Sunlight gently filtered through the kitchen window, casting a glow across the small dining table where Arthur and his mother sat together, quietly eating their breakfast.
The scent of warm eggs, toast, and grilled ham filled the room, but the usual cheerful chatter between them was absent today.
Arthur poked at his food in silence.
His mother watched him carefully, her fork hovering mid-air before she set it down with a soft clink.
"Arthur… is something the matter? You've barely said a word since you woke up. Is the food not good today?"
She asked gently, worry showing in her voice.
Arthur looked up, blinking out of his thoughts.
"Huh? Oh-no, no, it's nothing like that. Your cooking is still the best in the world. Always has been."
He said quickly, sitting up straighter so as not to attract suspicion.
She tilted her head slightly, unconvinced.
"Then why do you look like something's on your chest?"
Arthur gave a small smile and sighed.
"I just had a bad dream, that's all."
His mother's eyes softened.
"Oh, sweetheart… if you ever have another one, just call me, okay? I don't mind."
He nodded.
"Okay. Thanks, Mom."
They continued eating in a calmer silence after that.
Once breakfast was done, they moved into their familiar routine of cleaning the dishes together.
This time, Arthur dried while his mother washed, both of them standing side by side at the sink.
The moment felt peaceful, but Arthur's mind was far from calm.
The dream, the red sky, the red dragon, it all still burned vividly in his memory.
He was drying the last plate when he decided.
(Better now than never, I guess.)
He took a quiet breath.
"Mom."
"Yes, sweetheart?"
She replied, scrubbing a spoon gently.
There was a long pause.
Arthur stared at the plate in his hand, slowly moving the towel over its surface, before finally saying the words he'd held back for years.
"Who's my father?"
The clinking of metal stopped.
His mother's hands froze over the sink, her shoulders tense.
The spoon slipped slightly in her grasp.
She didn't turn around right away.
Arthur continued, his voice a bit steadier this time.
"I've noticed there's never been any photos of anyone besides us. I never asked because… I thought maybe you weren't ready to talk about it. Or maybe I wasn't ready to hear it. But…"
He turned to look at her, his voice quiet but sincere.
"If possible, I want to know. What happened to my dad? Is he dead? Did he leave us behind? What kind of person is he?"
His mother stood silently at the sink for a few more seconds before slowly turning off the faucet.
She reached for a small towel and dried her hands, her expression unreadable.
She muttered almost to herself.
"I knew this day would come… just didn't expect it this soon."
Then she turned to him and nodded once.
"Come with me, Arthur."
He followed her quietly down the hallway, heart beating just a bit faster.
She led him into her bedroom, rarely used except for when she was resting.
The curtains were half drawn, letting in soft light over the old wooden furniture and neatly folded quilts.
She sat down on the edge of her bed and patted the space beside her.
Arthur sat down without a word.
She took a moment before speaking, her voice calm but distant.
"Arthur… are you asking me this because this is related to your dream?"
Arthur nodded slowly.
"Yeah. I saw something that made me think… I needed to know who I am."
His mother looked at him, really looked at him, then gave a long breath.
"Alright, I'll explain... But let me tell it to you in a story."
Arthur kept quiet as she spoke.
"Once upon a time, there was a princess who was born from a prestigious lineage, one that was respected and honored by all. Since her birth, she had everything: riches, talent, and glory. The luckiest girl in the world, they called her. But she was not spoiled. Despite everything given to her, she grew up kind and humble. She never looked down on others. Instead, she trained harder than anyone else and chose the path of a warrior, not out of pride, but out of a duty to protect and stand up for the weak. People came to know her as the Guardian Angel. But like all stories, hers took a bad turn. One day, she encountered a foe far stronger than anything she had faced. She was severely wounded, exhausted, and her power was drained. She thought she was going to die that day. But she didn't because someone saved her. A Devil, a creature her people called the enemy of Heaven. But this demon didn't hurt her. He protected her until the threat fled in terror. And when she was injured, he didn't vanish and stayed to help her recover. At first, she didn't trust him as her whole life told her not to. But as time passed and the wounds healed, she realized something. This Devil… was different. He was strong, yes. Fierce, terrifying even, but also kind and soft-spoken. Gentle in ways that made her question what she thought she knew. After that day, they met again. And again. And again. Conversations turned to shared moments. Shared moments turned to something deeper. And after what felt like an eternity, they fell in love. It was ironic, wasn't it? A child of God and the enemy of God fall for each other. But after a long time, they were reminded that reality wasn't so accepting. They knew what the world would say of their love. A Holy Maiden and a Great Satan who dared love each other are frowned upon. So they made the difficult choice of breaking up. But after a while, the princess felt ill and would later discover why. It turns out that their love resulted in something beautiful. A child. Unexpected, but a blessed discovery. After discovering the new life growing inside her, the princess made a choice. She left her home, her title, her comrades in arms, and her life's work. She disappeared from the world. And that's how the story ends."
Arthur sat in silence, hands resting on his lap, his green eyes fixed on his mother.
His brows were slightly furrowed in disbelief.
She pulled her hand back and reached over to the nightstand beside her bed.
She opened the drawer slowly and pulled out an old, slightly worn Bible.
She opened it carefully, revealing a single photo tucked between the pages.
She handed it to Arthur.
"This... is what your father looked like."
Arthur took the photo and looked at it.
His face didn't change, but inside his thoughts were going wild.
(What the fuck…?)
The photo showed his younger mother with her long blonde hair fluttering in the sea breeze, wearing a simple blue dress, barefoot.
She was laughing, truly enjoying herself, and in the background, someone was hugging her from behind.
A man, tall and barefoot on the beach, dressed in a red tuxedo.
Long red hair, the same shade as Arthur's, was tied loosely behind his back.
He was smiling as if the world meant nothing to him, except the woman in his arms.
Arthur stared.
He knew that man.
He'd seen his face in both the anime and manga.
...
(My father is Sirzechs Lucifer?!)
His thoughts tumbled into each other, spiraling fast.
(Wait. Does that mean I'm a half-breed? But what about Grayfia? Did they not get together? Does that mean Millicas wasn't born? So many questions.)
He gripped the photo tighter, heart racing.
Arthur sat still, staring at the photo in his hands for a long while.
His mother watched him closely from her seat on the bed, her expression soft but filled with a faint trace of worry.
She gently broke the silence.
"Do you have any questions, sweetheart?"
Arthur looked up at her, green eyes wide, still absorbing everything.
"Yeah… a lot."
He glanced back at the photo, then looked up again.
"But first… What's his name?"
His mother smiled, the kind that was both nostalgic and a little sad.
"His name is Sirzechs Lucifer. He's one of the Four Great Satans of the Underworld… and one of the strongest beings in the world."
Arthur blinked, nodded slowly, and decided to test the waters a bit.
"So wait… my dad is THE Devil himself?"
He widened his eyes playfully.
"But isn't he supposed to be the big bad in the Bible?"
She chuckled and reached over to pat his head.
"Oh, sweetie, that name he bears is merely a title, not the real deal. There comes a time when you'll realize that the world isn't just black and white. Just like how one country might call their soldiers heroes while the other calls them monsters. It's all about perspective."
She leaned in a little closer and smiled.
"So remember this, Arthur. Judge someone not by their looks or by what others say, but by their actions, by meeting them yourself. That way, you'll understand who they are. So don't be fooled by anyone, okay?"
Arthur nodded slowly.
"I promise, Mom."
He looked down for a second, then back at her again.
"So… what kind of person was he?"
She didn't hesitate. Her answer came with a faint laugh.
"He was an idealist. Always chasing peace. Compassionate, fair… and honestly, a bit of a klutz when he wasn't acting like some grand noble. But his heart, demonic in nature, was in the right place. He'd risk everything for the people he loved."
Arthur nodded again, but he already had an idea.
Sirzechs had always come across like that in the wiki fandom he read online.
But hearing it from his mother somehow made it more real.
Then he looked at his palm and asked her something that he wanted to check.
"Mom… if I'm not fully human, then… what exactly am I?"
His mother's expression changed.
Her smile faded into something quieter, more serious. She was silent for a moment before she sighed, her voice lower this time.
"You're a Cambion, a half-human, half-devil, an existence that was deemed unacceptable by both Heaven and Hell."
She looked at him, seeing the slight tension in his face, and gently pulled him into a hug.
"But more importantly, you are my son."
She whispered into his ear.
"No matter what you are or what you become… you'll always be my baby boy. And I'll always love you."
Arthur was still at first surprised by the sudden affection.
But slowly, his arms came up and he hugged her back, more tightly than he intended.
"I love you, too, Mom. More than anyone else in the world."
He murmured into her shoulder.
She giggled, stroking his head gently.
"I know."
Arthur hadn't realized it at first, but tears had quietly begun to gather at the corners of his eyes.
He sniffled lightly, doing his best to wipe them away before they fell, but his mother noticed anyway.
She said nothing, just held him a little closer.
His thoughts drifted back to his past life.
He remembered how empty it had felt.
A father who was always away overseas, a mother who left the family after an affair, two siblings who hated each other's guts and spent every waking moment at each other's throats.
And himself...
Quiet, distant, barely noticed by anyone.
He had no memories of ever being hugged like this.
Of being told he was loved.
Back then, he didn't even know what real love looked like.
But now, as he recalled the memories of his new life, he had a mother who had given up everything just to keep him safe.
Who loved him not for what he was, but simply because he was.
A mother who raised him with warmth, who stayed up with him at night, who laughed with him and made sure he was never alone.
He buried his face a little deeper into her shoulder.
(This is my new life now.)
He didn't need to go back.
He didn't even feel the urge to.
He made a silent promise in his heart as he held her.
One day, when he became a great Exorcist, when he was strong enough to stand on his own, he would repay her for everything.
All the love, all the sacrifices, all the years she gave up just for him.
"I'll make you proud, Mom."
He whispered under his breath.
His mother smiled without saying a word.
She had easily heard him.
DxD
Hello readers!
This chapter is edited.
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Thank you, everyone, and see you later!