Chapter 9: Training

Chapter 9: Training

A young boy was fast asleep, his chest rising and falling with each deep breath.

As the first rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains, he slowly began to stir. He rolled over, rubbing his eyes, and let out a long yawn.

Finally awake, he sat up in his bed and stretched his arms above his head, working out the kinks in his muscles. As he swung his legs over the side of the bed, he couldn't help but think about the events of the previous day.

It had been tiring, but also extremely productive.

He had completed his ritual, celebrated his birthday, and unlocked his mana, which meant he was finally ready to start his training

He smirked slightly, '...and I also finally got my Zanpakut-'

He suddenly blinked.

He blinked again

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'WHERE THE FUCK IS MY ZANPAKUTŌ!?' He mentally screamed as he experienced a complete emotional breakdown

His thoughts raced and he felt like he was on the brink of a panic attack, however he then realised that something heavy was pressing down on the bed in front of him.

His legs, of course, couldn't feel it as they couldn't reach the bed's full length. He was three for crying out loud.

When he looked closer, he saw that it was a sheathed katana, it's dark scabbard contrasting sharply with the white sheets

Realising what it was, his shoulders slacked in relief, as if a huge load got lifted of him.

Picking it up, he examined the sword more closely, taking in its simple yet elegant design. There was nothing particularly fancy about it, except for the fact that it was entirely pitch black. It looked like it had been crafted with great care and attention to detail.

'Damn its heavy' he mentally grumbled, he wasn't sure if he would have been able to even pick it up before the ritual. Even though he was complaining, he was extremely happy and relieved.

With his thumb, he shifted the sheath slightly to the top, revealing the blade of the katana. The blade was just as dark as the scabbard, and it was sharp - so sharp that it seemed like you could cut yourself just by looking at it

He wrapped his hands around the hilt and tested its balance, pleased to find that it felt perfectly balanced in his grasp. It was a bit large for him at the moment, but he knew that he would grow into it eventually. It would be his perfect fit.

He slowly dragged himself out of bed and made his way to the dining room, his katana clutched in his hand. As much as he was eager to start training with it, he hesitated, the memory of Grayfia's anger still fresh in his mind

He shivered in fear as he recalled what happened when he once skipped on lunch.

No...Angry Grayfia was bad...very bad

As he walked into the grand dining room, his eyes were immediately drawn to the silver-headed maid who was busily arranging the table with an assortment of plates and cutleries.

She looked up at him, and he noticed her eyes widen slightly in surprise as they met his gaze. In a hurry to finish her tasks, she quickly set the final few plates down and approached him with a 'worried' expression on her face.

"Are you all right, Young master? Do you have a fever?" She asked, her voice laced with 'concern' as she pressed her forehead against his

He was a little flustered by her action, but then a tick mark appeared on his head as he heard her words.

He pulled back and puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. He was truly offended by this.

"Mouu! Fiaa! I can also wake up early, you know! It's just that I...I-I choose not to!" He ended his tirade with a 'hmph' and turned his head to the side

He remained in that position for a moment, before finally turning back when he heard some stifled giggles coming from her direction

What greeted his sight, was her covering her mouth to hide her giggles. Realising he got tricked, that too by Grayfia, his mouth formed an 'o'.

Eventually snapping out of it, he glared at her and without a word, he strode over to his seat and began eating his food, placing his katana on the side as he sat down.

Grayfia started to apologize, but he ignored her.

Finally, after promising to feed him for two weeks, he accepted her apology.

Noticing she finally got forgiven she released a relieved sigh, before finally taking sight of his katana.

She quirked an eyebrow and looked towards Diablo.

Understanding her unspoken question, he told her that the katana was one of Grandpa Yamamoto's old weapons, found in the dungeons beneath the mansion.

Now, he couldn't just tell her that a nigh-omnipotent being of immeasurable power gave him this, right?

...so he came up with the more believable story of finding it in the dungeons.

She looked at him for a minute, but didn't ask anything more about the katana.

She, instead, asked him, as she gave him a strange look, what he was doing in the dungeons.

Which was quite understandable as the Barbatos dungeon was pretty creepy, filled with cells and old armour. There was even an armoury down there, but it contained only normal weapons, nothing special.

Grayfia, herself, had spent 4 months trying to clean it but finally gave up in the end. Diablo could tell it was a big blow to her pride as she wanted to be the 'perfect maid', so he had consoled her by saying that dungeons were supposed to look creepy and intimidating.

A clean dungeon would be far less scarier than a dirty one. She seemed to accept that fact and finally moved on.

Anyway coming back to the conversation, Diablo showed no outward reaction, but was nervously sweating mentally. He calmly told her that he had been exploring the dungeons and had stumbled upon the blade by accident. Remembering his grandfather's fame with such a weapon, he had become interested in learning how to wield it.

Though the part about exploring the dungeon was true, he had indeed explored the dungeon and had even come across a skeleton...

He was sure that Grayfia must have sensed him going there, so his explanation shouldn't sound too suspicious

Fortunately, she seemed to accept it without further questioning. After a while, she told him that she would begin giving him some magical and hand-to-hand combat training the next day, now that he was of proper age.

After breakfast, Grayfia went to do her duties, while he went to the property behind the mansion to use as a training ground, to try out his Zanpakutō. Grayfia, of course, gave him permission first but told him to be careful and that if he gets even slightly hurt she'll sense it...

The property behind the mansion was a vast garden that stretched out for miles, filled with all sorts of beautiful flowers and plants.

There were rows upon rows of roses, each one a different shade of red or pink. There were also lilies, daisies, and countless other types of flowers that he couldn't even name.

The grass was perfectly manicured, and there was a small pond in the center of the garden where koi fish swam lazily in circles. It was the perfect place for training, with plenty of space and a peaceful atmosphere.

He took his katana out and slowly unsheathed it, admiring the dangerous and the sharp looking blade as it reflected the sunlight, 'Damn this is going to be so awesome, I can't wait'

He held the blade in front of him and excitedly shouted out the release command for his Zanpakutō, "Reduce All Creation to Ash... RYŪJIN JAKKA!"

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(Awkward silence)

He blushed in embarrassment as he realised nothing happened...but no matter, he prepared to do did it again with a new, determined face

Again, nothing happened. This time, he was confused for a moment before a light bulb went off in his head as his face brightened up.

He had a smug smile as he tried again, this time focusing on channeling his mana in the blade

But still, nothing happened.

He was now flustered and really confused, unsure of what to do next.

"Well, maybe I'm still too weak for Ryūjin Jakka..." he said, his disappointment clear in his voice, "Oh well, if that doesn't work I'll be content with the other one for now"

He cleared his throat before continuing, "Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens... HYŌRINMARU!"

Nothing happened as well. This time, he even physically cringed at the lack of results. He couldn't understand what was going wrong

He was truly confused by this.

He tried adding more mana, pouring all of his energy into the task, but still, nothing happened.

He was starting to panic as he tried every possible method he could think of, mixing up the statements of both the Shikai release commands, but still, nothing happened.

Desperate, he took a deep breath to calm down.

He still had one more method to try.

He put the katana down on his lap horizontally and sat in a seiza position, closing his eyes and focusing on his breathing as he started to meditate...

WHAT!

...this was the only damn method he had left, didn't Shingamis communicate with their Zanpakutō spirits like this?

He meditated like that for a hour or so, focusing all of his attention on his katana the entire time, taking deep and slow breaths, trying to clear his mind of all distractions and focus solely on his weapon.

But despite his efforts, nothing seemed to happen. Just as he was about to get up in frustration, he suddenly heard a voice.

At first, the voice was cold and dismissive, causing a shiver to run down his spine, "You think that just because you know my names, you deserve to call me out?" it sneered, "You, who doesn't even know the basics of a sword, believe you are worthy enough to wield me?"

The voice grew heated and fiery, "You know how to call me out... but do you even understand the gravity of those words?

Do you even mean those words?!

Do you WANT IT?!"

"The you of now is too weak and pathetic," the voice spat out, its scorn palpable, "You have no determination, no conviction. You lack the necessary drive and purpose. Come back to me when you have a worthy cause, when you have a reason to wield me..."

And with that, the voice ceased, as if it had never been present at all. He was left sitting in stunned silence, trying to process what had just happened.

But it wasn't long before a wave of rage consumed him.

He was incensed by the Zanpakutō spirit's audacity, feeling a surge of anger at the idea of a mere tool ordering him around. Who did this spirit think it was, talking to him like that?

That fury only intensified when he recalled it was a part of his own soul and found sense in its words...Yes, it was right

What the hell was he thinking?

All that the spirit had said was true. Did he really believe he could just pick up the blade and magically become a skilled swordsman?

...Stupid

Clenching his fists in frustration, he stood up from his spot on the ground.,"Fine," he declared, his voice dripping with furious determination, "If you want me to come back stronger, I'll do it. I'll train harder than anyone else, push myself to my limits. I'll show you that I'm worthy of wielding you...but you're wrong about me having no resolve, nothing to fight for. I do have something worth fighting for, and I will do whatever it takes to keep them safe...whatever it takes"

With conviction, he sheathed the sword and swore to master its use before attempting to communicate with the spirit again. He would teach this spirit, the correct hierarchy of this relationship

Now that the matter with the Zanpakutō was settled, he didn't know what to do next. He had spent so much time and effort trying to awaken his blade, that he wasn't sure where to go from there.

But then, an idea struck him

Magic!

Grayfia was going to teach him tomorrow anyway, so he decided to visit the clan's library to read up on the past records of the Barbatos clan's magic

He browsed the shelves, searching for any books that might be useful. At first, he found only basic texts on magic, but when he stumbled upon a spell book specifically for the Barbatos clan, he knew he had hit the jackpot.

It had the generally important magic spells that was shared throughout the clan. There were some people who made their own spells and kept it to themselves, either out of secrecy or because they were deemed too dangerous. Though there were also those who were willing to share their spells.

He also discovered that Yamamoto had also compiled a personal book on magic

He stayed in the library and poured over the pages, eager to absorb as much knowledge as possible

...

A few moments later:

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Diablo yelled as he slammed his fists against the table in frustration, "THIS IS BULLSHIT! I want a refund on my wish! Rob totally fucking scammed me!"

Such profanities echoed through the hall as a certain tanned boy was going mad.

It was good that Grayfia was cleaning the other side of the mansion today, otherwise hearing all of...this...

She would have definitely rushed over here. Now don't get me wrong, even though she can't hear him, she still can definitely sense him.

So why was Diablo so upset? Well apparently the True Space Magic was not what he had expected it to be. Sure, it could still create black holes and all the other different shit and whatnot, but it required more than just an understanding of the science behind it.

There was a certain 'code' that was needed, a level of comprehension that went beyond just understanding the concepts from a textbook or something

At first when Diablo had been reading through Yamamoto's book, he had come across a spell called Cruel Sun.

Initially, he was bursting with excitement at the discovery of this spell and the prospect of being able to perform it, but his excitement had quickly faded as he read on

To be able to perform spells like Cruel Sun, one needed to have a comprehension of them. This was why contracts with celestial bodies were so important. Yamamoto had contracts with a red dwarf and a blue-white supergiant. Both were a type of stars and Sun was a star as well

To create and perform a spell like Cruel Sun, one needed to understand it at a deeper level, to have the correct details and the 'code' for it.

Even though Diablo knew the basic science behind the sun, that it was made up of hydrogen and helium...he didn't have a deep understanding of it.

Even if he had looked up more information in a physics textbook, it wouldn't have mattered. That was why contracts were so important; they provided the necessary understanding and 'code' to be able to create that particular magic.

Diablo knew if he had the 'code' for Cruel Sun, he would be able to perform the spell and even create variations or reverse it using different elements, such as nitrogen or something to create a...cold sun?

It was possible in theory

And it wasn't also as simple as Yamamoto just writing down the 'code' and then one would be able to perform the spell...it doesn't work like that

One needs the understanding...The 'code'

You cannot explain understanding, you had to experience it

Diablo sighed as he thought to himself, 'So I guess I need to wait until I'm five before I can contract my own celestial body'

Now that was just Yamamoto's book, the other spells books used by the branch family (which included everyone except the direct descendants of Yamamoto) were relatively reasonable. They were mostly the cliche Space Magic abilities, which did not need space comprehension because that would just be absurd and stupid

Because if that were the case, then Rias would need the comprehension of destruction to use her magic, or Seekvaria would need the comprehension of time. Although having such comprehension would certainly make them and their magic stronger.

The magic of the branch family was obviously quite weak compared to the spells like the Cruel Sun, but Diablo knew not to underestimate them.

He had heard the stories of how, in the past, just 100 members of the clan had managed to take down 150,000 devils from the Satan faction's army, even if they did suffer significant casualties in the process. It was with these spells and magic that had enabled them to do so. It was simply a testament to the power of their magic

With these thoughts in mind, Diablo spent the evening preparing a range of useful magic and spells, packing them up for the next day, when Grayfia would help him train

'It's going to really fun tomorrow' Thought Diablo eagerly as he smirked

...

The next day:

'Owwwww... this is definitely not fun,' he thought to himself, trying to recall if he had ever done anything to anger the training gods, 'I jinxed it yesterday, didn't I? Owwww... my everything hurts so much...'

Diablo let out a pained groan as he lay sprawled out on the floor, his black hair matted with sweat. He couldn't believe how much his entire body ached; it felt like every muscle on his body was on fire

Standing over him was a silver-haired maid, her expression monotonous as she watched him struggle.

At first, Diablo had been excited about the training and all the magic he would learn, but that excitement had quickly waned under the gruelling regime of his instructor.

She was the Devil!

You are reading story Diablo in Highschool DxD at novel35.com

...not being ironic at all

She wanted to start teaching him hand-to-hand combat first as that was much more beneficial at this point.

Grayfia believed that it was important for him to be able to defend himself in close combat, in case there were situations where his magic wouldn't work or if he didn't have his weapon. It was a logical approach, and one that he couldn't argue with.

Though it was quite surprising at first for Diablo to hear that from a user who is usually known for using magic.

If he didn't know better, he might have thought she was torturing him rather than training him.

And to make matters worse, since they were planning to start training melee combat. They had to condition his body first, making it physically able, to prepare his body for the rigorous demands of close combat

So, she had started his physical training...it was much more intensified due to the fact that he was naturally strong as a Devil but even more so because of the ritual

In addition to traditional exercises like running, weightlifting, and calisthenics, she had also introduced him tied to enchanted weights imbued with runes that made them constantly 10 kilograms heavier than his natural limit. It was a cruel and unusual form of conditioning, harsh and unforgiving, one that pushed his body to its limits and beyond.

With a Herculean effort, Diablo managed to slowly push himself off the ground, 'Well...no pain, no gain'

Grayfia gave a small smirk, seemingly pleased by this, and continued the 'torture' - or as she preferred to call it, training.

---

(Timeskip 1 year)

Diablo POV:

It's been a year since my tortur-*cough* training began, and a lot has happened during that time

I've even experienced a significant growth spurt, which is all the more impressive considering I'm only four years old. My height now matches that of a ten year old.

Before I delve into the specifics of my training progress over the past year, there's one notable incident that had occured

Just a month into my training, someone attempted to assassinate me again.

It wasn't as serious as the first one though, because Grayfia didn't even let him come close to me.

The attack took place while Grayfia and I were out on our usual outing. He actually had the balls to try to take my life in front of Grayfia...so it didn't work out so well for him

Also...because of him, my outings with Grayfia were no more...You have no idea how pissed off I am...

Anyway, instead of killing him, Grayfia took him back home with us.

Our dungeon had its first prisoner in years. I definitely did not hear shouting and screaming from there, whenever Grayfia went there to 'clean' it...

After some 'persuasion' by Grayfia that went over some course of time, he had 'sadly' passed away...reasons unknown...

Grayfia told me that she had been unable to discover the identity of the person who had hired the attacker, as he had some kind of seal on him

Which was quite odd for me, because one would immediately find out if someone has a seal...so what was all the need for all that 'persuasion' for the last three months...

And so, I asked her that

She just innocently tilted her head as she looked at me with a 'confused' expression, "What are you talking about Young master?"

Seeing her pretending that nothing out of the ordinary had occurred, terrified me to the core, "Uhm...nothing Fia...I guess, I'm just a little tired because of our training today...I think I might need to go get some rest"

...Grayfia scary

Anyway, for the results of the training, it was pretty satisfactory if I say so myself. I think I can proudly say that there isn't a single devil my age who could defeat me. Hell! Not even any of the Mid-Class or Lower-Class Devils could do so

Grayfia had even mentioned that I could even hold my own against some of the weaker High-Class Devils.

My fruits of training were...good, but painful. They were bittersweet

On one hand, the results of my physical and mental conditioning were undeniable - I was stronger, faster, and more resilient than I had ever been before. On the other hand, the process of getting there was nothing short of torture...there I said it.

I was literally put through a physically demanding program that left me feeling like I was being put through the ringer on a daily basis

The maid was a sadist in training

After she deemed my physical conditioning to be at a level that was finally satisfactory...

She started beating me up...yes

She believed that the best way for me to learn how to fight was through actual combat experience, rather than just being 'taught' how to fight

We practiced like this on a daily basis, with Grayfia constantly pushing me to my limits and beyond. It was a gruelling process, but it ultimately made me more capable in combat.

Despite the bruises and sore muscles that I consistently found myself dealing with, there finally came up a point where I could decently defend myself...You don't know happy I was that day

However, one thing I was disappointed about was my swordsmanship, I didn't have anyone to learn it from.

Grayfia, who was not a swordswoman herself, had done her best to teach me the basic techniques that she knew. She had picked up a little bit of knowledge during her time at the Barbatos mansion during the Devil Civil War, and had shared what she had learned with me.

While her teachings had been helpful, I knew that I needed more in-depth instruction in order to truly excel with the sword.

I had also found manuals on sword techniques used by our clan, but they were of little use to me without a proper instructor to guide my practice. They didn't match me either...

I had no rhythm to my swordsmanship or any sword techniques for my level, but I wasn't really let down

No matter how many types of sword techniques are made, they were are evolved from the five basic sword moves: Slash, thrust, chop, parry, slice

These were the building blocks upon which all techniques were based, and I realised that if I could master them, it would lay the foundation for my future progress.

I was young...I had time...

So I focused my efforts on perfecting these fundamentals, drilling the basic moves over and over again until they became second nature to me.

As Bruce Lee once said, "I fear not a man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, I fear a man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times"

As I continued to train, I began to feel a sense of progress. My movements became more fluid and confident, and I started to develop my own style and rhythm. I knew that I still had a long way to go, but I was determined...I would show that damn spirit

Anyway, I also spent countless hours practicing using my eyes. When I first activated them, it caused an intense, throbbing headache as my brain struggled to make sense of all the new information it was receiving, but slowly I got hang of it and it became better the second time

For now, with my current capabilities, I could use them for 10 seconds

I also told Grayfia about them because she had already been suspicious of them ever since we first met... but I didn't just straight out tell her everything though

I just explained to her that I could see some lines when I infused my eyes with demonic energy

Grayfia had furrowed her eyebrows at this revelation and decided to conduct some experiments. She brought in a few bunnies and some objects as test subjects and was stunned to discover the effect of my eyes, that how I was able to kill or 'delete' anything I considered alive.

She warned me to keep my abilities a secret, most Devils were greedy by nature and if they knew the power of my eyes, they would use any means to get them.

This, in turn reminded of Rizevim...but I shook my head, clearing that thought

She also cautioned me to use my eyes in situations where I intended to kill my enemy, leaving them alive may cause the information of my eyes to be leaked, which could bring unwanted attention not just from the Underworld, but from the entire supernatural world.

That could be catastrophic, as history has repeatedly demonstrated that people with unique abilities were often discriminated against, hunted, persecuted or exploited...it wasn't anything good

It was also clear that these eyes were meant for deadly force, and I couldn't use them to merely incapacitate someone...which was kinda obvious...I couldn't use it to knock someone out, now could I?

...well actually...Nevermind, I could technically do it...Fuck, these eyes are OP

I shouldn't be overconfident as well and try to use my eyes on beings that were far stronger than me, like the Great Red...I would get disintegrated before I even come close. I should only use my eyes on opponents who were weaker than me, or at least on par with my own strength. Well, I guess sneaking up on the stronger ones could work, yeah?

...no, not worth the risk

I needed to be strategic and choose my battles wisely if I wanted to survive.

Then the magic part,

Grayfia first taught me how to control my mana, it was a crucial step in learning how to perform spells. Once I had a good grasp on the basics, she showed me how to use magic to increase my physical strength by infusing it in my muscles and channel it through my skin to enhance my defence.

Also, I keep on saying magic...It's worth noting, that we Devils refer to this power as Demonic Power, Angels and Fallen Angels call it Holy Power. All of these are just different variations of magic, with the exception of Senjutsu that utilises Life Force/Ki/Aura instead.

Most Devils only utilize the innate abilities that their clans specialize in or are born with, but some also choose to learn magic that is not inherent to their clan. For example, Grayfia, who is highly skilled with ice magic despite the fact that the Lucifuge clan does not have any natural ice abilities.

Coming back to my own training

Grayfia taught me the basics, such as how to cast Magic Shields and Magic Missiles. These spells were essential for any magician and were often some of the first spells that were taught.

She also attempted to teach me the Teleportation Spell, which by the way was a disaster, I was all over the place...I ended up on the roof once. This was the normal Teleportation Spell, that required time, and was generally used by all the other clans

Grayfia also taught me Telepathy, which was a bit easier to learn, although it is a rare spell these days and the methods for practicing it had been lost to most clans.

To learn the magic specific to my own clan, I referred to the books I found in the library and received assistance from Grayfia, who couldn't use the magic herself but was able to help with my training.

I spent many hours pouring over the texts, learning the history and proper usage of each spell. One such spell that I learned was the Spatial Slash, which allows me to use my katana to slice through space itself.

The spell came easily to me due to my inherent understanding of space as a member of the Barbatos clan.

I also learned how to unlock my storage dimension, which was an innate ability possessed by all members of the clan. It could only store non-living things though

I didn't actually have to do anything to learn it, I just had to unlock it

The storage dimension was apparently present in all of the members of the clan since their birth and its size was basically the amount of demonic power you had, so the stronger I became, the more the storage I had.

In addition to all of this, we also discovered out that I had quite the talent with Gravity magic, I could now increase and decrease the gravity of objects both living and non-living around me by a factor of 10

I was even able to change the center of gravity and move it onto my hands, which gave me a whole new level of control over my magic.

Because of that, I attempted to use Almighty Push (Shinra Tensei) and Universal Pull (Banshō Ten'in) from Naruto, and it actually worked!

While I don't have quite enough Demonic Power at the moment to destroy a city like Pain did to Konoha, I was confident that I would be able to do so in the future as my power grew.

In fact, I even entertained the idea of attracting meteors from outer space, just like Madara did in the Fourth Great Shinobi War...The thought of it sent shivers of excitement down my spine, though I wasn't sure exactly how I would go about pulling a meteor out of space...but I had an idea...

I also managed to successfully cast Planetary Devastation (Chibaku Tensei) by creating a core of Demonic energy outside my body and making it the center of gravity.

However, my version was only about the size of a beach ball, as it would require a significant amount of Demonic Power to create one as large as the ones made by Pain and Madara, at least Ultimate-Class

In theory, it would even be possible to create one, the size of the moon...I just needed enough Demonic Power

Casting Planetary Devastation was no easy feat, as it required me to have precise control over my Demonic Power. I had to work hard to improve my control and make sure that I could accurately create and manipulate the core. My control over mana had improved drastically due to this

... and that's it...I think I did pretty decent during this year...

Well I had one more thing in my mind...one I had been thinking of a lot recently...It was the conversation with Rizevim that had been weighing heavily on my mind...and so I had come to a conclusion...

'I needed allies' I gazed out at the rolling green hills that stretched out before me, the cool wind whipping my hair and clothes around as it battered my face. Despite the chill, I barely felt it, too lost in thought.

I was so deep in contemplation that the outside world barely registered to me. The only thing that existed in that moment was my own troubled mind and the thoughts swirling around inside it.

I turned my head downward, my eyes following the lines of the mansion's architecture as they led down, down to the ground far below. It was a long way down and the thought of plummeting to the ground was more than a little intimidating.

So, you must be wondering, where was I?

I was on the roof, atop the highest point of my mansion...and yes, I was about to jump off..

Why?

*CRACK!*

I fell to my knees on the hard, cold tiles of the mansion's roof. My hands clutched at the rough edge of the roof, my teeth grinding together as I struggled to endure the searing agony that coursed through my body.

It hurt...a lot more that I expected...but it was bearable

Beneath my clothes, two lumps on my back writhed and pulsated. It felt as though hot pokers were being plunged into my flesh, and I couldn't help but gasp and groan in agony.

*TEAR!*

And with a loud sound of tearing fabric and flesh, they were freed...released from their confinement, their edges dripping with my blood. They unfurled to their full size, the span of them blocking out the sun behind me and casting me into the shadows, save for my head.

I could feel the weight of their presence behind me, a physical manifestation of the power that I had yet to possess

My wings were unusual, nothing like the typical bat-like leather wings possessed by the Devils, nor the fiery Phoenix wings made of flames belonging to the Phenex clan. They were not even the sleek black feathery-wings of the Fallen Angels or the ethereal white-feathery wings of the Angels. No, my wings were something else entirely.

They were dark and shadowy...almost smoky, with a swirling black miasma encircling their edges. The wings themselves were pitch black, with streaks of deep red scattered throughout, like veins pulsing with the scorching fires of hell. The red seemed to shimmer and dance, as if it were alive

I turned to look at them, marvelling at their appearance...They were exactly as they had been depicted in the massive painting hanging in one of the mansion's offices, a portrait of Yamamoto Barbatos standing tall in the battlefield with these grand wings unfurled behind him.

It was quite a signature for the Barbatos..

Yamamoto's wings, once a thing of beauty, were brutally stripped away, leaving him with this damned, hideous imitation formed from the blackened rage and hatred that consumed him after his wife's death...An ugly distortion of his immense love...A curse

Quite poetic if you think about it

Every time he shall attempt to unfurl his wings, a searing pain would shoot through his body...A constant, palpable reminder for all eternity of his own betrayal to the Biblical God, this curse passed down to his descendants...

This was also the reason why it had been quite difficult for me to learn to fly. I would feel excruciating pain every time I flapped my wings.

I needed to get used to the pain, otherwise it would become detrimental in a battle.

That's why I had been coming to this spot regularly, pushing myself to the limit in order to build up my tolerance for pain.

I closed my eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. Then, with a burst of determination, I spread my wings wide and leapt into the air. At first, it was a struggle to keep myself aloft, the pain searing me constantly, but I gritted my teeth and kept on going

As I climbed higher and higher, the wind rushing past me and the ground far below becoming a blur, I couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. I had never flown this high before, and I knew that I was making progress.

But my triumph was short-lived, as the pain became too much to bear and I was forced to turn back.

Gravity took hold and I began to plummet towards the ground, my wings curling back into my body as I braced for impact. The ground rushed up to meet me...

*THUD!*

And I hit it hard, groaning in pain, collapsing.

I lay there for a moment, panting and trying to catch my breath.

I had flown further than I ever had before, I think that was a record...it wouldn't be too long until I would be used to the constant, nagging pain and finally fly freely

Lying flat on the grass, I stared up at the clear blue sky as Rizevim's words once again echoed in my mind...Yes, I need allies...not just my own peerage...but something more..

That was why I had made the decision to venture out the next day... into another territory...

To recruit the first addition of a faction...

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...My personal faction

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{{NOTE from Author-san:

- For the names of the attacks, do ya'll want me to go full on Japanese or full on English? Or some English and some Japanese?

- Please point out grammatical mistakes or spelling mistakes, or anything like that. I'll edit it as soon as possible

- I was legit listening to classical music and opera while writing this lmao

- As you noticed in the previous chapters, there have been sudden burst of certain emotions from Diablo. One occurring in this one as well...well, its just a hint to something :) }}

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