"You have to understand what you're dealing with here! Index is the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, possessing over 90% of the world's total magical knowledge. If things go wrong, it could cause a catastrophic collision between the Science and Magic sides, possibly even triggering World War III!"
Tsuchimikado Motoharu glared at the man floating upside-down in the massive life-support tube, his teeth gritted. As a double-agent liaison between the two sides, his authority was strictly limited to conveying messages; whether Aleister Crowley actually listened or not was entirely beyond his control.
"Furthermore, Takahashi Yuuya is a rising leader in the Dark Side, possessing enough power and influence to act as a direct check and balance against the General Board of Directors. He now has the Index Librorum Prohibitorum under his direct protection, commands a heavily armed Dark Side faction, and has close personal ties with almost all the other Level 5s in Academy City. Takahashi is already a formidable geopolitical force in the world. You're playing with fire, Aleister."
It was a given that this new faction—a terrifying blend of Science and Magic—was stronger than many renowned magical cabals on the Magic Side. Its very existence would surely attract assassins and rogue Magicians from all over the world to infiltrate Academy City and disrupt the geopolitical situation.
No magical society in the world could simply ignore the existence of a powerful, unified network that combined both sides of the coin.
There were no fewer than fifty famous magical cabals globally, many of which were violently dedicated to maintaining the world's balance and preventing a third world war. Among the magical societies Tsuchimikado knew of were the Return of the Winged One of the Mexican Aztecs, the Society for Future Sciences of the United States, and the remnants of the Golden Dawn in Europe.
These magical societies operated ruthlessly in the shadows, preemptively eliminating any potential sources of chaos in the world.
"I have already calculated all of these variables, Tsuchimikado. And for the record, it was not my idea for the Index Librorum Prohibitorum to come to Academy City. If you have grievances with that deployment, you should ask the Archbishop of the English Puritan Church," Aleister Crowley said, his voice echoing smoothly through the sterile room with an unwavering expression.
"These events were orchestrated by the Puritan leadership. They placed the Index Librorum Prohibitorum here in Academy City—a fortress incredibly difficult for rival Magicians to invade—for maximum protection. In return, the Puritans are granted a legitimate political reason to dispatch their forces here to deal with invading Magicians, effectively eliminating the magical threats to Academy City for me. And in exchange for that service, Academy City quietly injects two trillion dollars of direct investment into the United Kingdom's economy. It is an equivalent exchange."
Tsuchimikado immediately became serious. 'It really was a scheme orchestrated by the Archbishop,' he thought.
'That cunning old hag...'
He instantly understood why Archbishop Laura Stuart had done it. Using Index as a diplomatic bargaining chip was a ruthless check-and-balance tactic employed by those in power.
The English Puritans' activities were mostly limited to the UK; the vast majority of the rest of Europe was Roman Catholic mission territory.
The biggest political difference between the English Puritan Church and the Roman Catholic Church was that the Puritans were a department under the direct jurisdiction of the royal family, with the Queen serving as the nominal head of the Church. For the self-proclaimed orthodox Roman Catholic Church, Puritanism was absolute heresy and a blasphemy against God the Father. Even though violent Crusades were largely considered a thing of the past in modern society, the ideological struggle between the factions was constant. The Catholics had even used the diplomatic power of their aligned states to economically blockade England, causing a serious decline in the country's livelihood.
Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, which viewed Academy City as its mortal enemy, the Puritans did not share this irreconcilable conflict with science. They had even attempted to formally cooperate with Academy City many years ago, although that alliance had ended tragically due to the violent intervention of the English Knights faction.
However, the Puritans did not harbor any lingering hatred toward the city; they simply let the political storm subside.
Faced with mounting pressure from Catholic Europe, Academy City was a rare and vital partner for the Puritans, who were struggling to survive economically on their own. Financial support from Academy City could directly pull England out of its predicament. Meanwhile, Academy City also faced constant hostility from the entire Magic Side, making the Puritan Church—which had a strong, pragmatic sense of cooperation—an ideal ally. They quickly reached a secret agreement.
Index was deliberately sent to Academy City to act as the living link between the two parties.
'So that's how it is...' Tsuchimikado's face twitched violently. 'Is the Archbishop really not afraid of playing with fire and getting burned?'
This seemingly careless act could easily ignite a powder keg that would blow both worlds apart.
"Faced with aggressive magical cabals all over the world, the Puritan Church alone is completely insufficient to deal with all the blowback. How will you handle the situation then?" Tsuchimikado asked, cold sweat involuntarily dripping down his forehead.
'The Puritan Church is supposed to help Academy City deal with invading Magicians... doesn't that just make me the frontline vanguard? A small fry like me will die in a heartbeat!'
"You do not need to use your main forces for everything. Academy City also has its own trump cards," Aleister said calmly.
Tsuchimikado's expression changed drastically, and he clenched his fists.
"Are you going to go after Kamijou Touma again?! Even with Imagine Breaker, he's just an ordinary high school student! You'll get him killed!"
Kamijou Touma was his best friend. Whether for the sake of world peace or simply out of personal loyalty, Tsuchimikado deeply disapproved of Aleister using Kamijou as a disposable pawn.
"Imagine Breaker is a vital trump card necessary to deal with a possible full-scale invasion from the Magic Side in the future. It is better to temper and train him as soon as possible, since he, much like Takahashi Yuuya, has already caught the eye of some very dangerous people on the Magic Side," Aleister stated.
"These two right hands are anomalous weapons capable of tearing the fabric of the world apart. It is a good thing to ensure they grow up early."
Tsuchimikado gritted his teeth, wanting nothing more than to shatter the reinforced glass tube right now for Aleister daring to say such manipulative things so openly.
"Frankly, your madness and the way you view human lives make you a monster in my eyes. No... you were always a monster, Edward Alexander. What are your true plans? To destroy the world? That's not something a normal person would ever think of. But then again, you were never normal to begin with."
No one in the world truly knew Edward Alexander's end goal, why he had once become a notoriously corrupt and evil Magician, or why he had suddenly abandoned magic to embrace and found a city of science.
But there was no doubt that he harbored some terrifying ambition that was entirely beyond standard human comprehension. The more Tsuchimikado thought about it, the more terrifying the implications became, but he couldn't tell anyone. If the Magic Side found out that the legendary Magician Edward Alexander Crowley was still alive and was currently 'Aleister', the founder of Academy City, how many millions of people would die in the ensuing Holy War?
"Takahashi's right hand... Kamijou Touma's right hand..." Tsuchimikado sneered darkly. "You aren't even capable of fully controlling Imagine Breaker, let alone Takahashi's anomalous power. Takahashi is definitely a Gemstone you cannot leash. You can't possibly be ignorant of what the 'Right Hand' conceptually represents in magic. The 'Right Hand of God' is a divine phenomenon second only to God Himself."
"A Magician's arrogant attempt to artificially wield Divine Right is destined to have their delusions violently shattered."
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