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Kuroka’s voice was calm, almost apathetic. Even though she was recounting the events of her life, it was as if she was talking about someone else.

“My life with our parents was pretty bad. Our father felt no love for us and was only interested in his experiment to create a super devil and our mother could do nothing to stop him as she was too much in love with him.”

Kuroka did not explain how her father clearly never loved her mother and only used her as a sex doll in a way.

Despite this, her mother, as the love-struck she was, always followed him and helped him in his experiment. Sadly, luck was not on their side and they died in an explosion during a risky experiment.

In a way, this was why Kuroka did not believe in love. There was nothing beautiful about love. Only pain and suffering.

“At least our mom was not completely irresponsible. She had already anticipated that the experiment might end badly. So she entrusted us to the Naberius clan. Her hunch was right since they did meet their end then.”

Kuroka once again decided to use the fact that the research toward the creation of a super devil was not lost with her father.

But in fact, they were with Shirone.

Not even Shirone could guess how important the last gift their mothers gave to her was and if she had her way, no one would ever discover this truth.

“If I have to be honest. When they died, I was of course sad but at the same time, I also felt a hint of relief. Hahaha…I was pretty naive then.”

Kuroka gave a bleak smile, “After this, we were taken by a branch family of the Naberius. This was when I discovered that while our mom was a love-struck fool. She had never ceased to protect us.”

Discovering that truth had been pretty shocking, “Even though the result of the experiment were lost in the explosion, the Naberius never stopped and they decided to use both me and Shirone to continue. As such, I did what my mother did. I took Shirone's place to protect her.”

Kuroka looked up at Basara who had been silent until now, “I became a devil. I was pretty talented you see. Even had to use two Bishop pieces to turn me into a devil. Then what followed was hell for me.”

She shivered a little when she thought back to those times, “Even then I gritted my teeth. We had nowhere to run. Shirone  was completely helpless and I wasn’t that strong either back then."

"So I decided to bear with it. Getting stronger thanks to the experiment and my natural talent and before they could even understand it, I had reached the Ultimate level.”

This should have been enough. The ultimate level was enough to become the leader of a territory. Kuroka would have simply vanished with Shirone without making a fuss.

“They broke their promise—”

Kuroka was talented. True. But even though she might not know it, Shirone was a genius among geniuses. Even though Kuroka became an Ultimate level, this was pretty much it.

It was far from their goal of creating a Super devil. But Shirone did have that talent. When the researchers discovered it. They decided to also experiment on Shirone.

There was no way Kuroka would allow this. As such,

“—I killed them all and destroyed any records about Shirone's true talents.”

A chill permeated the room.

This was the first time Kuroka killed. It was disgusting. She cried and gaged while doing so. But she did not hesitate. Never stopped moving and killed them all until the last.

She had to do so before any information about Shirone leaked.

She would have fled with Shirone but at the same time she made enough commotion that people intervened and she recognized one.

Sirzech Lucifer. The man, the legend.

When Kuroka realized that it was him, her decision was made.

Rather than becoming a stray cat with her sister and subjugating her to pain, she decided to leave him to that man; of course, after making sure that he would protect her.

Kuroka knew no one could protect her. Shirone was innocent but no matter what the reason was, Kuroka had killed her master.

The devil society as it was could never accept her.

So she fled.

Becoming a stray devil, a SS ranked criminal researched by all.

“After this, I moved there and there. I integrated the East Youkai faction for a while but I couldn’t stay long. After all, if they were accused of hiding a criminal. They would have a huge problem with the devils.”

The Youkai had two main factions. The East was under the control of Nurarihyon and the West was under the control of the Kitsune Yasaka.

Since her mother was once part of the East faction, they had been willing to adopt her in a way.

But Kuroka wasn’t so shameless that she would impose her problem on them.

In the end, she left the Youkai and joined the Khaos Brigade. A true criminal faction.

Of course, this was also something Basara did not need to know for now.

“I will spare you the details. But well, this is pretty much how the life of the stray cat Kuroka went by.”

She shrugged.

Now she could tell this story and think of this past without feeling like she wished to cry.

Those events were a dark time of her life. But if she was asked whether she regretted it or not, then yes.

She regretted not understanding her mother sooner.

She regretted not protecting Shirone better.

She regretted all the trauma her baby sister had to go through because of her incompetence.

But, if there was one thing she would never regret—It was becoming a stray devil in order to protect Shirone.

Surely, she could have done better.

But this was how life was and as a big sister, while far from perfect and even in reality full of flaws, she believed she had done her best and she would do so again without any hesitation.

(AN: I am sure those who read DxD LN and many fanfics must know Kuroka's backstory. But when I write a fic I do so with the thought that my readers have no foreknowledge. It helps everyone enjoy better the story.)