Codex: Departments of the Illuminati Society - Department of Alchemy
The entire Illuminati Society is divided into Thirteen Departments and the Department of Alchemy is the 1st in the Departments of the Illuminati Society.
The Department of Alchemy is one of the most important Departments of the Illuminati Society, and it's one of their main source of income. Due to this, it holds a very special place within the Illuminati Society.
One needs to know that their Alchemy diverges from the modern practice of Alchemy that has, since the medieval period, entered the vogue. The oft-spoken-of "transformation of base metal to gold" in Alchemy is, to the members of the Illuminati Society, mere "transformation of matter" and is nothing more than a primitive art far removed from their ideals.
Their Alchemy is an advancement of the metallurgy of ancient Egypt, the root of the discipline, and has not been influenced by Western Magecraft like the Alchemy that the Western Mages handle.
It is their belief that humans have evolved to gather information, analyze it, and then directly solve any perceived problems. The Society's Alchemist possesses great calculation and measurement ability that is rare to manifest naturally in a normal human. They specialize in thought partitioning and thought acceleration, techniques that make use of the human body as an arithmetic unit.
It is an institute focused on the study and development of Alchemy, but its members broke off from the mainstream modern practice of Alchemy that originated in the Middle Ages.
Alchemists tend to take a practical, scientific approach to their subject. Much of their work is not magical at all, being more concerned with chemistry - though the difference between magical ingredients and purely mundane substances is hazy. Some claim to be looking for the Elixir of Life or experimenting with Metallurgy and transforming substances from one to another.
The Alchemy of the Illuminati Society itself could be divided into three major disciplines: Transmutation, the Alkahestry, and the Refinement.
1. Transmutation
Alchemists specializing in True Transmutation research the purification and production of rare metals. The field is a very narrow one, in which any hint of progress is eagerly grasped, and envious rumors of success are always circulating. The field of Transmutation also includes Metalworking, as Alchemy is widely used to improve the refining of metals and the creation of lighter, stronger alloys for everything from better sword blades to siege engines.
The field of the Alchemical Transmutation is vital when creating the Magic Guidance Devices and was pivotal when creating the framework for the Magic Engineering. Alchemy, in this way, is actually around 30% of the entire Magic Engineering, as the Transmutation Alchemy is considered an integral part of any Magic Guidance Device.
2. The Alkahestry
The Alkahestry covers a wide range of topics within Alchemy itself. It could involve research into the purification and production of acids and alkalis as they try to refine the substance that dissolves anything, or research into the production of explosives and Mag-Powder, a Mana-Enhanced version of gunpowder.
3. Refinement
Refinement is the last major area of Alchemy, and it's actually the most widespread one across Asia. Refinement itself, based on its final product and methods, could be divided into three subcategories: Elixir Arts, Potioneering, and Pill Refining. This branch of Alchemy primarily deals with mixing herbs and reagents into the form of Elixir, Potion or Pill.
Concoctions can be made to restore Chi and Mana, heal injuries and diseases, grant temporary invisibility, grant temporary good luck through treasure finding, temporarily change appearance, temporarily improve physical dimensions of the user, and much more.
...
This division is primarily used only by the Illuminati Society, because the Society's Alchemists are coming from all over the world and thus blending the various ideas of Alchemy all over the world.
In a certain way, the Department of Alchemy of the Illuminati Society possesses the most complete system of Alchemy in the world that is focused on all major aspects of Alchemy. Which is vastly different from the various Alchemy Schools around the world that usually focus on certain aspects of Alchemy.
Above traditional Alchemy, there is also something called High Alchemy, which actively combines traditional Alchemical Disciplines with the usage of powerful Spells and Magic during the Alchemical Processes.
Only the Magister Mage Level-ranked Alchemists would dare to attempt conducting High Alchemy because of the dangers that come with it. Creating an Alchemical Item using High Alchemy is a source of pride for any Alchemist. Such grand concoctions win their creators great respect among their peers. They are precious items and, if they were sold, they could command a price equal to 100 times the raw material cost.
Among the other Departments of the Illuminati Society, the Department of Alchemy cooperates most closely with the Department of Magic Engineering, as they share a common goal of creating the Magic Guidance Devices.
It's no secret that all top-ranked Magic Engineers are also Alchemists, because the knowledge of Alchemy, especially one for Transmutation and Metallurgy, is indispensable for the creation of more powerful Magic Tools.
A lot of more advanced Magic Guidance Devices are limited by the metals and alloys that need to be strong enough to bear the power of the Magic Tool. Even the Head of Department of Magic Engineering, Dr. Lloyd Asplud, is also a highly accomplished Alchemist on his own.
The current Department of Alchemy is led by Johan Georg Faust of the Faust Family, who is also the 1st Seat of the Knights of the Round Table and whose Family is one of the founders of the Illuminati Society.
It's also one of the most powerful departments within the Society. They are in charge of producing Pills, forged metals, alloys, and other things that are vital for the production lines of the Illuminati Society and Federation as a whole.
Even though the Department of Alchemy is generally considered as the "Production Department", it also has a good number of Combat Alchemists who practice the Battle Alchemy.
A powerful branch of Alchemy that is focused on using the Combat Transmutation in a sign,e combat, giving the user high destructive prowess and near unlimited versatility.
- Excerpt from a Book: Introduction to the Departments of the Illuminati Society by Johan Georg Faust, 1st Seat of the Knights of the Round Table and Head of Department of Alchemy of the Illuminati Society.
***
United States of Federal America, Virginia, Charlottesville, Near the Numengard Estate, Week Later, 19. 2. 2021
"Are we there yet?"
In the convoy consisting of several black armored cars, a group from the Kure Clan was heading toward the Numengard Estate. The entire delegation from the Kure Clan departed from Koyto a few days ago and headed directly to the Numengard Estate.
Initially, it should have been only Kure Karura and Kure Fusui, but they were also going to pick up the last remaining member of the Sayanomiya Kaoru and transport her back to the Kure Village.
This was a part of the deal between the Tsuchimikado Clan and the Kure Clan. Mainly possible due to the fact that relationships between the two Clans were very close, even without the personal relationship between Yakou, Karura, and Fusui.
"No."
Kure Raian, who was sitting in one car together with his cousin Karura and sister Fusui, was already annoyed by Karura's never-ending stream of questions about when they would finally arrive there.
Karura could be pretty annoying when she wanted to be, to the point where the number of people who could actually bear it with her could be counted on one hand. The Kure Clan was coming for the Sayanomiya Kaoru, who was highly sought-after "merchandise", and they wanted to obtain her at any cost.
She was the last member of the Sayanomiya Lineage that was alive or at least, the last member of that Lineage who was publicly known... Though what was confirmed was that she was the last of the Main Lineage.
Something that the 7th Campione Ten'nō no Onmyōji personally ensured and verified.
That only increased her value further, and many factions that were aware that the Tsuchimikado Clan had personal custody over her, wanted to buy her. Not only in the factions in Japan, but Raian knew that even some factions from Europe and other parts of the world wanted to buy her.
In the end, for these Magic Associations, what they desperately sought after was the injection of a new Magic Bloodline into their Associations. Unfortunately, the number of the Magic Lienages around the world of such quality wasn't that high, so every single one was beyond precious.
Though it was also notable to say that the 7th Campione rejected all of them due to various reasons, but mostly because it was an unspeakable secret that the Illuminati Society had a rather hostile relationship toward the Magic Association and supernatural factions in Europe.
Mostly because the entire Illuminati Society was established primarily by Mages, Magic Users, Knights, Alchemists, and other individuals who escaped from the old continent to the new one.
So there were no good feelings towards each other, which was most often even mimicked during the critical times in the form of the foreign policy of the former United States toward specific nations within Europe.
"And when will we be there?"
Even Fusui, who was usually more patient with Karura, was growing annoyed with this, as she was tempted to throw her younger cousin out of the car... but that would only result in Karura returning pretty soon and being even more annoying than before.
"I don't know, but it won't take long... why don't you do something on your phone to pass the time?"
She and Karura were going to visit Yakou and would remain living in the Numengard Estate for some time, while Raian was only going to pick up Sayanomiya Kaoru together with some clansmen to transport her back to the Kure Village.
Their Kure Clan had long wished to induct more Magical Blood into their lineage, but it didn't meet with a lot of success. Mostly because their Clan needed someone who had a very strong genetic potential in the Magic DNA, and such people were rare.
In Japan, they mostly belonged to the History Compilation Committee one way or another... so the chances for such a thing happening were zero. Only now, with the appearance of Sayanomiya Kaoru, did it provide their Clan with a certain hope to finally obtain the Magic Bloodline.
That way, they could cultivate their own Duals...
People who could have both Mana and Chi in their bodies at the same time. In theory, it was possible, but in practice, cases like that were exceedingly rare because one needed to be born that way and possess a special constitution that would allow one to withstand two Sources.
"Ts.... this road trip is boring..."
Karura said as she started looking through the window, as everyone was satisfied that she was silent for a moment...
Kure Raian, meanwhile, looked more expectant than one would have thought, because he got a message from Yakou that there was a Ritual that could actually enhance his Chi to a much higher level and allow him to attain even greater power.
At the same time, it could also allow his grandfather, Kure Erioh, to live longer. The old Patriarch of the Kure Clan was more than ninety years old, and the older age was already getting to him.
He wasn't in the top condition anymore, which meant that even despite the fact that Kure Erioh was a Martial Saint, he couldn't really use his full power for a prolonged amount of time, and some techniques could be really deadly to him if he used them.
The ritual that his friend mentioned to him involved refining powerful Blood Essence that would allow one to recuperate and return to better condition. It was rather unfortunate for them that Tsuchimikado Yakou was only exploring through the fields of Chi and everything around it.
This was because the entire Tsuchimikado Clan and most of the Illuminati Society were magic-based, and even though the Kure Clan enjoyed a really close and special relationship with the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains, the Holy Cult didn't have rituals like the one that Yakou mentioned to him.
Or even if they had, it was something that was in possession of a few people within the Holy Cult who wouldn't share it with the outsiders. Even though the Kure Clan was in the past an extremely traditional clan, Kure Erioh, despite his old age, was actually a rather progressive Patriarch.
The old man admitted that the times were changing and was aware that his Clan needed to adapt to the tides of change or else, they would be left in the annals of history.
That was why they had a strategic alliance with the Kengan Association and the Katahara Family, and now they were also deepening their ties with the Illuminati Society and the American Federation.
The Kure Clan also adopted the concept of the Magic Tools rahter quickly after they were gifted some Magic Guidance Guns, which they are currently using for their assassination work, as Fusui was doing.
"Once we arrive at the Numengard, the first thing that we need to do is to secure the prisoner, so be on the lookout for kidnappings and check everything properly."
Raian said to his younger sister Fusui, because even though she was staying at the Numengard Estate, she was still in charge of the partial security for their transport, because she was a specialist in security and anti-theft...
Or theft specialist.
She would be checking the security measures so that the transported prisoner wouldn't have any chances of escaping her bindings. The last thing that they wanted was for her to escape, as that would mean that the Kure Clan would lose their precious opportunity to obtain the pure Magic Lineage.
That was a huge no-no.
"I know, and you don't really need to nag me constantly..."
Fusui retorted as she knew what she was supposed to do. Though at least Raian was taking up his responsibilities seriously, which was a good thing to see... among the younger generation of the Kure Clan, there were only two real possible Heirs of the Kure Clan.
Kure Karura and Kure Raian.
Fusui herself never wanted to be the Patriarch of the Kure Clan because it wasn't really in her style to rule over the other people.
Karura, on the other hand, was... absolutely unsuitable based on her personality, because she found it boring and too time-consuming. In the end, she was considered the potential heir only because of her innate talent for the Martial Arts and Removal Technique.
So that only left Kure Raian as the prospective Patriarch of the Clan.
At first, Raian was rather reluctant to the task, because he was not interested in any political position more than anything. Initially, he wanted to be only an Enforcement Elder or Grand Elder, as those were positions within the Clan that didn't have many duties and responsibilities compared to the Patriarch.
But alas...
The fate had other plans.
Not to mention, two members of their trio already "grew up" and were holding important positions and had duties like responsible adults.
Yakou was now holding several important positions within the Illuminati Society and Federation, and Katahara Retsudo was already groomed to be named as Head of the Katahara Family and even take after the position of Chairman of the Dainippon Bank after his father.
So after careful consideration and deliberations, he had agreed to his grandfather's constant nagging to accept the proposal to become the Patriarch of the Kure Clan. Erioh wanted Raian to be named Patriarch, mostly because of his talent, which was even higher than his own, and he was a rather rough diamond in this aspect.
After some work, he believed that he could actually be the Patriarch of the Kure Clan.
***
Great Britain, England, Undisclosed Time
The Empire of Great Britain was one of the oldest nations in the world, and it also had one of the deepest Magical Legacies in the entire world. England was the kingdom that gave birth to the last generation of the Magic Lords and even Archmages in ancient times... and also the greatest number of Heroes and Warriors.
Even right now, Great Britain was home to several prominent Magic Associations, and it even had its own Campione... though the relationship of its Campione, the Black Prince Alec, Alexander Gascoigne, was rather questionable, though.
The Royal Arsenal behaved like a group of ruffians and thieves most of the time, but nevertheless, it was still a Magic Association of considerable power, truth to be told.
Aside from the Royal Arsenal that was established by the 4th Campione, there was another prominent Magic Association, Witenagemot, which was the oldest and most prominent Magic Association in all of Great Britain.
It was the Magic Association that basically controlled the entire Great Britain and stood even above the Royal Family of Great Britain in terms of authority over the Empire. Though.... in the modern age, the power of the British Empire wasn't what it was in the past.
In the past, it was an undeniable fact that the Empire of Great Britain was the most powerful nation in the world, be it from the mundane side or the magical side. Though over time, its national strength was declining to the point where its mighty Empire fractured.
Many scholars agree that this fracture started at the start of the 20th Century, around the year 1901, during the Desert Wars. This was a series of wars that Great Britain fought in parts of the Middle East, which resulted in an alliance between the Iron Sultanate and Israel that joined their forces to push the "Foreign Invader" from their "Playground".
On the Magical side of things, the Yehudim Association and House of Wisdom massacred countless Magic Users and Knights that Britain dispatched to the Middle East, and even several prominent members of the Royal Family were assassinated by the Alchemy Assassins of the House of Wisdom.
Overall, Great Britain fought several wars against the coalition of Israel and the Iron Sultanate for fifteen years. They won only the first Desert War in 1902, but even that one was won with heavy losses. The successive 2nd Desert War in 1907 and final 3rd Desert War in 1912, which ended four years later, were catastrophic losses for the Empire of Great Britain.
After the withdrawal from the Middle East, World War I broke out in Europe, resulting in the collapse of many traditional monarchies.
By the end of World War I in 1921, British India gained independence following an internal rebellion, which was apparently supported by the 3rd Campione Madam Aisha.
The events of World War II, which was started by the USSR, definitively broke Great Britain as an Empire when most of its Magic Users and Knights were wiped out by the Greater German Reich in the Teutoburg Forest.
World War II was the most destructive war in the history of mankind, also because a lot of supernatural factions participated in the war, and it resulted in the destruction of quite a few of them. Or severe damage to the ones that managed to survive, though they were weakened to the extreme.
The Greater German Reich managed to gather the support of a lot of local factions to support their cause, because they were promised resources in return.
Though even now, after everything, Great Britain remained pretty strong for some decades of recuperation, and they even managed to produce a champion who was a Brit.
In the undisclosed part of the English countryside, a magnificent phenomenon was taking place that was already affecting the entire region.
An enormous white city was descending out of nothingness into the English countryside with its huge white walls and towering spikes in full glory. The city was a breathtaking fantasy metropolis built around an immense white citadel that dominated the entire skyline.
Rising from the center like a mountain of marble and silver, the colossal palace-fortress is composed of countless towers, spires, flying buttresses, and ornate Gothic-inspired structures that ascend layer upon layer toward a single majestic central tower piercing the heavens. The city itself appeared to be meticulously planned, spreading outward in concentric terraces and elevated districts beneath the castle, with rows of gleaming white buildings packed closely together behind fortified walls.
The architecture conveyed an atmosphere of purity, grandeur, and absolute authority. Brilliant white stone reflected the sunlight, giving the city an almost celestial appearance against the deep blue sky. Massive defensive walls surrounded the lower districts, while the elevated position of the palace created the impression that the rulers literally stood above the rest of the world.
When one looked at the city, they would feel an inexplicable feeling of holiness and divinity, like they were looking at God.
Just the minor detail was that the city that descended wasn't a city at all...
It was a Tomb with the appearance of a city.
And not just any city or castle.
It was the Holy City of Camelot.
A legendary castle and court of King Arthur was built after King Arthur defeated Vortigern.
It originally was the citadel that Vortigern used as his stronghold. After defeating Vortigern, King Arthur began the reconstruction of the ruined citadel. With the return of the Holy Sword's wielder, it regained its Mystery and was reborn as Camelot.
About 80% of Camelot was built by fairies disguising themselves as half of the craftsmen, while the other half, made up of human craftsmen, pretended not to notice.
It was built in the Age when the last Archmages lived in the world and after the end of the Age of Magic... Camelot disappeared from the world, and was instead turned into the Tomb that has now once again descended into the world.
Obviously, such a huge commotion that was created by the descent of the Holy City of Camelot didn't end without an aftermath. Soon enough, every single powerful Mage or Magic User sensed that something had happened in the English countryside.
And so...
It started attracting people.
Like fire attracts moths.
And it didn't take long for the first treasure seekers and opportunity to arrive and force their way into the Tomb. Though they seriously underestimated the power of the Tomb... especially in this special place like the Holy City of Camelot.
Forcing their way into the Tomb was something that was ill-advised, because of the Tomb Defense Mechanisms that were usually powerful enough to kill anything below the A-Rank almost instantly, and even the beings at the A-Rank Parameters needed to be careful when forcing their way into the Tomb, as they could die at any moment.
Currently, the only people who could force their way into the Tomb were the Campiones and Heretic Gods, and even they were not primarily due to their strength, but mostly due to various Resistances and Immunities that they possessed.
"So it's indeed true... The Holy City has returned to the Terra once again."
Suddenly, a man arrived in a flash of thunderbolt that shook the ground where he landed.
He looked rather handsome and young, with bright, shining golden eyes that crackled with electricity, and wore a double-breasted suit with a vest beneath and a grey tie. He also had black gloves on his hands, and he also wore a long black trenchcoat.
Everyone who looked at the man took several steps back, as they were aware of his identity.
Alexander Gascoigne, the 4th Campione, titled as "Black Prince Alec" and leader of the Royal Arsenal. Even though he looked like he wasn't older than thirty, he was actually around more than seventy, as he was born around the end of World War II in 1950.
He was originally a Mage, from a rather well-established Magic Family in Great Britain, and was taught about Magic at a very young age by his father. Due to his father's obsessive goal to find the Magic Holy Grail, his mother left them.
When Alex was sixteen years old, his father died, and he started his own journey to find the Holy Grail. Through good fortune and sharp instincts, he slew the Heretic God Fallen Angel Ramiel and became a Campione at the age of sixteen.
The Holy Grail or Saint Graal was one of the most sought-after treasures in the history of the entire Terra. According to the legends, it was created by Pandora and gifted to Mankind, and while nobody ever found it, it was rumored that it possessed unprecedented power.
From granting Wishes to gathering an enormous amount of pure Mana that could be used to alter reality itself. King Arthur has devoted a large part of his life to searching for the Holy Grail, but his efforts were unsuccessful, and nobody was able to find the Holy Grail throughout the entire history of Mankind.
During the reign of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table went on a quest to find the Holy Grail, as Agravain stated it would be able to counter the fading of Magic from Britain by being a miracle of the same caliber.
Many knights embarked on journeys to find the Holy Grail, such as Lancelot, Galahad, Percival, and Bors, only to come back empty-handed. Percival lost his life in the process, and over time, successive expeditions to find the Holy Grail caused great instability and a great decline of Britain.
"The clues to the Grail..."
There was no one more obsessed with finding the Holy Grail in the entire world than Alexander Gascoigne. Even the entire Royal Arsenal was established and cultivated solely for the purpose of discovering more traces leading to the Holy Grail.
Yet, there were no results for many decades.
Until now.
In a split second, his entire body was cracking with Black Lighting, which was the manifestation of his Divine Authority of the Black Lighting, as he disappeared from the spot where he was standing and rushed toward the Tomb.
Obviously, his moves were being observed by countless Magic Users who had arrived from all around Great Britain over the past few days.
Though what happened next was outside everyone's expectations, because the moment the 4th Campione arrived at the enormous gates of the Holy City, an enormous explosion resounded throughout the entire region.
The next thing that followed was the body of Black Prince crashing more than ten kilometers away from the Holy City into a smaller hill, as the crash obliterated the entire hillside together with a few houses and farms that were there.
One didn't know whether to be surprised by the Tomb's defensive capabilities or by the fact that Alexander Gascoigne was back almost in a split second, with the only damage to him being his suit.
Aside from that, he was still in rather pristine condition.
"So no force, it seems... well, considering the origins of the Camelot and the unique status of its Tomb, it's only expected. So there is no other choice than waiting till the Tomb opens itself up automatically."
Alexander Gascoigne, aside from being Campione and a powerful Mage, was also very proficient in the art of raiding the Tombs. Among the Campiones, he was actually the one with the biggest number of Relics and Heirlooms in private possession.
He probably had even more than Marquise Voban and Luo Hao, because he was actively seeking out Tombs and obtaining their contents, constantly enlarging his collection.
Not to mention, he also raided a good number of Magic Associations or other factions that had some Relics or artifacts related to the Arthurian Times in his quest for the Holy Grail.
Some Tombs were more special than others and thus, by the same extension, they were also far more dangerous. So, one needed to be especially careful about entering those Tombs... the general rule was that the more famous the mythological origin of the Tomb, the more powerful and dangerous it would be.
On top of that, there was also a special category of Tombs that were not materializations of the Mythos, but instead were real places of Earth that disappeared from the Terra and merged directly into the Myth itself.
Like Camelot here.
"I wonder how many others would arrive..."
Even though Alexander was here as the first Camppione, it certainly didn't mean that he was the last one to arrive at the location of the Tomb. He could vaguely feel that it would take at least two weeks or three, before the gates of Camelot would open.
It would, for sure, lure more Campiones here, and Gascoigne knew exactly who would arrive, because, well... it wasn't that hard to guess.
Even right now, he could tell that Voban and Tsuchimikado would arrive for sure because the two of them were obsessed with everything that could make them stronger. Aside from them, there was also a certain kind of chance that Luo Hao would also arrive, just because this Tomb that appeared was Camelot.
He knew that someone like Voban and Tsuchimikado wouldn't be able to resist the lure of the Complete Inheritance of the Round Table... aside from the countless Relics and Heirlooms that were for sure inside, there was another thing that any Mage would lay down their lives for.
Complete inheritance of at least one Archmage...
Merlin Ambrosius.
Because this Tomb was created after the real place in Terra had merged with the Mythos and became a Tomb at the end of the Age of Fae or the Age of Magic, it also contained laboratories and legacies of all Camelot's Mages.
Among them was obviously Merlin, but it was also possible to hide the Legacy of more than one or two additional Archmages. And this was notwithstanding the legacies and complete research of several Magic Lords, Magic Saints, and countless other Magisters and Grand Knights.
In the end, in a certain sense, Camelot was an absolute treasure trove that had never been seen before.
And it was also a painful reminder of how much the world had regressed after the Magic started fading from the world, and only occasional Heretic Gods remained in Terra from time to time.
"And this seems to be the Prophecy about the Second Coming of the Great Tomb Appearance is correct."
Alexander Gascoigne was too aware of the Prophecy about the Second Coming of the Great Tomb Appearance and what it meant. Even though he was far from being considered the most powerful among the Campiones or the most skilled, he was the most knowledgeable among them all.
Over the course of centuries, the number of Tombs that have started descending all over the world has increased considerably. This increase could be observed primarily in the course of the past twenty years, where the number of Tombs that appeared on Earth has increased exponentially.
Several Magic Associations and Guilds have started exploration of the Tombs and even created special Departments within their structures for the exploration and excavations of the Tombs.
In this regard, Royal Arsenal was especially active when it came to the Tomb Excavations and collecting Relics and Heirlooms.
In recent years, the number of Relics excavated has been staggering, and over the past twenty to thirty years, the use of Relics has become mainstream among higher-ranked Mages and Knights.
"Certain preparations need to be taken for King of the End... or it won't end well..."
Everything was pointing toward a certain specific outcome, which wasn't that good for the Campiones, as it was the reason behind the deaths and disappearances of the Campiones every few centuries.
He was probably the sole Campione who knew the true face of the world, which only deepened his obsession with the Holy Grail and the quest to find the fabled legendary artifact at any cost.
***
New York City, Around the Same Time
Nakiri Mana has arrived in New York City after several weeks of preparations and agreements between the Tsuchimikado Clan and Nakiri Clan. After the events of Culling Game, the Nakiri Family officially returned to the Nakiri Clan and also became one of the most important internal factions within the Nakiri Clan.
The Nakiri Clan was one of the Principal Clans of the Onmyōjis and had very deep foundations, even though they were too harmed by the prolonged seclusions and events of World War II.
The Great Onmyōji Clans re-emerged after the events of the Culling Game, and they were doing everything in their power to grab their share of power in the new state of the Empire of Japan.
This was specifically true for the Nakiri Clan and Sōma Clan, who were now somewhat in opposition ot the Kengan Association and partially to the Kure Clan. While the Kure Clan wasn't the direct part of the Kengan Association, they had an extremely close relationship with the Katahara Family that basically ruled the entire Association.
Meanwhile, the other factions, mostly the Momobami Clan and Mamiya Family, were mostly neutral, as they were primarily aligned with everyone and their allegiance was mostly to themselves, and they were not interested in becoming hegemons in the Empire of Japan.
The Nakiri Clan was taking a step ahead, mostly because she managed to maintain some connection with the 7th Campione. And while Japan had one more Campione, everyone just abandoned any idea of getting closer to Kusanagi Godou.
The 8th Campione became rather infamous across the supernatural factions in Japan, and he was someone at whom everyone secretly laughed. It was pretty hilarious that Campione was actually going to school and behaving like an idiot.
And while the idea of manipulating such a naive boy seemed plausible, well... the History Compilation Committee did it, and it worked, but on the other hand, aligning with the 8th Campione meant getting on the death side of the 7th Campione.
What was worse, nowadays it wasn't any secret that 7th Campione actually had some sort of alliance with the 1st Campione and 2nd Campione.
So... nobody was really willing to risk becoming an enemy of the three Campione just for being able to have some sketchy relationship with Campione, who was even denying the existence of the Magic and Supernatural.
Nakiri Mana was in charge of the Tōtsuki Tea Ceremony and Cooking Academy as its director, after her father stepped down when he was named as the Elder of the Nakiri Clan... but right now, he had returned to the post, because it was she who stepped down.
Mostly because, according to the agreement, she was going to the Numengard Estate to train a new chef for the 7th Campione and his family. In certain high circles of society, it wasn't any secret that Tsuchimikado Yakou was a huge lover of good food, and he was willing to go to extremes for it.
The Nakiri Clan considered this a perfect opportunity to forge some deeper connections with the Campione, in the hope of preventing the Kengan Association and Kure Clan from swallowing them whole.
Sicne the end of the Culling Game a few months ago, the entire Empire of Japan has been slowly but steadily swallowed by the Kengan Association, which is taking over the entire supernatural side of the nation.
The Kure Clan was also expanding its influence without hiding its ambition, which made it pretty hard for the traditional Onmyōji Clans to contend with them.
Most of the Onmyōji Clans didn't have the manpower or strength to contend with either of the factions, and if everything was left as it was, then sooner or later, they would be assimilated by the Kengan Association.
Katahara Metsudō's ambitions were clear as day.
To become the undisputed ruler of all supernatural beings within the Empire of Japan and the surrounding areas. And this would mean that he would need, sooner or later, to deal with the oldest factions that were in the entire Empire.
The Onmyōji Clans.
Who certainly didn't have the strength to resist the overhelming might of the Katahara Family and the fact that the Katahara Family had the absolute trust and support of the 7th Campione, which was something that almost no one could say.
The relationship between the Katahara Family and Tsuchimikado Yakou wasn't particularly closely guarded secret. After some digging, anyone would be able to find the relevant information about it and know what was going on there.
"The journey to Charlottesville would take at least a few hours..."
She went to the limousine that her family had prepared for her, in the direction of Charlottesville, Numengard Estate. Her brother Nakiri Sōe was CEO of Nakiri International, which was now expanding at a staggering speed throughout Japan, devouring everything that had remained and also spreading to Southeast Asia.
The Nakiri International Brand was also expanding into the domestic market of the United States of Federal Americas, which was a huge untapped potential for them. One of the tasks that her father gave her was to discuss this matter with His Majesty.
Mostly because, since the establishment of the Federation, the Illuminati Society was extremely strict with the corporations and companies from the 3rd Countries that were backed by some supernatural faction.
When they wanted to enter the American market, of course.
There were tons of limitations for them, and even after several months of effort, the Nakiri International only opened a few administrative offices within New York City and Washington D.C., and nothing else.
Nakiri Mana knew that the 7th Campione was fond of her in some way, which was the reason why he went so far to accommodate her in her needs. She was already on a first-name basis with the Tsuchimikado Yakou, which was a great privilege for anyone who wasn't the family of the Campione.
She found it rather entertaining that her cooking skills had achieved something that countless people had failed to do despite their endless wealth and connections. And everything she needed was to cook a few dishes, and that was it.
Another reason why her father was so keen on sending her to Campione, or rather, there were two more reasons. Even though she was devoting 100% of her focus and energy to cooking, it didn't mean that she was ignorant of everything else.
One reason was to deepen her understanding of Onmyōdō and Magic... perhaps to capitalize on the fact that she was probably one of the best chefs in the world, and that the Campione was a huge foodie, to obtain more resources for her own self-cultivation.
Both Mana and Sōe have already undergone the Grand Purification Baptism Ceremony, and it helped them a lot.
At least, this way, they wouldn't have much problem reaching the equivalent of the Grand Knight or Magister of Magic, because the results of the Grand Purification Baptism Ceremony on them were very good.
Even right now, a few months after the Grand Purification Baptism Ceremony, her Mana already reached the standards of the D-Rank according to the Parameter Classification and Measurement System that the Illuminati Society released a good time ago.
"Still.... reading the Magister levels seems to be pretty far, even with the effects of the Baptism, without further outside help."
She muttered silently as she wasn't really that into Onmyōdō and Magic. She did it only out of necessity and not to waste the advantage that she was given over the other people.
Even though she wasn't any genius in the field of Magic, she was aware that the Grand Purification Baptism Ceremony was an extreme blessing.
A special ritual that was used by the Onmyōji Clans to raise the innate talent of their younger clansmen. The results varied, and if one was lucky, they could obtain tremendous benefits from the ritual and also the blessing of their Patron Divine Beasts.
It was something that common Magic Users of any kind would sacrifice their entire families... the effects of the Grand Purification Baptism Ceremony could overturn someone's destiny and raise their talent to an unprecedented degree.
Another reason why she was nudged by her father to go to the Numengard Estate was because of her apparently close relationship with Campione. She wasn't stupid in this regard and knew that her father and perhaps even the other geezers of the Nakiri Clan hoped that she would "hook up" with 7th Campione.
Considering the fact that 7th Campione was actively keeping a harem of several women that was expanding from time to time. Obviously, Nakiri Senzaemon was aware that his daughter was rahter "problematic" personality, and that it would be rather hard for her to find a partner...
Not to mention, he seriously doubted that anyone would fill her requirements, as those ones were also pretty crazy.
Though it wasn't like she would be truthfully against the idea... Mana always believed that she only deserved the best, and in this case, the best for her was Campione as a partner...
There was another factor that would give her ultimate protection, which was something in this world was becoming more and more needed. The world was changing, and it was changing towards a version where those without power would suffer.
It didn't take long for her to arrive at Charlottesville and head toward the Numengard Estate, which was located on the outskirts of the town. After passing through several security checkpoints, she finally arrived at the enormous mansion that was even bigger than that of the Nakiri Family or other prominent families in Japan.
"Well... that's certainly above expectations..."
Nakiri Mana said as she stepped out of the limousine and saw an intimidating, muscular man wearing a butler uniform and an oni mask covering his face. She was informed that it was one of the Shikigami of the Tsuchimikado Clan, Tsuchigumo, who was also acting as the Head Butler for the entire household.
Considering the power of the Shikigami, it was an unprecedented degree of extravagance to have something as powerful as Tsuchigumo as the Head Butler of the entire household.
And while she looked at the oni Shikigami, Tsuchigumo also looked at the newcomer to the Numengard Estate, as this was the second time someone was arriving at the Estate.
Just half an hour ago, an entire delegation from the Kure Clan arrived at the Numengard Estate, as they were not discussing something with their master. Tsuchigumo didn't really care about the people, as long as they behaved and adhered to the rules that were set.
Though, at the same time, it was true that the fewer people were present, the fewer problems and work there were. In the end, he led the newest guest to the waiting room as he then needed to inform his master about the arrival of the Nakiri Heiress.
***
Numengard Estate, Drawing Room, Some Time Later
Yakou looked at the several members of the Kure Clan who had just arrived at the Numengard Estate some time ago. He was already expecting Karura and Fusui for obvious reasons, but he was surprised by the other people who arrived with them.
Aside from them, Kure Raian also arrived as he was here for the Sayanomiya Kaoru, which was clear because the Kure Clan had already invested too much into the trade of their last Sayanomiya Heiress Apparent.
The Magic Lineage of their family was too precious for the Kure Clan, and they paid a lot to obtain her from the hands of the Tsuchimikado Clan. So they were especially careful with the transportation of her to the Kure Village, as the journey was long and a lot of unforeseen things could happen.
Yakou also knew that Raian was here because he sought a method that could allow him to reach the Martial Saint Level... or the method that Yakou had mentioned to the Kure Clan, as it could be used to prolong Kure Erioh's life.
The topic of lifespan in the Terra was always something that was problematic. Having more power didn't really mean that one would live longer, nor did achieving the higher parameters guarantee anyone a longer lifespan.
Which was rather sad from a certain perspective.
"Karura, could you get off my hand? We are going to the dungeons with Raian to discuss something about the Blood Essence that I mentioned previously."
Yakou said to Kure Karura, who had been hogging his right arm the entire time they were sitting there. According to Yakou's personal research, the people with higher parameters should have lived for much longer...
Especially the ones at the Magic Saint Level or Martial Saint Level should have much higher lifespans, measured by at least two or three centuries, but even they barely managed to live to 150 years.
"Nople!"
The younger Kure said as she stuck out her tongue and continued snuggling against Yakou, who just sighed in defeat and let her do what she wanted.
"Alright... let's return to the topic that we were discussing previously..."
In the end, Yakou related as he returned to the subject that he was discussing with Kure Raian and Kure Fusui. Compared to Karura, Fusui was more responsible than her younger cousin and, despite her reluctance to accept a formal position with the Kure Clan.
"Are you sure that your solution would work?"
Kure Raian asked, as prolonging lifespan in Terra was something countless had sought over the years, though the results had been mixed. The best that they could do was to create some half-baked methods that could prolong the lifespan of people.
Magic Saints could use Magic Infusion Rituals to prolong their lifespans by a few centuries, though there was an important thing to take note of... even if someone had a maximum lifespan of, for example, 300 years, most would barely live to more than half of it.
The reason behind it was various hidden injuries, deterioration of physical state, Source Degradation, and some other minor ailments, which would often result in many fewer years that one could live up to.
Another good way to obtain an Heirloom was to fuse with one; after fusing with an Heirloom, one was guaranteed to live much, much longer than the human lifespan... though there was a minor problem with that.
One needed to have actually sufficient strength because otherwise, one would be drained by the Heirloom instead, and they also needed to have sufficient compatibility between their "Existence" and the Heirloom itself.
"It would... I already did a clinical test..."
Yakou knew that the main reason behind the lifespan problem of Terra was the declining environment of Terra. In the energy-rich enviroment organisms could live longer, and in the energy-poor enviroment they would live less.
"Even though the concept of the Blood Essence Crystal is new, it could automatically interact with Source and you can slowly refine the Blood Essence Crystal to not only increase your own Vitality and Blood Essence, but also to heal hidden injuries and problems with your body. Theoretically, just one Blood Essence Crystal should be able to completely heal Patriarch Erioh from all hidden injuries and extend his lifespan by another few decades."
The Blood Essence Crystals were created by Yakou and Johan Georg Faust based on the old concepts of the Elixir of Immortality, which was refined by the Alchemists in Europe, and Immortality Pills produced by the Alchemists of the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains.
Compared to the other two, the Blood Essence Crystal was more potent and stronger, but the Elixirs and Immortality Pills were far easier to produce, albeit with a lower effect.
Of course, Yakou had a cheat around it, as he had the Divine Beast Gulltoppr, which was the source of the Blood Essence for the Blood Essence Crystal. Though even with this "Cheat", he could produce only one Blood Essence Crystal per month, as he needed to be careful not to injure the Origin of the Divine Beast Gulltoppr.
This, of course, only further confirmed that his decision not to allow Mahoraga to assimilate the entire Divine Beast was correct.
Even though he admitted that Mahoraga assimilated the entire existence of the Divine Beast, its power would be even greater; the uses that the living Divine Beast provided far outweighed the benefits brought by stronger Shikigami.
Not to mention, thanks to Mahoraga's Adaptation, it was only a matter of time until it got stronger and basically reached that level in the future.
The only thing that it needed was time.
"Well, even that's good with all of the shit happening around the world. Now... what about the Ritual for me... I cannot wait to obtain Saint Level Chi."
Raian was one of those people who was obsessed with getting stronger and killing powerful foes. In the current Japan, there were no such foes, but that wouldn't be true forever, as it was only a matter of time until the world changed.
Even right now, Tombs were descending across the entire world in greater numbers, and Japan was no exception to this ironclad rule.
"It's prepared, and you should reach the Martial Saint Level Chi Parameter straight away after the Ritual, and even your physical body would receive a significant upgrade. This would basically save you more than a decade of intensive training."
Yakou didn't really mind having the members of the Kure Clan undergo the Ritual that he had devised, as the resources for that were not that precious aside from some Blood Essence gathered from the resident Divine Beast in the dungeons beneath the Numengard Estate.
Kure Clan and the Katahara Family were the sole reason why Yakou even bothered himself with the research on how to utilize the enormous Blood Essence of the Divine Beast Gulltoppr to help the Martial Artists reach higher Levels and strengthen their foundation.
The Illuminati Society had a minimum amount of Martial Artists that were using Chi as their Source, and even when taking the entire Federation into consideration, the number wasn't much higher.
Both the Katahara Family and the Kure Clan were very close to Yakou personally, and he hoped that he could cultivate both of these factions to a sufficient level where they could be steadfast allies for the Clan, Society, and Federation in the Pacific.
Secretly, he also hoped that they would be able to prevent the absolute domination of the Holy Cult of the Five Mountains in the future over the Pacific and Asia. Which was actually far more important than anything right now, as the Federation and Huaxia were technically speaking allies.
Kure Clan, Katahara Family, and the Korean Magic Association + Korean Regency Council would be the sole factions remaining across all of Asia in a few years. Huxia had almost finished digesting the territories they had taken over, and it was clear they were moving forward and would annex even more of their neighbors.
"Then we can start straight away!"
Obviously, Raian didn't want to wait any longer and wanted to undergo the ritual that Yakou created as soon as possible. For him, increasing his strength was of the utmost importance, which was something that he focused on the most.
And even though he was guaranteed to reach the Martial Saint Level through natural training, he didn't want to wait for it, as it would take him more than ten years according to the current estimations.
Simultaneously, Kure Raian was one of the few people in the world who were aware of what was happening around the world with Mana. Even though he wasn't Mage and his Source was Chi and not Mana, he was aware that very turbulent times were coming for them all.
"As you wish... just let me prepare some things..."
Yakou, in the end, related because he knew that Raian wouldn't stop pestering him about it.
It was really weird to say, but Kure Raian was actually his friend?
Pretty weird thing to say, as usually Raian only had targets to kill.
But the two of them knew each other from a very young age, and together with Katahara Retsudo, they often trained and sparred together. Or what Yakou called, he was getting beaten from all sides around.
So he was helping his old friends reach the greater heights...
Yakou also knew that there were a few people who were really trustworthy in his eyes that could be depended on, and obviously, Katahara Retsudo and Kure Raian ranked among the top of the list.
As they were talking, they welcomed another visitor when Tsuchigumo led their familiar figure of Nakiri Mana, which surprised Yakou a bit because he didn't expect that she would arrive at the Numengard Estate this soon.
Or rather that she would arrive at all...
But that was good because he could already see the feat... Since that Japanese man Saiba left the Numengard Estate when the contract expired and returned back to Japan, the level of the cuisine wasn't up to Yakou's standards.
Or rather, it wasn't up to the level that the previous Head Chef raised.
"Welcome to the Numengard Estate, Miss Chef."
Yakou stood up as he went to Nakiri Mana and kissed her hand, as Karura, behind him, narrowed her eyes as she looked at the newcomer and was alarmed by the enthusiasm with which he was welcoming her.
Among the Yakou's lovers, everyone was aware that Yakou had a thing for Nakiri Mana because he loved her food... which was something none of them could compete with, as none of them could cook.
Well... it was rather surprising, but Eve could do some minor things in the kitchen, and she was pretty good with certain types of desserts... like very good with desserts. But overall, compared to the elite graduates of the Tōtsuki Tea Ceremony and Cooking Academy, it wasn't much because Nakiri Mana could prepare everything.
And at the best level that one would ever taste and eat.
Kirari actually couldn't cook, and neither could the Mamiya mother-daughter duo... and Keira was a special case who thought that MREs were actually good food. Only Kure Karura and Kure Fusui could cook, and they could cook rahter well, though most things they could do were only traditional Japanese cuisine.
Yakou actually liked traditional Japanese cuisine, and the Kure duo could really remind one of the traditional homemade meals... and both of them were pretty skilled at that, and they also knew a lot of traditional Kure Clan recipes.
"Thank you for the welcome... but I won't be staying permanently... only till training a few new chefs for the estate."
Mana said as she was rather surprised by the affection and attention she was receiving from Campione... which was something she actually enjoyed deep inside.
Nakiri Mana was also a woman, and, as a woman of very high standards and pride, she greatly enjoyed compliments and attention from one of the most outstanding men in the world and in history.
Because who was more outstanding than Campione himself?
She had to admit that it was a rather correct decision to come here, at least it was a nice change of enviroment and who knows what else could bloom out of this encounter.
"Well, even that is something, don't you think?"
Yakou said as he motioned for her to sit down. Nakiri Mana immediately recognized the Kure Clansmen who were present, because all of them were pretty famous across Japan's higher society.
Especially right now, Kure Raian, since it was clear that he would become the next Patriarch of the Kure Clan, even skipping an entire generation.
Though she could now understand the decision, because Kure Raian was the second-strongest person in the entire Kure Clan according to the information circulating outside, and now that she saw him in real life, it was really true.
"And who knows... maybe you will grow to like it here during your stay."
Yakou said with a grin as he looked at the Nakiri Heiress, because he could guess that her presence was mostly due to the decision of Nakiri Senzaemon and the Nakiri Clan, if anything...
At the same time, Mana was a very attractive young woman, and she was one of the most outstanding chefs who had ever left the Tōtsuki Tea Ceremony and Cooking Academy and ranked among the top chefs in the entire world.
There were only positives about her.
Though the minor negative was her apparently arrogant personality and minor things, but who among his lovers wasn't...
As they were speaking, Yakou actually received a message... the sender of the message was his Heirloom Crow, which was the most surprising thing, because it wasn't like the Heirloom was the most talkative thing around in the world.
[Lostbelt Camelot has descended onto the world... It's located in the British Island, England. Head there as soon as possible to enter the Tomb... if you can obtain just a fraction of the things inside it, it would awaken me completely, and you can also benefit tremendously from entering.]
Nevertheless, he read the message as he was rather surprised by what he had read and certainly he didn't really understand a few things.
'Alright... thank you for speaking for the first time in a while, especially when you need something and something that I think is dangerous as heck... also, what is the Lostbelt?'
Yakou asked in his mind because this was also the first time that he was hearing the word "Lostbelt", especially, in correlation with Tombs, but for some reason he felt that it was pretty familiar.
[... Generally speaking, Lostbelts are special types of worlds created by powerful existences when someone cuts off the place from the Temporal Axis. Anything can theoretically become a Lostbelt, which is Real and Fantasy at the same time. If one thinks of the Temporal Axis as one long scroll, the Lostbelts are like another scroll entirely that was cut from the main scroll and became independent, smaller scrolls on their own. Across reality, Lostbelts are extremely rare, and this is the first time that one appeared in Terra, albeit in the form of a Tomb.]
Yakou took in everything that Crow explained about the Lostbelt Concept, and suddenly, he had a premonition of something bad or good at the same time.
'So this one will have someone extremely powerful in it?'
If there was some frightening entity that was hiding in... then he certainly wouldn't be going anywhere.
Even though he didn't fully understand everything, he guessed that being that could separate the entire "concept of place" from the whole Timeline so that it would become something like an independent dimension...
There was nothing that he could even dare to imagine.
[No... this world is under 'Their' oversight, so they wouldn't allow anyone above the 4th-Digit to descend here... even the 4th-Digits would be suppressed to a certain degree to not harm their plans.]
The Crow said as she transmitted to Yakou a lot of information about what she meant by Digits.
F-Ranked Parameters and E-Ranked Parameters were 7th-Digit Entities.
D-Ranked Parameters and C-Ranked Parameters were 6th-Digit Entities.
B-Ranked Parameters and A-Ranked Parameters were 5th-Digit Entities.
S-Ranked Parameters to SSS-Ranked Parameters were 4th-Digit Entities.
This was all that Crow provided, but Yakoou guessed based on this, that there must also be also 3rd-Digits, 2nd-Digits, and also the 1st-Digit, which should be the ceiling. Obviously, Crow wouldn't say anything about this, as she just transmitted information up to the 4th-Digit Entities.
It was rather disturbing that Campione, who was technically speaking an S-Ranked Parameter, was ranked pretty low on the overall spectrum of things.
'Alright.'
Yakou said to Crow after the Heirloom went into hibernation.
"Alright... let's go carry out the ritual."
He said as he needed to take care of the Raian's ritual as soon as possible to start the preparation for his journey to England. Yakou was sure that the 4th Campione, Alexander Gascoigne, was already present, and more of his kind would arrive at the very special Tomb.
Yakou already sensed that this would be an event that would end the peaceful times of Terra...
It was rather ironic that, unbeknownst to him, the appearance of Camelot would indeed shine upon the cataclysm of the world.