My hands became paralysed, my legs stopped moving, and my body went through intense pain as if I had my nervous system slashed. There were many liquids including my tears and blood coming out from my body, and only pain conquers my body. Then my consciousness weakens—and I was about to die. Many of my comrades die while suffering in front of me. I didn’t know what was going on at first. I even thought it was an experiment. I didn’t even imagine that the researchers who are trying to do something special to us and who also believe in the same God as us would turn their fangs at us—. One dies, then the second one dies. My comrades die one after another. I finally came to understand the situation I am in while my turn to die was approaching. Ah, I’m going to get killed. It became my turn and I was gathered to the centre of the room. The researchers that wore protective clothing put gas over us that had their body tremble. Even if I were to stop breathing, there’s a limit to it. I started to inhale the gas gradually and take in the gas into my body as I breathe in. My body was hit with pain and cramps, and my eyes started to get blurry. I dropped on my knees and tried to soften the pain running through my body by stroking my body parts, but one of my comrades pushed away one of the researchers. After he opened the door by force, my comrades shouted at me who was in the least critical state out of all of us. “Go! At least you survive!”
I—. Hearing that, I escaped from the room after standing up right away. I don’t want to die—. With only that in my mind, I succeeded in escaping from the researchers after I found my chance to escape. Maybe they strongly thought that “They will believe in us until their final moment and there’ll be not a single one who would run away from us” because we were devoted believers. I succeeded in my escape because they had a slight opening. “Stop!”
“Don’t let him escape!”
However, the pursuers persistently chased after me. Within the forest of the mountains while the snow fell, I simply continued to run—. I started to remember the days I spent at the laboratory while escaping—. My comrades who made a promise with me to become a special being. We ate together, we sang together, and we laughed together. However—they died. Only I was able to escape. ……I had succeeded in escaping. The chance they gave to me……
I’ll survive and……
My consciousness started to fade away along with the pain running through my body—. I started to hold strong vengeance within me. Against those—. Those who thought up that project—. The Excalibur—. There’s no way I can forgive them……! However, my stamina and consciousness reached its end……and I fell down quietly within the forest. I couldn’t even move my fingers now. ……It’s obvious that I’m going to die. Am I able to move ahead even a bit? Even a single step forward—. I didn’t want to make their deaths be wasted in vain. I……I……
I simply wanted to live on—. While my consciousness fades away, a crimson colour appeared into my eyes—. When I lifted my head up, a crimson haired girl was standing in front of me. I could see her smiling even though my eyes were blurry. “What do you seek for?”
She asked me that while she held me who was about to die—. That was my meeting with my master, Rias Gremory. It was something that happened four years ago. When I opened my eyes—there was a room of a certain house. I’m……laying down on a bed? I was a bit panicked seeing an unfamiliar ceiling. ……I had gas thrown on me at the laboratory and I escaped from there……
I was wandering in that forest. I then meet a girl with crimson hair……? I……why am I here like this in an unfamiliar room……? Was I brought back to the laboratory……? While I had many doubts, the door opened and a small girl with a basin comes in. ……She had cat-like ears growing from her head. ……Is she a monster? “…………!”
The girl realised I was awake and rushed out of the room while she carried the basin with her. [Ara-ara, did you wake up? I see, that’s a relief. I must call Rias then.] I heard the voice of another person from the door that was left opened. I got up from the bed and slowly looked outside. ……A spacious room. It was a living room. There were tables and such that were used for normal daily living. My sight grasped hold of a girl with black hair and the girl from before who had beast ears. I showed myself after the black haired girl left the living room. The girl with beast ears sensed my presence and hid behind the wall while she had her body stiff. “…………”
She looked at me silently. The black haired girl appeared shortly after that and she brought a crimson haired girl with her. Both the girls seemed as though their age wasn’t different to me. They seemed to be thirteen or fourteen years old. As soon as the crimson haired girl appeared, the girl with beast ears hid behind her. It seemed like she was really attached to her. The crimson haired girl said it while she smiled. “Please don’t bully this girl. She’s really bad with people. She’s called Koneko, so do take care of her. The other girl with black hair is called Akeno.”
When the crimson haired girl pats the head of the girl with beast ears, the girl called Koneko seemed like she was happy. Yes, that was my first meeting with Koneko-chan. She was just taken in by Rias-buchou back then where she started to recover her emotions so it was a time when she was really cautious of everything. And back then, I understood that those girls had an unusual aura around them that didn’t belong to a human. These auras……I also felt them before at the laboratory. —They’re Devils. I took the scissors placed on the table and pointed at them. “……Where is this place? Why am I here!? Who the heck are you guys! ?”
The crimson haired girl laughed at my action. She didn’t even get mad at my behaviour. “We’re in Japan. Do you know where it is? It’s an island country located in the Far East. It’s one of several places in the world where it’s peaceful. I brought you here since you had a face close to that of a Japanese person. This is my temporary residence in Japan.”
Japan? Peaceful? Her temporary residence? It’s a situation I couldn’t come to understand. Why am I here in Japan when I fell in the forest in Europe? I couldn’t stop panicking but when the crimson haired girl and black haired girl nod their heads to each other—they had bat-like wings grow out from their back. Wings of Devils—. She then said this while putting on a gentle face that wasn’t so devilish. “I am Rias Gremory. I’m the heiress of the House of Gremory, a High-class Devil. And you’re also—.”
The girl who named herself as Rias points her finger at my back. Then I felt a sensation of something growing out from my back. When I looked that way, there were jet black wings growing out—. “You already died once. That’s why I reincarnated you as a Devil.”
……. It was several minutes later that I came to understand what she said.