The Birth of the Cult of Diabolos!?

It had been about a month, I guess...

I stood in the same abandoned village where it all started, let out a long sigh, and thought back to the day I first acquired that lump of meat.

How the hell did things end up like this?

The meat-lump experiments were actually going great for a while. Since it isn’t my own body, I can do whatever the hell I want, I’d thought, pumping it full of magic power and spending my days geeking out over the results. I tried this, I tried that—it was a total blast.

Approaching the very essence of magic power and feeling my own abilities visibly level up was the greatest joy I’d ever known. My control became more precise, more delicate, and more powerful than ever before. I pushed it to the absolute limit, and the moment I finally achieved perfect control over the magic power runaway... a blonde elven girl was standing there.

To be honest, I’d been so obsessed with the magic control that I hadn't even realized the meat lump was a blonde elf until that very second. It was wild; I didn't know you could actually bounce back from being a pile of rotting meat. I tried to see her off with a breezy, "You're free now, so head on home. Best of luck with your life!" kind of vibe, but she started going on about how she had no home to return to and how she had to repay the favor of me saving her.

Look, I didn't save you. You were just a byproduct of a happy accident.

I considered just making a break for it since she was becoming a hassle, but I eventually decided to let her play the role of SUBORDINATE A for my "Eminence in Shadow" bit. She didn't seem like the type to betray me, she looked smart, and she had this aura of being needlessly competent. She claimed to be ten years old just like me, which proved that the whole "elves are mentally precocious" thing was no joke.

"Alright then. From today, you are Alpha."

Subordinate A, Alpha—whatever, they both start with A.

"I understand," she replied with a nod.

Blonde hair, blue eyes, pale skin, and a total babe. She was the quintessential elf.

"And your job is..."

I trailed off, thinking. This was a big moment. Her job was to be the assistant to the Eminence in Shadow—that much was certain. But that raised the question: What exactly is an Eminence in Shadow? What is their goal? This was the foundation of the entire "setting" I was trying to build for myself in this world.

Lore is everything.

You can't exactly look cool if your reason for fighting is just taking out your frustration over losing at the pachinko parlor.

But I was prepared. Both before and after being reincarnated into this world, I’d never stopped fantasizing about the ultimate Eminence in Shadow. I reached into my mental archives, pulled from the tens of thousands of potential plot hooks I’d dreamed up, and instantly dialed in the optimal setting.

"Your mission is to stop the resurrection of Demon Diabolos from the shadows."

"Demon Diabolos...?" Alpha tilted her head slightly.

"I’m sure you’ve heard the story. Long ago, Demon Diabolos brought the world to the brink of destruction. However, the beast was defeated and the world was saved by three Heroes—one human, one elf, and one beastman."

"I know the story. But isn't that just a fairy tale?"

"No. It really happened. Though, the truth of the matter is far more complex than the nursery rhymes suggest..."

I let out a short, hollow laugh. For a pro like me, weaving this world's legends into my "Eminence in Shadow" lore was child’s play.

"In his final moments, Diabolos—defeated by the Heroes—laid a curse upon his killers. That is the Curse of Diabolos."

"The Curse of Diabolos? I’ve never heard of that."

"The Curse of Diabolos is very real. Possession... that disease that was eating away at your body? That was it."

"What? No way..." Alpha’s eyes went wide with shock.

"The descendants of the Heroes who slew the Demon have been tormented by this affliction for ages. However, in the old days, the Curse of Diabolos was curable. Just like I cured you."

I mean, look at her. Her skin was so flawless it was hard to believe she’d been a case of Possession until recently. Her very existence was the only "proof" I needed to back up my bullshit.

Total lie, obviously.

"Possession was once proof of a Heroic bloodline. Those afflicted were protected, thanked, and praised as the children of the world's saviors. Well... they were in the past, anyway."

"But they aren't thanked now. Quite the opposite..." Alpha said, her expression twisting with pain.

"Someone distorted history. They hid the truth of the Heroes' lineage, suppressed the cure for the curse, and turned those descendants into pariahs to be despised as 'Possessed.'"

"But...! Who would do such a thing!?"

"The very people plotting the resurrection of Demon Diabolos. Those eaten by the curse are, without exception, individuals with high magic power who have inherited the Heroes' blood most strongly. In other words, they are a vital asset for humanity—and a massive nuisance for our enemies."

"So they get rid of us by calling us monsters..."

"Exactly. You were framed for the 'crime' of Possession, costing you your home and your family. Tell me... don't you hate them?"

"I do. How could I not?"

"The Cult of Diabolos. That is our enemy. They will never step into the light of day. And that is why we, too, must lurk in the shadows. We hide in the darkness to hunt the shadows."

"An organization with that much influence operating entirely behind the scenes... That means our enemies are the people in power. There must be so many people being manipulated without ever knowing the truth..."

I gave her a magnanimous nod.

"The road ahead will be difficult. But it's a burden we must bear. Will you help me?"

"If that is your wish, I will stake my life on it. We shall bring the sanction of death upon the sinners..."

Alpha stared into my eyes and gave a fearless smile. Her face was young and beautiful, yet it was filled with an intense, ironclad resolve.

I did a mental fist pump.

Hell yeah! This elf is a total pushover!

Since the Cult of Diabolos obviously doesn't exist, she’s never going to find them no matter how hard she looks. So, I’ll just find some random bandits, claim they're "Cult of Diabolos suspects," and take them out. Then I can swoop into the middle of some "protagonist-tier" battles, say something cryptic like, "The world is falling into ruin..." or "The Demon's resurrection is nigh..." and then just disappear. Or maybe I’ll show up on a battlefield and wipe out both sides while saying, "How foolish... you puppets of fate..."

Man, the possibilities were endless.

Oh, right. I needed a name for the organization.

"We are Shadow Garden... We lurk in the shadows to hunt the shadows..."

"Shadow Garden. I like it."

Right? My naming sense is top-tier.

At that very moment, Shadow Garden was founded, and the world’s greatest enemy—the Cult of Diabolos—was born. I had taken one more step on the path to becoming a true Eminence in Shadow.

"Well, for now, let's keep working on your magic control and sword skills. I’ll handle the heavy lifting, but you’ll need to deal with the fodder, so make sure you get reasonably strong."

"I understand. The enemy is formidable; we must increase our combat potential."

"Yeah, yeah. Exactly."

"We should also look for other descendants of the Heroes to protect."

"Uh, yeah. Sure. Keep it within reason, though."

I mean, having a few more people would make the organization feel more "official" and add some depth to the lore, but I don't really need a crowd. Honestly, two people is plenty.

"Anyway, let’s just focus on getting stronger for now."

I raised my wooden sword and parried a strike from Alpha. Her swing was so sharp it was hard to believe she'd been an amateur until recently. She had great instincts and plenty of magic power. Yeah, she was going to be pretty useful.

Under the glow of the moonlight, I kept swinging my sword, lost in my own thoughts.