DxD: The Pale Puppeteer

Day turned into week, and now it was the second week since his little escapade.

He had been extra careful, suppressing the urge to act too soon.

He was too close to throw it all away over excitement.

Patience was key.

And now, the time had finally come.

Tonight, another experiment was scheduled.

Every researcher in the facility would be gathered in a single room along with the successful experiments.

A security measure—one born from failure.

The second failed experiment had ensured that.

A devil who had gained a powerful ability at awakening, only to rebel immediately, killing a third of the researchers before being subdued.

Since then, every successful experiment was 'allowed' to observe during awakenings, ensuring control.

With the communication room left unattended, his chance had arrived.

'…57, 58, 59…'

His eyes snapped open as he finished counting in his head.

He moved.

Silent, precise.

Gliding through the corridors without a single misstep.

Reaching his destination, he pushed the door open without hesitation.

And there it was—the Sacred Factor, pulsing with its rhythmic glow.

A thread extended from his fingertip, nearly invisible in the dim light.

With a controlled flick, it sliced through the device on his neck.

The small piece of metal clattered onto the floor, lifeless.

Another flick—this time, the setup began.

Thin, nearly invisible threads slithered across the room, weaving through gaps, wrapping around fixtures, securing themselves in place like a spider constructing an intricate web.

A delicate balance formed, each strand connected to something unseen, tension coiling like a predator waiting to strike.

With a final motion, he anchored the last thread.

The weight of one element bore down on another, shifting ever so slightly—waiting.

A single cut, a slight pull, or even the passing of time would tip the balance, sending everything into motion.

He stepped back, observing his work.

It was subtle, almost imperceptible.

But when the time came, the trap would spring, and the lab would bear witness to its own undoing.

Without wasting another second, he turned and walked out of the lab, his steps unwavering as he moved in the first direction he had planned.

No hesitation.

No looking back.

The countdown had begun.

——————✗—————

The chamber was silent, save for the rhythmic hum of machinery and the occasional scribble of notes.

Rows of monitors displayed fluctuating data streams, while cold, sterile light bathed the room in an eerie glow.

At the center stood a single restrained subject—a new experiment, trembling beneath the weight of countless wires snaking into his body.

Around him, researchers observed with cold calculation, their expressions unreadable behind their masks.

Among them stood the 'successful' experiments, watching in silence, their presence a grim reminder of what was at stake.

A lead researcher stepped forward.

"Initiate the sequence."

A press of a button.

A sharp hiss as chemicals flooded into the restrained subject's veins.

His body convulsed, his breathing turning ragged as something unnatural began to twist within him.

The air thickened with tension.

Would he endure?

Would he break?

Seconds stretched into eternity.

Then—stability.

His thrashing eased, and his breathing, though unsteady, did not cease.

The researcher exhaled, making a quick note.

"Another partial success," he murmured, stepping back.

The procedure had concluded.

Some researchers turned to leave, already moving on to their next task.

The lead researcher adjusted his glasses, glancing toward an assistant.

"Prepare the next—"

A sound split the air.

A deep, guttural rumble—felt before it was heard.

The very walls groaned, a pulse of raw, unstable energy rolling through the facility like an oncoming storm.

It started at the vault.

The opposing forces, once dormant, had been brought too close, their energies unraveling in a violent cascade.

The Sacred Factor and Death Factor clashed.

Light, brilliant yet sickening, erupted outward.

The pristine golden radiance of the Sacred Factor fought against the abyssal tendrils of the Death Factor, the two spiraling into a vortex of chaos.

Order against decay.

Creation against destruction.

The very fabric of reality seemed to wail under the strain.

The vault, reinforced with the strongest materials available, didn't just break—it warped.

The explosion wasn't fire or shrapnel, but pure, uncontrolled force.

The air itself fractured, shockwaves tearing through steel and concrete as if they were paper.

The researchers barely had time to scream before the world around them turned to ruin.

And in its final grasp, it never let them go.