Chapter 1: The Blood Of Those Loved Ones 

The sun shone over the winter snow. The villagers, wrapped in thick fur, prepared for the winter season hastily. 

A young boy, with dark black hair and blue eyes, ran through the trenches of snow with a bright smile. Tripping over a rock, he faceplanted into the snow, before being pulled out by the hood.

“You need to be more careful Azrael.” 

His older brother, Yuno, helped him up gently. 

“Yuno!”

Azrael giggled, before being let down by Yuno. 

“It’s time to come and eat, let’s go.”

Azrael was a mere child, who only had his eighth birthday not too long ago. Yuno however, was much older. He was in the middle of his teenage years.

Yuno opened the door to the sight of a humble household. His mother had been preparing the fire, and his father had been setting up the table for them to eat. 

Their parents were a gentle couple, but the father was not at all weak. He had gained a decent amount of muscle from lifting tree logs, and even building the cabin they all spent their time happily in. 

His name was Juji, housing a young and yet broad face and build. Juji’s wife was named Erina, who was a more mature looking woman, with a kind smile. 

Azrael ran up to the table, taking a seat on the side. Yuno joined in, sitting next to him, as Erina sat across from them. Finally, Juji sat at the head of the table, after bringing the meat to the middle of the table. 

“What do we say to your father?” Erina asked.

““Thanks Dad!”” Azrael and Yuno thanked.

The room was full of a gentle warmth, brought in by the flames in the fireplace, as they all feasted together as a family. 

“Dad, why can’t we have something else for dinner?” 

“Azrael!” Yuno scolded, but Juji raised a hand.

“It’s tough work, just to put food on your plates.” 

“But…”

Azrael didn’t understand. But Juji didn’t get upset.

“When you’re older than, I’ll take you out hunting with me. Then, you can snatch something you like.” Juji smiled.

“Really?” Azrael answered excited. 

“Of course son.”

His words prompted a sudden silence from Yuno, one that wouldn’t get brought up for the rest of dinner.

Afterwards, Juji and Erina cleaned up the table as the two brothers left to their rooms. 

“What’s your problem!” 

“What are you talking about?”

Unknown to the parents, Yuno had began lecturing Azrael in private. 

“You can’t just disrespect Dad like that!” Yuno yelled.

“He said it was fine!” Azrael yelled back.

“Because you’re still a baby!”

Yuno’s nose burrowed as he became increasingly more frustrated.

“You have no idea how hard Dad works for us!” Yuno screamed. He could feel himself getting worked up.

“I hate you!” Azrael cried, before shoving Yuno out of the way. He busted through the door, before rushing out of the house, into the neverending snow. 

Yuno was left behind, soon regretting the choice of his actions. Without hesitating however, he ran after him as fast as he could.

Azrael had hidden in a cave, hidden miles away. He sniffled, wiping his tears with his sleeve. That’s when he heard something approaching from behind him, in the shadows of the cave.

A young male wolf, separated from his pack, who had been stalking Azrael since he entered. Azrael wasn’t afraid however, but rather overcome with joy. 

“Sven!” Azrael called.

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Placing his hand gently across Sven’s ear, Azrael gently ran his fingers through his long fur. This was Azrael’s place of comfort, one that he would come running to everytime he was upset.

Yuno, who had given chase, followed the footprints planted within the snow. Within minutes, it would be buried and hidden, so he hurriedly rushed through the snow. Approaching the secluded cave, he saw the boy he had been chasing after.

“Azrael!” he yelled.

“Wah! Yuno-!”

“-!” Yuno saw the wolf. “Azrael, get away from that thing!”

Within a moment, Yuno pulled out a small hatchet from his coat, rushing towards the wolf. But before he could deliver a fatal strike, Azrael stood in front of him.

“No!”

“What are you doing, it’s dangerous!”

“He’s not dangerous, he’s my friend!” 

Azrael cried out with tears in his eyes. 

“What are you talking about…?” Yuno asked. That’s when he looked past his little brother, seeing the wolf passively sitting by.

“He’s friendly?” Yuno muttered. He took a deep breath, before exhaling a frosty mist. 

“It’s alright Azrael, you can put down your arms.”

“You’re not gonna hurt him?” Azrael asked. 

“No” Yuno said, hanging his hatchet over his shoulder. “Though this is fascinating. I have to show this to father.” 

Azrael made a face, seemingly against the idea, before Yuno stuck his hand up.

“Trust me Azreal. If it’s Dad, he’ll listen to you.” 

Yuno spoke with eyes of admiration, looking into snowy tundra in front of him.

Azrael and Yuno embarked on their journey back not too long after, with Sven trailing not too far behind them. Yuno peeked his head over with curiosity. 

“So you named him Sven?” Yuno asked.

“Yup.” Azrael chirped. “The one and only Sven.”

“Huh, and how did you meet him?”

“Sven was hurt, so I used the sleeve of my shirt to tie around his leg.” 

“So that’s why you came back with a torn shirt!” 

Yuno suddenly remembered that day, and how he got upset at Azrael and scolded him.

“I had no idea you did that.” Yuno said. “I’m sorry, for getting upset with you earlier. I’ve underestimated you.” 

Azrael turned his head away, hiding his face. But he voiced a quiet, “It’s fine.” in response.

Yuno smiled and rustled his brother’s hair until he shook him off.

“Just no more secrets then, okay?” Yuno asked.

“Okay…” Azrael mumbled. 

The two of them went back and forth, as they walked a great deal of distance. That was until the village came back into view. 

The sight of the village engulfed in an unforgiving sea of relentless flames. A cloud of smoke erected over the homes, turning the once white terrain a horrific gray color. 

“No…no….no no no” 

Yuno mumbled to himself in horror, as Azrael watched in silence. 

“DAD!” Yuno cried, before rushing off towards their home. 

Run after him, don’t leave him alone, go save them. 

Azrael could think all he want, but his body refused to move. He was paralyzed in fear, until… 

Azrael turned his head towards the rest of the village. The white snow how been dyed a crimson red color, as corpses laid limp over the ground. Men walked past them, as if regarding them as nothing, holding swords larger than Azrael. Some men barged into homes, and threw flames into them after. There were men who begged for their lives, before a sword was either stabbed straight through their eye, or from the jaw up. They were ruthless with their methods, and seemed to enjoy prolonging the torment of their victims. There were women who cling to their children desperately, crying out in fear for anyone to help them, before having their child ripped from them, and being stabbed through the heart. Many of the men would play with their corpses, as if toys, rather than real people. Some corpses were even stomped on, or kicked around like it was some sick game. No matter their intentions, it didn’t matter, because it was the most unforgivable sight Azrael had ever seen. 

Only when he imagined his own parents in this sight, did he find the courage to sprint back home. 

His mind was blinded by fear of not only his own life, but the life of his family. He began to worry about Yuno too, who ran ahead without him.

Rushing into the house, he noticed the front door kicked open as flames burst through the roof of his home. Without a second of hesitation, Azrael ran through the front door. However, this decision would lead Azrael to the worst sight of his life. 

Yuno laid lifeless against the floor, as his arm reached desperately out to the corpses of both his parents. His head had a deep slash straight across it, leaving traces of his brain exposed to the cruel cold air. His hatchet laid next to him, soiled in his own blood.

Grasping the end of his finger tips was his mother, who’s skull had been bashed in by a blunt object. Her face had been smashed inward, and her teeth had gone flying out and scattered all around her. She had been rendered completely unrecognizable, apart from her frail gentle fingers. 

Left laying adjacent to Erina was Juji himself, who had every single one of his limbs severed from his body. They were aligned like some puzzle, or a shrine that somebody wanted to show off. 

Azrael immediately fell to his knees. He paused. Arms raised. Groaning. All before he let out a painful scream of horror and despair.

“Dad, Mom, Yuno. Dad, Mom, Yuno. Dad, Mom, Yuno. Dad! Mom! Yuno! DAD! MOM! YUNO!” 

Azrael repeated the words of his family over and over, wanting to forget and remembering, over and over.

His mind was too scrambled to notice the man who was responsible, the one who had been standing over the corpses this entire time. All he did was laugh, chuckling at the madness of the child in front of him. 

He approached Azrael, who was positioned on all fours, sobbing uncontrollably.

The man raised his blade to kill his next victim, before something suddenly lunged at him, taking a chunk of his arm off with it’s sharp teeth. Sven growled, standing by Azrael who finally lifted his head.

Gritting his teeth and falling backwards in pain, the man dropped the cleaver he once held on the floor. The sound of it’s metal clashed against the wooden floor. In a second, Azrael rushed towards the hatchet lying next to his brothers corpse, gripping it with only one intent. 

Azrael swung the hatchet towards the man’s head, leading to it smashing against the side of his skull. Blood spewed out as he hit the floor, killing him immediately.

Azrael gasped for breath, with traces of the man’s blood splattered across his face, processing what he had just done. He starts to hyperventilate, as the weight of his actions start to come to him.

“...”

The man’s corpse was quiet. Way too quiet. 

“What t’a fuck is goin’ on here?” a sudden voice roared. The sound of metal clanking rivaled the chattering of Azrael’s teeth. Turning his head over, he saw the sight of a man, much larger than him, towering over him. He smelled like blood.

“Oi, leader!” another man cried, pointing at the corpse of the now deceased murderer. The Leader took once glance at the boy, signaling to finish him off.

Sven suddenly attacked from the shadows, aiming to bite The Leader’s head right off. But in an instant, a blade was stabbed straight through Sven’s body, killing him instantly. The sound of his last whimper was enough to set Azrael off. 

“NO!” Azrael screamed, picking up the hatchet once more. He raised his weapon, attempting to deliver a strike straight through the man’s head. 

However, this would prove futile. Before Azrael could process it, the hatchet was knocked out of his hands by the man’s blade. Then, a foot struck his nose with enough force to launch him several feet away, right next to where the hatchet had been lying. His nose was broken, with blood spewing out from his nostrils. Azrael’s body didn’t move anymore.

“Fuckin’ boring.” The Leader groaned. “Kill the brat.” 

One of his men approached the body, lifting his blade up with a smirk. That was when he made his move. 

Azrael gripped the hatchet with every last ounce of strength he had, smashing it against the side of the man’s head. Blood burst out and stained Azrael’s once snow white skin. The moment his body collided with the floor, Azrael stood up, and rushed towards The Leader without hesitation. 

But again, it was in vain. Azrael’s throat was gripped by The Leader’s large wrists, and lifted off the ground. He kicked and pried for any chance of escape, but it was all worthless. He was worthless. 

The Leader squeezed, leading Azrael to choke out for any oxygen he had left. Tears started pouring down his face, alongside the blood that dripped down his nose. 

“I like this one” he said. “Take him in.” 

Azrael’s body was dropped to the floor. Gasping out for air, he held his neck in terror.

The Leader smiled, turning towards his men. “I see something promising in this one.”

“I swear…” Azrael croaked, spitting out a tooth. 

The Leader turned back towards him. “Huh?”

“I swear I’ll kill you!” 

Those were the last words Azrael remembered saying. That, and The Leader letting out a roar of laughter before slamming Azrael’s head under his foot. 

And then, darkness.