Chapter 53: the devil went to japan

Status was a concept that could be said to be tightly tied to the concept of power. After all, you didn't fear the money of someone wealthy in itself.

You didn't fear the fact that someone is related to another one capable of great and superior feet. What made you scared, what made people ascribe a status to Someone was the power they were able to wield, the violence and harm they were capable of inflicting directly and indirectly,

Status was nothing else but the manifestation of power. Status was nothing else but the possibility of creating havoc.

Following this logic, was it surprising that the way I was treated changed? Could I truly be surprised when people cowered when I passed near them as if I was Death personified?

No, no, I couldn't not when I knew that they knew that just one sentence coming from my lips would be enough to destroy them and everything they held close.

That was the tricky thing with Status. Status was inherently born of fear and because it was born of fear, the ones wielding were destined to stay above, alone at least until they were toppled and someone else took their place. After all, nothing was eternal.

When did I become so introspective? I shrugged mentally. Whatever I guess. It could be worse. I could have chosen cannibalism as a hobby…That was a Bad example.

New Lilith was one of the capitals of the Underworld. It was also the place where my brother had chosen even before slaughter day to set up his office.

Historically and by that I meant according to the words of my father who was alive at that time, it was said this city was created on what had once been a battlefield between Ereshkigal, a Mesopotamian goddess of Death and Lilith.

It was here it was said that Lilith slayed the goddess and bathed in her blood was born anew whatever it meant. I just hope it wasn't in a bloodborne kind of sense.

Since then, the city had become The booming city in all the underworld with the most literal rag-to-riches devils.

It was I could say the equivalent of Los Angeles if Los Angeles was both worse and better.

Endless stores stood on both sides of the streets and above. They shifted, moving like mechanical wonders that would be expected to be seen in a Michael Bay movie.

Here, I could almost forget that I was in the underworld. The purple light of the artificial sun made New Lilth look like a wonderland taken Form.

I closed my eyes as I continued to walk. Eyes were not things I could call necessary now. I didn't need them anymore to see. I didn't need them to perceive the world around me.

My other senses made me more than sure that I wouldn't even feel disadvantaged by a lack of eyes.

How could I when with one step, the Earth sang to me? How could I When with one step, I was able to know perfectly what was surrounding me Toph style?

How could I when with my nose, I could more than smell precise physical compounds smell literal emotions as if they were meals being cooked in my vicinity?

How could I when with my ears, the noise surrounding me almost felt vibrant, guiding like a weird kind of synesthesia?

More than that, I knew that even without those things, nothing whether it was the people around me or the ground under my feet would dare to try to stop me.

Even now, I could feel my brother, his essence diffused in all new Lilith. I knew that he knew I was there. He probably did the moment I stepped into New Lilith.

Being a Satan wasn't only a title. Even before slaughter day, there were responsibilities, chains and links given by the Underworld to those who wielded the mantle of Demon kings.

In the Underworld, the Satans could be considered gods in their domains and how could I fear when God was my brother?

I felt the Earth shift before me as if a hidden chasm was opening. Instead of trying to dodge it or move out of its way, I walked through it.

Behind me, it closed and cut the noises of new Lilith. The Earth around me continued to shift, to move as if I was in the maw of a monster trying to swallow me and failing.

I stopped when my foot met the familiar sensation of golden marble. I opened my eyes and my gaze fell on my brother like I expected.

He was sitting on what could be called a mix between an office table and a golden dinner table.

Sirzechs hadn’t really changed since he had been crowned. He still looked like the too-pretty but cool older brother I had learnt to love.

He sat on a black throne that seemed to consume and pervert matter around it. I could see it with my eyes like a shark biting happily and with savagery everything around with joy. One of his hands rested on his forehead as if he were trying to alleviate a headache.

I moved, walking toward him, a hand trailing on the table that was frankly well-made. I could feel some resistance. I guess nothing else could be expected from something used by a Satan.

I stopped in front of my brother before hopping back on the table. It wasn't a comfortable chair but it would do for now.

“You’re going to look like a hag if you continue frowning this way Brother,” I told him.

A sigh escaped him “We're devils Rias. Our looks only depend on our desires. I won’t look like one anytime soon,” he whispered.

“I think then I am,” I told him. “Cogito Ergo sum. We are also shaped by our subconscious desires brother. At this rate, you'll actually look all wrinkled like a badger mole rat and I would have to be ashamed every time I present my brothers to others. Imagine what they would say behind my back,” I said in false horror.

“I'll just kill them and the issue will be resolved,” he deadpanned.

“Slow down Gengis,” I spoke. “If you kill all of them, who would cower before me?”

“In that case, Ajuka would resurrect them just to do so. Don’t worry. It'll be handled,” he said a little smile blooming on his face.

“You truly have turned into a tyrant,” I joked.

“All kings are tyrants. Saying otherwise would be a shameless lie Rias,” he fired back.

“From whom did you take this quote?” I asked him. “There is no chance in hell it comes from you.”

“It actually comes from me,” he answered outrage lacing his voice. “What do you think it can’t come from me?”

“Because you're too lame for that,” I told him.

“I'm not!”

“You are Sirzechs but this is fine, even with your grave disability, I still love you. Am I not the best little sister?” I teased him.

“This is slander, pure slander and the worst, it comes from my own flesh and blood.” A tear fell from his left eye “Woe is me”.

“You’re not him! You’re not Edgar Allen Poe, brother.”

“No, I am better. Poe would have been nothing without me. I was his dark muse, the one who inspired him,” Sirzechs spoke pride filling his voice which meant it was time to break it.

“If that's actually true” I ignored how he repeated himself “It's probably because he saw you and fell in despair because he realized that the girl he saw as his muse was instead a soulless red-haired Lucifer that was actually a boy.”

“That's not true!”

I playfully patted his head “There, there. That's fine. Your little sister understands the fact that you're totally hopeless without her, that you're more cringe than a music-filled fanfiction with too many grammatical and vocabulary errors but that's fine, I still love my lame brother with all my heart.”

His head went downward hiding away his eyes from me. I chose to hug it “Things are never perfect. They are never easy. Most of the time, you fuck up and it's okay. Most of the time, your harshest critique is you. Don't stop trying even if it seems hopeless because there are people who no matter what happens will always support you.”

“When did you become so mature?” his muffled voice asked.

“I don't think I am. Like I told you before, I only try to do what I think is my best. I won’t say failing doesn't hurt. I won't say that what people feel toward or think of me doesn't affect me.”

Doing something you liked, something most liked at the beginning only to realize that with time, people stopped doing so, that worse, they became disappointed.

There was nothing more soul-crushing. Some would say to get back up, still fight, still try but there was always this little voice in the back of your head wondering if you weren't fucking things more than they were already.

“Going forward Huh?”

“Yes,” I said softly. “Continue walking. Never stop no matter how desperate it seems, no matter how exhausting it is.”

“Thanks, Rias,” I heard him say.

“For what? You may be lame but you'll always be my brother. If we can't take care of each other, what's the point?”

“If most supernatural beings thought like this, there wouldn’t be any wars,” he said softly.

“I disagree with you. Understanding doesn't presage peace brother. I can understand the anger the gods who attacked Kuoh had. It doesn’t change the fact that I would never stop hating them.”

Morally, the Shinto Gods had been right. We had been nothing but invaders, preying on their citizens. We had come, taken a land that wasn’t originally ours, that suffered greatly because of us in the past.

The only reason why they hadn't attacked before that was because they feared the possible consequences but the thing with fear is that it can be fought against, it can fade.

The moment they thought they could, they attacked. This was the problem with fear because fear like everything was temporary in itself.

There was also something I was now realizing. It could be said that the inhabitants of Kuoh were most likely under the jurisdiction of the Abrahamic faction at least at a metaphysical level. Due to the fact they were in a territory ruled by us, one where their daily were affected and controlled by us. The Heavens didn't accept in their kingdom those who interacted with devils.

I really really hope that I was wrong because if it was actually the case, it meant that Issei’s parents weren’t in Yomi but probably in one of the circles of hell suffering right now. Worse, They may have been among the souls I made Issei destroy with his flames.

I really didn't like that idea, not at all but how could I check? My gaze fell on my brother. Of course, I had Lucifer in my arms.

“Brother, may I ask you something?” I told him.

He left the hug to look me in the eyes “As long as it's not the permission to go directly defy all of heaven or something similar, consider it done.”

“You’re too permissive you know,” I told him. “What if I had asked for let's say a solar system specifically made so that I could rule it?”

“I would have given it to you,” he said without hesitation. “Firstly, because you're my sister, secondly, because I trust you and finally even in the case something goes wrong, I'll be there to make sure you're not hurt.”

I fought back the blush I could feel blooming on my face. There were many things I hated about this life like the stupid war but one of the things I didn't regret at all, that made this life worth it was Sirzechs.

I never had someone like Sirzechs. Someone who wouldn’t merely swear to move the stars for you but would actually do so.

Someone who you knew no matter what would happen would never stop loving unconditionally. I could have plucked his besting heart from his chest and he would still be smiling. This was something, this was someone I never wanted to lose.

“I wanted to know,” I began softy “If the inhabitants of Kuoh ended here in hell. I just need to kno-”

He stopped me by shushing me with one of his fingers “You don't have to explain Rias,” his warm eyes seemingly staring directly at my soul.

Sirzechs took a deep breath before exhaling as if preparing himself to work out. At first, nothing seemed to happen. I was looking at the prone form of my brother.

The next moment, I watched him change and I had to fight against the instinctive urge to run or kneel or maybe both.

The smells of sulfur and Brimstone, of burnt flesh, filled the room to a point I felt I would choke on them Hellfire had replaced completely the eyes of my brother.

Dark red Lines appeared on his skin as if his body was a chrysalis and he was opening from the inside.

Heat, so strong rushed scalding, punishing. Around us, things began to be singed, slowly burning. Veinous Blood seemed to be seeping from the walls in the shape of a dark sludge.

Looking into the eyes of the being before me because it was in no case only my brother, I saw myself, burning, being flayed, suffering. The flames, they were showing me torments, torments I knew they wished of all their will to make me the subject of.

The flames at the place of the eyes of my brother fizzled out to leave behind his green warm eyes.

“No soul from Kuoh fell into the underworld Rias. You can be sure of it,” he said softly, his gaze directed toward my right hand.

“Thanks,” I told him slowly. I followed his gaze to see that my hand was shaking by itself as if my body had been so scared that it had bypassed whatever commands were given by my brain to it.

I forced the hand to stop moving by clenching it. I already knew looking into the eyes of Sirzechs what he was thinking.

“You did nothing wrong Brother,” I told him.

“I did Rias. I had forgotten that no matter what you went through, you were still so young. Exposing you to the darkness of the underworld even if involuntarily was a mistake.”

“I'm tired of this dance at least for now.” I watch his mouth open. I cut him before he could speak “You're guilty and whatever. I'll tell you a million times the truth, that it's not your fault but you won't believe me like always. Let's do something different this time.”

“What do you have in mind?” he asked me.

“You’ve told me before that Takagakamahara was now mine. I think I would like to visit it with you.”

“I have important things to do Rias. I'm not sure I can even if I wish to.”

“You are a king, brother,” I reminded him. “You can do whatever you want. Don't forget that. There is also the fact that I'm sure in case something went wrong, the other Satans or some of your servants would be able to handle it.”

I could see some hesitation in the eyes. It was time to nip it in the bud “Plus, we could take Millicas with us. I'm sure he would adore passing time with his father and his aunt.”

“Using my own son against me.” A chuckle escaped from my brother’s mouth “that's diabolical.”

“My brother was a good teacher,” I answered with a voice full of mirth “So deal?”

He shook my hand “Deal”.

This is how the devil, the antichrist and me found ourselves in Japan.