Prologue
A bolt of lightning shattered the black sky illuminating the Japanese countryside. An autumn storm was quickly approaching bringing with it a harsh wind that tore at the remaining leaves on the trees. They seemed to hold to the branches trying to live if only for a moment longer though their efforts were futile, as all life must eventually end and were soon overcome and callously scattered onto the cold ground. Beyond the bare trees a gorge could be seen briefly as a second lightning bolt struck, the many jagged rocks at the bottom menacingly reaching toward the sky, unfazed by the roll of thunder that followed. The flash of light revealed a small figure at the bottom of the gorge, a child whose cry had been masked by the thunder, a five-year-old boy gasping his last breaths.
At his tender age he was experiencing what no child should. He was frightened and in pain and had tried to move or scream but all he could do was stare at the sky, unaware of the tears streaming down his face. The pain began to fade and though he was only a child he realized that he was dying. At that moment he no longer felt fear, what he felt was anger and searing hate. If only he could climb back up and make his father pay for what he had done. That was when he saw him, a figure with dark, leathery wings hovered above him.
Kazuya Mishima. He heard a voice inside his head.
How does it know my name? The boy wondered as he took in the creature's frightening appearance.
I know everything about you, Kazuya. Its voice was deep and rasping.
You can hear what I think?
Of course.
Are you an angel? Kazuya asked, though he knew it couldn't be. He hoped that it was because he had always done his best to obey his father and had tried his best to be well behaved. He hoped it was an angel because in his young mind it was what a good boy deserved.
Angel? The creature laughed. That is the last thing I am.
You're a devil, aren't you? The angels he had seen in books and on television didn't have bat-like wings or horns or talons that he was sure could tear him in half.
Are you frightened? It grinned revealing sharp fangs and a mouthful of white teeth that made for an unsettling contrast with its dark skin.
The boy hesitated ...Are you here to kill me? A devil would do that, but in all the stories he had heard good triumphed over evil. He wished he could move his head to look around and see if an angel was on its way to fight the devil, to save him.
It laughed once more. Kill you? You will die at any moment why would I need to kill you?
Why are you here?
I am here to help you...To help us.
How are you going to help me? Kazuya was surprised by the statement. It made no sense for a devil to help anyone, everyone knew that. However everyone also knew that a father was expected to protect his children, keep them safe, and what his father had done was the opposite. Maybe the world was wrong, maybe angels were evil and devils were good.
I can heal your wounds and give you back your life in addition to great power. You would like that, would you not?
I don't want to die. He was afraid to die, he had not ever been more afraid of anything in his life. His mother had died and she was never seen or spoken of again, he didn't want that, he didn't want to stop existing, to go from being a boy to being nothing.
