{A/N: Check out my patreon @patreon.com/TheFudgeNPC and maybe donate some stones so more people can find this story. New story, Yay.}
Urrgh! Groaning in pain, a small child's sobs pierced the endless silence blanketing the area around her. Sobbing steadily louder, the child—no older than five years—lay in a pool of her own blood.
Twitching, the girl regained consciousness with a scream of pain. Her body convulsed rapidly as shock flooded her system. Reaching out for anything to ease the pain, her efforts proved in vain when she discovered no arm attached to her shoulder.
Rolling over, the girl attempted to stand, only to find her legs missing as well. Left with only one bloodied arm barely attached to her body, she willed it to move with desperate concentration. Her hand twitched briefly before freezing, control leaving her as her mind turned cloudy.
'Where am I? Where's Dad? Why does it hurt so much?' Thoughts echoed through her skull. The only thing preventing the girl's imminent death was her supernatural healing factor trying its best to restore her body.
Tears pooled from her eyes as they began to glaze over. Her mind succumbed to her injuries and she passed out, a silent sob caught between her pale lips. Her final thought drifted back to the faint recollection of that morning's events.
Five Hours Prior
"Daddy!" Running into a high-tech laboratory where complex magical instruments hummed quietly, a young girl ran straight for her father. The man—Ajuka Beelzebub—immediately dropped what he was doing. Spinning on the spot, he picked up the charging girl with effortless ease.
Lifting her into the air, he placed her on his shoulder, where she proceeded to use his head as an armrest as she overlooked the complex mixture of machinery and magic her father had created.
"Dad, Dad, Dad, guess what!" Ever cheerful and energetic, the young girl bounced up and down on her father's shoulder while excitedly tapping his head.
Chuckling lightly, Ajuka began absentmindedly fiddling with something on his desk while chatting with his ebony-haired daughter.
"What's happened, Evie?" Addressing his daughter—Evangeline Beelzebub—by her nickname, he waited for her to proceed.
"Uncle Sirzechs agreed to teach me magic now that I'm five." Smiling widely, Evie's eyes glowed a deep purple hue as her potent magic flowed through her.
Humming in mild annoyance, Ajuka accidentally squeezed his work a bit too hard, causing the metal rod he was holding to snap. Looking up at his daughter, he wore a smile that promised pain—not to his daughter, though.
"Did he happen to say anything else?" Looking the young girl in the eyes, she slowed down a bit as she tapped her chin in thought.
"Oh, I know! He mumbled something about wasted potential and you shoving too much science into my head. I don't think I was meant to hear it, but I did."
Smiling widely, the young devil looked expectantly at her father, clearly seeking praise. Sighing, Ajuka rubbed his eyebrows while silently muttering to himself, "I wish your mother was here." The brief thought seemed to cause him a great deal of melancholy.
"Hmm? What was that about Mom? Will I get to meet her?" Pouncing on her father's words, the young girl eagerly asked about her absent mother.
Ajuka's shoulders drooped as he met his daughter's eager gaze. His fingers trembled slightly as he rustled her hair—a gesture that had become his refuge whenever she asked about her mother. He gently lifted her from his shoulder and set her down on the polished laboratory floor.
Evie pouted, her small fingers working frantically to smooth down her dishevelled hair as she averted her eyes from her father.
"I'm sorry, Evie, you can't see your mother yet. But I'm working on it, okay? I'm sorry to do this to you, but could you go play with Rias for a few hours? I've got some important guests coming to visit."
Looking dully at her father, Evie pondered a bit before nodding. Reaching up to her dad, she gave him a hug before heading out of the room. Watching his daughter leave, Ajuka could only admire how much she took after her mother. Sighing, he got back to work.
Back with Evie, she ran through the mansion, hopping around happily. The little ball of energy checked through every room in search of her friend. Eventually, after ten minutes of searching, she reached the gardens.
Running into the large open courtyard, she followed the beautifully decorated path lined by bright, vibrant flowers. The hard cobblestones beneath her feet guided her way. Skipping along under leaf arches and past artificial ponds filled with all manner of mystical aquatic life, she aimed for the enclosed gazebo surrounded by hedges at the far end of the path.
Hopping up the stairs as quietly as possible, she pounced on the young red-haired girl sitting with her back to her and a tea set before her.
"Rias! Dad told me to come play." Hugging the other girl—identical in age—around the neck, she playfully snatched a biscuit from the unguarded plate in front of her.
"Ugh, Evie, not so tight." Choking out a reply, the other girl struggled for breath under the relentless assault of her friend's extraordinary hugs.
Realizing her mistake, Evie released her hug while giggling. Hopping around the table until she was face to face with her friend, she struck a cutesy pose she had seen in one of her aunt's magical girl shows.
Sticking out her tongue and making a peace sign, she quickly dropped it when she received a disgusted look from Rias.
"Ugh, Eve, you've been hanging out with big sis Serafall too much."
Pouting and crossing her arms, Evie munched another cookie while breaking eye contact. Holding the silence for a few seconds, she was quickly overwhelmed by her endless energy. Hopping around again, she broke the silence.
"So, Rias, do you want to play?"
Smiling back at her, Rias pushed out her chair and hopped off. "Sure! Let's go find my brother."
Smiling widely, the two kids ran off to play and annoy any adult they could find.
Like that, a few hours passed and the exhausted girls made the long trek across the mansion to the kitchen, idly chatting as they walked.
"Evie, do you know what your Dad and my brother are up to? They seemed really busy."
Tapping her chin, Evie spun a few times while walking, stopping when she was facing Rias and walking backward. "I think they have someone coming to visit. Dad mentioned something about guests arriving."
Hearing her friend's answer, Rias's eyes gleamed with a mixture of excitement and curiosity. "We should spy on them and see who it is!"
Eyes gleaming with equal levels of excitement, Evie nodded quickly, showing her support for the idea.
"Yes! Let's stick around my Dad's lab. If he leaves, we can follow him." Nodding excitedly to each other, the two curious little girls began running off towards Ajuka's lab, giggling all the way.
Reaching the sturdy wooden door reinforced with multiple layers of enchantments and runes, the two girls stopped dead in their tracks.
"Rias, how are we meant to get in?" Turning to her friend, Evie saw she was equally confused.
Looking around, the two girls racked their tiny brains, trying hopelessly to devise a way into the lab behind the door. Interrupting their thoughts, the sound of footsteps and talking echoed from around the corner.
Grabbing Rias by the hand, Evie pulled her toward the corner and the large curtains framing the equally large windows. Rushing behind the curtain, the two girls quietly looked at each other.
Gasp! "They'll detect our magic!" Quickly realizing the most likely thing to get them caught, Evie looked around for a solution. Panic flooded her mind as her immature thoughts elevated the stakes of the scenario way out of proportion.
Mind turning to the source of her problems, Evie focused on her magic and the faint aura radiating outward from her. She recalled a conversation she had with Rias about magic, remembering that each devil clan had a unique element to their magic. She realized she didn't know hers.
Focusing hard, Evie used her full brain power, concentrating only on trying to activate her magic to cloak her and Rias. With single-minded focus, the approaching footsteps acted like the arrival of the reaper to the young girls.
Bracing themselves for the inevitable lecture they'd receive when the curtain was pulled back, the two girls each had a different reaction. Rias nervously bit at her fingernails while staring at the curtain. Next to her, Evie stood with her eyes closed, focusing only on her magic, her mind tuning everything else out.
Approaching from down the hallway were Ajuka, Sirzechs and Serafall accompanying a single fallen angel. The fallen in question was Azazel, leader of the Grigori faction and one of the strongest angels.
The group approaching the door to the lab noticed a brief irregularity in the ambient magic, but after it quickly polished itself out of existence, they assumed the magic was a glitch in one of the many rune arrays.
Pushing open the lab door, the group entered, unaware of the two girls somehow hiding from their advanced senses. The girls in question were sweating profusely, Evie more than Rias as her magic reserves were continually depleted.
Breathing deeply after hearing the door close, Rias cautiously peeked out from behind the curtain. Not seeing anyone, she moved back to signal her friend. Tapping Evie's shoulder, Rias didn't get any reaction. Tapping again—a little harder—Rias noticed how hot her friend was to the touch.
Starting to worry, Rias grabbed her friend's shoulders and shook her. Snapping out of her frozen state, Evie's clouded eyes came back into focus as she looked at Rias.
"Huh, what happened?"
"You froze up!" Looking at her friend with worry, Rias held eye contact.
Looking away sheepishly, Evie brushed off Rias, turning her focus to other things. "That doesn't matter. They didn't spot us!"
Smiling widely, the two girls looked at each other in triumph before slowly breaking away and leaving the cover of the curtain. Standing in the hallway, their victorious smiles faded quickly as they were greeted again by the imposing form of the lab's door.
"No! How are we meant to spy on them now?" Kicking her feet against the carpet, Rias threw a small tantrum.
While Rias sulked, Evie slowly approached the door. She was reaching out to touch it when she heard the faint sounds of footsteps right behind her.
Dashing to the side, she narrowly avoided colliding with a masked assailant as they approached the door. Moving past Evie as if she didn't exist, the shadowy figure cracked open the door and slipped inside. Thinking fast, Evie put her foot in the door just before it closed.
Wincing slightly in pain, she did a weird jiggle as she tried to alleviate the discomfort. Gritting her teeth, she called over to Rias.
"Rias, stop sulking. The door's open."
Snapping toward her at superhuman speed, Rias's gaze flitted between her childhood friend and the open door.
Smiling widely, the two girls giggled as Rias trotted over. Groaning slightly, Evie pulled open the door until it was wide enough for Rias to enter. Waving her in, Evie followed shortly after—the door silently sealing behind them.
"Yay! We're in, Rias. Let's see what your brother and my dad are up to." Nodding to Evie, the two girls crouched down behind a table. Using their makeshift cover, they began to circle around the room, moving ever closer to where all the adults were gathered.
Stopping a few meters from them, the two kids peaked out from behind a heavily stacked shelf, listening in on the ongoing conversation.
"...we're not sure where it came from. This orb appeared from seemingly nowhere. Every reading I've got so far has pointed to this not being from this universe. As a fellow scientist, I needed to see if you could make any sense of these readings, Azazel."
Addressing the fallen angel, Ajuka brought up his scientific curiosity. Meanwhile, the girls fidgeted awkwardly, trying to get a better view of the unseen object. Glancing to the side, Evie noticed a clear spot that could potentially allow her to see the orb.
Shuffling over, she motioned for Rias to stay. Reaching the edge of the shelf system she was behind, Evie looked across the small walkway to the shelves on the other side. Psyching herself up, she braced to run. Glancing briefly at the adults, she saw their attention was still on the orb.
Smiling widely, she broke from cover, making it half a step before she kicked a loose can. Instantly, an incredibly strong force stopped her in her tracks. Unable to move a single muscle, she started to panic, already knowing she was caught.
"Evie? Why are you here? Better yet, how did you get in here?" Turning to his daughter, Ajuka stepped forward, motioning for Sirzechs to release her.
Falling to the ground, tears pooled in her eyes as she looked around, lost. Quickly moving over to his daughter, Ajuka helped her to her feet, resting a hand on her shoulder.
Looking around at the piercing gaze of the group of adults, each pair of eyes boring into her, tears flowed freely. Trying to explain herself between sobs, she avoided eye contact with her dad.
Sniff "Rias... and me... Sniff wanted to see what you were doing. Sniff We followed a shady individual in."
Sighing, it took a moment for his daughter's words to register in his mind. Eyes widening in panic, his head snapped around as he looked behind him. Sure enough, there was the individual Evie had just described.
Reaching for the orb suspended in a magical containment field, the thief's actions went unhindered as an artifact sat pulsing on the ground. Projecting an energy field that engulfed all the beings around it, the small artifact seemed to slow their movements to a near halt. The artifact radiated an unsettlingly infinite energy as it easily suppressed multiple Satan-class beings.
Moving as fast as he could, Ajuka pivoted, caving in the floor and knockinghis daughter off her feet. He burst through the sound barrier, reaching the thief in a fraction of a second. He grabbed hold of their wrist and flicked, snapping it with a crack. Their grip loosened, and the orb went flying.
Moving to catch it, Ajuka failed as the artifact took hold of him. Sailing through the air, the orb hit the ground with a dull clink, bouncing a few times before settling into a roll.
Recovering from the sudden sonic boom, Evie rubbed at her ears, sobs echoing from her throat as blood dripped from ruptured eardrums. Struggling to her feet, she stumbled a few times before grabbing a shelf for stability.
Looking around, she noticed her father frozen mid-motion, his hand outstretched as though he was trying to grab something. In his other hand was the mangled wrist of the would-be thief, connected to the only other unfrozen adult.
Freezing in fear, Evie felt something hit her foot. Her eyes only drifted down after she checked that her dad had a hold of the thief.
Eyes falling upon the object that hit her, she observed a strange pulsating metal orb. Curiously, she bent down to pick it up with her left hand. Looking between the orb and her dad's outstretched hand, her small brain connected the dots.
Hobbling forward toward her dad, she stopped just outside the weird barrier of mana entrapping the adults. Looking between them and the barrier, she reached the end of her thought process. Turning back around to ask Rias, she didn't notice the thief's movements.
Flicking his hand out faster than the typical eye could see, a small bolt of magic travelled toward the defenceless child. Slowed by the active artifact, the bolt didn't collide instantly. Instead, all the adults were forced to watch as the attack approached the oblivious child in slow-motion.
A tear pooling at the corner of his eye, Ajuka struggled with every ounce of his strength to move. His magic flared violently as it chipped away at the artifact. Tears turning to blood from strain, Ajuka was powerless to stop anything as the bolt left the barrier.
Instantly returning to full speed, the energy bolt hit its target. Screaming in pain, Evie whimpered as the bolt travelled straight through the back of her hand, hitting the orb within it and instantly superheating the metal object.
Glowing ominously, the orb stayed stuck to her hand no matter how much she shook it in pain. Glowing brighter and brighter, the orb began to hum as small bolts of lightning arced off it, digging into Evie as they tried to reach the ground.
Within the restrained barrier, the sound of bones breaking could be heard as Ajuka's muscles strained in vain against his restraints, the only victim of his efforts being himself.
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, the orb reached a new pitch as all effects cut out. Staying like that for a second, the orb acted as if it had shut down. Only for the hopes of all adults to disappear as, in a blinding flash of light, the orb created a bubble of energy in a sphere around it.
Disappearing as quickly as it appeared, the orb left only a blank spot where once stood a young girl. All that remained of her were two severed legs and a severed arm, smoking in a pool of blood on the floor.
{A/N: Check out my patreon @patreon.com/TheFudgeNPC and maybe donate some stones so more people can find this story.}