A Golden Age Tarnished
A thousand years ago, in the magnificent world of Enripidia, humans and other races—Elves, Dwarves, and various mortal beings—lived in harmonious coexistence with the gods. This was a golden age, filled with peace and prosperity. The gods were permitted to descend into the mortal realm, but under an unyielding condition: they were strictly forbidden from causing even the slightest damage or destruction to the mortal world. The cosmic balance had to be maintained.
Amidst this near-perfect harmony, one deity felt a peculiar isolation in his heart. He was Shironeko, the God of the Black Cat. Initially, Shironeko was a neutral entity, feeling no particular exclusion from the other gods. However, as time wore on, a strange shadow began to fall upon him. Gradually, he sensed an invisible distance growing between himself and all other beings—the gods, humans, even his own kind.
Shironeko was stunned. He couldn't understand why. There was no clear reason, no wrongdoing he could recall. It felt as if an unseen hand was pushing everyone away from him. He felt as though it wasn't his character or behavior that made him an outcast, but rather sinister whispers, baseless slanders, that had poisoned the minds of all.
With a heart filled with confusion and hurt, Shironeko began his quest for the truth. He hoped to find the root of this ostracism, but what he discovered was even more painful: lies spread by the other gods. They claimed Shironeko was a threat, that one day he would slaughter humans and all mortal races. What a cruel betrayal! Not just from other gods, but from his own Divine brethren who were supposed to uphold justice.
The Cry of the Banished God
Shironeko chose to isolate himself, hoping the slander would subside on its own. Yet, the opposite occurred. His followers dwindled, and the baseless accusations spread like a plague, infecting every corner of society. Everyone, without exception, believed the lies to be the absolute truth.
Insults, curses, and shouts of hatred echoed everywhere. Humans and other races, now filled with fear and misdirected rage, began to hunt Shironeko. They wanted to capture him, punish him, or even kill him, driven by their mistaken beliefs.
Cornered and desperate, Shironeko fled into the depths of the dense forest, his breath ragged. Taking on the form of a tiny black cat, he scurried through the undergrowth, evading the relentless pursuit of the hunters. Finally, he escaped, leaving a trail of despair in his wake.
In the solitude of the forest, Shironeko's tears fell. There was no longer a place for him in the world he once loved. Because of one vile slander, the entire world hated him, wishing for his death. He stared at the dark sky, his heart shattered into pieces.
"What did I do wrong?" he whispered hoarsely, his voice choked. "What have I done to become like this? If they resented me, why didn't they just kill me? Better to die betrayed than to live suffering from this slander. Even if I kill myself now, the slander will remain, tainting my name forever."
His last hope was the Supreme Deity, the All-Knowing of everything that transpired in Enripidia. "I hope He will help me," he murmured, "explain the truth to all races, and punish the gods who spread these lies."
The Dawn of Destruction
However, as Shironeko wallowed in his misery, other gods saw this as a crack—an opportunity they had long awaited. After centuries of being bound by strict rules against causing harm, they now had the perfect pretext to unleash their madness.
First was the God of Destruction. A sinister smile played on his lips. He assumed Shironeko's form, disguised himself perfectly, then initiated a series of heinous massacres among all mortal races.
Then, the Demonic Deity joined in, his malevolent laughter accompanying the slaughter of his own kind.
The Sky God, who had long harbored a grudge against Shironeko due to his larger following, wasted no time. He joined the God of Destruction and the Demonic Goddess, butchering living beings on land and in the sky. With a single flap of his wings, he annihilated a village. An eagle's piercing cry filled the air, fire erupted from his mouth, and high-velocity spears shot from his wings.
Destruction and carnage raged in every corner of the world.
All tribes, clans, and nations witnessed this horror, believing that Shironeko was responsible for it all—when in truth, it was other gods in disguise. The remaining voices, filled with rage and despair, echoed across the land and sky:
"Shironeko! We will never forget the atrocities you committed upon this world! We will pass down the history of the catastrophe caused by you, Shironeko…!"
The Curse of the Banished God
Shironeko, still hidden, flinched at the rumble of curses. He emerged from his hiding place to find the source of the sound, but the sight beyond the dense forest froze his blood. It wasn't the source of the voices he found, but rather countless reflections of himself—many Shironekos—committing destruction and slaughter everywhere.
His mouth hung open. How was this possible? He was here, in this forest. How could his likeness be committing such atrocities? As Shironeko stood stunned, agape, and frozen, a sudden, powerful attack was aimed directly at his location.
He saw it and moved. With his small body, he ran with all his might. In the last second before the attack struck the ground, he managed to reach safety. Fear mingled with horror consumed him. He continued to flee, deeper into the heart of the forest, seeking refuge.
The sky rumbled loudly. Shironeko looked up. The heavens seemed to split in two; a vortex of clouds formed a giant, luminous hole. From this abyss, a single voice resounded, like thousands of voices and thunder echoing everywhere. That voice commanded all gods:
"O gods, by order of the Supreme Deity, all gods are commanded to return to the divine realm! Hereafter, you are forbidden to descend into the mortal world. As the god who caused destruction and slaughter, Shironeko shall have his title as the God of the Black Cat revoked and be condemned to be a mortal being forever!"
Upon hearing this decree, Shironeko felt strange, bewildered, and as if betrayed once more by his own kind. "Is this what I get after trusting in the justice of the Supreme Deity?" he said, staring at the sky with a gloomy, sad face mixed with deep heartbreak.
"ARGHHHH! YOU GODS! AWAIT MY REVENGE! EVEN IF I DO NOT TAKE IT MYSELF, THEN ANOTHER SHALL AVENGE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ALL RACES—AND TO ME, YOUR OWN KIND!" Shironeko screamed, glaring at the sky with boiling rage.
With that roar, Shironeko vanished into the deep darkness of the forest.
The Destiny of a God Slayer?
But can Shironeko exact his revenge? He is now merely a mortal being, stripped of his divine powers, no more than an ordinary cat. Will he rise alone, from disgrace, to defeat the gods who destroyed everything?
Humans and other races now consider him a mass murderer and destroyer. But will he be able to set the record straight and make all races realize the true reality?
This prologue concludes with a grand question: Will Shironeko be consumed by his burning vengeance, or will destiny birth someone else to avenge what the gods have done to all races, including Shironeko himself?