The Girl with the Broken Wings

(Dylan POV)

This was it. The year that Rias and her peerage would inherit the Kuoh area and enter Kuoh Academy. At least I hope it was.

It's been a long few years, not gonna lie. I've waited patiently like a good little boy and didn't affect the timeline... much. Can you blame me? It's been a long decade.

Okay, in fairness, I've met up with Grayfia a couple of times over the past few years, and it was purely professional. We were discussing peace terms. We were a diplomatic party between two races. Who cares that the discussions took place in coffee shops and any romantic spot that I could drag her to? That's not the point.

With time and constant pressure, I've managed to wear down Grayfia into cracking a smile once in a while which, knowing her, is quite an achievement. Her stern exterior seems to lessen with me. I don't know. She would say it was the coffee and cakes.

In our meetings, she has done quite an outstanding job of keeping me away from Rias and the underworld in general. Of course, Rias and I did meet a few times over the years, bolstering our sibling-like relationship.

Also, speaking of Rias, I had asked Grayfia how she came to the conclusion about me and Kuroka. Her answer was that Rias told her. Well, she didn't tell her outright; more that she felt a devil aura around me so she approached me.

When she realized that I wasn't a Devil due to me not understanding Japanese--since the supernatural could understand all human languages--she was confused but ignored it. And when she told Grayfia this, Grayfia automatically linked the devil aura with the cat that Rias mentioned. And when they discovered a week later that a reincarnated Nekoshou had escaped after killing her master, it was a no-brainer.

Anyways, I guess Grayfia thought that one or two Devils would not take so kindly to me and end up starting a sort of war with me--something she wants to avoid at all costs.

I would say the reason for that is that she feels protective of me; though she has said on many occasions that it was because she didn't want half of the underworld getting destroyed. Which seems a bit hyperbolic.

I'm not that strong, to be honest. I've trained a bit over the years, sure, but not to the extent that I could wipe out all of the Devil race. I've even been training half as hard and half as often.

"Status."

[Dylan Leux: Human]

[Level: 412] (5%)

Health: 500,000/500,000 (1,000 HP per minute)

Mana: 1,400,000/1,400,000 (40,000 MP per 0.25 seconds)

Strength: S-

Vitality: S

Agility: S

Dexterity: S

Intelligence: EX

Wisdom: EX

Luck: S

Abilities:

Passive:

[Blessing of Pool (LV: MAX): Increase MP by a factor of 1000]

[Blessing of Whirl (LV: MAX): Increase MP regeneration by a factor of 1000]

[All Encompassing Energy (LV: MAX): Able to substitute mana for any other type of energy with 100% effectiveness]

[Mana Regeneration (LV: MAX): Increase MP regeneration by 200%]

[Physical Endurance (LV: 80): 80% decrease in damage from physical attacks]

[Magic Resistance (LV: MAX): 99% decrease in damage from all magical attacks]

[Sense Danger (LV: 70): sense when something bad is going to happen with increased range]

Active:

[Fire Manipulation (LV: MAX)]

[Water Manipulation (LV: MAX)]

[Earth Manipulation (LV: MAX)]

[Wood Manipulation (LV: MAX)]

[Air Manipulation (LV: MAX)]

[Lightning Manipulation (LV: MAX)]

[Sound Manipulation (LV: MAX)]

[Telepathic Force Manipulation (LV: 35)]

[Telekinetic Force Manipulation (LV: 25]

[Psychic Energy Manipulation (LV: MAX)]

[Ki Manipulation (LV: MAX)]

[Gold Experience Requeim (LV: 25)]

[The World Over Heaven (LV: 13)]

[Observational Haki (LV: MAX)]

[Armarment Haki (LV: MAX)]

[Instant Dungeon Creation (LV: MAX): Create a dungeon with a time dilation of 10:1]

[Instant Dungeon Escape (LV: MAX): Escape an Instant Dungeon]

I might've not trained as hard as I did before, but I have progressed a lot and so have my abilities. For example, my two stands evolved into their more powerful counterparts. With [Gold Experience Requeim], I am able to not only turn inanimate objects into living things and vice versa but also return anything and everything to point "zero": the point where it hasn't started or hasn't existent yet.

With [The World Over Heaven], I can stop time indefinitely and also rewrite the time/history of something with a punch, basically warping reality with it. I can resurrect dead bodies, heal, kill, damage, rewrite memory and bodily history, etc.

The next two powers that evolved were [Telepathy] and [Telekinesis], evolving into [Telepathic Force Manipulation] and [Telekinetic Force Manipulation] respectively. These evolutions basically allowed for the manipulation of the forces of telepathy and telekinesis themselves.

To put it simply, think of cars and roads. See, psionic energy is the roads that allow for the cars--telepathy, telekinesis, etc.--to drive around and function the way they do. Sounds great, right? The problem is that, on the road, cars have to follow predetermined routes and directions, with reinforced speed limits and turns, etc.

This new manipulation circumvents these predetermined rules for telepathy and telekinesis respectively. For example, with telepathy, you aren't able to affect objects without a functioning mind--golems, androids, undead summons, etc. With Force manipulation, you can just go crazy.

Also, I forgot to mention the coolest part. With the force manipulation of telepathy and telekinesis, you are able to manipulation others' telepathy and telekinesis. I can negate others' telepathy or telekinesis, or I can mess it them, making them read the wrong mind or lift the wrong object/weight.

Now, after listing off these 4 abilities, I hope you can see just how melodramatic Grayfia's statement about destroying the underworld was. I mean, I'm only level 400. According to my calculations, Great Red and Ophis would be about 500 or 600+. She was being completely ridiculous.

Hanging out with Grayfia wasn't the only thing I got up to over the past few years. I also met a few new faces.

The first was Issei, the main protagonist. Meeting up with him was a complete accident. Basically, about 8 years ago, I ran out of food for my fridge so, with Kuroko nagging the hell out of me, I went to the store and came across a little kid following his mom around like a dog.

I peered into his mind, coming across some thoughts about the girls in the town and panties that he's found. I guess they start young, huh? Even at the age of 9.

The next person I came across was Akeno, the half fallen angel. She was about... 10 or 11 when I ran into her. It was after she and her mother were attacked by fallen angels. If only I had known about that.

-----------------------------------

(Flashback)

(3rd POV)

In all her training from her mother, this particular spirit was the most toilsome and laborious evil spirit that Akeno has had to purify. Even though it couldn't speak or convey much emotion, she could tell that it was laughing at her struggle.

She was beginning to wear down due to exhaustion. She knew it. And she didn't know how, but she knew that it knew it as well.

The demonic wisp screeched as it flashed forward right towards Akeno's heart, perhaps planning to overtake her body.

Akeno grunted as she pushed herself to the side to dodge, but ended up tripping on her torn priestess dress and dropped onto the hard ground. "Ah!"

The spirit, missing its mark, regrouped and launched itself towards the downed, young priestess.

Just as the evil spirit was about to enter her body, Akeno pulled out a talisman from her dress buckle and slammed it right on the wisp with her short, chubby arms.

The spirit screeched as the talisman burned bright right through it, turning the wisp semi-transparent until it disappeared without a trace.

Akeno exhaled a puff of hot air trapped within her lungs as she fell back onto the ground, unable to move except to breathe. "Ha ha ha," she began to laugh hysterically. The combination of a tired mind and an exhausted and injured body made her a little loopy.

"Wow," a voice called out from the dense forest that surrounded the battlefield of a shrine. "Nice job with that spirit. Serious."

Akeno tried to lift her head to look at the speaker only to have it drop back onto the dirt. She had expended most of her little energy on that last talisman attack to give it more of a kick.

"Y' know, you almost killed yourself with that little stunt of yours." She could hear the voice getting closer, though she still couldn't see since he was behind her head. "You could've killed it much easier."

"Who are you?" Akeno tried to say in a threatening voice, only to come out as adorable. She couldn't see it, but she could tell that he smirked after she said that.

"Just a concerned observer."

"I'm only 11-years-old," she blurted. She could hear the man taking a pause.

"Umm... okay?"

"That means that if you touch me, you're a pedophile."

"Oh, I see," the voice softened. "Your last defense? Desperate, aren't we? Clinging to the morality of our enemies."

Akeno clicked her tongue. She was unlucky enough to get someone who didn't mind killing a kid what so ever.

"Why don't you use the thing inside of you? I can see it in your blood."

Akeno's eyes lit up. How could he know about that? Was he supernatural too?

"Wings. No, only one actually."

Akeno tried to use her limbs once again only to fail. "I'll scream if you touch me!" she growled.

"Use it, little girl." His voice softened to a whisper. "Use it or writhe on the ground until another spirit comes along. The choice is yours."

Akeno's whole body started to shiver--in fear, desperation, and regret. She wasn't strong enough. With tear droplets falling out of her eyes and painting a streak onto her face, she muttered, "I'd rather die!"

The man turned silent, perhaps thinking of something while looking intently at the little girl lying defenseless. Then he spoke. "Okay then." He stood up.

Akeno closed her fluttering eyes and wept silently, not wanting to give the monster the satisfaction. She waited for him to kill her... but it never came. She then felt him put his hand on her arm.

Then suddenly, she felt something. A force--life force, in a way she never felt before. It was so pure and potent as it circled through her entire body. Then she felt her muscles moving. She could move again. Her aches were numbing down.

Akeno, full of surprise and wonder, looked over to the man who she previously thought was some sort of sadistic murderer. He looked about 20. He had hazel-brown hair that curled onto his head and dropped down onto next to his ears. He had matching brown eyes that were filled with kindness. She couldn't say that he was handsome--around average.

But then, he flashed her a smile. "It's okay. I won't hurt 'cha."

After a brief introduction, the man, now named Dylan, began to heal her body--from the scrapes to the damages to the energy exhaustion.

While she was being healed up, she and Dylan were talking, exchanging their stories with each other.

When she told him that her mother was killed a year ago, she noticed that he visibly flinched, but regained himself almost immediately. He apologized for her death and she said it was okay--like you would normally do.

Akeno found out that the man was from America. He was quite far from his home, she thought.

After being healed, Akeno thanked the man for his help and company. He expressed his misgivings about her goal and her lifestyle, saying it'll eventually lead to her death.

While the two were arguing, new energy signals popped up. "Fallen angels," Dylan muttered. "About 20 or 30."

Akeno could feel them as well, as most races with powers could instinctively feel one another. They were here to kill her, just like how they killed her mother. "Oh, God."