Lucifaad. The Old Capitol. A glorious city past it's prime. Ever since the civil war, it had fallen into- not disrepair, no, the house of Lucifer did manage its upkeep, but rather- irrelevancy.
Ever since the capitol had been moved to Lilith, so had a good chunk of the population. Much of the vibrancy of the olden days was lost to its time now. Nurarihyon remembered them fondly, those times he snuck into this place, in the fog of war to pillage the place of its fine wine and even finer women- It'd be shame to leave such bounty and booty untasted.
The only saving grace of the city, now in the shape of a certain litigious mouse's head- if he had three ears instead of two- was the aforementioned third ear itself. Lucifer stadium. It made up for about half the revenue of the city, creating jobs and attracting investment. It was funny in that way.
The headquarters of the Old Satan faction, kept alive solely by the grace of a creation of their enemy- Ajuka Beelzebub's Rating Games. It was almost like begging your wife's boyfriend for rent money. After all, Ajuka could, at any time, simply refuse to hold Rating games in Lucifaad, and the city would be done for. The perfect way to control the rebellious Old Satan Faction, by controlling their purse-strings. A symbolic gesture and yet it must be so… Utterly humiliating. He got a semi just thinking about it.
Nurarihyon snickered at the thought as he sped across the city, slinking shadow to shadow, as he made it's way to the center of the city, to the giant sandstone palace in the shape of a church organ- ironic choice of dwelling considering its occupants.
Getting past the guards was no mean feat. They were underpaid and overworked, as was custom in this rotten place. It was the wards he feared would give him trouble. If there were any.
The place was unwarded. Utterly, completely… stupidly unwarded.
He was too stunned to even think for a brief moment.
The sheer arrogance.
To think no one would dare invade his home out of sheer fear of his wrath? Was Rizevim Livan Lucifer truly so blinded by arrogance?
No, of course he was, the narcissistic fuck. The man-child had had his whole life handed to him on a silver platter. Devils- at least those in his faction- worshipped the very ground he walked on. Servants catered to his every need. The power of his bloodline guaranteed him both respect and authority, alongside a healthy dose of utter, paralyzing fear to all those who dared gaze upon him in full glory.
No wonder he had left it so open, Nurarihyon thought as he breached the perimeter and began scouring through the palatial estate. No one would be fool enough to try and rob the heir of Lucifer. The first Super Devil.
Though, this fact made his search all the easier.
There were few places in this place that he could feel were warded, no doubt the current Lord Lucifer's vain attempt at treading the thin line between losing Rizevim's respect (and his life, most likely) for being cowardly enough to put up wards, yet prudent enough to ward the two places that mattered to him most- the Lord's Solar, and the Clan Treasury.
And of course, the suspiciously- and heavily- warded dungeon by the edge of the estate, right next to the stables.
I wonder where my target might be~ He mused amused.
Nurarihyon pulled out his swords with a swish of his kasaya and poured a good chunk of his youki into it as he utilized his signature youjutsu to slyly, stealthily twist apart the wards, only this time, with a far gentler hand than the last time he did it. The chicken brat hadn't let him live it down and he certainly wouldn't let the little shit add oil to the fire of his failure anymore.
With the skills of a crocheting grandma, he swiftly unwove a portion of the wards on the dungeon, just enough to give way, and slipped right through the crack, before sealing it back up again, good as new.
The room was threadbare, made in the style of old farmhouses- just one cot, with a rusty old trunk at its's foot and a chamber pot beneath it. A woodburning stove stood in the corner of the room, though he could see despite the chill in the night air, it had not been lit in days, even as the mother-son pair shivered under a raggedy blanket on the cot, huddled against one another for warmth. On the stone shelf above the stove, lay a few packets of plain pasta, and a half empty shaker of salt.
The conditions were deplorable, to say the least. It was even worse than the brat had described, and he wanted the poor kid to spend another year here before escaping?
What was he thinking?
Nurarihyon shook his head.
Sometimes, he truly did not understand the boy's mind. But a job was a job, and he had a message to deliver.
Nurarihyon walked over to the bed, and knelt down to face the Lucifer brat, reaching an arm to put a sleeping spell on his mother when suddenly, the boy's eyes shot open, and he swiped his hand away from his mother with such force that had he not been who he was, an Ultimate Class Youkai, he would have broken his wrist.
What shocked Nurarihyon more however, was how the boy had reacted to him, when he had yet to let go of his stealth?!
It shot a pang of fear into his heart.
Since when did so many little children become able to see through his famed youjutsu? And with such clarity in his eyes too…
What an utterly frightening amount of talent!
No wonder Riser wanted him. Hell, Nurarihyon wanted the brat in his faction now, and had he no fear of the wrath of Rizevim Livan Lucifer, he might just have dared to break his contract with the Phenex boy without a second thought, consequences be damned.
"Who-" The boy's eyes darted around the room, trying to locate him and only when he failed did Nurarihyon feel reassured enough to answer.
"Nobody." He whispered via youjutsu, straight into the boy's mind, lest the wards pick it up. Telepathy. A strange but unique application of his youjutsu skill, based on the concept of 'hiding one's words, for the ears of another alone'. To deceive words themselves and transmit thoughts straight into the minds of his targets, so as to hide the conversation.
"Don't touch my mother. Do whatever you want to me, but-" Vali spoke internally, bargaining, as he swiftly adapted to the situation, but he was stopped, as Nurarihyon put his mother into a deep sleep with a spell, before he continued.
"I'm not here to hurt you or your mother. I'm here to deliver a message."
"A message?" Vali asked, confused, "From whom?"
"A friend." Nurarihyon said, pausing for effect, "But before that I have a question for you, Vali Lucifer. Do you want to escape?"
"Escape?" There was fear in Vali's voice, and doubt, but still, hidden among those emotions was also a tinge of hope.
"This nightmare. Your father's abuse. Your pitiful existence. Do you want to escape? Do you desire vengeance, Vali Lucifer?"
"Can I?" The boy asked, and Nurarihyon looked into his eyes, really looked, for the first time. Those were the eyes of a little boy to whom nothing good had ever happened in his life. A boy who had long forgotten to dream, to hope. He would have to relearn that little lesson soon enough if he was to be of any use to Riser.
"Yes." That was the word. The one word that instilled in Vali the most powerful force in the world- hope. The force that can tide men over despair and helplessness, over turbulent and harsh times.
The supreme weapon against the darkness and cruelty of the world.
For what hold does hell have upon those who cannot dream of heaven?
For the first time, there hope in his voice as he asked.
"Will you help me?"
"Yes and no." Nurarihyon answered, as instructed.
"What do you mean?" Vali caught onto it quickly. It wasn't an outright rejection. There was still a chance. And like a sailor in a storm, he grabbed for the straw that drifted his way.
"You will have to escape on your own, I'm afraid."
"Then what use are you?!" Vali lashed out telepathically, across the youjutsu link, "I could have escaped anytime I wanted. But my mother…" He looked back at her with pain in his eyes.
He couldn't just leave her behind. He was all she had. So he endured it all. The beatings, the lashings, the taunts and insults. Every bruise and broken bone. Every spell and curse. So much so that he had developed an instinct to shift subtly to mitigate damage, developing a sixth sense for when blows would come and from where. It was what allowed him to sense Nurarihyon in the first place.
All to protect her.
All so she wouldn't be left here all alone. Because she was all he had too.
It was why he scoffed at the wards his father had put around the little hut. He knew his power. If he wanted to escape, they wouldn't stop him.
No, the real chain tying him down was his love for his mother. His father's threats to her, and her wellbeing. The fear of what he might do to her if he escaped on his own.
"What use am I?" Nurarihyon laughed, "Tell me boy, after you escape, where will you go? Where will you hide? Who will feed you? Clothe you? Shelter you? Who is so brave as to go against your grandfather's will?"
Vali was quiet for a moment, contemplating the question on his own. He knew the answer. And so did Nurarihyon.
"No one." He whispered, his voice cracking as his little six year old mind grasped the true extent of his helplessness. And it near broke him.
He had tried before, in his naivete, to beg for help. From the soldiers, the servants, the stable boy. Anyone willing to, or within earshot of him, to listen.
Yet, none paid him any heed. He could see it in their eyes- pity and fear.
Tears flooded his eyes, threatening to spill over as he tightened his shaking fists till his knuckles went white, displaying a level of sheer self control that could not be expected of a six year old boy.
"That is where you're wrong, boy." Nurarihyon wagged his finger, metaphorically and Vali looked up with tearful eyes at the unseen visitor.
"Once you escape, go to the town of Kuoh, in Japan. It is a devil territory managed by Cleria Belial, the overseer of the town. Find her, and speak the words 'Victorian Tragedy'. She'll know what to do. Do you understand?"
Vali nodded softly, wiping away his tears.
"Cleria Belial. Victorian Tragedy." He repeated.
"Good. But remember, your grandfather cannot suspect foul play. If he finds out, you had help, he will hunt you down himself and there will be no escaping him then. But if he thinks you escaped on your own, he'll think you won't be able to run far and send his guards after you. Guards you can outrun. Rizevim Livan Lucifer, you cannot.
That is why, you must escape one year from now, not today, not next week. One year later. Got it?"
"Yes." Vali agreed.
"Oh, and don't bring your mother along." Vali made to interrupt but Nurarihyon stopped him, "You can't carry her without risking her getting hurt from attacks aimed at you and you'll both get caught if you have to match her pace. Your mother's safety has been guaranteed, so don't worry about her. She will be taken care of, but only once you have escaped and reached the safety of Kuoh.
She will be evacuated a few months after you are safe and sound and the hunt for you has died down. By then your father will be sick with worry of your return, and the vengeance you will bring upon him. Don't worry, he won't hurt her, if only out of fear of your retaliation.
[A/N : Yes, this is canon. He wipes her memory and places her in a human city out of fear that if he hurts her, Vali will kill him. Vali finds her in volume 21 I think, with a new human husband and two half siblings (human). He protects them from Azi Dahaka's attack but chooses to stay away from them later to keep them out of the way of the dangers of the supernatural world.]
At that point it will be easy to convince him to give your mother up and place her in a safe human city, out of the underworld. From there we can simply sneak her away and bring her to you. So, focus on your own escape first, okay?"
Vali's expression was conflicted at the thought of leaving his mother behind, but the next words from Nurarihyon hardened his resolve.
"Unless you have another choice?"
He didn't. he really didn't.
So he did what he could.
He nodded in agreement.
"Good. Here's the formula for teleportation magic and the coordinates of Kuoh and here is the castle layout and guard spread." He shared his memories with Vali over the telepathic youjutsu link, something usually used to hypnotize women and plant false memories, now being used for the first time in Nurarihyon's long, long life, to help someone. It strangely made him glad, an emotion he wasn't used to feeling like this.
Truly, Riser was a goldmine of new and exciting experiences. Now if only they weren't all so dangerous.
Tch! He clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Memorize them right now and never show them or speak of this plan to anyone, not even your mother. If your father reads her mind, it's all over."
Vali nodded again and whispered out loud.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it kid." Nurarihyon replied, "I'm just a messenger who was stupid enough to owe a little shithead a favour."
Vali cracked a little smile at that.
"Still. Thank you, whoever you are, old man. I won't forget it."
Nurarihyon smiled, and disappeared back out, again.