Author's note: It's official, I hate university with my soul. This semester will suck the life out of me. Monday to Wednesday are 8 hours in a row of the most mind-numbingly boring classes. Ancient professors who dictate for three hours straight without even using computers. God, I hated this week. And it fucking barely started.
Finally got some time today and wrote Chapter 20, with the return to DxD. So yeah... just 6 more chapters till y'all start reading Dante's shenanigans in the underworld. Fun.
Hope you all enjoy this one! Next chapter should be Saturday at the latest, and I'll try to post Celestial Ascendancy on Sunday as promised. Let me know what you think!
A Marvelous Devil.
Chapter 15: Borrowed Power.
Dante Andromalius.
Kamar-Taj.
One week later.
It was amusing. Probably hundreds of thousands of years ago, I was pretty upset about knowing how I would die.
No, the knowledge by itself didn't upset me; what pissed me off was the inability to change my fate, no matter what I did. Knowing the future sounded nice until you learned that you couldn't change the outcome that easily.
Yes, I survived, obviously. But I lost… everything for the mere chance.
So, people could say I wasn't the most agreeable with foreknowledge.
But the Ancient One, the blue baller extraordinary, was driving me crazy. She noticed my irritation and was enjoying it too much for my liking.
By now, I realized that I wouldn't get her to admit anything. I knew that she couldn't see me, even with the time stone, but she could see her own future and how it changed thanks to my presence. And I had obviously changed something.
And I was curious.
Oh, so curious.
And the bald-headed Ancient One denied me any real fun. With that name, I expected more. Ancient? I was ancient; she was barely a millennium old.
Which was shocking, considering her power. She was genuinely strong, even without the damn time stone.
I dropped my head to the table, harder than I intended.
"Shhh," A sorcerer shushed me from the other side of the room, glaring daggers at me.
No, no simple sorcerer. Wong, I believe, was his name. Most humans looked the same to me, but he deserved me to learn his name after all the help he had given me.
And he was the one in charge of the library in Kamar-Taj, where I spent most of my time. It would be stupid to antagonize him.
But he was distinct enough for me to remember him.
There were many surprises in the human world… especially in this era. There was something weird happening, and I didn't need to see the future to know that.
It reeked to the high heavens. Worse than the stench of angels in the void.
Fuckers tried to trick me into erasing the curse Odin put on them after they supposedly killed his daughter. I got my pound of flesh from their Queen for the attempt, and the only reason I didn't use Odin to destroy them was that I hoped little Aldrif would be easier to manipulate if she grew up with the angels.
Or was it Angela? I wasn't paying that much attention.
One didn't know when one would need an Asgardian in the future, and someone of Odin's lineage was bound to become something. That one grumpy god was really something. It was a shame he hated everything demonic more than he hated those damn giants.
He was surprisingly fun while he warred across the cosmos, with that Hela of his.
If she didn't share her hatred for my kind with her father, I would have courted her. She was… hot and powerful enough to share my bed. And she knew war; you couldn't forget that even if you tried. Batshit crazy too.
She would have been fun. That kind of woman always was.
Shaking my head, I dismissed memories of those wild days. I struck so many deals back then; everyone was desperate, fearing for their lives and ready to sell their souls for a mere pittance. But that was then; if that happened now… well, I'd return to Red's universe.
It had been a while since I visited this part of the universe, but the few things I heard many of the sorcerers talk about were… shocking, to say the least.
Obviously, being part of a secret group that protected this world from outside influence meant they knew more than probably anyone else on Earth. And obviously more than me, since I didn't pay much attention to this backward planet when I was at my peak, only making deals when someone summoned me.
I didn't need to seek mortals out.
Back then, I couldn't be bothered to visit that often; the extraordinary humans were… a grain of salt in the ocean.
But not now. These… mutants? A supposed super soldier that appeared barely two years before my death. A fucking… racist cult? A group that played around with ANOTHER piece of Nemesis, supposedly. I had my doubts about that.
Leave it to humans to hate their own kind.
Ah, and their... technology.
No… There was something genuinely wrong with this planet now. There were too many coincidences. But these… dangers meant opportunities for someone like me.
I wasn't about to start causing mayhem; I was better than that. But I could see so many ways to improve.
If not for myself, then for my future peerage. I gave Red my word, and I always keep my promises.
These omega-level mutants sounded pretty interesting. To the point that I would have probably checked them over even back in my prime, just in case. One didn't lose anything by being ready.
And turning them into devils would enhance their limits by a large margin.
"My bad, Wong," I sighed, giving the sorcerer an apologetic look, playing the part.
"Hm," he grunted. That's why I liked him; he didn't speak much and was very considerate since I was the ancient one's personal student.
I still have no idea why she found it as amusing as she did. I supposed it had to do with her future knowledge, but she enjoyed keeping me in the dark. Even if she was… a lot more open after that fated day.
The… character I had to play here, according to the ancient one, was that of a young human man who had an otherworldly talent in the mystic arts. It wasn't hard; only Yao herself could see past my clan trait to notice my true nature, not even Kaecilius, who was probably the second strongest human here.
Or third, Mordo was catching up to him. The stuck-up prick was lucky he was talented; I'd give him that, but he was getting on my nerves. Fucker didn't let me rest just because I had to set an example for all the Sorcerers since I was Yao's student.
Bitch. Thinking he could just order me around.
The cunt had the gall to throw me to a snowy mountain for me to learn how to use their magical foci to teleport. I simply created a magical circle to return and then opened one of their portals to shut him up. He hasn't bothered me since, but I could feel his eyes on my back every time I passed near him.
It hurt me to play the part, almost physically. But this place was a haven for me.
In a way I couldn't have imagined. Or even dreamed.
Red really glimpsed into my universe to uncover this. I was still bitter, as the young ones say, but he did offer a fine gift.
These magics the sorcerers practiced were absurd.
Not in the scope, my demonic power was more versatile than theirs. And the less said about my cosmic power, the better. But it had something I sorely needed.
It wasn't something novel. Every demon that was worth mentioning could pull power from the dimension they ruled. I did so many, many times with the Ashen Court, back when I was just starting to grow in power.
I didn't use it anymore because I grew strong enough that it wasn't needed, and it had been millions of years since then. But it was literally perfect for my current situation, especially the way these humans did it.
They were simple humans; they didn't have enough power to create or claim their own dimension, so they learned to borrow energy from different dimensions to power up their spells.
What worked to my advantage was that while they did so, some of the energy was lost in transit. That meant that every day, minuscule amounts of power were being lost.
So, theoretically, I could funnel some energy in the form of spells to fill my cosmic power. Slowly, carefully, but much, much faster than killing demonic beasts in the underworld.
I didn't want to alert those bastards to my existence, but the amount I stole was ignorable.
And my own power had grown even in this short amount of time. Two days here gave me the same energy as thousands of beasts.
The Vishanti were obviously out. Even if they accepted my presence here, my nature meant that their energy hurt me conceptually. But Yao herself guided me on how to use the dark dimension's energy, funneling it into my body in small amounts.
Once I had enough energy, I would travel the world and start making deals again, to increase my power even more. I… intended to claim the mirror dimension for a bit before Yao warned me away from it. Yes, it was unclaimed, but doing so would alert many beings that were keeping an eye on this planet.
Another thing that alerted me was that things weren't as simple as they seemed.
"What do you know of the Watcher, Wong? Why is this one so… interested in this planet?" I asked my handler.
"They usually don't interfere with anything," he explained calmly, even if he looked upset at my interruption of our study time, "The one that watches over this sector is known for breaching their vow, but it is always for the good of the planet. He's been rather active lately, now that I think about it. Why?"
"I find it strange," I shrugged, playing my part, "Having someone so powerful having such a keen interest in my home. I was curious."
"Curiosity is the root of learning," he nodded, "But I believe that's out of your league for now, kid. Now, will you explain to me why you don't wish to learn how to use Vishanti's energy?"
"I told you," I rolled my eyes, "I'm a devout Christian. Praying for such a being for power feels wrong to me. And it's not like I'm doing badly with Eldritch energy and the mirror dimension. You have seen how I mop the floor with many inside the monastery."
Heh. A Christian.
"You have advanced...too quickly," he regarded me intently, as if peering through me. "The Ancient One truly chooses well."
I laughed, feeling flattered despite myself. It always felt good when someone praised you for your progress, and my experience from my past life didn't help. I knew I had an ego streak a mile wide.
"You know she doesn't like it when you all look at her as if she's any of the three big O's," I chuckled, "You all should keep that under wraps, at least. You're lucky I'm not a snitch."
He shook his head, "You have not seen how much she does for this planet," he sighed.
"She's not a God," I locked eyes with him, "You should remember that. She is old and will live for a long time, but you all need to learn not to depend on her so much."
"Maybe that's why she chose you," he nodded proudly, "I can see it, you know? I've known her long enough to see how much of a burden she carries. She saved my life more times than I could count. That's why I respect her so much. Maybe you'll change, maybe you'll stay firm in your beliefs. Only time will tell, but I'm curious to see how you progress."
I smiled.
"Now, your homework!" he barked in the empty library.
And I sighed, the smile vanishing from my face.
Who would have thought… I was doing homework before I could practice magic.
How the mighty have fallen.
Five hours later.
Dante Andromalius.
I was so done with homework. I think I'd rather fight Mephisto another time instead of writing so much.
I changed my opinion, fuck Red, and I hated it here. Wong was an absolute slave driver, and my hand hurt from all that writing. And that was saying something… I was still a devil after all.
Why they used quill and parchment was beyond me, especially since they had fucking Wi-Fi.
I wondered if he did it to mess with me. I wouldn't put it past him. He acted all serious, but everyone who was like that had a weird sense of humor.
But at least it was over. Spending all day locked in the library was interesting. Kamar-taj had so many books about so many things that I could get lost in there for a while, but I wasn't intending to be like that for much longer.
I wanted to go out. Explore. Have fun and mess around with mortals.
There were so many changes in this world that I wanted to unravel.
Resting in my room, I thanked my lucky stars that The Ancient One, despite having fun at my expense, gave me some things to fit my 'station'. Like a personal room, much more advanced compared to the ones the newbies used.
Mortal slang was a curious thing. Fun though, even if most of the time I didn't understand it.
And I didn't have to share a shower. I didn't want to make the apprentices feel worse than they already did.
My magic talent was bigger than theirs, my experience was to the point that no one here could compare, I was devilishly handsome…
I loved it. Seeing their glares fueled something dark inside my soul.
But I was having fun, at least. Until The Ancient One trusted me enough to let me explore without supervision.
I lifted my head, hearing some bells blaring in the distance. That was weird.
I never heard such a sound in the monastery during my stay here.
I quickly stood up and put on my clothes. And no, no one would ever catch me dressing like these monks. I had an image to maintain.
Then I walked out. Looking at many of the masters running like preparing for war, and some advanced apprentices running like headless chickens, pulling weapons, artifacts, and a bunch of… glass jars?
What was going on?
I enhanced my senses with demonic power and followed the already known smell of Yao's tea. She was too good for me to find her magic; it was barely felt outside of her body, and she knew how to mask Dormammu's stench by now.
Thanks to me, I must say.
What I had to pay for my damn room.
"Master," I asked when I entered the room uninterrupted, "What's going on?"
I ignored the way her lips twitched in amusement.
I didn't ignore the irritation I felt at calling her that.
"Oh, Dante, so nice to visit us," she smiled, "I was about to send someone for you."
Oh no… did I do something? Racking my brain, I realized that no, I shouldn't be at fault for anything.
Mordo's sickness wasn't because of me.
"Master Mordo has fallen ill… from what I understand, his stomach has been… in disarray for a couple of hours by now. And there's a vampire situation back in New York." She looked at me in amusement and a bit of irritation, "That's why I'll have to send Wong there, since Kaecilius is busy with another task. Do you know what I want from you?"
"Keep an eye on Kamar-taj?" I asked hopefully, but she just laughed.
"No, I think it's time you prove your worth, my dear student. You will follow Wong's instructions for tonight." She grinned. Then she turned her attention to the other sorcerers, "Leave us."
They didn't complain or even hesitate to run out of the room.
"Did you have to?" she asked irritably when we were left alone, "Really, Dante? Poisoning him?"
"Bah," I rolled my eyes, "It's just explosive diarrhea. If he likes training so much, he could use it as an opportunity to strengthen those muscles. He needs it with the stick he must carry all day."
Silence fell into the room as her eye twitched.
"You know he'll betray you when he finds out, right?" I asked her curiously. "You won't be able to keep your actions a secret forever, and he's so… rigid. It is tiresome, to be honest."
"I have made my peace, Dante," she smiled sadly, "now, is there anything you want to ask before you go? It's your first and probably last opportunity to gain my trust, Dante."
"I will not fail you, Ancient one," I said, nodding seriously. "I am a demon of my word."
"As for questions…" I rubbed my neck uncomfortably. "What are vampires?"
Her hand smacked her face as she groaned. She didn't even try to hide it.
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