Velvet Abyss

The boy who would grow up to be this wildly fine-looking and magnetic fellow was born at the beginning of Vera in the year 1187 to Ryuji Hyogo and a prostitute from Lancaster called Sara, Once my grandfather King Daisaku discovered the scandalous behaviour of his son he ordered that Mother and I be executed for as punishment but my Father is the master negotiator he stayed the fury of the scorned King by promising to take responsibility for his little indiscretion he would sever all ties with the woman he had supposedly loved and would have them ferried away to a distant shore never to return to the Eisen continent in exchange he would always make sure they were provided for.

True to his word Mother and I were shipped away to Elma a trade village on the Rengatsu continent, as promised enormous sums of Rias were delivered every month by armoured soldiers bearing the crest of the Hyogo royal family.

My formative years were happy and free from strife Elma is an affluent city where the crime was kept to a minimum and my days were spent with a roof over my head, home cooking in my stomach and a mothers love.

She was inexperienced and awkward but she did her best to bring up this petulant brat and try to raise him with respect and kindness, I love that woman about as much as I’ve ever loved anyone, those wonderful days marched on until I was about ten.

Mother had been battling a sickness for quite a while always shielding me from it but it had started to take its toll, her beautiful violet hair started to grey and her body once full figured started to diminish despite the amount of food she eat.

Then the worst of it came to the vile disease that robbed her of her sight she went blind and could barely move, I did everything in my power to nurse and help her but in the end, I couldn’t really do anything for her.

Then it finally happened I had ventured to the markets early in the morning to buy some ingredients for dinner that night when I got back she...she… was on the brink of death gasping for air and twitching her mouth full of foam and bile.

I awakened my Noble Right right then on the spot I instinctively tried to heal her by rewinding time but three minutes was nothing still I kept going using this strange new power to try to stay the hands of death like an ant trying to move a mountain some things in life are just impossible.

But that’s when he appeared flanked by knights in golden armour built like an ox with luscious thick hair of crimson the same colour as mine, he told me he was my uncle and the newly crowned King Rokujo Hyogo offered me an ultimatum.

Leave Elma to become his heir and never see mother again or allow her to die as always Rokujo was an uncompromising man and gave me a distraught kid with no time to think it over. I agreed to beg him to save her and he did with magic he cured her and promised to honour my Fathers agreement about providing for her.

And so that’s how it happened with a kiss on the forehead and tear-stained cheeks I left the woman and life that I loved behind, See back then there wasn’t an endless array of siblings it was just me and Seijuro who was four at the time.

Though we’re technically cousins I came to love that little shit as my precious little brother, and although no one would ever take Sara’s place I came to love and respect my surrogate mother Queen Airi she had many of Sara’s qualities her kindness and tender disposition.

Though my heart ached and thoughts of Mother never left my mind I had settled into my new life and knowing that she was being cared for was enough despite the longing to be with her never subsiding. I took to my role as heir apparent with a zeal I’d never experienced before I excelled at everything from martial arts, to how to carry yourself as a noble to academia.

Still, despite my talents, I could never outclass Seijuro at being royalty his social acumen, negotiation skills and guileful wit were peerless even from a young age he’s a natural-born leader. It turned out that my frivolous and witless Father had got himself killed and my Grandfather the old bastard had kicked the bucket not long after putting my new Father on the throne.

For a good, while it was just the five of us Mother, Father, Seijuro, Uncle Tetsuya and I but after a while siblings started to appear Setsuna, Mei, Yukina, Shigure, Hell I even gained some cousins once grumpy old uncle Tetsu married.

As you can imagine there was quite the age gap I was eight when Seijuro was born and I’m almost double the age of my younger siblings but I tried to be with them and be a cool big brother they could look up to.

We were a happy family living in blissful ignorance it’s hard to believe now but unlike my Grandfather who ruled with iron and blood my Father was benevolent and generous to his citizens, he turned Hyogo from a warmongering kingdom into a place of peace and stability.

That all changed with the birth of my youngest brother Shigure during his birth Airi she...well I don’t really have to say it do I, she died in my Fathers arms surrounded by her precious children. Father was never the same after that.

The compassion and warmth he emitted were replaced with an uncompromising determination and a scheming iciness, he became distant and obsessed it was at this time that I started rebelling I couldn’t be at home anymore Airi’s death hit me harder than I ever imagined.

So I adopted the adventures name Shiki Delcrois and went on the most dangerous missions solo hoping that I’d die in the process, once I started climbing the ranks it didn’t take long for the recruitment drive to roll in but I declined each and every time. Until I met a man a beautiful stubborn fool by the name of Marcel his ardent personality and flair for the dramatic made quick work of the icy exterior I’d spent so long crafting.

Marcel, it turned out was a former member of a famous assassins order you might have heard of them the Reapers of Luka, well like me he was running away so we agreed to form an adventuring duo, we never settled on a name though.

We built up quite the reputation throughout Eisen we often clashed with famous adventuring parties like Vermilion Ogre but in the end, I didn’t care about fame or glory, all that mattered to me was being with the man I loved.

It was a whirlwind romance we fucked as we fought in perfect harmony his capriciousness rubbed off on me and turned me into a daydreamer then our little family became complete when answered a request to survey a remote village that had recently been raided by brigands

The village was burning when we arrived and almost everyone was dead the brigands had pillaged the loot, raped the woman and then killed everyone for sport to end the nights' festivities. Atrocities like that are all too common the further you venture from the larger cities.

I don’t know why seeing such a gruesome display made me furious, so furious that I felt like destroying everything around me and I did just that I told Marcel not to dirty his hands and to survey the scene for any survivors.

Low ranking brigands were no match for me regardless of their numbers I didn’t use my magic though they slaughtered them the only fashion way with cold steel, after mincing them I turned my attention to Marcel who was carrying a naked and battered little girl in his arms.

I wrapped her in Marcel's cloak and used my magic to heal her wounds the sole silver lining to come out of that flaming hell, you can already figure out who that little girl is she grew up to be the joy of my life, my sun. Maya Lycoria.

We retired from adventuring and used some of the Rias we had made to buy ourselves a nice cottage in the woods away from the hustle and bustle of the cities, getting to be with Marcel and watching the little girl we saved, our kid be happy and grow was truly the happiest time of my life like a glimmering diamond atop a pile of shit.

Then I got word that the Eris Empire had declared war on my Kingdom but I never intended to return it had a year since I severed ties to the throne and any claim I might have had. The better part of a year passed without incident until one day I ventured to the closet town Pella with little Maya in tow all in order to buy a surprise gift for Marcel’s birthday.

We arrived back with a jade bracelet that Maya had picked out late that afternoon… Only to find that the goddess once again has seen fit to piss on me, I opened the door expecting to see the cocksure smirk of my beautiful husband but instead, I found him lying on the flaw screaming the fetal position with one of his legs missing.

“Mei! What the hell are you doing here?” I screamed

“Is that any way to speak to your little sister after so long?” Mei teased

“It’s his fault for being so weak I figured a reaper would be a little challenge but this guy was pathetic it was like fighting a toddler, you need better taste in men bro.”]

“Shut up...” I whispered through gritted teeth.

“Hmm speak up bro I can’t hear you.”

“I said Shut up! Why are you here?”

“Hold on baby I’m here, I’ll heal you.”

“I’m fine just don’t Maya look okay..”

“Daddy Marcel’s leaking just like the people in my village too...”

“Close your eyes sweetie everything will be alright” Marcel groaned

“Daddy sent me out here to fetch you Hide, He told me that it was time for you to stop fooling around and assume your rightful position.”

“You can tell him to take his demands and shove them up to his ass, we’re through, now get the fuck out of my home.”

“When did you become so lame big bro, what happened to Hideto Hyogo, The War God, the slick badass who mowed our enemies down without giving them so much as a chance to scream.”

“Go home Mei I won’t tell you again.”

“I get it now it’s them these two are the reason you’ve lost your edge, but that’s okay I’ve been given permission to handle this situation as I see fit so I’ll do you the favour of liberating you from those shackles.”

“Rupture Magic: Scattered Petals”

Mei’s training had paid off and she become far quicker and more agile than I thought and that was my most severe mistake in a single moment, Marcel was ruptured exploded into a barrage of fleshy chunks, blood and bone fragments.

She made a move for Maya next not giving me enough to heal Marcel I sped to Maya’s defence wrapping her in my arms and shielding her from Mei’s attack. The sensation that fell over me at that moment was so primal and raw that I don’t think words like fury or rage come close to describing it.

I placed Maya in the corner of a room and told her to keep her eyes closed and no matter what happened, no matter what she heard not to open them until I told her too.

“Hahahahaha”  I laughed

“Hmm?”

“You want the War God huh?”

I only remember bits and pieces about what happened next but I always made it a point to hold back my strength because whenever I let loose nothing good ever comes from it. But at that moment I lost all control I became an animal.

Though showing potential Mei was still an immature fledgling far from the Rupture Princess and Red Demon she’d become known as and was easily overtaken by me by the time I was finished her face black and blue and caked in thick layers of blood.

“Big...Brother” Mei wheezed through splintered teeth.

Two simple words pierced me like daggers and snapped me from the furious frenzy I turned pale when I saw the damage I had inflicted upon my little sister, but it was fine I could fix it all with my magic, I could heal Mei and return Marcel to life.

“Hang on Mei, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“Chrono Magic: Root Stasis”

An exhausted Mei fell unconscious from the trauma of her beating but all her wounds were mended and she’d be alright, I should have acted logically instead of succumbing to my instincts. I checked on Maya who was in the corner with her eyes closed tears spilling down her cheek.

“Hold baby, Papa will be there soon, okay.”

“I’m scared Papa...”

“‘I know, but you need to brave for a bit longer can you do that for me, baby?”

I was about to make my way towards Maya when Fathers voice stopped me in my tracks I turned around to see the man I called Dad flanked by a bizarre man who I had never seen before he was young and muscular and was shirtless wearing a luminous sky blue trench coat that contrasted his pink hair.

“Father pleaded with me come home and rejoin the family stating that their war with the continent was kick starting and their victory was already assured.”

The flamboyant man didn’t utter a solitary syllable he just observed in silence as I rejected my father's offer and renounced my claim to the throne saying that I was going to take Maya and go back home to my real mother.

Appearing to finally reach his limit with the rebellious nature of his so-called son he snapped his fingers and instructed the mysterious man to do it, within the blink of an eye the man had severed Maya’s head from her body, her body collapsed into a bloodied husk on the floor.

I tried to fight back using my magic but for the first time in my life I was powerless, my time magic held zero effect on the man who caught one of my punches and with a single motion tore my arm off.

In agony and losing bleeding out I rolled and grabbed hold of Maya’s body and activated a Reisen Crystal I always carried in the event of an emergency, I succeed in stopping the bleeding and cauterized the wound then I spent three long days crying and processing everything that happened.

Not long after that I took Maya’s remains to the head of the Argento clan and had her reborn as an adult homunculus and spent the next few years thwarting my family whenever I could, eventually, I had a chance meeting with Headmistress Lovelace and was brought into the fold as an Eris mage and well you know the rest

Oh and as for Hinamori she was a parting gift from the head of the Argento clan being the incomprehensible and mysterious lot they are, and that girls is why i drink every single fucking day.