High School DxD: Road to becoming a Heavenly Dragon

Chapter 1

In the distance, not even a few miles from the burning facility, he was greeted by a forest painted white with snow. It was winter now and the temperature was well below 0, but that didn't bother him. Following behind him was a trail of blood...

...A trail that led straight back to the burning facility.

He kept walking, even when his legs buckled underneath him. He still continued.

After all, he had made a promise to someone precious to him that he would live for the both of them. A sacrifice was made so that he would be free...

...A sacrifice...A life for a life...

But as he continued walking, the blood dripping from the wounds on his body was starting to take a toll on him. His vision began to blur and he stumbled with each step until he fell. Face first he landed in the snow, but there was no feeling of ice or pain.

He still had adrenaline pumping through his veins after fighting his way out. With what little strength he had left in his small frame of a body, he rolled over onto his back and looked at the sky above him.

He wished to the stars above him hopefully before the last time...

...But he couldn't.

The large trees that surrounded him shielded the stars from him. He couldn't help but chuckle. The young boy cursed God for everything that has happened to him.

"First you took my family away from me...Then you cursed me...When I finally found people that cared for me, you took them away from me..."

Slowly, his eyes began to lose their light and they began to close...

Just as they were about to close, his eyes opened when he felt a presence not far from him. Turning his head slightly to the side, there he saw a small shadow approaching him. As if she was unaffected by the cold, she walked calmly toward the boy.

She looked to be the same age as him if not older. Her black hair was cut into a bob-syle and her pink-rimmed glasses gleamed in what little light there was. 

"Do you want to live? Do you want a second chance?"

The boy stared at the girl who spoke without missing a beat as if she had been preparing for this conversation. He thought about her words.

'A second chance...'

He remembered her words, her sacrifice that gave him a chance to fight...to escape...

To Live...

She was dear to him, they all were...

But what could he do now? 

He was alone.

They were all gone.

What would be the point if they weren't with him anymore? 

The girl must've noticed what his answer would be, so she spoke as he closed his eyes once more.

"Then...If you do not want to live for yourself...then live for the sake of others. Live for my sake. If you don't have your own desires, I will help you find them."

The boy couldn't help but chuckle softly as a small smile spread across his face.

(Video: Hiroyuki Sawano; Bubble ost)

"Hey, you...You're not some kind of angel, are ya?"

"Angel...?" This time she couldn't help but smile to herself. From her back appeared two bat-like wings. "I'm no angel...I am...A devil."