Author's note: A sneak peek into what the Underworld actually is in this fic. I've always been fascinated by DxD's interpretation because it's so different from other fandoms, and I wanted to do something with that. Trust me, this goes deeper than you think.
Next chapter is the high-class promotion exam, where Dante throws himself face-first into Underworld politics. Wonder if the devils are ready for him.
Hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think!
A Marvelous Devil.
Chapter 22: Unclaimed.
Dante Andromalius.
The dream.
"You surely took your time, you overgrown lizard," I shouted at the darkness of the void.
I could have forced this meeting, having enough juice in me to pull him into my dreamscape as long as he didn't resist. And he had no reason to do so, unless he wanted to piss me off, which… wouldn't be a surprise.
It was for the best I didn't even try, now that I thought about it, that would absolutely be what he would have done.
"I was busy," his rumble made the place tremble.
Then it took a curious tone, "I wasn't watching your every movement to avoid attracting any attention, but you've improved… A lot."
"That's what happens in my original home," I smirked proudly, feeling his senses going past any defenses I had.
It was expected that, by meeting each other in his very domain, there was absolutely nothing he couldn't do inside.
I missed the Ashen Court.
"That's a dangerous power you brought here," Red mumbled curiously as he 'observed' my heart, "I have never seen anything like that."
I didn't doubt that. I hadn't known about it, and I doubted many people did.
It wasn't a place one would leave unclaimed if they knew about it. I knew that even someone like the current Red could be harmed if I managed to teleport him inside the dimension.
As powerful as he was, even he would go through his worst nightmares, and even his physical form would come apart if he spent sufficient time in there.
And it was mine now. Or, at least close to it, that it didn't matter. Once I grew strong enough, I would claim it in its entirety.
"You've grown strong," he nodded his gargantuan head, "Will you claim your evil pieces, as we planned?"
We planned my ass. I avoided rolling my eyes because it wouldn't make any difference, but I wasn't given much of an option.
I hadn't intended to use it before; the loss of my generals and all the souls under my control thanks to Mephisto still stung, but… I couldn't deny that I wanted them now.
Not only for Tandy, though it changed my thoughts. While I doubted Tandy's lifespan would be a trouble even without my help, considering the sheer amount of lifeforce she could control, just the thought of claiming her to myself made my heartbeat thrum in a way I hadn't felt in forever.
"That's the plan," I nodded, "But I had some questions before I decide how to go through with it. This world is… a lot different than mine, and I've grown confused about the underworld as a whole."
"It's a whole dimension, not that… big, realistically speaking. But… why are there so many claimants in here?"
"What do you mean?" he tilted his head.
Before I could answer, a puff of smoke came out of his snout and enveloped his body, and a bright light shone through the location before it disappeared, and with it, the dragon.
No, in front of me was a man, around thirty or so. Bright red hair, yellow, slitted eyes, and muscles for days.
I lifted an eyebrow at the idiot. Were those… tattoos? He genuinely fit the biker stereotype.
I wasn't that surprised.
"Really, Red?" I smirked, "What brought this on? I have to say that a human form fits you, do you like the difference?"
"It's… been interesting," he nodded, and despite his blank expression, I could feel a bit of embarrassment coming out of him.
Oh, this was good.
A flick of my fingers and the void changed into my living room from back home, the one I shared with Tandy. It didn't take much energy since Red's presence facilitated a lot; he was basically a reality warper on a small scale already, and I was piggybacking from it.
"Tell me about it. What I need can wait. It's not like time passes the same way in here," I poured a cosmic power-created copy of my favorite drink when I was Seere.
I still remembered when I created my first human form; it was… something special for beings like us.
Perhaps seeing my genuine expression, Red sat in front of me and gulped the cup in a single breath.
The way that Red's eyes opened in surprise was expected. There was nothing much better in the multiverse than the very essence of a dying timeline.
Death was stingy as hell with it, but I had something she needed, and despite not allowing me to bed her, this was the second-best thing I could think of.
I smiled at the memory of the only woman who had ever rejected me.
It didn't have the same properties as the real deal, obviously, but the taste was special in its own way.
"I was curious," he shrugged blankly.
He still wasn't good at faking emotions, that was sure.
"I thought about what you told me the first time we met," he continued, "how you were born from the being you called nemesis and that you didn't have a human form at first, and I wondered if there was something interesting about it."
"And?"
"Beer is nice," something resembling a chortle escaped his lips, and I laughed with him.
"Hmmm, let me give you a freebie. Accept it," I snapped my fingers.
A thin strand of cosmic power came out of my temple, flying towards his at a sedate pace. I was a bit surprised when he didn't study it at all.
I wondered whether he trusted me or simply didn't know better. I couldn't say, because he admitted that he didn't deal with many beings inside this world.
A packet of information soon burrowed into his mind; the same one I used when I first started. All you needed to know about humanoid expressions.
Red closed his eyes, a frown grew on his face, first a bit tense, then it grew more and more genuine by the second.
His eyes opened, and he smirked.
"That's better," I nodded at a job well done, "So… beers. Did you go to a bar, or something? How did you get the money?"
That was a big secret of mine. The first time I visited the human world, I didn't have any currency on me, and I was kicked out of the first store I visited.
Good times.
Red and I spoke for what seemed like hours about his first experiences with his human form, from eating, drinking, and doing whatever shit he wanted. It was hilarious because he explained that he didn't bother hiding his presence from the Gods in this world, and supposedly, the whole world was holding its breath to see what he was doing.
Was it my fault?
As Tandy says, I plead the fifth.
Seeing that he was really mellowed out from this much drinking of the special things I tried during my lifetime as Seere, I broached the subject before it was too late.
"So, as I was saying, I needed some clarifications before I continue with my plan, Red," I said seriously.
I genuinely didn't want to piss off someone who could squash me like a bug. I could easily be considered a high class for this world's classifications, but while that might be good for the devils, in the grand scheme of things, they were just stronger ants.
"What is the underworld, Red? Why are there so many beings having territories here without supervision? They act as if that part belongs to them and that's all."
Red snorted, his cheeks a bit flushed thanks to the imaginary alcohol, "It's different than your home."
"You can say that again," I rolled my eyes, dropping my head on the table.
I genuinely didn't understand how many things in this world worked. It was just so different.
I loved learning about it, though.
"You need to understand that I am the personification of the dreams of this place, Dante. When I came to be, it was… later than many of my peers."
"I know your kind," I waved my hand airily, "I dealt with them every once in a while back home."
Red nodded, "So, you have to keep in mind that I don't know everything. If you wanted answers, Ophis would be better. She came to be much longer before me."
An amused expression grew on his face, "If she didn't kill you on the spot. Or made you fight me."
The infinite. He mentioned him once during our first meeting, and I had read about it, but the lack of concrete information was astounding.
But I knew that controlling information was the kind of thing everyone in power did.
"So?" I tapped the table, "I intended to use the same system I learned in Kamar-taj instead of fully showing my capabilities with the Dark Force, but I fear stepping on somebody's feet and making a worldwide mess."
I sighed, "The fact that the underworld has Devils, Fallen Angels, and a lot of Gods of death from every corner in the world makes me wonder what's truly happening, and how this dimension came to be."
Red nodded, his eyes interested despite the nonchalant expression.
"I saw a bit about it when I peeked inside. I can imagine that would be useful. And yes, I suggest you keep the Dark Force to a minimum here. Don't show what it's truly capable of."
He tapped the table a couple of times, his stare distant.
"There is no dimension lord, as you fear. He is long gone. This place already existed, from what I know, but its lord?"
"It's dead."
"Explain," I turned serious.
That… explained a lot. This must have happened a long time ago, and it explained why so many factions had their own territories here. It was a really good fit for Death realms and dark-aligned creatures.
A sardonic smirk appeared on his face, "You know the Evil pieces, right? I think I saw you destroying one of them from a little devil. You know what it's made of?"
"Some type of crystal," I nodded, closing my eyes and hiding the smile that threatened to come out.
Poor Sona. I should give her a call before I go for my exam, at least to let her know I will fulfil our deal shortly. I just needed mine to make a deeper analysis.
And maybe tease her a bit, along with her Queen. I knew that Sona was interested in me, and it wouldn't be hard to make her become putty in my hands; she was repressed enough that just a tiny amount of interest made her weak.
Her Queen would be harder, but I trusted my instincts.
All in all, it would be fun.
"It's divine ichor," Red snorted, "All these factions? They are living where its lord died. Those crystals the super devil used for those creations, and the original Satans for those weapons? It's her blood."
"She must have been really powerful," I rubbed my face.
It… it made sense. Changing the essence of a soul was no simple matter, and as bright as this Ajuka was supposed to be, I didn't expect something like that from someone so constrained.
Also, it wasn't as simple as that. I could barely recall that Rias's brother had a copy of the fire giant that fought Odin to a standstill multiple times and beat him more than he lost before the one-eyed god sealed it.
Even if it was a copy, an ounce of divinity must have been in his body; that's the only thing that should explain its level of power. The reason why it failed must have been that the original still existed and couldn't take its place in this reality.
I had seen that happen a couple of times back home, and as different as Red's place was, some things were constant across the multiverse.
"She was," Red nodded, "At least until Trihexa got to her."
Red's expression darkened for just a moment. "But that's a story for another time. Point is, you can go ahead and do what you want. No matter how powerful the people owning territories here are, they don't have the right to know exactly what you are doing. Just… go slow."
"I doubt they won't notice unless something fundamentally changes."
"I have no need to become its lord, yet," I smiled darkly, "but… I can use it as a battery, instead of my own reserves. I'm sure pulling its power directly from the source will give me some nice advantages."
"Do what you want," Red yawned, his eyes a little red.
Heh. He was lightweight.
Red stood up, his legs wobbly as he smirked, almost falling to the ground.
"It was nice, Dante. We should do it again."
I didn't miss how much it meant to him.
I didn't make fun of him; I understood loneliness.
And it was nice having a friend who knew the real me. Both of me.
"I wouldn't be against that, Red," I nodded, smiling and raising my final cup of the night.
"See you later, eh?"
Another huge amount of smoke covered the room before he returned to his usual form, breaking the dream.
See you later, my friend.
Two weeks later.
Celestine Andromalius.
I felt good.
That alone should have worried me more than it did. After everything that happened, I simply didn't deserve to feel good.
Half a year with my husband sick and my son gone who knew where. He didn't explain to me what he was going to do, just that he would be gone.
And it broke my world. I had to admit that the first two months were spent in depression and self-loathing, thinking that my son hated us enough to leave thanks to our actions.
I regretted it so much. I should have put my foot down with Hadrian's dreams, but I didn't because I was weak.
But Dante was something else. He didn't leave us as many would have; he didn't cut us off. He was just preparing for his return, and I still didn't believe how special my baby boy turned out.
Yet here I was, standing in the kitchen with the slight warmth of his special tea still lingering on my tongue, feeling freer than I had in many years thanks to my baby boy.
Never in my whole life had I felt as good as I did now, nor as powerful.
And it was entirely thanks to my baby.
Of course it was. He was special, and I no longer cared about the why, as long as he was safe and happy. That was more than enough for me.
Dante didn't explain where he got these miraculous leaves, but I knew a girl was behind it all. He couldn't hide it from me, the random smiles or the frowns as he woke up.
He must be heartbroken, but he returned for us.
I still made him promise to show us that girl when all was settled here. The photo he showed me was enough for a moment, but I couldn't wait to see them together.
And maybe a lot of mini-Dantes running around. How adorable.
I brushed my fingers against my forearm and paused.
My skin felt… soft.
Not young. I was not foolish enough to mistake the two. But I knew devils… and this product was dangerous. Many ladies would sell their newborns to have skin like mine.
I smiled despite myself.
My son was home, and that was enough for now. I still missed Hadrian, despite his stupidity, as Dante called it.
I poured the rest of the tea into a cup and set it on a tray along with breakfast. I had asked about it a day after his return, and according to him, Tandy always had breakfast ready.
It wasn't a wonder why he was always frowning lately. I could see on his face how much he wanted to go back to where he came from.
But I was more than happy to help. It made his return feel real.
The house was quiet as I walked down the hall.
It wasn't until I reached the door to his room that I slowed.
Something was… off.
And no, I wasn't talking about the empty bed. He hadn't been in bed for the last two weeks when I woke up, always working.
So, I ignored the empty bed, walking towards his 'secret room'.
This boy, we didn't even notice when he made it.
A wisp of my demonic power flowed into the ward, and the floor opened.
The air felt denser and my body tensed. It felt as if I was walking through water.
Despite knowing I was safe, old instincts flared up.
It was scary, but I knew my son would never harm me.
I forced myself in. And my body stopped cold.
At the center of it all sat my son.
My shirtless son.
He sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed. His posture was relaxed, but he was frowning in concentration.
He breathed in and out, evenly.
The air around him was not calm.
Power moved in waves, drawn inward from everywhere and nowhere at once. It whirled toward him in a slow, relentless funnel, layers of pressure folding over each other as they disappeared into his body.
It was demonic power. There was no mistaking it.
But I tilted my head in confusion. There was something strange about it.
It wasn't his demonic power. It came from outside, bending toward him willingly, from the air toward his body, as if it were doing precisely what my son wanted.
My hands gripped the tray without me realizing it.
Then I saw his arm and froze.
The skin along his forearm had darkened into shapes resembling chains, black links encircling his otherwise flawless skin.
And they throbbed lightly; each glow synchronized with his breathing. They also moved.
What did my baby boy do this time? I wasn't surprised anymore, I just went with the flow, as the younger generation said.
Dante's frown eased a bit, then his eyes opened.
His look met mine, and there was no longer the unflappable calmness he used to show lately.
No, I could recognize that excitement anytime; it was just like when he was younger.
"Good morning, Mother."
"Good morning, baby," I smiled, approaching my mysterious son and hugged him tightly, "Did you sleep at all?"
Dante's arms held me tightly.
"I can sleep later," he whispered into my ear, "I finished what I needed."
The mark on his arm blazed red once, brighter than before, and then settled into a dark black.
He let his arms go limp as he retreated from our hug, and the pressure receded enough that I could breathe properly again.
"Don't pout at me, Mother," Dante rolled his eyes, and I laughed.
"What did you mean by that?" I caressed his golden hair for a moment, as Dante's eyes lit up.
"It means that it's time, Mom," he smiled, "I'm ready for the exam."
If you'd like to support me and read up to FIVE chapters ahead, you can find me on pat * e*n . com (slash) Infinityreads99 Heads up: I post chapters fully edited, but I sometimes make minor tweaks before they go live here. Thanks for reading!