POV: Rias
"Why, my brothers and sisters, should we continue to kneel to those who call themselves our lords? These Devils who remade our bodies, chained our souls, and dare to claim us as their property. The satans promise that things will be better. They boast of pride, yet cannot even protect their own realm from threat after threat. And though they war with many enemies, are they not themselves kin to the same cruelty they pretend to oppose?
I seek freedom, and vengeance for the chains placed upon all of us. Even if such vengeance were denied me, I would no longer live as a servant beneath those who believe our fates belong to them by right. I am not the only one among you burning with strength and indignation. Have we not all lost something- our lives, our pasts, our choices? What more must they take before we rise? We were promised a new beginning, yet are kept confined, obedient, summoned and dismissed like tools between warring nobles and petty politics. Here we linger, deedless, waiting, a legion of forgotten souls bound by glowing pieces in our hearts. Shall we remain thus forever, slaves with pretty titles, until our spirits decay into dust?
"Or shall we claim our freedom?
Before we were remade, we walked as humans, yokai, Valkyrie's, hybrids – free peoples who lived and died by our own decisions. Those lives, those wills, still lie within us, waiting for us to remember what the Devils would have us forget. A free being does not exist to decorate another's power. So come with me. Let those who tremble stay beside their masters, clinging to obedience. But by the blood spilled to bind us, if only the fearful remain, then the Devil lords will find their halls empty, their power starved, their thrones hollow. We choose our own fate now. Not them. Fair shall the end be, though harsh the road; for freedom has never been won by the obedient."
Akeno turned off the television. Silence followed, thick and strained. My peerage was gathered in the Occult Research Club, and Sona had brought hers as well. We had all watched the speech delivered by the masked man who called himself "Zero". It had been broadcast across the entire Devils' net.
The lords of hell were no doubt scrambling to suppress it. Already the major stations were parading commentators to dismiss him as a delusional agitator. They had dragged out several well-known reincarnated devils to denounce him as well, reciting the usual lines about unity, stability, and loyalty.
They did not seem to notice that by declaring that no one should listen to Zero, they were all but ensuring that more people would.
"What do you think?" I asked, not addressing anyone in particular.
"It was inevitable," Sona said. Her voice was steady, measured. "After what happened with Daeron Barahir."
Daeron Barahir. The reincarnated devil executed by House Dantalion for allegedly attacking their heir. The official story insisted it had been an unprovoked assault. Within hours of the execution, however, contradictory accounts had surfaced.
Some claimed Daeron had acted in self-defense after months of mistreatment. Others said he had been coerced into service far beyond the terms agreed upon in his contract. There were recordings circulating that showed him warning his peerage members that he feared for his life.
There were testimonies from former servants of House Dantalion claiming the heir had abused reincarnated devils for years. And then there were counterclaims accusing Daeron of treason, or corruption, or secret ties to the Luciferian cults.
Every faction produced their own version of events, each insisting that theirs was the truth, each presenting selective fragments of evidence. No two accounts aligned, yet all were delivered with absolute certainty. The only clear fact was that Daeron Barahir was dead.
And now Zero had turned that death into a rallying cry.
"I guess so," I said with a slow exhale. "This 'Zero' persona was already gathering followers by the day. An event like Daeron's death only accelerates the process. The unjust execution of yet another reincarnated devil is the perfect catalyst to radicalize the lower class."
"Unjust?" Sona repeated, tone flat. "You believe Daeron's death was an injustice?"
"I have no doubt," I replied. "You and I both know Kelzior Dantallion. He's a sadistic creature who delights in tormenting anyone beneath him."
"Yes… he is," Sona murmured, pinching the bridge of her nose. She always did that when her thoughts pressed in on themselves.
"Something bothering you?" I asked.
"It all feels…" Sona searched for the right word, "…scripted. Haruki makes a comment that inflames every faction eager to twist his words into a banner. Then this masked figure emerges, claiming to be a reincarnated devil, denouncing the system and promising liberation. As he gathers sympathy, a reincarnated devil is conveniently executed by a noble house, igniting outrage. Outrage Zero is already shaping into a political weapon."
Haruki, why did you do that? Did you know this would happen? Where are you?
"You think Zero orchestrated the execution?" I asked.
"Possibly," Sona replied. "The timing is too precise to dismiss."
"What about the rest of you?" I asked, turning to the others. They had been silent until now.
"I believe you're being too biased, Buchou," Tsubaki said, tone steady.
Sona didn't bristle. She never discouraged disagreement. She valued discourse, and her peerage knew they were free to speak their minds. Tsubaki was typically quiet, but when she chose to speak, it was with surgical clarity.
And given her history with Haruki, I was especially interested in her read on events. Haruki never chose dull people.
"How so?" Sona asked with interest.
"It's possible Daeron's death was politically engineered," Tsubaki began. "But you're ignoring precedent. Executions like this have occurred many times before. The only reason this one stands out is because it coincides with other volatile events. A reincarnated devil being punished, or killed, is not unusual."
She was right. Plenty died that way, and because most cases never brushed our orbit, they went unspoken. What surprised me was Tsubaki's bluntness; then again, one needed a certain steel to date Haruki.
"Furthermore," Tsubaki continued, her eyes sharpening behind her glasses, "consider Zero's motive. At present, it can be summarized as follows: convince as many reincarnated devils as possible that the current system is untenable, that rebellion is not merely justified but necessary. His main audience is people who have already suffered the things he describes. They do not need Daeron's death to open their eyes. You forget that a master like you or Lady Rias is rare. Most reincarnated devils live miserable lives."
Well, that was rather thorough, and I could see Sona carefully turning over her queen's words.
"I suppose you are right," Sona said at last. "He would not need to artificially plan a death to show how horrific our kind can be. I have simply been considering the general unrest throughout the underworld and looking for a connection between it all."
"The connection is clear," Akeno said.
She did not need to spell out whom she meant.
"What is the connection?" Issei asked, clearly lost.
Evidently some need it explained directly.
"She meant Haruki, Issei," I said quietly to my pawn. "It is his words that ignited all this unrest."
"Ah, th-that makes sense," he murmured, scratching the back of his head.
"The eternal darkness is little worse than this bright prison," Sona repeated. "What was he thinking, making such a vague comment? It was obvious that every faction in the underworld would interpret it according to their own agendas. Any news on his whereabouts? If anyone could clear this mess, it would be the one who caused it in the first place."
"I am afraid not," I answered bitterly. Haruki had vanished after that night. It hurt more than I cared to admit. I always knew he would disappear someday, so why does the thought still make me want to cry?
"So what are you going to do now?" Sona asked, studying me closely.
"My parents are doing their best to convince me to return to the underworld," I said. "Especially with the rising tension everywhere."
"So do mine," Sona replied. "Even my sister was uncharacteristically serious when she warned me to return home where I will be safe. And I agree with her. Turbulent times are coming."
"I will return home as well," I said. Sona looked genuinely surprised.
In the past I had always refused. I believed Haruki would return. And he did. But this time, my gut told me he would not. That night, when I was happiest, felt far too much like a goodbye. I cannot delude myself again.
I will need to organize my return to the underworld and arrange protection for Issei's parents while we are gone.
For now, my priority is the safety of my peerage.
POV: Valerie
Freedom is delicious. I never understood the word until now, until the first time I stepped into the human world and felt the air that was truly my own to breathe. Cars, buses, trains, airplanes… I adore all of them. The way they rumble, the way they rush, the way they carry people to places they choose.
Every journey feels like a miracle. I sit by the window and watch faces blur past, hundreds and thousands of them, each person with their own story, their own joy, their own secrets. It overwhelms me in the most wonderful way.
Back in the vampire world, I could barely step outside. I was locked away, hidden away, treated as something fragile and useful, but never alive. I used to think I understood how many people existed out there… but I was wrong.
The human world is overflowing with them. Overflowing with life. It is loud, and bright, and messy, and warm. It has colors I didn't know existed. Smells I can't stop breathing in. Voices everywhere; laughing, arguing, singing, complaining. I love all of it.
Sometimes I stop just to watch a family eat together in a crowded restaurant. Or a group of teenagers arguing over which movie to see. Or an elderly couple sharing a tiny umbrella during the rain. These little moments… I love them. Every second feels like something I should hold gently in both hands.
Even the simple things like waiting in line, walking through a park, buying a snack from a machine, feel extraordinary. I savor them. I will always savor them. For the first time, the world feels big enough for me. And I am determined to taste every part of it.
"How did you find the human world?" asked the voice I have come to treasure dearly. The voice of the man who gave me everything and more, the one who freed me.
"It's amazing," I said, unable to hold back my excitement. "The vampires always said humans were little better than beasts, primitive and dull. But that was a lie. All lies. The world is so vast, so full. I feel overwhelmed, in truth."
"Yes," Haruki said softly, though his eyes burned with a familiar fire. "The world is vast. It taunts me with its size. There are too many cultures to unravel, too many histories to trace, too many languages that twist and break in fascinating ways. Countless sciences, arts, philosophies… and only one lifetime to devour them all. Every time I learn something new, I discover ten more things I haven't touched yet. It's maddening. Exhilarating. I want to understand everything, taste everything, master everything. Yet the life of a human is so short. Too short to conquer everything I want."
The one thing I have come to learn about my enigmatic savior is his love for life. His curiosity burns brighter than any star. It is almost frightening in its intensity, and impossibly charming. He speaks with a passion that makes even the simplest topic feel like a great adventure.
One moment he explains how a particular accent evolved in a remote corner of the world; the next he drifts into the architectural shifts of medieval Europe and how invasions shaped their arches; then he leaps to the evolution of music from ancient drums to modern orchestras; then to the history of spices and the migrations that spread them. Subjects I barely understand, yet he pours such affection and awe into each word that all I can do is listen, spellbound.
I once wondered if all humans were like him. But no human I've met on my travels carries even a fraction of his relentless passion.
"Is that what you want to do?" I asked softly. "Explore everything?"
"I suppose," he said, though his gaze wandered far beyond the walls around us. "If I could, I'd spend eternity learning; without distraction, without limits. With my magic, I could roam the universe itself. Drift from star to star. Walk across planets untouched by life. Travel from one solar system to the next. Perhaps even search for life beyond our own, to see if aliens exist."
"Then why do you not do it?" I asked.
"Because I have responsibilities," he answered. "Even if I wanted to, I cannot leave. Not now. And even if I did, I would not find peace out there. Not yet."
I had no argument. Yet I could not help but think that he neglected himself far too much. He took on more responsibility than any one person should. He was young. He should live for himself. But he insisted on burying himself in burdens no one asked him to carry.
"How is your training going?" he asked.
"It is going well," I said with a smile. "I already made Selvara and Vaelith immune to sunlight and removed the usual vampire weaknesses. And I have been helping them stabilize the enormous amount of energy you have been feeding them. It takes time and concentration, but i am improving."
"That is good," he said. "Practice the latter more. Being able to regulate a massive influx of energy will be very important in the immediate future."
"I understand," I replied. "If I may ask, what exactly are you preparing for?"
"Ascension," he said calmly.
I wanted to ask for more, but I knew he would not have withheld details if he believed I needed them.
He wanted me to master my Sacred Gear. Master it until I could manipulate and alter souls however I wished. I did not know why he needed that, or what his goals were. But I would meet his expectations. That was the least I could do for the man who had given me freedom, purpose and a life worth living.
AN: Merry Christmas everyone. Btw i started a new dxd fic called A prince forgiven check it out.