Chapter 1:
Le Noir Glacé
As Keisuke’s senses begin to adjust to the sudden change of environment, he is struck with fear as the unknown begins to surround him. Although he cannot see anything, he can feel that many eyes are stuck to him, watching and giggling at the sight of another lost soul seeking retribution against he who caused their untimely demise.
Soldiering on with instinct alone, he continues to press through the cold darkness until, finally, he reaches an opening in the void. Before he can make it to the opening, he is blocked by numerous flying figures. They are grey in appearance, and look almost identical to the angel statue his grandmother had in her garden near the fountain, with black tears weeping down their faces. They begin to approach him, and with them rapidly closing in, Keisuke begins to panic. The fallen angels snicker as they feed off of his fear.
As the figures get close enough that he would’ve been able to feel their breath had they been living creatures, another, even larger entity comes through the tear he had been trying to get through.
“Mort des insolents”, the figure uttered, and with that those surrounding him started to shriek in pain and terror, until finally they fell to the ground and found themselves turned into nothing but forgotten ash on the floor. The seemingly important and powerful individual who had come to Keisuke’s rescue brushes the piles of ash with his foot until they disappear into the air, before opening his mouth to speak.
“Greetings.”
Keisuke, still frozen in terror, failed to make out any words and simply squeaked out inaudible sounds.
“I thought that my underlings would know when one as capable as yourself had entered our realm, though it seems I thought wrong. I apologise for what you have just experienced, and assure you that nothing of the like shall happen again. I require no introduction. The supreme one awaits your audience, please accompany me to his residence.”
Keisuke rises to his feet but is still unable to even mouth a word. Legs trembling, he begins to follow the mysterious person, unaware of what would come next. After a short, but silent trek through the wasteland, the pair come face to face with a large tower constructed of dark gray ice. Embedded in the ice are the faces of what seemed to be lost souls, those who found themselves captured and subjected to eternal peril by the fallen angels.
The individual, whose name is still unknown to Keisuke, leads him through a door at the bottom of the tower and through an entrance hall. Before long, he feels an inexplicable presence looming over him, though is unsure where from.
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“I have brought him, as you asked, My lord.”
Suddenly, a large, evil-looking being rises from the floor. Demonic in appearance, sporting large horns, blue skin and a sharp grin, with an aura more powerful than Keisuke’s, they are intimidating at the very least, though the hero is unaware as to whether or not he should see them as an enemy for the time-being.
“I applaud you, young one, for being able to make your way to my castle without flaunting even a single scratch. It would seem you are just as powerful as my senses initially indicated. I was not expecting such a visitor today, though I am more than happy to provide hospitality if you would do so much as sit down with me, so that we can chat for a little while.”
“And who would you be?” Keisuke decides to ask, despite the situation.
“I’m the one they call The Frozen Renegade, though I personally prefer to be called Le Renégat Glacé. You can call me an assortment of titles, depending on your preference. I’m the unobjected leader of the underworld and the demonic beings, who stand in opposition to the holy entities serving under God.”
The Frozen Renegade, huh..? Seems like some sort of name he’s given himself to appear strong, though from what I can tell his power lives up to it. I’ll call him Renegade for now.
Keisuke stares into Renegade’s eyes as if to question his statement’s accuracy.
It’d be in my best interests to play along for now. I still lack a proper understanding of where I actually am, after all.
“Egmon, I shall allow you to explain the rest to our guest.”
“Of course, My Lord. Keisuke Asahi, I doubt you are unaware of this, but the spiritual energy you possess is on par with, if not even greater than that of the lower-ranking members of the 5 Archdemons. Our Lord has taken a particular interest in you, and would like to present to you an offer.”
With visible confusion on his face, and in his tone, Keisuke inquired, “The 5 Archdemons? I’m sorry but I am unfamiliar with the words that your kind use.”
“The 5 Archdemons are the ones chosen directly by Our Lord himself. They are the only members of the Demonic forces capable of living up to the power of the 5 Archangels, the holy spirit’s equivalent. For several hundred years, the Archdemons have only had 4 members, as the previous 5th was executed by the 1st Archangel. Seeking to fill our ranks with only the truly powerful, Our Lord has refrained from inducting anybody as a substitute, however this shall be about to change depending on the response you give to his offer.”
“I’m sorry, but I’ve already been given a job from God, that being to serve as the hero of one of the worlds under his command, being taken over by the demonic forces, which I’m assuming serve you.”
Egmon continued on, paying little mind to what Keisuke had to say.
“Our Lord wishes to offer you a spot as our 5th Archdemon. In doing so, you will gain the Unique Skill: Absolute Thievery. I will not disclose details further than this prior to your response. There’s nothing like shaking up the tides of fate every now and then. Perhaps even as an Archdemon you will find yourself following the orders of God.”
“If I may intervene, Egmon. Given the insight you have just provided us with, it does indeed seem stupid to propose such a matter to you, however I shall persist. If you take me up on my offer, I’m able to provide you with not only your unique skill, but also the power to command death itself. With an unbreakable bond tying you to my wasteland as well as my spiritual being, you will be able to send anybody you wish to eternal torment with a simple command. Of course, I will allow you to continue your quest for God, so long as you represent the Demonic Realm well.”
Keisuke chuckles.
“I guess there’s no convincing you otherwise. I will take you up on your offer and utilise these so-calledso called Archdemon powers you wish to provide me with.”
The Renegade smiles.
Keisuke’s previous life and death flash before him as an uncontrollable pain starts digging deep into him. Never in his life had he felt anything quite as terrible as this. After what felt like hours, Keisuke noticed that he was no longer keeling over inside the hall of the frozen tower, but sat down in the middle of a grassy field.