Shiki was looking at his mobile phone and let out a sad sigh.
"It's too uncomfortable to write with this device... Oh! I have an idea!" Shiki jumped off the couch, standing up as he picked up the phone and looked at it intently.
"Haniel," whispered Shiki.
Shiki watched as his spiritual power coalesced and entered the mobile phone, and a moment later, the old mobile phone transformed into a state-of-the-art laptop.
"Hahaha! What a convenient power! Now I can start writing right away," Shiki laughed with a happy expression.
Shiki had just used the ability [Transmutation], a skill that belongs to the Angel [Haniel]. Everything that Shiki transforms becomes an exact copy of what was transformed. Shiki used this power to convert/transform his old phone into a state-of-the-art laptop he had seen in his past life.
The truth is, this power is quite convenient. He could turn his humble apartment into a luxurious one with this power. Since Shiki has a lot of spiritual power, transforming his apartment into a luxurious one with [Haniel] would be child's play, but well, he'll do it another day.
(A/N: In Date A Live, transmutations are not permanent since they return to their true form if Natsumi loses consciousness or runs out of spiritual power. But in this fanfic, I'll make Haniel able to transmute things permanently—think of it as if the god who reincarnated Shiki modified Haniel a little before giving it to him).
'As expected of the Angel that can change reality,' Shiki thought to himself.
Shiki looked at his phone, now transformed into a state-of-the-art laptop, with a satisfied expression.
"Now, what should I write?" Shiki thought for a moment about his options. There were too many light novels that were popular in his previous life and that don't exist in this one.
For example, Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken, Mushoku Tensei, To Aru Majutsu no Index, Sword Art Online, among others.
Shiki thought for a while. All the previous novels sold many copies in his previous life, each franchise selling more than 10 million copies. For example, the novel where our protagonist is a slime, Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken, sold more than 40 million copies in total, and it surely continued to increase after Shiki died. To Aru Majutsu no Index also sold many copies, more than 30 million.
The others mentioned also sold many copies. Writing any of these novels is a guaranteed success, and surely in this world, they could sell even more since the light novel industry here doesn't have many good works, and we're in the year 2024.
"Oh! I came up with an idea to finish faster. With this method, it shouldn't take long to complete the first volume."
Shiki smiled but then put on a strange expression, wondering if it was really a good idea or just stupid.
"Come to me, Zafkiel." Shiki, with a fluid movement, raised his right arm.
Shiki's right eye, a bright gold, flashed with intensity.
Tic tac
With a golden glow, a huge pocket watch began to manifest behind him. At first, it was a faint silhouette, but in a matter of seconds, the image solidified.
The watch had an elegant and distinctive design. It resembled an antique pocket watch with an ornamented metal case, but with a darker and more mystical style.
The watch had a dial with Roman numerals and a central hand that seemed to be made of a dark and enigmatic material. Its appearance was a mixture of vintage and the supernatural.
Tic tac
The golden clock shone with a golden light and emitted a powerful and ominous aura.
Shiki looked at his right hand, and a few moments later, the spiritual power gathered, manifesting a gun. Its appearance was reminiscent of an ancient and refined firearm, with details that reflected a Gothic and vintage style.
Shiki pointed the old and refined pistol in the direction of the eighth mark of the clock, represented by a number VIII that shone brightly.
The clock expelled a line of spiritual power, which materialized as a luminous thread that undulated and sizzled in the air before gathering at the tip of the gun.
"Het," the sound of a metallic echo that reflected the force of the shot resonated in the room.
Shiki fired four bullets at the laptop in front of him, but instead of breaking as a normal computer would, it "multiplied," and now, instead of one laptop, there were five laptops.
Shiki smiled, satisfied. The manifestation of his Angel, a combination of an old watch and an elegantly designed pistol, floated in the air as if suspended by invisible threads.
The watch emitted a soft ticking, every second resonating with relentless precision, while the pistol shone with a metallic luster, its design a mixture of sophistication and lethality.
With an almost carefree gesture, Shiki extended his hand and, with a subtle movement of his fingers, gave the order. The connection between him and his Angel was deep, almost as if they were an extension of his will.
Instantly, the clock and the gun began to fade, their shapes dissolving into a bluish mist, a kind of spiritual dust that seemed to vibrate with mystical energy.
The blue dust slowly rose, as if carried away by a soft, non-existent breeze, before dispersing in the air and disappearing in a flash of light. The atmosphere around Shiki calmed down.
Shiki had used the Eighth Bullet of [Zafkiel], called [Het], which has the ability to create an exact clone of the target at which it is fired.
This ability does not discriminate between living or inanimate beings; it can duplicate both people and objects. In this case, Shiki decided to shoot his laptop four times, which had previously been transmuted with [Haniel].
The reason behind this action is that Shiki, due to his lack of economic resources, couldn't afford to acquire several computers. However, by using the Eighth Bullet, he was able to create four identical copies of his laptop, which allowed him to have multiple devices without having to buy them.
Although this solution is unconventional and depends on supernatural abilities, for Shiki, it was an ingenious way to overcome his unfavorable economic situation.
"I'm poor, okay! This is a smart way to use my powers."
"I wonder what the characters of Date A Live would think if they saw me using their powers. Would they laugh or kill me?" Shiki stopped thinking about random thoughts.
"My other me, I need a little help here," Shiki said into the air. A few moments later, four Shikis appeared from his shadow.
"You're me from just a few seconds ago, so you should know to clone those computers," the clones nodded their heads.
"Aren't you embarrassed to use these broken powers to do these stupid things?" said one clone.
The original Shiki felt a little embarrassed with himself, wondering if his idea was stupid or smart—using [Zafkiel] to clone four laptops and four clones of himself just to write light novels faster!
Shiki cleared his throat and tried to adopt a more serious posture, despite the embarrassment he still felt.
"Listen, we're already here, so it doesn't make sense to question whether this is stupid or not," he began, trying to sound convincing.
"What matters is that we have a job to do, and we need to do it as quickly as possible. Agreed?"
One of the clones, who seemed to have a more critical expression, raised an eyebrow.
"You could have used [Zafkiel] for something more important, you know? Like, I don't know, saving the world or stopping some villain. But no, here we are, writing light novels."
"But light novels are important!" Another clone intervened with an enthusiastic tone.
"After all, it's an art form. We're creating worlds, characters, stories that could inspire others. It's a great responsibility!"
What the hell is my other self saying? I'm not that kind of character. I'm just doing this because I want to get out of poverty, okay? But let's keep going.
The original Shiki nodded more confidently when he heard those words.
"Exactly. Besides, if we have the power to do things faster and more efficiently, why not use it?"
"Okay," said a third clone, who seemed to be the most practical in the group.
"But if we're going to do this, we need a plan. We can't just write the same thing five times. We should divide the tasks. One of us could be in charge of character development, another of world-building, another of the main plot, and so on."
Shiki nodded, relieved that his clones were beginning to take the job seriously.
"Good idea. So, let's do the following: Clone One, you'll be in charge of outlining the main characters. Clone Two, you'll work on world-building. Clone Three, you'll focus on plot structure. Clone Four, you'll review and edit everything. And I, of course, will be coordinating and writing the crucial parts."
The clones nodded in agreement, each taking their place in front of one of the cloned laptops. There was a moment of silence as each clone began to concentrate on their task, the sound of the keys filling the room.
Clone One, still typing, commented quietly, "I guess this isn't so stupid after all."
"I knew it," Shiki murmured with a triumphant smile. "I was right all along."
But as they continued to write, a small part of Shiki couldn't help but wonder if using [Zafkiel] in this way was really the best idea.
Maybe the original bearer of this power would slap him if she saw him using his power for this.
However, seeing his clones work diligently, he decided to put those doubts aside.
"To get out of poverty," with such a noble goal, Shiki and his clones continued to work.
Shiki and his clones, motivated by the idea of recreating the first volume of To Aru Majutsu no Index, were organized with almost mathematical precision.
Each clone had a specific task, and teamwork was essential to carry out the titanic work of writing a whole volume.
The first clone, who considered himself the most creative of the group, was in charge of developing the general plot, making sure that the story maintained the same essence and emotion as in the original.
This clone immersed himself in the chapters, breaking up each scene and analyzing the development of the characters. His mission was to capture the magic of the Index world, the balance between science and magic, and the latent conflict between the two forces.
The second clone, meticulous and detailed, took the task of reviewing the style and language. His focus was to ensure that each line was well-constructed, that the descriptions were vivid, and that the dialogues sounded natural and coherent.
This clone was also in charge of adapting certain cultural details so that the story resonated with a wider audience, without losing the authenticity of the original work.
The third clone, known for his writing speed, was dedicated to transcription.
While the fourth clone focused on the details and structure, this clone focused on putting everything on paper (or screen) at the highest possible speed.
Not only did he write, but he also organized the chapters, making sure that everything flowed correctly and that there were no inconsistent jumps in the narrative.
Finally, Shiki, the original, acted as supervisor. He coordinated his clones, reviewed the progress of each one, and ensured that the work was carried out smoothly.
In addition, he provided his own ideas and suggestions when necessary, but above all, he made sure that the project progressed as planned.
As the hours went by, the first volume of To Aru Majutsu no Index took shape.
The chapters were completed one after another, and the joint effort of Shiki and his clones was reflected in the quality of the text.
Each paragraph was a mixture of creativity, precision, and speed, with all the elements of the story aligned to recreate the exciting narrative of the Index universe.
When they finished the first draft, Shiki and his clones took a moment to review their work together. Satisfied with the result, they knew that they had managed to capture the essence of the original work while adding their own unique touch.
Shiki, upon reincarnation, obtained something like an advanced memory for some reason. [Rasiel] also helped with this.
Thanks to this combination of advanced memory and the influence of [Rasiel], Shiki found it extremely easy to replicate, with amazing fidelity, the novels and texts of his past life. He could reproduce every line, every turn of the plot, and every detail with millimeter accuracy, as if he had the original books in front of him.
Shiki looked at the finished manuscript with a satisfied expression.
Shiki read the summary of the first volume.
The story begins in Academy City, a technologically advanced city in Japan, where psychic abilities and advanced science are common. Here, students are classified by their level of power, which varies from level 0 (without power) to level 5 (maximum power).
The protagonist, Touma Kamijou, is a level 0 student, which means that he has no recognized psychic abilities.
However, he has a special power in his right hand called Imagine Breaker, which can nullify any supernatural power, whether magical or scientific.
One day, Touma finds a young woman named Index hanging from his balcony. Index is a nun of the Anglican Church and has in her memory 103,000 forbidden magical grimoires, which makes her a target for various magical organizations.
At first, Touma doesn't believe in magic, but he soon realizes the truth when he is involved in a battle with magicians looking to capture Index.
The volume focuses on Touma's fight to protect Index from magicians and reveals the complexities of his power, Imagine Breaker.
As the events unfold, Touma discovers that Index's memory has been manipulated by the Church, and she is in danger because of the secrets she keeps.
Touma, determined to save her, faces various challenges as he tries to understand the conflict between science and magic.
The volume ends with Touma struggling to save Index and challenging the powers that threaten her, which establishes the basis for the continuation of the series and the exploration of the worlds of magic and conflicting science.
Shiki stretched out, feeling his muscles relax after hours of being hunched over the computer.
Although as a Pseudo-Spirit he didn't need to sleep, mental fatigue began to have an effect on him. But he couldn't let fatigue beat him; he had just completed the first volume of To Aru Majutsu no Index, and that was just the beginning of what he hoped would be a long and successful career as a writer.
Although he didn't need to rest thanks to his physique as a Pseudo-Spirit, the only thing he wanted right now was to lie in bed.
"Maybe later," he murmured to himself.
After all, he had a full volume ready to present to a publisher.
"Soon I will stop being poor," he said with a smile that extended from ear to ear.
With a smile of satisfaction, Shiki went to the window and watched the sunrise. The light of the sun stained the sky with a warm orange, and the streets of the neighborhood began to fill with life.
He looked at the four laptops he had used.
Each one had been cloned with his Angel [Zafkiel], allowing him to work on several parts of the novel simultaneously.
At his signal, the clones he had created to write returned to his shadow, their task completed.
Shiki observed how the cloned computers disappeared one by one, knowing that, unlike the original that had been transformed by [Haniel], they would disappear if he didn't sustain them with spiritual energy.
"It's not a problem," he thought while making the last cloned computer disappear.
"I can recreate them whenever I want with [Zafkiel]."
With an agile movement, he got out of bed and went to the closet. His clothes were nothing out of the ordinary; they weren't elegant, but they weren't too casual either. They were just enough to make a good impression without looking like he was trying too hard.
The teenager placed the patch on his left eye precisely, making sure that it was well adjusted before leaving the house. The patch, an opaque black, contrasted with the pallor of his skin and gave him an air of mystery that did not go unnoticed.
(The protagonist covers his eye with the patch to hide his eye, which has a clock-shaped design due to the influence of [Zafkiel]. The eye literally moves, so he covers it because having that type of eye is not normal. He could change the shape of his eye with [Haniel], but well, I like that the protagonist wears a patch like Kurumi).
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(A/N: I tried to correct the spelling errors with a page. How about now? Are there still many errors? Remember that I don't speak English, so I can't know).