pika318: Because Moko-chan is too lazy to write the author's notes. So this chapter is what actually happens which led to Olba writing those entries in chapter 1. Anyway, all the events which happens in this chapter is mostly made up, none of the torture scenes are actually mentioned in the novel. Enjoy!
A little extra bit: Emilia Justina
One night, Emilia had a dream. She dreamt of a night that was lit only by a single purple star. The star fell from the sky and into her hands.
As she carefully checked the star, it glowed and changed into a sword. She woke up, not remembering the dream. The next morning, she saw a carriage outside her house. There were people in robes speaking to her father. Her father looked sad and kept glancing back at the house.
Worried, Emilia ran out of the house asking her father who the people were. Her father hugged her with tears in his eyes and told her that these people were going to bring her to a better place, somewhere where she can achieve better things. Emilia protested but her father packed up some of her clothes and a few snacks and sent her off.
"Your papa always loves you. Mama will watch you from the sky."
"Will you wait for me? Papa?"
"When you come back, Papa will be waiting right here. In front of the wheat fields."
Emilia sat in the carriage and waved at her father until she could see him no longer.
The first person that Emilia met at the church was a bald old man. He looked stern at first but when he saw Emilia, he started smiling.
"So this is our hero…" The old man said.
The man introduced himself as Olba Meyers and he said that he was an archbishop. With a clap of his hands, four other men walked towards her carrying a large box. They placed the box in front of her. Emilia looked at the contents and saw that the box only contained a single sword. She thought that she might had seen the sword somewhere before but she could not remember.
Emilia looked at Olba, puzzled. He was scribbling on some parchment paper and it took him a few seconds before he realized that Emilia wanted to ask him something. He stopped scribbling and said "Touch the sword."
Emilia, still looking puzzled, moved her hand towards the sword and gingerly poked its handle with one finger. Nothing happened. The other people around her looked on. Emilia poked it again, but still nothing happened.
"Hold the sword." Olba said, sighing impatiently.
Emilia then placed an entire hand around the handle and lifted it out of the box. At this moment, there was a blinding flash of light. Emilia shut her eyes tightly and then blinked a few times before she could see clearly. She looked around her and she saw the other people staring at her with their mouths wide open.
Emilia looked at the ground next to her and there was a set of armor that was not there before. Then she looked at the sword and caught her own reflection or what she thought was her own reflection.
The girl that stared back at her from her reflection in the sword looked like her, the same age, the same large eyes, small mouth and button nose. But her hair was silver and her eyes red. Emilia touched her own face, the girl in the sword did the same. Emilia gave a small scream and dropped the sword. It fell on the ground with a loud thud.
"Papa, papa, waaaaahhhhh~~~~~~" Large tears poured furiously from her eyes. The other people tried to talk to her, telling her that it was okay, she was back to normal but she could not be consoled.
Olba scribbled a few more sentences on his paper and told the rest to leave Emilia alone.
"Let her cry. It must be shocking for her. She'll be fine tomorrow." He had said to the rest and then walked off. The rest looked unsure but went off as well. After they were gone, only the girl's cries were left.
Emilia woke up in the middle of the night. She must have cried herself to sleep. Only the sword accompanied her that night. Although it could not speak, she felt that if it did, it would have said "Don't be scared."
Her papa had told her that she had come to the church to achieve great things. The priests have told her that she was a "hero".
Are you my weapon?
The sword hummed softly.
Ok…I am the hero, aren't I?
The sword hummed again.
Then I accept you.
The next morning, when Olba came to check on her, he was all smiles. Emilia told him that she would carry out her duties as the hero. He patted her on the head, wrote a few more things on some paper and led her to the place where she will be trained.
A few months after Emilia entered the church, she heard that her hometown was ravaged by demons, a demon army led by a so-called fallen angel. There were no survivors. She cried and swore revenge.
From then, Emilia trained hard, almost possessed, to fulfill everyone's wishes to defeat the demon army and the Demon King.
Years later, she had finally become strong enough to pose a tough challenge to the demons. She immediately requested that the Western Isle be taken back.
On the battle field, she, Olba, Esmeralda, Albertio and their own soldiers took down several demons before they encountered their commander, the so-called fallen angel.
Him…that's the foul demon that ruined papa's wheat field, who killed papa!
She glanced at her companions. Esmeralda and Albertio nodded at her, signaling her to attack. Olba, on the other hand, was smiling in a twisted sort of way. He was not smiling at her. He was smiling in the direction of the demon commander.
Does he have a grudge…as well?
Emilia could not wait for Olba's response and dashed towards the commander. She thought she heard the old man say "Wait!" but threw the thought to the back of her head.
She had something that she must do.
Or papa will not be able to rest in peace.
Emilia returned to her companions, triumphant.
"Emilia, are you alright?" Esmeralda asked. "Your hands are shaking."
"I'm fine. It was easy. That demon was a pushover." Emilia replied. She gripped the handle of her sword more tightly.
When she cut through the demon, she saw his expression. It was fear.
Why does this demon have to look…like a human?
She almost thought that she was killing a human rather than a demon. And that made her hesitate for a brief moment.
"Emilia."
It was Olba who spoke. He sounded very serious, no, he sounded angry.
"Olba?" Emilia asked, her voice shaking.
"Ah. You done a good job. Now, seek out the demon king. I will take care of things here." Olba said. He was suddenly smiling again. Emilia swore she could detect malice in his smile.
"I'll stay here too!" Albertio declared.
"Albertio, go with Emilia. I can handle the mess here myself." Olba said. Albertio looked downcast but complied.
Emilia used her magic on the sword and it shone a light towards the east. Climbing on her horse, she shot another glance at Olba who was staring at the distance. The place where the demon commander fell.
Why is he looking there?
She shook her head hard as though to get the thought out of her head. Then she raised her sword and voice and commanded the entire army to move to the East, to kill the Demon King and bring back peace once and for all.
A little extra bit: Lucifer
It hurts.
That was the first thing Lucifer thought. It felt as though someone had pressed a burning piece of metal across his chest.
It's foggy…I can't see.
Lucifer tried to move his hands, but they were being weighed down by something. He tried to see what's around him but all he saw were moving shadows of various shapes.
Maou-sama? Alsiel? No…it can't be them.
One of the shadows started growing larger. It was holding something. A staff…or was it a spear?
"Emilia didn't manage to kill him…" A voice said.
"We'll finish him off." Said another voice.
"No. I'll do it." This one seemed to come from the large shadow.
"Begone, foul demon."
The spear went through him and he screamed a voiceless scream. The surroundings became cold. It was as though someone threw him into a tub of cold water.
Something touched him. There was something cold touching his face, his arms, his fingers and his legs. It was uncomfortable but he could not summon any will power to move.
Then he felt a force pulling near his waist. It was pulling down…his pants.
At this moment, the surroundings became clear. Lucifer's brain started processing things very quickly.
Stone ceiling, lying on something hard, chains around arms and…
There was a bald old male human pulling down his pants. Lucifer twisted his body and tried to kick the human but the human stepped back and dodged it. He regretted it immediately as the large wound on his chest started hurting again. He snarled and pulled his pants back up. (Fortunately, the chains did not restrict his movements that much.)
"You! What do you think you're doing?!" Lucifer growled.
"Ah…I apologise for that. Lord Demon…or should I say angel? I am Olba Meyers and I just saved your life. I was merely doing…some research." The human spoke slowly in the common trading language of Ente Isla and enunciated each word in an exaggerated manner.
"I can understand you perfectly fine, human!" Lucifer snapped. He tried to summon a spell to break the chains but not even a small spark came out of his hands.
"I believe that serious wound just caused you to use up all your magic." The human called Olba pointed out. Lucifer growled again.
"You're with that Nephilim!"
"Yes I am."
"Then why save me?"
"Because the others are total fools." Olba said, sneering. "They," He opened his arms dramatically "do not understand what the bible is about. It's a lie. You being here has just proven that Heaven is real, angels are real. I will prove to those fools what is the truth!"
Whatever gave you humans the impression that we're not?! Oh yeah, angels were supposed to lead a discrete existence and not expose ourselves to mortals unless absolutely necessary. And…I just exposed myself to a damned mortal.
"Now, I would like some answers from you, Lord angel." Lucifer could hear the sarcasm dripping from the old man's voice.
"Che." Lucifer clicked his tongue and looked away.
Olba took that as a sign that the fallen angel refused to speak. He picked up a pitcher from a nearby table and held it over Lucifer's chest.
"What? Holy water won't work on me. Human."
"Oh, I assure you. This will make you speak." Olba tilted the pitcher and a small amount of clear liquid came into contact with Lucifer's chest wound.
Alcohol! Lucifer winced as his wound started burning.
"I see that you can take pain quite well." Olba commented and tilted the pitcher to a steeper angle allowing most of its contents to flow out. "We have to make sure that the wound doesn't get infected, don't we?"
Lucifer writhed in pain and gritted his teeth, trying his hardest not to scream. He glared at Olba and saw him grinning, showing every one of yellowing teeth.
"Still not talking?" Olba asked in a mocking tone. He pulled out a shiny silver dagger from his robes and held it high enough for Lucifer to see.
"You'll pay, filthy human!" At this moment, Olba brought the dagger close to Lucifer's wound and the angel panicked.
"Fine, I'll talk! Hu…Olba."
"Good. See how far cooperation can take us?" Olba kept his dagger. "Now then…" The old man took out a stack of paper from his robes and started writing on them.
"What is your name?"
"Lucifer."
Olba's eyes widened.
"Lucifer? The morning star? The one recorded in the bible?" Olba asked eagerly.
"Bible? I suppose so."
"So you are a fallen angel?"
"If you mean an angel that has left heaven, then yes."
"You are a real angel?"
Lucifer rolled his eyes.
What is he trying to confirm here?
The old man was scribbling furiously now.
"Why did you leave Heaven?" Olba asked.
"It was boring." Lucifer replied.
"Boring?"
"Boring enough to drive a sane angel mad."
"Then…I must ask this. A question that will challenge what we have all believed in."
Lucifer rolled his eyes again. He just wanted this man to finish asking his questions without the drama.
"Who is God?"
Huh?
Lucifer gave Olba a blank look.
"What are you talking about? What is this God you speak of?" Lucifer asked, annoyed at the fact that he's been asked a strange question.
"Don't you have a leader in Heaven? Wasn't there someone who created us humans?" Olba sounded agitated at this point.
"We don't have a leader. No one rules over us angels. And you humans are perfectly capable of propagating more humans, why would you have a creator?"
"Who created you?"
What's with these bizarre questions?
"Father."
"Who is Father? Is he an angel as well?"
"I don't know. The angels don't really see him much. We just know that it was Father who created us."
"Then tell me, what do you know about the "Better half"? And the fragments of Yesod?!"
Olba had somehow drawn closer to Lucifer and Lucifer tried to maintain as much distance as the chains would let him.
"I haven't heard of those things!"
Lucifer caught a flash of silver and then he felt a sharp pain in his thigh. Olba had just stabbed him with a dagger. Lucifer grabbed Olba's hand and struggled to move the human's hand away. However, Olba only pushed the blade deeper, seemingly in a mad rage.
"Stories…of the fragments are ancient knowledge. How can an angel not know?!" Olba's hand shook.
Ow ow ow! This man is mad!
"I left…I left heaven a really long time ago! It must have happened after I left! I really don't know anything!" Lucifer cried.
"I detest liars."
"I'm not lying! I really have no idea what you're talking about!"
Olba ceased pushing the dagger and he pulled it out. Lucifer drew his leg back once the dagger was out and pressed down on the wound.
"I need to rest. I'll treat your wound later." Olba said. He then walked out of the cell leaving Lucifer to nurse his own wounds.
"There's no…way!" Lucifer protested. "You're lying!"
"I am not lying. The demon king and demon general Alsiel have abandoned their fortress. I witnessed them leaving through a "gate". The demon army has fallen."
Then where am I supposed to go now? Or am I going to be locked up here forever?
As though Olba has read his mind, he commented. "If you are willing, I can bring you back to heaven."
Heaven?
"I intend to free you once you are healed. And it seems that you are healing up quite well. If you do not want to return to heaven, then you are free to do as you wish."
"You will bring me back to Heaven?" Lucifer asked, unsure of what he just heard.
"I will. However, you will have to help me."
"Help you? With what?"
"With my ambitions. Do not question me any further. Do you want to return to heaven?"
Lucifer did not even have to think about it. Having nowhere to go was a terrifying prospect to him.
"Yes. I want to return."
"Good, then you will cooperate with me."
Oww…what is this feeling? Hunger? I'm feeling hungry.
It was night. Lucifer had found himself and Olba in a foreign land known as "Japan." Apparently, this was where the Demon King and Alsiel had escaped to. He and Olba left the gate and found themselves in the attic of a building that was a "school" or more specifically, a "high school." Olba had insisted that they obtain resources from the nearby stores but Lucifer refused, not wanting to do something as petty as stealing.
I can't use magic, my wings are gone and I feel sick…ow…
Lucifer clutched his belly as a large rumble echoed in the empty attic.
Should I try to leave? Olba is mad. I can leave right?
The angel tried to stand but he felt dizzy immediately and collapsed onto the ground.
Dammmmnnnn…this sucks….
Then the door to the attic opened and someone walked in. It was Olba carrying some small bags.
"Why are angels so fickle-minded?" Olba said, using the foreign language that he picked up from this strange place.
"Olba…"
"Hungry, aren't you? And also far too stupid to leave this place by yourself." Olba said in a mocking tone. "Where would you go? What can you do? If I'm not here, you'll be all alone."
"Shut up."
"I told you that I can help you return to heaven and you agreed to do whatever I tell you. And once I tell you that we're here to kill the Demon King and what's left of his army, you chicken out." Olba continued.
"I am not stealing…from humans."
"What? Some pride of an angel? Then how are you going to eat? I could hear your stomach grumbling from outside the door." Olba took something out from the bag he was carrying. It was of a triangular shape and wrapped in a shiny film. He placed it on the floor in front of Lucifer.
"What is that?"
"Food. The people here call it "onigiri". And I stole it. We have to steal to survive Lucifer. You aren't going to survive on air alone."
Lucifer did not reply. His stomach growled again in protest.
"Oh, I just ate one of this "onigiri". It was divine. The store also had coffee. It was too sweet for my taste but unlike you…I'm not hungry now."
Damn you…
Lucifer showed no signs of giving in. Olba then stepped on the onigiri that was on the floor. It deformed and became flat.
"I'm telling you to eat and you refuse to eat. Now look what I've done. Do you want me to shove it in your mouth next?" Olba said, while smiling. He seemed to be enjoying himself.
Lucifer grabbed the squashed onigiri and shoved it in his own mouth. He pulled out the bits of film that could not be eaten and threw them on the ground.
"Good boy…now, I do not want to have to go through that again. Behave and I'll make sure that you get back to heaven."
I'll get you for this…
Lucifer felt some of his magic returning back after causing a few screams of terror in the convenience stores.
Good…that feels a lot better.
He returned to the school attic with Olba quietly after their most recent robbery of a store called "Lawsons".
"Why did you hesitate to take the money? That woman was practically handing her wallet over to you." Olba suddenly commented.
"Che…why do I have to do all the dirty work…She was holding a baby."
"So what?"
The conversation ended as such. In the attic, Olba went to one corner and started sorting out the things they just stolen. Lucifer sat in the other corner watching Olba. He rubbed his fingers together and a few small sparks fired out. He smiled to himself and then dashed towards Olba. A small energy orb concentrated on his palm and he launched it at the elderly man.
If this happened in slow motion, one would have seen the orb fly towards Olba's head as he turned around. Olba's eyes widened in surprise and then he smiled.
Lucifer saw the smile.
What?
There was an explosion and Lucifer's small frame was thrown towards the wall. His back hit the wall first but he managed to lessen the impact down with some magic.
Did I manage to do it?
The explosion had thrown a large amount of dust and smoke into the air, obscuring Lucifer's vision. He squinted, trying to make out if he had succeeded in killing the man. Then a wrinkly hand appeared in front of his face, giving him the answer that he did not like.
"What do you think you are doing, Lu-ci-fer?" Olba grabbed the angel's throat and pressed him against the wall.
"Keh!"
"Could you be thinking of killing me?" Olba said, laughing. "How foolish of you? You think you can finish me off with that pathetic amount of magic?! HUMANS ARE NOT THAT WEAK!"
Lucifer pulled at Olba's fingers and tried to summon more magic. Unfortunately, he could not.
"You're no longer in Ente Isla. Your magic will drain faster here." Olba sneered. "In fact, I think you just wasted what little you gathered over the past few days in that lousy attempt."
Lucifer kicked Olba a few times but he was not strong enough to even make him flinch.
"I've been wondering. What happens when an angel dies? Do you want me to try it?"
Lucifer shook his head. Olba released his grip and Lucifer dropped to the ground. He coughed and gasped. The same wrinkly hand that grabbed his throat now grabbed his hair.
"Do you think you can survive on your own?!" Olba asked angrily. "If you can, you are free to leave!"
Lucifer glared at Olba, his eyes saying that he has every intention to leave.
"Who do you think you can find? The demon king? Alsiel? Do you even know why you were defeated so easily in the first place?!"
"N..no…" Lucifer's voice was shaking.
"Your army didn't obey you, did they? Because you're not a demon! Once you fell, they scattered like ants. None stayed behind to save you! Do you honestly think a grand demon like the demon king would give a damn about a pathetic angel like you? He didn't try and find you afterwards, did he? I bet he was glad that you disappeared!"
Lucifer wanted to argue but he had been thinking about the same thing.
"Right now, I am the only one aiding you and this is how you repay me?!"
"I'm sorry!" Lucifer blurted out. "Let me go! I won't do it again!"
"I have every mind to throw you out!"
"Don't throw me out, I want to go back to heaven!" There were tears welling up at the corners of his eyes.
There a moment of silence and Olba let go of Lucifer once more. Then he said in a voice which sounded almost fatherly.
"I do not want you to go against me again."
Lucifer nodded. He felt Olba patting his head. Lucifer than crouched at a corner of the attic, as far as he could from Olba and stayed there until the sun rose.
A little extra bit: Sariel (From Crestia's point of view)
Crestia had been pacing around the halls of the church after hearing news, bad news that her superior, Olba Meyers had betrayed the church and been labeled as a terrorist by a foreign nation known as Japan. The ones who put him there was the Demon King, his generals and the hero, Emilia Justina.
There's no way Lord Olba betrayed the church. He's such a respectable man.
She had been ordered by the current high priest, Robertio Iguno Valentia to investigate this incident. The church will make arrangements to transport her to Japan.
How am I supposed to get to Japan? What am I even supposed to do there?
"Ara? It is so pleasing to the eyes to see a maiden so flustered." Came a flamboyant voice.
Crestia turned and she saw someone standing behind her. It was a small man with bluish hair and…wings. Large white wings. Crestia leaped backwards and pulled out her hammer.
"You…you…you're not human!"
"Yes. Yes. I'm not human. Good observation, Crestia Bell." The man said with a smile.
"How do you know my name?!" Crestia demanded.
"Angels know a lot of things. Like how your boss is oh-so-obsessed with heaven and our divine existence. How you killed off so many people when ordered to…and so on."
"Who are you?"
"I am Sariel, an arch angel and I have been sent here to help you, for one."
"You want to help me? Why? How?"
"I can transport you to Japan. Oh and I'm planning to release your boss from his bird cage." Sariel said, listing the activities down like a tour itinerary.
"WHY?!"
"Because the angels have some use for your boss."
"You're really an angel?" Crestia asked. She had read about angels in the books but she never would have thought that they were actually real.
"Yeeeeessss…." Sariel drawled. He pointed at his wings. "These aren't just for show you know. They're real."
Crestia's head spun from the information.
Wait wait wait, suddenly an angel appears to help? WHAT?
"Oh, and I spoke to the high priest. Although he was totally shocked by my appearance, he was more than happy to let me join you in your quest."
Crestia's jaw dropped.
Good lord.
She considered the situation for a while and then agreed to cooperate with the strange angel.
"Ah…The Japanese language is so wonderful. Much more elegant than our own language, don't you think? And the girls here have such wonderful skin, a pity that most of them are on the skinny side."
"I have no interest in listening to what you are saying, Sa-I mean, Lord Sariel."
"Really? I thought you shared to same appreciation as me, seeing that you are wearing the traditional Japanese clothing." Sariel pouted.
"Isn't this what Japanese people wear?"
"Is it? I suppose it is." Sariel looked away, smiling in a silly manner.
Is he making fun of me? Crestia scowled.
The inquisitor and archangel had just knocked out a few guards and made their way to the high security cell that Olba was supposedly locked in.
"Some high security this is." Sariel said as he used his scythe to cut an entrance to the high security cells.
It did not take them long to locate Olba's cell. He was the only one there. When Olba saw the both of them, he was surprised.
"Bell…"
Crestia immediately rushed to the cell. "Lord Olba, these soldiers didn't do anything to harm you, did they?"
"Soldiers? They aren't soldiers…No. I am unharmed."
"Bell, move aside. I have work to do." Sariel said, swinging the scythe. With a single slice, the bars of the cell fell apart. Olba gaped.
"Bell, that is an angel. What are you doing with an angel?" Olba asked. Crestia noted that he seemed ecstatic.
"Well, Lord Sariel said he's here to help.
"What have I done to receive such blessings? How does Lord Sariel know of my predicament?"
"The angels are always watching. Olba Meyers. We have felt that you will be of use to us so it would be a pity for you to be locked here." Sariel said. "And I must thank you for giving me this opportunity to come to this wonderful nation with so many pretty girls. Oh, don't worry, your subordinate is not my type. I prefer more curvy types."
Crestia's face reddened upon hearing that comment.
Sorry for being a washboard!
"Now, Olba Meyers, I shall send you to my comrades. They will guide you from there."
"Heaven?"
"Yes, I will be sending you to heaven."
"What?!" Crestia exclaimed. "Wait, you can't kill…"
"Bell…I'm not killing him. So be silent." Sariel said, irritated.
"Wait, Lord Sariel, before you send me to…Heaven, I need to ask you a few things."
"Oh, what?"
"Do you know about the fragments of Yesod and the "Better half"?"
"Any angel knows that. Coincidentally, that would be what my comrades will be speaking to you about."
Olba rubbed his hands together in excitement. Crestia almost felt a bit disgusted watching such behavior.
"How about God? Who is God?"
"Hmmm…You mean Father? We don't call him God, for your information. Only you humans stupidly refer to him as that." Sariel said, laughing. "Alright human, enough questions asked."
Sariel waved his hands and a pulsing purple gate appeared. He pushed Olba roughly through the gate and then closed it.
"Well, that's one problem settled."
"Wait, you're not going to send me back?" Crestia asked.
"No. I still need your help."
"What?" Crestia asked in disbelief.
"I helped save your boss. You're going to pay me back for that. Once you complete the next task. I'll bring you back."
"What task is that?"
"You are going to help me kill the Demon King and get the "Better Half" back."
Moko-chan: DONE-DED
pika318: I want to punch Olba now, like seriously. Anyway, leave a review if you like it ^_^