The Holy Man of The Church Creek

21

The words you said to me on that day, were the words that were engraved in my heart like the clearest of ice.

Eternal, it was a memory of a time unforgettable.
Serafall blinked her eyes slowly before brushing aside a few strands of her hair while muttering under her breath. From the way her lips thinned into a frown, and the way her fingers began rapping against an oaken desk, it was clear that she was far from amused.
She sighed, straightening her back as she reclined herself against the desk chair she had obtained when her family's retainers arrived in the Marbas territory. Made of stretched black leather and stuffed with quality cotton, her body seemed to comfortably sink into it as her gaze shifted back onto the desk before her.
The desk's surface was spruced up with fine sets of small black ink pots and complimenting quills lined evenly against piles of rolled parchment. It was neat and tidy, a status befitting of the work station of the Sitri Heir, however, it was far from her tastes and more along the lines of her mother's who she remained in contact with. Albeit, she was starting to regret that fact.
In the middle of the desk near the quills and papers, was a letter inscribed with the Sitri Magic Crest in full display. Beside it, was an old-fashioned letter-opener pertaining to the fact that the letter itself had already been opened, its contents out in full display.
The contents of the letter before Serafall was not something that she had wanted to see, but ultimately had to face. Grumbling to herself, she pushed herself off of her chair and stood up on her feet, a hand snatching up the letter's contents irritably before crumpling it.
"Have many times do I have to tell her that I don't want to nor do I need to," she murmured, tossing the crumpled letter to the side and putting it out of her mind.
Raising her arms, she stretched in the process of making her way towards the exit of the study her family retainers had built and insisted she use. No matter how much she refused, it was apparently the responsibility of an Ultimate-Class Devil to maintain a so-called sense of 'dignity' and to maintain an air of 'superiority.' Living in a regular residence as the other Devils seemed to be big a 'NO' in the perspective of her family's retainers. As such, she was adamantly persuaded to live in this make-shift manor in the Marbas territory; unable to refuse because it was her obligation to live up to the feelings of those supporting her. Contradicting them would get her nowhere; simply her mother's lovely ire instead and she was getting enough of that at the moment no matter how fondly she thought of the woman who raised her.
Opening the door at the exit of the study, bright rays of light illuminated her field of vision from the window in front of her. Squinting her eyes, she couldn't help but smile when she noticed the tranquility of the panoramic view of the town forming below her.
-From ruins it rose, a bustling metropolis of the underworld.
Large buildings were beginning to take shape and form. Brick and tile were prepared and stacked evenly against each other before being cemented in place by a grey viscous mixture of grinded rock, earth, and water. Off to the side of that were the fields where large slabs of animal-hides were in the process of being dried for preservation.
The air of the town was joyous, the Low-Class Devils seemingly unable to feel the tension of the Civil War as they went about their own lives. And this was because of the sense of security everyone felt.
It wasn't as apparent on the new arrivals, but for the locals who lived in the lands of Marbas, it was evident: Their faith in the Lord of the land and the barrier he had placed to ensure their safety at the cost of his own self-harm.
Indeed, she had ended up explaining the matter when pressed for answers on what happened on that day from the masses of locals as she couldn't bear to keep the matter secret; not when she realized that their insistence was due entirely to concern. As such, they learned the reason why their Lord Marbas had returned a bloodied mess, and since then, not one of them tolerated anyone disrespecting the young Lord. Quite amusingly, that included her in the eyes of the little Devil Adelina.
But she digressed, for she could understand their sentiments, their trust in him, for she was the same if just a little bit more curious.
He was an odd one really. Nothing she could think of could accurately describe him, for she couldn't categorize him either.
He was of little words and little expression, but he wasn't cold.
He was a Devil of Nobility, an heir of the Seventy-Two Pillars, but no such Noble's 'dignity' and 'airs' existed on his person. Rather, it was he himself who served others.
Yet perhaps the most important of all, was the sharpness of his eyes. The clarity in them which denoted a conviction he wouldn't hesitate to follow through. And it was with those eyes, that he had shown her a cause worthy of fighting for in this bitter war.
Looking at the scene before her now, that cause was more apparent than ever.
For an Underworld all Devils could be proud of.
She smiled tenderly before her gaze shifted back down towards the residents working in the town. From the Low-Class Devils she had gathered with the Sitri House retainers, many of them were proficient in different occupations. Construction, sewing, harvesting, painting, arithmetic, there were a whole variety of skills that were in the process of being implemented in the town as not all Devils were powerful. Furthermore, the local inhabitants in the area possessed their own fair share of experience and skills, adding onto the town's construction.
However, no matter how skilled and proficient people were, there was still a lack of houses to accommodate them. Therefore, pitched up near the edges of the budding town, were numerous tents made from the supplies many of the Low-Class Devils had brought with them from the other shelters.
Only time would be able to tell when those tents would disappear, but for now she had other things she needed to do.
Grabbing her beret before walking out of the home, she placed it on her head and in between her twin-tails as she progressed towards a patch of forest in the distance. It was an isolated plot of land where those willing to fight with her in the New Satan Faction decided to train at after informing her. She was doing a check as a result as she had not had much contact with them after being away from the frontlines for an extended period. More importantly, some exercise would not be so bad.
The familiar sounds of swords swinging and laboured breaths entered her ears the closer she got, causing her to nod in satisfaction for the comrades who fought alongside her against the Old Satan Faction. From the sounds of the swings, they were being truly diligent in their efforts to grow stronger and put an end to this civil war. In that case, she approved.
In the next moment though as she arrived on scene, she found her brow twitching in annoyance for even thinking of approving her comrades 'efforts.'
"Are you not ashamed to be outdone by a child?" She asked exasperatedly, a hand slapping against her forehead.
"N-No Milady. I swear we were intending to be practicing just as hard, but we unexpectedly found her in the area when we got here," a Devil holding a sheathed sword explained while pointing at Adelina.
The young girl was swinging her sword near the center of the training area and only once glanced at Serafall's direction before continuing. Much to Serafall's surprise, the techniques Kuro was teaching the young girl seemed to carry a depth to them that conveyed their mysteriousness. Even more so when the young girl was practicing with a thin blade nearly twice her length.
It was admirable, making her curious to see just what kind of woman Adelina would grow up in to, but no matter, she shook her head to maintain her priorities.
Turning to the other grown up devils she opened her mouth and spoke.
"And a little girl's presence stopped you from training why?" She asked the other devils.
"We were surprised is all;" another devil chimed in. "A devil this child's age being able to put in so much effort was worth watching."
The explanation was understandable. Coupled with the apologetic expression on the other devil's faces, Serafall could only relent. Though, at that point, she wasn't actually angry. In fact, she never was. It was only because she had to show a strong front as a leader in the war that she maintained a somewhat strict attitude when it came to those following her. After all, if the alternative was them dying on the battlefield due to a careless error, then she would rather be strict.
The Devils in the area quickly began practicing, several smiling in Adelina's direction and attempting to give her pointers on her form.
Serafall on the other hand was furtively glancing around her, only to be disappointed when she did not see a familiar visage. Well, no matter, it wasn't as if she wanted to see him anyway.
A gaze pierced at her back, and almost instantly, she felt uncomfortable when an amused laugh trailed into her ears.
"Allon," she said slowly. "What do you think you're doing? And would it kill you to just arrive normally?"
Her voice was flat and monotone. Most of all, she was getting tired of this particular devil's habit of just showing up from out of nowhere. Yet, perhaps that was why her mother had assigned him to her.
"No milady, I believe the question that needs answering is what do you think you're doing?" A voice replied in kind.
Turning around, she crossed her arms before huffing. In front of her was Allon, the masked devil assigned as her aide, and the smugness coming off him was infuriating.
"What do you mean?" She pressed, tapping a foot against the ground.
"Oh, is it not obvious?" Allon stared hard at Serafall, "I have been your aide since you were no more than a brat with a bit, no, a lot more power than the others, but I digress."
An aura of seriousness appeared over Allon's cloaked body as he immediately drew closer.
Serafall grew startled by the action, but was left flabbergasted when all Allon did was point.
"Perfume, short dress, white stockings, earrings, high-heels, bare shoulders, and even a silver linked golden pendant." Allon took a breath before sighing as he shook his head. "From the coordination of your clothes, it seems to me that you must have had spent a substantial amount of time on deciding on your apparel unlike your usual self who would wear whatever caught your eye. Therefore, milady, I cannot help but ask. Are you here to train or to-"
"-?!"
Serafall covered Allon's mouth in a fluster as the other devils in the area turned towards her. Allon's voice wasn't loud, but it wasn't silent either. Therefore, the other devils and Adelina could clearly hear what Allon had to say, and Adelina was already looking disapprovingly at Serafall. The others however seemed to be delighted, giving her thumbs up and meaningful glances that only furthered her embarrassment as she promptly realized that, no; she could not hide behind her bangs.
Allon's observation were spot on. She had indeed taken a considerable amount of time to decide on what she would wear, but as for the accessories and everything else, she couldn't even remember when she had put them on.
She was feeling mortified. After all, she didn't even realize what she had been doing when she had been preparing herself for the day, and only now that she thought of it did she realize what she had done. Her actions had been done subconsciously as a part of her just didn't want to appear like the rest in Kuro's eyes. Yet could she admit that, let alone acknowledge it in front of others?
Legs feeling weak, her mind couldn't come up with anything to say in response as Allon gently tugged her hand off of his mouth and placed it by her side. The action could have had been perceived as the end of her misery, yet the man just had to get another word in.
"It heartens me greatly to see you acting as a woman in her youth, milady."
That traitorous mouth.
For a moment, she was legitimately contemplating what her aide would look like as an ice sculpture, but she was more concerned about clarifying things to the other devils who were now whispering amongst themselves. Adelina had long ago stopped practicing and was now glaring at Serafall with a critical eye.
"W-What are you insinuating?" Serafall said irritably to Allon before turning to the others whose expression remained unchanged. "It's obvious that this man's words can't be trusted-listen to me will you!"
Serafall's lip twitched seeing that her words had no effect before then dragging Allon into the forest with a red face.
"WHY?" She demanded of Allon.
Generally, she had a flippant personality, but even she could get embarrassed.
"You resemble your mother when she had first met your father, now the question is; will you beat me up to?" Allon's eyes glanced down at the frosted air stemming from Serafall's hands.
To be honest, Allon had only acted up, as it was truly rare for Serafall to act in such a way. In fact, she had never even dressed nicely for her suiters and had turned them all down despite the political benefits. Her actions were beginning to make her mother worry, more so now with the civil war breaking out. More than anything, Serafall's mother just wanted someone to ensure her daughter's safety, and an alliance by marriage would only make the other family place more importance on Serafall.
However, Serafall continued to refuse, saying that only a man stronger than her could marry her. This statement alone was bleak as Serafall was already an Ultimate-Class Devil at her young age. Clearly, she had only made such a statement to thwart her mother's efforts as no suitable heir could match her other than Sirzech's and Ajuka and neither of the two bothered, as they were all friends.
It truly was a tricky situation, but suddenly Allon saw a hope that he conveyed to Lady Sitri, Serafall's mother.
The heir of Marbas.
It only helped as he could see that Serafall had a favourable impression of the man.
"Well, will you strike this old man who helped raise you since young? Will you strike your old Ale?" Allon said in monotone.
Serafall snorted before letting the matter drop, yet was clearly still angry.
"You must have your reasons for showing up now," she asked.
Allon nodded before dusting himself off to look presentable. When Serafall had dragged him to his current location, bits and pieces of bramble had stuck onto his cloak.
Clearing his throat, Allon bowed once before straightening his back and giving a gesture of salute to Serafall.
"I'm here to report on the matter you've asked of me; it appears that the young lord Marbas has begun his move, whatever that may be," Allon said.
Ever since the events of that night, Serafall had been waiting to see just what Kuro had planned to create an underworld every devil could be proud of to call home.
When she had heard him speak those words the first time, she had heard the conviction in his voice. They were not empty words, and he would surely act on them.
Therefore, she placed a man to watch his movements and report to her so that she may be of service when he chose to act. That time seemed to be now.
"Oh, has he now?" She said with a smile, her anger seeming to dissipate slightly as her anticipation rose. "Then it's probably about time for me to make a move."
"In more ways than one I hope?" Allon said.
She smiled sweetly.
"Shut up," was her only response.
The things he held dear, and the resolutions he had made shaped him to be the man he was today.
Like flickering flames, the world which could only be seen through his eyes seemed fleeting, but in the end, it was beautiful. A world without hardship, a place where all were equal, and a land where there was no longer a need for heroes. To that end, he would fight, even if it wasn't for the sake of his own world, but that of another's simply because it didn't matter.
Shirou raised a hand towards the sky, staring at the way a dark energy emitted from it in a thin transparent smoke. The energy of All the World's Evil eroding away at his body; the consequence of him maintaining his current form for too long. Yet it didn't matter.
Hand clenched into fist, a small stream of energy shot forth, catching the falling leaves within the forest. Like flame to paper, the leaves began to fade one by one into particles of black decay which faded in the wind.
His brows furrowed in thought. Not only was he getting more proficient at using this new power, he felt that it was necessary to do so. He wouldn't be able to explain how a Devil could create so many demonic swords let alone the number of holy swords he had at his disposal. Therefore, he had to find an alternative means.
Hand dropping back to his side, he took a breath before closing his eyes to think.
The towns people and the new devils that Serafall had brought were getting along quite well and the town's development was speeding along with everyone's cooperation. Furthermore, the barrier around the lands of Marbas was strong, guaranteeing the safety of those within.
As for new arrivals, there were no more signs of any others coming any time soon either. Serafall had already spoken to him about the fact that she had already gathered all of the devils seeking shelter here. Thus, it was safe to assume that no matter how much time passed, no more devils in the area would come unless he directed them here from lands farther away.
He nodded his head as he decided on what he was going to do.
He had said to Serafall that his goal was to create an underworld that all devils could be proud of, and he couldn't do so by staying put here and doing nothing.
In his words were his convictions, and in his actions were his motives.
When he found himself at the very borders of the barrier surrounding the lands of Marbas, he was already finished contemplating.
It was time to go and change things.
He hadn't informed Serafall of his intentions, nor did he speak of it to others simply because he knew what their reactions would be. They would follow him regardless of the danger. The expressions on their faces, their very actions regarding him, they weren't lost on him.
He didn't know the particular phenomenon, but in some ways, he could relate to it for he was once the same. A boy saved by a man who knew nothing about him in the fires of a hell that surely would have ended his life. That man had saved him when he was already far past the point of despair and was only a husk of everything else that had already been eroded away.
What he had felt back then, may share similar aspects to what these people felt now.
Gratitude.
Devotion.
He had saved them in their lowest point in their lives, he a hero who had come in their despair. They wouldn't be willing to allow their hero to risk his life alone outside the protection of the lands of Marbas.
In regards to Serafall though, he wasn't to sure how she would react. After all, the reason why didn't inform her was because of a consequence he had thought up of after God had instigated him into thinking about repercussions.
Who was Serafall if not one of the future leaders of the Underworld?
As such, she had a place she needed to be right now in the front-lines. Her absence there may prove detrimental for future events. Therefore, he was hoping that with his absence, she would simply return to her part of the battlefield and allow him to fight for the underworld in his own way.
Yet, he underestimated the tenacity of a woman's intuition, or more accurately their decisiveness.
"And where do you think you're going?" Serafall asked in front of him. Near her were an entire group of several hundred devils choosing to follow house Sitri in the civil war.
With how strong Serafall was, she had become a prominent figure in the civil war between devils of the differing factions. As a result, many devils in the New Satan Faction followed her without question, not just because of loyalty to house Sitri, but because they were more inclined to follow her out of a sense of admiration.
He on the other hand was looking at her in anything but admiration at the moment. Powerful or not, she had a role that she had to fill for the future he was fighting for. Her presence here means that she won't be fulfilling that role, and subsequently, it was going to be another thing he would have to fix before returning to the future.
His brow twitched as the urge to yell out his frustration welled up from inside him, and it wasn't just because of the pain he was going through. It was simply because of stunning realization that he was somehow being roped into the problems of another woman.
He really should have had just stayed in the apartment in the future and holed himself up from everyone.
However, he knew better than anyone that that wasn't the type of person he was.
"Serafall," he greeted with a nod.
"Kuro," she replied in kind with a smile over her face that suddenly faded when Allon gave her a thumb up.
She gritted her teeth, then shook her head before walking up to Shirou.
Shirou didn't move, as it was then he noticed that there was a difference in Serafall's attire, and it seemed as if she was somehow hoping he would comment on it. When she had first arrived in the lands of Marbas, she wore baggy grey clothing completely suited for the lifestyle she must have been living in the war. Now though, she wore a small dress and complimenting accessories that made him realize that it wasn't just Sona who was beautiful in the Sitri household, but Serafall was too. And she was simply stunning.
Yet, he had seen his fair share of stunning beauties and was quick to recover as Serafall stopped right in front of him with a distance of two feet.
"Well?" She asked hopefully.
He acted as if he didn't understand her underlying intentions and just grunted.
She sighed as a result, looking up at him with a pout before dropping the matter.
"You didn't seem to answer my question about leaving," She said.
"Would I have to tell you when I leave every time?" He replied back.
"No, I suppose not," Serafall raised her shoulders before twisting herself as she walked around Shirou. Her gaze was playful, yet serious at the same time, thus Shirou was unsure of what exactly she was thinking. "If it was just any other outing, then there wouldn't be a need for me to be here. However, Kuro, you going out now means that you yourself are ready to act, are you not?"
Serafall smiled before motioning behind her.
His gaze followed her gesture and landed on the rows of devils Serafall had brought with her. They stood at attention, those at the very front, older looking and more experienced than those at the back.
"I thought about it Kuro. What you said on that night," Serafall admitted. "And your right. The kind of underworld I want my sister to live in is an underworld that all devils can be proud to call home. As such, please let me fight with you. Let us fight with you."
Shirou stared silently at Serafall, and then back to the unmoving crowd of devils behind her. He knew that even if he disagreed, with Serafall's personality, she may very well just trail behind him anyway.
The men and women in front of him at this moment were the people willing to fight for the peace of the underworld. Their loss would be a blow that would be hard to recover from even in the future. From where he stood, he could see in the crowd, numerous other High-Ranked Devils from the other pillars that chose to follow Serafall. Recalling back to what Issei had spoken with him about what happened with Rias and her wedding, then many of those in the Seventy-Two Pillars may be lost in this war. This would lead to the events of the marriage by purity of blood.
As such, he would rather fight alongside everyone where he had some confidence in keeping them safe. Even more so when he caught sight of Adelina trying to hide herself from within the crowd.
Really, that girl.
He turned his attention back to Serafall.
"Fine," he relented. This was just another thing that was going to change the future. At this point though, he didn't care so long as it was a future where everyone was still smiling.
When he accepted, Serafall released a breath of relief before grinning as she patted his back.
"Now that were decided, you want to let me know what you had in mind?" She asked.
"…"
He didn't answer. How was he supposed to say that he had decided to just go straight to the front lines and hope to stumble upon a leader of the Old Satan Faction? It was the same as saying he had no plan at all.
Somehow, Serafall was able to read Shirou's expression, making her lips twitch in amusement. It would seem as if she had found the part in Shirou that he was lacking. For all the strength he had, if he didn't have the intelligence to plan accordingly then he was simply another Sirzechs Gremory. Though she didn't mind that very much. Instead, it was his compassion and selflessness towards others that was drawing her curiosity and fondness.
Besides, she already had a friend that was too smart for his own good.
She pulled out a note she had obtained from Ajuka and read it over once more before nodding her head and stepping directly beside Shirou.
"If you don't have any plans, why don't you hear me out?" She said whispering into Shirou's ear, their faces only inches apart.
Allon nearly applauded in gratification watching the scene but was startled when the wooden sword in Adelina's hand shattered within Adelina's grip.
Shirou didn't see any of this though, as more than anything, the pain in his body forced him to only be able to focus on one thing at a time. Presently, that was the plan Serafall was whispering into his ears after his consent.
"Will that really work?" He asked.
"It's something Ajuka thought up of. It's bound to work with his smarts," Serafall replied.
Shirou gave it some thought, before agreeing. "Then let's go with that," he said.
The entire group went North, walking in the direction opposite of where the foremost of the New Satan Faction were fighting.
After all, there was more than one way to win a war, and Ajuka, the genius of the underworld had that made that clear to Serafall numerous times.
The note Ajuka had given to Serafall pertained of the situation regarding the distribution of the Old Satan Factions provisions. Food was necessary to last in battles of such large scale, and by intercepting those provisions, the effect on the war front would be evident. It was just that Serafall had always refused to do something like this as she thought herself more useful fighting.
Looking at Shirou and his willingness to fight for those weaker than him, she changed her mind. By stopping the enemies provisions the whole war was bound to shorten as a result. As Ajuka had given this task of intercepting the enemy's provisions to her, she had initially delegated the duty to Allon, but was now doing it personally on behalf of certain rumours she had heard. Not only would doing it personally increase the surety of the task getting completed, but if those rumours that she heard were true, then she truly did need to act.
Since the group consisted of several hundred or so devils, they moved rather slowly, and in this time, Shirou was staring at Adelina who had come along.
"Your sword's broken," was the first thing he said.
"I thought I saw what my older cousin called a slut, and couldn't contain myself," Adelina said.
The words she spoke shouldn't have been coming out of a young child's mouth, but war forces children to mature early. This was even more so for Adelina who had already lost a father. As for the broken wooden sword, devils in general had a higher base strength than humans. The wooden sword breaking was just a matter of time.
He traced a new one and promptly gave it to Adelina.
"Take care of this one," he said.
Adelina nodded, but Shirou wasn't finished speaking.
"Why did you come?" He asked. "It's dangerous here, and there's a chance that you may not be able to protect your mother ever again if you lose your life."
Adelina pursed her lips before glancing at the ground.
"I spoke with mommy already," she said. "She told me to protect the young lord well."
Shirou patted Adelina's head while grunting. "If a child your age was the one who ends up protecting me, then I might as well give up my dream of being a hero. Am I strong?"
Adelina quickly nodded her head. "Super strong," she said.
"Good, then you should know that I'm strong enough to fend for myself," Shirou said.
Adelina pursed her lips and seemed particularly unwilling to accept Shirou's words. Luckily, Shirou dropped the matter by patting Adelina's head and watched her go off to train with the rest.
As she left, Shirou's attention once again returned to the direction of the road ahead. From what Serafall said, one of the Old Satan Faction's military granaries were in that direction, and by stopping transport of food and supplies, the New Satan Faction should be able to move in for a decisive victory.
The current scenery around them was a dense forest as they transitioned towards milder climates further north of the Marbas territories. Shurbs and bushes filled the area, and the occasional wild animal would peer curiously at their traveling group.
As Adelina was now gone, Shirou decided that it was time to make use of himself to scout ahead. Jumping atop the trees, he focused magical energy into his eyes to reinforce their vision.
His forehead creased as he squinted his eyes.
There off in the distance in a clearing of the forest was a caravan of people, yet unexpectedly this caravan was far different from normal travelling groups. It consisted of numerous carts carrying large quantities of devils in cages while the leaders of the caravan seemed to be lounging in a carriage at the front.
Anger immediately began to swell from within Shirou as he scrutinized the group and discovered the condition of the people in the cages. They were all malnourished and thin, some with injuries.
"Serafall," he called.
"Yes?" Serafall said, pausing in her steps to pear up at where Shirou was standing.
"There's a caravan up ahead, but it's different from the other caravans."
Serafall's eyes grew serious. It was the expression of the general who ruled on the battlefield as the Ice Queen and the future strongest female devil of the underworld. "Tell me the details."
Shirou nodded before explaining exactly what he saw.
Serafall was outraged before she placed a hand beneath her chin and bit at her thumb nail.
"Those bastards. So, the rumours were true," Serafall muttered before calling out into the forest. "Allon!" She called.
Allon appeared in the next moment with a flourish of his cloak.
"Yes milady?"
"Order everyone to halt, I'm calling a meeting."
"Understood," Allon bowed before departing to relay Serafall's instructions.
The orders were swiftly carried out, revealing the efficiency in the way Serafall had trained up the devils under her. As a result, it didn't take long before Serafall, Shirou, and Allon stood across from each other with a frown on Serafall's face.
"From what you saw Kuro, its most likely that those people in the cages are the missing low-class devils in the territories of the fallen families of the Seventy-Two Pillars," Serafall revealed.
Allon nodded his head before speaking. "Those devils were theorized to have had been killed by the radicals of the Old Satan Faction, but it seems that the rumours about them taking captives were true."
"What do you mean?" Shirou asked.
Allon looked once at Serafall before proceeding to explain in a detailed manor.
"Like all wars, it isn't necessarily the powerful that dictate the length of the war, but the weak who provide. Just as we are currently on a mission to intercept the Old Satan Faction's provision lines, have you ever stopped to consider just where those provisions come from? It comes from the commoners of the underworld working the fields and mining the ores necessary for magical armour. The granary that is our current target is only where the Old Satan Faction is storing their food and supplies, not the location of where they get those supplies."
Serafall raised a hand to interrupt Allon.
"The point is Kuro, those low-class devils in the cages are probably going to be forced into slavery to provide the provisions and necessities the Old Satan Faction needs to continue to the war."
Shirou stiffened. "The working conditions?"
"From what you must have seen when they were attacking the Marbas territory, you could already imagine their attitudes towards those not of their cause." They're more likely to disregard the low-class devil's well being.
It wasn't hard to understand Serafall's true meaning, and it was enough to get a reaction from Shirou. Yet, Allon unexpectedly blocked his path, much to Serafall's surprise.
"Allon, what are you doing?"
Serafall stared perplexed. To be honest, she was of the same mind-set as to attack with Shirou and rescue her fellow devils.
"Young man, let me ask you a question," Allon began. "Do you wish to save just those in that caravan, or do you wish to save all of those in captivity?"
It was a bold statement, and it was more than enough to cause Shirou to pause.
"What do you have in mind?"
Allon nodded in approval.
"Well then young lord, please hear me out."
As Allon began to explain his plan, Shirou spoke not a word, but it was clear that he approved with what Allon was suggesting.
Serafall on the other hand was adamantly against it, and when Shirou still decided to follow through with it, she shook her head, paused, and then eventually nodded when the sincerity in Shirou's eyes convinced her.
Still, when Shirou was out of sight, the glare she leveled on Allon was not something an ordinary man could cope with.
However, Allon stayed unaffected.
The level of will and determination Shirou displayed was one that was necessary to be a prime suiter of the Sitri house.
Just from the way Serafall was reacting to the young Lord Marbas's predicament however, was an unexpected boon. The old butler Allon was sincerely heartened.
Ah, youth.
Life was hard, and it had always been hard.
You work off the land, constantly hungry, and living off of what meager amount of food you could harvest from the fields. Even then, the majority are taken away by the lord of the land.
Labour continues, and the struggle only grows more apparent.
The seasons change, and the cycle repeats. No one knows who will live or die, just that you could keep your life so long as you worked.
Even then, hardships were bound to continue
If anyone could explain such matters with confidence, it would be Lucas Arthos, a Low-Class devil that had once lived in the lands governed by house Orobas of the Seventy-Two Pillars. Now though, life was even worse with the start of the civil war, and this was after he had been taken by the members of the Old Satan Faction.
Those of house Orobas whose territory he and many other Low-Class Devil's lived in was adamantly against the Old Satan Faction's plans of continuing the Great War of the Factions. In the end, those of house Orobas were killed by a sudden raid from the higher ups of the Old Satan Faction, leaving Lucas and many others lord-less.
It would have had been fine though if that was all that happened. After all, Lucas and the other low-class devils would just have to migrate towards another greater Devil's lands and hope for acceptance. Yet, before they could even do so, they were captured by the member of the Old Satan Faction and shipped off like cattle.
"Fucking shits," Lucas cursed, punching the chains latched onto his ankles.
His fists bruised and eventually bled when the skin began to peel off, but not even a scratch could be seen on the gleaming metal interlocked chains.
If only he was stronger!
If only he was given a chance!
He knew that it would be tough to advance from a low-class, yet he still had the will to do so in pursuit of a better life. No matter how many contracts he had to fulfill, he was fully willing to do them no matter how long it took. Even if he wasn't strong, he was smart at least, and he even possessed an above average level of magical energy.
His chances of promoting to Middle-Class Devil were high in the next hundred years assuming he would work hard, but now there was nothing.
Strength left his legs as he collapsed onto the ground weeping.
The other devils around him were no better, but at least they had family to rely on. Lucas on the other hand was alone. He was a young devil, only thirteen summers old in human years with no parents to call his own. He didn't even know if he was abandoned or if his family had died in the Great War between the Factions. As such, it was commendable that a young devil like himself could still struggle on and even have thoughts of advancing when his situation was so bleak.
After being taken into the custody of those from the Old Satan Faction, many including Lucas thought that they would be executed. However, the true purpose in their capture was worse.
They were to be slaves.
Free labourers that the Old Satan Faction forced to harvest their crops and mine their ores for magical armours.
It was a life far harder than how Lucas and the others were living before as even though the majority of their farmed crops were taken by the ruling Lord, those of house Orobas had made sure that they at least had enough to survive the winter.
Now though, they would be lucky to get a fist full of grains to eat.
If one couldn't work, they were tossed aside to be disposed of as new slaves were brought in to replace them. And this terrified Lucas even though he hadn't seen it first hand how the Old Satan Faction disposed of others. He was sure that they were simply killed, and he could clearly imagine himself in their shoes.
Lucas shivered before he began sniffling. He and the others were still in the process of being transported to the main slaving area so they were yet to be put to work. Be that as it may, other low-class devils that were travelling in the same caged cart as they, were seniors from other slaving sites being moved to delegate man power.
Just from their scarred and haggard appearances, Lucas could already picture himself in their positions.
No!
He refused.
Gritting his teeth, he began punching at the chains binding his ankles again, his hands infused with the magical energy at his disposal.
He would advance!
He would lead a better life!
The sound of his punches echoed in the cart, drawing the attention of those from the Old Satan Faction, but they didn't do anything as they just watched silently, confident that a low-class devil wouldn't be able to free itself.
This time the chains dented under Lucas's onslaught, but ultimately, they still held together. Breathing erratically, Lucas fell to his knees in exhaustion, the others as chained up as he was giving him looks of condolence.
"Damn it," Lucas cursed, his body sprawling on the floor. "How can we accept this?" He asked.
No one answered, but the answer was already clear.
It was because they were weak.
The day shifted into evening, and the others from the Old Satan Faction decided to make camp. It was when Lucas and the others were ordered out of their cages to set up camp and food did Lucas notice something odd.
From one of the other carts came a Devil whose body was covered in strange black markings. Other than the markings, there was difference between him and everyone else, and it wasn't just a difference in posture. It was in the way this devil carried himself. There was no helplessness in his gaze, and he didn't appear as if he understood just what exactly was happening.
Lucas shook his head and pondered for a moment as a woman from the Old Satan Faction forced a tent into his arms for him to set up, the lazy bitch. Still, he quickly complied as he feared the whip he eyed at the woman's hip.
As he was setting up the tent, he once again glanced at the odd devil.
The devil with the odd black markings wasn't from the group he and the others from the lands of house Orobas came from, Lucas mused. Therefore, the devil must have come from another territory.
"You, you think you can laze around!"
The sound of whip echoed into Lucas's ears and for a moment he feared that it was him the voice was directing its animosity towards. Yet when his body registered no pain, he let out a sigh of relief. His hands were damaged enough, if his back got injured then he feared what it would be like to ride in the cage atop the carriages when they began moving at full speed.
Lucas, and everyone's attention turned towards the noise, finding an old man hunched on the ground on the other end of the woman from the Old Satan Faction whose name was Launa.
"Even if you're old, it doesn't mean that you can't work," Launa said dismissively. "And if you think that this is injustice, then you should look at yourselves first. Our Great Satans sacrificed their all for the war, and now you wish to end it without a conclusion. Preposterous!"
The sound of the whip cracked as Launa struck it against the ground in warning. The ground cratered. "You all deserve to be treated like animals."
Lucas gulped, and then turned away. Looking at the strength of that whip, he didn't want to see the result if it was used on the old man.
The old man struggled to get back on his feet, yet in the end, his old bones gave out on him. The old man stumbled, once again panting as he rested on all-fours over the ground. The journey itself had already taken its toll on him and didn't seem as if he could even last much longer.
Launa's eyes narrowed. The Old Satan Faction needed workers to maintain their level of provisions and process the ores necessary for combat armour, not useless ones.
The whip lashed out before anyone could even realize it, but when no agonized cries rang out, Lucas was startled to see the sight before him.
The odd Devil had moved.
Infiltrating the caravan of low-class devils wasn't too difficult. The Old Satan Faction members were few in number, and Shirou doubted that they would remember the faces of all their captives. Even still, he knew that he was pushing his actions by standing out in the crowd. Even so, he did so anyway.
Shirou stood in front of the old man, a lash mark travelling down his chest that drew blood. Yet, he didn't so much as utter a word. This pain was nothing, and he couldn't act out yet either. Not until he had arrived where the Old Satan Faction members were keeping the rest of the captives. Until then, he wouldn't act unless forced to, yet that didn't mean that he would just stand by and watch.
"You dare!" Launa seethed.
Launa was part of a group of five Old Satan Faction Devils that were tasked with delivering the new workers to the mining site. With there only being five of them and over several hundred low-class devils, she and the others were dispersed amongst the travelling caravan to oversee their own groups of captives.
She would not allow her authority over these low-class devils to be challenged.
The whip crackled again.
And then again.
Off in the distance, Serafall's eyes were growing colder and colder as she glowered, the temperature dropping in accordance with her mood. From the very beginning she was against this idea, but it was Kuro himself who insisted he follow through with Allon's suggestion to maximize the number of captives that could be saved.
Shirou would infiltrate and gain access into the heart of where all the low-class devils were being forced to work, and together he and herself would launch a pincer attack with the strength of two Ultimate-Class Devils.
The key to this plan was for Shirou to remain low profile, and certainly not what he was doing now.
Foolish idiot.
She bit her lips, her brow furrowing while her body was involuntarily moving into action on its own.
This sort of treatment towards Kuro, she couldn't stand it!
He was a devil who cared the most about others. He used his power not to flaunt, but to protect those who sought shelter beneath him. For the sake of an old man, scar after scar was appearing over his chest as he refused to utilize his power to fight back.
A hand patted against her shoulder.
"Allon," she said startled.
Allon merely shook his head, gesturing for Serafall to calm down.
In her growing anger, nearly everyone near her was forced ten steps back to avoid freezing. More importantly, her power as an Ultimate-Class was beginning to fluctuate, small glitters of energy beginning to manifest. Anymore, and even if they were a great distance away, their position would be sensed by the opposition.
"You will reduce that man's effort to nothing if you give our position away," Allon said. "Hold the anger in, you aren't the only one feeling outraged."
Saying that, Serafall finally noticed Adelina staring fixedly at the scene in front of her, but still holding herself back. Like Allon said, she didn't want Shirou's efforts to be worth nothing.
Gritting her teeth, Serafall reeled in her power, however, the way she looked at Launa spoke of the fact that Serafall wouldn't be forgetting what occurred here today.
And a woman could hold a grudge for a verylong time.
For now, though, her concern overrode her anger as her gaze fixated on Shirou.
By this point, Shirou was covered by a layer of blood, but unexpectedly, it wasn't him who was feeling anxious, rather, it was Launa.
Those eyes.
They stared at Launa as if boring daggers into her person. They didn't blink, they didn't move, and no matter how hard she threw her whip forward, they never changed.
Launa immediately grew unsettled, before pausing as the incident that occurred in the Marbas territory surfaced in her mind.
The heir of Marbas, a monster of a Devil that was somehow able to kill the kin of many of those loyal to the Old Satan Faction. The only survivor, the daughter of Lord Valefor was left a wreck. A shell of her former self. More importantly, it was the fact that the barrier the young Lord of house Marbas set up had attracted all the low-class devils in the area to seek its protection. Thus, there were hardly anymore low-class devils to replenish the number of low-class devils they were losing in the mines everyday.
As of recently, Launa had heard plans of an eventual attack on the lands of Marbas, but from the description the daughter of Valefor had provided, they were cautious of the power of this new lord.
Scouts would have to be sent first to accurately gauge the heir of Marbas's strength. Till then, she had to procure as many able-bodied low-class devils as possible to work the mines and procure provisions.
This was the reason she used to justify fleeing from the area. It was in no way due to the fact that she had grown uneasy with her actions as if she was provoking something that shouldn't be provoked.
Launa's sudden departure left the low-class devils at a loss, but not one of them thought of escape. They wouldn't be able to run anyway should Launa join up with the other four.
Instead, many of the low-class devils bowed in respect towards Shirou who still stood standing after numerous lashes from the whip.
"T-Thank you!" The old man bowed, eyes watering as two small children rushed up to the old man's side to support him but were to weak to even lift him.
Shirou didn't answer the man's thanks and wordlessly propped himself by the old man to allow the old man to prop himself up.
"Y-You?" The old man questioned in surprise before falling silent and allowing Shirou to hoist him up.
Perhaps at this moment, no words were needed.
Shirou's actions spoke for himself.
Despite being injured and covered in blood, that back still stood standing.
Against power, he showed tenacity.
Against oppression he showed resistance.
And in the face of hardship, he showed compassion.
The sound of his steps and quickened breath were the only sound in the area, everyone forgetting that they had been tasked with making camp.
Even Lucas felt as if he had just seen something impossible. For no devil he and the others had ever seen would go to such an extent for another not of similar blood.
As if sensing everyone's gaze and confusion, a voice spoke out into the air.
"As Devils we fought Angels," The voice began, tone calm.
Everyone immediately fell silent.
"As Devils we fought Fallen."
Stronger now, yet still not loud enough to draw attention, but already it was having an effect.
The heads of all present were beginning to prick up. It was as if no matter how low a tone this voice was speaking, the words would clearly ring in their ears.
"And as Devils we ruled the underworld."
There was a rising heat in everyone's chests as a flush seemed to come to their faces from a sense of excitement.
"And you all, even as low-class, are Devils."
Silence, yet the eyes of everyone present seemed to come alive with vitality. The young, the old, everyone stared in wonder at this devil like none other.
It was then that Lucas discovered to his shock that the owner of this steady and strong voice was the very Devil who had taken a lashing for an old man.
Injured, and bleeding, that devil stood strong in defiance, seemingly unwilling to acknowledge the pain he must be in.
"Take pride in your lives and seek out for a future worth fighting for. Now is not the end of your lives, but the beginning."
That sentence resounded. There was just something about his words, his disposition, that made everything he said believable. Even as a low-class, they were still devils, and they still had their uses. More importantly, many of the low-class devils were smart enough to understand something and looked in agitation at this bleeding devil.
Lucas was much the same. For he realized that the beginning this devil spoke of may be hinting at a possible escape.
"W-Who are you?" The words spilled out from Lucas's mouth before he could stop them.
And in that moment, Lucas would know the name of the man who would eventually leave his mark in the underworld.
The Devil of the lineage of the Lion.
"My name, is Marbas."
Thanks for Reading, and sorry for delays, I caught a fever this weekend and had to work in-between classes.
P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious