Chapter 1: Rebirth through contract.

It was a nice day on January 15, 2013 in Tokyo,Japan.While the winds were cool, the sun was warm and the days were nice enough for a slow but brisk walk to school. Ryuki Michizane was a hardworking boy. He studied long hours and was thoroughly read and raised in a household that valued commitment above all else. So it was no surprise that Ryuki got up at the same time everyday, did the same routine and ate the same things. His parents, Fujino Michizane and Miyu Michizane were sitting there in their work clothes. Their hair was cropped and tidy. Their clothes are not wrinkled and their glasses are sitting neatly in the same position. "Hey mom and dad" Ryuki called them as he sat down in his usual seat.

"Hello son" called his father with warmth. His mother answered "Hello dear" in a nice way. The family had a connected bond with each other. True evidence of their commitment to family bonds. As they sat down they began eating their breakfast. The breakfast itself consisted of fish, soup, rice and beans. They ate ferociously, both the boys thanking the mother for her delicious cooking. "Thank you mom!" Ryu said to her as he picked up his bag and left for Tokyo High School.

The walk was not long and only took him 15 minutes. The then looming gate of the high school came into view as he walked up into it. The building had a sort of opposing feeling to it, like it was stained purple by despair. Then again it makes sense seeing what happened. Ryus good friend Tochi Mikoto commited suicide as he jumped from the very roof of the school. Ryu was there as witness to the end of the act. His body came swiftly down as it splattered in front of Ryu's feet.

His face had no action, his body as still as the dead. His friend just died in front of him. He did not react for a while until his body broke into tears. His eyes were flooded with great despair; it might even paint the soil another shade. He wallowed in grief. His parents called him out of school to grieve for his long time friend. He attended the funeral with his parents, to honor him hoping he gets a new life in the pure lands.

However that event was then shoved to the back of his mind subconsciously as he attempted to restore his normal life. He walked to his first class being Mathematics. He sat down in his usual seat right behind Yusuke Kamida. The class bell rang as our teacher, Nori Amanogawa, or Mrs.Amanogawa walked in, setting down her bag and picking up her clipboard, noting down students in attendance. "Mr.Michizane, you may start," she told Ryu. "Everybody, stand!" he said as everybody stood. "Bow" Ryu said as everybody bowed and returned to their seats.

The teacher then picked up her chalk, a book in another hand and began writing down the notes. Ryu paid attention completely, following and writing the notes. However his concentration stopped for a bit when he saw a faint shadow. This shadow had the outline of a beast but quickly faded.

He then got back on track. He wrote on pace with the writing of the teacher, his pencil matching the rhythm 5:2 of chalk to board as to pencil to paper. It showed his commitment to education as he finished exactly when the teacher finished. The day passed by in a mixture of slow and fast. Ryu got up from his seat as the final bell rang, eager to go to his parents. But what would wait for him would be a downpour of devastation.

()

A strange man was near Ryu's home. His hair was pitch black as the abyss, his pupils red as crimson, his skin as pale as snow almost transparent. He knocked three times on the house door. His knocks were light but its sound carried throughout the house. Miyu Michizane turned her head towards the door at the instance of the first knock. "Hey honey can you get the door?" she asked her husband. Fujino perked his head up from his work. His work was a small model train he was in the middle of painting. He got up from his desk and walked to the front door. He opens the door only to see the suspicious man at his door. He noted the man's fingers were stained ink black and his eyes shadowed by his long hair.

"Hello sir, may I help you?" Fujino asked him. The figure then raised his head and saw Fujino. His eyes shined with determination. "Yes, may I please come inside? I am hungry and need food and water" said the mysterious man. Fujino let him in, treating him as a host should treat the guest. The mysterious man sat opposite of the couple and put his hands together as if in prayer. Miyu brought over a plate of food and water as she sat down with her husband. "So where do you plan to go after this?" asked Fujino politely. "I am going to Hawaii for a 'family' trip" said the mysterious man, his voice seemingly blanketing something more secretive.

"That's good," said Miyu politely. The man then suddenly stood on his own two feet. "I thank you for the food but unfortunately my demon needs a sacrifice" said the man as he stood up, his hands still clasped in prayer. "What are you—" the couples were about to speak in unison until a large flaming demon appeared from a mark on his wrist. The demon looked like a flaming skeleton, with horns on his head and pointy teeth. "Blaze- Flaming hand of Yama" said the man as the house and many beside them went up in flames.

Of course Ryu just came up this time as well. He saw the flaming corpses of his parents on the ground. Their flesh became ash in mere minutes of his arrival. His eyes blank with no emotion covering his face. The mysterious man turns around to see the arrival of this boy, a look flashing on his eyes as his demon looks over. The demon felt hunger for the boy's energy, his contractor very aware of this desire. "Well boy your luck ran out" said the man as his hands covered themselves in flames and spoke "Blaze- Claws of cerberus".

The demon quickly dashed over his outstretched claws as he slashed the boy's chest. His claws left a deep wound but cauterized it after the attack was finished. The boy fell over, pain flashing across his face. "Hmmm that attack was meant to kill. Demon, slash but do not cauterize" he told the demon as the demon struck again. Blood gushed from wounds on Ryu's back, his face crying in pain at the wound, but also at grief and anger as he saw his parents murder standing before him.

"Ohhh you were able to survive, not many can survive this long" said the man as he looked at Ryu in surprise. "Well I guess since you won't survive I can just leave you here, the destruction will begin soon" he said as he left the boy to die on the streets. His life was leaving as his eyes dimmed. He felt angry that his parents were murdered, he wanted to avenge them, to kill the man who brunt them to ash. "Is that your desire?" asked a formless voice, it seemingly feminine in nature. "Who are you?" asked Ryu as he wondered where the voice was coming from.

"I ask you again, is that your desire?" It asked me as my feelings flashed before me, my desire to kill my parents murderer eminating within me. "Yes!" Ryu shouted as he saw a bird before him. This bird was not normal, it was covered in red and black smoke. Its eyes a piercing glow as flames began to appear. "Do you wish to make a contract to avenge them?" the bird asked as a strange circle of light began to form around them, intricate designs carving itself with light.

"Yes!" Ryu said, his resolve firm in his heart as the bird spoke. "Very well then to seal this contract, I shall give you my name!" The bird declared while a strange power enveloped the area. "Ming!" It told me, as Ryu shouted the name in return as a contract formed on their souls, binding them together in a demonic contract. Ryu, now healed from his wounds, now looked towards the sky as he declared "I shall avenge you!" he shouted to the heavens as the bird took place within him as he collapsed soon after due to the contract plus the wounds received by the flaming demon.

()

On this day of January 15th of 2013 a deal was struck, a deal of vengeance that shall wreak havoc. However another event took place on this day as well. The unknown man met a woman in Beijing, China. She had beautiful brown hair, piercing green eyes and the body of a jade beauty like those in a cultivation novel. Her name was Xiao Linxi. She was raised by the Xiao clan, a clan of priests who wielded an ancient power, magic. They possessed ancient magic, a technique which held great power in imagery and will.

She met up with the man in a nameless cafe, each having only a cup of black coffee. "So how is your end?" asked the man, Meld Di Angelos. "My end is going well, when the clock strikes 5:00 in ten minutes my part of the plan will be fulfilled" she told him, her slender fingers lightly cooling the cup using magic for ice. She drank her cup with a straight face as she set her cup down. She looked at Meld with a tinge of slight mockery. 'The man is too faithful' she thought. While they both worked for the organization known as New World, his faith was more like a victim of being in a cult.

"Good then I shall be off" said Meld, his voice still as strange as when he first spoke to her. She paid for the bill cursing him for leaving her with the check as she walked towards the forbidden palace. She walked sneakily into the inner courtyard, a sword appearing from thin air as she stabbed the ground with it. "Come forth, Tian!" she shouted as a woman appeared beside her. Tian use to have white hair, green eyes and a flowing white dress but her hair was now stained black, her dress a sickening green. This was due to the 'Fall', an event which happened many years ago which due to a certain phenomenon caused many people to 'fall' from their grace.

"Tian began the plan" she told her as the lady hovered above the blade. Linxi then began an incantation as Tian began acting as a conduit for more concentrated effect. "I call forth the power of heaven, a heaven affected by evil and disorder, Heaven whose wrath shall now be enacted on earth, come forth, Wrath of heaven!" shouted Linxi as Tian began eminating a weird aura as a magic circle was carved around the blade, the blade being a focus. As soon as Tian began connecting with the blade and the clouds within the sky, the clouds darkened and the grass started to wither.

The clouds then began shaking as fire then rained down from above, seemingly imitating the wrath of heaven upon Egypt in the movie prince of egypt. The rain of flames caused many to scream and many were burnt by the flames while others were slowly withering to dust due to the withering curse spreading from the grass.

Soon all of Beijing was covered in flames and withering corpses and curses. The disease tried to spread outside of China, which almost got to the coast. However it was stopped by other magicians. This phenomenon was replicated elsewhere with different effects. In Afghanistan a blistering sandstorm began sweeping the land with shards of glass mixed in, Japan being encased in a sea bubble by water demons.

Many strange occurrences have been happening all over the world. All these happenings were due to the work of New world, an organization of demon contractors with unknown origins and goals shrouded in mystery.

Of course with the rise of demons came the rise of shrines, temples and churches chanting prayers and spells for protection, and many survivors of the cataclysm which cut the world to ½ of its former population size began trying to learn magic and chants to deal with demons or spells for contracting demons with the rise of a formal corporation for demon contractors.

This allowed what remained of the government to form a new government in tandem with the rise of the Demon Corp. This relationship allowed the government and Demon Corp to create a two-fold government structure. The Humanitarians handle normal affairs and the Demon Corp handles more supernatural affairs.

Of course due to this rise they tried to take back poisoned land but were repelled by mindless corpses possessed by low-level necro demons, demons affiliated with the dead but are weaker than their Necro King level kin. They were able to claim a small amount of land and began calling for priests to aid them.

The priests then sets up a shrine or temple and begins sanctifying the ground, creating a hallowed space for protection against corruption. However demons still run around the world and many die under their hands. Of course, this was the world as the destruction spread. Of course, the new government will be doing its best, in the future when constructed of course. Right now the world is in disorder due to the fall.

()

I awoke in a place razed by flames and the smell of smoke and charred corpses hanging around him. The sky was hazy with smoke, my eyes stinging as I sat up. My mind was groggy, clogged with darkness until my eyes laid upon a certain house. Then the dark wall in my mind was then broken down as I flashback to the events of yesterday. The burnt house, a demon made of fire and a mysterious man with dark hair. The moment the man flashed in his mind he began to feel anger. 'Where is he!' I shouted in my mind as anger flared in my veins. "You cannot find him yet, let alone fight him" said Ming, a demon I made a contract with during my rage.

I then also remembered the wounds I received yesterday. I looked over my body, the wounds on my body no longer there. I guess this explains why I was feeling no pain. "Yes that is because of me" said Ming as a look of curiosity crossed my face. "How?" I asked her as she manifested out of a crest on my hand which was not there before.

The mark was blood red, in the form of a bird with its wings spread wide. It was flat and had little distinct features, besides absence of red to make an eye and gaps to denote claws on the feet. "The reason for the healing is because when one makes a contract with a demon they become somewhat of a hybrid between a spiritual being and physical being" said Ming as she flapped her wings, flying down on his shoulder as flickers of embers float off her flame-like feathers. This was a noticeable change as she used to be mostly smoke but now has a more flame-like form.

'I guess like how I changed she changed as well' I thought as I decided to walk around the landscape as I breathed in smoke though it seemed to not affect me. "Well demons who use air and flame have a heightened immunity towards smoke for fire and harmful air for air demons" said Ming. "Do people like me have heightened resistance towards other things?" I asked her. "Well demon contractors do have an all-around heightened endurance and resistance, but for more specific resistances depend on the demon" said Ming.

The new information answered my question as I continued exploring the flaming land, heading towards my school to check for survivors. With my enhanced body it took little time, a minute at most when running, 5 when walking. I came upon what should have been a white building but it was scorched and red with a crimson substance. My hope of finding friends or other survivors began to plummet. My breath became a little ragged as I went inside the building searching for survivors, with many rooms containing only corpses, charred and lifeless. However In room 1-A on the second floor I found a teacher. Her name, if I remember right, was Hiyori Otaka. She taught English and was able to speak it very fluently, showing her adaption to the language. "You okay, Ms.Otaka?" I asked her as she tried to stand. "Yes I am fine" she said, wobbling while trying to stand on her two feet. She looked dirty and had soot and ash stuck to various places on her uniform. "That's good but we may not be safe here" I told her as I grasped her hand as she "Eeped!" in surprise. "What are you doing!?" she asked as she blushed, of course in surprise.

"Well I am leading us out of here" I told her, noticing her blush. Me being somewhat smart realized I should not have just grabbed her hand out of the blue. "Sorry Ms.Otaka, I know it is already late but may I hold your hand so I can lead you out of here?" I asked her as she responded "Yes" she said to me as I led her downstairs. When we got downstairs I noticed a weird lizard on the ground. It emanates a dark aura and a stench associated with rotten corpses. It turned around and its eyes had an eerie feeling to them. It stared at me, its tail lashing about. Oh, one thing I forgot to mention was the lizard was the size of a full grown golden retriever. "Ming, what is that?" I asked her in a low voice. The reason I asked her was that since it seemed supernatural, I should ask someone of the same notion. "I believe it is a low-level necro demon" she told me, answering one question but generating another. "What is a necro demon?" I asked her. "A necro demon is a demon who possesses dead organic beings like animals, humans and certain plants, they also have some control over necromancy" she told me.

I was surprised a thing like that existed, then again I have Ming, so not that surprising. I then see it lunge at us. I quickly dodge, moving Ms.Otaka out of the way. Its mouth clamped onto the wall, a sizable chunk being crushed with only physical strength. It turned around as black mist flowed from its maw and a subtle twitch arose from a corpse nearby. It stood up sluggishly and it had a slow pace when moving. It felt weird because I knew the guy. It was my history teacher Kenja Rekishi. He had a loveable personality and his age brought wisdom. His skin was green with mold and skin began falling off. Wisps of black miasma flowing from where the skin is falling off. I noticed the lizard was now struggling, it being in a focused state. It looked like all its attention was on controlling the body, it was even barely doing it anyway. "Ming, is there a way to kill these things?" I asked her as Ms.Otaka looked at me wondering who I was talking to. She shrieked in surprise and yelled "What is that!?". I looked at her deciding to tell her as she has already seen Ming.

"Ming is a demon of flame in the shape of a bird," I told her. She looked shocked as her face indicated. "Why are you with a demon!?" she yelled. I guess demons do not have a good reputation, then again many beliefs denote them as evil. "Well I was in a pinch okay, besides I need her help" I told her, leaving it off there. "Ming, how do I kill it?" I asked her as the bird was perched on my shoulder. "You need a weapon, a demon weapon. In order to obtain one repeat after me" said Ming as I began being attentive. I held out my hand and began repeating. "I call forth the power of my demon" "I call forth the power of my demon" "To aid me in battle and destroy my enemies" "To aid me in battle and destroy my enemies" "So I order you, Manifest Goetia Armory" "So I order you, Manifest Goetia Armory". As these words were said out loud Ming began glowing bright until she transformed into a blade. The blade itself was a black color with a golden hilt, a shape reminiscent of the straight edged dao sword. The sword itself was a work of art, a magnificent piece of craftsmanship.

I held the blade as I felt a connection to it. "Ryu, you have officially gained a Goetia Armory, a unique artifact formed from me. Now with my power I shall send you the experience to wield the blade" she told me as I felt information regarding the blade and Goetia Armory enter my head. I felt as if I wielded the blade for 1,000 years. It felt wonderful to me, as I felt the flames rise within me. I looked at the lizard and the shambling corpse, my blade raised. "Now let's dance" I shouted as I prepared for battle.