the beginning

"From my childhood, my father used to say, 'Ryo Kogen symbolizes strength, so you must harness your power to help those in need whenever you can, and you will be rewarded by the heavens.' My father was a hero and a role model, so I wanted to be like him. I wanted to help those in need. But when I needed him the most, my father passed away in a car accident. No one helped me, not even my mother. She left me with her new lover after my father's death, abandoning me in the hardest moment of my life."

"I remember that day vividly when my mother took all her things and got into a fancy car. I tried to stop her, clinging to her so she wouldn't leave me, but she pushed me away and looked at me coldly. She said, 'Get away from me. I don't want to live this life anymore. Forget that I was ever your mother.'

"I couldn't believe it. I was choking, unable to speak, only able to cry. As she walked away, she continued, 'They say your name means strength, that you must help those in need, but what's the point if you don't have money? Foolish man.'

"She mocked me and my father. We may not have had money, but no one can mock my father. But what could I do? I didn't have the courage or strength to respond to her words. My mother got in the car and drove off, and I ran after her, but I couldn't catch up. I was just an eight-year-old child. All I could do was fall to the ground and cry."

"I vowed to become rich and show her that I could achieve more than she could imagine. But life had other plans for me. I lost our home due to my father's debts and my uncles' greed. No one wanted to hire a child, so I focused on my studies. Despite working hard, I wasn't the smartest, but I worked hard enough to become one of the top students."

"As I grew older, the remaining money from insurance and my father's bank account dwindled, so I had to take a part-time job at a nearby store. But I never forgot my father's words about helping others, even though I never received any reward from the heavens. I thought maybe the heavens would reward me eventually."

"When I graduated from middle school, I received a scholarship to one of the top academies in the city. I thought it was my reward from the heavens, even though the academy had been for girls only until a year ago when it became co-ed. Everything was fine at the academy; I made friends and studied hard."

"But everything changed one day. I was coming back from work when I came across a group of thugs harassing a girl. I recognized her as one of the students at the academy, a year older than me. She was one of the most beautiful girls in the academy. I intervened to help her, but one of the thugs had a knife and stabbed me."

"When I thought everything was over, something happened that drastically changed my life. I found out that the girl I had tried to help was a demon, and she resurrected me out of kindness — or so she claimed. Her name was Rias Gremory, heir to the Gremory Clan. That's how I became part of Rias's team, but I was just an ordinary human with no magical talent or sacred gear like the rest of the team."

"Still, I didn't give up. I trained hard to become stronger, even if I couldn't reach their level, at least so I could protect myself and help them. Honestly, I fell in love with Rias. Who wouldn't fall for her beauty? I wanted to become strong enough to be worthy of standing beside her."

"But life had a different opinion. I didn't progress at all, and I didn't understand why. Despite all my hard work, it wasn't enough. Then, a guy with sacred gear appeared, the biggest pervert at Kuoh Academy: Issei Hyoudou. Despite his perversion, Rias wanted him badly. She even had fallen angels kill him so she could resurrect him as a devil. She gave him so much attention, which filled me with jealousy and anger."

"I began to see Rias differently. I was a human who died and was turned into a devil, and I accepted the supernatural world. Yet, I couldn't stop loving her, but Issei was always the center of attention due to his special abilities as the holder of the Red Dragon Emperor sacred gear, a gear powerful enough to kill even the rulers."

"In the abandoned factory on the outskirts of Kuoh, screams echoed."

"AAAAAHHH!"

"Inside, there were three grotesque creatures standing and looking at a boy bound by chains, his clothes torn, and his body covered in blood. This was Ryo Kogen, being tortured by stray devils."

"How did he end up here? A day earlier, at the end of Saturday, he was putting up summoning posters when a stray devil attacked him. Since he was weak, he quickly lost. Instead of killing him, the devil captured him and brought him here for him and his comrades to torture."

"Despite his attempts to resist, the three devils continued torturing him. Ryo tried to threaten them, saying he was a servant of Rias Gremory, but they laughed at him, saying, 'How could a weakling like you be a servant of Rias Gremory?'"

"One of the devils said, 'Heh, boy, do you see? No one came to save you.'"

"Ryo didn't reply, so the devil kicked him in the stomach, making him vomit blood, but he remained silent."

"'Looks like his spirit has broken from all the torture.'"

"'You're right. Two days of this, and it's getting boring.'"

"'Should we kill him?'"

"'No, he'll die on his own. Then we'll eat him.'"

"At this point, Ryo was in a spiritual realm, bound to a pillar, with everything around him white. Ryo asked in a faint voice, 'Have I really been abandoned again?' That was the only question on his mind. It had been two days. Had no one noticed his absence? Was he that unimportant? Didn't Rias say that all her servants were part of her family? How could anyone abandon their family?"

"Suddenly, Ryo heard a voice: 'Yes, someone can abandon their family. Didn't your mother do that?'"

"Ryo looked up to see a person who looked just like him. Ryo said, 'Who are you?'"

"'I see you're not afraid of me.'"

"'What does someone about to die have to fear?'"

"'That makes sense.'"

"'You still haven't answered my question. Who are you?'"

"'I'm you.'"

"Ryo: 'It seems I'm hallucinating before I die.'"

"'No, I'm you. Or rather, I'm your dark side.'"

"'My dark side?'"

"'Yes, I'm the embodiment of all your dark emotions, like hatred, sadness, despair, jealousy, and your desire for revenge. As for how I came to be, it's because of the pawn piece that slut used to resurrect you as a devil. I am the devil within you.'"

"Ryo chuckled softly: 'Heh...'"

"'Why are you laughing?'"

"'Because your description of her is fitting.'"

"'Yes, she's just a slut. Are you sad because that slut didn't save you? In the first place, she never cared about an insect like you. If you hadn't intervened and tried to play the hero, you wouldn't be in this situation.'"

"'Indeed, it's a fitting description of her and me. If I hadn't intervened, I wouldn't have been tortured. I thought my father was a hero, and I wanted to be like him when I bravely saved my mother.'"

"'Huh? Do you think you're special? And why do you even call that woman your mother? Didn't you hate her to the core?'"

"'My father always said that helping those in need would be rewarded by the heavens.'"

"'But the heavens have abandoned you.'"

"Ryo remained silent, unable to reply."

"'Look, you're going to die and become food for these monsters. And no one will care, not your mother, not Rias. No one will shed a tear for you. Is that what you want? Is that what your father would have wanted?'"

"Ryo screamed in rage: 'Shut up, you bastard!'"

"Ryo's eyes filled with hatred."

"'Why should I shut up when you're the one who should be quiet? You've never accepted your truth. You're always lying to yourself. Accept your reality and show yourself. Make everyone see who you are.'"

"'Even if I have to sell my soul to the devil, I will survive!'"

"Ryo's eyes were now filled with hatred, his voice reflecting an unstoppable force and desire."

"You don't need to sell your soul; you are already a demon."

"What should I do?"

"Accept me. Accept your darkness. Let everyone drown in eternal darkness."

"I'm ready to accept my truth. I will survive, destroy, and kill everyone who stands in my way. I will become the strongest."

"That's what I want."

The demon began to disintegrate and merge with Ryo. Ryo closed his eyes as the fragments started fusing with him. His hair turned white, and the spiritual space transformed into a sea of blood. Ryo opened his eyes, which were now red as blood.

In the outside world, the three demons were preparing to leave and bring a new victim. Suddenly, they felt a terrifying aura behind them. They turned to find that Ryo had shattered the chains.