"So, what is that picture on your shirt? I'm intrigued by this ancient drawing", Mira - which I've been told was her name - asked me inquisitively.
Welp, this isn't going to be easy to explain...
When I summoned some clothes for myself I did not really think of a particular t-shirt, but my subconsciousness must have dug up my favorite t-shirt from the previous life, which, a bit embarrassingly, was a limited edition t-shirt I purchased at a Hatsune Miku concert.
"Er - , she's a singer. She dances too. She was very popular in my world"
"Fascinating. Tell me more"
"There isn't much to say, except that she was kind of like a real idol with life of its own"
"An idol - I see. So she was some kind of a deity that was worshiped by many. But what do you mean she had 'life of its own'?"
"It's complicated. She was not 'real' in the normal sense of the word, as in she did not 'physically' exist, but she was an image - a figure that many have taken a liking to. A voice that doesn't 'really' exist, at least not of any human. How to say this - no real human was acting Miku's voice, everything was synthesized, but because of that - because of the fact that she was not based on a hidden human figure, that she had a life of its own as a singular, unique being"
Mira seemed to be deep in thought, trying to digest what she'd just heard.
"Look, don't look too deep into it. It's kind of a make-believe that got so real that everyone jumped onto it and validated and perpetuated its existence"
:Sigh:
How could I properly explain Miku to someone who doesn't even know what computers & graphics and synthesized audio are?
"If I understand correctly - she was like an.. illusion?"
"Yes! That would be the closest way to describe her"
"She was an illusion... that sang and danced in front of the masses, worshiped by many... had followers wearing a picture of her, an idol - an icon of the Human demons… Oh my... She must have been like a Demon Lord of Illusions!"
Whoa - hold it there, cupcake!
But I could not bear to pour ice on this girl's excitement.
"Well, let's just leave it at that. Perhaps it's best if I change into something else..."
I could sense that Mira was trying to think up something real quick.
"You are right. I believe normal people, I mean those that do not possess the iron will of an exceptional mage like myself may falter upon seeing the Demon Lord of Illusions"
Dude...
"I hereby order you to hand that shirt over to me. I shall seal it away in my secret realm until the time comes and the world is ready for it. Until then, be assured I will keep it safely hidden where even the prying third eye of a top-tier mage cannot see it"
She sure likes to talk big.
I shrugged and handed over my Miku shirt, and for some reason, Mira looked way too pleased with it.
***
Oh my gosh oh my gosh, I can't believe I got my hands on this!
The Human Demon has gifted me something I've never expected - a picture of the Demon Lord of Illusions! How perfectly fitting for his Mistress, the last hope of the family that has practiced illusion magic for generations after generations. This relic will become a new heirloom now, and who knows, maybe one day this can be used to summon the Demon Lord Herself?!
No - I need to calm down. We are talking about a Demon Lord worshiped by a great number of other Human demons. This is a sign that lower demons carried around to show their devotion to the Demon Lord.
Never could I have imagined there was a world and time where an Illusionist transcended reality to become an idol. This is beyond being a top mage, this is like entering into the realm of divinity!
Miku... Miku - interesting name. We even share the same start for our names - maybe there is some invisible hand of destiny at work here, for me to summon a Human and for him to bring an icon of the Demon Lord of Illusions to me.
Ok, calm down, girl. Calm down. Deep breath, take a deep breath.
:Phew…:
I held the sacred cloth high up in the air with my arms stretched out, and it brought me such a wholesome feeling looking at this green-haired divinity that seemed to be the perfect fit for my family's real heritage.
She was not only an illusionist, but she sang and danced on stage as well! Just like the circus shows I used to be in too. Well, saying that a Demon Lord performed in a circus sounds somewhat belittling, but heck, maybe people have it all wrong? Maybe the fact that this demon lord was worshiped meant that the profession of performance was a job of the highest honor?
In any case, I wanted to keep this safe, but also wanted to put it somewhere where I could see it every day to give me inspiration, so I hung it on the ceiling just above my bed - now every morning I wake up I will see the face of Miku, and I shall fall asleep with Miku's blessings over my head.
Wonderful.