The Replacement / Prologue

I remember our first meeting perfectly.

Over a field of grass, dyed red by the glowing sun at the horizon and the splattered bloods across the land, a sphere of light flickered to life. It pulsed weakly for a moment, its blue light wavering in the air before somehow finally gaining some strength from it surrounding and started to solidifying.

How could I not?

Slowly, almost hesitantly, the sphere of light began to move through the air, leaving a trail of shimmering light in its wake. It's always twisting and turning, but never rising or falling, the sphere began to pick up speed as an image began to form from its trailing lights.

Like a paintbrush on canvas, the sphere drew a circle in the air. And within that circle was another circle, and third one within the second. Between the borders of the circles were strings of archaic runes, numbering in the hundreds, leisurely revolving within the limited space within the boundary of the circles.

When the sphere at last appeared to have finished its work, it hung in place, motionless for a few moments, before slowly drifting towards the very heart of the design, to the small patch of empty space located in the middle of the smallest circle.

Aligning itself in the center of the magic circle, it pulsed once and then twice, before it unfolded like the petals of a flower. The former sphere twisted into a new form, a two-dimensional shape that was clearly a symbol of some kind though one far too complex to be a mere rune and vaguely resembled a stylized necklace.

Once the symbol was completely formed, it started to glow. Radiating a light so bright and blue, it appeared to have been set aflame from within, which soon began to spread as the rest of the magic circle began to glow in turn.

Once the circle began to shine to the point that it was almost too bright to see, a figure started to emerge from the surface of the circle. The top of her head was the first thing to appear, revealing a raven black mane, which was soon followed by the rest of her body. Once her feet were pulled out of the magic circle, she hung above the circle, momentarily suspended in the air as her toes dangled just inches above the circle.

Its job now completed, the magic circle began to disperse into specks of blue light which soon faded into nothing. The figure slowly drifted to the ground, and once her feet was firmly planted on the ground, she opened her eyes.

They were eyes of violet, shining like gems of amethyst. She was a small woman, one that could easily be described as petite, though one impossible to be mistaken for a child due her fully formed figured. Her hair was worn in pigtails that were held in place with violet ribbons, and she was dressed in what appeared to be a magical girl costume made out of pink and white cloth. She held a matching colored wand tipped with a star in her right hand, while with her other hand she shaded her eyes as she gazed around the place she found herself in with an open curiosity.

It's not every day that a devils gets to meet their original ancestor after all. Being summoned by one was a                                                    rare event, one in a trillions chance to say the least.

Surrounding her petite figure were weapons. Peerless weapons from countless legends and myths were planted point first into the ground around, spreading outwards towards the distant horizon, shining s bright because of the glimmering light of the suns, numbering so many that they were beyond counting. In the gold and crimson skies above her were an eye, a single slitted golden colored eye. the eye are watching every of her movements, whenever she goes right, the eyes pupils will follow her, seemingly to search any kind of suspicious movement like as if it's it only purpose.

Let alone a demon from another world

But she paid the giant unblinking eye no mind as something else had captured her attention.

Usually the only demons in the history are the one who always trying to slay everything, us included. the                                                                                  devils

Stepping forward, she began to make her way between the sword in her left and a hammer in her right and goes towards the one that had held her interest. She didn't travel far before she stopped just outside the edge of the magic symbol that was carved into the ground.

Eyes wide with wonder, she gazed at the figure seated inside the magic symbol

It was a young man approaching the end of his teenage years. His hair was colored with a golden-colored blonde. A man with eyes of green that shine so bright that they were almost emerald. He was tall for his age, topping six foot in height, though he didn't look it since he was currently sitting on the ground. it's a human, but if someone check closely with their magical sense they would sense a faint magical presence of a demon lingering around the boy.

Cradled in his arms was an older-looking woman who looks like just hit her 30's, barely With hair that's colored similar to the younger boy ,she looked ethereal, like something out of this world. Almost like a fairy out of legend. The colors of her eyes could not been seen as they were hidden behind her closed eyelids. With a peaceful smile adorning her face, she would have looked like nothing more than a slumbering mother if not for the unnatural stillness that took hold of her body and the crying boy that embraced her so tightly towards his chest.

So imagine my surprise when I came upon you in that summoning circle of yours, cradling your dying mother close to your chest and clinging to her frame so tightly, as if she would disappear the moment you loosened                                                                           your grip.

As tears continued to run down his already wet cheeks, the boy looked up to girl before him and begged for help.

You were bawling your eyes out as you wailed out for someone, anyone to save her. to save the only family                                                                     that you have.

The girl observed the boy for a long moment before her eyes hardened.

Gone were the violet eyes, replaced by slits that burned red with hell fire. The face that framed it was drained from any warmth or emotion, looking as if it had been carved from stone. Wings, twelve twisted crooked black wings emerged from her back, surrounding her frame like a ring of shadows.

Where once stood a young woman, now stood a being a darkness. Shedding her façade of humanity, it revealed its true nature, that of a Lord of Devils. a being that stronger than a demon.

A Maou.

Power, unadulterated power radiated out of her like heat from the sun. The entire area was drowning in it as the air around her form rippled from her mere presence.

With her eyes of crimson red, the devil in the shape of a girl looked back down at the younger human skinned demon, who looked back at her unflinchingly.

The devil offered the demon in human skin a bargain, a contract. She will grant his wish. She will save the life of the woman in his arm.

I offered to grant you your wish

But this was a devil's bargain, where nothing came for free and very rarely cheap. even if it's a demon who want to make a wish.

But at an impossible price, one too high for even the gods to willing to pay.

The human-skinned demon mother would be saved.

But for a price.

A hint of disdain made its way to her face as the thing that was a girl but wasn't, stated her price.

Your soul.

And without hesitation, you accepted with a smile on your face so dazzling it looked as if I had offered you                                                                     the world.

The girl seemed startled, shock written clearly on her face as she stared at the human skinned demon. For a time, the world around them seemed to freeze as the girl simply stared at the boy in incomprehension. Slowly, the girl's frame began to shudder slightly. The shudder quickly grew and grew until it sent her whole body trembling. From between her tightly clenched lips, a small laugh brought out.

She threw her head back and laughed. She laughed and laughed so long and loud it appeared that it will never end. However, there was nothing malicious in that laughter. On the contrary, it was a joy filled one.

It was a pure thing, like rays of sunshine after an endless storm.

I could not help but smile. I could not help but laugh as I released my joy to the world. showing the world my                                                  most joyful laugh since the last few decade

The laughter of one whose hope was renewed long after all hope was lost.

I have found you. At long last, I had finally found my lost 'treasure'

It was the laughter of a tired soul that finally found a home.

It seemed to go on forever, but when her laughter finally ended, she lowered her head and gazed at the world through the eyes the color of brilliant violet, her eyes shone with unshed tears as she looked upon the boy and asked a single question.

I still remember it, remember the moment where I heard your name for the first time.

Ialda Mercury

The son of The Mage Of The Beginning

The boy asked a simple question in turn.

And I first told you mine.

Serafall Leviathan

One of the four Maou

And that was how a Demon Lord, and a leader of devils, met.