[Scholar of █████████ Identification Number: █████████████████████ is initiating contact with the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System.]
[Requesting access to the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System Archive.]
[Little Garden's Central Cardinal System Archive activated.]
[Access to the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System Archive Granted.]
[Searching through the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System Archive for the Key Words.]
[Match Found.]
[██████]
[Viewing the File of [Redacted] of the [Redacted] Species.]
[Insufficient Permission in the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System to view the Unredacted Files.]
[Species: ██████
Type: █████ ███, ████████████ ██████ ███
Name: [Redacted]
Title: Dragon of Eternity and Time, Eternal Dragon of Light, Dragon God, Eternal Dragon
Digit: █████████
Parameters: ███
Vital Status: Active
Chaotic Origin Dimension: [Redacted]
Identification Number of Chaotic Origin Dimension: [Redacted]
Chaotic Origin Dimension Status: [Redacted] by [Redacted].
Chaotic Origin Dimension Type: [Redacted]
Void: Great Dark Beyond Cosmos.]
[Accessing History of Dragon of Eternity and Time.]
[Insufficient Authority within the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System for full access.]
[Little Garden's Central Cardinal System is issuing partial access.]
[Archive Entry: Recorded History of the Dragon of Eternity and Time recorded by the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System.
NOTE 1: Accessing Partial Files
NOTE 2: Prolonged Access may attract the attention of the Dragon of Eternity and Time
The Eternal Dragon God is one of the more active ███████ out in the Void. Contrary to the other of his kind, the Dragon of Eternity and Time works on vastly different principles, as his Shirnes and Churches of the Eternal Dragon are spread across several Chaotic Origin Dimensions.
His origin in [Redacted] is shrouded in mystery, and not many are aware of the fact or how exactly he started spreading his religion and influence. Many believe that it is tied to the █████ ██ █████, which is the entirety of the world under the Eternal Dragon and ███ █████.
This ██████ is famous for doing various deals with the mortal creatures, which often involve the Sacrificial Rituals, mainly the [Redacted], [Redacted], or [Redacted]. Wherever the Eternal Dragon is active, it's this very reason the Eternal Dragon is revered over the other Gods that he is the only one who can grant someone time and an increased lifespan.
Equal exchange is a core principle of the Eternal Dragon; of course, it takes precedence over a general guideline.
The Eternal Dragon is an archaic and primordial creature that surpasses [Redacted] themselves. He has left his mark on thousands of Planes, Dimensions, Cosmos, and Realms, and when he enters a new Plane, he leaves his mark there.
Many consider it their ultimate goal to find that trace that the Eternal Dragon has left on the said Plane. It may be a female dragon, an egg, or even █████, but as long as you find its traces, you will be able to understand the [Redacted] of the [Redacted] ██████.
This would allow the finder to have leap forward in strength. Compared to the Eternal Dragon, the so-called Gods are just parasites leeching off the [Redacted] of the [Redacted] and [Redacted]. Those who control [Redacted][Redacted] are considered weaker, and the opposite is true as well.
Many who found the legacies of the Dragon of Eternity and Time managed to reach high digits... the most notable being several of the peak █████████ entities and a good number of █████████. According to the rumors, one person named [Redacted] managed to find the complete legacy of the Dragon of Eternity and Time and ascended to the █████████.
The Eternal Dragon's requirements for his worshippers were incomparably simple. As long as one was willing to seek out items of great power and sacrifice them, that was enough. So-called pious followers would only have to mention his name and promise to perform a sacrifice to the best of their abilities during their lives. In other words, trying was enough; it didn't matter if one actually performed a ceremony. Of course, one would obviously get better benefits from offering something.
The Eternal Dragon could tell one's hopes and desires to personalize the blessings on offer. That way, even if the exact blessing one needed didn't appear, the alternatives couldn't be refused either.
The Eternal Dragon has a terrible relationship that is outright hostile with another ██████ known as [Redacted] or by his title: Beast God. According to the earliest records, both of them share the same origin in [Redacted] and were born during [Redacted] and are among the oldest generation of ███████.]
[Accessing the recent history of the Little Garden and its Observed Dimensions.]
[Requesting permission to access the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System Archive.]
[Permission from the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System has been granted.]
[Archive Entry: Recent History of the Little Garden and its Observed Dimensions through the Archives of the Little Garden and its Observed Dimensions.
After the [Redacted], Dragon of Eternity and Time met another of his kind, [Redacted] or known as The Miracle, known to travel across countless Chaotic Origin Dimensions and other Planets, including the [Redacted] where Eternal Dragon was born.
Together, with another ██████ known as [Redacted], who originated from [Redacted] and is a famous creation of [Redacted] and [Redacted] in the [Redacted], they created the Little Garden.
A world where a conglomerate of Gods, Demons, Spirits, and many other Mythological, Supernatural, Spiritual, and other entities reside and form communities to survive. It is the only place in the Void, where more than one ██████ or █████ ███ resides simultaneously with the sole exception of [Redacted], [Redacted] and [Redacted].
Project primarily created by The Miracle for observation of the Void History that encompasses the history of all species, ranging from the weakest ones to the mightiest of the [Redacted]. Eternal Dragon relocated his Eternal Shrine there and operated exclusively from the Little Garden's Gate 1 reserved for the [Redacted], [Redacted], [Redacted] and other █████████ entities.
[Accessing the Prognosis.]
[Prognosis Accessed.]
[Prognosis Records of the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System for the Dragon God of Eternity.
It is highly possible that the Eternal Dragon won't move from the current location; however, the arrival of more ███████ and █████████ entities, █████████ as well as entities and █████████ beings, could change the course of action.
The Miracle's project of the Little Garden became the largest gathering in across many Chaotic Origin Dimensions, where each Chaotic Origin Dimension is comparable to the Multiverse. One can say that the Little Garden is the central hub for [Redacted], and the Eternal Dragon benefited immensely from this.
Even the ███████ such as Eternal Dragon cannot resist the temptation of the Little Garden.]
[The connection with the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System has been forcibly ended by the Dragon of Eternity and Time.]
[The connection with the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System has been ended.]
***
Unnamed Location, Japan
"Everything is proceeding according to the plan... The Culling Game will start in twenty-four hours in full force and will last for either two weeks or until the victor is declared. But with the current tempo and the forces that were gathered, it would be over pretty soon."
Yakou muttered as he looked over at the enormous sprawling Japanese compound in traditional architecture, located in the depths of the forest. Currently, he was near the Ancestral Home of the Tsuchimikado Clan as he went to reclaim what was his.
Within the Ancestral Seat of the Tsuchimikado Clan, the Clan's Inheritance of the Onmyōdō was waiting for him, as well, as the 12th Gate Key of the Twelve Divine Shikigami Contract Gates Technique...
The one that was holding the strongest Shikigami ever born.
The one that was stronger than the Divine Ancestors, as even they would be defeated by its might.
Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga.
Only one person in the history of the Tsuchimikado Clan managed to control Mohoraga.
Abe no Semei.
Even Yakou's namesake, Tsuchimikado Yakou, during World War II, was able to unseal the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga for a short period of time, before he started losing control over the 12th Gate.
"Hmm... so the pests are still here... and there is a rahter high number of them."
Yakou looked at the sprawling compound of the Clan, protected by the Barrier, so even though the Mages of the History Compilation Committee couldn't enter the compound, they were still camping outside.
Studying and attempting to break through the wards.
Fortunately for him and unfortunately for them, the Barriers around the compound stood strong.
"Kill them all, Hokuto."
Suddenly, above the moon, a silhouette of an Eastern Dragon appeared. Contrary to the Western Dragons, the Eastern Dragons were more serpentine, wingless creatures, but no less dangerous than their cousins in the West.
Yakou obtained her Key from his Uncle Yasazumi, who had the 3rd Key in his possession, nd right now, Yakou also has the 7th Key for Shikigami Hishamaru and the 8th Key for Shikigami Hagoromo Gitsune, a Nine-Tailed Fox.
Both of these Keys were located and obtained by Katahara Metsudō, who passed the Keys to Yakou a few hours prior to when he reunited with the old man. The old man was beyond ecstatic at the scheme that they were cooking up and gladly accepted the alliance with the Illuminati Society.
Yakou knew that someone like Katahara Metsudō would never become part of the Illuminati Society, because he would never serve under anyone.
[Name: Hokuto
Title: Golden Dragon of the Moon, 3rd Gate
Classification: Shikigami
Age: 300
Race: Ryū / Eastern Dragon (Female)
*
Parameters:
Strength - B
Vitality - B
Endurance - B
Agility - B
Mana - B
Luck - C
*
Class: B
Affiliation: Tsuchimikado Clan, Tsuchimikado Yakou - Shikigami
Armaments: N/A
Magic: Imperial-Style Onmyōdō (Fire)
Uniqueness: Wise One, Moon Affinity
Skills: N/A
Abilities: Dragonfire, Enhanced Spiritual Senses, Enhanced Reflexes, Enhanced Battle Instincts, Night Vision, Pain Tolerance]
Yakou knew that if not for the younger age of the Shikigami, then it would be far more powerful than the rest. In the end, it was Dragon and Dragons were always considered as the pinnacle species, but Hokuto was young.
She was very young by the dragon standards, and some ancient dragons would consider her to be a hatchling.
Though he was determined to cultivate the Shikigami properly, because among the other Gates, she had one of the highest potential straight after Mahoraga.
In a split second, Hokuto rushed at the human and with one opening of her jaws, Yakou heard only screams.
[Game Master Tsuchimikado Yakou killed another Player and obtained 5 Points.]
[Game Master Tsuchimikado Yakou killed another Player and obtained 1 Point.]
[Game Master Tsuchimikado Yakou killed another Player and obtained 10 Points.]
[Game Master Tsuchimikado Yakou killed another Player and obtained 5 Points.]
[Game Master Tsuchimikado Yakou killed another Player and obtained 5 Points.]
[Game Master Tsuchimikado Yakou killed another Player and obtained 5 Points.]
[Game Master Tsuchimikado Yakou killed another Player and obtained 25 Points.]
These were notifications from the Culling Game because even he, as the Game Master, could participate in the Culling Game if he wished. Obviously, he wouldn't be doing this really, as he was getting so many notifications from the Main Nexus that it was annoying, and his Point Count already crossed several hundred.
In the end, most of the Mages and Knights that the History Compilation Committee stationed here were just weaklings, though... There were still some Great Knights, Senior Mages, and other important personnel.
The most important were the problems with the one Grand Knight and Magister of Magic that were squashed to death by Hokuto's tail when the Golden Dragon landed on the ground and started tearing the rest of their forces.
The entire killing didn't really take that long, because none of the opponents were even close to the might of his Shikigami, and thus, after another ten minutes, he let the dragon have her fun, and he entered the victintiy of the Ancestral Manor of the Tsuchimikado Clan.
He had to admit that the entire place looked like a warzone, because everything was burning and smelled of burned flesh and blood.
Which wasn't really surprising, yet it was annoying.
Yakou ignored the unpleasant smell as he put his right hand on the barrier that was protecting the Ancestral Manor of the Tsuchimikado Clan, and then... he just passed through.
As simple as that.
Because he was of the Tsuchimikado descent and was approved by the Barrier's Wardstone Matrix, he could freely enter the manor. Inside the compound though... it looked like time had stopped.
As well as the gruesome sight of skeletons that were here.
He put down the military cap from his head, as he looked over the manor with some kind of sorrow at the fate that befell his clansmen. Many remained in the manor... hoping that the crisis would solve itself, but instead...
It became their tomb.
Skeletons of people were everywhere... some belonged to adults, some even to children or to newborns. All met the very same fate... starvation to death, because they ran out of food and water at some point.
He was angry.
Really, really angry.
And he was also feeling sorrow.
From the death of his kin.
Of that of his family.
All of them... locked in one place and starved to death.
The Campiones were beings of extreme emotions, and he was doing everything that he could to contain the extreme rage that was budding inside of him. The need for slaughter and destruction was growing significantly stronger for him, as he went through the empty courtyards of the ancestral seat of his family.
Filled with only death and remnants of the glory past gone.
At least... the Culling Game and Voban's rampage would take care of the enemies and people who were responsible for this.
He was sure that right now, the History Compilation Committee was scrambling in fear, because they were fully thrown into the Culling Game and Binding Vows were forced upon them.
Once Kengan-Enforcer Forces started attacking them, they would be doomed. Yakou already knew that a few hours prior, Voban started appearing all around the Japanese Shrines and kidnapping Shrine Maidens, Hime-Mikos, and Witches.
If the Shrines resisted, the old man would slaughter them.
Not like it was any shame, because all of the ones where Voban appeared were not true Shrines, but rather branches of the History Compilation Committee that were posing as Shrine Shrines, so their destruction was a welcomed thing.
With Voban rampaging around the country, it was only understandable that the higher-ups and Executives of the History Compilation Committee would be shitting their pants in fear because Voban was infamous.
And before they could come to the decision to do something about this, then the Culling Game was initiated, and all of them were brought to the Culling Game. Of course, that didn't really stop there, because Yakou also did another thing.
When the Culling Game was marking the people, he tweaked the process with his Authority of Game Master and left several people unmarked by the Culling Game.
Namely, the 8th Campione, his Knight Erica Blandelli, and those Hime-Miko Sisters about whom Yakou negotiated with Voban. Participation of the 8th Campione must be postponed and delayed for as long as possible, because it was inevitable.
Yet, because it was inevitable, they needed to delay it for as long as possible, so when he finally intervened, his intervention in the matter would be inconsequential.
Yakou shook his head, because he needed to handle the things here pretty fast. According to the plan, tomorrow, Voban would attack the Headquarters of the History Compilation Committee in Kyoto and fight with Sun Wukong.
Yakou himself would be present for the two purposes.
One was to infiltrate the headquarters together with Athen and steal the object for her, and the second was to guard Voban's back. He was sure that the moment Voban attacked the headquarters of the Committee, those cowards would try to call 8th King Kusanagi Godou.
And as honorable and simple-minded the boy was, he would arrive to fight against tyrannical Campione, who was slaughtering innocent people right and left.
As simple as that.
During that time, Yakou's mission was to halt or fight the 8th Campione; preferably, he could team up with Athena against the Kusanagi boy. Right now, though, he was here to activate the contract between him and the main Wardstone of the Tsuchimikado's Ancestral Manor and take control of it.
Then he wanted to take control of the Mahoraga, even though Yakou knew that the process wouldn't be that easy. Mahoraga is the most uncontrollable shikigami in the history of the Onmyōji World, even if compared directly against other Shikigamis.
Only the Users of the Inherent Onmyōdō Technique Twelve Divine Shikigami Contract Gates could attempt doing so. Even then, when one obtained the Key for the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga, they wouldn't obtain control over the Shikigami.
They would need to tame it.
And that was...
Nigh impossible.
Because they needed to defeat the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga in order to tame it, and for the ordinary people, it was impossible. But Yakou was Campione, so he felt more at ease...
Though even he was curious about the extent of the Mahoraga's adaptability.
The Divine General's most notable power is the Adaptation to any and all phenomena, made visible through the turning of its wheel. If the Divine General is hit by a particular attack, the wheel turns once the attack is analyzed, and Mahoraga adapts; if its adversary uses that same technique again, Mahoraga will counter it from then on.
Generally speaking, Mahoraga's adaptations can be Defensive in nature, becoming physically resistant/immune to attacks while healing any injuries incurred pre-adaptation. Auxiliary, like allowing the Shikigami to become able to see normally invisible attacks, as well as Offensive in nature, like letting Mahoraga modify the properties of its own attacks to overcome and bypass enemy defenses.
It was indeed the pinnacle of the Onmyōdō.
He looked around the estate as he felt rather weird...
This was the home for the Tsuchimikado Clan for many centuries... their ancestral mansion and seat of power.
Yet when Yakou saw it, he only saw the death that was filled in this place. He started taking everything valuable from this place, and through Spatial Magic, he was dropping it directly to the Numengard Estate in Charlottesville.
He took the 12th Gate Key of the Twelve Divine Shikigami Contract Gates, as he planned to, in order to inseal and tame the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga right now.
He changed the special chant that was used for unleashing the Shikigamis of the Twelve Divine Shikigami Contract Gates Inherent Technique, as the process repeated itself when he was unleashing the 9th Gate, Kakugyōki.
"With this treasure, I summon Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga."
Soon enough...
A powerful aura burst out of the Gate that was conjured before him as the figure of the Divine General appeared before his eyes.
The shikigami itself is a towering, muscular humanoid figure with four wings protruding from its eye sockets and a tail-like appendage extending from the back of its head. Hovering just above this was a large eight-handled wheel that rotates as Mahoraga responds to new stimuli.
"Furu's Incantation" of the Ten Sacred Treasures and this wheel represent a "perfect cycle" and "harmony". Divine Geral Mahoraga also sports black hakama bottoms and a white sash around its waist to cover most of its lower body.
[Name: Mahoraga
Title: Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga
Classification: Shikigami
Age: Unknown
Race: Cursed Greater Spirit
*
Parameters:
Strength - B+++
Vitality - A+
Endurance - A+
Agility - B+++
Mana - B+++
Luck - B+
*
Class: Pseudo A-Rank
Affiliation: Tsuchimikado Clan, Tsuchimikado Yakou - Shikigami
Armaments: Sword of Extermination
Magic: N/A
Uniqueness: Adaptation, Reset
Skills: N/A
Abilities: N/A]
The greatest disadvantage of the Mahoraga was the Reset. Through the Reset, when a new user of the Twelve Divine Shikigami Contract Gates Inherent Onmyōdō Technique went to unseal and tame, Mahoraga, the Shikigami would reset to the null.
Basically, the blank state.
At the same time, after the Reset, its potential would be increased once more.
Yakou knew why the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga was considered the strongest Shikigami in the entire world, and aside from the Abe no Semei, nobody was able to tame this monstrosity.
Below the realm of Divine Ancestors and High-Level Divine Beasts, there was no one who could match the strength of the Mahoraga. Not to mention, even though the power of the Mahoraga was not up to the A-Rank, the creatures had Vitality and Endurance of such beings.
And that was not speaking about the Adaptability.
The cheat-like skills.
Taming Divine General Mahoraga was always a problem...
Unless one was Campione.
Because the act of Taming was done through single combat.
If the Onmyōji was stronger than the Shikigami, the Shikigami would obey the Onmyōji.
Like it was in the case of Abe no Semei, who successfully tamed the Divine General and was the only Onmyōji who achieved this feat. Yakou unleashed his power and the full might of his Mana that he controlled toward the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga.
Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga tried to fight against the Mana of the Campione, but not even he, Divine General Mahoraga, could achieve such a feat, as Yakou appeared in front of the Mahoraga and kicked the Cursed Greater Spirit in the head.
The disparity between the parameters was too huge, and after some beating, Yakou managed to obtain the submission of the Divine General Mahoraga.
[Establishing the connection with the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga.]
[Contracted Shikigami Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga is assimialting part of the User's Mana and Adapting to the User.]
[Shikigami Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga's Parameters have been upgraded.]
Yakou suddenly received several notifications from the Crow Heirloom as he felt a sort of connection forming between him and Mahoraga, as the Shikigami was assimilating part of Yakou's Mana and Essence while Adapting to all phenomena.
Obviously, Mahoraga couldn't adapt to Yakou's Divine Authorities, but even Yakou was surprised that he was adapting to the Skills and Abilities that Yakou possessed... even to the mastery over the combat and everything.
As he focused on the connection between him and Divine General, he understood the reason why...
It seemed that Mahoraga was designed and adjusted by Abe no Semei to be able to take on the skills and abilities of its contracted Onmyōji.
[Name: Mahoraga
Title: Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga
Classification: Shikigami
Age: Unknown
Race: Cursed Greater Spirit
*
Parameters:
Strength - A
Vitality - A+
Endurance - A+
Agility - A
Mana - A
Luck - B+
*
Class: A-Rank
Affiliation: Tsuchimikado Clan, Tsuchimikado Yakou - Shikigami
Armaments: Sword of Extermination
Magic: Imperial-Style Onmyōdō (Fire, Lightning)
Uniqueness: Adaptation, Reset
Skills: Master Combatant, Master Strategist
Abilities: Incomplete Magic Resistance, Enhanced Spiritual Senses, Enhanced Reflexes, Increased Comprehension Capabilities, Enhanced Battle Instincts, Night Vision, Pain Tolerance]
For several moments, he looked at the Mahoraga's updated stats as he wanted to curse.
Like, really, really cursed, because Mahoraga was really overpowered.
Just from taming and contracting Mahoraga, he obtained a Shikigami that was currently on the level of Divine Ancestors and High-Level Divine Beasts. Yakou was actually very curious about where the Mahoraga's development would go.
Among all the Gates of the Twelve Divine Shikigami Contract, it was the one with the most potential for development. After some more observation, Yakou dismissed the Divine General as he went to collect the remaining things in the manor that were here and had any value.
Then he looked around the mansion, and even though he had never really lived here, and this was the first time that he had visited this place, he felt a weird connection to the place. As he strolled through the courtyard of the estate, he felt emotion that was rather foreign to him.
Sorrow.
Sadness.
He walked around the entire place, several times as he memorized it to the last detail and scoured the place for valuables or memorabilia once more. The ancestral compound of the Tsuchimikado Clan was rather big, so it took a considerable amount of time.
But Yakou carefully went over every single nook and cranny of the estate and teleported everything back home as he then departed from the compound and went to the small hill from where he had a view of the entire compound and the surrounding area.
"The End Times have come and the World will End. I summon thee, the World Ending Flames of the Eschatology!"
When he was using Divine Authorities, Yakou preferred to do silent chanting, but this time... he found it rather fitting as he used the chant for the Divine Authority Khvarenah: Halo of The Supreme Ruler as a huge wave of burning world-ending flames appeared around Yakou and swallowed the ancestral compound of the Tsuchimikado Clan.
In the split of a moment, the world-ending flames burned the entire ancestral manor of his clan to oblivion, as only a blazing inferno of flames and fire remained in that place.
When Yakou arrived at this place, he realized that this wasn't home to his clan anymore.
It was a tomb.
He had decided that the future was somewhere else and no member of the Tsuchimikado Clan would ever call Japan their home again. Their future would be written in a different place, and when Yakou realized how much death and misery their ancestral seat now represented...
It was better for it to become a burial together with his family, who once perished in this place.
***
Tokyo, Secondary Branch of the History Compilation Committee in Tokyo, Shibuya
Today was a good day.
Any day was a good day for the enemies ot be dying.
Even though this time, even Keira was taking this as a personal matter. Not only because they were going to attack the Main Branch of the History Compilation Committee in Tokyo on the behest of her Campione, but also because the said Campione was her man.
Next to her, Martial Saint Kanoh Agito was also eagerly awaiting the start of the attack, as he was commanding part of the Bodyguard Forces that belonged to the Katahara Metsudō.
[Name: Keira Clark
Type: Player - Mage Knight
Points: 0
Kills: 0
Faction: Illuminati Society, Kengan-Illuminati Alliance]
Everyone who was designated as a Player in the Culling Game could display their status with a simple command and see their Faction, Points, and Kills.
"Are you sure that one of the Saints would be present there?"
Even though she was confident in her power, taking on Magic Saint was something that was way above her pay grade.
"Yes. But... you don't really need to fear them that much. They are not really combatants, and their own expertise at the arts of battle is terrible."
Hearing the voice of Kanoh Agito made Keira nod her head, because parameters were not everything. Even if the opponent was vastly more powerful, they could still be easily killed by those less powerful if they don't know how to use their power.
"The History Compilation Committee has two Magic Saints, at least on the public front. Neither of them is a combatant or a Battle Mage. I almost killed one of them a few years ago, and they are more scholarly mages than anything else."
Kanoh Agito was most acquainted with the Magic Saints of the History Compilation Committee... and yes, they had spells that would be able to burn an entire city like Tokyo to the ground...
If the enemy was polite enough and let them be for around fifteen minutes until they finished casting the said spell.
They were not like other Saints who could unleash such spells in mere moments, as they were trained for combat.
This was playing into their advancement.
Heavily.
"Then let the game begin."
Keira grinned as she looked at the Main Branch of the History Compilation Committee in Tokyo because she already had several rewards that she wanted from her man in mind.
Not to mention, she was always in the mood for a good fight, and fighting powerful opponents was something she really enjoyed. Keira Clark was the Grand Knight of the Illuminati Society and someone who had spent too long at her current rank.
She wanted to reach the next rank and become the Magic Saint, but she also understood her own limits and where she stood. Her innate talent had limits and she wasn't really from any noble Magic Blood...
Keira was lucky in many regards.
For her...
The most viable way was obtaining the Heirloom that would allow her to break through the limits and become the Magic Saint. For the Illuminati Society, obtaining the Heirlooms was highly dangerous and problematic, but with the concept of the Tomb Raiders, things were changing slowly.
Especially the two were highly useful assets.
Professor Indiana Jones and archaeologist / fallen British Aristocrat Lara Croft of the House Croft.
But Keira thought, where was a better place to obtain Relics and Heirlooms than one of the biggest Magic Associations in the world? Even though the History Compilation Committee was relatively young, it still boasted a history of a few centuries, and after the fall of the major Onmyōji Clans after World War II, they actually managed to seize a lot of assets from these Clans.
Among them were Relics and Heirlooms.
Something that Keira was aiming for.
Though she wasn't alone in this regard, because even the two men next to her were thinking the same.
Kanoh Agito wanted good martial arts-related heirlooms for himself, and Katahara Retsudo was ordered by his father to secure a good amount of them for the development of the Katahara Family and Bodyguard Force overall.
Retsudo is a good-looking young man with condescending look in his eyes, neatly styled red hair that falls over the right side of his face and is tied into a single distinct braided plait (which was done by his sister Sayaka), thin dark eyebrows, a lack of facial hair and a distinguishing tattoo of Hebrew script that runs down the left side of his face, running over his left eye.
Like the Bodyguards that serve his father, Retsudo is always seen wearing a smart, formal black suit, leaving the top buttons of his white shirt undone. Keira knew that Yakou and Retsudo basically grew with each other, and they were actually very close.
Katahara Retsudo, despite being very young, was also a prodigious Martial Artist and was already a Martial Grandmaster, not much weaker than Keira herself.
***
Tokyo, Secondary Branch of the History Compilation Committee in Tokyo, Shibuya
The Culling Game.
That was something that was in the mind of everyone who believed in the supernatural world in Japan, because soon enough, everyone realized that they were being forced into the Binding Vow against their own will.
Some of the more intelligent people had already realized that someone must have cast a continental-wide Magic Array covering the entire continent of Japan, because the History Compilation Committee was receiving reports that everywhere in Japan, the situation was the same.
Across the entire Empire, the Culling Game was activated, and the entire nation was divided into the Colonies, which forbade anyone from leaving their respective Colony as long as they had their Mana or Chi activated.
Amakasu Tōma looked at the "game status screen" as he was sitting in his office.
[Name: Amakasu Tōma
Type: Player - Mage
Points: 0
Kills: 0
Faction: History Compilation Committee]
There was nothing else, aside from the explanation of the 22 Rules that were announced to every Player once the Culling Game was activated. At the same time, they could access this information through the interference of the Culling Game.
"This couldn't have happened at the worst time already."
The Executive of the History Compilation Committee sighed in defeat, because this was really the worst time possible that something like this could have happened. Just two days ago, they received reports that 1st Campione Marquise Sasha Dejanstahl Voban had arrived in Japan and was already wreaking havoc across the Empire.
Several Shrines were already attacked, and he killed a few Mages who were protecting the Shrines. And just as the Committee was about to do something about the situation, most probably agreeing on the course of action where they would ask King Kusanagi to act...
This entire thing with the Culling Game happened.
Every single Mage of the History Compilation Committee was forced onto the Binding Vow, and its conditions were extremely strict. At the same time, Amakasu Tōma could see that the reason behind the Culling Game was to force the Mages of the History Compilation Committee to fight against someone or something.
Because the entire Empire was divided into several Colonies and they couldn't easily leave the colonies.
[Rule Number 17: Players can enter and exit across all colony borders if their overall score exceeds 100 Points.]
Not to mention, gathering 100 Points would be...
Very hard for the most.
He himself was a Great Mage, so his life was technically worth 10 Points, which was... certainly on the lower spectrum of things. It was clear that whoever created the entire Culling Game had the idea of killing as many people as possible.
Which brought him to another question.
Who was or were the other factions participating in the Culling Game?
Because it was more than evident that the History Compilation Committee was one of the main factions in this Culling Game. This meant that there must be at least one more main faction participating in this thing that would be their main opponent.
Amakasu Tōma looked at Sayanomiya Kaoru, who was sitting acorss him with a panicked expression, which was undoubtedly a change compared to her stoic appearance. He could understand the sentiment because they would soon be fighting for their lives against someone or something.
And it was something unknown.
"The situation is worse than anticipated... most of the branches are in complete disarray, and the rest of the branches are not different. Only Kyoto is somewhat in order, but even that is because we have summoned all of our Magic Saint ancestors from their research or seclusion."
Publicly, the History Compilation Committee had two Magic Saints, but they had one more in the shadows. Those three Magic Saints of the Committee were maintaining order in Kyoto as most of the association was totally in chaos.
"Not even Kyoto, Kaoru-kun... this came twenty minutes ago."
Executive Amakusa turned around the monitor as he turned on the video.
On it was a scene of a muscular man of above-average height. He had short, spiked light blond hair with a small widow's peak and a notch on his hairline's right side.
"Is that?"
Sayanomiya Kaoru held her breath as she looked at the video and noticed the black sclera of the blond man who was slaughtering through the bunch of Mages and Knights that were affiliated with the Committee like they were cabbage.
"Yes... member of the Kure Clan, more precisely, Kure Raian, the grandosn of the Patriarch Kure Erioh, who was seen massacring a small covenant of Mages that were pledged to the Committee... and that's not the worst thing yet."
The video continued, as Kure Raian, who was evidently a Martial Grandmaster, tore through their ranks and even slaying one of the Grand Knights of the Committee, an actual member of the Sayanomiya Family who arrived at the place.
"Kure Clan..."
The Kure Clan are a powerful league of assassins that are notorious throughout the criminal underworld where they are widely known as The Taboo Descendants. The Kure Clan was formed 1300 years ago, when the original Wu Clan divided into three.
While those who remained in the Chinese mainland and those who migrated to the West kept the name Wu, those who migrated to Japan founded the family today known as the Kure Clan.
Ever since the Asuka period, the Kure Clan has undergone a 1300-year process of selective breeding, adoption of special techniques, and outside combat arts. As a result, with each generation, the Kure have become a race specialized for battle.
"Since the downfall of Worm at the hands of Martial Ruler and Holy Cult of the Five Mountains, which resulted in the practical destruction of Wu Clan and Westward Faction, the Kures are the most powerful Martial Clan in the world."
Soon enough, after he killed the Sayanomiya Family's Grand Knight, who was Sayanomiya Kaoru's Uncle, another Mage appeared on the video, whom both Sayanomiya Kaoru and Amakasu Tōma recognized as one of the Magic Saints of the History Compilation Committee, Seeishuin Tanjiro.
Yet what happened then was...
Something at the bottom of them held their breath.
In a split second, all the Magic Circles that Seeishuin Tanjiro summoned broke apart, and in the next moment, she only saw a young man wearing a military uniform in a style reminiscent of that of Imperial Japan.
His clothes were adorned with several mystical and occult symbols; the most notable was a pentagram-like symbol on his cap, while he held an ornamental-looking spear that had been stabbed into the Magic Saint's heart.
"Th-a-h is C-cam-pione?"
She was shocked to see Campione present.
"At least we know what is happening... Now I can say that everything that is happening is somehow related to the 7th Campione. And the Campione is indeed, as we predicted, connected to the old Katahara and Kengan Association and through that, even to the Kure Clan."
Amakasu Tōma was now approximately 80% to 90% confident that the 7th Campione was responsible for the Culling Game and everything that was happening right now. He knew of the Kure Raian who was on the video, because he was rather notorious acorss the Empire of Japan.
"Tsuchimikado Yakou was designed by the analytics of the History Compilation Committee as a person who would rarely fight someone head-on and prefer fighting like a proper Magus and would usually weaken his enemies through traps before finishing them head-on... really dangerous foe."
When a new Campione appeared in the world, every Magic Association would do everything in their power to obtain as much information on the newest Campione as possible.
Psychological profiles, history, actions... everything was gathered and analyzed so they could predict the behavioral patterns and personality of the Campione that was born, and unfortunately, for the most part, Tsuchimikado Yakou belonged to the most problematic category of the Campiones.
In one pack with Sasha Dejanstahl Voban and Luo Hao.
He was dangerous, vindictive, and extremely hostile toward their Magic Association to the core.
The death of Patriarch of the Renjou Family, Renjou Ken, was the testament of that.
"Shouldn't we call our own Campione?"
Sayanomiya Kaoru asked, as Executive Amakusa wanted to scoff at the idea because it was a partially foolish notion. Kusanagi Godou was pacifict so the core, and unless someone attacked him or his family, then he wouldn't act that easily.
Even the patronage of the 8th Campione for the History Compilation Committee was more or less symbolic, primarily aimed at the Campiones like Voban, Luo Hao, and Tsuchimikado as deterrents.
Evidently, not even the Executives of the History Compilation Committee knew if the deterrent itself would work, as they were not really sure of it.
"We can only hope that Voban would be arrogant enough to take the Mariya sisters for his ritual as he did in the past... that should be enough for the 8th King to act."
Amakasu Tōma said, but his voice wavered when he was saying that, as he himself didn't really believe that, and it was also something that his junior Kaoru noticed.
"You don't really seem convinced that something like that would happen."
He just nodded because there was one variable on the table.
"No... If my suspicions are correct, Voban and Tsuchimikado are working together... I know that it sounds outlandish, but this time it's really suspicious, and if it's indeed true, then it would have explained why Voban is avoiding the area where the 8th Campione is living and not going after the Hime-Mikos affiliated with the 8th Campione."
Amakasu Tōma noticed the pattern in the Voban's attack against the Hime-Mikos across the entire Empire of Japan and it was more than evident. Mariya Yuri participated in the last Heretic God Summoning Ritual that Marquise conducted four years ago, and she was one of the most talented Hime-Mikos in the entire History Compilation Committee.
Not going after such a specimen didn't make sense.
Especially if the Marquise wanted to conduct another Heretic God Summoning Ritual, which he for sure wanted, because the Heretic God that was summoned four years ago was stolen and killed by the 6th Campione Lord Salvatore Doni, the King of Swords.
"Well, that sounds actually logical... but it also means that our problems are even greater than we are thinking..."
Fighting against two Campiones actively?
The History Compilation Committee was in a precarious position right now.
"Kusanagi Godou would probably act... but it is highly possible that by the time he acts, the losses on the side of the History Compilation Committee would already be very high... then we can unleash Sun Wukong, but that is no way something on our side. And we have support of Susanoo, technically speaking... overall, we don't have capabilities of fighting two Campiones under these circumstances."
If there were only Marquise Voban, the History Compilation Committee could have released Sun Wukong to weaken the old Campione, and afterwards, the 8th Campione would be enough to push him from Japan.
But now?
The situation was far more complicated.
They were against Campione, who was using his brains first and power second.
Very dangerous combination.
Amakasu Tōma knew that Tsuchimikado Yakou was very different from the Campiones who had been here across the centuries.
He was more cunning and sly; he was power-hungry and vindictive, a schemer to boot.
Practically, someone who was terrible to deal with.
Most of the Campiones were rather predictable in how they behaved and what they wanted.
And now they had extremely dangerous Campione as their enemy... an enemy who was basically dead set on exterminating them, as it seemed, because he even worked together with Marquise Voban to cause problems for them.
Which was a minor miracle on its own, because Campione almost never worked together.
As Amakasu Tōma was about to say something, the alarms in the entire building went on, and it was an emergency of the highest order. He immediately turned on the life feed from the cameras that were in the building, noticing that all entrances to the branch were being sealed and taken over.
And he knew the attackers very well.
Because most of them were actually Martial Artists of the Kengan Association and the Bodyguards of the Katahara Metsudō. The other kind of people were unknown, but the symbol of the all-seeing eye was on their uniforms, which identified them as members of the Illuminati Society.
"It seems that we won't be having a time to decide what to do, Kaoru-kun... our opponents made the first move."
The older Executive of the History Compilation Committee stated with a defeated sigh as the camera feed was getting disconnected one by one. The most problematic thing, though, was the people who were leading the two groups.
"What do you plan to do, senpai?"
The Heiress of the Sayanomiya Family asked with a rather distressed tone of voice, as her facade was cracking under the pressure. She could see that they were attacked with the strong intent to kill and that they were doing everything to kill them.
"Surrender."
[Rule Number 5: Players score points by ending the lives of other Players or accepting the Vow of Defeat from the other Players. Once Player accepted Vow of Defeat, the winner cannot kill the defeated, or else, the winner would be given a penalty of double that of number of Points that he gained.]
The answer froze her in the spot, because from a certain point of view, this was blatant betrayal of the History Compilation Committee. They were long ago aware that Katahara Metsudō was preparing to fight against the Committee and push them out of Japan.
So, technically speaking, surrendering to their forces was impossible for them.
Yet from a purely logical standpoint, it was the sole chance for survival.
Amakasu Tōma didn't think that the History Compilation Committee would survive the Culling Game. Even if by some miracle, Kusanagi Godou managed to defeat Voban and they drew on Tsuchimikado...
It would change the fact that the Culling Game itself would essentially decimate the History Compilation Committee.
The Kure Clan, Kengan Association, and Katahara Family.
Onmyōji Clans like Nakiri Clan, Sōma Clan and Kurahashi Clan.
Everything was rushing toward the History Compilation Committee with a strong intent to kill, and they were already attacking their forces across the entirety of Japan. It would be nothing short of a miracle if the History Compilation Committee managed to get by the Culling Game and survive this onslaught.
Everyone bearing the surnames of Seishuuin, Kuhoutsuka, Renjo and Sayanomiya were a prime target for the entire operation.
And Amakasu Tōma was that loyal to the Committee to lay down his life for them...
Especially when, from a certain point of view, what was happening to them right now was retribution for past sins, and many traditionalists acorss Japan considered the four families that created the Committee as traitors to the traditions and the Empire.
For the old traditionalists, the fact that users of Hermetic Magic now ruled the Magic Side of Japan was nothing short of repulsive. Many would even prefer Katahara and Jos Kengan Association to represent them, because at least the Martial Arts were always part of their culture.
Hermetic Magic, primarily imported from Europe and the Middle East, was not.
"You should escape through the emergency route when you still can, Kaoru-kun... The one leading the attacks is General Keira Clark and Katahara Retsudo... if what we know of their connections to the 7th Campione, then death would be a good outcome for you."
Executive Amakasu said to the Heiress of the Sayanomiya Family as his last act as the Executive of the History Compilation Committee.
Suddenly, the wards around their office started shaking as someone was crashing against them with an outrageous amount of power.
"Or perhaps not..."
***
Somewhere in Japan, Unknown Location Near Kyoto
A young silver-haired girl was strolling through the forest as she waited for the agreed signal.
"Hmm... this Avatar body is proving to be rather useful."
It was Athena... but not the one native to this world... not even the Chaotic Origin Dimension.
She was originally from a place called Little Garden.
A place created by the Outer Ones... namely, The Miracle, The Eternal Dragon, The King-in-Yellow, and a few others who participated in the establishment of the Little Garden.
Over the countless Eras, it became the greatest gathering place for the most powerful beings in the entire reality.
It was the most prosperous place in the entire Great Dark Beyond Cosmos and perhaps even the entire Void, among many Chaotic Origin Dimensions and innumerable amounts of realms that existed across the Chaotic Origin Dimensions.
"Hmm... this place is weird... ownelss Chaotic Origin Dimension without the of 'Them' but at the same time this place smells of 'Them', at least four or five. Not to mention, there is also Seed of the Future Last Embryo in this place, and the one that gave him the Seed was Aži Dahāka, which is... highly problematic."
Athena muttered to herself, because her True Body was only at the Pseudo 3rd-Digit and even that was under specific circumstances, and she couldn't use her true power for a long time because it would attract the attention of her father.
Most of the True Gods, like 99% of them, were at the peak of the 4th-Digit while some of the most powerful could reach Pseudo 3rd-Digit while the God Kings of the Pantheons were geniue 3rd-Digit Beings.
Athena was plotting her ascension to the 3rd-Digit for a very long time.
In the Olympus schemes and betrayal were essential and commonplace.
"The intervention of All-Giving and Primordial Flame Titan is highly problematic, but the two of them are just experimenting here... but there is also The Majesty, and there are also traces of at least two unknown ones."
Athena pondered as she mentioned only titles, not the true names. The true names of the Itarims had power... a lot of power, and mentioning them would attract their attention, even across countless Chaotic Origin Dimensions and Dimensional Barriers.
"I need to be careful... but hopefully this place would allow me to reach full Authority... yet those creations of the Absolute are troublesome... each one 3rd-Digit and there is a whole bunch of them."
Athena was in this world for a good few decades when she managed to sneak from the Little Garden unnoticed by Zeus and arrived at the Starry Sky Chaotic Origin Dimension, where she discovered this particular world.
She knew that this place was heavily touched by 'Them', but those who were here actively didn't really care about her presence and allowed her to descend and take over the Heretic God Athena.
Great Dark Beyond Realms was a dangerous place... Void was even more dangerous than the Great Dark Beyond, consisting mostly of emptiness, Eldritch Horrors and Creatures, and the native species of the Void.
In the Great Dark Beyond Realms itself, there were the Chaotic Origin Dimensions, which one person could imagine as bubbles containing entire worlds within the Great Dark Beyond Realms in the emptiness of the Void.
Some were small... and could be the size of a planet or two...
And some were huge and could be the size of the entire planet or several universes.
The one where one of 'Them', titled The Absolute Being, was residing in this Chaotic Origin Dimension when he was alive, and it was his playground. She came here for the very same reason, because she felt that this would allow her to ascend to the geniue 3rd-Digit Being.
"Hmm... he is already here?"
Athena looked at the distance and noticed that her co-conspirator was heading her way...
She had to admit that this world was very interesting. She found the entire concept of these Campiones, or the so-called Godslayers, rather intriguing, and it was clear that this was a creation of the Itarims.
She wasn't really surprised by it.
Even though they were restricted and constrained, she knew that their potential for development was immense. And then, there were the Tombs that were the trademark of The Majesty.
"His Seed... is developing."
Athena looked in the direction of the incoming Campione with a certain degree of worry, because she noticed that the Last Embryo Seed in his body was stirring. She knew that the role of the Last Embryo was something akin to a balance mechanism of the entire Dimension.
Only the more powerful and bigger Chaotic Origin Dimensions could actually give birth to the Last Embry.
The Last Trial of Mankind... or rather, it would be more prudent to call them the Last Trial of Civilization.
The role of the Last Embryo was relatively simple from a certain point of view.
They were Gods of Destruction tasked with cultivating their home Dimension.
They destroy planets, races, or threats that put the development of their respective Chaotic Origin Dimension or Cosmos at risk and maintain the balance between development and life.
"Hmm... if he becomes Last Embryo, he could be a really powerful ally or a terrible enemy to have."
Athena wasn't really keen on working together with someone who was carrying the Seed of the Future Last Embryo. They were dangerous beings, very dangerous beings, as fully matured ones stood at the pinnacle of the entire Void.
Considering the fact that 'They' don't really intervene in almost anything and there aren't many 1st-Digit entities in the Void, the Last Embryos were at the pinnacle of the Void and were notoriously famous for being mentally unstable and arrogant.
In a certain sense, they were not really that much different from the Campiones on Earth, aside from the fact that they were inherently countless times more powerful and really did what they wanted.
Because well... they were usually one of them only in one Chaotic Origin Dimension.
That was the rule.
Every Chaotic Origin Dimension could only have one Last Embry for this role.
So there was no one who would constrain them.
Generally speaking.
"Let's get over this... once I get back my Gorgoneion, I could establish proper contact with my True Body and elevate myself to Mid 4th-Digit, which would give me more freedom to move."
***
Tokyo, Secondary Branch of the History Compilation Committee in Tokyo, Shibuya
The attack on the branch of the History Compilation Committee in Tokyo was proceeding without many problems, and resistance was minimal. Or rather, it would be more prudent to say that resistance was present and was numerous, but was highly inefficient.
Of course, Keira was having the time of her life, as she had already killed more than fifty Mages and Kingiths of the History Compilation Committee.
[Player Keira Clark (Kengan-Illuminati Faction) killed another Player and obtained 5 Points.]
[Player Keira Clark (Kengan-Illuminati Faction) killed another Player and obtained 10 Points.]
[Player Keira Clark (Kengan-Illuminati Faction) killed another Player and obtained 25 Points.]
[Player Keira Clark (Kengan-Illuminati Faction) killed another Player and obtained 5 Points.]
[Player Keira Clark (Kengan-Illuminati Faction) killed another Player and obtained 10 Points.]
She dismissed tens of notifications from the Culling Game System as she cut down another Mage of the Committee while she advanced through the floors of the building. She didn't really understand why these idiots put their headquarters in the skyscraper...
When they could barely be effectively defended.
Just she, alone, together with Reed and members of the Extermination Force, was enough to bulldoze their way through the ranks of the Knights, Mages, and Martial Artists of the History Compilation Committee.
Christopher Reed was a new addition ot the mission, but shortly after the Operation Cactusfall, he reached the standards of Grand Knight because he pushed his Fire Magic to a new realm of Mastery, and he underwent certain sublimation when his Mana expanded exponentially.
The Extermination Force is a special task force within Katahara Metsudō's personal army, reserved for specialized assignments. As a force made up of personnel that could apparently easily outfight a Bodyguard Captain, members of the Extermination Force are incredibly powerful.
Each member of the Extermination Force was at least an initial Martial Grandmaster.
[Player Keira Clark (Kengan-Illuminati Faction) killed another Player and obtained 10 Points.]
[Player Keira Clark (Kengan-Illuminati Faction) killed another Player and obtained 10 Points.]
[Player Keira Clark (Kengan-Illuminati Faction) killed another Player and obtained 5 Points.]
[Player Keira Clark (Kengan-Illuminati Faction) killed another Player and obtained 10 Points.]
She had already gathered more than a few hundred Points as she killed a lot of people at the Branch of the History Compilation Committee. But that was just expected from the secondary branch, which was the largest after their headquarters located in Kyoto.
The History Compilation Committee had a lot of Mages, Knights, and Martial Artists in this place because there were approximately several hundred people in this secondary branch.
Well, that was to be expected, as the History Compilation Committee had a lot of room for development within the Empire of Japan, and they essentially had a monopoly on the recruitment for Mages in the entire country.
They managed to even recruit a good number of Martial Artists with their power and influence. Yet, in front of the powerful force specifically chosen for the assignment, they were falling like flies, especially when Kanoh Agito joined the battlefield.
Keira also noticed another man, a small man with a very lean, toned build and a bob haircut that is perpetually swept to his right. His default expression was a tired gaze with a confident smile. He wore a black suit and tie, and he kept on his dress shirt and pants when fighting.
Retsudo said his name was Misasa and that he was to inherit Kanoh Agito's position as the Fang of Metsudō.
It was clear that he would be the next Martial Saint after the Kanoh Agito... seeing this made Keira a bit jealous that the Martial Artist had a much easier time progressing further if they were talented enough.
Compared to the Mages, where it wasn't that easy to progress because Mages needed to have a sufficient degree of Magic Blood in them to be able to hold a sufficient amount of Mana that was required to cast Spells on the same level.
"We are nearing the upper levels of the building... the resistance is getting weaker."
Katahara Retsudo stated that as they progressed through the floors of the branch, the higher they went, the weaker the resistance became. It was clear that most of the people went to fight them on the lower floors, or they wanted to utilize the chaos that was on the lower floors to escape from the battlefield.
Another reason why Keira didn't understand the decision to make the second most important branch for the History Compilation Committee in the skyscraper... There were almost zero escape routes, and even the office of the Executive stationed in the place was located on the top of the building.
"Either we are walking into a trap, or they are out of manpower."
Keira remarked as she swung her sword to get rid of the blood of another Mage that she had killed.
[Player Keira Clark (Kengan-Illuminati Faction) killed another Player and obtained 1 Point.]
[Player Keira Clark (Kengan-Illuminati Faction) killed another Player and obtained 1 Point.]
[Player Keira Clark (Kengan-Illuminati Faction) killed another Player and obtained 5 Points.]
"I would have thought that their defenses would be... stronger here... or actually even existing."
She was rather surprised, because even though this was the secondary branch of the History Compilation Committee and, practically speaking, the second most important place for the Magic Association in the entire world, yet the defenses sucked.
There were no proper defenses or wards aside from a general ward, which was broken by the first assault.
"That's not really that much surprising... The History Compilation Committee has long been used to the fact that they are without opponents in the Magical spectrum of things, and if not for my father attacking them some years ago, then we wouldn't encounter here even one tenth of people."
Katahara Retsudo said as he looked at Kanoh Agito, who was crushing one Knight after another, because he knew the reality and how pathetic it was. If not for the threat of the Kengan Association and its Martial Artists to the Committee, the Committee would have barely cared about some security.
"The Seishuuin specifically are thinking that they are untouchable because they have some weird contract with the Heretic God Susanoo, and you need to know that since the end of World War II, there were practically no threats to the Committee... who? Tsuchimikado Clan was dead, other Onmyōji Clans were either crippled or weakened, Kures never cared about the politics, and that was it..."
Hearing what the son of the Chairman of the Kengan Association said made Keira realize that in Japan, the History Compilation Committee had become too complacent and arrogant.
Without the Kengan Association and Katahara Metsudō, there wouldn't be any threat to their hegemony. And even then, Katahara Metsudō started showing his true intentions toward the History Compilation Committee and started acting against them.
Then...
It was already too late, because Katahara Metsudō had already amassed considerable force, money, and influence that made him untouchable.
The Committee couldn't assist him, because he was protected by Martial Saint 24/7, and this was only a two or three people knew, Katahara Metsudō was actually a hidden Martial Grandmaster and was a fairly powerful fighter himself.
"We should be going to the top floor... if we can capture the Executive in charge of this place, we should obtain a rather good source of information."
Keira didn't say anything as they went to the upper floors. They soon reached the top floor... rather fast, they reached the top floor, because there were practically no personnel or any people there.
Those few who were present were rather ordinary and were quickly killed by their squad, as neither the Enforcers nor the Extermination Force were taking the prisoners or leaving any of the History Compilation Committee alive.
When they arrived at the top floor of the skyscraper, there were only two people present.
One of them was a middle-aged man who looked like a salesman and was rapturously totally and absolutely unassuming, if not for his Mana that was on the level of Elite Mages.
Another was a young teenage girl, around seventeen or eighteen years old, with red hair, dressed as a man.