Chapter 1 : The Beginning

-A few days after the burning of the facility-

The boy sat before a bonfire, enjoying a slice of cooked meat in his hand. He smiles with pleasant happiness as his mouth is full of meat.

"This is my first time to taste food like this." The boy says with a bright expression.

{Glad you like it} A voice in his head replies.

"Thank you for providing me with this." The half-blood devil smiles fondly, feeling thankful for his savior.

The voice didn't say a word, only answering in silence. It made the boy hold his chin in wonder. He is a kid, filled with innocent curiosity and childish wishes. Even though the world has tortured him endlessly, somehow, the pure soul remains inside of him.

"I still don't know your Name. I want to know the Name of my savior." The boy pleads with genuine curiosity. His tone is harmless, as if he was born yesterday.

{I must admit, you are a peculiar existence, young devil. Despite your horrific past, your soul still maintains its purity} The voice answers neutrally, albeit there is a sign of curiosity behind his tone. {Very well, my Name is Coltek}

"Coltek?" The boy tilts his head in confusion. "Pardon my rudeness. That Name is very unusual for the supernatural world."

{I came from beyond the stars, young devil. That Name I gave you is one among my countless Name. My real Name is beyond your capability to comprehend. I have told you my Name. What is yours? I can't call you young devil anymore} Even though it was a genuine question. It hides a deeper meaning behind it. The Old One knows the truth about the devil more than himself.

"I don't have one," He says in a murmur, clenching his palm tight.

{May I know the reason, young devil?} The voice asks gently.

"My mother... I never know my mother. I was born in a breeding facility. We have been separated ever since the day I was born. The only thing I can remember is the sharp taste of drugs in my mouth." He went quieter when he reached the last part of his sentence.

The boy only meets with silence from the voice. He smiles in understanding. "There is no need to apologize."

{I have nothing to say either. But if you want it. I can give you a name} The Old One softly tells the devil.

"Ar-Are you sure? But why?" Many questions pop into the young devil's head.

{Name bears many things in my society. They are a representation of power and authority as well as the concept of their existence. When a name is spoken, it invokes that named person's tremendous power. That man can become a loyal slave or be a power of an unfathomable miracle. In your case, it will bring you power and wisdom} The ancient being explains slowly.

The boy ponders for a while, seeking the correct answer to utter. He smiles not long after, nodding his head. "I just want the wisdom. Thus, what kind of name will correspond with it?"

The Old One ponders for a moment. The name of his kin would be too severe to be gifted for this premature society. He needs something else to give—a name of wisdom and power.

{Balechtar. It was a name that originated from the Symphony of Creation. It means 'Those who seek the everpresent knowledge.'} The Old Ones suggest with a soft voice.

"Balechtar. That was beautiful," The boy could not hide his happiness in his eyes.

{Then I shall name you. Let us begin the ritual} The statement of the Old One makes the young devil raise his brows.

"But isn't the naming ceremony just an interaction between the giver and the receiver?" His question is reasonable. But the Old One tradition is much more complex for a naming ceremony.

[In the tradition of mine, it nothing like your realm ever witnessed. Our words are the power to alter reality. When we gift a creature its name, it shall alter its fundamental nature in existence} The voice explains it to him patiently.

"Very well... You can name me when you are ready," The boy didn't matter if he needed to wait as the ceremony would be a very sacred ritual for Coltek.

{I can name you at any time. It depends on you, young devil} Coltek says to him in a manner of a parent to his children.

The boy closes his eyes, deepening his mind and feeling. The scars of the past will never be disappeared as they will remain in his soul as a reminder. With this new name, he might find another meaning for those scars to help him reach a new height.

"You can name it now, Coltek," The boy pleads, steeling his resolve.

{Very well} The Old One begins to stir the Empyrean Sea, creating a high concentration of Warp power around them. The warm sensation envelops the devil in an everpresent feeling of power.

The naming ceremony is a sacred ritual where the Old One will solely craft the subject's soul and conceptual attributes to serve their name—Balechtar, a name that represents wisdom and truth.

({Real Soul}) The Word of Creation let out from Coltek's mouth, shaping the reality of the child. ({Balechtar})

The name is spoken, invoking the power of soul and reality. The Old Ones have been known for their power over the soul, reality, and unreality. Thus, every word from their mouth is the will of the existence itself. Crafting a person's name is one of the countless practices in their life.

Steadily, everything in the boy's mind and soul shifts together as the tidal wave of the Empyrean Sea blows a warm psychic resonance to his essence.

The boy begins to see a vision. It's a vision of an incoming war. It was a distance war, but it was inevitable. In that raging war, he sees four young devils that will take a big part in that bloody war.

They are a man from Gremory, a man from Astataroth, a man from Glasya-Lebolas, and a girl from Sitri.

They have not been born yet. It is still hundreds of years ahead, but they four shall become the most prominent figures in Underworld's history.

Balechtar opens his eyes, feeling tired for an unknown reason. But he feels his power has been elevated to a degree he couldn't fathom.

{You have awakened, Balechtar} The Old One greets him softly.

"Coltek. How long have I slept?" Balechtar asks, rubbing his forehead.

{A few minutes} The voice replies shortly.

"I see," Balechtar says between his breath, recollecting himself from his initial vision. "I think it's time to head to our next destination."

{I sense a small village not far from here. Ten kilometers to the North} Coltek uses his psychic power to transmit the location into Balechtar's mind.

The young devil can sense it, the pulse of the psychic power. The Great Ocean will guide him as its flow shall become his map. The boy nods, extinguishing his bonfire using his psychic control before taking the first step to leave.

_____________________________________________________________________

-A certain devil village-

Miserable would be an understatement to describe the village he is currently in. The Great War still affected the infrastructure, the building, and even the people, even though it was centuries behind.

"What does freedom mean when there is no place to go?" Balechtar mutters, lowering his head.

{The Great War is a wound that no one in the Three Realms could recover easily. Furthermore, the nobles who took their responsibility earnestly were just a minority} The sight before them is the undeniable proof of the incompetence of the devil society.

Balechtar continues his walks across the village, watching the rotten place with a hurtful heart. Devil power can recreate this place to its former glory, but something prevents them from restoring it.

"Their magical power is dimmer than a lit candle in the night," Balechtar says in a low tone. The young devil peered his sense into the Great Ocean with his newfound power. The souls of the inhabitants are dying as if they have been drained.

{You see it, don't you?} Coltek asks the devil.

"Yes, I do. Their life force has been harvested regularly, reducing their mighty power to just a fraction of its potential. I wonder why they harvested this much magical power. Moreover, from their own citizens." His nature betrays the reality around him.

He witnesses the truth before his eyes. He thought his torture place would be the only place in this Underworld for the devils to endure their suffering. He hoped there would be no more suffering among his people besides the unfortunate ones. Yet, he was wrong, utterly wrong.

{My people never created the devils to become something like this. They are masters of the element of the Great Ocean. I wonder what happened when we abandoned this reality} The Old One says in pure confusion, but it wasn't genuine, but the reason is unknown.

"Is there nothing we do to help them?" Balechtar asks in a whisper. His vision darkens.

{I can help you, but there is a requirement for it} The words of the Old One bring a silent wave of psychic power around the boy, that is ready to take the bargain.

The boy didn't choose to answer right away. He walks deeper into the village center. There he finds a woman who places her hand on her child as if she wants to caress her child. Yet, she is unmoving.

Balechtar kneels before them, touching the mother's skin slowly and softly. It is cold and rotten but still alive. The child is not better, but the life force of the child is much more significant than the mother. The answer to this situation is grimmer. The mother has given her life force to save her child.

"Please... Please... Save my child." The woman pleads for her the safety of her child. Her tears are no more.

Balechtar stares back at her eyes. Her eyes are blank. She is blind, and the cause is because an extensive amount of her life force has been sucked with force. The process is beyond words.

Balechtar has endured many. Some of them had burned and flayed his skin. But he never endured like this.

"Who is her name?" Balechtar asks the mother softly.

"Rylezia." The mother is whispering the daughter's name. "Please save her."

"I wi-" The words die in his throat. Balechtar swallows a bitter taste of saliva into his throat.

"Don't worry... I will save her," The half-devil smiles fondly. He slowly touches the woman's face, closing her eyes. Her face had been changed. Instead of fear, it was serenity. Her body slowly disintegrates into mots of light, flying above in harmony as a bittersweet farewell to her beloved.

"Coltek, I have my answer," Balechtar answers with determination, clenching his palm tightly.

{As you wish. The bargain shall begin} Coltek begins to stir the Sea of Soul around their location, channeling the raw power of the Immaterium to Balechtar's soul.

The power of the Warp is beyond anything he can describe. Unlike when he received his name, now he feels mighty. The power of the Sea of Soul surges into every section of his body.

"You no need to suffer more," He mutters, resting his palm on her head as he channels his psychic power directly into her essence.

The reparation of someone's soul is a very intricate thing to perform. Thus, he needs Coltek's helps to guide him to save the girl. The ancient being guides him using his psychic telepathy, manipulating Balechtar's mental state to perform flawless coordination to repair her soul.

The girl's soul is like a nearly extinguished flame and lacks any will to survive. He must change the soul's fundamental will and then imbue it with a carefully controlled psychic power. Balechtar closes his eyes, extending his arm as he draws a gentle wind of soul around him, directing it to the girl's soul.

The process emits a gentle purple and blue light around them, drawing the attention of the entire village.

They had witnessed the cruelty of their Lord when he came to harvest their souls. It was an agonizing procedure that cost their lives. They remembered it, the pain and damage it caused. But the sight before them entirely comes with sincerity and a gracious ambiance. They can't tell what that person is currently performing, but they are sure he wants to help the poor girl.

"Her soul," One of them murmurs in awe. "It is slowly healed,"

"How is that possible... A damaged soul could not be healed. Who is that young man?" Another muttering, eyes glued to the magnificent sight.

"That power," A female devil shivers in astonishment. "That power is endless like human's ocean."

It wasn't a secret that many supernatural beings would have deep desires for those stronger than them. These desires could manifest in submission or servitude, but the most common is carnal desire. The young devil's aura demands all.

The soul craft made the barren land of the Underworld slowly recover to its original state. The harsh dirt around Balechtar's feet begins to flourish with grass, and magically, the entire village's arid land has returned to its peak fertility.

The barren land of the Underworld was born not from natural causes. Many suspected its real reason, but one theory stands above the rest. Underworld had endured destruction that far exceeded the destruction of the Great War. And somehow, this young devil manages to restore the devastated environment to its original condition.

{(Soul Born)} Balekhtar speaks a sentence in the Old Ones' language.

To the observers, he speaks a language that is impossible to pronounce or understand. But the power is genuine as they can feel it changes the fundamental fabric of reality.

"Raise and open your eyes, Rylezia," Balechtar whispers, smiling fondly.

The girl rises from her sleep. Her skin healed, and her vigor returned. Her eyes snap open, surprised by her own condition. Her shattered soul was restored, and her magical powers skyrocketed to a point she would never have imagined.

"Who are you? Where is my mother?" The newly awakened girl asks the boy, eyes scanning her surrounding.

"My apologies, Rylezia." The tone is somber yet shows no crack in his demeanor. "Your mother had passed away with a smile on her face."

Balechtar couldn't find a kinder approach, as a sweet lie would devastate her in the future. At the end of the spiral, if he tells her the truth, all of her innocence will be gone.

The girl begins to sob. At first, it was low, but the sobbing grew louder as time passed. The pain in her cries is genuine as her heart shatters right before her own eyes. No one dares to utter a word as they also felt her pain. Yet, they have endured countless times before, and this one is one among them.

The girl slowly regains her composure, even though barely. Balechtar grabs her should in a gentle manner, staring into her eyes with conviction.

"Your mother has left me with one message." His words reach Rylezia's heart as she raises her face. "She wants you to live and no matter what awaits you. Stay strong and smile even in the darkest hour of your life."

It was not a lie. The remaining life force of the girl's mother had whispered Balechtar those words. With a gentle and soft tone, the woman said to him as her smile faded from existence. It was his gift as well as his responsibility to shoulder: Balechtar, a name with meaning for those who bear the wisdom and guardian of truth.

Rylazia's eyes wide open, shocked by Balechtar's words. Unknown to her and anyone nearby, Balechtar uses his psychic power to spreads his mental influence across the entire village. They can feel what Rylazia currently feels—the hurt of loss and the joy of newfound hope.

Balechtar extends his hand. "Your village and you still have a long journey ahead. Let us see the brighter future together."

Rylazia nods her head, accepting his hand.

_________________________________________________________________________

-A few hours later-

Rylazia could not draw her eyes away from Balechtar, who was healing the villagers. Moreover, at the same time, he also restored the environment to the point of beauty.

She is still sad about her mother's death. Balechtar's help certainly helped her, but it was peculiar. It indeed healed her, but at the same time, it didn't make her mental wounds recover. Instead, it marked them deep into her mental mind. The purpose is still unknown, but she didn't want to seek the answer somehow.

Rylazia rests her palm on her chest. The pain is still there and perpetually lingers in her heart. But there is also happiness that exists in between those hurtful sentiments. The balance is always the same, utterly keeping her in a duality. Villagers who Balechtar had already healed also seemingly experienced the same as her.

Thus, this makes her capable of seeing many things that she thought would be impossible—a new way of thinking, a new meaning of life, a new existence as if he reforged her soul. She was born anew either it was her soul or power. And somehow, she also feels she has become much more mature. She decided to acknowledge her current condition as it was the wisest decision.

She stares at the crowd where Balechtar is busy with all of the villagers. He is young, and yet he isn't. His face is a mask or might be a mask. She can't be sure. Due to her recovery, she grows fond of him. The sentiment is unfamiliar. It was love, but not the level her family usually gave her. It is more profound than that. Surprisingly enough, this strange sentiment also occurs with the healed devils.

"Balechtar... What a beautiful name." She muses, smiling at him even though he doesn't notice her smile.

Furthermore, she knows a secret that she thinks everybody in this village is unaware of. Balechtar is not a pure-blooded devil. In fact, he is a half-blood. It is a truth she will hold secret forever. It wasn't because of the shared sentiments of her village and her, but it explicitly came from the deepest part of her heart.

Her mother has told her about this peculiar sentiment. Yet, she still couldn't understand it even today.

Balechtar notices her, turning his head to meet her ace, smiling.

Rylazia was caught off guard before bowing her body in admiration and respect.

'Might be time will tell. But for now, my loyalty is just for you, Milord.'