POV: Issei Hyoudou
I flopped onto my bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling. Yeah, I'm being dramatic, so what? It's been a long day, and my brain won't shut up. I keep thinking about my conversation with Yamashiro-san.
Yeah, I'm calling him Yamashiro-san. I will never call him Haruki. No way. Damn good-looking guys.
He's like Kiba, but one year older and even more composed. He's the cool, genius senpai type who somehow manages to make you feel completely average by just breathing next to you. Tall, raven dark hair, calm, talented, and good with words in that annoying smart-ass way.Talking to him is always... unnerving. It's like he reads minds or something. He can see right through people, your doubts, your motives, all of it. And he's so freaking provocative. Always poking, always smirking, always making you question your own thoughts with that smug tone. And the worst part?
He's not mean exactly, just… really blunt. And kinda sarcastic. But the worst part is, he's usually right. Which makes it harder to get mad at him.
Ugh.
Pawn.
That's what I am.
The lowest piece on the chessboard. Lowest rank. Lowest power. I have to climb my way up if I want to be anything in this devil society. If I want to get my own peerage someday… I have to crawl first. The journey to getting my own peerage begins from rock bottom. Figures.
Buchou told me something else too, back when I learned my role.
"My second Bishop already exists," she said. "But that Bishop is not here. The Bishop is at a different place, following a different order, working for me. If there is a chance, then I will introduce the Bishop to you."
Who is this mystery Bishop? And more importantly… is she cute? I hope she's cute.
Anyway, yeah. I was chosen as the leftover Pawn. Not exactly glamorous. The only redeeming quality is that it took eight pawns to reincarnate me.
…Honestly, was I even okay with any of this?
I mean, I was killed. Murdered by a Fallen Angel because of my Sacred Gear, that stupid Kamehameha-looking thing that got me targeted in the first place. And it wasn't just murder. She used my feelings. She pretended to like me. She used my feelings, my first ever girlfriend, as bait.
She played me like a violin and then stabbed me in the heart.
Then Buchou came. She saved me. Revived me. Said I could serve her and rise up and maybe, just maybe, make my dream come true.
A harem.
My very own harem.
So I said yes. Of course I said yes. Wouldn't you?
Now I run around handing out flyers and making contracts with random people. I can't even use the teleportation circle properly because my demonic power's so low. How lame is that?
Worst. Devil. Ever.
I breathed in and out, trying to calm myself down. Even before all this, I didn't have anything special going on. I tried a bunch of stuff to be popular, none of it worked. Turns out being average doesn't cut it when you're up against people like Kiba… and Yamashiro-san. Seriously. Kiba is annoying enough, but at least he feels real. He's nice, even if his face makes me feel like a side character.
Yamashiro though? That guy's a straight-up genius. He's won tons of academic and athletic awards. People say he's the smartest student in school, smarter than even the student council president. And to make it worse, he's also a monster when it comes to demonic magic. Even Koneko, who barely talks, called him a freak of nature.
I don't even know how he fits into the peerage system. He doesn't act like a servant. He never calls Buchou "Buchou." Just talks to her like she's some regular classmate. Doesn't take contracts, doesn't go on jobs, and somehow still gets away with it.
Maybe being that smart makes you confident enough to break the rules and not care. Must be nice.
So maybe becoming a devil wasn't so bad?
I mean, at least now I have a dream.
Although... Yamashiro-san said something that stuck in my head. He said maybe Buchou let me die on purpose so she could revive me. Like she planned it.
That's messed up. But also… so what?
I was going to die anyway. That Fallen Angel was going to kill me whether Buchou was involved or not. So if being her servant kept me alive, and gave me a shot at my dream, I'll take it. I'd rather be a servant than a corpse.
And honestly… It's kinda fun.
Yeah, I'm surrounded by beautiful girls. Bishoujos. I live in an actual anime dream house. Buchou is drop-dead gorgeous and kind. Akeno-san is terrifying sometimes, but also super pretty when she smiles (as long as she's not shocking anyone). Koneko-chan is quiet, but she's not bad to be around as long as I don't say anything pervy.
Kiba still pisses me off though. He's too perfect. Talks nice, looks nice, fights like a hero. He's a good guy. Damn good-looking guy.
And Yamashiro… yeah. I don't even know what to make of him.
Still… I guess he's kinda okay. In his own weird way.
Anyway, my life is chaos now. Devils, Angels, Sacred Gears, all of it just happened to me. Just like Yamashiro-san said, I didn't choose this. I got dragged into it. Maybe that's life. Maybe things just happen, and you have to roll with it.
Then I thought about Asia. That blonde Sister…
She was beautiful. I really thought something might happen there. But nope. Turns out she's on the opposite side, literally. She's with the Church. I'm with the Devils.
The moment I realized that, I had to stop myself from thinking too much. My chest hurts.
Yuuma-chan… I really did love you. You played me. But my feelings were real. You were the first girl to look at me like that.
Why is my life always controlled by someone else?
Maybe that's just how the world works. Maybe I really was dragged into something way bigger than me, like Yamashiro said. I mean, he's probably right, but I can't do anything about it. I'm not him. I'm not some super genius with amazing powers.
I'm just... me.
So all I can do is make the most of it.
Asia… she'll walk her path. I'll walk mine.
We're on different sides. Different destinies. We met by chance, and that was probably all we were ever meant to be.
…Ugh. Listen to me. I sound like some tragic anime protagonist.
"Aaaah, yes, yes, I'm just a weak Pawn. There's nothing good about me, so can I even get a peerage...? How about it, Maou-sama? Well, it's probably useless discussing this with Maou-sama, anyways."
I laughed bitterly. Yeah, like the Maou has time for a loser like me.
But still, I'm going to set a goal. That's right.
Start small.
First goal: be able to use the magic circle to teleport.
That's step one.
And after that? Keep climbing.
I've already become a devil. That part's done. Can't change it now. Might as well live like one. Strive like one. Dream like one.
Even if I don't become Harem King… chasing that dream will be my life's purpose.
Yeah!
I can do this!
I will do this!
---------------------------------------------------
It's late at night, and I'm on my bike, heading toward a normal-looking house. Not a mansion. Not an apartment. Just a regular, everyday house.
My first time doing this. So… what exactly am I supposed to do? The client doesn't live alone, right? Won't their family see me?
I was told normal humans can't detect Devils like us, but does that still count when I'm actually showing up at someone's door like this? I'm worried. I'm right about to press the doorbell when I notice—
The front door is open.
...Seriously?
Leaving the door wide open at night?
My heart skips. Something feels wrong. Really wrong. But my feet are already carrying me inside.
From the entrance, I peek in. The hallway's pitch-black. Stairs lead up to the second floor, but there aren't any lights on up there either. There's only one room at the far end of the hallway on the first floor that's dimly lit.
Yeah, something's definitely off. I can't feel anyone's presence.
Sleeping? No way. Not with this heavy feeling hanging in the air.
I take off my shoes, holding them in my hand as I step in without making a sound.
...I'm a Devil, not a thief. I tell myself that, just to feel a little better.
I approach the room with the light. The door's slightly open. Inside, it's lit by candles.
"...Hello? I'm a Devil from the Gremory household… Um, is the client here?" I call out softly. No answer.
I step inside. It's a typical living room, TV, sofa, table, the works. Just your average place.
And then, I stop breathing. My eyes are glued to the wall.
There's a body nailed to it. Upside down.
A man. A human man. Is… is this the person who lived here? Why would anyone…?
The body's been ripped open. His insides are spilling out.
"Gough—"
I can't hold it in. I throw up on the spot. I didn't even throw up when I saw that stray monster. But this? This is too much.
His body's nailed into the wall, upside-down like a cross. Thick screws jammed into his hands, feet, and chest. No normal person could do this.
A puddle of blood spreads out beneath him. And on the wall behind him, there's writing.
"W-What is this…?" I mutter.
"It says, 'Punishment for those who did bad deeds!'"
A voice. A guy's voice. Behind me.
I spin around, and see a white-haired teenager dressed like a priest. He's grinning at me. His smile creeps me out.
"Well, well, if it isn't a Devil-kun!" he says, all cheerful.
That's when Buchou's words hit me again: Don't get involved with people from the Church. Especially Exorcists.
This guy. He's one of them.
He starts singing. "I'm a priest~♪ A boy priest~♪ I cut down devil-like people~, and I laugh at them~♪"
I don't understand anything he's saying. Who is this guy!?
"My name's Freed Sellzen. I belong to a certain exorcist organization. Oh, don't bother with your name, I'll forget it anyway. You'll be dead soon."
...I've never met someone like this.
I swallow hard. "Hey… was it you? The one who killed this person?"
"Yep. Sure was. He was a criminal summoning Devils. So, I executed him."
That's your reason…?
"You shocked? You should be running. Weird that you're not." He cocks his head.
Then he starts ranting about how Devils are trash. That killing humans who make deals with Devils is part of his job.
I try to reason with him. "How can you kill humans too? I thought you only fought Devils!"
He laughs like I just told the funniest joke in the world.
"You really are clueless, huh? Humans who rely on Devils? They've already stopped being human."
This guy's insane. I can't talk to him.
Suddenly—
BOOM
He pulls out a weird sword-handle that bursts into light. Like a beam saber.
And a gun.
"Now then," he says, "time to stab your heart and blow your head off!"
He sprints at me. I dodge the sword, barely. But pain shoots through my leg.
Smoke rises from his gun.
I was hit!?
Then another sharp pain in my other leg.
"Guaaah!"
I fall to my knees.
"This is the bullet of light, baby!" he laughs. "No sound. Straight to the pain. You Devils love that, right?"
My whole body's screaming. Light hurts. It burns from the inside.
He's not even done. "Die, Devil! DIEEEE!"
He's laughing like a maniac. I'm going to die here.
But then—
"Please stop!"
A voice. A girl's voice.
I look—
And see her.
Asia.
The Sister I met before.
"Oh, Asia-chan," Freed says. "Did you finish putting up the barrier?"
She screams when she sees the body on the wall. Her whole face goes pale.
Then, she sees me.
"Ise-san is a… Devil…?"
I feel my chest tighten. I didn't want her to know.
To her, I was just a guy. A normal high schooler.
Freed laughs like a freak. "What, what? Forbidden love between a Devil and a Sister? Hahahaha!"
This… this sucks.
Then Asia says something that stuns me.
"Please let him go. Please don't kill him."
She's standing in front of me. Protecting me.
"Are you serious?" Freed asks. "You know what you're doing?"
"I do. You can't kill people just because they made a pact with a Devil. You can't kill Devils either. It's wrong!"
She stands her ground. She's shaking, but doesn't move.
"There are good people even among Devils!" she shouts.
Freed snaps. "There aren't, you idiot!"
She looks at me. "Ise-san is a good person. That fact doesn't change, even now!"
I can't say anything.
Then, he hits her.
BAM!
"Asia!"
She falls to the ground. There's a bruise on her face. He hit her.
He says something disgusting about not being allowed to kill her but… doing something worse.
And he turns back to me. "Now where were we?"
...I can't run. Not with Asia here.
I won't leave her behind.
Even if I don't know how to use my Sacred Gear…Even if I'm just a weak Pawn…Even if I have no chance of winning—
"I can't leave a girl who just defended me. So come!"
I get into a stance. My hands are shaking. But I won't move.
Freed grins. "Eh? Eh? Seriously? Seriously? You are going to fight me? You will die, you know? You will die with a lot of pain? I have no intention of killing you painlessly, okay? Now then. Let's see if I can make a new record for the smallest minced-meat! That's my dream. This is gonna be fun!"
He comes at me—
And then—
"While that would be fascinating to a sick mind like yours, I'm afraid it will have to remain a dream," said a calm voice.
Haruki Yamashiro.
I've never been happier to see him.
-------------------------------------------
POV: Haruki Yamashiro
I looked at the situation in front of me. A corpse nailed to a wall like a grotesque parody of a crucifixion, an unhinged exorcist waving around light-based weaponry with the enthusiasm of a child who just discovered matches, and a nun crumpled on the ground after taking a hit for a Devil.
It all began with a whim. I was flying around Kuoh City, as I often do. Not patrolling, mind you. I am not Batman. I fly because it clears the noise. There's something profoundly therapeutic about gliding above this carefully manufactured suburbia, watching society go through its rehearsed charade of normalcy while supernatural threats crawl beneath it like termites under wallpaper. So when I noticed Issei Hyoudou on his usual late-night Devil DoorDash routine, I didn't think much of it. Kid's got hustle. Still doesn't know how to fully use his Sacred Gear, but points for effort.
I followed from above. Not with any particular purpose. Call it mere curiosity. I've always liked watching people, especially when they are intently focused on something. And then, something... shifted. But then he entered that house, and I felt it, that slight pressure shift. The feeling in the air changed. You know that subtle, goosebump-raising sense that tells you someone just flipped the switch from "slice-of-life" to "horror"? Yeah, that. I felt it the second he entered the house.
That familiar, dreadful flicker of bloodlust. Not from Issei, mind you. Something darker. Chaotic and mad.
A corpse was nailed to the wall like some overdramatic warning. Upside down, torn open, the kind of thing you'd expect from someone trying too hard to send a message and not trying hard enough to keep their sanity. The reason? Apparently, the guy made a deal with a Devil. As if that justifies ritualistic murder. A policy so idiotic you'd think it came from Twitter discourse. Very Old Testament of them.
"And who the hell are you, pretty boy, huh? No, wait, don't speak. You're a filthy devil. Today must be my lucky day. I get to kill two devils. So awesome, right? Right? Hahahah!" said the exorcist, eyes gleaming with the sort of fervor that signals either divine conviction or a serious need for psychiatric evaluation.
And yep. No reasoning with this one. People like him are less religious warriors and more violent cosplayers with divine justification. If faith is the opiate of the masses, this guy was mainlining industrial-grade delusion.
He raised his gun.
I was already in front of him.
A single strike from my knee to his gut sent him flying across the room and into the wall, spine-first. I wasn't even trying. He made a satisfying dent.
Then, the floor lit up. Blue and white light spiraled out in delicate runes. The teleportation circle of House Gremory.
Ah. They noticed the mess too. Good.
"Haruki. You are also here," said Rias, appearing with her usual entourage, her expression a blend of surprise and confusion.
"We came to retrieve Issei," she added.
"Good evening, everyone," I said with a polite nod. Civility, after all, is free.
Kiba smiled at me. Akeno greeted me with a nod. The rest gave polite glances. Rias, ever the noble, turned to Issei and apologized for tossing him into a life-threatening situation without sufficient backup.
While that was going on, I studied the nun.
Asia. Sweet, naive Asia. If memory serves, assuming anime timelines hold any weight, she gets sacrificed in some ridiculous ritual by the Fallen. Then gets resurrected as a Devil under Rias. Suboptimal fate. I could change that.
I walked over. I approached her, careful not to move too quickly. She was already skittish enough after being hit.
"Good evening. Standing up to that lunatic was quite brave of you. What is your name?" I said, giving her my hand to shake, because I have manners, even if the local clergy doesn't.
She blinked at me like I was offering free salvation.
"Hmm? M-Me? I'm Asia. Asia Argento, sir. Thank you?" she said, understandably unsure of how to respond.
But before we could continue the conversation, the priest groaned and staggered to his feet. Persistent bastard.
"You filthy bastard Devil! You'll pay for this!" he screamed, drawing his weapon once more.
He charged, sword swinging. Kiba stepped in with the grace of a knight and parried like it was Tuesday.
"I'm sorry. He's one of us! We can't let you lay a finger on him!" Kiba declared heroically.
"Oh, oh! A mere Devil being concerned about their comrade? What are you guys? Devil Squadron? The Devil Rangers? That's nice. I can feel the heat. I'm getting turned on! So how is it? Are you the one sticking it in, and is he the one bending? So are you guys in that sort of relationship?!" the priest sneered, accompanying his words with crude gestures.
Right. Nothing like some good old-fashioned homophobic innuendo from a self-declared man of God.
Kiba scowled.
"...What a vulgar mouth. It's hard to believe you are a priest... Oh, that's why you are a 'Stray Exorcist,' right?" Kiba quipped back.
Ah. That explains it. A man expelled by the very church that trained him, unable to control even his most basic impulses. Pathetic, really.
Likely violent, unhinged, maybe even insane.
"Yeah, yeah! I'm vulgar! Sorry about that! That's because I strayed away! I was kicked out! For doing God's work. That's why, screw the Vatican! I'm all right as long as I get to cut Devils whenever I feel like it!"
He rambled with the confidence of a man who mistook insanity for piety.
Then, Akeno's voice cut through the noise.
"Buchou, there seem to be a few Fallen Angels heading to this house. At this rate, we will be at a disadvantage."
Sharp as always. She's a lightning rod with built-in radar.
Rias gave a sharp glance toward the priest.
"...Akeno, we will return to our headquarters once we retrieve Ise. Prepare for teleportation."
"Yes," Akeno said with no further drama.
I stayed quiet. Watching how they'd handle Asia.
"Buchou! We have to take her as well!" Issei pleaded, bless his heart.
"It's impossible. Only Devils can use the magic circle to transport. Also, this magic circle can only teleport me and my servants."
Which, by the way, excludes me. Not that I minded.
"Haruki, you must escape from this place," Rias said to me. Considerate, if somewhat redundant.
And that was the end of the debate.
Issei and Asia locked eyes.
She smiled.
"Asia!" Issei shouted.
"Ise-san, let's meet again," she said, her voice steady, almost brave.
No. Not happening.
I'm not leaving Asia to be slaughtered by that pack of lunatics.
As the Gremory crew vanished, I stepped forward. Scooped up Asia into a princess carry.
"Eep!" she squeaked.
"Don't worry. I won't hurt you," I said, and then launched upward, my wings flaring out. I cloaked her in demonic energy to protect her from the high-altitude speeds.
There may be opportunity here.
The Fallen Angels in this town, if memory serves, aren't particularly strong. Numerous, maybe. Threatening? Not unless you hand them the initiative. And this lot likely includes a few exorcists with them. Good. I can work with that.
I made sure to leave a trace of demonic energy. A trail they could follow.
Let them come.
I reached the forest outside Kuoh and placed Asia in a cave.
"Stay here. Don't come out unless I say so."
She nodded, fearfully but obedient.
I moved far from the cave and began my prep. Time to set the trap. Roughly half an hour later, I felt them.
Four Fallen Angels. All with a single pair of wings. Three women, one man. Not a power squad, but more than enough to rip apart an unprepared Devil. The one with the smug expression and black hair, her. That must be the fake girlfriend who murdered Issei. Yuuma Amano. Or whatever her real name is.
"Good evening, ladies and gentleman," I said casually, radiating fake politeness like it was perfume.
She didn't appreciate it.
"I don't want a filthy low-class Devil like you talking to me," said the black-haired one, staring like I was a stain on her boots.
"That girl you took, Asia, is our personal belonging. Can I have her back? Asia, you know it's useless to run away?"
Charming.
"I have no idea what you are talking about. Also, I didn't know people were personal belongings now," I said, tone laced with mock confusion.
"Don't patronize me, filth. I traced your demonic energy. I know you took her."
"I'm afraid you caught the wrong guy," I said with theatrical politeness.
Then the cavalry arrived. A full unit of exorcists. About fifty of them. Each one with the self-assured look of someone who thought numbers alone could replace competence.
"Hello there, Devil-kun! We meet again, lalala, hahah! Where is dear Asia? Huh? I saw you fly away with her. That's him, Lady Raynare!"
So, that was her name. Raynare. Excellent.
They surrounded me. One big, self-congratulatory circle of stupidity.
"Well, it seems you have found me out. Whatever shall I do?" I said, mock fear in full effect.
"Give us the girl or die," Raynare said. Not much of a negotiator.
I pulled out a cigarette. Lit it with my silver lighter. I don't even smoke.
"Negotiation is not your strong point, is it?"
"You bastard, die then!" she shrieked and lunged.
Perfect.
Just as she got within a meter, I threw the lighter.
BOOM..
----------------------------------------
POV: Omniscient Narrator
A huge explosion tore through the air, igniting everything it touched. This blast was far larger than the one Haruki had used against Vizer, its diameter stretched nearly a hundred meters, and it reduced everything within it to ash: trees, animals, rocks. All gone in an instant.
Haruki stumbled out of the inferno, coughing violently, half his body scorched. His clothes were torn, scorched away by the blast. He staggered to the edge of the charred zone and leaned against a tree, his breath ragged. Even breathing hurts.
The risk I took was calculated... but damn, am I bad at math, he thought, grimacing.
When he had prepared for the Fallen's arrival, he had deliberately emitted his demonic energy, cloaked in Void Embrace, just as he had done against Vizer. But this time, the output had been far greater than he anticipated.
Normally, He wouldn't be capable of causing this level of destruction. He was, after all, just a middle-class Devil in terms of raw energy. But for this particular ritual to succeed, he needed to eliminate his enemies in a single strike. That was the condition he set.
The problem? He didn't possess an attack of such caliber.
So he paid a price.
He had sacrificed 100 years of his life span to power the blast. A hefty price, certainly. But in the grand scheme of a Devil's lifespan, which could span well over 10,000 years, it was a worthwhile gamble.
His ability, Sacramentum, was sacrificial in nature, built on the Law of Equivalent Exchange. By offering beings, objects, or valuable concepts, Harucki could permanently increase his demonic energy. The value of the increase scaled with the worth, difficulty, and personal cost of the sacrifice. But the ability came with conditions, strict ones. They were unique and varied each time.
This time, the condition was to kill them in one strike. All of them.
When he saw the Fallen Angels and the Stray Exorcists gather, he immediately began planning to sacrifice them. They were scum, hardly worth mourning. But Fulfilling that requirement was no small feat. Two-winged Fallen were equivalent to middle-class devils, his own level. To kill multiple enemies of equal rank in a single attack required something extreme.
So, he paid the price. A hundred years.
The ability itself didn't grant combat skills or spells. It offered only one reward: a permanent increase in demonic energy quantity. But in the world of Devils, that was no small thing.
Demonic energy defines power. It dictated rank, destructive output, stamina, and spellcasting limits. A low-class devil had a baseline. A middle-class devil possessed around five times that. High-class devils, like Rias, had ten to twelve times more than middle-class ones. Ultimate-class beings had fifteen to twenty times more than high-class devils. And Satan-class devils? They had ten to fifteen times the power of even the ultimate class. The gap was staggering
Which is why climbing the ranks is so damn hard.
That was also why Pillar Devils were so revered. Without training, they would still reach a high-class level of demonic energy quantity, simply due to their lineage. And the descendants of the original Satans? They could reach ultimate class without lifting a finger.
Which is why I created Sacramentum. Even if it doesn't suit my personality, I needed a method to increase my demonic energy. I've got six months.Six months to climb ranks that most Devils took centuries to reach. No time to waste.
Now, he sat beneath the tree, his side burned, pain throbbing in every nerve. Someone was approaching.
It was Asia.
She must've heard the explosion, thought harucki.
"Sir? It's you... are you okay? You're burning. Oh God... please stay still!" she said, frantic.
He flinched slightly at the mention of God.
Asia placed her hand gently on his burned side. A green glow radiated from her palm as sacred energy began to knit his flesh together. A Sacred Gear, clearly. A healing-type
After five minutes, he was fully healed, good as new.
He stood up to thank her... but then his body buckled.
His demonic energy flared. Uncontrolled and Violent.
His demonic energy began to fluctuate wildly, then surged.
The pain was immediate and indescribable. It was like being stabbed in every inch of his body. Agonizing. Endless.
FUCK. I could go insane from this pain alone...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" he screamed, writhing.
"Sir?! Are you okay?!" Asia's voice trembled, but she dared not approach. His demonic energy was unstable, menacing. Even the animals had fled the area. Birds scattered. The forest fell silent.
Eventually, the pain stopped. He collapsed to his knees, gasping.
And then, just as suddenly, it ended.
He collapsed to his knees, drenched in sweat.
Breathing heavy. "Huuuh… huuuh…". He centered himself, forced his energy into stillness.
Asia finally dared to approach.
"Sir? Are... are you okay?" she asked, trembling.
"My name is Haruki Yamashiro," he said, still winded. "Call me Haruki. Not 'sir.'"
"O-Okay... Si—Harucki-san," Asia replied.
She looked around at the destruction. "What... what happened here? To you?"
Harucki stood up. The embers of the blast still crackled behind him.
"My plan worked," he said with a crooked smile. "My ability... was a success." There was relief in his voice.
" i am a high-class devil now" said haruki with tears on his eyes.
Then suddendly.
He laughed.
A low chuckle turned into wild laughter. Mad, triumphant.
Then, as if struck by madness or euphoria, he leapt into the flames. Asia cried out, but he didn't hear her. Or didn't care.
The flames licked his bare skin. His clothes burned away. Yet he did not scream.
He danced, naked and untouched by flame. Light-footed, graceful, like a fae creature of old. His laughter echoed through the forest like a song of madness or revelation.
He spun wildly, shouting into the night:
"Throughout heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one!"
He danced in fire and in shadow. A servant of none. A herald of himself.
And he laughed.
He danced, and danced, and danced.
And he swore he would be forever free.
AN: Another chapter! I'm not totally sure about this one. I was originally planning to release it together with the last chapter, but I kept rewriting it because I wasn't satisfied. In the end, I figured I should just post it now before I change my mind again.
I hope I captured Issei's personality well. I also experimented a bit with third-person narration here, results may vary.
Thanks to everyone who suggested devil traits! I really appreciate the input. They'll show up later, but not just yet, right now, he doesn't have the necessary demonic energy to use them properly. That's actually why he created a new ability to rapidly boost his demonic energy. Once he's built up enough, he'll start creating abilities that suit him more.
Also… yeah, he just killed around 50 people. I hope someone acknowledges that this isn't a good thing, even if they were awful people.