The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of those depths.

As the sun shone its golden rays lighting up the room a humming tune seemed to just about do the same thing as a woman in her mid thirties gleefully pattered about. She wore her dirty blonde hair in a neat little bun and sported a simple red dress under her beige apron. She had crystal blue eyes and delicate features. She was doing housework, nothing serious just sorting dishes, cleaning counters and arranging any other misplaced items.

"Honestly he can be so messy at times.. Just like his father." The woman chuckled as she remembered the brown haired duo of father and son staring each other down before viciously tearing into the two blueberry pies she just made.

Naturally the bigger man won, much to the younger boys dismay. All his training had come to nothing! He even had her bake practice pies before dad came home from work. In hindsight, that wasn't the best of ideas.

Speaking of the two idiots they were both in the living room sleeping curled up on the couch. They were up late watching the Harry Potter marathon despite her firm protest. She just remembered she was still mad about that. Well, she should be. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stay mad. They looked so cute. She almost didn't want to wake them

Almost.

"Boys! Wake up!" She shouts out, her voice now in stark contrast to its serenity before. Knowing the message got across she sauntered back into the kitchen, clearly content with life.

Moments later two slouched figures clad only underwear appeared from behind the door, the older rubbing his eyes and the younger following suit.

"Gods sakes Izumi, of all the ways to wake us up-"

"I picked the best one." She cuts him off. "Now go get ready, you and Ise have both got places to be."

With a growl the man conceded she was right and made for the door.

"And Keita. Next time you stay up that late with Ise you better pray you wake up by yourself." Saying that in a ridiculously sweet tone only helped drive the point him for Steven. This bitch is clearly crazy.

"Sure thing sweetie." He quickly muttered before hurrying upstairs.

Keita was quite tall, 6'2 to be exact, and had a stubbly black beard and short jet black hair that meshed well with his dark brown eyes.

"Good morning mom". The young boy with auburn brown hair and chestnut brown eyes tiredly muttered to her as he closed in for a hug, one she knelt down and gladly recindid.

"Morning sweetie. Let's get you ready for school shall we? You go up and have a shower, you're clothes will be ready when you're done."

He nodded his head and slowly trudged up to his room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The buzz of the doorbell filled the house. Keita came rushing down the stairs now sporting a dress shirt and trousers. He shuffled around for the right key before sticking it in and pulling the door handle. He wasn't expecting anyone today let alone this early in the morning, but he enjoyed visitors.

Well, usually.

"Dad?" His churlish voice began. "W-what brings you by?"

Standing at the door with the most sullen expression you could think of was a man in his mid sixties dressed in a simple blue shirt, brown leather jacket and blue slacks. His face was withered, old and experienced. He bore a look of almost confusion as he slowly trotted into the house, not even acknowledging the man that just let him in.

"Keita! Who is it?"

Keita on the other hand had a look of total confusion as his father made his way to the kitchen.

Following him he quickly went to his wife's side as she too entered the kitchen.

"Oh, Hiro. What brings you here?" She asks, mustering up a hospitable welcome.

Hiro stared at the woman with widened eyes which slowly turned into a glare. Keita, naturally, stepped in between them.

"Dad what are you doing? Is there something you-"

"Your a monster." The words effortlessly leaving Hiro's mouth.

"Excuse me!"

"You're a monster. I'm a monster. She's a monster for marrying you. You're son is a monster for being your sperm. We're all monsters"

Now Keita was mad.

He quickly closed the distance between his dad and himself and grabbed him by his collar, enraged.

"HOW DARE YOU COME INTO MY HOUSE AND SPOUT THIS BULLSHIT! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"

"Don't tell me I'm wrong. You know what we are." His voice gaining more emotion. Keita released him, still seething with anger.

"Keita..." Izumi trailed off, feeling an enormous amount of concern for her husband. His eyes were glowing red. That was never a good sign.

"I've built a good life, Dad. I have a loving wife, a beautiful son and a decent job. I know what i am. I don't care. And I don't care what you, or anyone else thinks. Got that?" Keita preached, how dare his own father start this spontaneous bullshit? What brought it on?

Not surprisingly, Issei had heard his father shouting and gingerly walked down the stairs too see all the commotion. He slowly moved towards the kitchen to see his father standing beside his mother, boiling over with anger while she desperately tried to calm him down. He saw the back of a man he who quickly identified to be Hiro.

Despite his young ten year old brain he knew full well the strained relationship his parents had with his grandfather and curiosity got the best of him as he softly spoke up.

"Dad, mom? What going on?" He said carefully. All attention in the room was quickly averted to him, slightly offsetting the young boy.

The most offsetting look came from the old man.

"There he is, the biggest monster of them all. I should kill you where you stand." He spoke bitterly.

That sent Keita completely off edge.

Stopping the old man in his tracks he turned him towards him and delivered a swift punch to the gut followed by an even swifter kick to to the jaw.

"YOU FUCKING PRICK! STAY AWAY FROM MY SON!" He roars, a red demonic aura now enveloping him.

Keita was absolutely livid. He was giving Hiro a huge seeing to. Izumi's first thought was to go comfort Issei.

But Hiro beat her to him.

"Don't. Take. Another. Step". He threats, making sure to punctuate every word. A look of sheer horror appeared on Izumi face as she slowly coward back.

"Please." She whimpered. "Please don't hurt him." The tears falling freely from her face.

"Hurt him? I wouldn't dream of it! I'll simply put him out of his misery!" His voice gaining a maniacal edge.

"No no no no no no please, father. What's gotten over you? You used to love Ise." Pleaded Keita. His desperate cries greeted with an obnoxious laugh from Hiro!

"I was blind. I was ignorant. I was carefree. I didn't know the whole story. Now I do."

"Please. You're hurting me." The young boy pleads

"Shut up!" Hiro dismisses, making a point to restrain him even harder.

"Dad. Why? What's gotten into you. What happened to the old you?" Keita began noticeably creeping closer.

"I've learned the truth."

"What truth? Dad please, we're family. Whatever you found out has nothing to do with us. We're the same as we've always been." Keita desperately tries to calm Hiro down. Now a mere inches apart he slowly hugged the man.

Surprisingly, Hiro let him and he looked like he was calming down. He released Issei from his grasp and let the young run to his mother.

"We're not monsters Dad." Keita begins. "You're not a monster, and neither is mom. Whatever is goi-"

He didn't have time to finish as a glowing white knife was plunged directly into his heart.

"KEITAAA!"

"DADDYY! NOOOO!"

Keita's body fell lifelessly to the floor, a trail of blood leaking out.

Issei crawled over to his father, not caring about the knife wielding maniac in front of him. Said maniac just stared at them, his face showing no remorse yet no satisfaction. Izumi was just left a whimpering mess.

Issei couldn't believe it. He couldn't fathom it. He couldn't take it.

"Why grandad? What did we even do?" He slowly whimpered. Hiro looked directly at the young boy, shaking his head slowly.

"Its not what you did boy. Its what you could have done. Its what you would have done." He spoke softly, almost comfortingly.

"Daddy wouldn't have done anything, daddy's a good man. He- he's not a monster...You are." His voice sounding like he came to a sudden realisation.

"That I am boy, that I am. And if I'm a monster, what does that make you, my flesh and blood?"

Issei stayed silent, contemplating Hiro's words.

"SHUT UP! DON'T SAY ANOTHER WORD TO HIM." Izumi roared, marching over to Hiro. "Don't you even think about corrupting his mind you sick freak! He's not a monster and neither is Keita, you are!"

Izumi had completely squared up to him at this point, fury that would have put Keita's to shame.

"I'm just simply telling him the tru-"

SMACK!

Izumi didn't let him finish and smack him as hard as she possibly could.

"You killed my husband! You killed him! And now you're trying to just justify yourself with this bullshit? Fuck you!

Hiro just stared back uninterested and made his way to the door. Izumi sank to her knees, violently sobbing.

"I don't know how Keita's mother, such a nice woman is married to scum like you." Izumi voice despite the trembling had a cutting edge to it.

Hiro stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around to her marching over. His eyes bled with fury. He grabbed her by the throat and hoisted her up, slamming her against the wall.

"You fucking bitch! I'll kill you!" Hiro screams, quickly removing the glowing knife from his jacket.

Ise looked on, lips trembling with fury, hands shaking with rage. Only one thought popped into his head. Something no one, especially a ten year old should ever think.

He was going to kill him.

Hiro reared his knife occupied hand back with the intent to kill only for it to be grabbed from his hands by the young boy, seething with anger.

*HISSSS*

Hiro stared in utter shock as the boy effortlessly held the blade of the knife.

"T-that's a holy blade! You shouldn't be able to hold it like that!"

Issei was too angry to acknowledge this fact. With his arm pulsing white and red he cracked the blade with his hand.

Now Hiro was scared.

With a huge roar Issei leapt towards Hiro, punching him as hard as he could. Hiro fell down but an uppercut sent him flying through the roof. Issei extended his wings and flew out after him.

Eventually, gravity took over and Hiro came crashing down, only to be met with a flurry of fast punches by Issei. Each punch knocking him back. With inhumanely fast punches each with an inhuman amount of strength, Hiro stood no chance.

Issei was relentless, Hiro was gushing blood and had no counter. He was getting desperate

Inevitably, fatigue hit the young boy. Try as he might, he couldn't keep it up. Hiro capitalized and spread his devil wings and flew away.

Naturally, his pride took a huge blow from having to run away from a kid. But needs must.

The attack took a toll in poor Issei as he collapsed to the floor. Looking forward he saw Hiro grow smaller and smaller as he got further away.

'That man...killed my father! He needs to die!'

That was all it took to get Issei's adrenaline pumping and within seconds he was on Hiro's tail.

"This Kid!" Hiro panted. He needed to do something quick. He focused all his demonic power into his hands and let it grow. Issei was getting closer by the second and with only killing intent clouding his mind, he didn't see what the old man was doing.

Issei reached out. He was almost touching distance from Hiro. But before he could reach the old man Hiro flipped midair to face him. A huge amount of demonic power in his hands accompanied by a maniacal smirk.

"Here's yours kid!" Hiro laughed as he flung the demonic power straight into the face of the oncoming Issei.

*BOOOOM*

With a huge red and black explosion, the attack connected. Issei was sent spiraling down back to the ground, a loud thud on impact.

"No". Issei groaned. "I can't die. This can't happen."

No matter how hard the boy tried to get up, he couldn't. His body was in a horrific state.

But then he remembered his father's words

'If anything Maou forbid goes wrong Ise use this flyer. I've got buddies down in the underworld that owe me a favour. Remember: always, always! Bring the flyer with you. No matter where you go. It could save you life one day!'

With his last ounce of strength Ise shrugged of the immense pain and pulled out the flyer Placing it in the ground he had no clue what to do. He noticed the writing: 'Your wish will be granted' and noticed the name on it.

"I don't know what this is or who you are." He begins, taking a moment to let the pain cease. "But please, I need to live. I need your help, Gremory."

As soon as the name left his lips a flash a red erupted from the flier and took the shape of a person. Eventually the light wore off and Issei heard a chuckle.

"Ara ara aren't you adorable. We can't have you die, now can we?"

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