My Adventure Romance as Noble Devil Heir in the 1950's is a Thriller, as I Expected: Prologue [High School DxD/Fate] (Patreon)

Prologue:

When one thinks of hell, they would think of rivers of fire and brimstone. To the more scholarly type, they would think of Cocytus’s freezing winters or the various tortuous realms of the seven rings. In truth, Hell around August was relatively balmy, not unlike the scorching summer heat of July. With the tall snow capped peaks surrounding the river valley, weather in the Astaroth Realm was absolutely perfect yet the Lord of the Astaroth Land’s couldn’t help but sweat as he paced around the room.

He would have burnt a hole through the richly made carpet if not for his lady wife scolding him, “Leonil Astaroth, will you please calm down?” His dear wife, the light of his love, commanded as she sat there in her seat, cradling his new born son.

Turning, he winced and cowered at her glare as he cradled their son closer to her chest, “You’re going to scare him!” She then reminded him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” He apologized, holding up his hands before they fell along with his shoulder. Walking to the large window leading to the balcony, he then grabbed the handle before throwing them wide open. Breathing in the fresh air of the valley, he then muttered as he continued pacing, “It’s just I can’t help but be anxious, dear. You know how important his naming ceremony is!”

“What if he gets sick before the ceremony? What if Grandfather doesn’t notice him?” He worried greatly as he ran his hair across his mane of hair. His once great mane reduced to straw like strands from all the stress brought upon him by his child, oh his dear sweet child.

Looking back at his son in his thick swaddle of cloth and his beautiful, he couldn’t help but feel his heart ache for them. So pale were both of them that he feared that they were going to faint at any moment!

“You know how sickly he the first few weeks after his birth! We don’t even know if he has the gift of my line or yours! Grandfather always had high expectations…” He then shouted as worry overcame his sense. He could feel his heart racing, his breath getting harder until! Until, he felt the soft touch of his wife upon cheeks.

Gazing down, he felt himself get lost in those azure pools of warmth as he leaned against his touch. “Leonel, it’ll be fine,” His wife reassured him before holding up his son. As pale as he was and as silent as he was, it was just how he was. He still had the rosy cheek of a healthy baby and quite the grip. And such intelligent eyes! For a moment, he thought it was Ajuka his wife was holding, not their newborn, “We’re fine.”

He felt his heart calm as he heard her sweet laughter while she pulled him back inside, “The human doctors have worked their magic on me. He was quite nice for someone you took straight from the battlefield,” His wife told him.

Indeed he was. As strange as it is to forgo the family doctor, with his wife’s fragile health, choices had to be made. The world above had been progressing quite rapidly and despite the second great war currently tearing through the continent, things were looking up for the mortals.

“He was fleeing with his family…” He remembered as his wife forced him down to seat. With her planting herself atop his lap, he was her dear hostage.

Sighing fondly, he leaned up and gave his two precious one a kiss on the forehead. “The future is here huh?” He whispered as the words of those the man who hailed from the twelve tribes echoed in his ears. Such strange and terrifying times they lived in. From simple farmers to ruling the skies, what more can humanity achieve?

Turning back to his wife, he then smiled as he continued listening to her, enjoying how lively she was now compared to a few weeks ago, “And you know how that old pile of bones was when we introduced Ajuka to him!” his wife laughed as he reminded him of old memories, memories that brought laughter bubbling up his chest.

“He simply couldn't have enough our dear boy. He held him up so high and had him play on his knees,” She snickered before she sighed out fondly, “It was a pain getting the two separated now that I remember… but the point is that your ancestor absolutely adores his descendants. It makes me wish that mine had a little bit more warmth.”

Taking in a deep breath, he sighed before nodding, “You’re… You’re right Gladiola,” He told her. Reaching out for his son, he pushed aside a stray hair as he added, “I just want for everything to go right for my little boy. He already had a rough enough start.”

“Oh don’t quite underestimate him dear, you know he’s a fighter!” Gladiola grinned as she held up their son, “He fought death twice and he’s still a strong little man! Yes you are! Yes you are!” she told him before she pressed her lips on their sons stomach and blew on it. The annoyed burble and anger their son made was simply adorable.

“Oh Gladiola, where would I be without you,” He whispered as he held the two in his arms.

“In a ditch after that Angel nearly ran you through,” His wife all to cheekily reminded him with a poke on his cheek. There was a brief pause before the two of them shared a laugh. Their sweet and tender moment however would be quickly interrupted as someone knocked on the door.

After his wife left his lip and two cleaned themselves up, he then cleared his throat as he called, “Come in.”

Bowing low, the maid was quick to reply, “Lord and Lady Astorath, it’s time,” The woman reminded them. He would then share a quick glance with his wife before they nodded. It was finally time for their sons naming ceremony. It was best that they came in early.

-x-x-x-

Deep within the walls of the Ancestral Castle of the Astorath and right at the heart of it’s courtyard was the great seal of Astaroth marked upon the ground. The corpse of wyrms and piles of chest containing silver laid strewn to the side as his servant chanted. The air was thick with mana as the silver candles roared to life.

With the darkened sky and lightning arcing between towering pillars of cloud, the air was just right for the ceremony. What’s more was that his first borne son came home just for his brother. “Ajuka, you came!” He greeted his boy with a great big hug. Lifting him up despite his protest, he scolded him, “You’re getting a bit thin, have you been eating well? You can simply step down you know. It’s not like they will complain if another took your seat.”

It’s already been almost half a millennium since his took up the throne of Beelzebub but it was not a year too late to get his son to relax. Chuckling, his son replied, “I’m fine father, just a bit tired,” Five hundred years he tried and failed but maybe the five hundred first would change that.

Letting his boy down, he gave him a pat, one that was a little too strong as he found his hands hurting, before he told him, “Don’t you overwork yourself, you here me? We already lost enough of our line to the paper and beaker, I don’t want another to join them!”

His little reunion however would be interrupted as his wife would nudge him on the side. “Dear, he’s waiting,” She reminded him as the silver infused blood started to thrum with power; Oh, he was here.

“Right right,” He nodded before he motioned for the servants to drag in the sacrifice. One great wyvern was dragged before the circle, its roar filling the court yard. Despite its struggle, it was held down firmly by great magics which coursed through cursed chains.

As his wife brought their child to lay on the basin just before the circle, he walked forward with knife and cup in hand. Raising the blade and cup in hand, he invoked the words, “We who seek knowledge, bow before him.”

With one swift strike, the blood of a wyvern was spilled. It’s magically infused life essence spilling forth and filling the grail until the creature was but a withered corpse. Holding on to the grail brimming with mana, he carefully brought it over the the circle before he paused.

As those who attended the ceremony got to position, he closed his eyes as he called upon the ancestor. Holding the cup up high, he poured its contents down on the circle as it drank it greedily. A great light flooded the room as the shadows lengthen.

“Hail Astaroth! Seeker of Wisdom and Keeper of Time! Mighty Duke, I humbly invoke you from the depths of Hell back into your fiefdom!” He called out as he felt their eyes upon them. Like black stars upon the reddening sky, they stared down, The ground shaking as great winds blew.

“Hail Astaroth, Great Ancestor, Hear the prayer of your servant and descendants! Lend us your presence at this time! Reveal yourself in the flames before us! Show us your glory!” He shouted, letting his voice get carried in the wind. The presence overwhelming as a singular red eye open in the middle of the circle before chaos.

Holding on for his dear life, he shielded his son and family as their ancestors presence made itself known. A Great Pillar of blackened flesh and twisting faces poured out of the great rift he had opened, Eyes, oh those terrible eyes opened up along its length as its form twisted and coiled at the sky above.

“Hail Astaroth! Hail Astaroth! Hail Astaroth!” He and his family chanted, calling upon their ancestors name.

It was just in his castle did the ancestor came as great pillars sprouted from the mountains and fields alike. As soon as the storm started, it stopped as the great one let out a roar. He was here; their Progenitor was here.

“My descendants called,” Their deep voice called, shaking the very earth, “And I return.” He told them with the finality that was. With their attention on him, they asked, “You of my flesh, What is it that you wish?

Bowing lowly, he protested himself before the great Demon. Only his son remained standing but it was not going to be a problem as Ajuka and Astraoth would share a nod at each other, or atleast the closest to one.

Looking up, he spoke to them, “I wish neither knowledge you keep nor the power you safe guard oh great ancestor,” Slowly standing up, he then gestured at his son as he laid there on the table, unspeaking as the day they were born. Such strength of will, he felt a ghost of pride strength across his face.

Gesturing at his newborn son, he then told his ancestor, “Instead, I come before you so that I might have your blessing and acknowledgement for who I bring before you!”

There was a great rumble as all their eyes locked upon his precious son, the old one’s eyes sparking with curiosity and intrigue, “Speak,” they then commanded.

“Oh Great Ancestor, I present you the newest Scion of your line!” He told them as pride filled his voice. As his wife lifted their son up and brought him over, he continued, “He who is my second borne, who who death tested twice, He who was born in your auspicious month.”

It was as if the very stars themselves aligned to have him be born. Despite all the grief and hardship he and his wife went through, their son remained and he couldn’t be prouder of them. As his wife handed him over, he took one moment to burn this very moment to his mind.

Holding them tenderly in his hands, he then lifted them up before he knelt before them, “Here in my hands is the future of our line, you descendent oh great one!”

“Hail Astaroth! Hail Astaroth! Hail Astaroth!” His wife and servants was quick to chant as the great one shifted, its form moving ever closer. Titanic pillars of hardened flesh reached down from above, slowly drifting to his son.

“His name?” his ancestor ask, their voice now barely a whisper as the very world itself fall silent. The name of a person is a powerful thing. For a devil borne from the original seventy immortal pillars? It was everything.

“Long have we seeked a proper name fitting for a Scion of Astaroth. From the stars above and through the red line of fate which ties us to the living, he shall be named,” He spoke as he let the breath of the world his lungs, “From here on now, all who lived under the banner of Astaroth shall kneel before him. They shall serve his name!”

As he looked down on his son, his quite, adoring hellion, he smiled before he spoke their name for the very first time. “He is Diodora, Diodora Astaroth and he is my son.”

“Thus, he is my flesh,” His ancestor entoned and great cries of jubilation filled the courtyard. Ajuka clapped while the servants cheered and cried for the newest member of the family. It was glorious occasion, one that even his ancestor wished to partake in.

Holding out their pillar like tendrils in front of him, they commanded, “Bring him closer,” Unlike earlier, their was a softness in their voice though it was hard to discern for how loud they were, “I wish to hold him.

“Off course Grandfather,” He replied as he offered his son before stepping back to hold his watch. His wife was right, he shouldn’t have been worried. Leaning against his wife, he chuckled as the great giant gently rocked Diodara.

“Heh,” The great one laughed as cooing and awws filled the courtyard. That was his boy, so cute despite not even trying.

“Come on, come on!” Their grandfather rumbled as tenril like hands reached out from behind their many eyes. Tickling their grandchild, the old one cooed, “Give Grandpapa a kiss,” All was right in the world… until it wasn’t.

He watched in dawning horror as Diodara’s faced scrunched up, their eyes brimming with tears as they flinched away from the great ancestor. With a sound that he had never heard his son make, Diodara started to cry. Their sharp piercing wail filled the room and what’s worst, he saw their blanket darken with dampness.

“Diodora!” he cried in horror as he and his wife rushed for his son, snatching him away before he soiled their ancestors hand even farther. “We’re sorry! This has never happened before, we swear!”

As a kind grandfather the great ancestor, worry was quick to color their tone,“Gah! Is there something wrong?” They cried out in panic as they held out their hand as if it offended them, rather than the one that was offended, “I haven’t hurt him, have I?” He asked as Diodora cried even louder, “Come on, Grandpappy Astaroth isn’t that scary right?”

A/N:

Feverish, not sure what to write for Seoul Kitchen. Threw this together in short notice. A quick DxD and Nasuverse crossover. Poor Grandpappy Astaroth. It's not his fault the SI was terrified of them.