Highschool DxD:Frostborn Devil

Ajuka's gaze remained locked onto Alexander, his curiosity now fully piqued. "Tell me... since when have you been able to use magic?"

Alexander met his eyes without hesitation, his expression unreadable. "Since I was eight," he said simply, his voice devoid of emotion.

Another wave of silence washed over the room.

Eight. For five years, he had concealed his abilities from them. Five years, and none of them had noticed.

Grayfia's hands clenched into fists, her normally composed expression wavering for the first time. Sirzechs' face darkened, realization dawning upon him.

Venelana placed a hand over her mouth, trying to process what she had just heard. Zeoticus, on the other hand, simply stared, unable to form words.

Rias frowned, feeling something foreign—perhaps guilt? No, she quickly dismissed it. It had to be a lie… right?

But Ajuka, the most intelligent devil, knew better. He could feel the truth in Alexander's words. And that truth made everything they had believed about him collapse like a house of cards.

Ajuka leaned forward slightly, his sharp green eyes studying Alexander with intense curiosity. "Five years, huh? And in all that time, you never thought to tell your parents?"

Alexander let out a quiet, humorless chuckle. "Tell them?" His cold blue eyes swept over the stunned faces of his so-called family. "And then what? Watch them scramble to come up with excuses? Listen to them pretend they cared all along? No… I'd rather let them keep their hypocrisy to themselves."

His words struck like a blade, making Grayfia flinch. Sirzechs' brows furrowed, his confusion shifting into something deeper—regret? Guilt? Even he didn't know.

Venelana, regaining her composure, cleared her throat and spoke cautiously. "Alexander, dear… we didn't know. If we had—"

"You would have done what, exactly?" Alexander cut her off, his voice calm but laced with ice. "Paid attention to me? Treated me like your family instead of a stain on your reputation? Don't make me laugh."

Venelana fell silent. Because she had no answer.

Ajuka, still watching the young devil with fascination, smirked slightly. "You've grown into quite an interesting devil, Alexander." His smirk deepened. "I wonder… just how strong have you become in these five years?"

Sirzechs finally found his voice, his usually calm and composed demeanor shaken. "Son… why didn't you tell us?"

Alexander turned his icy blue eyes toward his father, his expression unreadable. Then, he let out a quiet sigh, as if the question itself was ridiculous.

"Why?" He repeated, tilting his head slightly. "Why would I? Tell me, Father, in these thirteen years, when have you ever looked at me as your son?"

Sirzechs flinched. "That's not—"

"Not true?" Alexander cut him off, his voice sharp but eerily calm. "Don't lie to yourself, it's pathetic. The moment Rias was born, I stopped existing to you. You showered her with love, attention, and expectations while I was cast aside like an unwanted mistake. Even when a test proved I was your son, nothing changed. You made up your mind about me the moment I was born."

Grayfia took a step forward, her voice slightly shaky. "Alexander, it wasn't like that—"

"It was exactly like that." He turned his piercing gaze on her now. "You, of all people, should know. And yet, you still chose to turn away."

The weight of his words settled heavily in the room. No one could refute him.

Ajuka, amused but intrigued, leaned back in his seat. "This is getting interesting."

Alexander turned his piercing gaze toward Grayfia, his voice colder than the ice he wielded.

"Don't you dare call yourself my parent." His words cut through the room like a blade. "Do you know what it's like to be ignored by your parents? To realize that no matter what you do, you'll never receive any love from them? To know you were pushed aside and replaced?"

Grayfia flinched, her usual stoic expression wavering.

"You are not my parents." Alexander continued, his icy blue eyes burning with long-buried pain. "What kind of son can count the number of times his mother smiled at him on one hand… and still have fingers left? What kind of son remembers his father spoiling his aunt on his birthday while barely acknowledging his existence? You are nothing to me. Just strangers in the same household."

His words cut deeper than any sword, making both Sirzechs and Grayfia recoil. Sirzechs' mouth opened, but nothing came out. Grayfia clenched her fists, but there was no defense, no excuse that could erase the truth.

Silence suffocated the room. Even Rias, always the center of attention, had nothing to say.

Then, Ajuka chuckled, his smirk widening. "Fascinating. Alexander… let's see just how strong you really are."

Alexander turned his gaze toward Ajuka, his expression unreadable. "And why would I entertain that request?" His voice was laced with disinterest, as if the idea of proving himself was beneath him.

Ajuka leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand. "Because I'm curious," he admitted with a smirk. "You've hidden your power for years. I want to see what the neglected son of Sirzechs and Grayfia is truly capable of."

Alexander scoffed. "Curiosity? That's your reason?" He shook his head and turned away. "I have nothing to prove to anyone in this room."

Sirzechs finally found his voice. "Alexander, wait—"

"Wait for what?" Alexander cut him off, his voice sharp. "So you can pretend to care now? So you can act like the last thirteen years never happened?" He scoffed. "Spare me the hypocrisy."

Ajuka's smirk didn't falter. If anything, his interest grew. "If you have nothing to prove, then humor me." His emerald eyes gleamed. "One spell. That's all I ask."

Alexander paused, his back still turned to them. He considered it. Not because he wanted to prove anything—but because a part of him wanted to see their faces when they realized the truth.

After a long silence, he exhaled and turned back around. "Fine. But don't regret it." The temperature in the room began to drop.

With a cold, almost bored expression, Alexander lifted his hand. The room watched in stunned silence as five intricate magic circles materialized in front of him, floating in the air. Each circle shimmered with a deep blue hue, resonating with powerful, ancient magic. The sight was enough to make everyone in the room freeze, their eyes wide with shock. Only Ultimate-Class Devils had the capacity to use multiple magic circles at once—yet here was Alexander, a child, displaying that kind of control effortlessly.

Rias, who had been too stunned to speak, felt her stomach churn with confusion and awe. "He... he's... no, it can't be."

Even Sirzechs, the Devil King, stood frozen, his usual calm demeanor crumbling as he processed the power emanating from his son.

Alexander's voice rang out like the chilling wind, detached and cold. "Ice Age."

In an instant, the entire Gremory mansion began to tremble as a freezing aura surged outward. Ice spread from the magic circles in every direction, creeping along the walls, the floors, and the ceilings. The temperature dropped drastically, as if winter had suddenly and ruthlessly descended upon them. The once grand halls of the mansion were now encased in a thick layer of ice, the beautiful marble floors hidden beneath a frozen sheet. Every surface, every piece of furniture, and even the windows were covered in frost, making it look as if the mansion had been abandoned for centuries, trapped in an eternal winter.

Ajuka's eyes widened, his usual composure faltering for the briefest of moments. "Impressive... to command such power at this age..."

Sirzechs took a shaky breath. "Alexander, how—how long have you been able to do this?"

But Alexander only turned his gaze to Ajuka, his cold expression unchanging. "Does that satisfy your curiosity?" His voice was filled with a quiet, biting defiance. "Now you see what you refused to acknowledge all these years."

The cold air hung thick in the room, and for the first time in his life, Alexander could feel the weight of their gazes. But he didn't care. Not anymore.

At the age of 13, Alexander had already shattered records that were considered untouchable, even by the standards of the Gremory family. Sirzechs, his own father, had become an Ultimate-Class Devil at the age of 30, a feat that was admired and celebrated throughout the devil world. Yet here was Alexander, barely a teenager, already achieving what took his father decades to accomplish.

The shock in the room was palpable. Sirzechs, who had once been the youngest Ultimate-Class Devil, stood frozen, his thoughts spiraling. "How is this possible? How could I have missed this... all this time?"

Grayfia, who had always considered herself a caring mother, felt a pang of guilt twist inside her chest. "I... I never knew." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, as she tried to comprehend the magnitude of what Alexander had just shown them.

Rias, still unsure how to react, clenched her fists in frustration. She had always been the center of attention, the one everyone praised, the one everyone doted on. But now, standing in the presence of her own nephew, she couldn't help but feel a mix of envy and regret. "All this time... we ignored him."

Ajuka, the ever-observant Beelzebub, watched silently, his sharp eyes never leaving Alexander. His mind raced as he calculated the boy's potential. "Extraordinary... he's reached Ultimate-Class at such a young age. His control is unparalleled."

But Alexander wasn't interested in their praise or shock. He had made his point clear. With one simple act, he had demonstrated not only his strength but the years of neglect he had endured. He had surpassed them all—not for their approval, but for his own satisfaction. "Now you see. Now you understand," he muttered, the coldness in his voice echoing throughout the frozen mansion.

Ajuka's sharp eyes remained locked on Alexander as the frozen air filled the room. The weight of the moment pressed on everyone, but the Beelzebub was unshaken. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority.

"What are your goals?" he asked.

Alexander, still seated on the sofa, tilted his head slightly, his ice-blue eyes emotionless. "Goals?" he repeated, as if the very concept was foreign to him.

Ajuka nodded. "Yes. I want to know if your hatred toward your family will push you to seek revenge against the devil faction."

A silence stretched in the room before Alexander suddenly let out a laugh—a cold, empty sound, void of warmth or amusement. It was almost sinister, sending chills through those who heard it.

"Revenge? On this pitiful faction?" Alexander scoffed, his lips curling into a smirk. His gaze slowly moved across the room, looking at his so-called family, at the shocked expressions on his grandparents' faces, the confusion in Rias's eyes, the guilt in Grayfia's, and the frozen disbelief on Sirzechs' face.

"You misunderstand something, Lord Beelzebub," Alexander continued, his voice like ice. "Why would I waste my time seeking revenge on a faction that is already doomed? Among all the pantheons, the devil faction is among those destined to be destroyed in the near future. Your so-called 'great' faction will either crumble due to another civil war or be wiped out by a pantheon that has finally had enough of your arrogance."

His words sent a shockwave through the room.

Zeoticus and Venelana stared at their grandson in disbelief. Their pride as Gremory devils was deeply shaken by his words, but more than that, they felt the sting of truth in them.

Rias clenched her fists, anger rising within her. "How dare you—" she started, but Ajuka raised a hand, silencing her before she could speak.

Grayfia's expression was unreadable, but a storm of emotions raged within her. "Alexander…" she whispered, but her voice lacked its usual authority.

Sirzechs' hands trembled slightly, his mind unable to process the son he had ignored for so long. "That's… not true." His voice was weak, unsure.

Ajuka, however, remained as composed as ever, watching Alexander carefully. "You speak with such certainty. Have you foreseen something?"

Alexander leaned back into his seat, his smirk fading, replaced with a cold expression. "I don't need to see the future to know the obvious." His gaze sharpened. "Tell me, Beelzebub, if you remove your personal biases, what do you see when you look at the devil faction? A divided race. A weakening bloodline. A structure that holds together only because of temporary peace."

Ajuka didn't respond immediately. Instead, he observed the boy, analyzing his words carefully. "And where do you stand in all of this?" he finally asked.

Alexander's expression darkened slightly. "I stand where I have always stood. Alone."

A thick silence filled the room after Alexander's last words, the weight of his declaration pressing down on everyone present. His indifference, his complete lack of attachment to the devil faction, was something none of them had ever expected to hear.

Then, with the same coldness, Alexander continued.

"I don't want anything to do with the devil faction."

Grayfia's breath hitched slightly, her fingers curling into her dress. Sirzechs visibly flinched, while Zeoticus and Venelana looked even more disturbed than before. Even Rias, who rarely paid him any attention, stared at him in disbelief.

"The only reason I am still here is to finish these last three books to complete my reading of the Gremory library." Alexander lifted the books slightly, as if they were the only things tying him to this place. "Once I'm done, I have no reason to remain."

Ajuka narrowed his eyes, intrigued. "And after that?"

Alexander leaned forward slightly, his ice-blue gaze piercing. "I was waiting to find a good sword before beginning my journey in the human world."

Venelana gasped softly. "You're leaving?"

Zeoticus' jaw clenched. "You would abandon your clan?"

Alexander let out a humorless chuckle. "Abandon? That would require me to have been part of it in the first place." His words were sharp, cutting through any remaining delusions they might have had.

Sirzechs' hands tightened into fists. "The human world is dangerous. You don't understand what you're saying."

Alexander tilted his head, his expression unimpressed. "Do you think I care?"

Grayfia's voice finally broke through, quiet but firm. "You belong here, Alexander. This is your home."

Alexander's gaze met hers, his expression completely devoid of warmth. "A home requires love, family, and care." His lips curled into a smirk. "Tell me, 'Mother,' do you think I had any of that here?"

Grayfia looked away, unable to answer.

Ajuka, who had been silent for a moment, finally chuckled. It wasn't mockery—it was amusement, admiration even. "Fascinating," he muttered. "Truly fascinating."

He stood up, walking towards Alexander with measured steps. "You intend to leave the Underworld and forge your own path." He gave a small nod, almost in approval. "A bold decision."

Alexander met his gaze evenly. "I've never been part of this world to begin with."

Ajuka smiled slightly. "Then tell me, Alexander—when you do leave, what will you seek?"

Alexander stood up, lifting his books. "Freedom."

With that, he turned on his heel, walking toward the exit without sparing his so-called family another glance.

After that day, Alexander vanished from the Gremory mansion, and for five long years, no one saw or heard from him.