My name is Lucifer. I, an Avatar of Shadow, live here, in this world covered with misery and darkness—the Infinite Hell, or rather, ~Infinitus Infernum~. An Avatar of Shadow is more commonly referred to as a demon.
I loved a woman, once; her name was Tiara. She’d been the most beautiful demon in all of the Infinite Hell, and we had promised one another that we would spend the rest of our days together.
One day, however, she was murdered.
She was killed by one from the race of “humans” that had trespassed into this world.
The moment I learned how she had died, my heart was filled to o’erflowing by a vicious desire for vengeance. I immediately set out to find the killer. Using my special demonic ability ~Obscura Virtute~, I slipped into the human world, alone.
Right now, I am in the middle of a town at night. Everywhere I look, I see sharp, neon light. Humans walking all over the place. A herd of them surrounds me, lost as they must be in the confusion of haphazard buildings standing helter-skelter around the place we stand.
The name of the town was... Tokyo, as in, Le To’kyou.
I shove my way through the crowds, until I’m standing at a busy intersection of two streets where people are walking, practically scrambling, in every direction. I look up to the sky and beseech the full moon above in a solemn mutter: “Where is the one who killed Tiara...?”
Then, that’s when it happens.
“......?”
Suddenly, every person around me stops walking. The loud music playing in the nearby cars stops as well.
Yes...... Time has stopped.
From behind me, I hear the sound of a man laughing.
“Heheheh... Like a moth drawn to a flame...!”
“!?”
I instantly whirl around to face him. Standing there was a man looking most suspicious, dressed in an all-black, hooded cloak.
“You bastard! You stopped time......”
“I did indeed. I wanted to fight you one-on-one. I used my power to stop time around us both.”
“Why would human filth like you have power?”
Allow me to explain to all of our Darkly Enthralled Readers what they are discussing. When it says “power” here, they’re actually using a word in a celestial language, describing abilities that normally only angels and demons are allowed to possess. Ever since Adam and Eve had been cast out of the Garden of Eden, it had been Forbidden ~vetiti~ for humans to have powers.
“I forgot to introduce myself—I am Mirage Eclipse Catastrophe the Third. The other day, I journeyed to the world you live in, the Infinite Hell ~Infinitus Infernum~, where I, a human, killed Tiara.”
“What......... did you just say.........!?”
I’m shocked. This fool, this human, has just told me that it was by his hands that my beloved Tiara had been murdered.
Unconsciously, I let go of the mental break that had been holding me back from using my full infernal power; I am now in Battle Mode ~Proelium Modus~.
“I am the head of an ‘organization’ known as the Right Arm of Divinity, or ~Dextrum Brachium Sanctum~. We have one goal, and one goal only: with help from the angels above, we shall exterminate every last one of you demons.” Though his face was in shadow from beneath his hood, his right eye flashed gold as he said this. I instantly realize exactly what’s going on.
“So that’s what’s up. The angels are involved in this whole charade, huh?”
Without a moment to lose, I activate my Dark Power ~Obscura Virtute~, and in my right hand, a weapon materializes. The weapon, a greatsword, reflects the light of the moon above in a most strangely brilliant way, twisting and breaking its pure white light. I call it The Eternal King of Destruction ~Rex Interitus Aeternam~”
“Now, then... Let us see how your life ends here, at the hands of a demon, me!” I laugh in a shadowy manner.
The next instant, I am flying through the air at the speed of darkness. As I’m closing in on my enemy, I swing down my sword upon his head.
However—
As my sword cuts Mirage Eclipse Catastrophe the Third in twain, his body bursts into a million tiny balls of light, which then disappear.
“What...... was that......?”
I hear his voice again from behind my back.
“Such a shame! That was only an illusion.”
How can this be? I completely fell for that obvious trick.
Mirage Eclipse Catastrophe the Third stabbed his dagger into my back. “Heh, all too easy...” he whispers with laughter.
My own body turns into tiny particles of light, and I disappear.
“What...... just happened.........!?”
Mirage Eclipse Catastrophe the Third is most surprised by this turn of events.
“Ha! Such a shame, right? That was just an illusion.”
I walk around from behind his back to face him once more.
Yes—he’s not the only one that can cast illusions. With this Dark Power ~Obscura Virtute~, I too can create illusions of myself.
“Dammit!”
“Farewell, Mirage Eclipse Catastrophe the Third.”
And so I swing my greatsword, The Eternal King of Destruction ~Rex Interitus Aeternam~, through the air and slice through my enemy’s back.
—Did I kill him?
—No.
“Such a shame. That, too, was just an illusion.”
“How...... did you do that......?”
The Mirage Eclipse Catastrophe the Third I’ve just cut in half yet again dissipates into tiny particles of light and disappears. I realize that once again, he’s manoeuvred behind me.
He shouts in triumph. “Now, you have surely met your end!” Once more, his dagger plunges into my back.
Then—my body becomes tiny particles of light, and I disappear.
“What...... How......?”
“Such a shame! That was another illusion of mine.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Wataru, do you mind if I stop reading this now?”
“Yeah!! Aria, you really pushed through that!! Nice job!!”
Wataru had been completely silent as he listened to Aria read the novel, and now he was completely exhausted from the ordeal!! Résistance frowned at them both!
“Whoa there, you two. There’s still more of the prologue left to read. Lucifer, the protagonist, and his mortal foe Mirage Eclipse Catastrophe the Third have just begun their battle!”
“Nope, we don’t need to read anymore.”
“Résistance!” Wataru demanded, “Is this novel seriously going to be published!?” His face remained, as ever, as stern as a Nio!
Résistance nodded and answered, “Yes, obviously.”
“That’s...... impossible! How can a novel like this get a publisher? The setup is bizarre and the battle scene is completely phoned-in! Just how many times do we need to read about them creating illusions of themselves...!?”
“Résistance, what’s the name of the publisher that offered to buy your book?”
“Sky-Novel Club.”
Both Wataru and Aria turn to look at each other with mystified looks on their faces!
“They agreed to publish... this!?””
“Make no mistake, Wataru: every single editor at that publisher is an incompetent idiot...!!”
Dear Readers! Let me remind you once more that this story is entirely fictional! Any names in this book have absolutely no relation to real people or organizations!!
“Hey, quit it, both of you,” Résistance said. “Stop saying rude things about my publisher. They were able to see how talented I am as a writer. They’re pretty all right, you know.”
She sighed and placed both hands on her hips! “Well, anyhow... I’m going to be continuing my travels now, training as both a martial artist and making my debut tour as an author.”
“What is this world coming to...!?”
“By the way, just in case you’re curious—my pen name is ‘Résistance, a.k.a., ~La Rebellatrix~’.”
Aria had some rather harsh criticism for that! “Don’t you think that’s a bit too on the nose?”
“Well, whatever. I’ve told you what I’ve come to tell you about, so I’m going to be on my way now. Once things have calmed down a bit more, I’ll come back and visit.”
“Yeah! Take care, Résistance!!”
“Thanks.” With a big, wide smile on her face, Résistance waved to the two of them, then left the room!
Wataru and Aria, now alone inside the room, looked at each other once more with expressions of total mystification!!
“Wataru...... I have an idea......”
“......What is it, Aria!? Tell me!!”
“...If Résistance can get published writing a novel like that... Don’t you think that the story I wrote could be published, too...!?”
“I was thinking the same thing!!” Wataru agreed, his face contorted up into that of a Nio!
Aria nodded to herself, folded her arms and shouted: “Excellent! I’ll get right to writing! If I become a novelist, I’m sure lots of people will be fawning all over me! I-WILL-BECOME-A-NOVELIST!!”
“I think your motives are a little suspect, but... who cares! I’m rooting for you!”
“Thank you so much, Wataru! Together, we’ll be standing at the top of the literary world in no time!”
Within her eyes glowed the flames of ambition!!