CHARA

 
CTERS
NAME:
MIU SAKURAI   
AGE:
15
OCCUPATION:
Student

Miu comes from an affluent family and attends the prestigious missionary academy, Seiran. The bane of her existence (and the source of an irresolvable complex) is her underdeveloped body, which she prays each day for God to remedy. If He did, then maybe Miu would have a shot at winning the affections of her beloved idol, Shion Amamiya.

In a moment of wavering faith, Miu turns to a tattered book from the West, which she found at a secondhand bookstore. The volume is called "Magick to Grant Your Prayers," and she assumes it is a book of ordinary charms—the kinds which are so prevalent and innocuous in Japan. She discovers, however, that the spells inside are Black Magick... when she ends up summoning the Devil.

Despite her protests, Satan forces Miu into a contract: the love of Shion Amamiya in exchange for her virginity...

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NAME MEANING:
“Miu” is not a common name, and it has no associated kanji. It is presented with no meaning. “Sakurai,” a common surname, is composed of the kanji for “cherry blossom” (sakura) and “well” (i)—as in a water or oil well, a place from which some substance (in this case, sakura) is drawn.

NAME:
SATAN   
A.K.A.:
KAI SAKURAI   
AGE:
???, 17, 23
OCCUPATION:
Devil, Student, Biology Professor

The Devil has not been summoned from his Palace in Pandemonium, the capital of Hell, in a great while. In spite of it being an honest accident, he forces the unwilling Miu into an unholy contract: she prayed for the love of Shion Amamiya, and in exchange the Devil demands her soul. Upon learning that her virginity is intact, however, he decides he'd much rather have that instead.

It should be a simple thing to manipulate the affections of Miu's idol, but Shion does not respond to the Devil's Black Magick. Satan must become more involved to discover why, and to that end he assumes a human identity on Earth and enrolls in Miu's school.

However...
Over the course of his prolonged proximity to Miu, the Devil—who must deliver Shion's love to Miu—becomes unwilling to give the girl's heart to Shion...

NAME MEANING AND ORIGIN:
SATAN. “Satan” comes from the Hebrew word meaning “adversary,” and it is not a name—it’s a job description, meaning it would be more accurate to call him “The Satan.” According to the Apocrypha, Satan served God as the adversary of mankind; it was his God-given task to test the faith of humans through any means, including cruelty. He fell when he disobeyed God’s commandment to worship Adam (some accounts say Jesus), claiming himself to be superior because he was created first. Taking one-third of the Divine Host into Hell with him, Satan then became the architect of all evil.
KAI SAKURAI. “Sakurai” uses the same kanji as in Miu Sakurai. “Kai” is not an uncommon given name. Its kanji contains the meanings: “charging ahead of others; forerunner; harbinger.” The radicals which make up this kanji are “demon” (oni) and “many/volume” (to). The semantic origins of “Kai” might be considered to be “voluminous demon,” though at any rate there is an irrefutable demonic implication.

NAME:
SHION AMAMIYA   
A.K.A.:
???
AGE:
???, 15
OCCUPATION:
???, Student, Chapel Maintainer

Shion is the quintessential "most popular boy in school." He's a sports prodigy who maintains top grades, a 15-year-old graced with a more mature body, and he's been the number one idol of Seiran Academy (a large campus containing twelve grade levels) since he enrolled in the seventh grade. His kindness is paralleled only by his stoicism, and so, despite a sizeable female fan following, Shion has no girlfriend.

The son of a minister and a Christian himself, Shion maintains the chapel on campus. Every morning, he has heard Miu's vain prayers, and he has developed a friendly affection towards her. When Kai Sakurai appears and causes him to become more involved in Miu's situation, however, Shion is alerted to the presence of dark forces.

The puzzling thing about Shion is that he's the only person at Seiran who stands unaffected by the Magick of Satan. It should make no difference that he is Christian, but that would seem to be the only answer—at least at first...

NAME MEANING:
“Amamiya” is a common surname. The kanji are “heaven” (ama) and “palace” (miya). “Shion” is not an uncommon sound combination for a given name, but the kanji combination of “governor” (shi) and “grace/mercy” (on) is unusual. Meaning could be taken as: “Governor of Grace in the Palace of Heaven.” “Amamiya” is occasionally used as a name in other Japanese works for a character who is angelic, either literally or in personality.

NAME:
MALPHAS   
A.K.A.:
TSUBASA SAKURAI   
AGE:
(Over 8), 6, 15
OCCUPATION:
Disciple of Satan, Student

Malphas died eight years ago—as a crow. His hatred for the humans who killed him brought his soul into the hands of Satan, who treated him with unexpected kindness. His respect for the Devil led this creature—who is just on the verge of becoming a demon himself—to strive to be like The Adversary, and so he willingly serves his master with the unspoken hope of one day emulating him.

Malphas accompanies Satan to Earth. He initially advises against opting for Miu's virginity (on the grounds that such an underdeveloped girl cannot possibly make a suitable sexual partner for his master), but he wants only to see Satan pleased. Without complaint, the crow assumes a human form to keep a close watch on Miu.

For the first time in eight years, however, Malphas cannot condone his master's treatment of a contract. The question of loyalty must be answered when the Devil's disciple begins to feel pity for Miu...

NAME MEANING AND ORIGIN:
MALPHAS. Malphas is a lesser demon who is depicted as a crow with a hoarse voice, though he will assume the form of a human if commanded. Apocryphally speaking, he is the grand governor of the infernal regions, the deceiver of sacrifices who can impart knowledge of an enemy’s desires and thoughts, the architect of impregnable fortresses who overthrows the temples of his enemies, and he is the commander of 40 legions. It is said that he can make anything. Malphas served Lilith, who became the Queen of Demons after Adam rejected her in favor of Eve. In Japanese mythology, the crow sometimes symbolizes the isolation of the individual who lives on a higher plane (which may describe Satan’s character).
TSUBASA SAKURAI. “Sakurai” uses the same kanji as in Miu Sakurai. “Tsubasa” is a common name for either sex. The kanji character means “wings.”

NAME:
MICHAEL   
AGE:
???
OCCUPATION:
Archangel

There exist only two who have cast Satan down: God and His highest angel, Michael. Despite their fateful and epic opposition, the Archangel Michael continues to harbor a brotherly affection for his adversary and would welcome him back to Heaven in a heartbeat.

After receiving a premonition of the Devil's appearance on Earth, Michael descends to protect tranquility. Although he has the power to banish the Devil, a problem arises when Miu expresses love for Satan. Love is the most beautiful thing on Earth; it is the one thing Michael cannot destroy.

Michael must stay close to Miu to protect her soul. However, he finds himself wishing to be close—closer—for reasons affected by emotion...

NAME MEANING AND ORIGIN:
In Hebrew, Michael’s name is pronounced as MI-HA-EL, and it means “He who is like God.” The term “Archangel,” as it is used for Michael, defines him as an especially important angel. It does not place him within the eighth tier of the angelic hierarchy (which contains nine tiers), as Michael is recognized to be the highest of the first tier, known as “Seraphim.” Before him, this honor had been Satan’s. Michael is the leader of the celestial armies, and during the War in Heaven he fought Satan, enchained him, and cast him down. It is said that Michael was never seen smiling after Satan fell and Hell was created.

NAME:
SEERA   
AGE:
???, 15
OCCUPATION:
Angel, Messenger, Satan's Sex Friend, Student, Kai's Fiancée

Seera was born of the angels for the purpose of serving as a messenger between Heaven and Hell. She spends the greatest measure of her time in Satan's Palace in Pandemonium and at his orgical Sabbats, where she is his favorite "sex friend" and toy, but she is also close with the Archangel Michael in a platonic way.

Michael summons Seera to Earth to collaborate on a means of rending Miu and Satan's relationship. She assumes the human form of a student and proclaims herself to be Kai's fiancée. However, Seera is far more willing than Michael to hurt Miu to attain that desired end.

Michael warns Seera to protect her angelic heart, but that is not what she considers most important...

NAME MEANING:
“Seera” is most likely the Japanese pronunciation of “Selah,” arguably meaning “suspension” (it is a Hebrew liturgico-musical term which occurs numerous times in Psalms, believed by modern scholars to call for a pause in singing during instrumental interludes). “Selah” was the capital of Edom in Kings which later became known as Petra; this “Selah” carries the meaning “rock”—which is perhaps appropriate for reasons that will become apparent.

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