I died in that forest and moved to Japan after becoming a Devil—. This reality greatly destroyed the value I had back then—. “…………”
“……I won’t do anything to you.”
Rias Gremory and I were standing while facing against each other. I became very cautious after that and spent time with them here. It seemed that this was a room of a mansion in a certain town of Japan. I made a single sword in my hand and pointed my blade at the Devil Rias Gremory. I still had doubts at her back then. I was even scared. Isn’t it obvious? I was told that Devils were evil and were the enemies of our followers back in that laboratory. Even if I became something to be disposed of for that project—discarding away what I was taught wasn't something easy, even if I was betrayed by God. She treated me gently. That instead made my cautiousness towards her even stronger. There was no way a Devil can be kind. There must be a reason behind this. That was how I thought. ……The reason why she turned me into a Devil was because she can use me for something. I heard Devils deceive humans and reincarnate them to one. She might have reincarnated me knowing that I was a test subject in that laboratory. ……No, this would be a good chance. Using a Devil in order to accomplish my vengeance might be a good idea. Back then I had my mind in a terrible state due to my hatred and suspicions towards others that I didn’t mind giving my soul to a Devil in order to take my vengeance for my comrades. She left the room putting the tray with meals on the table as if she gave up. It seemed like she wanted to have dinner together with me. I even thought she was a Devil who took a strange action. For wanting to eat together with the one whom she made into her Devil……
I couldn’t lay my hand on the meal right away. I even drank water bit by bit while being cautious about it. Trying to escape from the mansion was a hard thing. It seemed like there was a powerful barrier and even though I was able to walk till the entrance, I wasn’t able to open the door. You could say I was in a state where I was confined in that mansion. If I think back now, that was an appropriate measure. If I were to escape I would become a “Stray Devil” and end up being targeted by other forces. However, back then I even thought I would be able to escape if I use the girl called Koneko-chan as my shield. ……But I would feel guilty if I was to point my blade at that girl who was being very scared. It was about a month after I started living with the Devil girls without opening my heart to them. One man entered the room I was in. A Japanese man……no, a Devil, who wore a haori. The man who had a silent smile asked Rias Gremory who came in together with him. “Hime, this boy is the rumoured [Knight], correct?”
“Yes, his name is……it seems like he doesn’t have one.”
Like Rias Gremory said, I didn’t have a name. I had an alternative name as a test subject, but I didn’t plan to use that name. That was something I discarded away. I was no longer their experiment after all—. I realised that the man was someone with exceptional strength from his aura. I made my sword and confronted him while I was very cautious of him. The man smiled happily by seeing my action. “So you can make a sword? You must be a Sacred Gear possessor. Your stance……is horrible, but I feel some potential in you since you were able to sense a bit of my power right away.”
The man came closer to me a step at a time. He didn’t lose his smile. I couldn’t withstand the situation where I couldn’t predict what my opponent would do, so I ended up jumping right at him. I swung my sword to the side towards the man—. But I lost my balance after he tripped me over by using his legs. My sword missed the target and ended up impaling the ceiling. The man said it while looking down at me who is down on the ground. “I’m Okita Souji. That’s it; I’m going to train you starting from today.”
…………? I couldn’t understand what the man was trying to say. Train? Who? Me? Why? For what reason? The man who called himself Okita Souji said it to Rias Gremory. “Hime, it would be better if this boy trains his emotions somewhere quiet. It would also be good if he can polish his sword skills since he is a [Knight]……so won’t you lend him to me for a while?”
Rias Gremory seemed to be thinking about what the man, Okita, requested of her, but she responded by saying “Yes” after she looked at me who hadn’t changed with sad eyes. Like this, I met the man—Okita Souji, who would become my sword master. “Here, this is the place you will be living at for a while.”
The place I was taken to by the magic-circle—was a small cabin built in the depths of a mountain somewhere. There were only trees in the surrounding; there wasn’t even the slightest sign of civilisation, so it was a world where there was nothing. There was something which looked like a dojo next to the cabin. Okita Souji and I entered there. The shiny floor which didn’t have a single speck of dust even made me who had no knowledge of swordsmanship hesitate in stepping foot inside. He took two bokuto that were placed on the wall of the dojo then he threw one of them to me. Seeing me catch it, Okita Souji made his stance with his bokuto. “Now then, come at me.”
I found his words and actions suspicious. So I couldn’t help but ask him. “……What’re you trying to do by bringing me here?”
Okita Souji simply smiled. “No matter what the situation you’re currently in, I can tell from your look that you’re carrying a strong hatred and vengeance in you. So it can’t be helped if those emotions are dominating inside you, right?”
It seemed like he saw through me. Okita Souji continued. “Even if you try to fulfil your vengeance you are lacking in strength. It would be natural for you to get slaughtered instead. How about it? How about you forget about the fact that you reincarnated into a Devil and also forget about Rias-hime and simply become stronger? You won’t be able to take revenge or do anything if you aren’t strong, you know?”
—! For me back then, those words were enough to wipe out the obsession I carried back then. It was more than enough to move me into one direction. By the time I realised it, I was heading towards Okita Souji with my bokuto. “Haaaa!”
I didn’t have any proper stance where I simply headed straight at him. I didn’t even know how to hold a sword back then. Even so, Okita Souji—my master, took each of my strikes head on. I had a sensation where the obsession that dominated both my soul and body disappeared as I swung. I gradually started to swing the bokuto desperately—. “Listen. The necessary point for swinging a sword is how you can overcome your opponents guard precisely rather than brute strength. For that reason it’s better to polish your techniques.”
Okita Souji—my master, taught me earnestly while I was swinging my bokuto. My master didn’t teach me the Tennen Rishin-ryu that he personally uses. He found the right swordsman style appropriate for me.