"Codex: World Government
The World Government is a federation that was initially established by assimialting the remaining nations of the Old Terra after the events of the Apocalypse. The World Government was established shortly after the creation of the Congregation itself.
After the Z-Day and the invasion of the Demons from the Burning Legion, most of the No-Maj Nations of the world collapsed almost instantly due to the sheer might of the Demons of the Burning Legion. And where the Demons didn't finish the job, Zombies did, or the follow-up rise of the Cursed Spirits from all the Negative Energy that was generated.
Only a few nations of No-Majs survived the initial wave, mainly those with a strong connection to their own Supernatural population. The United States of America, Great Britain, France, Germany, India, China, and Japan were managed due to the intervention of the Supernatural Factions and people.
Following the Apocalypse and Z-Day, the Congregation directly annexed the remaining surviving No-Majs nations and established the World Government that encompassed the remains of the Terrans, a collective name for all species that were born on the planet Earth or Terra.
The World Government controls the entirety of the planet Terra and is responsible for the protection of its people and the development of their territories.
The highest body of the World Government is the Congregation itself, which manages the majority of the affairs of the World Government. The federation itself was pivotal in security and protecting as many of the No-Majs as possible, even though most of the No-Majs perished during the events of the Apocalypse.
The Z-Virus that was spread across the Terra was infecting solely the No-Majs, as they didn't have any kind of protection against the Z-Virus. Only those who had some Magical or different ancestry had a chance of resisting the Z-Virus, depending on the strength of the ancestry they had.
For the remaining No-Majs, the Z-Virus was as deadly as it could get. Those of the supernatural races could resist the Z-Virus through the Mana, Cursed Energy, Aura, or Psychic Energy, so the Z-Virus was a minor complication to most of them.
The World Government itself has several branches, namely the Federation Army, Cipher Pol, World Administration Bureau, and a few minor ones. The Branches of the World Government usually work together with the corresponding Departments of the Congregation.
The World Government controls and oversees the Federation Military, which is the army composed of the remnants of the old militaries of the nations of the No-Majs. The Federation Army is composed of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. In terms of the hierarchy, it exists under the oversight of the Five Elders directly, and it's led by the Commander-in-Chief.
The Federation Military is the primary military force of the World Government and Congregation due to the sheer numbers that the Federation Military possesses. A vast and well-structured organization with many ranks, they are stationed on bases all over the world and also patrol the oceans on battleships.
Federation Military has access to most of the World Government's most advanced weapons and scientific tools, including the most advanced Magitek Runic Weapons, Armors, Armored Vehicles, and practically anything that they need to fulfill their role as the World Government's primary fighting force.
Cipher Pol is a group of government agencies responsible for investigation, espionage, and assassination. There are officially eight Cipher Pol units, as well as a rumored secret ninth one known as CP9, whose members are the government's top assassins. Additionally, there is another unit called CP0, which directly performs the bidding of the World Nobles, and its members are thus the strongest in all of Cipher Pol.
Cipher Pol works very closely with the Department of Burial Agency and the Department of Enforcers under the direct oversight of the Five Elders.
After the establishment of the World Government, due to the Apocalypse and Z-Day, most ofthe territory of the Terrans has been lost to the Demons, Zombies, Mutated Beasts, Cursed Spirits, and other unknown horrors that were spawned from the events of the Apocalypse; only a few locations remained untouched or usable.
The most notable was the capital of the World Government and Congregation, Mary Geoise, followed by the Three Great Fortress Cities: Salem in America, Camelot on the Island of Avalon, and Star City of Takamagahara.
Then, after the Great Fortress Cities, there were smaller places and cities, primarily various racial capitals or ancestral seats of some species and factions. The other notable locations of the World Government also belong to the Azkaban, Headquarters of the Federation Military, Atlas, Wanderig Sea, and many others that are spread across the Terra.
With the Worldmeld, the territory under the control of the World Government had grown considerably, though not always through peaceful assimilation. Many times, the World Government needed to dispatch the full might of the Federation Military or, in more extreme cases, the Celestial Dragons led the Knights of God to handle the situation.
The most notable case was the conquest of the Teigu Continent or the Remnant. Both of the worlds that were merged with the Terra proved to have very fierce resistance, in which both of them even required the intervention of the Knights of God.
The contents of the former world of Remnant proved to be especially troublesome due to the presence of the creatures known as Grimm, which proved to be especially tough opponents due to their sheer number and the appearance of some really powerful creatures of Grimm and their inexhaustible hordes.
The World Government currently holds dominion over several continents and tens of millions of people who live within the borders of the Terra. Aside from the planet Terra, the World Government also established several colonies on the different planets that were connected to Terra through the God-Devil Gates.
On top of the World Government sits the master of the Empty Throne, Princeps Congregatio Imperatoris. Below him are the Five Elders, and beneath the Five Elders are the Twenty Lords of the Congregation.
The majority of the World Government is run and directed by the Celestial Dragons."
- Introduction: Guideline to the World Government
***
Potion Masters were very respected across the entire world, because they were making Potions which were highly sought by all in the Moonlit World. Then there were healers that were equally rare, perhaps sometimes even rarer, because technically speaking, anyone could brew Potions as long as they learned the recipes and procedures correctly.
Even Normies could do it, albeit not all Potions, because some of the Potions required active usage of Magic or other. On the contrary, the Healers needed to have an aptitude for the Healing Magic or its other alternatives.
Among the Jujutsu Sorcerers, the Healers were probably as prized as Special 1st-Class Jujutsu Sorcerers, sometimes even more valuable, due to the fundamental nature of the Cursed Energy and concept of Healing.
"That's a very admirable path that you have chosen for yourself. I can see that as Potion Master and Healer in one, you would be even more valuable than Special-Class Beings for many factions."
Shirou stated, and he really meant what he had said.
If she really succeeded in her endeavors, then her status would be no lower than that of the Special-Class Beings. She would be able to practically heal most, if not all, injuries and ailments, and also make her own specialized potions, which could be tailored for the patient.
That was some sort of luxury that was affordable only to those standing at the zenith of the world, because most, if not all, hospitals and healers in the world were using standardized potions made by the Potion Masters and Potioneering Crafting Stores.
But a Healer, who mastered various types of Healing Magic and techniques, and at the same time, could brew her own potion that was specifically tailored for the concrete patient and his injury and illness.
That was rather overpowered.
"I am aware, but I still have a long way to go to reach that goal."
Narcissa said because she was aware that the path to that goal was rather long, but she was greatly confident in her skills and abilities. They spoke as they approached the Great Hall of Hogwarts Castle for breakfast, as Shirou decided that he would eat with them at this one.
The Great Hall in Hogwarts Castle was the main gathering area in the school, which was located off the Entrance Hall. It was a large hall where students and teachers dined and congregated.
Three meals a day were hosted in this hall. The Great Hall was the main place where students received their meals and the daily posts delivered by owl.
The Great Hall was a large hall with four long tables where students of each House sat during the day and at mealtimes. The staff table was at the front, where the entire Hogwarts staff sat. There was a throne-like chair in the centre of the table where the current Headmaster or Headmistress sat.
The ceiling of the Great Hall was covered with candles, and it was enchanted to look like the sky above. To the left of the table was a door that led to a chamber with portraits. There was a gallery that overlooked the hall.
From the staff table, the House tables were as follows: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin.
When they had arrived at the Great Hall, Shirou couldn't help but marvel a bit at the magical sight in front of his eyes. It was certainly weird and fascinating to see everything moving in such a magical and breathtaking way.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Hearing the question of the youngest Black sister, Shirou just nodded as they headed toward the Slytherin Faculty table, as their arrival caught the attention of some people.
Only some, though the ones that knew of his identity were very surprised, but at the same time, Shirou also noticed that there was a fair share of students looking at him due to his proximity to both Bellatrix Black and Narcissa Black.
Still, the majority of the students of Slytherin were very well informed about his appearance and status, not to mention that Shirou also grinned when he realized that there was a certain group of students who looked pale as ghosts when they noticed.
Those were the children of the Death Eaters or the Nobles that were aligned with Voldemort, albeit there were actually not that many of them, yet. Even though Voldemort was a Special-Class Magus, he was very cautious and didn't make any moves yet.
There was no direct confrontation or show of power that would show everyone exactly how powerful the man was. He was biding his time, gathering powers in the shadows, and preparing for the confrontation against Dumbledore.
Cetrintl...
The newest Dark Lord was rather wise because many of the British Pure-Blooded Aristocratic Families were greedier than they were smart. Yet, despite his power, Voldemort wasn't that successful in his recruitment because he didn't manage to recruit the most powerful Families into his cause.
Like the Black, Barthomeloi, McRemitz Fraga, Animusphere, Potter, or Bones Family, because all of them had something else to depend on. Even though Voldemort was undoubtedly very powerful, a Special-Class being, he didn't dare to attack these powerful Families personally.
Especially in their home turf.
Special-Class or not, he would return in the coffin if he darted to attack Castle Black or the Bones Mansion. What he thought managed to recruit were either Wizarding Families that were hard-core Blood Supremacists or those Magus Families that had already declined and degenerated.
Once the three of them sat down at the edge of the Slytherin table, they were receiving curious and cautious glances here and there. It was really mind-boggling to see the Director of the Jujutsu Association sitting in the dining hall of Hogwarts and having a meal with two daughters of the House of Black.
Primarily when Bellatrix was known not to be the most amiable person around, and Narcissa could be even worse when she wanted. Among the three sisters, Narcissa was the one who looked most like a typical common noble lady, and looked pretty harmless in fact.
Yet she was the most cunning and vindictive woman that one could ever encounter in their very own life.
Some of the more politically apt people among the Syltherin, but not exclusive to that, noticed the tides. Many read the situation in a specific way... if the Director of the Jujutsu Association was openly friendly with the daughters of the House Black, it meant that the House Black was planning to align with the Jujutsu Association.
Even some of the more arrogant Wizards knew that in a pure direct confrontation in terms of raw power, they were no match for the Jujutsu Sorcerers that were bred and trained for battle.
Especially the scions of the Five Great Principal Clans.
Meanwhile, from the Head Table where the Professors and Headmaster of Hogwarts were sitting, Dumbledore observed everything with a not really pleased expression. Even though Blacks would never ally themselves with Voldemort, they were still clashing with him in the political arena.
Too much for his tastes.
Dumbledore and Arcturus Black were too different and had very opposing views on how to run things.
The Chief Mugwump of the Wizengamot wanted to promote the interests of the Muggleborn Wizards and, at the same time, achieve co-existence with the No-Majs. Which was going directly against the agenda of the Blacks.
While the Blacks were actually not that opposed to increasing the status and opportunities for the Muggleborns, they wanted to rule over them and use them for their own goals.
At the same time, they were not really looking that favourably at the co-existence with the Normies, something that was common sentiment among the Moonlit World, and many people in the Moonlit World believed that the Normies were useful, but they should be serving them.
This was also a very common sentiment among the Jujutsu Sorcerers as well.
Social Darwinism was a thing here, pretty much.
"Is the food to your tastes?"
Narcissa asked Shirou, because despite his rather fearsome reputation, she found the Jujutsu Marshall a very pleasant person to be around. It was rather interesting, but he seemed to be a very friendly and nice person.
Whenever it was just a facade or just part of his personality that was used when he was dealing with the people that he liked, it was to be seen.
"Not really used to the British cuisine... though, it's a nice change of things."
The last time he had eaten British cuisine was several decades ago, when he was visiting Great Britain during World War II. Those were really troubled times, especially since his nation was entering the war on the side of the Third Reich and was destined to be defeated in the war.
During that time, the Jujutsu Association invested considerable power and resources in turning the tide of war for Japan, so that their country would not be defeated in the war and ultimately...
Like it ended in history.
"Those who cannot adapt to the change will perish in the streams of time."
Both he and Narcissa looked at Bellatrix, as for the first time, she said something profound and with deep meaning.
"Very, very true... during my long life, I saw this many times and right now, the Moonlit World is standing on the verge of the greatest change that is awaiting us since the establishment of the Statute of Secrecy."
Shirou said this, which caught the attention not only of Bellatrix and Narcissa but also of several students who were sitting nearby and listening. Especially those who were aware of who he was, which was adding a new form of gravity to his words.
"As you know, the International Statute of Moonlit Secrecy was passed to separate the Mundane World and the Moonlit World. Unfortunately, during the past decades, the technology of the No-Majs has been progressing at a staggering pace. Within one decade, I don't think that it would be possible to implement the Statute of Secrecy anymore. The revelation of the Moonlit World is inevitable, and with that... the great conflict between the two sides."
Everyone who was listening and could comprehend the meaning behind his words knew what he was speaking about, no matter how uncomfortable it made some people feel.
Total annihilation war.
"Don't need to look at me like that... most of the people in the Moonlit World are severely underestimating the technology of the No-Majs, but soon enough it's only a matter of time, until we won't be able to hide at all, even though... I never saw the need to hide in the first place at all."
Shirou stated as he saw how Dumbledore was growing increasingly uncomfortable with his speech because it was greatly reminding him of his dearest friend.
"Care to explain?"
Bellatrix asked with mirth in her eyes as if she found a kindred soul in her worldview.
"You see... we are heading to the clash of two civilizations. We are all inhabitants of the Terra, this world upon which we walk and in which we live. Yet, we are too different, and greed and envy are very powerful sins. The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. And they... they would be full of greed and envy, of our abilities and power, and most importantly, they would fear us. And if you can't understand the thing you fear, you will destroy it."
Suddenly, as Shirou started speaking, suddenly the entire Great Hall grew silent and quiet as everyone listened to the Jujutsu Marshall speaking. Yet the atmosphere was heavy, very heavy, and many had a horrible feeling about what was to come.
Especially the older members of the faculty were growing more tense and more distraught at the situation and the words of the Jujutsu Marshall.
Many still remembered the man who spoke very similar words, in a very eloquent and charming way, unlike any other.
"They say that we must hide from them, like rats in the sewers, despite the power that we hold. The power to bend reality to our wishes, to destroy... and to create. The Muggles. The No-Maj. The Can't-Spells. I do not hate them. I do not. For I do not fight out of hatred. I say the Muggles are not lesser, but other. Not worthless, but of other value. Not disposable, but of a different disposition. They are arrogant about their achievements, yet they do not measure up to ours. They are ignorant of the depth of the world."
If previously Dumbledore was distraught, now he was...
Livid, deathly pale, and shocked to the core...
Because what Shirou was speaking was word-for-word.
Almost.
The most famous speech of Gellert Grindelwald.
"Moonlit blooms only in a rare souls. It is granted to those who live for higher things. Oh, and what a world we could make, for all of humanity. We who live for freedom, for truth and for love... and the time of choosing is coming. To choose..."
Just as he was about to continue, Shirou noticed something snapping in the Great Hall.
"That's enough, Lord Amakusa."
Dumbledore said with a certain degree of power in his voice, befitting that of the Special-Class Magus. Even though Dumbledore refrained from using his brute force, he was still a Special-Class Magus and one of the most powerful ones who had ever walked the earth.
"You cannot twist the truth into your own vision of perfection. Albus."
Suddenly, his Cursed Energy erupted from his body as everyone could feel the power of the Special-Class Jujutsu Sorcerer and Special-Class Magus clashing briefly before it dissipated into the nothingness.
"It seems that the breakfast has ended."
With that being said, Shirou stood up and left the Great Hall, leaving behind perplexed students and shaken faculty members for one reason or another. For some reason, several moments later, Bellatrix stood up and went after him in a hurry.
***
Several Hours Later, Hogwarts
After the morning, Shirou returned to his quarters and then spent most of the time in the library as he was reading while waiting for the news to come that the raid team was being gathered to raid the facilities of the Death Eaters.
It didn't take that long for Selene to awaken from her slumber, as the Vampiric "Princess" Regent woke up and was still grumpy as before. It seemed that she would need to let out some steam, so he was hoping that during the raid on the Death Eaters, she would let out some steam.
There was nothing better to calm down than some good, old-fashioned slaughter of your enemies.
That was something that he was speaking from experience because when he was angry, then for him the best method to calm down quickly was to hunt for some Cursed Spirits and do some Exorcism.
So he knew that Selene, who was rather big, a combat junky, would never try this method as well.
"How did you sleep?"
Shirou asked as he already knew the answer, but it was done more from courtesy than anything else. He knew that she didn't sleep well most of the time, though she was very well rested and rejuvenated, probably from the Dragon Blood that she got from the House Elves of Hogwarts.
At least the blood for the Vampires was truly superb here, courtesy of Dumbledore, the Acting Regent of the Old World Coven.
The old coot was attempting to draw the Old World Coven to his cause, which was something that Shirou found rather laughable, because the Vampire Nobility held even greater disdain for the normal humans than all other factions and species across the Moonlit World combined.
"Terrible, but at least the blood was good... I have heard that you created commotion in the Great Hall... most of the kids are whispering about it since I woke up."
Selene stated as she sat next to Shirou and started sharpening her daggers as they were preparing for the combat. They would be conducting the raids on the Death Eaters in the afternoon, as was decided by the Auror Department after some discussion with the Lords of the Noble Houses.
They chose the afternoon, shortly after lunch, because it was a time that not many would really expect, as most of them would expect an attack to happen during the night.
"I guess that my words had some effect... though, I didn't really expect Dumbledore almost to lose the control. Sometimes I swear that made it impossible to untangle, but it seems that Grindelwald's ideas are still pretty much his sore spot."
Shirou stated as he looked at the daggers that Selene was sharpening, because both of them were Special-Grade Cursed Weapons. Ones that were made by the best Cursed Blacksmiths of the Jujutsu Association and were bought by the Old World Coven.
He was somewhat surprised that she had something like this, because the Jujutsu Association wasn't generally selling the Special-Grade Cursed Tools, as they were too precious even for the Jujutsu Association.
"Do you really think that there would be a war between us and the normals?"
Selene suddenly asked as she was genuinely intrigued by my viewpoint on the topic.
"Certainly... soon enough, their technology would cross the threshold where it would be impossible to hide the existence of the Moonlit World. You should also be aware of the dangers of normal humans to the Supernatural."
Shirou knew that the war between the mundane side of the world and the supernatural side of the world was inevitable. He had seen the technological development of the Normies and knew that they were developing technology at a staggering rate.
Well, the Jujutsu Association has been participating in the research and development of the technology as they controlled the entirety of Japan, including the mundane side of the nation.
"You know, once the revelation happens, and after all that shock and overwhelming emotions, the two most notable emotions would remain. Fear and envy. They would fear us, and they would envy us even more than they fear us. So they would try to understand how they could obtain the same abilities as us and destroy us. It's a natural reaction to the unknown..."
Shirou didn't have any illusions about the relationships between the mundane and supernatural. He was aware that the war was only one certainty, and once that happened, they, the Moonlit World, needed to be ready to strike first, and they would need to strike very hard.
"That sounds logical..."
Selene, even though a former human, had the same perspective as him. Though it was also due to the fact that both of them were very old, at least compared to the normal huzamnb olifepsan, they were very old.
Shirou was over one and a half thousand years old, and as far as he knew, Selene was something above six hundred years old at least. Both of them saw a lot and understood human nature very well...
At least well enough that they understood that peace was never an option between the two sides of the world.
"Well... at least we are powerful enough. Even though humans have their nukes that could obliterate entire cities, they are not even powerful enough to kill Special-Class Werewolves when they use their Aura to the maximum."
Selene stated, and certainly, while the normies had some nifty pieces of tech, it was nothing compared to the power of the Special-Class beings that could unleash a similar degree of destruction like a nuke if they had some AOE attacks, or they could avoid it or wish it.
Obviously, even if the No-Majs decided to drop a nuke on someone, it wasn't like the people would just stand there and let themselves be hit by the nuke. Magic, Jujutsu Sorcery, Blood Arts, or other sources of power had many means of dealing with weapons like a nuke.
"That's true... but it would still be bloody. Normies are outnumbering us greatly, and that's not even mentioning the number and power of the Cursed Spirits that would be created by such negativity. I fear that such an event would create someone on the level of Sukuna... a Legendary-Class being..."
During his very long life...
Sukuna was the only time that he felt really on the doors of the death.
The strongest Jujutsu Sorcerer from over a thousand years ago. Regarded as the undisputed King of Curses, the title came mainly because of his affinity for the Cursed Energy.
Sukuna was born with a very special physique that allowed him to be like a beloved child of the Cursed Energy, and he had tremendous reserves, an even more ridiculous regeneration rate, and expenditure on technique was so small that he barely spent anything.
If Shirou was the Ancestor of the Jujutsu Sorcerers, then Sukuna was certainly the Godfather, as he worked together with Shirou on perfecting their breed, and they made a lot of progress.
Unforutrly, like Shirou, Sukuna was stuck at the gate of choice.
Both Shirou Amakusa Tokisada and Ryomen Sukuna, after some time, reached the pinnacle of what could be called Special-Class with no path forward.
In the end, Sukuna gave up searching through the orthodox path to reach the Legendary Class and decided to turn himself into a hybrid of Jujutsu Sorcerer and Cursed Spirit with the addition of the essence of a few Dark Creatures, mainly Dementors and some other Phantasmal Beasts.
Thus...
The King of Curses, the Disgraced One, was born.
And unfortunately...
Shirou was forced to kill his only true friend in this new world.
The fight between them was...
Terrific...
More than five Special-Class beings participated.
Three Special-Class Jujutsu Sorcerers, one Special-Class Magus who was a member of the House Black, and one Special-Class Vampire, an Elder Amelia.
Aside from them, another twenty Special 1st-Class beings and more than one hundred 1st-Class beings among the Jujutsu Sorcerers, Magi, Wizards, Vampires, Yokai, Psykers, and Werewolves participated in the operation to kill Ryomon Sukuna.
The mission was successful.
But the price was too high...
More than 80% of the participants perished in the fight.
The might of the Legendary-Class Being was...
Something that could reshape the entire continent with its causal presence.
If the strongest Special-Classes who possessed Area of Effects techniques could reduce entire cities to dust, then the Legendary-Classes could do the same to whole continents with ease.
"Well... if that happens, the glorious Jujutsu Marshall will slay the spirit, right?"
Selene said jokingly as Shirou was overtaken by melancholy.
"You know... There are rumors that you have secretly reached the Legendary-Class a long time ago..."
The Acting Regent of the Old World Coven said... she found out that the Jujutsu Marshal was a very kind and approachable individual in private.
When Shirou heard that, his mind wandered to the Cursed Object that was stored in his personal vault, in the deepest parts of the Star Tomb Takamagahara.
It was the last remaining piece of the Ryomen Sukuna, the Cursed Nuclei.
The only thing that couldn't be destroyed or banished after they killed the King of Curses.
Yet...
It wasn't even like Shirou wanted to destroy the Cursed Nuclei, because he knew very well what it was. It was the last legacy of one, if not the most powerful being, that has ever walked through this world.
***
Flashback, Thousand Years Ago
The lands were raged beyond recognition, as the entire ground was covered by the broken bodies, pieces of flesh, or destroyed weapons. The earth was already crimson-red from all of the blood that had flowed from the corpses that were covering the entire area like tiny pieces of sand that were everywhere.
Amid the battlefield, in the middle of all the destruction and carnage, two figures were standing against each other, locked in a deadly combat.
One of the figures was a tall and muscular man with four arms, four eyes, and a large mouth on his stomach. He has short pink-red hair and red eyes, with his two right eyes being angled differently and located on a white flesh plate-like structure on the right side of his face.
His body is also covered in tattoos, which manifest on his vessel whenever he is in control and are naturally present in his true form. The tattoos are mostly black lines on his wrists, ankles, upper arms, upper body, abdomen, and face. Black dots are also tattooed on each of his shoulders.
When these tattoos manifest on a vessel with two arms, the lines encircling the upper arms and wrists are doubled, and circles form around the black dots on the shoulders. Additionally, the vessels get a horizontal line in the middle of the nose, as well as a crown-like symbol in the middle of their forehead.
"You fucking bastard, you really did it didn't you?"
The monstrous figure coughed blood, as he looked at the white-haired tann-skinned man who had the legendary demon sword stabbed through his heart, as his body started decomposing and disappeared from reality itself.
"Well then, let's not give people the reason to speak that I didn't leave you anything..."
Flashback end
***
Present Time
"No... I didn't... but who knows what the future holds for us... maybe I would reach it sooner than you think..."
Shirou muttered as he was constantly thinking about the Cursed Nuclei that were left after he killed Sukuna.
Because the Cursed Nuclei...
It contained it all...
As he was thinking about it, he suddenly got a letter dropped in front of him with a simple word "Now", which meant that they were to depart for the agreed location, and they would be conducting the raids on the Death Eaters and some of their affiliated forces.
If they could be found at that.
"It seems that we can finally go..."
Shirou stated quietly as he was becoming rather bored of staying here and doing nothing, not to mention, this would be a good opportunity to see Selene in the fight, because he heard that she was a very powerful warrior.
Despite the fact that she was a Special 1st Grade Vampire, she had already taken down a good number of Special 1st Grade Werewolves during the war between the Old World Coven and the Lycan Rebellion.
And he was also curious about the recent developments of Heaven's Feel, as it had been many decades, if not centuries, since he had seen Heaven's Feel in action last time. He was rather curious how the Blacks managed to perfect Heaven's Feel, as their Family Craft was pretty powerful and had a lot of room for development.
"Finally. I want to stab something already."
Selene said in something that could be called as cheerful voice, when she heard from Shirou that they were finally going to fight. Though that reminded him that he needed to tell her that they were not going alone onto this, but somehow they would be taking another person with them.
He wondered how angry the old Patriarch of the House Black would be.
Most probably a lot.
Never mind, that wasn't really his problem, though.
At least he would get some entertainment.
Aside from the three of them, Patriarch of the House Black, there was an entire plethora of people participating in the quelling operation. Augustus Barthomeloi, Leonhardt Fraga McRemitz, a lot of Aurors, Mercenaries, and also a lot of private troops of the Houses Barthomeloi, Fraga McRemitz, and Black.
Obviously, with just Aurors, they wouldn't really be able to do much.
They needed the support from the Noble Families and Magus Families for this endeavor, because the power of the British Ministry of Magic was too pitiful, and only through the help of the Nobles could they function normally.
In the end, Voldemort was enjoying a great support among the Wizardkin Families, rather too much for anyone's tastes, but at the same time, Shirou could understand the reason, because what Voldemort was promising them sounded very tempting.
"We are going to pick up one of the daughters of Arcturus Black. When I spoke with her, I learned that she was secretly sneaking out to do mercenary work, and she is not weak. Once she heard what would be happening, she insisted that we take her."
Shirou said as they then went to pick up Bellatrix Black and in truth, Selene didn't really care much about it. The Vampire Regentess was rather simplistic in her approach to people, because as long as they were strong and useful, she would be amiable to them.
In her own way.
Picking up Bellatrix wasn't that lengthy, because the daughter of House Black was already prepared for the combat and was waiting for them to pick her up. Shirou got a portkey to the pre-destined location, which was somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
It was specifically picked by the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement as the safest location from which they could start conducting the raids on the Death Eaters and their affiliated forces and Noble Families that were supporting Voldemort and were members of the Death Eaters.
***
Unknown Location
Amid the dense woods somewhere in Great Britain, hundreds of people were gathering under the watchful eyes of the high-ranking Noble Lords of the British Wizardkin society.
Because they managed to extract a lot of information from the mind of Fenrir Greyback, they had names of the collaborators of Voldemort, members of the Death Eaters, and so on, everything that gave them the right to act.
And because Bartemius Crouch, who was the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, was a rather battle-hungry warmonger, he instantly mobilized the entire Auror Department, and even Minister Jenkins sent him a detachment of the Unspeakables that would be assisting during the raids,
According to their prediction, if they managed to either arrest or kill at least 50% of the people on the lists from the memories of Greyback, then it would hinder Voldemort's development and power base by at least a decade.
The primary targets were the prominent Wizarding Noble Families that were supporting Voldemort and were members of the Death Eaters.
"There are even more people than initially anticipated..."
Bellatrix muttered as she saw a lot of people bearing the Raven Crest of the House Black, which meant that these were the private troops of the House Black and that her grandfather wasn't far.
Only the Patriarch of the House Black could mobilize such a number of the Black Guard.
She was sure that her grandfather would be pretty furious when he learned that she was here, but alas, it was already too late for him to do anything about it. She strolled through the area together with Shirou and Selene, who was the Vampire Regent of the Old World Coven.
Surprisingly, she found a friend in Selene... if it could be called such or whatever...
They spent some time talking, and even though Selene was relatively quiet and reserved, it was rather surprising for Shirou that the two of them spent the past half an hour talking about various things.
Nevertheless, Shirou aimed directly for the command tent that was in the middle of the encampment of the gathering, as various Wizards, Magi, Mercanaries, and other races were all gathering for the raid.
Shirou even saw one of the strike teams from the Jujutsu Association that was leading not only a group of Jujutsu Sorcerers but also some Japanese Magic and Wizards, together with some Yokai that came.
There were even detachments from the Death Dealers from the Old World Coven and the New World Coven that arrived here.
International portkeys were really wonders of magic.
Being able to teleport across the entire world was nothing short of a miracle.
"There are a lot of people here..."
Bellatrix muttered when she saw the number of people that were here, because it wasn't just the people of the British Ministry of Magic and the personal troops of the Magus Families.
"Of course... Voldemort is a very powerful Special-Class Magus, with little to no sanity left, and a pretty big influence and even bigger goals. That madman thinks that he alone can declare a crusade on the normies right now and right here."
Shirou answered, as there was indeed a great number of people, but that was mainly because Shirou and Selene lived at home when they asked for the information.
The Old World Coven was eager to send some of the free Death Dealers to hunt after mutts and some of the Wizards. Meanwhile, the Jujutsu Association was here mainly because Shirou was insisting on maintaining the current order of things.
Shirou was aware that there was a need for the change in the Moonlit Word, but it wasn't right now, and certainly it wasn't in the hands of Voldemort. Then there was another reason why most of the Jujutsu Association and Old World Coven were so eager for the raid, and to help the British Ministry of Magic was the loot.
Many of the targets that they would be raiding would be the manors of the Wizarding Noble Families, the other properties of the Wizarding Noble Families, and other objects of interest.
Which meant...
Loot.
Everyone wanted to loot what had remained after the enemies were wiped out and everyone knew that the Nobles kept a lot of their money in their private vaults that were deep underneath their manors and mansions.
This was something that even the lofty vampires of the Old World Coven wouldn't really deny, as the generational wealth of the Wizards was something that couldn't be taken lightly.
Especially, some of the Noble Families that supported Voldemort belonged to the richest noble families in the Wizarding society. Not to mention, for the Vampires, they would get their share of the loot that they brought to the Coven, so the Death Dealers were very eager for this operation.
And this was also the reason why so many Death Dealers willingly participated in this mission.
"I am going to organize the Death Dealers. It seems that Khan is leading them, who knows what made that man participate in the raid on some human Wizards willingly."
Selene said as she was going to check on her Death Dealers that were swarming in one part of the encampment. All of them wore an ornamental amulet that was made by goblins and dwarves; it was an exquisite piece of craftsmanship.
The Jujutsu Marshall nodded as he went to the command tent, and after that, he would go to check on the detachment of the Jujutsu Association that was sent here from Japan.
He didn't see who they sent, but if he had to guess, then it should be someone from the Douman Clan, one of the Five Great Principal Clans of the Jujutsu World. Doumans were pretty money-oriented, and they were studying the power systems of the different races and factions to a great extent.
Their Patriarch, Douman Ashiya, was a Special-Class Jujutsu Sorcerer who was several centuries old, only a few centuries younger than Shirou himself.
When Shirou arrived at the command tent, a few people were already present.
Mainly, the Special-Class Magi Augustus Barthomeloi and Leonhardt Fraga McRemitz, then Shirou saw Arctrus Black, who had apparently arrived only a few moments earlier.
Aside from the heavy hitters, people from the British Ministry of Magic, mainly the ones from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, headed by Bartemius Crouch, and from the Auror Department, headed by Alastor Moody, were drafting their next progress.
When the Patriarch of the House Black saw his granddaughter next to Shirou, he was beyond angry that Bellatrix went there, but at the same time, he was also very well aware that any attempts to control and command Bellatrix were just pure foolishness.
Bellatrix was always doing what she wanted and what she deemed to be suitable for her. If there was one person who couldn't be controlled among the members of the House Black, then it was Bellatrix.
Even his foolish grandson could be controlled to a great degree, but his most prized granddaughter?
No chance.
"Now that we have all been gathered. I believe that this would be all, as Lord Amakusa and Lady Selene were the last people that arrived."
Bartemius Crouch, who was standing in the middle of the tent and overseeing something that seemed to be a holographic map created by Magic, was displaying the entire territory of Great Britain.
"Now. We have several targets that we need to arrest."
Crouch, as the Head of the Magical Law Enforcement of Great Britain, was one of the biggest warhawks in Great Britain, and he was also the one who was advocating for the militarization of the Aurors as much as possible.
He was also the only one who wanted to strike against the Death Eaters and Voldemort, the moment they started wreaking havoc, but was unable to. Now, due to the combination of luck and political maneuvering, a bigger and stronger coalition was created against the Death Eaters and their domestic terrorism.
Several major families provided their own forces for this operation, each contributing something around two hundred Wizards and a few Magi. Auror Department managed to mobilize around five hundred Aurors, but their quality wasn't up to the standards of the Battle Wizards cultivated by the major Magus Families of Barthomelois, Blacks, and McRemitz Fragas.
What was more pleasant to the elderly Head of the Magical Law Enforcement was the fact that Old World Coven sent over one hundred Death Dealers, and Jujutsu Association sent over one hundred Jujutsu Sorcerers.
Among them, there were plenty of heavy hitters.
"Now, we have several primary targets that we managed to identify from the Greyback's memories, where the Death Eaters are congregating in bigger numbers."
Crouch started the speeches as several places appeared on the projection map, and all of them were marked as the highest priority.
Knockturn Alley.
Malfoy Manor.
Little Hangleton.
These three locations were the primary gathering places for the Death Eaters.
"Malfoy. Lestrange. Avery. Nott. Yaxley. The biggest supporters among the Wizarding Noble Families are for Voldemort's cause. Each of their ancestral seat is the target for the raid, with the Malfoy Manor being the prime target, because in Greyback's memories, the Malfoys are the biggest supporters and most of the meetings of the Death Eaters are taking place in the Malfoy Manor."
Shirou looked over and when he saw there the Little Hangleton, he knew that this was the palace where most probably Voldemort was located.
Little Hangleton was a small village in England, within which the most prominent family was formerly the Riddles. The village was six miles away from the larger community of Great Hangleton and was about 100 kilometers away from Little Whinging. The pure-blood wizarding family, the House of Gaunt, lived just outside Little Hangleton in a shack.
The Riddle Mansion was the home of the snobbishly unpopular Riddle family, who were Muggles, in the early twentieth century. It was the largest house in town, and the Riddles were wealthy, owning much of the land around.
The son of the Riddles was Tom Riddle Senior, who was bewitched by the witch Merope Gaunt with either the Imperius Curse or a love potion in 1926, leading to the conception of Tom Marvolo Riddle, who would come to be known as Lord Voldemort.
Right now, the Little Hanglenton served as the main headquarters of the Death Eaters, as it seemed, but Shirou wasn't interested in going to that place. If he went there, the chances of Voldemort's survival were very close to zero...
Despite his plans to get rid of him, he was still a useful pawn for some things.
"We will divide the participants into several groups. Each group would preferably be headed by a Special-Class being, while those who would be led by a Special 1st-Class being. Also, I would like to propose the creation of mixed units to increase the diversity of Wizards, Jujutsu Sorcerers, Vampires, and Yokais present."
Nobody had a significant problem with the proposal, and soon three main groups were established.
Alpha Strike Team led by Shirou, Beta Strike Team led by Augustus Barthomeloi, Gamma Strike Team led by Arcturus Black, Delta Strike Team led by Leonhard McRemitz Fraga, and Epsilon Strike Team led by Bartemius Crouch.
While Arcturus Black wasn't a Special-Class Magus, he was someone who had several Special-Class Soul Servants and Undead, so he was one man army. And the last Epsilon Strike Team was making up for the lack of Special-Class combatants with the number of Special 1st-Class combatants.
Alpha Strike Team was heading for the Malfoy Manor, and for certain reasons, Bellatrix joined the Strike Team.
Beta Strike Team was heading for Knockturn Alley. A shopping area off Diagon Alley in London. It was filled with numerous shops devoted to the Dark Arts, Forbidden Magic, and Rituals.
Gamma Strike Team was heading to Yaxley Manor, Nott Manor, and Lestrange Manor.
Delta Strike Team was heading for the Little Hangleton.
Epsilon Strike Team would be used to clean out several departments of the British Ministry of Magic, strike at the seats of power of several smaller families that were supporting the Death Eaters, and some of them were headed to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade to make some arrests.
"Now then... let's synchronize time and set the departure in twenty minutes."
Everyone then started synchronizing the time, and Shirou went to gather his own Alpha Strike Group, which would be targeting the Malfoy Manor, and also to obtain some information on the Malfoy Manor, because he didn't know even a single bit.
Meanwhile, when Bellatrix noticed the expression on her grandfather's face, she quickly bolted out of the tent and followed after Shirou.
She wasn't really in the mood for the stern talk and thus, she chose for the best option on hand.
Tactical retreat.
Thus, Shirou and Bellatrix went to the part of the encampment where the Death Dealers were preparing their wargear for the battle. Selene was talking with a black-skinned man clad in the Death Dealer armor that was like a statue.
"That would be everything, Khan. Divide the Death Dealers equally between the five Strike Teams, while you will go with the Delta Strike Team."
Khan was one of the Commanders of the Death Dealers of the Old World Coven, and that alone was the testament of his power. One didn't become the Commander of the Death Dealers if they were weak physically, magically, spiritually, and mentally.
"As you command, Regentess."
Hearing that everyone was calling her Regentess made Selene cringe a bit, because it was a political title and one that she didn't really like. But, as Shirou told her, she was now Acting Regent of the Old World Coven and was responsible for the protection of the interests of the Old World Coven.
"It seems that everything is going well with you, Regentess."
Shirou said as her eyebrows twitched a bit, but she just looked at the Director of the Jujutsu Association with her typical cold look.
"Ts... it seems that I am part of your squad. I was placed as the second-in-command of the Strike Team Alpha. I am already working on the strategy to attack the Malfoy Manor, but it seems that were are in luck. Despite the fact that the manor is very well warded and has good protections, including a set of Bounded Fields when one of the Malfoys was Magus, but... the other aspects of the manor are terrible."
Selene spoke her mind about the Malfoy Manor because, compared to the Ördögház, the defenses of the Malfoy Manor were terribly subpar. While both were manors, meaning that the defenses were not the priority, the Ördögház was extensively reworked, and even the entire region around the Ördögház was adjusted to create a better defensible area.
Meanwhile, Malfoy Manor was a typical Wizarding Manor in the middle of the forest, but that was all. There were zero to no natural protections, not even any walls or anything; basically, the overall level of the other kinds of defenses aside from Wards and Bounded Fields was terrible.
"Well... Malfoys are not the smartest around if it's not about money."
Bellatrix chimed from the side.
She knew that Malfoy Manor wasn't in any kind of position to be well-defendable; the Malfoys only cared about showcasing their wealth and luxury to other people.
Making the manor impregnable defenses around the manor wasn't really their priority.
"So as long as we destroy the Wards and Bounded Fields, there are little to no protections that the Malfoys could use as their bastion. How many Death Eaters are we waiting for there? Crouch put it as one of the major congregation places."
Shirou half asked and half said as everyone nodded to it, because it seemed pretty simple, and with his Innate Technique, The Left Hand of God, breaking through the Bounded Fields and Wards was a piece of cake.
"Then, organize everyone and prepare to depart."
The Strike Team Alpha wasn't the largest, as overall, it had around eighty people, but the quality was superior. There was a good number of Jujutsu Sorcerers and Vampires within, which gave them an edge.
Not to mention, for the sheer numbers, they had Bellatrix.
Even though she was technically just a 2nd-Class Magus, she had a rather large number of Undead that she could summon at any time.
With the combination of Jujutsu Sorcerers and Vampires, who would be creating the basis for the offensive, and Wizards that would be controlling the battlefield and acting as support, it was a perfectly balanced team.
Though every single team was balanced in one way or another, because they wanted to utilize the strengths of various races that were participating in the raid, while at the same time, they would be covering for each other's weaknesses.
***
Great Britain, England, Wiltshire, Malfoy Manor
The Malfoy Manor was located in the middle of the forest within Wiltshire, and it was one of the most opulent Mansions. The manor of the Malfoy Family was entirely surrounded by the Strike Team Alpha, and right now, they were carrying out reconnaissance to see how many people were within the Malfoy Manor.
And it seemed that it was a lot.
Like really, really a lot.
Shirou was standing on one of the trees as he observed the Malfoy Manor from a distance, and indeed, what Bellatrix was saying was true. Aside from the Wards and a few Bounded Fields, there was nothing else.
The sole thing that could be considered as a defense was the gates that led to the property, but that was everything.
"Let's get over with this..."
The Jujutsu Marshall muttered as he jumped down from the tree and landed next to Bellatrix and Selene, as he looked at the two of them.
"It's as you told me. Only the Wards and Bounded Fields. Approximately three or four, but none of them are of any considerable power. It seemed that, despite their wealth, they were pretty cheap to hire someone on the Special-Class to lay down the Wards and Bounded Fields."
Shirou said as he looked toward the direction of the Malfoy Manor with a disinterested look, because the moment he saw through the defenses of the manor, he lost interest in that place as he realized that the challenge in that one would be zero to none.
Nevertheless, the mission was a mission, and it needed to be completed.
As far as it was known, the Malfoys never produced someone who reached the Special-Class, though cases for the Magi to reach the Special-Class were pretty rare. Not only did one need to have very high talent, but at the same time, they needed a lot of resources to consume to reach the Special-Class Magus.
"How many are there?"
Shirou asked as he looked at Selene, who was in charge of the reconnaissance. Her Vampires could change into a swarm of bats and observe large swaths of territory rather easily and unnoticed, which made them perfect for tasks like this.
"Several hundred, maybe even reaching up to the seven or eight hundred. Though most of them are... 4th-Class or 3rd-Class Wizards, namely 95% of them bleoged to those two Classes, while only 5% of the Magical signatures are of the 2nd-Class and there were only five 1st-Class Wizards and one Special 1st-Class Wizard, though his Magic Power is highly unstable, most probably the man reached it after conducting some kind of forbidden ritual."
Hearing the numbers of the Death Eaters made Shirou cringe a bit, but at the same time, he knew that most of the people in the manor were not really combatants or Battle Wizards, meaning that they were weak among the weak.
Meanwhile, all of his people were top-notch combatants.
"Bellatrix, how many Undeads can you control?"
The daughter of the House Black looked at him and started pondering over the answer.
"Around one thousand Lesser-Tier Undead, a few tens Intermediate-Tier Undead, and three Higher-Tier Undead, including a Death Knight. Aside from that, I have several powerful Soul Servants that I created through Heaven's Feel."
Everybody who heard that grimaced, ass this was one of the most troublesome aspects when one was dealing with the Blacks. They were one-man armies on their own, aside from the fact that they were also personally very strong and were not defenseless.
With Bellatrix on their side, it would be easy to overcome the numerical disadvantage as the Death Eaters had too many. Though there was also another very disturbing fact, the number of Death Eaters was very high.
It seemed that Voldemort had much higher success in the recruitment of new members than they had thought. Though it was no wonder, everyone sought power and riches, status, and even more power.
And Voldemort was promising it all to all the people of the Wizardkin.
"Let's get into the formation. I will open the way."
Shirou commanded, as everyone knew what to do, and went into their respective position.
Selene was in charge of the "living people" and Bellatrix would be using the "non-living" namely the Undead and Soul Servants, to contain the larger numbers of the Death Eaters that were within the Malfoy Manor.
The tasks were perfectly divided between them as everyone knew what to do and when to do it.
It seemed that Crouch was right that the Malfoys were one of the biggest, if not outright the biggest, supporters of Voldemort's cause and movement. If Shirou had to guess, then it was true that the Malfoys were betting on the rise of Voldemort so they could profit from his rise to power.
Meanwhile, Shirou stepped forward and went in the direction of the Malfoy Manor.
The gravel driveway to the Malfoy Manor was wide and had a large hedge curving alongside it. The driveway and hedge went past a pair of wrought-iron gates. Suddenly, he felt the Bounded Fields and Wards; he summoned several of the Black Keys that appeared in his right hand.
Shirou threw the Black Keys into the air as they created a pentagram shape, and a tremendous amount of Cursed Energy burst out of his body.
"Innate Technique: The Last Judgement - Gram Demolition!"
In a split of a second, the Black Keys act as the conduits for his Innate Technique: The Last Judgement.
Instantly, the Wards and Bounded Fields that were protecting the Malfoy Manor in the invisible mode suddenly materialized, as they started cracking and falling apart, because they were decomposing from the inside.
In mere moments, the entire skies were engulfed in a huge explosion as the protections around the Malfoy Manor decomposed and self-destructed. The entire ground shook as a miniature earthquake shot through the ground, and everyone in the Manor realized that they were under attack.
The first instinct of many people was to disappear, but unfortunately, the entire area was covered by several Curtains, and Anti-Apparation, Anti-Teleportation, and Anti-Portal Wards and Bounded Fields were created to prevent the people from escaping.
The orders from the Crouch were clear.
Arresting if possible.
Executing if arrest is not possible.
There was no mercy for the Death Eaters and Crouch, as the Head of the Department of the Magical Law Enforcement was dead set on exterminating the Death Eaters once and for all, till the last one.
Immediately after the Wards and Bounded Fields protecting the Malfoy Manor were destroyed, the troops of the Strike Team Alpha literally shot from their position and immediately attacked the Death Eater forces.
Selene was leading the majority of the Death Dealers and some Jujutsu Sorcerers who were close-combat oriented, as they started massacring the Death Eaters en masse.
Wizards were feeble and weak; they couldn't keep up with the physical strength and speed of the Vampires as the Death Dealers bolted through the ranks of the Death Eaters and Voldemort's followers with the speed of lightning and used their swords or blades to cleave them apart.
One of the peculiar things about the amours that were worn by the Death Dealers of the Old World Coven was that they were made from Magic-resistant materials and ores. Their armors could basically shrug off the majority of the weaker spells like nothing, and in truth...
Most of the Wizards knew only those basic spells and nothing else.
Which was a bit pathetic.
"Let's go into the Manor."
Shirou muttered as he drew out his personal weapon.
Murasame.
One-Cut Killer: Murasame was a long katana-type artifact that wasn't really a Cursed Tool, but it was something different.
It was one of the most powerful and oldest weapons that had ever existed, and it was his own personal weapon.