" The End of the Beginning is like a mix of psychological experiment and hell-I-just-wanna-have-fun. X')"
—quote by Superior Dimwit from chapter 114 on "The End of the Beginning"
The End of the Beginning is an active and long going Blue Exorcist fanfic created by Superior Dimwit with over 300k+ words and so far only 2 arcs created. The plot of the story is to give Shiro Fujimoto from Blue Exorcist a story of his own before he died, so that's what Superior Dimwit did. She starts off with Shiro at nearly 18 years of age and meeting Mephisto Pheles for the first time as well as entering the exorcist class. Except he needs to figure out who is unsealing the wards on the school grounds before time is up while reporting to Mephisto about the case and just about everyone in his class is a suspect with a motive for removing the wards.
There's also a spin off series which according to Superior Dimwit is like "...the little brother of The End of the Beginning" that offers happy one-shots so you won't cry and scream at the screen while reading The End of the Beginning.
This is the original fanfic on fanfiction.net.
Warning: There are spoilers that are unmarked in this page.
The End of the Beginning contains examples of:
- Absurdly High-Stakes Game: Using video games to bet for a school uniform (Shiro's soul for the uniform, he won) and on another occasion for a scholarship to True Cross Academy. Again Shiro was willing to sell his soul to Mephisto for that scholarship, lucky for him that he drew...in a sword fight against Mephisto.
- Chessmaster: Mephisto, both figuratively and literally. Especially recently where it is shown that Shiro is a pawn to him.
- Cursed with Awesome: Shiro once he starts to realise something isn't quite right with his body.
- Deal with the Devil: As of chapter 111 where Shiro does what Mephisto wants him to in exchange to heal Kasumi's face.
- Demonic Possession: Happens more to Shiro than he would like it to.
- Demon Slaying: It is an action-based Blue Exorcist fanfic...
- Digging Yourself Deeper: Shiro, whether he likes it or not is just good at saying the wrong things at the wrong time.
- Dogged Nice Guy: Ryuuji and unfortunately for him Agari hates demons and well, Ryuuji is part demon.
- Fantastic Racism: Agari, she really hates demons. It is justified as her family was killed by them.
- Girl on Girl Is Hot: Shiro certainly seems to think so when he walked into Sen and Midori. He has to excuse himself after he overhears something interesting.
- God: God is a female who really likes to experiment with her food and on new creatures.
- Half-Human Hybrid: Midori and Ryuuji, who are both half demons. Although Ryuuji looks more human due to his mother cutting off his tail and ears so that he'll blend in better.
- Hopeless Suitor: Shiro, oddly enough, to Midori.
- Ladykiller in Love: Shiro to Kasumi. It ends horribly for the both of them due to Shiro being Cursed with Awesome
- Good Is Not Nice: There's Shiro and Beaumonde. Shiro isn't exactly the nicest person around when he says what he says he'll do Also due to the fact that Shiro killed Agari . Beaumonde gives a death threaten Mephisto in front of Shiro. Also Agari is also here due to the fact she nearly killed Midori with holy water.
- Light Is Not Good: All of the above but especially Agari and also Cardinal Tanzi, who influenced Agari to be the way that she was.
- Otaku: Mephisto, naturally who collects manga, anime, figurines, toys and video games. He is somewhat converting Shiro into liking manga as well.
- Promotion to Parent: Mentioned briefly that was that to Mephisto to all of his brothers. He still has cravings to teach people proper manners, mostly to Shiro but also to God too.
- Shout-Out: To many works including:
- Adekan, with a reference to the Shiro in there as said by Kasumi.
- Dogma, with Metaton.
- Durarara!!, when Mephisto seems to be playing Chess, Go and Shoji at one point much like Izaya. Bonus points since both characters have the same Japanese voice actor.
- Goethe's Faust where Mephisto references... himself (Mephistopheles, the demon who Faust made the deal with) and how it isn't his fault that humans want knowledge and are greedy.
- Good Omens with the earliest is a hint of Crowley and in latest chapters there is a hint of Aziraphale.
- Tezuka Osamu's work where they discuss his manga and Shiro getting a face full of a ranchy MW scene.
- That Came Out Wrong: Shiro and his big mouth when he's tired he makes the worst (or best depending on your view) mistakes where his mouth doesn't meet his brain. He also makes slip ups even when he isn't tired.
- Unwitting Pawn: Admittedly everyone to Mephisto but more so is Kita, who pushed Shiro into making a deal with Mephisto, while trying to take down Mephisto. There was also a mention of Mephisto is the cause behind the enmity between two famous exorcist families, the Yaonaru clan and Toudou clan.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Agari, who tries to kill Mephisto to save the world from his plans.
- Xanatos Speed Chess: Mephisto in how he tries to get Shiro to work for him and also quite possibly God maybe part of this game of chess as well according to the latest chapters.
