again.
If he was discovered to be the in forest near the Valley of Revelation, his father would definitely move to retrieve him. Why allow a poison to fester? The stronger Vali got, the more paranoid his father would become. He'd prefer it if his whereabouts remained unknown.
Still, hearing Vali's warning again, it was the little girl that grew annoyed.
"Don't come back? You're in the Gremory Family back yard!" The girl pursed her lips and pouted, unused to being scolded. To be fair, the most her big brother had ever done to her was flick her over the forehead. "Why can't I go out when I want to in my family's property? It already took me so long to convince mommy that I was big enough to explore!"
'What was she talking about?'
Vali immediately stiffened before soon assessing just where it was that he was actually at. Now that he looked closer, the trees and foliage were different from what he remembered. Moreover, and most obviously, was the fact that he could no longer see the creak he had been using as a source of water.
He had made one rule to himself while living out alone. He could not leave the vicinity of the water. Not only did he need the liquid to survive, but it attracted animals in which he could silently hunt. The relative openness of the creak also prevented sneak attacks from animals that were too strong for him to handle. Therefore, it was a necessary rule for a young child living in the wilderness for the first time.
'Had he actually been wrong?'
Perhaps he was too quick to judgement. Furthermore, Gremory Family?
His eyes darted left and right before noticing a grand manor in the far distance with the crest of the crossed gate, the symbol of Duke Gremory of the Seventy-Two Pillars, etched into the walls.
His eyes dilated.
He couldn't understand how he'd gotten here.
More importantly, how could he make his way back?
He kept silent while the little girl behind him was obviously glaring at him for telling her to effectively 'get lost' in her own property. A bad move if any because she looked like she was about to throw a temper tantrum.
She appeared no older than five at the most, but, but, but weren't Devil's supposed to be more mature? Just look at himself. He was basically just six years old, but he was essentially an adult with his mental capabilities.
Vali's brow twitched.
It was the first time he understood that not all children could be compared to himself, especially when he considered the circumstance of his childhood.
He scratched the back of his head, while trying to quickly find a way to deal with the situation.
The little girl's caretaker was only just around the corner at this point.
"Forget what I just said," he said hastily. "What if we just played a game to make up for it?"
"A game?" The girl's countenance shifted immediately.
Even if the little girl was a Devil, she really was still just a child.
Didn't that make him a who'd take advantage of child's naivety?
No. No it didn't he was a child himself so it didn't count. Besides, in Devil society, his father had taught him that it was to his benefit to earn the best from any situation. Words themselves were weapons. No matter how much he disliked his father, he couldn't completely ignore everything that he'd been taught.
"Yes, a game," he clarified. "You said you can't talk to strangers, but there's no one who said that you can't play a game."
The little girl blinked at him in thought. After a moment of consideration, she looked as if she'd come to realize another truth of life. "Y-Your right," she stuttered out in realization.
And you're an idiot.
That was what his father would have had said if his father were in his shoes. He however was different.
He simply nodded.
"The game will play is a simple one. It's called Hide and Seek. We'll take turns." He raised a finger up, while considering how much more time he had before the little girl's care taker arrived. Only seconds remained. "I'll hide first, and you have to look for me. However, you can't ask anyone for help because that's cheating."
Without waiting for the girl's response, Vali immediately left.
He had no intention of being found either way, and regardless, once the girl grew tired of searching for him, her guardian would surely take her back home.
Left behind, the little girl began to pout. "That's not fair. I wanted to hide first," she muttered.
Still, the fact that her brother suddenly arrived within her line of sight caused her to place her hands in front of her mouth. She couldn't say anything because it would be cheating.
"So, this is where you went Rias." Her older brother's hair was the same shade of red as her own. Obviously, he was much older than her, already at the age to marry. "You'll worry mother if you suddenly run off like that. So, let's head back for now."
Her brother liked to dote on her a lot.
"No," was her curt response. She'd finally found someone to play with that was around her age. She didn't want to go back and do studies by herself again.
"Now Rias, you can't always be selfish," her brother tried to lecture her, but all he got in response was a sour expression.
"I want to stay for a bit longer," she argued.
Her brother could only sigh, but did nothing else.
It was only when her brother moved to follow her that Rias suddenly came to a realization. Her mouth opened and closed as she considered what it was that she could say to get what she wanted. She was young, but it didn't mean that she was entirely stupid. If it was her brother, then she knew at least of one way to make him listen.
"Don't follow me!" She said. "I-I'll hate you if you do!"
Her brother looked like he'd been stabbed by her words, but she'd already turned away and ran too far off to notice. She didn't want to bring her brother along simple because she didn't want to be caught cheating.
She'd find Vali on her own.
That was her own sense of pride as an Heiress of a prominent family.
Now if only her property wasn't so big.
She suddenly pursed her lips, unable to figure out where she should start.
BREAK
This was harder than she thought it was going to be.
Her name was Rias, the youngest child of House Gremory of the Seventy-Two Pillars, and it was the first time that she'd finally been able to get out of her own house alone. She was both the only daughter, and the youngest child, making her the prime target of doting for her parents and her older brother.
Naturally, she was treated like a precious treasure, with no harm permitted to ever come to her.
Hardship?
What did that word even mean?
Huffing, she soon began panting from her exertion of running through the woods. Finding someone that didn't want to be found in the first place, was not something that could simply be done by a hopeful child.
She was beginning to pout in frustration. Her dress was getting dirty and caked with mud and grime, while leaves and brambles were getting caught in her hair as she navigated through the foliage. She wasn't following a pre-made forest path, therefore, her condition and appearance was only worsening with time.
She was beginning to look quite pitiful, but the determination had not yet left her eyes.
Call her stubborn, but she simply refused to give up. It wasn't in her personality and it didn't matter if she sullied her clothing anyway. Her mother would most likely not scold her, and would directly scold her elder brother instead.
She was effectively using her elder sibling as a scape goat and therefore, she was both safe and proud for her smarts.
Still, she wasn't getting anywhere in her search, and the frustration was building. She looked like she was going to cry.
Nevertheless, she continued onward, not even caring that she soon left the boundaries of her own family estate following a 'trail' that she believed that Vali had left behind.
In fact, Vali wasn't much farther from Rias. She'd gotten lucky and found the exact path that he'd taken to escape the Gremory Family's land.
Unfortunately, luck could only get her so far.
At the very least, Vali had more experience while navigating a forest compared to Rias. There was no way that she could catch up to him unless it was Vali himself that remained nearby to observe her, and that was exactly what he was doing.
He had noticed her following after him mere minutes ago and he wasn't certain what to think of her anymore.
Rias appeared too determined and he was unable to accept that she was only seeking him to win a 'game.'
She already looked tired and dirty, and there was clearly no real merit in finding him.
As such, what was driving her?
The obvious answers of 'a need to play,' or 'a wanting to make a friend,' completely eluded Vali's thoughts. It was too incomprehensible to him. He just had to think harder and try to ascertain if he'd missed something about himself that was of definite value.
Nothing.
He couldn't come up with anything.
Why was Rias still trying to search for him?
Moreover, just where was her attendant or guardian?
He could sense no one around her, and she was clearly making a mess of herself. She didn't even look like she'd ever had the experience of camping or taking care of herself on her own before.
Strong as Vali was, he was being a tad too naïve to believe that his senses were enough to detect the presence of Higher-Ranked Devils. Still, he was fairly sure that there was no one nearby, so he could only sigh before inwardly criticizing himself.
It was a trick. It had to be.
Rias was acting too foolish for even the most nefarious of Devils. It was difficult for him to fathom.
He said 'foolish,' but the description was more akin to 'innocent.'
What was irritating him the most, was that a part of him was starting to believe in her act and take pity on her. He even went as far as to decide to reveal himself so that she wouldn't run off to somewhere dangerous.
He pushed off from the nearby trees and stood awkwardly on the side. Rias wouldn't be able to see him yet, but from the moment that she entered the opening of the grove that he stood within, there was no way that she wouldn't be able to see him.
You're being a fool.
He inwardly chastised.
What good is showing kindness to a Devil? Did he really expect anything back or to gain any benefit from it?
Devil's weren't humans.
At least his human-half had empathy.
Devils in comparison, were heartless.
It was the same for both his father and grandfather.
The reminder of his own family hardened the expression on his face, such that it was exceedingly neutral by the time Rias arrived and saw him.
He already had enough with this game. He didn't know what Rias was playing at, but he didn't want to consider anything about her any further. The fact that she was staring at him in obvious joy and relief when she noticed him, felt exceedingly piercing.
It was like 'he' was the strange one for thinking that a Devil like her even had ulterior motives.
"I found you!" She called out to him while puffing her chest out and un-creasing the wrinkles on her dress. She was practically beaming at him with an exuberance born from feelings of self-satisfaction.
In truth, guilt was starting to build up within him.
His mother had always told him that 'good' existed within others. Was this perhaps an instance of this 'good' that his mother spoke about?
No. No.
His mother did not fully experience the treachery of Devils.
It was all lies.
Deceit.
He spoke before Rias could say or do anything else that could cause his views to waver.
"You found me," he said bluntly. His eyes were somewhat narrowed, his weariness unable to be completely hidden.
If hiding away from her wouldn't work, he simply needed to keep her away from him instead.
"Now go and hide."
I won't find you.
BREAK
She looked entirely excited at the prospect of just being able to play.
Could she not tell that he had no intention of humoring her and whatever ploy that she was conducting?
His eyes narrowed as he watched her run back in the direction of her house while looking for a place that she could hide. Noticing that he was watching her, she turned back and yelled out at him.
"You're not supposed to look!" She said.
He scoffed, but still turned his gaze away.
He only briefly wondered how it was that she had even noticed his gaze, but he chalked it all up to luck. She wasn't skilled enough to be on his level yet.
Still, even if he wasn't looking at her or not, it wasn't as if he wouldn't be able to track her. The foot prints on the ground were more than enough of a trail to follow, and moreover, she was noisy. If he closed his eyes and listened hard enough, he could hear her soft panting as she tried to get as far away from him in the thirty seconds that she thought that she had to hide.
Eventually, she found a hollowed hole between the roots of a large tree and pressed herself inside. The dirt and grime that covered the inside of the hollowed hole, Rias vaporized with a small burst of her magical energy. She'd had enough with feeling dirty and sweaty.
Evidently, she was a spoiled child.
It was a foolish error.
He sensed her use of magic immediately and instantly knew where she was.
He waited, and then waited some more.
The forest around him soon became quiet.
Now then, his opportunity had come.
Not wasting a second longer, he ran away in the opposite direction that Rias had hidden from.
He was truly free this time. Unlike before, Rias had no reason to look for him because it was his turn to seek her out. In Hide and Seek, the hider would always remain hidden if the seeker chose not to seek.
Five minutes passed, then ten, and twenty.
For her part, Rias did not seem to understand that she'd been abandoned and was taking pride in her ability to remain hidden. There was a blinding look of self accomplishment on her face, and she ended up resolving herself to remain where she was. She pressed herself further into the groove of the tree and began humming in satisfaction.
As expected of an heiress of House Gremory,
She was already picturing her family praising her for her abilities.
Not once did she consider the fact that her elder brother was currently being yelled at by an enraged mother.
An hour soon passed and Vali was well on the way to leaving the vicinity of the area. In fact, he was already several kilometers away. Sweat matted his forehead, and his breathing was somewhat haggard, but he'd done it.
He'd escaped.
Finding a tree to lean over, he stopped to catch his breath.
The Underworld was different from the Human World, but it still experienced periods of night and day.
He soon looked up at the evening sky, and couldn't help but begin thinking.
Surely that girl wouldn't still be hiding right?
It was a dubious question. What child in their right mind would not understand that they'd been left behind after an entire hour had passed?
Night was coming, and the forest itself was beginning to grow dark.
Without the light of magic in the area, the underbrush of the forest was almost a pitch black, with only slivers of light able to pierce through the canopy. Worse, the forest was not silent in the evening. All kinds of underworld animals prowled under the blanket of the shadows.
For a girl as naïve as the one that he'd encountered, had she ever experienced how it was to be alone in the underworld woods in the dark of evening?
Rias was actually terrified right now.
By the time she got over her pride in her ability to stay hidden, she realized that everything around her was entirely black. The sounds of animals prowling, and guttural growls, causing her to press her back hard against the hollow hole within the trees. Her arms crossed together as she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged her arms around them.
In regards to Vali, that was the sight that he eventually came back to when his body subconsciously moved back on its own.
'You aren't just a Devil, Vali.'
'There is good in you,'
His mother's words played in his ears, and as much as he didn't want ot admit it, perhaps his mother knew him best.
His eyes narrowed in Rias's direction before he clicked his tongue.
Really, this girl.
That was it.
He was done.
She won simply because he no longer had the heart to leave her on her own.
He walked up to her.
She was shivering, her eyes darting at each sound as if frightened.
With a flick of his wrist, magical light illuminated his face.
"I found you," he said to her.
BREAK
It sort of reinforced his assumption that he was just dealing with a child rather than someone on his own intellectual level when Rias began weeping upon seeing him.
"Why did you take so long?" She wiped the moisture over her eyes with the back her palms. "Of course, I am pretty good at hiding, but big brother always finds me."
"…" He didn't know how to reply to that so he just maintained his silence.
A minute passed, and then another before he started scratching the back of his head in befuddlement.
"Are you just going to stand there?" He asked.
Rias blinked back at him owlishly as if in incomprehension.
"I'm waiting for you to take me home," she stretched out a hand towards him.
The action was done so naturally that he was left stunned.
Take her back home?
What if he got captured?
The contrast between his upbringing and Rias was utterly jarring. If it had been him trembling in fear in the middle of a forest, his father and grandfather would have had left him for dead already. Only the strong could survive. The weak have no place to even complain.
So why then did things end up like this?
He felt Rias's hand clasped tightly to his while he did his best to stop himself from scowling. She was pressing up right next to him, and her other hand worriedly pinched onto the bottom of his shirt for added security.
He inwardly berated her. The only real benefit that Rias had be holding onto him was on the mind. If they were really attacked by a wild animal, it was more likely that just holding hands and hoping for the best were going to get them anywhere.
Walking at the front, Vali's other hand illuminated the path ahead by means of his glowing blue magic. Vision was still limited to around ten meters though. There was no true light within the Underworld's darkness and even his adolescent magical capabilities could only shine the way so far.
"Hey, do you remember how long it takes to walk back? My feet hurt," Rias was pursing her lips, and her gaze was constantly darting left and right.
"No," he replied bluntly.
They'd get there when they'd get there. It was hard for him to judge distance right now due to the visibility. Moreover, a part of him already realized that Rias was not questioning him out of a need to annoy him, but to distract herself from the sounds of the forest around her.
Really, this kind of behaviour was not something he expected at all from a pureblood Devil.
"What? What are you looking at?" Rias tilted her head when she caught him staring.
'You,' he wanted to say, but what ended up coming out of his mouth was different. "Something weird."
"W-Where?" Rias instantly turned to looked behind her, but Vali hardly tried to explain that the person that he was referring to was the same girl that suddenly began gripping his arm with a vice-like grip.
There were many thoughts crossing his mind at this moment, most of which were not things that he was willing to share.
Still, it helped pass the time while he was preoccupied. As for Rias, she continued mumbling to him, but he soon learned a technique that could both appease her and allow him to ignore whatever she said.
He simply nodded at the end of whatever sentence she'd spoken.
It made Rias feel like he was listening when in fact, he was not.
He didn't even consider how simple it was to trick a child in the first place.
Walking in contemplation, he soon came to an assumption. Maybe Devils were only 'Devils' when they grew up? Both his Father and Grandfather were adults, but Rias was still a child.
There in lied the difference.
His eyes shone with the knowledge of realization.
"You aren't a Devil, you are a child," he ingrained the notion into his mind, not knowing that he had spoken it aloud.
"What do you mean I'm not a Devil? I'm a great Devil!" Rias dug a heel into the dirt beneath her.
He looked at her.
She looked back.
"Child," Rias attitude made it that much easier for Vali to categorize her.
Right now, Rias wasn't a Devil, but a child.
His expression softened at this point.
Rias's red reddened in rage. "Child! You're the child!"
Vali raised a brow. "Shall I let go?"
He made to shake Rias's grip out of his, but she became frantic and clung onto his arm with both of hers.
She looked like she was glaring at him, but didn't show any more signs of haughtiness.
Good.
It was far easier that way, and besides, they'd reached the gates of the Gremory Estate.
"You're free to go," he gestured forward with his free hand.
Rias blinked. "You're not coming? My house has a lot of rooms."
'Your house has a lot of Devils.'
Vali composed his features. "I like the forest," he ended up saying.
Rias crossed her arms. "Then I like the forest too."
An Underworld owl hooted from behind her and she instantly grew startled.
He stared at her, but she seemed determined not to leave him on his own.
In Rias's eyes, Vali was perhaps her first friend. Her family had always emphasized that a Devil should be selfish and never let go of something that they believed to be valuable, and friendship was golden.
Rias would not relent.
Vali became troubled. His only saving grace was that his hair had grown unimaginably longer in his time in the wild and therefore, he pushed his bangs forward to cover the majority of his face.
With this kind of appearance, he shouldn't be recognized.
"Fine," he eventually relented, letting Rias drag him forward now that she'd returned to a place that she found familiar.
Elsewhere, a pair of eyes huffed while watching Rias and Vali return.
Close. Too close.
A pair of bat wings spread open as a figure took to the skies.
If Vali had left Rias alone for any longer, there was no telling what would have had happened to him.
BREAK
He had no idea what was happening anymore.
No, more than just that, he couldn't understand just what kind of luck that he had to not be able to run into a single person in Rias's family while being dragged by her into one of her family guests' rooms.
"I told you I don't intend to stay here," he tried to reason.
Rias glanced back at him and promptly crossed her arms. Bits of bramble and dirt were still stuck to her clothes and hair, but even as a child, her complexion and appearance made her appear stunning even while dirtied.
She was frowning, her teeth biting down on her lower lip.
"But it's dark out," she said as if that was the only explanation that he needed.
"And?" Vali stopped just outside the door of the room where Rias was gesturing for him to stay within.
"It's 'dark' out," she repeated again, blinking her eyes.
He couldn't tell if she was just acting at this point, but recalling her trembling form huddled within the groove of a large tree's roots, he was certain that Rias was being absolutely serious.
By 'dark,' she probably meant that it would too 'scary' or 'dangerous' to go out on his own without an escort. Naturally, the only feasible option available to him was to stay for the night.
He couldn't do that though.
What if he was caught the next morning? Even if his bangs were currently shadowing his face, it didn't mean that he wouldn't be recognized. Actually, rather than being recognized, it was more likely that he would be labeled as a 'missing child's' case.
The Lucifer house that his father and grandfather were the current heads of was a recluse family ever since the end of the Underworld Civil War. Worse, House Lucifer was part of the Old Satan Faction which had lost in the battle against the New Satan Faction.
If he was found out to be related to House Lucifer, it might not just end with a simple trip to a Devil orphanage, but something harmful. Many Devils were killed in the Civil War both from the New and the Old Satan Faction.
Grudges existed, and Vali wouldn't put it past some aristocratic families to attempt to sentence him to death.
He really couldn't take the risk. Not until he was stronger.
"Sorry, but I really must refuse," he insisted.
Rias looked stunned. She'd never been turned down before or had someone refuse her hospitality.
"Then where will you go?"
He shrugged. "The forest," he said honestly. There was no point in being subtle or misleading with a child anyway.
"I told you it's 'dark' out," Rias seemed baffled by how 'brave' he was being. "Brother said that there are monsters in the dark and that if I leave home at night bad things will happen."
Isn't that because your family just wants you to stay out of trouble? Vali inwardly sighed.
Rias was still a child being manipulated by her family to follow curfew. Just thinking that he'd once been weary of her sounded like a bad joke in his head.
"Look, I'm not afraid of the dark," Vali ignored the way Rias gasped at him in admiration. "There are still things I need to do and therefore I can't stay."
He directly turned to leave, and this time, Rias didn't say anything.
It was only when he was just about to turn the corner and walk towards the front door, did he feel a small hand grasp onto the back of his shirt.
"Where are we going to play tomorrow?" Rias whispered as if afraid that she'd wake up her mother and be scolded for wandering too far away in the afternoon.
Huh? Vali paused in his steps. Play? Since when had he ever played in all of his childhood?
"…" He didn't answer and soon left through the door under Rias's stare.
Hearing her foot steps that were making their way to follow him, he understood that he really couldn't just not say anything to the Gremory heiress.
"I run, and you chase," he said to her. "When you actually catch me through your own strength, and make me admit that you've caught me, that will be the day that you win."
"Another game?"
He heard Rias's voice from behind him.
"Yes," he said absently, not seeing the devilish determination that flashed over Rias's face that would remain far into the future.
"I won't lose," she said, taking his words to heart. "I'll catch you for sure."
"Right," He just continued walking.
At the very least, she didn't follow him.
He sighed.
As soon as he'd left the front door, he'd back tracked in the direction that he had came from in order to leave the Gremory estate.
Even in the shadows and dimness of the evening, he used his magical energy to illuminate the way through the underbrush.
He'd already wasted enough time.
He thought of the torment that his mother must have been facing his absence and balled his hands into fists so hard that he drew blood.
He needed to get stronger.
BREAK
Vali didn't know where he was or where he had ended up running to anymore. All that he knew was that he had to get as far away as possible to minimize any chance of getting discovered.
Only when he was stronger would he able to have confidence in stepping out in public. At the very least, he had to guarantee the ability to escape capture.
Devil wings sprouted from his back as he glided through the small ravines within the underbrush. He couldn't fly above the canopy not because he was unable to, but because it would be foolish.
He would be too easy to spot.
In which case, he'd already garnered enough experience to glide when necessary.
Digging his feet into the ground, his knees buckled as he struggled to support himself up. He was bent by the waist, his hands leveraged over his knees as he panted.
Done.
He should have had been far enough by now.
He made his way towards a distant tree and climbed up its branches to rest. Resting on the ground was only inviting underworld animals to a free meal.
Safe, he finally began to relax and consider just how it was that he ended up in that kind of situation. More specifically, how did he end up near house Gremory when knew that he had been in the middle of nowhere?
It was a foolish move and an oversight he deemed irredeemable. He couldn't even blame himself for being tired or reckless, not when he had been confident that he had known the area around him.
Strange.
It was too strange.
He leaned his back against the tree and weaved his arms and legs through the shorter branches to prevent himself from falling in his sleep. It wouldn't be the first time he had abruptly fallen in his dreams and woken up with a sore face.
Regardless, right now, all that he was focusing on was rest. It didn't matter how many questions he had if he was too exhausted to think straight.
Gradually, his eyelids began to droop, the interval between the blinking of his eyes soon coming to a stop with the relaxing of his body. His breaths soon shifted into even intervals, his exhaustion lulling him to subconsciousness.
Vali dreamed.
He dreamed of vast spires of white piercing through the Heavens and armies of winged Angels standing at the ready. Opposed to the Angels were the Demons of the Seventy-Two, their armies of hell-spawn crawling upon the ground of another dimension.
He saw great battles.
Similarly, he saw many deaths.
Hatred.
Weariness.
Feuds.
What was the purpose of it all?
Would there ever be peace?
At the end of a dream, Vali could only see the back of single figure whose shoulders were hunched by a weight known as duty, and yet the figure held strong. His will held fast by devotion.
Suddenly, Vali was in a field, a beautiful fjord overlooking an orange sunset.
He stood alone, the path behind him marred by the fiery red of ambition and vengeance that took the form of his father and grandfather. Ahead of him was the smiling face of his mother and the distance between.
Two polar natures. Opposites representing his heritage as a Devil and a human, his path to choose, or perhaps make his own.
'You can not live in a world without trust, child.'
It was if someone was speaking to him, watching down over him form a place up far. However, he simply could not hear it.
The ring over his finger shun dimly in the dark of the night, flickering back and forth at minimal output.
'A shepherd will watch over his flock. He who is lost, will one day be found.'
Light will be the guide.
Strength does not mean everything, but character above all else.
The glow of the ring subsided, returning back into a dormant state.
'Emotions are not weakness.'
'Relations are not liabilities.'
'Become one with yourself, and you shall fear no enemies.'
'In time you will see.'
BREAK
Life in the Underworld could be considered increasingly hard should one live on one's own. The environment was harsh, and most Devil's did not care for others unless personal benefit was to be gained or profited from. It was a dog eat dog sort of world where only one's kin could be considered the best support. Bloodline was what mattered after all as it was important to maintain inherited strength.
In all honesty, a child should not have had been able to survive on their own, but Vali had always been strong.
Strength meant everything, and this mentality had been beaten into him from the very day that he was born. The kindness that his human mother showered him in was the only ray of hope he had, but even then, what good did it do if he couldn't even protect it?
An arm raised up and condensed a ball of magical power over a pair of finger tips before firing in a practiced manner.
The underworld deer across from Vali was struck with unerring accuracy and fell down in a heap.
Its body convulsed a few times before Vali lowered his arm and drew near. The deer was still alive, its black coloured eyes staring out across at him in fear and panic. If anything, it was clear to see the extent of the pain that the animal was undergoing.
Vali paid his respects and cleanly ended the deer's life with a swift chop of his hand. He did not take pleasure in killing or watching others die. Instead, he only did what was necessary in order for him to live.
He picked up the deer with little effort and moved back to his territory of the forest which he had commandeered from another apex predator. He ruled the northern region, while the south, west, and east, were territories of other underworld animals entirely.
His eyes were always vigilant, looking out for any ambushes from the foliage or direct attacks from the fiercer underworld animals. Underworld Dragons lived in the forest, those that belonged to the category of reincarnated Devil. They were still Dragons, but they'd been reborn under the power of the Evil piece system developed by Ajuka Beelzebub of the New Four Great Satans.
Vali always had to remain weary of them should he encounter them. Fact was, he just avoided them. He was strong enough to combat them on his own, but if he fought for too long, the other Dragons nearby would take notice and provide aid.
Still, they were good training so when Vali was fortunate enough to stumble on an isolated Dragon, he did not waste the opportunity to hone himself in a duel.
He'd grown powerful because of it.
Faint scars littered his body from head to toe, while robust muscles flexed from beneath taught skin. The clothes that he had used to wear had long since served their purpose and torn due to overuse. Still, with nothing better to wear, he'd been making due by just covering his important areas and using the fur he'd harvested from wild game.
It had been three years.
As soon as he returned to his part of the forest, he set the deer carcass over a fire spit and began cooking. Hunger was always the enemy, and any fighter knew that fighting on an empty stomach was foolhardy.
The area around him was littered with craters and mottled holes from his extensive magical training. Toppled trees and uprooted vegetation made for a clear warning for the other predators roaming the forest.
His gaze had grown sharper over the years. The baby fat of his cheeks had long since left him to be replaced by a narrowed jaw line and a flushed complexion.
Once the deer was finished roasting, he bit into it and began eating, not caring for the flavour. So long as he got the nourishment he needed, nothing else mattered.
Once the meal was done, Vali did not dispose of the left-over meat but instead began to procure it for later by drying it with salt.
He was preparing.
Bags of rations were stored all around him, and he'd gathered several flasks of water for a long journey. He knew that he couldn't carry it all, but the problem was solved after he discovered a magical storage seal his mother had insisted that his father include in his old children's clothing.
Tying up everything and storing it all away, Vali stood up resolutely.
It was time.
His father always had a short temper, and he didn't think that aspect would ever change.
The longer he waited, the higher the risk to his mother.
Frustration must have had been building after not being able to locate him for years.
He'd trained enough.
In terms of strength, he had confidence in rivaling or overpowering his father, but the only problem was his granddad. To this day, Vali still could not fathom the full depths of that man's power.
Rizevim Lucifer had to be avoided at all costs.
A silent infiltration.
His eyes narrowed; his expression resolved.
For the woman who'd always cared and taken care of him, showing him that he didn't have to succumb to the nature of Devils, he would save her.
He recalled the direction of his family home, magical power building around him.
It was time to go back.
Thanks for Reading!
Note: This story is from the list of the new stories on the A-Tier poll, and I know it wasn't the winner, but I've been working on it several weeks before the poll in my spare time. I worked on it in snippets so the breaks during time skips and events are the thousand or so words I typed out in the previous weeks.
What I'm posting right now was what I already have.
I was posting new stories this week, so I figured I'd just publish this one as well.
Disclaimer: I don't own Highschool DXD
