Highschool DxD:Frostborn Devil

After another hour of reading, Alexander closed the book with a quiet sigh. He gathered a stack of books—various tomes on swordsmanship, magic theory, and ancient battle tactics—and tucked them under his arm.

His room was on the east side of the estate, which meant he had to pass through the grand living room to get there. As he walked, he recalled overhearing the servants whispering earlier—an important guest was arriving today.

He hadn't caught a name, but honestly, he didn't care.

In 13 years, he had never been included in anything related to his family. Banquets, meetings, social events—he was never invited. He was nothing more than a shadow in the house, a stain on their perfect Gremory family image.

Why should today be any different?

As Alexander walked through the hall, a familiar scene unfolded before him—his family gathered in the grand living room, all smiling and engaged in conversation.

Seated were his grandparents, the spoiled princess, Rias, and her ever-loyal Queen, Akeno. His parents were there too, the very people who had abandoned him, their expressions warm as they entertained their guest.

But then, his gaze landed on the one person he least wanted to meet.

Sitting with effortless composure was Ajuka Beelzebub—the most intelligent devil in the Underworld, the one man capable of seeing through any deception, uncovering any secret.

Alexander's grip on his books tightened.

If there was anyone who could discover his hidden power, it was Ajuka.

Alexander instinctively tried to quicken his pace, hoping to slip past unnoticed. But it was too late.

Ajuka's sharp gaze was already on him.

Damn it. Who could walk into a room with this man and go unnoticed?

"Wait a minute."

Ajuka's voice rang out, calm yet firm, stopping him in his tracks.

The room fell silent.

And just like that, all eyes were on him.

His grandparents, Rias, Akeno, his parents—every single one of them turned to stare at him, as if suddenly remembering that he existed.

Ajuka leaned back slightly, observing Alexander with curiosity.

"It's been a while since I last saw you, Alexander," he said, his voice calm yet analytical. "If I remember correctly, the last time we met, you were just two years old."

Alexander remained silent, gripping his books tightly.

"I've been quite busy in my lab these past years," Ajuka continued, "which is why I haven't visited. But the moment I had some free time, I decided to drop by and see Sirzechs."

There was no malice in his tone, just simple honesty. But to Alexander, this moment felt suffocating. The attention of the entire room was now on him—something he had avoided for years.

Ajuka's piercing green eyes remained locked on Alexander as he spoke again.

"I was starting to wonder where you were."

The words felt heavier than they should have, as if Ajuka was subtly acknowledging something no one else ever did—Alexander's absence.

The room remained eerily silent. No one, not even his parents, spoke up to respond. They all simply watched, as if they themselves had forgotten he existed until this very moment.

Alexander kept his expression unreadable, his ice-blue eyes cold and emotionless. He had spent years being ignored—why should he suddenly care that someone noticed him now?

Still, Ajuka Beelzebub was dangerous. Unlike the others, he was no fool.

Alexander's gaze remained cold as he addressed Ajuka, his voice laced with an icy indifference.

"Well, it was a pleasure seeing Lord Beelzebub," he said, his words clipped, filled with a chilling detachment. "I shall take my leave."

He turned to walk away, eager to escape the suffocating attention of the room. But as he took a step toward the door, Ajuka's voice cut through the silence again.

"Interesting books you have there."

The words were casual, but the weight behind them was not lost on Alexander.

He paused, his back still turned, a sense of unease creeping up his spine. Ajuka was too perceptive—he had already seen through the books he held, and he knew there was more to Alexander than met the eye.

Grayfia's voice broke through the tense silence as she stood up, her gaze stern. "Alexander, Lord Beelzebub is talking to you. You can't leave the room like that."

The command in her tone was unmistakable, but to Alexander, it felt no different than the countless times he had been treated as an afterthought—just another expectation placed upon him.

With a slight sigh, he turned slowly, his expression still unreadable. His gaze swept over his family, then landed on his mother. The words came out with cold indifference, a tone that had become all too familiar to him over the years.

"Yes, Mom."

The room seemed to freeze as those two simple words left his lips. The coldness in his voice was unmistakable, a stark contrast to the warm tones of his mother and the rest of his family. He felt no need to feign respect. Not for them. Not anymore.

As he turned back to face Ajuka Beelzebub, the weight of the moment hung in the air. What would the great devil king say next?

Without waiting for another word, Alexander walked over to an empty sofa and sat down, the movement smooth and deliberate. He placed his books beside him on the table, his posture relaxed yet detached, as if he were an outsider to the scene playing out in front of him.

His eyes were cold, scanning the room with a quiet indifference, his expression a perfect mask of apathy. The weight of the moment was not lost on him—everyone in the room was waiting for him to do something, to respond to Ajuka, to engage with his family.

But Alexander wasn't in the mood for theatrics.

He sat there, unmoving, his gaze shifting to the devil king, awaiting the next move.

Ajuka's gaze remained fixed on Alexander, studying him with an intensity that felt almost clinical, like a scientist eyeing an interesting specimen under a microscope. It was clear that the devil king had taken a deep interest in him, and that sent a subtle shiver down Alexander's spine.

Meanwhile, Sirzechs, oblivious to the tension in the room, resumed his conversation, his voice filled with pride as he bragged about his sister.

"Ajuka, who knows? Maybe one day my sister Rias will be stronger than me."

The words were lighthearted, filled with the kind of casual confidence Sirzechs always carried, but it was evident that Rias was the shining star in his eyes.

Yet, despite the moment of familial pride, Ajuka's gaze never left Alexander.

The attention was suffocating, but Alexander refused to show any reaction. His expression remained cold, and his eyes, though still locked on Ajuka, never betrayed the turmoil within. Ajuka knew something was hidden, and that intrigued him. And that, more than anything, made Alexander wary.

Hearing his father's words, Alexander had to clench his fists to keep himself from laughing aloud. The absurdity of it all almost overwhelmed him. Rias, that bratty, spoiled princess, was anything but strong. Despite being trained by his own mother, the strongest queen, Rias had barely reached the level of a high-class devil.

All she could do was throw around a few big orbs of destruction, which exhausted her within minutes. The idea of Sirzechs talking so proudly about her potential made Alexander want to scoff. He found it almost hilarious—his so-called "strong" sister couldn't even handle a simple spell without tiring herself out.

If only they knew the truth—Rias was nothing compared to what he had become.

But he kept his laughter contained, locking away the amusement that flickered in his chest. No one here deserved to know the truth about him. Instead, he remained silent, his eyes cold and unreadable, as he let his father continue in his delusion.

Though Alexander managed to keep his laughter in check, Ajuka's keen eyes were always watching, always observing. The slightest change in his expression—a flicker of amusement, a subtle twitch in his lips—did not escape the devil king's notice.

Ajuka's gaze sharpened ever so slightly, and an intrigued glint appeared in his eyes. It was as if he had just uncovered a new layer to the puzzle that was Alexander Gremory. The subtle shift in the boy's demeanor spoke volumes more than any words could. Ajuka knew something was off, and that was the only thing that mattered.

The others in the room continued their conversation, unaware of the silent exchange unfolding before them. Sirzechs, still talking about Rias's potential, seemed oblivious to the underlying tension in the room, but Ajuka, with his perceptive intellect, was starting to piece things together.

Ajuka, still watching Alexander with an unwavering gaze, suddenly spoke, breaking the silence in the room. "Alexander... you don't have Evil Pieces, do you?"

The question seemed innocent enough, but the weight of it hung in the air, as though Ajuka was testing something, probing for the truth.

Alexander, unfazed, responded with a cold indifference. "No, I don't. My father said it would be useless... since I don't have any demonic power."

His voice was flat, almost too calm, as he spoke the words that had been drilled into him. Sirzechs, his father, had often claimed that without the necessary demonic power, there was no point in giving him Evil Pieces—the magical items used to create pawns and other pieces for a devil's army. But Alexander knew the truth: he had never been given the opportunity to prove himself. His father's rejection of him had long ago solidified his belief that they had no real interest in his strength.

Ajuka's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at Alexander's response, though his expression remained composed. There was something more to the situation than he was letting on, and the genius devil seemed to have caught wind of it.

Ajuka's voice cut through the tension, his words sending a ripple of shock through the room. "You can stop acting now, Alexander. I can feel it. You're constantly hiding your magic, sealing it deep within your core... but it's useless against me."

The room went silent as everyone processed his words, the air thick with disbelief.

Zeoticus and Venelana, Alexander's grandparents, looked at their grandson in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief. They had never suspected that the quiet, neglected child in their family could have been hiding such power.

Rias, who had always dismissed him as weak, now turned her confused gaze towards her nephew. She had ignored him for years, never once considering that there might be something more to him than the "useless" boy they all thought he was. Now, she couldn't help but wonder—what had she missed?

Sirzechs and Grayfia exchanged a glance, both visibly shaken. Their son—their very own flesh and blood—had magic all these years, and they had never known. How could they have been so blind to the power that lay dormant within him? Their own failure to notice something so fundamental about him struck them like a dagger.

The weight of Ajuka's words hung heavy in the room. It was as if everything they knew about Alexander had just been turned upside down.