Prologue
Rias Gremory, a small 12-year-old girl, wandered lost through the streets of Japan.
She had gotten separated from the guards assigned to protect her. And the weather had only made things worse.
Heavy rain had been pouring down for over ten minutes.
Without an umbrella to shield herself, she ended up in a dark alley, waiting for the demons tasked with escorting her from the Underworld.
As she pondered how long it would take for the demons who had come with her to find her, a sudden shadow interrupted her thoughts.
"...?"
Rias was confused by the figure.
Looking up, she saw what appeared to be a high school boy—tall, handsome, with a perfectly sculpted face and body, much like the demons she was familiar with.
His hair was as white as moonlight, and his eyes were as red as blood.
He looked like a living 'ikemen'—just like the ones she always saw in the manga she read.
"Are you lost?"
He asked her gently.
"Yes…"
Rias nodded, hugging her knees.
The boy holding the umbrella knelt to be at Rias' eye level as she sat on the wet asphalt.
"Do you need help?"
Rias pondered whether to accept the help or not. After all, she didn't know this person and couldn't read his mind to uncover his intentions.
As a demon, she had the upper hand if needed.
"Yes, I need to find my guardians who came with me."
Accepting the stranger's "kindness," Rias stood up from the asphalt and tried to sense the magic signature of the two women who had arrived with her.
"I see," the boy replied, walking beside her while holding the umbrella over her head. "I suppose you have a way to find them."
"Yes, but the rain is dulling my senses. If we're lucky, it won't take long."
"Alright."
Rias led the way, passing through several streets, but with no luck in finding the two demon women.
"Rias-sama!"
Rias's ears perked up when she heard the familiar voice of the maids.
"Evelyn! Mary!"
Smiling with joy, Rias turned to see the maids running from the street she had just passed moments ago.
The demon women, dressed in maid uniforms, arrived at her side accompanied by a handsome young man.
"Thank you so much for looking after Rias-sama!"
The beautiful demon woman with brown hair and eyes beamed at the young man.
"No worries, it was pure coincidence. She seemed to need help, and I just accompanied her while she searched."
"Still, thank you!"
They bowed slightly. The young man, with an expressionless face, simply nodded to signal that the formal thanks could end.
"Rias-sama, it's time to return home!"
"Yes, thank you for your help…" Rias personally thanked the boy, not knowing his name. "Can you tell me what your name is?"
He raised an eyebrow. "My name is Sengo, though someone also calls me 'Senji-chan.' Heh, but I prefer being called Sengo, Ojou-chan."
Rias stared at the perfect 'ikemen' before her, smiling in a way that would charm any girl.
"Thank you very much, Sengo… Sengo-tan? I don't think that honorific is right… I really should read more manga."
"No need for honorifics with me. I'll just call you Rias. That way, we can skip the formalities."
"Alright…" Rias put a thoughtful finger on her chin. "I suppose that's fine."
Rias gave a small turn and began to walk away, followed by the maids shielding her with an umbrella.
"If we're lucky, we'll meet again, Sengo."
Rias waved at Sengo with a wide smile, like a manga character saying goodbye to a childhood friend.
"That girl really should stop reading manga," Sengo thought, watching her disappear before turning right and vanishing from view.
Sengo began walking in the opposite direction, enjoying the sound of the rain hitting his umbrella and the pavement.
As he walked, he observed people shielding themselves from the rain, cars passing by, and birds trying their best to protect their young from the torrential downpour.
Then, the presence of someone behind him made him stop.
"I thought you were Saigou Izayoi. But seeing you're not, I guess she's still waiting at the abandoned shrine."
He turned slightly to get a good look at the newcomer.
"The magic signature is familiar, but you're not her… So, would you kindly answer: who are you, little girl?"
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Kuoh City
In the city of Kuoh, a crimson-haired boy with violet eyes looked out a building window at the sudden torrential rain.
"What you've uncovered is dangerous, Cleria."
He turned from the window to a woman sitting at a desk stacked with papers.
"The [King Pieces] will be the cause of your death. Even if you try to reveal this in the Underworld, you'll likely be executed before you get the chance."
"I know, Alexander." Cleria Belial, a beautiful woman with gray hair and eyes, was a high-class demon, just like the boy at the window.
"I'd advise you to burn all the evidence for your own good. The only thing you can do is act like you never discovered anything."
"But…" Cleria held her breath. "The Underworld must know the truth about the [Rating Games] and the [King Pieces]; they're the biggest form of corruption, controlled by the top 10 and high-ranking demons."
Cleria stared intently at the boy.
"That's exactly why you should get rid of the evidence. It's dangerous—for you and for your beloved, Masaomi Yaegaki."
"What…?!"
Cleria quickly covered her mouth.
"That was easy to figure out. I'm sure they know it too."
Alexander arched his back slightly, his violet eyes glowing as he stared at her.
"You should stop, Cleria. One misstep and both you and the man you love will be finished. A taboo relationship between a demon and a human from the Church can be used to divert attention and keep the corruption hidden."
"Tch!" Cleria clicked her tongue angrily. "Damn vile race!"
"We're demons, Cleria. Don't expect others to be benevolent."
Alexander stepped down from the window.
"You have to choose—live, or die with your lover."
A portal opened in front of Alexander, and he stepped through, disappearing from Cleria Belial's office.
"Damn it!"
She slammed her palms on the desk, staring at the papers containing evidence gathered over years.
It had been a painstaking task—but given the danger, she only had one option.
She grabbed the papers, organized them, and tossed them into a bin.
"I want to live a happy life with the man I love too."
A small circle with arcane patterns appeared in her right palm, producing a teardrop of fire that consumed the evidence to ash.
"This is the right decision."
Resting her elbows on the desk, she pressed her chin against her interlaced hands. The fire illuminated her face, which showed pain over her decision.
She had wanted to reveal the truth—but doing so would be her downfall.
She would instead pursue the other dream she always had: to have a family with the man she loved.
Everything tied to the truth would remain secret—for her own sake and Masaomi's.
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In the Underworld
A tense silence surrounded a group of demon women, all eyes fixed on one person.
"Esdeath-sama? Are you really sure you want to do that to your precious hair?" one asked in a trembling voice.
"Won't we be punished for this?" another whispered.
"I hope Leviathan-sama doesn't get angry with us..." added a third, nervous.
Seated comfortably in a reclining chair before them was a noble teenage girl. She was the daughter of Serafall Leviathan, known since birth in the Underworld as Akane Leviathan, though recently she had renamed herself Esdeath Leviathan.
And right now, Esdeath was making a decision that shocked everyone: she had decided to dye her iconic black hair to a light blue!
"Do you know the meaning of my old name?" Esdeath asked calmly, a strange aura about her.
"Uh?" The demon women exchanged confused glances until one dared to answer, "The name 'Akane' in Japanese means 'bright' or 'red.' Leviathan-sama gave it to you the day you were born, in honor of the glow in your red eyes, Esdeath-sama."
"I don't mean the meaning of 'Akane,'" Esdeath clarified, with a faint smile. "I mean the reason why I was given a Japanese name."
"Oh? If it's about that… we can't really help you, Esdeath-sama. But we suppose it might be because of the man Leviathan-sama fell in love with—a man of Japanese origin."
"Exactly," Esdeath confirmed, letting her words hang in the air. "I just finished talking with my mother about who that man was—the one who led her to bring me into this world."
The curiosity about her father had awakened in her just the night before.
Serafall had spoken animatedly about him.
"So you want to know about Senji-chan!"
Esdeath had raised an eyebrow at the childish way her supposed father was being referred to.
"Senji-chan is a bit weird!" Her mother smiled nostalgically, seemingly lost in memories. "Senji-chan didn't love me the same way I loved him! The only thing he seemed to be attracted to was my black hair." Serafall giggled softly, a dreamy sparkle in her eyes. "So yes, Senji-chan is a black hair fetishist!"
She finished with a playful wink, pointing her index finger into the air with an imaginary spark at the wink.
Esdeath frowned, feeling both uncomfortable and annoyed by the ridiculous way her mother had described the man she'd never met. Was that really her father? A man Serafall still called "Senji-chan," who apparently had only been interested in her hair? The thought felt absurd—almost infuriating.
So, almost without hesitation, Esdeath made a decision. She chose to dye her hair a completely opposite color: a vibrant sky blue that would forever sever the connection to the image of that man she had just begun to imagine.
Esdeath arrived at the Gremory residence intending to meet with Alexander, whom she personally trained. But she was greeted with unexpected news.
"Alexander-sama and Rias-sama are in the human world—in Japan," a servant informed her, unaware of the faint twitch that appeared at Esdeath's temple.
Left with no other choice, she decided to go to Japan too. Maybe she could surprise them, and perhaps enjoy a little time away from the Underworld. To her surprise, upon arrival, fate led her to cross paths with Rias, who was being escorted by two Gremory family maids. From a street corner, Esdeath observed discreetly… and saw the person standing in front of her friend.
The young man had white hair, bright as the moon, and intense blood-red eyes. Intrigued, Esdeath stayed hidden, eavesdropping on the conversation.
"My name is Sengo," the young man said with a playful smile. "Though someone also calls me 'Senji-chan.' Heh, but I prefer being called 'Sengo,' Ojou-chan."
Esdeath's heart skipped a beat. That nickname—Senji-chan. Her mother's words from the night before came rushing back. Without intending to, Esdeath was now listening to the man who, until recently, had been just a name in a distant story.
She began secretly following Sengo, hiding her presence while observing his every move. But something compelled her to finally reveal herself—tired of hiding. When he stopped, Sengo spoke without fully turning.
"I thought you were Saigou Izayoi. But seeing you're not, I guess she's still waiting at the abandoned shrine."
Turning slightly, Sengo looked directly at Esdeath. His red eyes examined her with curiosity and something deeper she couldn't quite grasp.
"Your magic signature feels familiar, but you're not her…" he said, his voice calm yet dangerous. "So would you kindly tell me, who are you, little girl?"
Esdeath lifted her chin, her eyes glowing defiantly. Without hesitation, she held his gaze, her magic intensifying around her.
"My name is Esdeath Leviathan. Daughter of Serafall Leviathan."
Upon revealing her identity, Esdeath's red eyes slowly shifted to a glacial blue, reflecting the purity of her ice magic. The transformation caught Sengo's attention immediately—a faint smile appeared on his lips as he processed the revelation.
"Oh?" he murmured, a touch of irony in his voice. "Did you come seeking some fatherly love from me? Sorry, but I have no interest in giving that… even if you were my daughter."
Sengo paused, his eyes gleaming with a mix of recognition and calculated indifference. "Now that I think about it, I have another daughter in this world."
The words hung heavily in the air. Esdeath felt a swirl of emotions. Faced with the blunt rejection of her newly discovered father, her gaze hardened, and her power surged with cold intensity. But Sengo remained unmoved, his calm smile suggesting it had all been nothing more than idle chatter.
Boredom crept onto Sengo's face, and he let out a sigh. Irritated, Esdeath threw him a direct question.
"What's your real name?" she demanded, her voice laced with thinly veiled contempt.
Sengo gave a half-smile before replying, with unnerving calm, "Senji Muramasa… but call me Sengo." With that, before she could respond, he vanished from sight.
A moment later, Sengo reappeared at an abandoned shrine, where the atmosphere was silent and eerie. Sitting on a stone bench at the center, a blonde-haired, violet-eyed girl looked up at him.
"You finally showed up, Fossil Lord," the girl said with a sly smile and a tone of teasing reproach.
Sengo chuckled. "Let's continue our journey, Izayoi," he replied, his voice laced with playful disdain.
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Return to the Underworld
Esdeath returned to the Underworld (the Gremory residence), feeling that the encounter with Sengo had left her with more questions than answers. Upon arriving, she found Alexander Gremory, who had a katana she immediately noticed strapped to his waist.
"May I see the katana?" she asked, her voice calm but tinged with curiosity.
Alexander (surprised by the sudden change in Esdeath's hair color) handed it over without hesitation. Esdeath took it, feeling the weight and energy emanating from the blade. Her eyes stopped on a signature near the hilt: Muramasa.
(What's going on in that man's head?) Esdeath thought, analyzing the situation. The katana bearing that man's name stirred countless questions in her mind. Her thoughts raced, connecting the dots. How had this katana ended up in Alexander's possession?
Esdeath's mind wandered between confusion and unease, wondering if there was more to this story than met the eye.
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Author's Note
I think it's time to remake this story.
Now, Rias Gremory's brother will be named Alexander Gremory. But in the human world, he will go by the name Mikoto Tanaka (or maybe another surname) to hide his true identity.
Crossover: DxD, Fate, and Mondaiji.