THE AUTHOR, THE AFTERWORD, AND YOU!
When you sign a pact with the devil, you usually wind up paying for it with your life, or your soul, or something else that makes the wish you receive in return seem pretty pointless after the fact.
Satoshi Wagahara, the Author, is a demon among demons, a writer who has forged a deal with the Devil King himself.
Thanks to a Hero with the blood of an angel glaring at the hapless demon lord to the side, the Author was lucky enough to avoid having to hand over his soul on the spot. The price demanded, however, was just as dear: The Devil King and the Hero said “Give us your lifetime” in tandem.
Thanks to this pact, the Author was able to write. He toiled in the craft, considering it fair compensation for what he gave up. But then the demands escalated. First it was the place he lived. Then what he ate. Then what he wore. Then the place he worked.
Now well used to his profession, even granted silvery wings to propel him into the world of human expression, the Author meekly handed it all over, one after the other.
As time wore on, it transpired that the Author, in the end, had given up his life as well. He had used up the entirety of his lifetime, all for the sake of them. That’s what a deal with the devil gets you. Before you know it, he’s got your soul anyway.
But the Devil King is a greedy one, as befits the lord of all demons. As he explained to the Author, his mortal life was not enough for him to survive upon.
Soon, he demanded the Editor, Mr. Araki, who acted as mediator for every demonic pact. He demanded the Artist, 029 (Oniku), who drew every bit of home, clothing, workspace, and physical corpus of the Author’s that was handed over to them. And he demanded the mortal soul of everyone involved with Binding and Printing the Author’s work.
Everyone graciously accepted his demands, signing off a portion of their lives to the Devil King and the Hero.
Then, the Author spoke. “Surely,” he said, “this must be enough for both of you to survive on.”
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