The morning sun filtered through the dense canopy of the Demon Forest as Akuma Beelzebub stirred awake. He sat up, stretching before reaching for his sword, securing it onto his back. His body still ached from the previous day, but there was no time to rest. He needed to move.
Making his way to the acid waterfall, he splashed the burning liquid onto his face, the sting jolting him into full awareness. Without much thought, he picked a random direction and sprinted, leaping into the trees, attempting to maneuver like a ninja from Naruto. However, his excitement was short-lived as he lost balance mid-air.
Just as he was about to crash headfirst into the ground, a pair of massive black wings unfolded, catching him effortlessly. Suspended in the air, Akuma looked up to see a tall, lean man with light skin and gray eyes gazing at him with amusement. His messy black hair framed his face, strands falling between his eyes. He had a rugged appearance, with chin stubble and an air of casual dominance. The man was dressed in a dark red samue, a black haori with a red diamond pattern at the bottom, and traditional Japanese wooden sandals. A striped dark red and black bucket hat rested atop his head.
With a stupid grin, the man spoke.
"You alright, kid?"
Akuma, still dangling in the air, blinked before breaking the fourth wall, looking directly at an unseen audience.
"...He kinda looks like Kisuke Urahara from Bleach."
Snapping back to reality, Akuma's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"
The man's grin widened. "I am Azazel. The ruler and ancestor of the Fallen Angel race."
Akuma's mind raced. Azazel. A name from the Hebrew Bible. If he remembered correctly, Azazel was said to have introduced humanity to forbidden knowledge, as detailed in the Book of Enoch. He was a fallen angel—one of the first.
Breaking the fourth wall again, Akuma muttered, "Is this universe's version of Orochimaru?"
Shaking off his thoughts, he refocused, gripping his sword. He cared little for his mother's warnings about using Sun Breathing. Launching himself into the air, he executed his attack.
"Breath of the Sun: First Form – Dance!"
His blade sliced cleanly through Azazel's pinkie finger, severing it effortlessly. But before the severed digit could even hit the ground, another grew back instantly.
Azazel simply chuckled. "I'm not here to fight, kid. I'm here to make a deal."
Akuma lowered his blade slightly, his crimson eyes wary. "What kind of deal?"
Azazel smirked. "I'll grant you one wish if you agree to act as my vessel in the human world."
Akuma frowned. "Why me?"
"Because you're a half-demon, half-yokai. That makes you unique—you can travel to the human world as a yokai, allowing me to use your body."
Akuma scowled and turned away. "Not interested."
Azazel sighed. "Wait, wait. I'll throw in a Spear of Longinus."
That made Akuma stop.
"And my wish?"
Azazel shrugged. "Fine. You get one wish, but I'll tell you when it's time for you to go to the human world. Right now, if you enter, you'd be slaughtered."
A small black horn materialized in Azazel's palm. "Blow this when you want to make your wish."
A contract appeared on parchment, along with a dagger. Without hesitation, Akuma sliced his palm, letting his blood flow onto the paper as he scrawled his name.
"Akuma Beelzebub—The Beelzebub's Executioner."
Azazel grinned. "See you around, kid." And with that, he vanished into the wind.
Encounter with Lazarus Leviathan
After Azazel's departure, Akuma ventured deeper into the forest. Along the way, he came across a demon bear. Without breaking stride, he cut it down in a single slice, his blade singing through the air.
As he continued, he sensed multiple presences nearby. Hiding behind a large tree, he observed a group of boys following a young man around his age. The leader spotted him instantly.
The boy stepped forward. "Come out. I see you."
Akuma emerged from the shadows, placing his hand on his hilt. "I'm Akuma Beelzebub. But you can call me the Beelzebub's Executioner."
The other boy smirked. "I'm Lazarus Leviathan. Heir to the Leviathan Clan… and a half-Beelzebub clan member."
The air grew heavy as both warriors analyzed each other. And then, in a flash, they speed-blitzed forward, clashing swords in a flurry of steel and sparks.
Akuma held back, refusing to use Sun Breathing, yet even with his standard techniques, he found himself at a disadvantage. Lazarus' body was coated in an abyssal ichor, making him nearly impervious to normal attacks.
Akuma cursed under his breath. This isn't going to be easy.
Before either of them could claim victory, a sudden howl echoed through the forest.
Both turned as a horde of 1000 demon wolves emerged from the shadows, their glowing red eyes fixated on the two warriors.
Realizing the sheer numbers, Akuma took off, running into the depths of the forest, dodging trees and leaping over roots. He found a small cave and dived inside.
His heart pounded as he caught his breath. The dim light of the cave illuminated strange symbols on the walls.
Akuma narrowed his eyes. A shrine? Here?
As he stepped forward, the ground trembled.
Something ancient had just awoken.