No one expects today to be their last day. No one expects to draw their last breath in front of family and friends, unable to move their quickly numbing body. Despite the fast reaction of emergency services, a young teenage boy still drifted away, entering the Great Chain of Being in the multiverse, another soul amongst millions entering the cycle that is life and death.
This soul, however, was different.
Instead of believing in Heaven and Hell or religion, instead of believing in Pantheons and science and logic, instead of caring about the deities above, this soul yearned for a simpler life. One where he could live and laugh and breathe and feel the beating of his healthy heart.
It was not like other souls that when they are close to dying, they pray to the Heaven's for forgiveness or wonder what sick treatment awaits them in hell. This soul didn't wish to escape from the living world. This soul didn't wish to be reincarnated.
Some thought the afterlife would be all fun and games. Some thought it would be absolutely nothing, a void of darkness. Some thought it'd be endless torture or living out their perverse dreams. And in these cases, their souls manifested their vision of the afterlife.
This soul couldn't imagine an afterlife, and so it entered its vision of the afterlife.
An empty space.
A dull void, nothing but grey matter floating and shifting endlessly.
Formless, ever-changing, forever moving. Nothing like the humans could ever had depicted it. Its imagination was not capable of this vision, and yet here it formed.
Perhaps this was a result of the soul's beliefs being skewed, throwing the already delicate system into a loop.
Nothing would be capable of living there except for maybe a few deities and eldritch beings, and even then, it'd be near impossible. And yet, despite all the odds stacked against anything and everything, the form of a human began to form around the soul.
"I'm dead," a male voice said, voice monotone. "I died in the arms of the people I loved. I left them behind."
Floating above the void, the body of a teenager rested there, the owner breathing yet not at the same time. It was a living contradiction, similar to that of Schrödinger's Cat.
"...I was shot," the teenager mused, idly patting his chest. "An addict lost control and lashed out when I left the chemist with mum and dad."
"God... damnit," the teen sighed as his body suddenly floated upwards into a standing position. "I really lost everything just like that."
He opened his eyes, his pupils grey, just like the void around him.
"Is this the afterlife?" He muttered, frowning. "A whole load of nothing? An empty grey space? Or am I simply stuck in the middle of nowhere?"
The teen tilted his head and looked at his hands, but his eyes didn't recognize his body.
"...no, that's not it either. If I had to take a guess, I'd say I'm in the process of being converted into a spirit to be sent to hell or heaven. I'm guessing the former, though is God really real?" The teen began floating forwards. "I'm not a firm believer in him or her, but I do believe he or her is real to a certain extent."
The teen seemed to pass through an invisible barrier as the void around him shimmered. Whether ignorant or unaware, the teen continued forwards before stopping.
"So, I'm stuck in a void with nothing to do for eternity?" The teen chuckled, his face imitating laughter before suddenly stopping, replaced with a dead expression. "Fucking glorious. I can't wait to be here forever. Well, actually, I guess I can be philosophical. I'm good at that."
Unaware, a Greater Being that controlled the cycle of life and death peered at the soul, recognizing its early, unfair demise. A ripple of power surrounded the soul, encasing it in a prison of ungodly dark matter. Plucking a faint memory from the soul, the Eldritch being laughed, ripples of power emanating from it as it made the memory reality, placing it in the prison.
The teen closed his eyes, unaware of the 72 pillars materializing around his body. Whether ignorant or he didn't feel the pure power emanating from them, the question would forever remain unanswered.
Eyes still closed, a rift of dark energy ripped open the void in front of the teen, a white one appearing behind.
[MAKE YOUR CHOICE]
Suddenly, the teen's body arced backwards before straightening up, his eyes rolled in the back of his head as the rift erupted into a pillar of darkness. The white light was consumed – destroyed – as the pillar of darkness dyed the room in what could only be described as an eternal black, a never-ending void.
The prison completed, the Greater Being hummed in satisfaction before leaving the void, leaving its newly created system to fix the discrepancy.
Opening his eyes, the teen seemed moderately surprised before glancing at his body. His stark white appearance shone like a star in the space of black nothingness, a silver flame flickering inside his translucent chest.
"...where am I?"
Spinning around, the teen noticed he had a body and clenched his fists, still unaware of the pillars surrounding him.
"I was surrounded by a grey void before," he muttered in disbelief. The teen began to run his hands through his hair. "So, am I being transported to hell or something?"
Suddenly, the 72 pillars erupted into life, different symbols representing different clans, their signature abilities coating the symbols. Frozen in place, the teen's eyes glazed over as he looked everywhere, unable to keep up with the rotating pillars.
Clink
Clunk
Ka-Chunk!
The pillars stopped, revealing a column that had a fiery aura.
[THE POWER TO BURN AND REGENERATE TO TURN YOUR FOES INTO ASH]
The pillars rotated again, revealing a pillar with a grey aura of nothingness.
[THE POWER TO TURN ANYTHING OF VALUE USELESS]
The pillars rotated once more.
[THE POWER TO ELIMINATE WITH NO MERCY]
And again.
[THE POWER TO DESTROY YOUR FOES IN AN ICY HELL]
And again.
[THE POWER TO-]
And again.
[THE POWER TO-]
And again.
After what seems like an eternity, the pillars rotated back to the original pillar of a phoenix. Every pillar of black marble now pulsed with energy, a unique symbol on each glowing.
"What the...?"
Taking a shaky step forward, the teen approached a lone pillar, the symbol of a phoenix etched into the otherworldly material.
"...this looks... ...familiar..."
Reaching out, the teen touched the firm matter and watched as the symbol etched itself into his stark white hand before fire coated it. Wincing, he grit his teeth as the fire raced up his arm, leaving behind intense scorch marks as the silver turned to gold.
[THE POWER TO BURN AND REGENERATE AND TURN YOUR FOES INTO ASH HAS BEEN CHOSEN]
[THE DISCREPANCY HAS BEEN REPAIRED]
[REBIRTH IN 10, 9, 8, 7]
Crying out in pain, the teen fell backwards, only for his hand to remain airborne above the pillar, holding him in place as the pillar began to shed its black matter.
[6, 5, 4]
Slowly, the teen began to slowly disintegrate into ash as the pillar began to glow a bright, fiery light. Shielding his face, the teen winced as the light began to blind him, only for the hand covering his face to fall to the ground, flesh to ash.
[3, 2]
"H-Heh," he chuckled out as his body began to disintegrate. "Wonder what'll happen now..."
[1]
In a flash of light, all that remained of the teen was a pile of ash, a single feather resting on top as if the ash was its throne. Slowly, the golden feather was corrupted by the darkness surrounding it, staining it a dark, blue-purple hue. Finally, it flickered into a prismatic state, flames licking the feather's edge.
The pillars in the room all faded away, leaving behind the pillar of the phoenix.
The feather flickered with flames before being swallowed in darkness.
The pillar stood proudly before also fading.
[SOUL SUCCESSFULLY REINCARNATED]
[REBIRTH COMPLETE]
A͡s̨̀h̀͞e͏̶̨s̡҉ ̴T͡ó̴ ̀͡F̧l̨a̶͢m̕͝es̀:̷ R҉҉ębi̧͟rth̶̡
Embers and ash littered the razed ground where a forest once stood. Burnt trees covered in soot were toppled, fires continued to burn despite having nothing to burn off of, and smoke covered the sky, jealously hoarding it to itself.
l . . l. l . . l . l. l. l. l . l. l . l . l . l . l l
l. l . l . l . . l . l . l
Ş̃̃́̈́͐̄͊̒͂̄̅̒̂̎̈́͑͛͑̑͑̿̊̀͒̂̃͛̔̄̓̚͠ͅć̵̙̯̹̜̤̤͎͇͈͔̗̟̱̺̊͊́̑͛́͐̅́͒̐͋͒̀̑̓̌͂̂́̍̔̍͑͐͂͌̅̚͘͝͝͝ͅͅr̷̢̛̳͎͍̭̩͓̗͎̦͔͎̖̦̪̹͍̣͈̥̮̬͖͓̋̊̈́̀̐͜ͅȩ̵͓̣͎̪͙͔͔̫̻̙̻̗͖͇̻̙̩͔̰̭͙̝͉͚̩͖͋̔̄̔͌͛̕͜͜͠ͅa̴̛̤͈̮̬͓̲̖͇͍͓̜̙̩͛͗̾̏̇͂̍͐͛͗̄̀̅̾́̆̉̇̂̐̽͗̍̽͜͜ṁ̶̧̠̻̙̟̬͇̹̼̗͕͎̹̟͖̺͍̻̤̿̈́̎̽̃͛̇͒͐̍̿͜ͅi̵̧̛͕͎̻̤͙̤̯͊̄̃̿̈́̏͊̓̌͒̄̆̎̆̋͐̌́̄͊̓̄̌̍͑̑́̈́͌̈́̀̈̕̕͜͠͝͝͠͝ͅn̵̛̛̛͓̬̞͚͑͛̽̒́̓͌̄̈́̄̽͆̂͂̌̓̽́̈́́̽̈͑̽̆̃͌͊̎͗̏́͆͆̉̒͛͘͘͝͠͝͝͠͝g?̵̡̡̧̛̲̜̱̝̟̪̣̦̳͙̝̣͙̠̹̰̳̝̭̘̱̦̪̑̋͒͗̇͆̈́̎͊̀̎͑͋́̓̀̓͊̇̓̽̑̉̍̈́̿̑̔́͋̊͊̀͘̕̚͜͜͝͝͝ͅP̷̢̨̡̢͕̰̱̮̘͖̰͈͚̤̩̟͔̫̠͙̬̦̫͙̙͈̪̞̹̙͔̤̖͓̮͔͆̾͛̀̀̽͛̒͐̇̐̎͊̉̆̂̔͒̐͑̽͂́̋̈́̑̏͋̂̍͊̅̃̊̄̏̕̚͝͠ͅͅA̵̧̛͉̱̔̎̍͗̉̈͂̏̀̈́̈́͊̈́̈̎̂̓͊̾̄͊͐͋̇͒̍̅̆͛̋̌̎͐͆͆̓̓̔́̚͘͠͝͝Í̴̡̨̧͖̼͔̟͇̞̪̤͚͖͉͚͕̹̾̂̔̋̇̈́̔̎̀̈́̀́̍͗N̵̢̨̧̡̛̗̖̼̹̜̳̰̯͔̭̘̙͔͎͖̥͕̗̦͔͎͔̺̠̬̱̯̗͚̙̮̟̖̝̥̪̦̜͕̫̒̀̓͗́̊̏̈̔̽̃̃͌͛̍̐̃̂͑͒̒̈́͛̀͛́̈̀͗̇̒͑͌̏̚̚̕͘͜͝͝͝͝͠͝ͅ!̵̛̛͉͇̙̣̱̣̖̫̦̤̊͌͑͐͐̂́͊̎̉̊͋̆̃͆̿̈́̓̐̄̿̒̿͊͗̂̉͛̓̀͒̀̊̈̕͘̚̕͝͝3̵̡͈͕̼̣͎̮̲̺̳͙͉̺̘̤̬͈̭̩̺̙͎̣̩͕̟͈̞̻̼̒͑̈̅͛̔̒́͑̿̌͜͜ͅͅD̶̡̖̻̳͖̰͖̹̘̠̣͖̻̤̫̝̺̭͔̯͙̪̱͉̫̝̬͇̞̟̟̳̺̮̜̥̙̻̯̠̖͔̥̅̽͊͌͐͋͛̊̀͌͆̅̏͗͌̐͆͛̽͑̚͜͠͝ͅͅệ̩̦͔͎̥̰̠̑̌̑̉͌̆͋̐̇̐͑̉̒͐͒̊̂̏͒̂̍̆̽̏́̎͘͘̕̕̚͝͝͝͝͝͝ṿ̸̧͇̰̬̮̗̣̖̙͎̬̙̟͕̊̾̉͊̈̉̈́̐̇̏̌̈́̒͌́̃̽͛̑̾͐̍͑̔̂̆̍̏̉͗̌̌̐̿̚͠ï̷̢͔̩̞͍̗͎̮̮͔͚͔̪͕̯͉̟̘͍̞̪͓̞̲̟͖͖̘̓̍̈́̉͒̊͐̇͗͊͗̈̂̄̅̈̀̓̂̀̒̎̅͊̀̈́̃͆̚͝ͅl̴̖͕̰̹͚̭̜̠͈̾̈́̇͊̓͒̾̈́͆̿̎̊͂̇͆̂̒͑̚̚̕͜͝͝s̷͇̱̼̞̗͎̰̦̾͆̿̈̀̆̾́̈́͑̊̀͑̌̈̏̇̑̇̓̉̆̓̑̄͗̂͛̚͜͜͝͝?̣̬̠͚̦̙̥̠̣̫̥̺̻̗͕̙͔̞̟̫͙̩̬̦̥̟̖̖̻̮̋̉̂̓̒̒̈́̈̎ͅÀ̷̡̧̧̲̱̮͉͇̮̠̣̠̜̦̜̗̬͍͔̬̖̮̺̫̯͚̦͉͓͎̬̫͉̩̬̪̯̹̜̳̈́̍̆̏̆̉̆̔̇̔͐̀̈́̆͗͗̆͒̔̄̈̈́̾̆̂͗̾̌̆̆͌̔̚̚̕͜͜͜͠͠͝ͅt̵̢̨̨̨̫͚̳̖̮̜͓͈̺̹̬͕͈̦̫̠̮̙͚̦̼̭̱͕̟̱͕͎̖̣͍̟̤̲͔̰̻̩̎̊̅͆̊͗̋̑̀̋̈͑̽̈́͒̀̾̈́͆̏̇̔̽̂̐͆͜͜͝͠͠ͅt̶̨̢͉̗̜͎̳̘̙͓̣͉͎͈̗̜̻̘̻̪̭̮̳͔̦̜̟͚͙͕̳̙̝̣̙̫̤̦̓͊̓͒͋̀̀̽́́̄̎̏̇̊̂͘̚ͅą̵̧̢̨̧̢̛̻̙̖̗̱̦̥̥̰̝̞̯͖͖͓͉̫̞͍̖̲̟͓̱̘͖̹̯͖̙̎͊̂̔́͐̅̐̐̇͆̈̔̍̄̂̀̈́̈̄̿͆͑̋̄̕͝͠͝ͅͅc̶̡̡̨̛̱͙͓̩̪̪̭͓̝̬͔͓̮̻̺̖͓̲͇̩͓̙̭̪̍̃̔̊̍̃̐͊̔̋̌̑́͂̈́̒̅̆͗̈̈́͑̒̍͂͛̌͋͛͆̀͊͘̕͜͜͝ͅk̴͔̞̻͎̣̐̅́̊́́͌̍͂̎͋͛͒̇̈́̀e̶̡̧̨̩̤̗̜͈͚̪̳͚̺̥̘͓͚͍̮̫̦̳̰̞̳̪̯̟̘̘̖̲͙̳͇̣̲̳̳̠̹̯͖̎̅͗̒͑̽̆͌͜ḏ̴̨̧̡̨̢̨̛͈͇̜̖̣͇̘̭̹̩͍̫̠͓̩͇̟̬͓̣̫̝̰͈͚̹͎͔͙̥̬͈̻̬̘͙̟͚̳͋͊̈̉̓̓̊͒̏̕̕̚̚͝͝ͅ!̣̮͔̭̳̙̜͕̜̮͇̠͙͙̫̱̼̪̹̭̻̹̖͚̲͕̪͙̺͐̅̔͒̍̈́͐̆̾̔ͅC̷̩͉̯̤͍͊̈́̐̍͂̓̓̎̇̅̆̿͋̿̂͌̒̔̅̓͆̕͠͠ö̵̠̤̼͕́̌̿̂͑̇͊̀͐̅̔̑̓̐͗͊̽̚͝͝͝͝ų̵̛̯̩̞̣̩̗͈̘̖̟̙̞̤̪͐̄͊͆̏͆́̅̽͒͋̃̌̾́̇̍̀͆̒͂̐̀́͌͑͘̚͘̚͝͠͝ṇ̔͂t̷̨̡͈̝͙̻͍̪̼͍̘͊̀́̒̔̎̂͛͒̄͋̐̈́͂͗̊̕̕͜͠ë̶̛̛̟̖͇͗͐͛̆̀̄̓̏̋̄̐̾̂́̎̈͗̓̑̌̅́̏̕̕̕͝͠͝ŗ̶̢̨̧̝͍̦͖̱͚̝̻͙̘̰̖̣̻̟̼̠͇̭̜̮͎̙̤̝̮̥̞̟̦̫͖̤̭̰̠͖̖̍̆͜͜͝ͅͅN̵̨̠̞̮̱̣̯̞̹̱̪̰̲͖͙͓̜̐͒̓͊͌̂̈́̆̑̚͜͠͝O̶̩͂̀̿͒̉́͂̾͆̂̽̌̓̕͝͠͠!̷̨̨̧͈̻̣̗̞̜̱̜̗̟̹͙̦̺̤̻͚͒̑̉̾͂͒̈́M̵̡̨̨̧̧̨̛̖̪͍͇̥̯̗̱̟̞͕͍̝͓̗̣͔̪̪̖͉̟̖̫̰̻̞̣͉͎͖̬̟͎̦̬͂̆̑̌͑̀̾͆̾͒̒̄́̇̈͗̀̊̃̚͜͝͠Ȁ̷̢̨̡̡͍̣̜͍͚̮͎̠̝̪̭͍̠̺̯̯̘̓͛́̀̈̿͑͗́̒̿͠Ń̇̌͐̃͑̎̔̓̊͋͊́̈̏̽͗̏͌͋̇̀͆̏͗͒̒͒̔͑̑̒̇͘͝͝͝ͅÃ́́͌̊̏̀͂̀̎̽͌̏̆͊̊̓̂͝͠!̴̡̡̨̪̩̬͍̙̦̳̼̭̙̦̟̻̝̖̝̱̹̝͔̝̟̼͉͉̥̪͎̝͖͕̹͇̱͙͕͓͍̪̪͈̞́̃͋̆̑̌͋͋̊̀͐̓̅͗̅̐̀̇̄̉̐̒̑̈́͊̊̐̂̽̀̏́͐̉͌̏͜͝͝R̶̛̘̩͕͙͇̄̓̄̆͆̿͆̇͂̽̓́̎̇͗̃̒͗͆͑̒̇̽͒̉̈̃̑̽̋́̚͘͝͝ě̷̢̨̢̡̨̢̧̧̛̛̛̛̪͎̜̘̩̫͉͍͖͖̣̺̱̞̻̘̹̳̱̖̣͎̬̝͍̼̬̜͔̠͙̻̰͔͇͉̹̤̈̒͌̿͋̉͋̃͂̔̈́̂̊́͊̾͗͒͗̆̀̆͒́̅̈́̓͌̏͐͘̚̚͘͠͝͝ͅg̣̦̹̝̩͔̯̮̬̮͖͇͎̙̝̤͈͖̻̘̜̋̓̓̉͊̓̀͑̍̅̈́̈̈́́͋̑͂̇̀̅͑̇͐͛̀͘͜͜ͅḛ̷̡̡̛̟̩̭̟̺̤͎̗̬͔͙̭̩̻̟̙̳͖̳̠̳̯͈̼͓̩̲̼̺̞͔͇̀͒̏̐͛̀͆̏̒̐̀̾͆̅͘͠͠ͅǹ̍̂̄̎͗̽́̄́̑̈́̇̊͛̂͆́̆̿̉̐͋͂͐͐͗͆̿͛̈͗̔͘͘̕̚͜͜͜͝͝ͅe̶̡̢̡͍͍̫͈̱͕͓̱̫̰̦͔̙̻̹̫̥͇̭̥͂̓̿̒͐̄̋͆͛̿͒̔͑̆̃̒̌̎̓̽̀̋̽͌̕̕͜͠͝ͅͅr̷̢̧̡̡̢̛̗̙̼̗̥͇̝͍͈̝̫̣̥̥̞̤̹̲͈̝̜͙̙̰̤̰̜̹̲̼͙̅̈̏͆̿́̉̅͑͂̀̓̾͒͌̃̕͜͜ͅͅḁͅi̶̛̗̤͓̞͔̫͓̥͉͋̊̀͐͒̎̆͗͋͑̀͑̈́̓͂͊͂̿̾̈́̇͊͂̒͋́̆̊͆̐̉͐́̽̉͂͒͂͘̚̚̚͝ͅo̵̢̡̮̞̩͇̻͚̪̳̯͎̘̱̜̩̯͇̬̩̖̺͔̯̜̼͑̈́͐̿̋͛̈̃̈́̅̀̉̒̋̏͂͛̽̿̓̅̇͗̇̓̿̃͐̀̕̕͘͠n̶̡̧̨̠͕̰̝̫̲̞̫̜̼̥̦̰̫͎̹̞̺͍͚̦̙̻͎͍̰͎͖͑̅̋̌̑̾̐̂̌̌̈͑͂̓̄̂̽͊̄̈̽̍̽͂͆̌̀̆̋͌̿̿̀̈́̄̎͊͌̈̿̽̕̕̕͝͝͠͠?̴̱̪̤́̆͐͐̕ͅD̴̨̢̨̢̛̛̛͈̟̯̻̰͔̯̹̬̣̗̬̙̤͖̰̤͍̱̬̝̗̻̪͙̗̠͉̠̙̭̲̫͙̩̰̘̻̠̔̐̄̓̈́̎̇̈́̿͋̒͑̌̇̍̒̾̈́̍̐̇̾̿̑̈́̅̿̊͋̐͑̔̉̏̃͌͆̃̚̚͘̕͜͝͠ͅÿ̵̛̙̗͕͇̝̮́͆͆̍̏̈̾̿͆̋͑́̆̈́̾̎̍̏̔̐̅̅͛̐̊̓̈́̀́́̽͛̆͒͗͒̀̔͊̀͝͝͝í̶̢̨̢̨̧̢̛̛̜̩͚͎̖̩̩̼̣̗̬̣͚̜͚͔̳̦̠̜̦͇̘̟̣̜̝͓͖̥͓̅͒̀̾̀̿̄̈́̅̄̓̏͒̿̉͛̎̉͘̕̚͝ͅn̵̢̖̥̪̦̥̻͙̙̖̝̠̫̣̝̹̤̣̘̠̠̣͔̥͕̳͇̠̤̟̊̒̂͋͗͊̍̚͘͜g̴̡̨̧̰͉̝̗͔̼̺͈͉̖̩̻͓̭̼͙̖͉̤̼̹̜̰͇̦͔̺̰͓̞̺̼̝͙̝͕͊̆̇͜͜͠ͅͅ.̣̥̭͎̰̬̥̹͇͚̱͐̅̊̊̈́͐̑̈̈̇̈̈́́͋̔̑̎̕͜͠͝.̴̧̡̛̤͈̗̦̥͓̻̼͈̖͈̅̐͒́̀̆͒̋̋̓͗̾̒̈́́͋̑̅̿̎̂̔́̒́͐͂̈́̐̋̆̔̿̇̈́̊͒͆̀̋̚͜͜͝͝.̵̨͙̱͇̹͚̦͎̱̻̺̼̣̩̼̟̖̻̜̟͇̊̎̌̎́͛̓̀̽͆͆̈̐̒͆̿̇͂̎́̔̅͛͛̅͐̾͑̿̃̈́̊̇̏͂͑̚̚͜͝.̴̧̧̨̢̧̻̬̺̗̤̩̺̤͉͙̬͓͚͇̳͕̹̮̱̣̗̫̦̺͎̟̮̭̘̝̲̼̲͉̯̩̌̌͒͐͆́̃͆̀̿͒̓̊̀̓̍̎͑̾̾̆̈́̄̂̊̋́̀̃͆̇̚̚̚̚͘͜͝͝ͅ
l.
l.
In the middle of all the destruction of which humans would call a natural disaster, a boy around the age of 10 lay alone, his clothes charred and his body scarred with fatal wounds. He was presumed dead by his attackers by the lack of demonic energy, and yet, he wasn't.
His chest slowly rose and sank as his demonic powers returned, a flood of painful memories and experiences filling his body. Flames burst out and covered his whole body. Instead of burning his flesh, they traced his wounds slowly and delicately. After minutes, they slowly disappeared, leaving behind nothing but skin, no longer marred by the fatal wounds that ruined its beauty, the only exception being the face contorted in pain.
Blonde hair stained with soot and tattered, rich clothing, the boys back suddenly arched before returning to normal. Moments later, he began to cough violently, hacking and gasping for breath as he sat up, clutching his chest as his heart pounded his rib-cage violently.
His breath ragged, the boy sat there for what felt like an eternity, eyes wide as he tried to slow his racing heart. Fires crackled around him as the smoke thickened. His body felt on edge, filled with adrenaline and yet every move he made felt like he was being poked with a hot metal rod.
"W-W-W-Where a-am I?" He managed to stutter out, still clutching his heart in pain. Looking around wildly, the boy's eyes widened even more as he saw the destruction laid out before him. To the teenager who had no idea what was going on, he thought it was all a mere nightmare, something to freak him out before the next day.
He was wrong.
The young boy went to open his mouth to speak, only to inhale smoke. Hacking violently, the boy began to cry, tears running down his face as he choked, pain flaring in his chest.
FYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!
The smoke dispersed and the fires died instantly. Hitting his fist against his chest, the boy's vision was blurry as he fell forwards onto his chest.
"F-Fuck me," he managed to gasp out whilst laughing in pain. "I must be delusional. There is no way that just happened."
The boy lost all his remaining energy and lost consciousness as a blonde man ran forwards, worry etched on his face.
"Ruxal? Where are you?"
A young adult with similar features ran forwards before seeing the unconscious body. Instantly, he slid to a stop besides the boy and placed his fingers on his neck. Feeling a pulse, he sighed with relief before frowning, noticing the lack of demonic aura around the boy's body.
"...you idiot," the man muttered under his breath as he picked the boy up. Holding him close to his chest, he sighed and stood up. Turning around, he began walking back from where he came from. "You could've died, but I am at fault first and foremost. For them to slip under my radar... I have much to learn, it seems."
A magic circle began to form underneath the man's feet, a fierce, fiery glow before columns of flames erupted. Coated in the flames, the fire disappeared in a flash alongside the teenager holding the boy.
A lavish room too good for many, only a family of nobility in the human would come close to scratching the surface of 'true' comfort.
Laying in a bed way too large for his body, the young boy lay there, groaning in pain underneath multiple sheets. Curling into his sheets, the boy named 'Ruxal' clutched the velvet red bed-sheet and pulled them close, muttering words underneath his breath.
"Lonely, common, average." The boys head violently twitched as his muttering became more feverish. "Rich, nobility, Phenex." The boy began to shake as his head twitched again. "Dead, void, phoenix pillar." He began to shake more violently. "Common- no, nobility. Average- no, brilliant. Son- no, third son." His head twitched again, almost going a full 90-degree angle as he suddenly sat up. His eyes shot open, glazed over as an inner conflict raged within.
"Ruxal. Rai. Ruxal. Rai. Ruxal. Rai."
His hands still clutching the bedsheets, they began to glow. Embers began to form on the lining.
"Ruxal. Rai. Ruxal. Rai. Ruxal. Rai"
Fire began to consume the bedsheets as the young boy sat there, unaware of what was going on.
l. l.
"̶̧̟̘̙̹̠̙̯͓͓̱͎͛͗R̴͎̥͙͉͓̝͇͇̐͒̀̈͂̈́̽̌ȕ̷̗̦̝̜̗͚̈͊̂͆̏͠ǻ̷̹̖͉͗͑x́̐̇̑́̀̓̿͑̇͑̿͜.̴̡̧̧̻̪͖̠̺̖̝͉̜͆ ̷͕̮̺͚̲̩͔̻̰̜͗̒̓̊̑̌̒̔̊͂̾͑͜R̷͚͚͎̲͌̄̓̄̐̆͗̌̄͘͘͜͝a̵̧̛̛̘̗̖̽̾͆͋̌͂̒͐ì̷̛͓̪͇̍̏̌̒͠͝.̵͖̏̈̐͒̚̕͝͝ ́̈̏͛͒̑̚͜͠͝R̵̭̼͋̄͒̓̀͂̀̈́̈̌̚͠ụ͛͗̇̌̒̂̒͐́͒̈̕̚a̶̢̢̡̫̩̰̳̺̞̤̬̜͔̿̑̊̐̈̂̀͊́̆͘̚͝x̴̨̢̧͚̞͊͑̐͋̏̿̿͘͜͜͠͠.̷͕̳̣̻͓̺̬̗͌̓͜ ̵̢̹̦̜̟̳̭͇͒̍͒̄͐̅̏̀̋̀̐̃͜Ŗ̶̘͚͖͕̙̬̣̬̩͖̀á̷̝͇̻̪̰͎̿͆̀̂͘̚í̵̥͕̄̌͂͆͂͒́̽̓̀.̷̜̼̻̈́̀̋́̇͗ ̷̘͓̬̘͇̩̙̳̥́̃͊̚͜͜R̵̨̼̝͎̔̐̈͜u̵͔̖̻̦̯͈̎̿̂̓͐͐́̉͆̆͘a̴̫͇̲̒̇̓̚x̶̥͚̤̉́̚.̣̣͚̽̽̽̓̃͛͌͛̀̕ ̷̧̛̹͓̼̪̹̻̰̓̄͆̂̾͌͐̈͛̔̂̓ͅṘ̷͕͋̒ḁ̴̱͕̘̼̦̭̉͒į̷͓͚̻̬̝̹̬̱͋̃͛̊̄̿̔̎̆̂̾̋"̷̢͈̦͙͙̐
l.
The door to the room slammed open as a man ran in.
"Maids, get Mother and Father!" He shouted as the fire began to consume the bed. Waving his hand, the fire dispersed, leaving behind the young boy muttering to himself.
"Rai, no, Ruxal, no, Ruxal, no Rai."
The young man grabbed the boy's shoulders and shook him.
"Ruxal, wake up!" He shouted.
The young boy froze as his eyes lost the glaze. Blinking, the boy slowly turned to look at the man and frowned.
"Do I know you?" He asked, a frown on his face. His eyes were no longer clouded, but instead a pale, jaded blue.
The man – in his early 20s – froze, his eyes glued on the young boy in front of him.
"Ruxal," the man said, his voice wavering slightly. "Do you remember anything? Anything at all?"
'Ruxal' slowly looked around the room, his eyes showing no recognition. The man slumped over as the boy turned back to face him.
"Do you know where I am?" Ruxal asked, his voice weak. "My head... ...everything is all... murky."
The man straightened up and smiled. It was a smile that would have young women chasing him for thousands of miles. It was so bright and dazzling that it could extinguish a star. And yet, it told multitudes of pain. Layers upon layers that never ended, and his eyes reflected that.
"Before we start," the man said gently, sitting on the edge of the bed, "I have to ask you one question. Can you remember anything, or are your memories too hazy for you to remember?"
Ruxal's eyes glazed over as he racked his brain. The man watched carefully as Ruxal winced, his face contorting in pain.
"It hurts," Ruxal murmured, making the young man grimace. "It's like something is stopping me."
"So? Nothing?"
Ruxal hesitated before shaking his head.
"Something came to me," he murmured, prompting the man to lean forwards. Gesturing for him to continue, Ruxal seemed to hesitate again before speaking. "I know that we are devils, but I do not know which household I belong to."
With those words, the man felt a surge of guilt in his chest. It was painful, for his little brother knew he was a devil and part of the supernatural world, yet didn't know to who he belonged to. It was guilt, for letting him wander too far away yet. It was rage, for letting him be stolen and attacked under his watch. It was bitterness, for being a failure of an elder brother. Yet, he was grateful to the Satans. His little brother survived what should've been an instant death for someone his age. He was just glad that he got there in time, before they came back to finish him off.
"Door," Ruxal croaked out, surprising the young man. "Someone's knocking on the door."
The man sat there, startled, before smiling and nodding.
"I'll be right back," he said as he stood up. Walking towards the door, the man opened it, revealing a handsome blonde man and woman. The man had sharp hair and deep sky-blue eyes with a neat suit on. The woman had flowing blonde hair tied up into two twin tails, forming drill-like curls. Her ornate dress radiated wealth and nobility.
"Ruval, is Ru-Ru alright?" Lady Phenex asked, her elegant voice filled with concern.
"More importantly, is he able to form coherent sentences?" Lord Phenex asked, his voice smoother as velvet. "I'll do something regrettable if he is reduced to a babbling mess."
Ruval hesitated before opening the door wider.
"See for yourself," Ruval said as his mother and father walked in.
As they approached the bed, Ruxal seemed lost in his head before slowly looking up as Lady Phenex sat on the bed.
"Ru-Ru, it's me, your mother," Lady Phenex said softly, her voice a bare whisper.
Ruxal tilted his head. "...mother? You are... mother?"
Lady Phenex froze before a single tear ran down her face. As she raised her hand slowly to her face, more droplets of water fell, each tear glistening.
"I see." She said, her voice weak and fragile. Lord Phenex rested his hand on her shoulder, his eyes tearing up.
"A beautiful lady like you shouldn't cry," Ruxal murmured as he leaned forwards. Carefully, he wiped away her tears before his mouth curled.
A small smile.
"...Ru-Ru," Lady Phenex managed to whisper out slowly.
"I don't remember much, but you feel familiar," Ruxal admitted, making all three adults gasp. "Please don't cry... mother."
"R-R-Ru-Ru... ...ah, I can't stand it anymore!" Lady Phenex cried openly as she embraced her second son. Surprised, Ruxal felt the tears begin to soak his shirt as he slowly wrapped his arms around Lady Phenex.
"Welcome back, Ruxal," Lord Phenex said as he sniffled, wiping away his tears.
"Hello... ...dad...?"
Ruxal looked at Ruval and tilted his head.
"I guess that makes you... big bro...?"
Ruval felt his heart erupt in pain and happiness at the same time.
"What are you both standing around for?" Ruxal said weakly as Lady Phenex didn't move, her grip tight. "Come here and help me out."
Lord Phenex couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"Help you from what, exactly?" Lord Phenex asked. "You had us worried, let's consider this to be your punishment."
Ruxal simply nodded, earning a frown from Lord Phenex.
"Ruval, let us leave for now," Lord Phenex eventually said, patting his wife on the shoulder. "We have some topics to talk about."
Ruval merely nodded.
"I'll come talk to you later, okay Ruxal?" Ruval opened the door and let his father walk out first before leaving.
As the door shut, Ruxal looked at Lady Phenex awkwardly, the woman still crying.
Externally, he smiled awkwardly. Internally, he sighed.
'She may technically be my new family, but why is Lady Phenex so smoking hot?'
Ruxal felt envious of Lord Phenex, his new father.
His 'Mother' had left not moments ago, leaving the child to rest. Ruxal couldn't help but ponder what he had been thrust into. Of course, he had his obvious thoughts which consisted of:
I'm in the world of fucking HSDxD!?
- which clouded his mind and his most prominent thought –
What.
And yet on top of that, he was extremely calm. What an odd way of coping.
Sitting up in his bed, Ruxal sighed.
In his former life, he was tall, somewhat smart and edgy. That he knew. He enjoyed his old life. His new life? Yeah, he'd enjoy it. Yeah, he'd have hard times and easy times. Yeah, he'd have a new family. But would he have his old friends? His same lifestyle? Would he adjust fast enough to his new life?
Too many questions in too little a time.
Ruxal sighed and curled deeper into his sheets.
"I miss my family," he murmured into the sheets. "I miss my home already. I miss everyone."
He turned in his bed.
"But at the same time, I can live in comfort and do nothing," Ruxal continued to talk to himself. "I can be a pompous, overgrown brat who talks down to everyone and anything despite their rank. I deserve it after what happened." The boy snorted quietly. "Still... I remember what I used to say in my old life."
Ruxal laid on his back and stared up at the ceiling.
"If I ever got another shot at life, I won't waste it."
The boy closed his eyes and sighed.
"Do I cower and fail to keep my promise?" He muttered to himself. "Or do I start now? I mean, I never asked to be reincarnated. Hell, I was perfectly fine where I was."
Laying in bed in silence, he suddenly groaned and slowly sat up.
"Well, let's go through the changes in my body," he murmured.
Getting out of the bed, Ruxal looked around for a mirror and found one.
"Number one," he grumbled, walking towards it. "I'm short, walk slow and have the body of a ten-year-old." Stopping in front of the mirror, Ruxal's jaw dropped. "Two," he said softly, admiring his face. "I look fucking glorious."
Stepping away from the mirror, Ruxal turned towards the curtains and pulled one open. Seeing the Underworld's night sky, he frowned.
"I'm no longer in the human world," Ruxal murmured underneath his breath.
He knew he should be in awe of the sight before him, but at the same time... it seemed like Deja-vu, like he has seen this sight millions of times.
With a heavy sigh, Ruxal turned around and looked around his bedroom.
With his enhanced devil senses plus night vision, Ruxal saw how bare his room was. A lone wood desk with a lamp and chair, two bedside tables beside his massive bed fit for a king, a bookshelf and a wardrobe. All in all, very bare for one of nobility.
Wandering around his room, Ruxal glanced at his wardrobe and shrugged.
"I wonder what type of clothes I have..."
Opening the wardrobe slowly, Ruxal glanced at the sight in front of him.
Tight-fitting noble clothes, tight pants- clothes he would never want to wear. Pushing them aside, Ruxal searched for something more casual and sighed with relief. Pulling out a dark-red dress shirt and a maroon blazer, the young boy also found slacks and socks. The only shoes he found were formal shoes.
He shrugged.
Beggars can't be choosers.
Placing them back in the wardrobe, Ruxal explored the rest of his room before sitting on his bed, having come to a conclusion.
"This is a big ass room," Ruxal muttered. "A big ass room filled with nothing." Frowning, Ruxal rubbed his jaw – a subconscious act from his past life – as he laid down on his bed. "Maybe once I get used to all this, I could get it filled so I could get a head start."
The boy shook his head.
"No, that won't do," he murmured, pulling the sheets over his body. "Info first. I need to know where I am in the timeline so I can start with my studies and training. Pure-Blood devils have high potential, but nothing like that of humans. Issei is... well, if he trained a whole lot non-stop, he'd be broken."
Ruxal stopped rambling and closed his eyes.
'Well, I'm not gonna be a weak little bitch when canon comes around," Ruxal thought to himself as he felt himself begin to fall asleep. 'I need to be strong enough to beat most, if not all High Class Devils a few years before canon. I'll also need to get a grasp on how politics and all that work, learn how to read and write languages and magic...'
Before he could finish his train of thought, Ruxal fell asleep, the layers of blankets keeping him warm.
. . .
. .
.
[THIS PLACE IS SOMETHING FAMILIAR TO YOU, BUT NOT THE SAME. LIVE LONG, POOR UNFORTUNATE SOUL.]
"Ru-Ru!"
Ruxal shot up in his bed, his shirt drenched in sweat. Eyes wide, chest heaving, the boy slowly looked around before eventually letting out a sigh.
"...a nightmare?" He whispered to himself as he rubbed his temples.
All he could remember was an Eldritch Abomination staring at him, muttering words filled with power that barely made sense.
"Ru-Ru? Are you alright?"
Startled, Ruxal saw his mother leaning forwards, her face filled with concern.
"I-I'm fine," Ruxal said shakily, trying to smile to reassure her.
As Lady Phenex fussed over him, Ruxal lost himself in his thought's finals before shaking his head and looking at his mother. Lady Phenex was still fussing over him, her face and tone concerned as she continued to talk.
Slowly and carefully, Ruxal managed to get Lady Phenex's attention.
"Mother, I have a question."
Lady Phenex brushed a strand of hair to the side. "What is it, Ru-Ru?"
"How old am I?" Ruxal asked, his face slightly curious.
"You're ten," Lady Phenex responded, looking away. "It was your birthday a week ago, but then..."
"I was attacked, wasn't I?"
Lady Phenex turned to Ruxal, her face shock, anger and sadness mixed into one.
"How did you-?"
"Figure it out?" She nodded as Ruxal turned towards the windows, the curtains now opened. "Well, I took a guess," he said, shrugging as he did. "The last thing I remember that isn't fuzzy is being in an opening. Everything was burning."
"I see you still retain that sharp mind of yours."
Ruxal turned to his mother as she looked down at her hands.
"Losing my memories doesn't change who I am, does it?" Lady Phenex looked at Ruxal. She saw nothing of her son inside his eyes, yet she could feel something familiar within.
"Ru-Ru..."
"...mother..." Ruxal placed his hands on his mother's shoulders as he smiled. "I may not be the same son you shared memories with, but I'll always be your son, no matter what."
Wrapping his arms around her, Lady Phenex felt something salty enter her mouth. Raising a hand to her face, she wiped away her tears and returned the embrace.
"Sorry for ruining the tender moment, but something important has come up."
Fully opening the door, Lord Phenex entered the room.
Rubbing her eyes, Lady Phenex used a handkerchief to dry her face before turning.
"What is it, darling?"
"We found them," he said, his face grim. "The ones who did it."
Instantly, Lady Phenex was on her feet and at the door.
"Can I come?"
Freezing in the doorway, Lady Phenex turned around and faced her third son.
"Honey, don't you think it's best you stay here?"
Lady Phenex was concerned for her son's health; that much was obvious. Despite concluding that he had amnesia, she was afraid it would trigger a psychological attack on her beloved Ru-Ru. She would never let that happen, even if the chance was near zero.
"Ru-Ru, you sho-."
"You can come, Ruxal," Lord Phenex interrupted his wife. Seeing her whirl around and glare at him, he frowned. "Our son has a right to see those who attacked him. It is his choice alone to make, not yours." Turning to look at the bed, he found Ruxal opening his wardrobe.
"Will these clothes be alright, mother, father?" Pulling out the clothes from last night, Lord Phenex looked them over and frowned.
"Do you want me to help you change, or shall I call a maid?"
Ruxal seemed to hesitate. "...could you help me, father?"
Nodding, Lord Phenex walked over as Lady Phenex stepped outside, closing the door as she did.
From their point of view, it'd be strange if their son asked to dress himself without assistance. Of course, many nobles in devil society have others dress them, and the Phenex family was no different. Well, for formal events at least. They were a hassle most times. Also, the reincarnated soul had no clue on how society worked in the Underworld with nobility.
Taking his sweaty shirt off, Ruxal was handed a white dress shirt instead of the dark-red he found. The boy pulled on the white shirt. Taking the jeans he just noticed, his father shook his head and handed him a pair of slacks. Pulling them on reluctantly, Ruxal shrugged into a black blazer his father held out for him. Looking for socks, Lord Phenex pulled on white socks onto his son's feet. Finding the shoes, Ruxal pulled them on as Lord Phenex tied them.
All in all for Ruxal, a 16 year-old in the body of a 10-year-old with no clue how noble society functioned, he was somewhat embarrassed and annoyed at needing his new dad to help him get dressed. Sure, it was necessary for him to keep up the act for now, but sooner or later, he was going to change that.
Adjusting the shoulder area of his blazer, Ruxal gave his father a grateful nod as Lord Phenex nodded in approval.
"Ready to go son?"
"I'm ready father."
Lord Phenex stared at his son for a few moments before nodding again. Walking towards the door, he pushed it open as Ruxal silently sighed.
'Today is going to be a long day.'
"So, do I have control over my demonic powers?"
Lord Phenex chuckled as they left the mansion. Walking through the beautiful estate, they came to a stop at a beautiful carriage decorated with gold.
"Control?" Lord Phenex smiled. "At birth, you were a natural at manipulating fire and wind. It is first nature to you, Ruxal, as it is to your brothers and sister."
"Could I try summoning a flame?"
Lady Phenex smiled. "Of course, sweetie."
"Just imagine a flame on your palm," Lord Phenex continued. "If you have trouble with that, imagine a flame on your palm with something feeding into it like fuel. It should be easy for you to access your demonic reserves, after all, but there's nothing wrong with a refresher."
Ruxal nodded gratefully before closing his eyes, imaging a flame burning bright.
'A flame with fuel pouring into it.' The boy saw the image clearly in his head as energy suddenly pumped through his body. It was like an adrenaline rush that filled him with ecstasy.
"Congratulations Ru-Ru," Lady Phenex said as Ruxal opened his eyes.
Gasping in surprise, Ruxal saw a flame hovering above his hand, the heat basking him with warmth. His heart filled with excitement, the flame dissipated, making him frown.
"Demonic power is quite volatile and requires a constant power source and focus," Lord Phenex said as a servant opened the door to the carriage. "Most emotions interfere with our use of magic, but some can influence our power."
Entering the carriage, the three devils sat down as the door shut. Instantly, the carriage began moving.
"Anger can make our attacks unstable but more powerful," Lady Phenex continued. "Grief can make our magic weak and pathetic. Or it can do the reverse of that. It all depends on the person, really. As long as you have focus, emotions can either hinder or boost your power."
Ruxal nodded, his mind moving at 500% the normal speed. Despite the explanation, Ruxal was on cloud nine, his thoughts on one thing only.
Demonic magic.
Out of all the supernatural races, devils had it the easiest. Their magic was near limitless with potential, their sharpened senses made their life easier, and they lived for an extremely long time. To top it all off, they could also be born with sacred gears if they were hybrids like Vali Lucifer.
Their potential was nothing to scoff at either. Whilst humans like Issei Hyoudou could easily become extremely strong if they trained and fought strong opponents on a daily basis, they were a rarity among humans. Humans with potential that high could be considered an extinct species and nobody would complain. That's how rare they were.
High Class Devils generally had a high potential for growth, but many wasted it, relying on their demonic power reserves to save them. One such example would be Raiser Phenex, his new brother. Whilst the case isn't exactly the same, he was arrogant because he relied too much on his regeneration abilities. The exception in this generation, however, would be the Strongest Youth, Sairoarg Bael. A devil born with nothing to become the strongest of the youth.
Devils. They could become powerful enough to scare Gods, with such cases being Sirzechs Lucifer and Ajuka Beelzebub. And yet, they remained lazy, their pride pinning them down. This was the majority of the High-Class Devils' hubris: pride.
All these thoughts ran through Ruxal's head as he sat there, waiting for Lord Phenex – his father – to finish speaking to the security. Sure, they were still on Phenex territory, but he knew that his dad wouldn't take the risk.
Ruxal shuddered. If he wasn't reincarnated and 'Ruxal' actually died... ...well, the devils that attacked him wouldn't be alive. After all, it was exceptionally hard for devils to become pregnant, and to kill one of nobility as well...
Feeling something warm on his hand, Ruxal looked up and gave Lady Phenex a small smile, trying to comfort his mother.
Yes, his mother. There was no point trying to deny them as a 'false family'. The fact that he fell asleep and woke up in this world proved his point. He had been reborn, and judging from his experience when he was technically 'reincarnated', he was reborn into the body of somebody dying or already dead.
Still, he was finding it hard to adjust. It was weird calling them 'father' and 'mother' instead of 'mum' and 'dad'.
He shrugged. He'd get used to it.
Standing in the lobby – a dull grey room with countless magic circles engraved into the walls – Ruxal was lost in his thoughts as his father spoke to the receptionist.
"We're ready to go in now," Lord Phenex said, startling Ruxal with his sudden appearance. His face softened as he crouched down, resting his hand on his son's shoulder. "Are you ready, Ruxal?"
He knew that his father was just as worried as his mother, but he needed to see who did it. He needed to know who had killed this innocent child.
Ruxal nodded. Thoughts later, he needed to stay in the present.
Lord Phenex nodded and stood up. Walking, they passed through a doorway, leaving a rich interior and entering a plain hallway. Generic white lights lined the floor and ceiling as they passed empty holding cells.
"This is the one here," Lord Phenex said as he came to a stop. Placing his hand on a scanner, a green light flashed and the metal door slid open.
"Just the three of you, Lord Phenex?" A guard asked as he approached, his outfit clean and sharp.
Lord Phenex nodded. "Remain here in case they try something."
"I would even if you didn't ask, Lord Phenex."
The guard moved to the side before speaking into his earpiece. Stepping in, Lady Phenex followed silently as Ruxal entered last. The door slid shut and locked as the three devils slowly approached a table inside a grey room. A camera was in the corner, recording the six devils in the room.
"N-No," a devil whimpered. "It can't be..."
"You should be dead!" Another roared as he stood up. Instantly, the shackles drained his power as he slumped back into his chair. He growled, powerless, his eyes bloodshot and hair frayed.
"..."
"...good morning, gentleman," Lord Phenex said as he took a seat. "I'm very happy to see you all."
Ruxal shivered as he stood beside his mother. That tone was one that spoke of death.
Looking over the three devils, the boy didn't recognize any of them. The one on the left who spoke first was a teenager with messy brown hair. His body was skinny. The one in the middle had blue hair and looked like a young adult. His body was well toned but was covered in scars. The last devil – a female – sat with her face shadowed, a pair of fox ears and a single tail drooping.
"...Lukas, correct?" Hearing a groan from the middle devil, Lord Phenex continued. "You were recently promoted to a High-Class Devil after fifty years of handing out flyers. An impressive feat, I must say." Lord Phenex leaned forwards, his eyes narrowed. "Well, for scum like you, I suppose."
Ruxal heard a weak snarl come from Lukas.
"Well, I guess your luck ended there, didn't it?" Lord Phenex glanced at the two devils beside him. "After becoming a King, you forcefully turned a human and youkai into your servants and attempted to kill my third son." The atmosphere in the room became heavy, almost suffocating. "A foolish attempt, I must say. One punishable by multiple laws."
Standing up, Lord Phenex pushed in his chair as Ruxal walked closer to the table.
"Fucking brat..."
Lord and Lady Phenex eyes widened in anger before Ruxal stopped them.
"It is alright, mother, father," he said, his eyes ablaze. "I wish to do something." Holding out his hand, palm facing the ceiling, the boy concentrated, his mind clear. "I wish to grant these devils mercy."
Lord Phenex's eyes widened in rage before he calmed himself and looked closely at his son.
Only rage was contained in his jaded orbs. A righteous rage, one he deserved to have.
Concentrating, Ruxal tapped into his demonic reserves, remembering the feeling from when he was reborn and his use earlier. It was like being on an adrenaline high, a high-end motor pumping power into his body. Instead of the feeling from earlier, however, a mental switch inside flicked on and his reserves exploded exponentially.
Ruxal's whole body erupted with energy as he opened his eyes. In his palm, a golden flame flickered, the trickle of demonic energy he was feeding it making it glow bright.
Slowly walking around the table, Ruxal could feel the heat emanating from the flame. To him, it was like a gentle caress of warmth. To the other devils, however...
"It wasn't this hot before," Lukas muttered, his energy drained as sweat began to soak his clothes.
Stopping behind Lukas, Ruxal hid his excitement at using magic again, instead focusing on keeping it alive.
"Mother, Father, may I?"
Lady Phenex looked conflicted but her husband merely closed his eyes.
"It is your choice, Ruxal. Grant them your mercy"
Nodding, Ruxal hesitated before he pushed his palm into Lukas back. The devil let out a scream of pain as the flames burned through his clothes.
Taking a step back, Ruxal cut off his flow of demonic energy to the magic. Walking back around to his parents, he turned to look at Lukas.
Panting in pain, the High-Class Devil's clothes were incinerated; rich material now ashes on the ground. Chained, naked, burnt and humiliated, Lukas whimpered as Lord Phenex opened his eyes, glaring at the devil.
"Later today, you will be sent to Ars Goetia for your crimes," Lord Phenex said, turning around and moving towards the door. "Depending on the methods we use and what information we retrieve, your final sentence will be death. As for your two servants, depending on what they've done, their punishment is unknown."
Turning around, Lord Phenex spared one last glance at the criminals before walking forwards.
"Let's go, son."
Lord Phenex activated the door. As it slid open, Ruxal walked through and glanced at the devils.
Despair
Ruxal left in silence as the door slid shut.
"Incredible."
In his room, Ruxal sat in his chair, entranced by the golden flame on his palm. The energy running through his veins slowly trickled into the fire, fueling its lifespan.
Rotating his wrist and flexing his fingers, Ruxal watched as the flame created from his demonic energy phasing through his fingers. The demonic flame burned brightly no matter what the boy did.
Closing his hand and cutting off the source of power, the flame disappeared. Opening his hand, it reappeared as Ruxal grinned.
Magic would forever fascinate him no matter what happened. There were so many strands of it; demonic, Norse, angelic, Greek, Celtic, Egyptian, elemental, void, light, darkness, black, white, human, magician - if he could sit down and learn all of it, he would. Even then, there were such things as 'Concepts' which one could draw power from, or even ancient and hereditary types of magic that he would never learn.
Looking around his room, Ruxal glanced at his bed, countless books on devils, devil history, The Great War and strands of magic scattered. It had been a few weeks after they talked to the devils, and the moment they returned, he had locked himself in his room. His mother and father had tried talking to him, but he hadn't responded until a couple of days ago, apologizing for worrying them.
Ruxal felt bad, that much was certain, but he had needed time to process his thoughts. Using magic, how to escape to the human world for a bit before canon, training... potential killing, etc. If anything, he was hesitant on the last. To kill is to rob somebody of everything, regardless if they're good or bad, and he wasn't ready yet... for now.
Spinning in his chair to face his desk, Ruxal began reading the open book on his desk.
[Demonic energy and how it works]
"Many devils think using demonic magic is simple," Ruxal murmured as he flipped a page. "And it is. Imagine what you wish and will it into creation. However, some reincarnated devils have trouble using magic, and so, I have created this book for them, alongside the nature of demonic magic and its destructive nature."
A magic circle alongside detailed diagrams explain how magic worked covered the page. Fortunately, the knowledge imprinted in his new body remained, so he had a broad understanding of the devil language and could read and write it effortlessly. Unfortunately, it strained his mind, so he practiced daily to get used to it.
With a sigh of reluctance, Ruxal shut the book and stood up. Walking towards the door, he opened it and looked around.
He had asked Ruval to train him and was met with a hesitant yes. He had asked his mother to show him how Phoenix Tears were made and she agreed. He had asked his father to teach him about High Class Society. He started teaching instantly.
Seeing nobody around, Ruxal shut the door and sighed. He had begun training with Ruval who merely instructed him to begin working out so he could handle his training later on. His mother hadn't shown him how Phoenix Tears were made yet, and he had another session with his dad later today. All in all, tedious, but worth it in the long run.
Moving to the open area in his room, Ruxal dropped to his knees and let out a weary sigh.
"I'm already sick of push-ups," Ruxal grumbled, glaring at the floor.
Starting with his daily work-out, he felt his muscles begin to burn as he grunted.
"Seven, eight, nine," he muttered under his breath.
Continuing with his rep, he sighed internally. Whilst the Supernatural Race/s looked similar if not exactly the same as a human, what gave them away was the general aura of power. Of course, that wasn't to speak of the physical boost to their bodies as well. He wasn't sure of the exact boost, but he knew it pretty much made you a superhuman.
Counting fifty, Ruxal stopped and let out a tired huff.
His mind may be older, but his body wasn't.
"What was it next?" He murmured as he slowly got to his feet. "Was it crunches or planking?"
Lost in thought, Ruxal scratched his chin before slapping himself in the face.
"I forgot to do my ten-k jog. Fuck."
Time passed and having finished his new daily routine of working out, Ruxal entered his father's office, freshly showered and ready to step into something he thought he never would.
Waiting in front of his father's desk, Lord Phenex glanced at his son before continuing his paperwork. Standing in silence, Ruxal waited awkwardly as his father finished reading over the paper in his hands before placing it down.
"What is it, Ruxal?" Lord Phenex asked. "Is there something you wish to ask you?"
Ruxal nodded as he stepped forwards, his hands fidgeting with his shirt.
"I want to learn more about politics and High-Class Society," Ruxal said.
"Hmm..." Lord Phenex scratched his chin in thought. "Why exactly do you want to learn about this for?"
Ruxal blinked in surprise.
"Huh, I... ...actually, don't know why," he admitted. "I just thought it'd be nice to know about what's going on, especially after losing my memories"
Lord Phenex's smile grew tight before he forced a chuckle.
"That's fine," Lord Phenex said. "There is nothing wrong with curiosity, Ruxal. In fact, I encourage it."
He gestured to the maid in the room.
"Could you please draw a chair?"
"Of course," the maid obliged.
Murmuring a thank you, Ruxal sat across his father as the maid returned to her station, her black-and-white uniform the generic outfit for all maids in the mansion.
"So," Lord Phenex started. "What do you want to learn about first?"
Seeing Ruxal stuck in thought, Lord Phenex smiled.
"Let's start with High-Class Society then."
Clearing his throat, Lord Phenex glanced at the maid. She bowed before leaving the room, the wooden door shut close with a dull thud.
"So, what do you know about High-Class society from what I've told you already?" Lord Phenex asked before adding in: "If you can remember anything, of course."
"I don't have a clue apart from the formalities you've been showing me," Ruxal replied. "Maybe from the beginning?"
His father nodded.
"Well, let's start with rankings in devil society."
Taking a sip of water, Lord Phenex cleared his throat again.
"Devil society is ranked into four different rankings," Lord Phenex said. "There is low class, mid class, high class and ultimate class devils. Low-Class Devils are generally reincarnated devils and servants of High-Class Devils. Mid-Class devils are reincarnated devils that have been promoted to a higher tier by handing out fliers and completing contracts, performing great deeds for the Underworld, etc."
"High-Class Devils are the nobility of the Underworld," Lord Phenex continued. "They range from the seventy-two pillars which includes extinct households, extra demons, etc. Low-Class Devils can possibly become High-Class Devils, but it is a rare case when this occurs."
"What do you have to do to be promoted?" Ruxal asked. He had a general idea of being promoted to a higher tier, but never got the full details.
"It's quite a process," Lord Phenex admitted. "First, devils chosen to be promoted have to undergo a written test, testing their knowledge on the Underworld. After that, they are also tested in a physical test in which they are pitted against other devils to get a gauge on their strength. After that, depending on how they performed, they are graded. Whether or not they receive a passing grade depends entirely on the devil."
"Do I need to go through that process?"
Lord Phenex shook his head.
"You are already classified as a High-Class Devil," Lord Phenex replied. "If you wish to, you can join another's peerage. However, you must get your King's permission to leave and re-register yourself as a King." He waved his hand. "There are more complex details, but I won't bore you with that."
"How about Ultimate-Class?" Ruxal asked curiously. "What do you have to do to get there?"
"You need to be a hero of the Underworld," Lord Phenex said, smiling. "The term 'Hero' has changed a lot since The Great War, but now it merely means being in the top ten of the Rating Games or having performed countless deeds of heroic valor for the sake of the Underworld. You also need to be extremely intelligent, have a high-ranking job, strong political power, be powerful- the list goes on. If you do reach that rank, however, you receive land in Ars Goetia as well."
"That makes sense," Ruxal murmured, already lost in thought. "It makes it extremely difficult to achieve that rank though..." He looked up at his father. "Did they purposefully make it that difficult to reduce the people with strong political power?"
"Sort of." His father scratched his chin. "Making the jump from High-Class to Ultimate-Class is extremely difficult, and barely any if all have done it in the past few centuries. Reaching the requirements for Ultimate-Class is another task altogether."
"Is there another rank in Devil Hierarchy?" Ruxal asked, surprising his father. "I mean, stopping at Ultimate-Class... ...don't we have Four Satans in the Underworld?"
"Satan-Class?" Lord Phenex chuckled. "As of now, there are only four devils who hold the rank of 'Satan Class' devils, and they are indeed the current four Satans."
"What did they do to achieve that rank?"
"Well..." Lord Phenex rubbed his shoulder, grimacing. "After the Great War, devil society had another war. It was the Old Devil Satan Faction verses the Anti-Satan Faction."
"Why'd the war begin?"
"The reason this war began was because followers of the original Satans believed that their goal was to dominate the world," Lord Phenex replied. "In response to them, four aces in the Great War stepped up and defeated the Old Satan Faction. Those four are the current Satans we have now: Sirzechs Lucifer, Ajuka Beelzebub, Serafall Leviathan and Falbium Asmodeus. They are... monsters, in their own league. Especially that of Sirzechs and Ajuka."
"How strong are they?" Ruxal asked curiously. "I mean, they can't be as strong as the original Satans, can they?"
Lord Phenex shook his head.
"Sirzechs Gremory and Ajuka Astaroth are considered Super Devils," Lord Phenex explained. "The only two that exist. Their power is ridiculous, surpassing the realm of power the original Satans had."
"Super Devils?"
"Extremely rare cases where devils are born with ridiculous amounts of power," his father said. "When Sirzechs Gremory was born... ...well, he was floating in the air, the signature trait of the Bael Clan surrounding him. His Power of Destruction was so powerful that everything around him was disintegrating, and nobody but his mother Venelana could touch him."
"That's awesome," Ruxal exclaimed, his eyes wide. "To be born with that type of power... ...wait, they surpass the strength of the original Satans?"
Lord Phenex nodded.
"Sirzechs and Ajuka – the two strongest Satans – are rivals and best friends from childhood. Ever since birth, they have kept up with each other, and they have surpassed the strength of the original Lucifer and possibly his Father as well, though that's stretching it." Lord Phenex rubbed his chin. "To put it simply, they are monsters in a league of monsters."
Ruxal nodded dumbfoundedly.
He knew half of this information, sure, but he had never heard about the specifics of Sirzechs birth. Though, he knows that Sirzechs isn't at the level of God.
Ruxal winced in pain before shaking his head.
"Let's stop here for today."
Lord Phenex stood up and walked out from behind his desk. Walking towards the door, he waited for his son to join him before opening the door.
Walking down the hallway – richly decorated representing the Phenex Household's wealth – Lord Phenex lost himself in thought as he let his feet take him forwards.
Ruxal... he was a sort of anomaly to him now. Before, Ruxal was very out-of-touch with the world, never wanting to leave the mansion. He'd just sit in his room, and nobody knew what he did. The only sign of life they got from him was when he was asleep or using demonic power in his bedroom. There would be random flares of demonic energy and they'd rush to his room, only to find him unconscious on the floor.
...well, it made sense to Lord Phenex. Their son was born in a similar fashion to Sirzechs, but he wasn't confirmed to be a Super Devil by the doctors. When his wife gave birth, Ruxal floated into the air and was surrounded by rich, golden flames that coated his body. They didn't burn anybody, and instead were warm and fuzzy. However, it felt like they were missing something. Something to make the true power come out... it's true form.
Sure, he had displayed abnormal amounts of demonic energy before for his age, but he never could fully draw on it which resulted in some... accidents. Besides... despite this anomaly, Ruxal never showed anything as destructive as Sirzechs' Power of Destruction with his flames, and the drawbacks were only temporary when he used too much demonic energy. Maybe if he underwent training with his brother Ruval, he could make his body strong enough to access his full potential...
Lord Phenex dismissed his thoughts as they entered the dining room. Seeing his wife already seated and waiting, he walked towards her and smiled.
He could worry about his third son in the future. Right now, he wanted to relax.
Sitting in his room, Ruxal flipped through the book he was reading, twirling his fingers with a flame dancing between them.
The room was spacious as before, the curtains drawn open to let in the fake light and the door shut. The only sound present was the faint echo of music coming from another room and the flipping of paper pages.
"Interesting," Ruxal murmured. "This goes in depth to all sorts of magic devils can do."
Apart from the obvious demonic magic, devils could pretty much use all sorts of magic unless they required certain requirements. Ruxal was very curious about a few sorts of magic now that he knew this.
Senjutsu, telekinesis, time and gravity manipulation, elemental... what he wanted to learn was endless, and he would have all the time to learn if he managed to pull off his plan.
Flipping a page, Ruxal scratched his chin.
It wasn't really a plan yet, he knew that. He just had an idea to escape the Underworld for a bit, and he was crossing his fingers and praying to whoever was listening that it'd work.
Ruxal sighed.
Shutting the book and closing his hand, the fire dissipated as he placed the book on his table. Standing up, he walked to the door and left the room, searching for somebody in his family.
Walking up flights of stairs, Ruxal didn't gasp at the sheer wealth on display. Everything on display, everything he now owned... it didn't faze him anymore. He enjoyed being a part of a rich family, and he would abuse the wealth he had control over to help him with his goals.
Walking past a room, Ruxal stepped back before walking up to the door-frame and peering in. Standing in silence, he watched as his mother fussed over another girl in the room, her blonde hair in the process of being tied in ponytails.
"Now Ravel," Lady Phenex tutted. "You need to stay still so I can finish this up."
"Sorry, Mother," Ravel said meekly. "It's just that I'm nervous."
"To meet Ru-Ru?"
Ravel nodded as Ruxal grinned, walking in silently. He saw Lady Phenex twitch in his direction before ignoring his approach.
"Ru-Ru would be happy to talk to you," his mother said gently, finishing off Ravel's hair. Letting her hair fall - two drill-like twin tails coming to a rest – Lady Phenex smiled and placed her hands on her hips. "You look beautiful sweetie."
"Thanks mother! Now, can I go see brother?"
Lady Phenex smiled, making Ravel tilt her head in confusion.
"Hey sis," Ruxal said, smiling as his sister turned around.
"Ru-Ru!"
Ruxal sighed at the nickname before Ravel collided into him. Feeling her arms wrap around him, Ruxal returned the gesture awkwardly as his sister buried her face into his shoulder.
"Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!"
Ruxal smiled awkwardly and glanced at his mother, only to see her leaving the room, a smile on her face before the door shut.
"I heard what happened! You jerk! Why would you do that!?"
Ruxal looked at Ravel who was looking up at him, tears in her eyes. Instead of asking what was wrong, Ruxal merely closed his eyes and nodded his head.
"I'm sorry," Ruxal said, rubbing Ravel's back. "I don't know what I've done, but I'm sorry for it."
'And I'm sorry that I'm not your real brother,' he added silently.
Standing there, the two siblings hugged each other in silence, one crying her heart out, the other awkwardly patting the others back.
After a few minutes, Ravel disengaged and stepped back, wiping her puffy red eyes.
"I-I'm sorry, Ru-Ru," Ravel said softly.
Ruxal waved it off.
"It's fine, Ravel. I'm at fault here."
Scratching the back of his head, Ruxal smiled as Lady Phenex walked back in. Wordlessly, she handed Ravel a tissue before nodding at Ruxal.
"...so... ...do you want to do something, Ravel?"
Instantly, Ravel perked up and pointed her finger at Ruxal, startling the boy.
"I challenge you to a fight!"
"Huh."
Slowly turning to look at Lady Phenex, she merely laughed, smiling.
"You and Rave usually have competitions using your demonic magic," Lady Phenex explained as Ravel stood there, blue eyes shining. "Should I accompany you two so you don't get carried away?"
"Could you send Ruval over?" Ruxal asked. "I wanted to ask him something."
Lady Phenex smiled.
"Of course, Ru-Ru." She turned to Ravel. "Don't go overboard, Rave sweetie."
"Yes mother!"
Watching Ravel bound on the spot energetically, Ruxal flinched as she ran past and grabbed his hand without notice.
"Let's go already!"
"H-Hey! Calm down!"
Lady Phenex chuckled as she walked out of the room, Ravel already far away, dragging Ruxal with her.
"Should I be concerned, Lady Phenex?"
Lady Phenex glanced at the maid approaching her before shaking her head.
"It is fine, Latisha," she replied, still smiling. "Ravel is happy to have her brother back."
The maid – Latisha – smiled in response.
"Lady Ravel was the only one who could get Prince Ruxal out of his room, wasn't she?"
Lady Phenex merely nodded before walking away. Watching Lady Phenex disappear down the corridor, the maid returned to her duties.
Leaving one of the various entrances and exits to the garden at the back, Ruxal followed Ravel as she skipped forwards into a massive rectangular area.
Looking around, Ruxal noticed that the massive area was covered in grass, singed ground, dirt and ashes. Scorch marks filled the area with a few tiny craters littering the area.
"What is this place?" Ruxal murmured to himself.
"This is where we hold our battles!" Ravel exclaimed, her simple pink dress standing out against the dull ground. "Today, we'll have a fireball contest!"
Ruxal raised an eyebrow, curious.
"What do I have to do?" He asked.
"You need to create a fireball with your demonic magic and throw it into the sky," Ravel said, grinning. "Whoever throws it furthest into the sky wins!"
Ruxal shrugged.
"Sounds easy," he said. "Go ahead. Ladies first."
Ravel nodded before taking a pose. Keeping her hand open, a small flame appeared before curling into a sphere of fire.
"Hii-Yahhhhh!"
Throwing the fireball, Ravel watched as it ascending into the sky before fizzling out.
"Alright!" She cheered, jumping into the air. Turning around, she pointed her finger at Ruxal, smirking triumphantly. "Hah! Beat that!"
Ruxal shrugged nonchalantly before stepping forwards. On the outside, he was calm. Inside, however...
'ShitShitShit! How do I throw demonic magic? Is it like a ball physically, or do I have to control it with my mind? Fuck!'
Holding out his hand, palm facing up, he closed his eyes, cleared his mind and sighed.
'Ignore that, focus on making the fireball.'
Taking a deep breath, Ruxal remembered the color of his flames and pictured a roaring fire confined to a sphere. A flick switched in his head and demonic power began to condense. After a minute, he opened his eyes and smiled as he saw the golden orb floating above his palm, flames licking at his hand, a warmth spreading throughout his arm to his body.
"So pretty..." Ruxal heard Ravel murmur.
Smiling, Ruxal brought his arm back and took a deep breath.
"Well, here goes."
Throwing the sphere, flames burst out and coated the orb as it ascended into the sky. Watching, it skyrocketed past where Ravel's stopped and kept flying forwards.
Still focused on the fireball, Ruxal glanced at Ravel, her mouth open in awe. Smiling, Ruxal turned back to the fireball and scratched his chin in thought.
'What would happen if it just exploded like fireworks right now?'
KA-BOOM!
Yelping in surprise, Ruxal's eyes widened as the golden fireball exploded, its embers flying outwards.
"It's so pretty!"
Ruxal nodded in agreement, completely lost for words as the golden embers fell, decorating the sky with pretty lights.
"What the hell did I just do?" Ruxal murmured, confused. "I know that we have control over fire, but mastery this early?"
You really need a clear mind and focus with demonic magic,' Ruxal realized. 'One thought or emotion could easily ruin your magic, just like Father said.'
"Beautiful display for your sister, Ruxal."
Turning to the side, Ruxal watched as Ruval entered the area, clapping as he walked in.
"Big Brother Ruval!"
Running forwards, Ruval chuckled before picking up Ravel. Spinning around, he held her high as she laughed before placing her back down.
"Hello Ravel," Ruval said, smiling. "Did you enjoy the fireworks your brother made for you?"
"Uh-huh! There were cool!"
Ruval chuckled.
"Of course," Ruval said. "Were you two having a contest?"
"Yep! But Ru-Ru cheated!" Ravel pouted. "He used fireworks, not a fireball!"
Ruval looked at Ruxal who shrugged.
"I threw a fireball and thought about what would happen if it exploded," he admitted. "I thought about fireworks and it kinda just happened."
"Oh." Ruval chuckled. "Do you know the details of your birth, Ruxal?"
The boy tapped his head.
"I don't know, do I?" Ruxal replied, frowning. "I still don't remember anything, brother. I'm surprised I know how to use magic."
Ruval scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly.
"...right. Anyway, using any of the Phenex Clan traits – especially your fire – will come naturally to you," Ruval explained. "During your birth, you floated in the air and were coated in your golden flames, similar to that of Satan Lucifer's birth. Do you know how he was born?"
"Yeah," Ruxal said. "That would be scary to witness."
Ruval nodded.
"Your birth was similar, except your flames didn't destroy," Ruval continued. "According to father, apparently they coated just you and were warm to touch. Ever since then, you've been able to effortlessly create fire just by thinking about it."
"That'd explain why I can use it so easily," Ruxal murmured. "Is it just fire though? Or does it go for flying and air magic as wel-?"
"Hey! Talk to me! Talk to me!"
Ruxal flinched as Ruval laughed, Ravel pouting with her cheeks puffed up.
"Right, sorry Ravel," Ruval smiled as he crouched. "What do you want to do?"
"Contest! I want to have a contest!"
"What type of contest?"
"Fire contest! I want to see who has the prettiest flame between you Big Brother Ruval and Ru-Ru!"
Ruxal sighed exasperated but couldn't the smile spread on his face.
"Oho? Is that what you want to see, Ravel?"
"Yup!" Ravel jumped on the spot energetically. "I wanna see! I wanna see!"
Ruval chuckled before standing up. Turning to face Ruxal, Ruval smiled.
"You first little brother."
Ruxal nodded and held out his hand.
'Fire,' he envisioned. 'Burning in my palm, fierce yet calm. Bright and powerful, inextinguishable.'
Opening his eyes, a fierce ball of fire crackled above his hand, explosive and dangerous. Instead of warmth, Ruxal could feel the sheer heat emanating from it.
"Not your unique fire?" Ruval questioned, an eyebrow raised. "Very well. Here is mine."
Splaying his hand upwards, a replica of Ruxal's flame appeared.
"Not creative or original," Ruval said. "But it is still beautiful, is it not?"
"You copied my flame," Ruxal replied. "Couldn't you try something else?"
"Of course."
Within the second, Ruval's flame flickered before a dark blue-purple flame replaced it. Instantly, the heat in the area skyrocketed as the flame hovered above his palm. It was intoxicating to look at, yet it was dangerous, like an exotic plant that was beautiful but deadly poisonous.
Gulping, Ruxal tried to mock the fire but failed as his own flickered out of existence. His heart hammered in his chest as he once again remembered the power gap between them. It wasn't even a gap, more alike to a canyon,- nay, it was more akin to a galaxy. That was the gap between the two Phenex.
Still looking at the flame, Ruxal felt a strong feeling within him. A primal emotion: fear. He couldn't move, talk, breath – it was as if he was turned into stone by Medusa.
Extinguishing the flame, Ruval raised an eyebrow and watched Ruxal carefully.
"So little brother? Where's your original flame?"
Taking a deep breath, Ruxal's body shook as he exhaled.
Slowly, he looked up and smiled at Ruval.
"This," Ruxal said shakily.
Exploding into life, a fiery golden orb hovered above Ruxal's hand before transforming into a fireball. As it flickered, Ruxal sighed with relief as the golden flame spread its warmth, chasing away the fear he had felt moments ago.
Closing his hands after a few moments, Ruxal turned to Ravel as his flame disappeared.
"So," Ruxal said. "Whose fire is better Ravel?"
"Ru-Ru's fire is better!" Ravel shouted in excitement.
Ruval's posture lost its pride as he slumped over.
"Is that what you really think, Ravel?"
"Yup!" Ravel replied, her mouth open in a toothy grin.
Sweat dripped down Ruxal's face as he hesitated to speak. Ravel shone like a light, happiness radiating from her as Ruval was slumped over, a depressive cloud hovering over his body.
"Uhh..." Ruxal sighed in defeat. "Let's head inside now."
Walking past, Ravel followed, still radiating like a sun as Ruval slowly recovered from his depression.
'It seems that the Gremory Family isn't the only one with a sis-con devil,' Ruxal groaned in his head. 'I hope that Sirzechs, Serafall and Ruval never meet each other in the same room with me.'
Little did he know that they already had, and the results were not pretty.
Sitting in the grand bathtub which could classify as a spa, Ruxal sighed and rubbed his face. His body was still tense but was slowly unwinding. The fire his brother had shown... it was ridiculous, strong enough to warrant that of an Ultimate-Class Devil strength.
Running his hands through his hair, Ruxal let his head drop into the hot water, his nose resting above the water level.
He was scared, that much was simple. The only information he had on his brother Ruval was that he was a true noble, polite and kind, and also rumored to be promoted to Ultimate-Class rank from what he remembered of the wiki. From that, he had assumed he was strong in every aspect possible, but he didn't expect a simple flame from his older brother to instill fear into his very being.
A purple and blue-hued flame. Hotter than an ordinary flame by an extreme margin. The fact that Ruval had this type of power frightened him. It didn't frighten him as much as the Power of Destruction, but it was close.
Rubbing his temples, Ruxal felt the stress in him slowly leave.
'A monster in his own right, how would I react in the presence of someone stronger? Would I lose consciousness just by being in Sirzechs aura?'
Bringing his hand out of the water, he created his golden flame in his palm. Looking at it intensely, Ruxal could feel the raw power in the fire as it flickered, its beauty reflected in the water.
"I feel like you're strong," Ruxal murmured as the flame changed, molding itself in the form imagined. "But I can't just rely on you forever. I'll face challenges that'll force me to change, and I'll be the one who creates those challenges."
Closing his hand, the flame didn't disappear but instead coated his fist a fiery golden aura.
"I'll master you and everything else I learn," Ruxal said, the fire flickering in response. "But it'll have to wait. My first goal is to accept my own weaknesses and overcome fear. During that, I'll train and become strong. I'll create a peerage that can stand its own without me and survive this harsh world."
Standing up, Ruxal watched as the fire dissipated.
"I refuse to fall, not while I have a second chance," Ruxal said resolutely. "Even if I'm beaten down, I'll just stand up and fight back twice as hard."
Closing his eyes, the boy made his promise right there and then.
'I will become stronger than Sirzechs and stand on top. I will make myself a legend to devil-kind and a threat to anyone who stands against me. Everyone will know the name Ruxal Phenex, and how he changed devil-kind for the better.'
Sighing, Ruxal looked around the bathroom. It was as grand as a bathroom could get.
"What a shitty place to make a promise like this," Ruxal chuckled to himself before stepping out of the bathtub. Drying himself off with a towel, he stepped out of his bathroom and back into his bedroom. "Now, what can I wear?"
Searching through his wardrobe, Ruxal found new clothes and sighed with relief.
He had asked one of the maids to supply him with some more casual clothes and they had obliged.
Pulling on his clothes, he smiled at the mirror in the wardrobe.
"I don't look half bad for once in my life," Ruxal muttered to himself before making his way towards the door.
Walking out of his room in a crisp white shirt, pants and shoes, Ruxal wandered the mansion in search of his family. Upstairs, upstairs again, all the way downstairs; he was not looking forward for the search. He wasn't even sure if there was a basement to the place, but wouldn't doubt it.
Luck was on his side, however, as Ruxal spotted Lady Phenex step out of a room.
"Mother!"
Jogging towards Lady Phenex, she turned and smiled as Ruxal approached.
"What is it, Ru-Ru? Is there something wrong?"
Ruxal shook his head.
"Nothing like that," Ruxal replied. "I just had a few questions but I couldn't find anybody."
"Well, what did you want to know?"
"I was wandering how to create a magic circle and teleport as well as how Phoenix Tears are made," he answered.
"I can show you how to teleport," Lady Phenex said. "But why do you want to learn how to make Phoenix Tears?"
"I was curious because it's our family business," Ruxal admitted. "Though, I've never actually seen a Phoenix Tear, and it wasn't in the book I was reading either."
"That's alright sweetie."
Looking around, Lady Phenex smiled at seeing the empty corridor.
"To teleport, you either need to draw a magic circle on the ground or create one yourself," Lady Phenex explained. "Drawing one means you can merely pass your demonic energy into it to activate, but these types of circles are generally used for completing contracts. Creating one is more difficult, but is faster than drawing a circle."
"How would I create a magic circle?"
"It's easier than it sounds."
Swirling her hand, a fiery magic circle swirled into life in front of them, the Phenex Clan symbol glowing a fiery orange.
"All you have to do is imagine an ordinary magic circle with the Phenex Crest emblazed on it," Lady Phenex said as her magic circle disappeared. "From there, it can be used to either teleport, use offensive spells, create defensive barriers, etc. Try to make one yourself."
Nodding, Ruxal held out his palm and closed his eyes.
'I'm assuming an ordinary magic circle you see all the time? Well, let's go with that. Let's see... ...alright, a magic circle with the Phenex Crest embedded in it..."
Finally opening his eyes, Ruxal frowned as nothing appeared in his hand.
"Hmm, maybe you don't have a clear image of what to create?"
Splaying her hand out, Lady Phenex drew the Phenex Clan Crest on the palm of her hand, a fiery outline remaining.
"This is our crest, Ru-Ru. Try making the magic circle now."
Focusing on the crests, Ruxal burnt the image into his mind and he re-envisioned the magic circle.
'A fiery magic circle, one that represents the Phenex Clan...'
Opening his eyes, Ruxal stared at his hand as he tapped into his bank of demonic power. Feeling pure energy course through his veins, he glared at his palm before a magic circle appear, burning a fiery orange. Still focusing on the magic circle, Ruxal moved his hand experimentally, the magic circle following his movements.
"Ufufu, congratulations Ru-Ru. Now, try creating one on the ground and expand it."
Clearing his mind, the magic circle disappeared before a larger one appeared on the ground, slowly rotating on the velvet carpet. Looking at the circle, Ruxal felt excitement surge within him at using magic but quickly pushed it to the side. His magic would disappear if he didn't keep focus.
"Now, to teleport yourself, somebody or an object, you must know exactly where you are traveling to or know something about the place," Lady Phenex explained. "With flyers, you are either summoned or teleport yourself to the location. Flyers have a fragment of your demonic power in them, so you feel out for them."
"So, if I wanted to teleport to my room, I would just have to see my room clearly in my head and activate the circle?" Ruxal asked.
Lady Phenex nodded.
"That is the basic summary of teleporting," she said. "To completely different locations in the human world or Underworld, merely focusing on the name of a place can teleport you there as well, but takes much longer to teleport. Seeing a clear image of where you are traveling isn't necessary, but quickens the process substantially. Go ahead and try."
Stepping into his magic circle, Ruxal took a deep breath and activated his magic. The circle flashed before Ruxal disappeared, only to reappear at the other end of the hallway, his magic circle still underneath his feet.
"Good job, Ru-Ru," Lady Phenex said as she clapped.
Ruxal gave her the thumbs up before he suddenly fell forwards. Surprised, Lady Phenex laughed nervously before making her way towards her beloved Ru-Ru, her son laughing.
It seems that her beloved Ru-Ru had worn himself out.
If you couldn't see, this is a soft reboot of Ashes To Flames to my old readers. I'm planning on fixing chapters with wrong information and merging some as well. Alongside this, I'm changing the chapters so the pace of the story remains the same, unlike how it is now. Since it's a soft reboot as well, I'll be reusing my chapters as well. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
To new readers, this story is inspired by Rosenkreutz who wrote Anomaly, a place where many of you came from I'm sure.
One glaring change many of you noticed straight away: Ruax is no more.
After the poll, the name has changed once again. No longer is Ronin. Instead, here is Ruxal (Ruu-xal) Phenex.
Also, don't ask me to add stuff to signal a transition. Read the story. Understand the context. I'm not ruining the flow of my story just to let you know when there's a transition :)
Anywho, sorry about the reboot, but I felt this was necessary. And don't worry, when you're reading this, I should have hopefully finished all the other chapters :)
Response to Reviews:
TehStorm: I hope in the new story the OC can be more...powerful i gess,i mean the MC coudn't even use his own power because it hurts him so i hope he will be more badass in the reboot,i mean the MC is reborn in one of the wealthiest pillars and both his new parents and brothers are good people(devils),so i think he sould enjoyed more being there.
Answer: With power comes risk. A clear example of this is the Juggernaut Drive for the Heavenly Dragons. Vali exchanges his vast amounts of demonic magic instead of using his life force to use the forbidden technique.
Ruxal (formerly Ruax) is now ten (formerly 7). His body may be as a durable as he is a devil, but keep in mind that he is a child devil. Literally, he is now ten. His golden flames are more powerful, but in return, are more taxing on his body. It's like he's using his normal demonic flames, but it takes twice as much demonic power to use and more strain on his mind. Of course, it can be trained with to the point where it has no extra taxing effects on his body, but as of now, Ruxal is freshly reincarnated, right into a brand new shitstorm.
Freshly reincarnated and merging with a different soul mind you.
Also, keep in mind that the OC literally knows of the future events of DxD. Why wouldn't you start making preparations straight away? Kokabiel is basically the key that unleashes all hell on earth.
DISCLAIMER:
Believe what you wish on God's power level, but I believe Rigald02 has said it best.
Rigald02: In my opinion, I would put him between Indra and Brahma. I mean, we know that Shiva can fight toe-to-toe against Trihexia, and was considered the strongest existence, able even to kill him (quite the feat, if I may). Considering the two others (Vishnu and Brahma) are just behind, and Indra that can take a fight against the four actual Satan and -according to word of God- win, considering they are more powerful than the first generation, it wouldn't be strange for him to be between Indra and the Trimurti I think.
PM or leave a review if anything is askew.
As of now, that is all folks. Seeya soon.
Striderm8
. . .
Next Chapter: Training Maniac