Makin' Waves! Chapter 1 (Patreon)

Chapter 1

< ~ Makin' Waves! ~ >

I do not own High School DxD. High School DxD is owned by Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release.

"DOOOOODDGGGEE!!!"

At the sound of the man's commanding voice, I threw myself to the side with all the strength my small demonic body could muster, falling to my hands and knees.

A torrent of spiraling water, condensed and spinning like several misshapen whirlpools, blows through the air my body just occupied.

And tore a swath through the lake me and my bastard of a Father we're fighting upon!

Looking down, I can see it, feel it, my Demonic Power exuding from my body, wrapped around it in a blue-violet aura, keeping my hands and knees just above the water.

This particular 'spells', if you could call it that, one job?

Use its water-aligned nature to keep me from sinking.

My concentration wavers, my imagination and will shifting to wanting to blast the silver-haired manlet standing across from me on the lake as I rise back onto my two feet and turn to face him.

I stagger then, as one of my feet slips under the water's edge, my aura moving to focus itself on my hand to do just that.

With a snarl, my will and imagination snap the correct mental image into place, and my Demonic Power moves back into place.

But not before I slip, fall face first, and dunk my face into what felt like liquid concrete.

Hard liquid concrete, as if that makes sense.

For a blissful moment, all was quiet.

Then the chuckling began.

Then the chuckling turned into a full-on belly laugh as I raised my head and deadpanned straight at the source.

My manlet of a father in this new life of mine.

Kunrex Sitri, the Lord of the Sitri Clan.

If I could pray, I would only pray I don't receive his height when I grow older.

His violet eyes were enough.

Not like it truly matters, because of Devil Shapeshifting, but just to make doubly sure.

The man I call father is laughing uproariously at me now, holding his gut as he goes on and on.

Despite his lack of height, he's got quite a bit of width in muscle.

He's like a smaller Sairaorg and fights like him too except for the fact that each punch is backed up by fucking car-sized torrents of watery death.

Slowly, his laughing routine stops, and he looks at me, a sly smile apparent in both his eyes and on his lips.

"What's the matter, La-tan," he teases, his voice uncaring and light, "lose your concentration there?"

I click my tongue and get back on my fight, rubbing my stinging face a bit.

"Yeah," I admit, still deadpanning at him, "wonder what gave that away, hmm?"

"I wonder as well, hmm?" He snarks right back with a smirk.

I was about to retort, but then, well…

"Hey, hey~!" A much more peppy and cherry feminine voice blasts itself across the lake.

Oh, fuck me.

"Hey, hey are you ready~?" Two sounds like claps echo out across the lake.

Oh. Oh God. She's clapping now!?

"Are you ready~!?" Two more, once more.

God.

"To train~!" Clap.

Can you hear me? I know you're dead.

"Say go La-tan~!" Clap.

But please.

"Go La-tan~!" Clap!

Fucking kill me again. I beg you.

"La-tan all the way! Yay ~!"

I could feel the way my face twisted as liquid cringe shoved itself through my eardrums.

Even dear old Dad grimaced at that whole thing.

I turn my head to the source of it, off on dry ground, just in front of the lake shore.

My lovely sister in this new life.

Look. Sera. Sis. I wouldn't say this out loud because I do love you.

But.

There's a reason Dad made you do this specifically.

And it's not because you look hot in the cheerleading uniform.

No, the way the red, blue, and white mini skirt and short little skirt clings to your chest and shoves off those luscious thighs are just a side benefit.

I wish I was older, real—

I stagger once more, catching my Demonic Power from fluxing in an attempt to divert resources as it were to my shapeshifting.

Rather than stumble forward and faceplate again, I merely sank slightly before regaining buoyancy.

Better.

I click my tongue, re-focusing on her, to find Sera waving her pom-poms at me with a big happy grin.

Okay. The outfit is a pretty big contributing factor.

But, it's also because you suck at cheerleading, and it's fucking cringe.

I'm pulling out the slang terms from my first world because there's nothing better I could think of that encapsulates the sheer unending feeling I get when I hear her like this!

Like. Good lord why? And how!? She's an actress! And the Satan of Foreign Affairs! The fuck!?

"Anyways!" Dad suddenly pipes up, "Ready?"

That's not a question. There is no—

"DODGE!" He suddenly roars out, pure blue Demonic Power bursting from his hands clenched fists.

I see it the second it happens, how his pure raw power shifts and seems to melt into an elemental power.

Water spills forth, wraps around his fists, and condenses.

Then he punches out.

A right straight punch straight towards me.

And the torrent shoots off his fist like a rocket.

I leap to the left, managing to stay on my feet as I do this time, even weathering the stormy-like winds created by the spiraling water as it passes by me.

A left haymaker sends a smaller torrent about the size of a big rock.

Problem.

It's smaller, faster, and is curving as it flies at me.

I barely have time to drop completely prone before it whizzes over me.

I quickly get to my knees, "I'm five!" I stress as I stand back up fully, "Were you trying to take my head off there!?"

He merely hummed, even as his fists regained torrents of water around them, "To be fair, you did ask for this, so, I dunno La-tan~?" He smiles darkly, "What do you think?"

I huff indignantly at that.

Because he's right. And I hate that he is.

It's not like I dislike this or anything, I asked for us to do this, and Dad in turn asked for Sera to help further to make this more effective.

Essentially? This is all training.

When I turned five, hell, when every Sitri kid turns five, we are taken to this specific lake where the Sitri Progenitor, our honored and supposedly dead Ancestor, was born.

Created by Lilith and Lucifer here at this place, the largest lake in the entire Underworld, our Ancestor was created by the Father of Devils as a replacement for the Leviathans after their line was nearly wiped out during some stupid pre-Great War testing.

When Ancestor came out with only an affinity for Water Demonic Powers, let's just say dear old Luci was less than pleased.

Why? Well, besides being a massive cunt, this lake is different compared to the rest in the Underworld.

It moves.

Its waters are shifting and flowing all by itself long before the artificial sun, temperature control, and winds were made to make Hell more comfy for the Reincarnates.

Beyond that, the lake seems to reflect…something's light into the sky, turning the usual purple sky into a mixture of violet and blue.

Looks pretty damn weird when the artificial sun is out, but also pretty cool at night.

In short, the lake contains power. Likely Demonic Power, it's alive in some way.

Seeing all that's special about this place, and him only getting a Sitri out of it?

Of course it pissed him off!

Thinking quickly, Ancestor did the one thing he could think of to prove his worth before he was purged by Lucifer's Evil Light.

Lift the entire lake.

A feat which, legends have it, impressed Lucifer enough to not kill the Ancestor instantly, giving him a chance to further prove himself.

He built his castle on the mountain overlooking the lake and led sixty legions of Devils - millions of our kind back then - during the Great War.

He earned the name Sitri, he earned the rank of Great Prince during the war.

Then he died during it

And thus our line continues to this day.

Regardless, this legend, the basis of our Pillar Clan's founding and first member, is the reason I'm here.

As per the legend, the Ancestor's first steps after being born were upon this lake.

Taking this idea, a test was formed.

A trueborn Sitri with the innate bloodline power over water would be able to easily walk on it with a flex of will and imagination.

So, right on the fifth birthday, we are taken here to perform the test.

Usually, that's all that occurs.

But I wanted more.

For the past three or years, all I was allowed to do was sit around, reading a shit ton of books.

And for the two years before that? I couldn't even leave my damn cradle without Sera or Mom!

While the history of the Underworld, my clan's origins, and so much other stuff was very fascinating to read about…

Especially since none of it was told in the original story this world is from.

None of it can compare to actually doing something.

Like training, fighting, learning actual Magics or Demonic Powers!

I wasn't allowed to touch any of that stuff until now because it wasn't safe during my youngest years.

But now?

I smirk back at him, a grin from ear to ear as my Demonic Power responds to my mounting elation.

Blue-violet power crackles and sparks across my form, snapping from the aura and striking the water around me as I get low to the surface.

"I think you're getting quite slow, you overcompensating manlet. When's the real training going to start?" I snark cooly right back.

His eyebrow twitched.

Yeah. That's right Dad, I called you short, the fuck are you going to do about it?

"Really?" The torrents around his arms spiral faster as he utters out that single world, all with a still smile on his face.

"Um~!" Sera calls out from the side, slightly worried, "Papa? What are you doing?"

"Starting the real training, as your dear brother seems to wish for." Despite how calmly he said it, there looked like mini hurricanes raging across either of his arms.

Not like they were that big though.

Remember?

Manlet.

His eyebrow twitches again.

I smiled innocently.

Then he stepped forward and punched.

A tidal wave practically blew out from his fist, even disturbing the lake water as it rolled towards me at terrifying speeds.

"E-Eh!? Papa! Hey!! Stop that!! Too much, that's t-too much!!! La-tan noooo!!" Sera almost immediately started crying like I was already dead.

My wings burst from my back as I blasted into the air, narrowly going over it.

Then the winds created by the thunderous spiraling wave hit me and sent me flying further up and back.

I hold my arms up to my face, blocking winds from beating into it and my eyes.

Now this is more like it!

My sixth sense, my ability to sense others' energy, short circuits as I feel dear old dad's power suddenly pop into existence behind me.

Hmm. That's not supposed to be there already—

The next thing I realize, my body is sent belly-flopping down, straight on top of the lake.

I can feel Sera's wince from the lake shore.

I can feel my father's smug smirk as he looks down upon me.

I can also feel that everything, fucking, hurts.

< ~ Makin' Waves! ~ >

"Sera, come on, you know how Papa gets when someone calls him tha—" Dad's explanation was suddenly cut off as a pom-pom hit him in the face hard enough to knock him straight down into the ground.

My sister looked down upon his prone form, arms crossed, face between wrathful and pouting, "I don't care! La-tan is too young to be facing attacks of that scale! You could have hurt him!"

"A-Ah…" He slowly pulls the pom-pom off his face, "Sera, you know I have more self-control than that! La-tan wasn't in any real danger! I promise!" He continued rather feebly.

"Still. Don't. Care!" She turned and looked away from him, "I hate you, Papa!!"

"W-W-What!?" He fumbled as if gut-punched, "Seerraa!? Noooo!!" He cried out so loudly it echoed.

I, meanwhile, watched all this with the most unamused expression.

Occasionally, I'd hiss, but not because of them.

No, it was due to the light-pressing of a cloth lathered in some type of medical ointment against my crimson skin.

Heh. Rias. Eat your heart out.

I wince a bit as the cloth is pressed against me once more before soon full-on hissing in pain.

"Don't worry dear," a soothingly mature feminine voice mutters behind me at my pain, "almost done, alright? Hang in there!"

I suck in a deep breath and nod in affirmation.

The only reason Sera has been laying into Dad this whole time instead of smothering me to death is because Mom forbade it.

As it turns out, being forcibly made to belly-flop onto a magical, maybe alive lake, tends to hurt.

And sting.

A lot.

The entire front part of my body is raw, tender, crimson right now.

Even the bits that were covered somehow.

Luckily, the Sitri Clan owns the hospitals and clinics in the Underworld, along with the methods of making normal herbal remedies so we can offer more than just the standard Devil Method of healing.

The second half of that is due solely to the lovely lady who is smothering me gently while applying something for the stings.

My mother in this new life of mine.

Sera is practically a mini version of her, and I got my hair color from her myself.

Hopefully, I also get some of that height.

Hmm. There's a joke to be made here that height in the family matters when it comes to sanity.

Mom isn't a bridge troll like Dad, and she's tall.

Sera is Sera, and she's oh so close to the magical form that is a short stack.

"Done!" Mom suddenly calls with a pleasant smile.

I shiver as she pulls a cloth that was stuck to my stomach off.

Huh. Significantly less pain already, though that sting still bites a fair bit.

"La-tan!!!"

Oh shit.

Another body collided with my front, sandwiching me in between both women.

My cat-like screeching and hissing were muffled as my face was shoved in between Sera's large magical muffins.

Nothing new there, but still.

Also, yes, Sera calls her tits that.

She began patting me incessantly while snuggling me, rambling on and on, "Are you okay!? You don't have to worry anymore La-tan, your big sister is here to protect you from that mean old octopus!"

I vaguely heard Dad groan dramatically as if struck behind her.

This continued for a good bit, until Mom pat Sera on the head, and slowly eased her off me with a small smile.

"Sera, don't handle your brother so roughly now…he's still in a good amount of pain, that ointment isn't instantaneous, you know that." She chastises lightly.

Sera blinks at her, before looking down at me as I let out a slow, pained, wheeze, finally free from her blossom at least.

"A-Ah…right, Mama…" She starts tearing up, "L-La-tan…!" She starts sniffling, "Nnnghhh!!! Your big sister is exactly like that mean old salmon! I'm sorrryyyy!!!"

She starts full-on crying.

Also, Dad coughed like he got stabbed or something again.

I look back over to Mom, who merely shakes her head and sighs.

I give her five minutes before Sera returns to normal.

At this point, I just learned to tune her out when she gets like this.

Anyhow.

I turn and look out over the lake I was just training at.

Now, we're all sitting on a slightly elevated hill looking over it, and from here I could see it perfectly.

The way the lake makes waves out of nowhere, the way its waters flow, twist and turn despite there being nothing to disturb it.

No water life lives in that lake, nothing seems to be able to due to its properties.

Fascinating.

I wonder just how much study and research has gone into this place…

Idly, I hum as I take note of the time.

The Underworld's artificial sun is beginning to make its fall, and within the next few hours night will rise to take its place.

I spent several hours out on that damn lake, huh?

We started just before noon.

Honestly, I didn't think I'd last that long.

The entire point of this type of training was control.

The raw manipulation of Demonic Power requires imagination and the will to create and control phenomena.

If you don't focus and don't have enough intent behind it, your power simply won't respond.

On the flip side, concentration can be interrupted.

A mind wandering, raging emotions, pain, all of these can affect your powers, so it's important to get that out of the way first.

It's also the only thing they'll let me do right now since I'm 'too young' to start what I like to call the good shit.

Like water dragons and such.

But, I know you always have to start somewhere.

I click my tongue internally at that.

It's never too late to prepare for the apocalypse.

"Ah!?" My attention suddenly snapped toward my Father as he suddenly exclaimed, "Look at the time! Everyone, we have a reservation in Bitru to attend!"

Sera perked up, "Ah!? Right! My little La-tan's birthday dinner!" She suddenly snatched me back up, and any trace of her bawling her eyes out evaporated.

Literally. I see the steam come from where her tears were as they vaporize instantly at a mere flex of her Demonic Power.

"That's right, Sera. Pack it up, everyone!" He calls out whilst clapping a few times, "We have to account for Sera getting swarmed the moment we step into the city! If we're late to another reservation because of that, I'm making her pay!"

There are grins all around at that.

Well. From everyone besides Sera, who squawked indignantly.

"E-Eh!? Hey! Papa! It's not my faul—" She started to defend herself.

But I cut her off with a simple, "Hey. Sis."

"Huh?" She turned, paused, and paled as she looked at me, "L-La-tan…?"

Hmm, is my wide, hungry grin all that scary?

In any case, I give her a thumbs-up.

"I'm counting on you, big sis."

"W-Weh!?" Sera looked positively crestfallen as she held her chest, crying out, "La-tan doesn't even believe in me!?"

I feel a slight movement from behind me, as Mom also holds out a thump-up and nods along in agreement.

"Quite right dear." She gracefully facts on.

"M-M-Mama!!! Not you too!!"

Sera gave exaggerated cries, sputtering out denials even as she was packing up her pom-poms in a…suitcase.

That's just there now? No flash of magic or anything?

Yeah, that sounds about right for her.

We all chuckled at her expense nonetheless.

I…need to just enjoy these moments.

As short as they may last in the grand scheme of my potential ten thousand or so year lifespan.

Especially for my birthday.

After all, at around, eight to ten I think? I'll start having to have birthday parties.

Not the fun kind of party, but the noble kind of party where I have to mingle, play nice with actual asshats, and build connections.

Joy.

The approaching canon is a whole other can of worms as well.

Or well, what's left of it with me taking Sona's place here, anyway.

But, for now, I can relish this.

< ~ Makin' Waves! ~ >

It's odd how, after dinner, we aren't staying at the Sitri Palace in Bitru.

Extremely odd.

Granted, I haven't been to the Palace much, it's only been a few years of life after all, but every time this far we stayed overnight at Bitru we stayed at the Palace Center.

Maybe it has something to do with the place being more for administration rather than residence?

I once heard Dad talk about how the Palace in Bitru was based on an old Mycenaean Palace, an ancient Greek Palace before Ancient Greece was a thing.

Back from the Bronze Age, fascinating stuff.

Seemed comfortable enough though, from the few times we did stay there.

Still, I can't complain all too much about heading straight home after a big meal.

Sera out ate the rest of us combined, somehow, so as the light from Mom's teleportation spell fades I'm not surprised to see Sera swaying from side to side on her feet, looking blissed out after stuffing herself.

She's also giggling lightly, eyes half-closed as she looks up at the Sitri Castle, a big wide loopy grin stretching itself across her face.

“Ah~...” she hums with relief, “Home sweet home~! Eight hours of restful sleep, here I come~!” She cheers to herself, giving a small fist pump.

Before dinner, switched out of her cheerleading outfit into her ‘work’ outfit, the one with the azure green formal blouse, little light pink neck scarf, long dark frilly skirt, and cute little golden laced black boots.

She rocks it, truth be told, but somehow I think the future heavily hormoned-up me will think the cheerleading uniform is superior.

“Ah! Hold up!” Sera suddenly perks, her eyes opening just a bit more as she jerks her head in my direction.

I couldn't say why, but my danger senses flared.

Then I understood, as I was summarily scooped up, held like a damn teddy bear, and my face was quickly assaulted by a flurry of pecks from my sister.

“Mwah~! Mwah~! Mwah~! Mwah~! Mwah~!”

“Seeerrraa!!” I cried out, trying my best to cover my face with my little hands.

It failed. Spectacularly.

“Mwwaahh~!”

Oi, that last one was way too close to my lips!

I pout at her, prompting Sera to stop with an affectionate giggle.

“I know, I know La-tan~!” She winks at me, before snuggling me against her bosom, “N~ot y~et! Heehee~!”

Not yet?

Uh.

I'm in danger?

“I need an adult.” I mutter tiredly.

“I am an adult~!” Sera giggles animatedly back.

“That just makes it worse!” I fire back.

“Hmm…” Sera thinks for a moment, eyes slowly and increasingly narrowing as she does before she finally snaps back to attention with a huff, “Better me than any of those hussies from the Pillars. My La-tan. Hmph!” She pouts, her cheeks puffing at the proclamation.

I do my best to deadpan up at her from between her mounds.

Truly, I do hate being this short again.

And while I could always abuse Devil Shapeshifting to make myself look my true age in record time, for height and all, just that is rather a waste of such power.

Especially since looking my age doesn't confer the power increase all Devils get through proper age, actually have to experience the years naturally for that.

Also, I can't force certain biological functions to work that way either, so my dick is still non-functional until I properly hit twelve to thirteen.

I cry.

But I'll live. For now.

“Which is why I'm sleeping with you tonight!” Sera proclaims, “To make sure none of those hussies come for you now that you're officially Heir Sitri!”

“...Sera.” I start plainly, “I think I'll be fine. It's a bit early for that, don't you think?”

“It's never too early for the hussies to come after you!” Sera nearly cried out in denial, “Don’t you know they always try to start young!? Those third-rate noble scags with nothing in their lives will try to seduce you for your future holdings, wealth, and power! They'll even try to do it to get in your Peerage!”

“Sera, I don't even have one of those ye–”

“No! No no no!! I absolutely won't accept that!” Okay, now she's crying, “If anyone tries to take my La-tan’s chastity,” her momentary tears stopped, a dangerous cold glint appearing in her eyes, “I'll ice them, and toss them into Cocytus!”

Huh. Is it just me, or did it suddenly get very cold?

“Ahem.”

Sera whirls, and promptly hisses at the noise, holding me protectively as she does.

The source of the noise, dear old Dad getting her attention, merely stares at her blankly.

“Sera. Dear.” He points down at the ground.

Sera and I look around, only to find the floor, and damn near half the front of the Castle completely iced over.

“Ah.” Sera squeaks out, “Sorry Papa!” With a wave of her hand, the cold seemed to lift, and the ice started to melt.

Dad merely sighed, before turning back to Mom, who was watching all of this with an amused smile, “Well, he’s all yours for tonight then, dear.”

Hmm?

“Aww, darn it!” Sera huffed, holding me ever so tighter, “I nearly forgot about that thing with Mama!”

Thing?

Also, Sera. Please. Starting to lose the ability to breathe here.

“Can't you wait until tomorrow? Pretty please Mama! I wanna snuggle La-tan tonight!” She begged and pleaded.

“Now now,” Mom walked over, reached out, and gently freed me from Sera’s chest, prompting a deep relieving breath of air to finally reach my lungs, “We should get this over with as soon as possible now, you know that, Sera. This is just as important as checking for his Sitri Clan Trait.”

“I know, I-I know!” Sera conceded, weakly, “B-But…”

Mom merely rolled her eyes, reaching out to hold and rubbing one side of Sera’s face.

“Don’t be like that, my little Coldsnap, it's not like I'll be hogging him all night…” an amused little glint appeared in her eye, “in fact, why don't you wait in his bed for him, hmm? It shouldn't be long.”

I slowly looked at my mother, the woman who supposedly loved me, in sheer and utter betrayal.

Why would you encourage her like this!? What, do you want incest grandbabies that bad?

On the bright, Sera suddenly perked up, a big happy smile on her face!

“Ah!? That's a wonderful idea! Thanks, Mama! I love you, Mama!” She accepted, before starting to literally bounce off, “Oh! Right!” She stopped suddenly, turning back and looking at me, “Don’t stress if you don't have it, okay La-tan? I wasn't lucky enough to have it either!”

Would it hurt to just say what it is outright, you lot?

I furrowed my brow as Sera gave me a dramatic wave, and a cheery smile, before bounding off instead.

She crashed through the ice blocking the castle doors like it was made of paper mache, seemingly not even noticing its existence.

Dad walked over, patting me on the head while damn near having to stand on his top toes to kiss Mom.

He sighs as he pulls back, “That girl…regardless, she is right,” he looks me in the eyes, his own becoming rather steely, “about…several things, there. We'll talk about several of those things when you're older, but for now?” The rather serious look in his eyes dissipates, becoming the usual carefree I've come to expect the last few years, “Just do what your mother says, alright? And don't worry, Sera’s right about that last bit as well.”

With a wave and a small smirk at the confused frown on my lips, he walks off.

I turn, looking back and up at my mother.

“What are you all talking about?” I ask straight and to the point.

To which the reply I get is a short burst of giggles, “Hmm! I think it's better saved as a surprise,” she gently runs her fingers through my hair soothingly, “if you'll indulge me? I promise it's nothing bad, you won't get hurt, this isn't some sort of secret test for the family that'll make or break your position, none of that.”

I settle into her grasp with a warm hum.

“I suppose there isn't any harm in it then?” I try, I can see the excitement, it's palpable in her eyes.

Can't find a reason not to go along with that, I trust her, them, my parents, and my sister here.

If it'll be fine, it'll be fine.

I smile as my mother practically bursts into a fit of excited girlish giggles at that, not entirely unlike some of the happy giggles you could hear from Sera.

“Right, then!” She starts, strutting forward toward the castle with purpose, “Ready to see a part of the Castle you've never seen before?”

Oh?

My smile widens at that, “You bet!”

She sets me down on my feet, mirroring my smile as she gingerly takes my hand.

“Then let's be off, then.”

As we approach, I can finally start seeing the castle as Sera’s impromptu icing melts and falls away, the Sitri Castle, in all its glory under the fake moon and starlight.

The Castle is embedded into the side of the largest mountain the Sitri Territory sports, overlooking the Teraphim and a vast swath of some of the most beautiful nature preserves I've ever seen in either one of my lives.

Just outside of the castle, there's a stone bridge leading out to a small platform engraved with a magic circle, which we are currently walking across and from.

The circle is, of course, the only way to enter the castle properly, as the very mountain upon which the castle sits is warded to hell and back, nearly as much as the Bael’s home.

Heh. Hell and back.

As for the castle itself?

It is awash with blues, purples, gray, and bronze.

Crystal clear stone bricks build the foundation, wood is painted the Sitri colors, and you’d be hard-pressed not to find a banner or flag or just outright the Sitri sigil adorning some part of the castle, whether that be the walls, spires of bronze, or even the doors.

The inside interior is much the same, in terms of primary colors, with the Sitri paraphernalia being joined by other works of art, and displays of stuff like trophies from the Great War and Devil Civil War.

Ah, but there is one rather glaring issue.

There aren't any stairs.

Or hallways for that matter.

The entrance area or the lobby, the welcoming space for visitors and the like is one big museum-esk room, with several windows letting in beams of light to illuminate the rather airy, decorated room.

The one outlier! The giant magic circle at the far end of the room.

See, if Devil children possess enough power to use a circle to teleport, why not take advantage of that fact?

The castle wasn’t originally designed with this in mind. My Mother’s Bishop pitched the idea, and my Dad got far too…enthusiastic, about tearing apart and rebuilding the interior.

The result? Without stairways, hallways, passages, and such, there's plenty of room for everything else.

Each of us has a section of the castle all to ourselves, with our bedroom, bathroom, entertainment or living area, workshop, and so on, all accessible via a flex of will and a circle.

I have half a mind to call the old man ‘Manletmaster’ for his commitment to efficiency.

With that being said, I have Mom to thank for reeling his ass in and thinking about style, rather than plain old efficient and boring design.

To a degree. She went overboard in some ways too.

For instance, the wall facing the nature preserve and lake in my room?

There isn't a wall. It's all one giant glass window.

Very nice view.

But oh boy, has it made me hate that stupid artificial sun with a burning passion in the morning.

That's all just for the living spaces, and as we walk towards the big brimming magical circle, I have a sneaking suspicion of where in the castle we might be going.

The only real parts of the castle I haven't seen, or been allowed access to, are the parts within the mountain itself.

Manletmaster, recall.

I’d imagine stuff like the servant's quarters are there, along with vaults for the Clan Treasury where the real important stuff is locked up.

Sera hinted that there's also an actual Clan Archive with the good shit there, like books on magic, demonic powers, and the like.

Hmm…I wonder if that's where we're going!

I push down the rising urge to get overexcited over that prospect.

But, a Devil can hope!

Reaching it, and stepping onto it, Mom suggested, “You may want to close your eyes for a moment dear, so they can adjust a tad faster to where we end up.”

I nod, and close my eyes shut.

Giving a hum of approval, she taps her foot against the circle, and I can feel the thing buzz to life as her demonic power swirls into it like a key, her grip on my hand tightening ever so slightly.

“Away we go~!” She calls with a playful chuckle as the circle spins up, and takes us away in, for me, a dull flash of light.

< ~ Makin’ Waves! ~ >

The first thing I noticed was the chill in the air.

It wasn't an unnatural chill, caused by powers, but a natural one.

A dull, absent cold, merely present because of the lack of anything else.

And as I open my eyes, I see that literally.

Devils possess natural night vision, with it, I can tell there is no lighting, natural or artificial, in this chamber.

It's merely a chamber, a dome of gray dusty stone, looking behind where we appeared, I don't even see a circle that would enable someone to teleport back.

Slowly, Mom lets go of my hand and walks near the center of the chamber.

“Not much in here, is there?” She muses aloud, her voice echoing as she does, taking a quick look back at me with a small smile.

“Is there even anything in here…?” I ask back, my befuddled voice echoing softly as well.

Her smile grows.

“Look closer.”

Closer? As in, maybe, on the walls? The ground?

I step forward, closer to the center, and it's only when I'm a few paces behind my mother do I finally see it.

Burn marks. Thin, but there are many, and they seem to make some shape.

In the center of the chamber, it's almost like they form a circle, a magic circle it kind of looks like, but this one seems different.

“A magic circle?” I pitch, only for my mother to hum in thought.

“Very close. But not quite.” She states, holding a hand out to her side.

A band of blue light sparks into existence a few feet away, and as she turns, the band traces itself in the air, forming a circle around her.

“Tell me, Laplace.” Her eyes flickered over to me briefly, before moving back to her hands, as she continued tracing more and more bands of light into the air, “You've been reading quite a bit, yes? History mostly. Can you tell me what you know of the Stolas Clan?”

I hum in thought at that. Stolas, huh?

“The Stolas Clan, Rank Prince, like Sitri,” I begin babbling off what little I had heard, “they originally held a position just above the Phenex, but then the Great War and Civil Wars happened, and right after Rating Games were invented they just kind of…vanished.” I shrug, rubbing my chin a bit, “Don't think they ever went extinct, however.”

She nodded at my words, a bright smile, just as bright as the circle forming around her, plastered on her face, “That's all correct! Did the books mention why, exactly, the Stolas Clan fell out of basically everything?”

I shake my head at that, “No, Mom, I don't think they did.”

Although to be fair, I didn't go all that deep into a dive on the Stolas specifically, I focused much more on the Original Satan Clans, their old territories, the modern-day Old Satan Faction, and so on.

“Ah, I see,” her smile turned bitter, “the answer is rather simple. It's how any Pillar Clan falls into ruin. They lacked power.”

She cuts new bands around the outside of the main circle and starts forming several new small circles around it.

“Without power, Pillar Clans can't gather anything. Keep anything. Protect anything.” She continues softly, her voice murmuring throughout the chamber, lights picking up, “The Stolas especially were done rather dirty by Lucifer. Their Clan Trait, Ritual Magic, was meant to be the Devil's ultimate scourge of what the Heavens loved so much: arias, chants, prayers, and songs. It was meant to take that power from them, and make it the Devil's own.”

She suddenly stopped moving, the bands of light swirling around her now, twisting and swirling.

“It failed. Ritual Magic was a worthless trait in combat. By itself, it took too long to set up, too long to cast, and too slow to show results. The impatient Devil King regulated the Stolas and their armies to fodder. But through sheer stubborn will, they lived on post-Great War.”

With a wave of her hand, the bands of light settle in place mid-air.

“Eventually, a use was found for Ritual Magic, but it wasn't a grand one. Little cared for the natural world of the Underworld, after all.”

My eyes widen, and she suddenly waves her hand down, the bands of light collapsing into the ground with a thunderous fiery clap, burning themselves into the ground.

She turns to me, a sardonic smile on her lips, “My maiden name is Ellaruth Stolas. My little Laplace, can you guess what you're here for now?”

“To…test for the Stolas Clan Trait?” I murmur back, my eyes not leaving the bright blue light.

“Yes.” She hums in affirmation, her normal sweet smile returning to her, “I do love this part, despite my rather…complicated feelings regarding what's left of my former Clan.”

“I…” I swallow thickly, “how do I…?”

She giggles lightly at that, “All you need to do, is merely watch, okay? Watch, and…listen.” She murmurs, power humming in the air, sparking with light.

“Here’s an ode to the Underworld. Hear mine feeble voice, and tremble.”

The circle hummed at her words, before expanding.

My breath was sucked from my chest as I beheld an absolute cacophony of color, sound, and light.

It was as if the world had become enamored with instruments and the verdant colors of the world refused to be unseen, popping out all at once.

Then my mother began to sing.

“A secret tale of life and toil.”

I could feel…it.

Something somewhere else. All around, but not here.

Power buzzed all around the chamber, pulling inwards, I could almost feel it, the way with every single word she spoke, every lightly sung lyric…

“Oh, verdant rebels in the devil's lair,

Defying torment with each leaf’s flare.”

The world shifted.

Bent, changed, drove towards one purpose.

“No sunlit kiss, just sulfuric glow,

Yet, blossoms thrive in the fiery throw.

Their stems, a defiance in the abyss,

A green uprising, a tale of bliss.”

I'm sorry, your voice is so beautiful, Mom, but I can't just…listen.

I need to…

Huh? Since when did I reach out and touch the light?

The light thrummed at my touch, and I could vaguely hear her gasp through the haze of…everything else around me.

I let out a shuddering gasp as the light rolled down my arm, the blue becoming tinged with blue violet.

“A paradox profound, in shadows cast,

Where flames entwine with life so vast.

Ode to the Verdant Inferno’s Grace,

A testament to life in the darkest place.”

And suddenly, as quickly as that light, that song, that sound appeared…

It all went away.

That rush went out in a wave, flooding out from the chamber, but not physically piercing it.

I fell to my knees slowly, deep breaths wracking my body.

My Demonic Power, my energies, they didn't get drained at all, yet…

So, so tired.

Tentatively, I heard clicking heels approaching my form.

“Mom? Wha…what was…tha–!?” I grunt as arms suddenly wrap around my tiny body. Slender and slick, comforting.

“You have it.” She muttered, nigh disbelievingly, “You, really…h-have it.”

Ah, Mom? Why do you sound like you're crying?

Is that good crying? Or bad crying?

I try to look up at her, barely managing to move my heavy head to look up at her.

Can't see her face, just her neck. She's hugging me.

Darn.

So. Why can't I physically ask that?

Oh. Everything’s getting…hazy.

Hmm.

Say…since I have both my parents’ traits, does that mean I can learn all the things sooner?

I'll admit, that thought manages a low, very excited giggle from my throat and a big goofy lopsided smile to boot.

Slowly, I feel her pull back to look down at me, her face is tinged with tears, but she doesn't look sad.

She's smiling, so that's good, right?

Then she sees me, and pouts at me, her cheeks puffing out like Sera’s do!

“Laplace Sitri…what are you thinking down there, hmm?”

Tired.

And other stuff.

Like how I'm going to get in so much trouble trying stuff out…aren't I?

< ~ Makin' Waves! ~ >

Chapter 1 End

Let's. Fucking. Goooooo!!!

This took way longer than I thought it would take, tbh.

But it's finally here!

Ah, let's get to it.

So, we aren't going to stay very long at the five years of age, probably only one more chapter before we get a significant time skip to the next age mark. I just want to cover some of the family interactions and lay down what Laplace's early years are going to be spent doing first.

Show, don't tell, and all that.

As we progress up his ages, we'll be spending longer and longer in each 'stopping point' as you will.

As for a schedule, I'm thinking Mondays or Tuesdays right now, likely Tuesday? Or maybe something less rigid. Definitely going to need to hammer something out before I start posting chapters to QQ and FF later.

Same deal as with A New Sun there, by the way, you lot will always be three chapters ahead of public release. So, QQ and FF won't even get this story until we hit Chapter 4 here.

Fun fact, by the way, I tried to write my own ode for Ellaruth's song at the end. But it was 4am, I was really fucking tired, and just said fuck it. Used ChatGPT to make one, lol.

I still have the full thing, if any of you would be interested in seeing it. It turned out shockingly well I think.

Another thing, certain text in this chapter is meant to be colored, kind of like the Juggernaut Drive in A New Sun, but I can't do that here cuz Patreon. Big sadge. 

Now, until next time, have a sneak peak at Laplace's mermaid. Heehee.

(Normal)

(Mermaid. Heh.)