To those who accomplished this formidable feat, I grant them the title of Campione! The Godslayer!
Among all virtuous readers, some will probably believe that I overexaggerate with that title and frown, while others will think that I am making undue fuss over it.
However, I want to emphasize it, once again.
Campione - Godslayer - is the supreme ruler
Since he can kill a celestial being, he can therefore call on the highly divine powers held by the Gods.
Campione - Godslayer - is a Lord.
Sicne the power to kill a Deity is in their hands, they therefore have the power to dominate the morals on Earth.
Campione - Godslayer - is a Devil.
Therefore, of all humanity living on Earth, those who have the power to oppose them do not exist!
- Excerpt from the Italian Mage Alberto Ricardo's Book, Demon King, 19th Century
***
For the purpose of going against Providence, playing with the demonic knowledge of mages, he received the title of King from them.
Concerning the name that you were hearing more or less.
Campione - Godslayer - is Epimetheus's illegitimate child.
The Devil.
Unfortunately, we mortals cannot fight against them.
The ones who can fight against them are his fellow Campiones, Our Heavenly Father's Angel, and the taboo Pagan Gods.
- Excerpt from the letter of Cardinal Antonio Tebes, addressed to the Vatican, Early 20th Century
***
USA, Washington, D.C., Year 2020
Taking on the bodyguard jobs was a pain in the ass.
On one of the rooftops, the man was wearing garbs that were reminiscent of the military uniforms of the Japanese Imperial Army from the past century.
His outfit consisted of a long-sleeved double-breasted black coat with two rows of gold buttons on the front and red details, including the shoulder epaulettes. He also members wear either two Sam Browne belts, which pass diagonally, and one over the shoulder.
The man also had a pair of black parade gloves on his hands, and white web belts with a gold waist-plate. His trousers were rather simple-looking, the ones that one would expect from a military uniform.
He had a pair of black leather boots, and as a variation of the uniform, he had a tailcoat and armbands over his arms. He had a black cape with the same red and gold motif as his jacket, and on his head he wore a standard military cap.
The man was smoking as he observed his target with the use of Magic Spell, Spirit Vision, more precisely, as he was smoking on the roof of the building.
He was tasked with the protection of the Clan Head of the Momobami Clan and got handsomely paid for the job.
Since the Clan Head was currently visiting the United States for some business, he, Tsuchimikado Yakou, was acting as the shadow guard in case there was an assassination attempt on her life by some Mage or something else.
It was a quick and good job, and he was paid for it, which was around 250,000 dollars. For a Mage, or rather an Onmyōji like him, who was without any background, it was a very high sum of money.
The Hundred Devouring Families, also known as the Momobami Clan, are a conglomerate of various branch families that are distantly related to each other. Most of them are very wealthy as well as hold a fair amount of influence over the politics of the entire nation. Their surnames end with the suffix "-bami", which means "devouring" in Japanese.
All families specialize in different types of businesses, such as entertainment or medicine, with some branch families even in industries of criminal enterprises, such as torture, poison, swindling, and loaning.
Their current leader is Kirari Momobami, who succeeded her grandmother as head of the family at the young age of seven, as the leader wished to skip a generation. There are many different branches of the Momobami Family who are distantly related to the Momobami Clan; despite being related, they are hostile towards each other as they have no qualms in harming or even trying to kill their competitive relatives.
The Momobami Clan was the prime example of the Crime Syndicate that managed to legitimize their income from illegal activities and became a semi-legal entity with plenty of legal business, and some of their companies that they owned or had a stake in were among the most valuable all over the world.
It seems that this would be another boring day when nothing really happens.
Tsuchimikado Yakou was a descendant of the Tsuchimikado Clan.
The Tsuchimikado Clan was descended from the famous Onmyōji Abe no Seimei, and is subsequently a major family in Japan when it comes to Onmyōdō.
In the last 100 years, the most famous or infamous figure from this family was Tsuchimikado Yakou, predecessor of his own, who created the Imperial Onmyōdō System, from which his followers eventually developed the Modern Onmyōdō System used by current Onmyōji, referred to as Common Style or General Onmyōdō.
Unfortunately, during World War II, the Tsuchimikado Clan fell from grace as many of their members were killed during the war, and the failure of Tsuchimikado Yakou to conduct some sort of ritual resulted in his death.
Aftewards, the old rivals of the Tsuchimikado Family, especially the Seishuuin Family and Kuhoutsuka Family, took the opportunity and started systematically destroying the influence of the Tsuchimikado Clan or at least...
What has remained from it?
Nowadays, there was no Clan.
There was only him.
Seeming reincarnation of Yakou, as he inherited part of his memories, and someone who was doing whatever he could to survive.
The History Compilation Committee made sure that what remained from the Tsuchimikado Family was either assimilated by them or destroyed entirely, as no one wanted the Tsuchimikado Family to rise again.
This resulted in the situation where Yakou spent most of his twenty-five years of life in the mundane world, where he was playing overpriced bodyguard for the wealthy and avoided the Magic World as much as possible.
Especially that of Japan.
He puffed out smoke from the cigarette that he was smoking as he continued his guard duty from a distance. He was acting only against the supernatural threats and nothing else; there was no need to act against the mundane threats if not absolutely necessary.
Even though he was operating mostly in the mundane world, Tuschimikado Yakou, like all Mages, especially those from very strong and deep Magical Heritages, wouldn't be lowering himself so easily to fight against no-magicals.
"You have an interesting soul... for a mortal."
Suddenly, Yakou froze on the spot as he heard a voice that belonged to the elderly man, because someone appeared behind him. Which... shouldn't be theoretically possible, at least not unnoticed, because he laid down several Wards and Bounded Fields when he took his position.
In a split of a second, his eyes suddenly changed color to the brightest azure blue that one could imagine as two Magic Circles appeared in his eyes, two slightly above them, and some more; altogether, several Magic Circles appeared in front of his eyes.
All-Seeing Eyes of God.
One of the Abilities that he obtained, or rather, he was born with it.
The All-Seeing Eyes of God didn't provide Yakou with any direct combat prowess, but at the same time, it provided him the ability to see the Truth of the World and display the information in the form of a Status Screen if he wished it.
He was able to see through any Illusion, gained Minor Time Perception, and had the ability to discern the auras of people or tremendously strengthened vision.
[Name: ???
Classification: Heretic God
Age: ???
Race: Divine Being
*
Parameters:
Strength - S++
Vitality - S+
Endurance - S++
Agility - S++
Magical Energy - S+++
*
Magic: ???
Uniqueness: ???
Divine Authorities:
- Steel Body
- ???
- ???
- ???
- ???]
Most obviously due to the tremendous disparity in power, he didn't see anything useful... but seeing that there was a Heretic God, it made his blood freeze and realize that this was truly fucked up situation.
The only thing that he was able to get out was the information about the Steel Body.
"And you also have interesting eyes, boy..."
He was a well-built old man with long white hair and a long beard. He has golden eyes with black sclera and an eyepatch over his left eye. He wears a red base robe underneath a purple coat and white cloak with golden trim over it.
'How many Heretic Gods have only one eye, a beard, and ravens on their shoulders? Odin... well... this seems like a really hopeless situation.'
Tsuchimikado Yakou didn't know the intentions of the Heretic God.
Heretic Gods were Gods, Heroes, and Divine Beasts or Divine Monsters who had stepped out of myths and legends to manifest in the mortal world.
From myths and legends, they were born.
The essence of the world and beyond is what comprises their supernatural core, thus lending form to these existences, the gods. But for some Gods, the forms and nature of their myths become a burden, and they rebel against them, manifesting in the world, escaping from the myths and legends, also known as the Domain of Immortality, as Heretic Gods, and bringing disaster with them.
What determines the power of a Heretic God is not their fame, or how powerful they were portrayed in their myths, but rather their own will and determination.
There was only one category of beings that could fight and defeat Heretic Gods.
Campione.
Campione were those humans who had slain a Heretic God and stolen their Divine Authorities.
When a mortal slays a Heretic God, they take upon themselves the Authorities of that Heretic God, and they become a Campione.
Generally, a Campione will only acquire one Authority from the God they slay, which is influenced by the personality, compatibility, and skill of the Campione. Because of their divine Authorities, Campione are automatically designated the rulers of whatever territory they call home. In that area, among the supernatural, their very word is law itself. Only another Campione dares contradict them.
What made them so dangerous was not only their destructive prowess, but also their Resistance and Immunities, as they were like uninjurable by the mortal means for most of the time.
Both of these beings, be it Campiones or Heretic Gods, were so powerful that their casual attacks flattened entire mountains. If they started fighting all-out and using their Divine Authorities, they could destroy whole continents if they went berserk and if their Divine Authorities were especially destructive.
Though it was also true that the exact limits of the Campione's might were...
Untested.
"If I may ask respectfully, Your Majesty...What has brought the God King of the Aesir to the United States?"
Yakou decided to trust his instincts and went ahead with the assumption that the Heretic God in front of him was Odin. At the same time, he felt somewhat nervous because he was protecting his client, who was not far from their location.
If a fight erupted here...
The entire city could be turned to dust.
Just from the stats alone, he was able to see that Odin was stronger than the majority of the Heretic Gods, because he had seen a Heretic God before, and it was much weaker than Odin.
"The weather here is better... but's let's cut the crap. Send the message to the girl you are protecting so we can fight... I am rather interested in what you can do; it's not every day that one meets such an interesting specimen."
Odin spoke through one of the ravens, Huginn and Munnin, that were resting on his shoulders. At the same time, Yakou knew that there was nothing he could do, and disobeying the order from the Heretic God would result in painful death.
He was rather realistic.
He knew that doing anything that would displease the Heretic God would result in very painful death; if he entertained the Heretic God, there was a slim chance that he would let him go, or at least, his death would be swift and quick.
Yakou sent a message to Momobami Kirari that there was a Heretic God present and told her to evacuate, as he was sure that the Americans would be scrambling to escape from Washington, as the presence of the Heretic God was not good news for them.
Unfortunately for the USA, this time, they had one Campione, John Pluto Smith. Still, as far as Yakou knew, it was Campione who was cosplaying as Hero in Los Angeles and often fighting crime. It was confirmed that John Pluto Smith was not affiliated with any government or Mage Association.
Nobody even knew his identity; the only thing that everyone assumed was that he was a male, but that was it.
"Now that you sent the message, bring out your weapon."
He did as Odin commanded; this time, it was Odin himself who was speaking, because normally, he was speaking only through his two Ravens, Huginn and Munnin. Suddenly, the two Ravens flew off as they were circling around them for some time.
Yakou watched as the Heretic God summoned his weapon of choice, a spear. He knew that it was Gungnir.
Gungnir was a powerful spear made of Uru used by the rulers of Asgard that served as a symbol of Asgardian kingship. It wasn't just a weapon that was wielded solely by Odin, but also by his father, Bor, before him.
Yakou mimicked movement as he used his Spell, to summon his weapon of choice, the K'rik Staff
A K'rik Staff, also called "Khakkhara", Sanskrit for "sounding staff", is a Buddhist ringed staff, which is primarily used in prayer or as a weapon. The jingling rings of the staff's rings were used to warn small sentient beings like insects to move from the carrier's path and avoid being accidentally trodden on.
In ancient times, it was also used to scare away dangerous animals. Ringing is also used to alert the faithful that there is a monk within earshot in need of alms.
Tsuchimikado Yakou was using the K'rik Staff as both his weapon of choice, because the bottom of the staff was in the shape of a blade and could be used as a spear, and it also served as a focus for his Magic and Onmyōdo.
Without any other word, the Heretic God appeared in front of him, as Yakou barely dodged the blade of the Gungir, which chopped off a bit of his hair and caused his military cap to fall on the ground from the sudden movement.
He was barely able to dodge the strike, but before Yakou could recover, Odin attacked once more. The young Onmyōji knew very well, that the Heretic God was just playing with him, because he found him entertaining...
The disparity in strength was too enormous between them...
[Name: Tsuchimikado Yakou
Classification: Onmyōji
Age: 25
Race: Human
*
Parameters:
Strength - E++
Vitality - E
Endurance - E++
Agility - E++
Magical Energy - D+
*
Class: D-Rank
Affiliation: Tsuchimikado Clan
Armaments: K'rik Staff
Onmyōdo Innate Spell: Gram Demolition
Magic: Imperial-Style Onmyōdo (Fire, Lightning)
Uniqueness: All-Seeing Eyes of God
Skills: Master Combatant, Master Strategist, Master Staffmanship]
Compared to the stats of the Heretic God, he really seemed to be very pitiful, yet having E-Ranked stats in the physical attribute meant that he was on the level of trained Magic Knights, while D-Rank was already at the level of the Elites.
Unfortunately, the fall of the Tsuchimikado Family and its assimilation and destruction at the hands of the Seishuuin Family and the Kuhoutsuka Family resulted in the loss of their libraries, archives, vaults, and their legacy overall.
If not, then he certainly wouldn't be playing bodyguard for some rich brat.
Even though the mention of a rich brat was a rather hot and interesting woman.
But that was just a secondary.
Progress in the Onmyōdo required a lot of resources and knowledge, yet he had neither.
Though there was one thing that was his trump card.
The Innate Onmyōdo Spell.
Gram Demolition.
Gram Demolition was a heavyweight Counter Magic that uses compressed Magic Particles to forcibly blow away all the accompanying Activation Sequence and Magic Sequences or anything that has traces of Magic recorded on it. The compressed Magic Particles themselves travel through the physical realm as opposed to the Information Dimension.
It was the ultimate form of the Anti-Magic and his trump card that allowed him to survive and thrive even in his rather gloomy conditions. It was Yakou's Innate Spell and inheritance of the Abe no Semei, and was one of the pinnacle of the Magic.
Magic that was created to destroy all other types of Magic.
Among the mortal Mages, there was no better means.
"Good! Very good! Let's increase this fight by a level!"
Odin shouted as suddenly the air around him changed, and Yakou saw the overwhelming Magic Power of the Heretic God for the first time. Not only just any Heretic God, but one of the stronger Heretic Gods, and God-King at that.
God-Kings who were rulers of the entire Pantheon were generally much stronger.
Suddenly, the Magic Power of Odin started congregating into the form of the Magic Spells, something that Yakou noticed through the All-Seeing Eyes of God. Odin was not only the God King of the Nordic Pantheon; he was also the God of Warriors, Combat, Wisdom, and Magic.
In a split second, as far as he could, Yakou cast the Gram Demolition Spell as he waved his K'rik Staff and all Magic around Odin just ceased to exist while some of the activating spells exploded, and the entire building on which they stood shook heavily.
To the point where people in the building were certainly thinking that it was going to fall.
"You know, boy... it was a long time since I saw someone using Anti-Magic... now you have my full attention."
Suddenly, all the Magic Power around Odin dispersed as the Heretic God switched to the entirely full close combat mode as he focused his attention on Yakou. Meanwhile, the young Onmyōji in question didn't know if he should be proud or terrified of the prospect of having the full attention of the Heretic God.
Yet at the same time, he was feeling something indescribable.
Thrill.
Excitement.
Using the K'rik Staff, he was constantly dodging or attacking the strikes from the Heretic God, who was more or less toying with him if nothing else, though Tsuchimikado Yakou noticed that Odin was becoming more serious as time passed.
With the All-Seeing Eyes of God on his side, Yakou could, to a certain degree, see the movements of Heretic God and predict the strikes of his spear and thus, react appropriately.
As the battle went on, just after a few minutes, Yakou was already beginning to grow pretty tired, because he was being outmatched in every single area of the fight and in the end, he was just a man.
A mortal man couldn't hope to defeat a Campione.
So...
Yakou decided to make a very risky, hazardous, and almost suicidal decision... because the longer the fight went on, the more he started realizing something.
He wanted to win.
He wanted to kill a God.
To become a Godslayer.
He was never someone who was greedy or anything.
There wasn't much time to be greedy... as a scion of the fallen Mage Family, which was destroyed by greed, he was rather often content with what he had.
Though...
This time it was very different.
Yakou moved with his remaining force at Odin as he swung the K'rik Staff at the Heretic God, only to be broken apart as he felt something sharp in his stomach. As he looked down, he noticed that the Gungnir had pierced through his body, and he was bleeding heavily from the wound.
"It was a good fight, boy. Let's meet in the ne..."
Before Odin could finish the sentence, the Heretic God stopped in his tracks when he noticed Yakou's smirk across his bleeding face and then looked at his chest.
From the place where his heart was, a small, ornamentally crafted dagger was stabbed, which was pulsating with strong Anti-Divinity. That dagger was the last legacy of Abe no Seimei that has remained, and it was his personal weapon that the legendary Onmyōji prepared for the opportunity to slay a God.
Even despite the power of Abe no Seimei, who was rumored to rival that of the Divine Ancestors, he wanted to be something more. He wanted to, he desired to become Campione, because only that way would he become truly something more than a human.
Yet killing a Heretic God was incredibly troublesome and something that largely depended on luck.
Through his expertise in Magic, Onmyōdo, and Alchemy, he created a dagger with the Anti-Divine properties that theoretically should be strong enough to bypass the Resistances and Immunities of Heretic Gods, even the Steel Body of the Gods of Steel, and kill a Heretic God.
Though... it was a one-time use object.
It could be used only once.
Only one try... one opportunity.
"It seems... that I have underestimated you, boy. Very well... you managed to outsmart the God of Wisdom and one who saw the true truth of the Universe. As the God King of Asgard, I acknowledge you, Tsuchimikado Yakou, and hopefully, we shall meet once again and decide the winner next time. For now, go and spread my name through the Legacy that I leave to you."
Soon enough, his eyes began to close; no matter how he resisted, darkness claimed him.
***
In a world filled with the white mist, a lone, slender young woman who appeared to be in her mid-teens with violet hair, blue eyes, and pointed ears observed the newest person to arrive there.
She observed the man for the time being, taking note that he had similar eyes to hers and even a pair of horns; she could see that he was relatively strong for a human, though she noticed that he was some sort of hybrid between a human and something different.
"Impressive... he managed to kill a God King that was only a step away from being able to reach the realm of the King of the End... and even sacrificed his very own life to achieve the victory. It seems that the work of your Ancestor really worked... Tsuchimikado Yakoo."
She was Pandora.
The All-Giving Woman, the sole "True" God, and controller of the Circle of Usurpation.
"Now, where was I? Yes!"
She then muttered to herself before the entire place lit up as the Circle of Usurpation was activated.
"The black art that Epimetheus and I left behind. The sacred birth of an illegitimate child shrouded in darkness, born of a fool and with. A secret right of usurpation only possible through the sacrifice of a God. In short, all the required conditions have been met, and you will receive a gift from the heavens!"
As she spoke, the ritualistic circle activated itself, and the ritual that she and her husband had made eons ago was once again brought to life.
"The requirements have been fulfilled. A God has been slain, and a Godslayer shall rise!"
"Therefore, I, Pandora, the All-Giving Woman, the foolish witch who both cursed and blessed the world, hereby claim this child as my newest son!"
She was the only one capable of using a Divine Item called the Circle of Usurpation, which allows her to give the Authorities of the Gods/Goddesses that were killed to her child, who slew them.
Pandora can give the Authorities of the Gods/Goddesses that were killed according to the process in which the Gods/Goddesses are killed. And this time, the one who slew Odin was obtaining more than just one Divine Authority, because Odin himself passed it as his Legacy.
The Legacy of the God King.
The Legacy of one of the strongest Heretic Gods in existence.
To one who was able to use his wits and cunning to achieve the victory, and was willing to pay even his very own life for the victory.
"Go forth, with my blessing, my child... Tsuchimikado Yakou! The newest of the Supreme Kings!"
***
Johann Georg Faust was an old mage and member of the prestigious Faust Family. While he was over 60 years old, he still had the appearance of a middle-aged man with light silver hair and a beard, which was something akin to a trademark of the Faust Family.
Since he was born, he has seen many things and experienced many difficult situations... The Faust Family originally originated from Germany, but after World War I, they moved to the United States, where they became one of the major Mage Families and pulled the strings from behind.
But this was the first time in his entire life that he witnessed something that was totally indescribable in the first place.
Ascension of the Campione.
And against an extremely powerful Heretic God at that... Odin, God King of the Asgard, was noted to be one of the strongest Heretic Gods that were recorded, and yet, he was right now defeated, and a new Godslayer would rise in his place.
Fausts were leaders of one of the smaller but still very powerful Mage Associations called Illuminati Society, together with a few independent families that were part of the Mage Association and many Knights, Druids, Mages and there were even some no-magicals that were their affiliated.
Together, their Society controlled every single aspect of the United States and managed to lead the United States to its hegemony over the world on the mundane side of the world.
At the same time, when he witnessed the ascension of the newest Campione, the 7th Devil King, he immediately ordered his men to transport the unconscious Campione back to his home, but he was, alas, in a perfect state.
And right now, he was in a meeting with the other members of the Illuminati Society Assembly and some of their allies outside of the Mage Association because this was an unprecedented opportunity for them.
Though this wasn't a meeting of just the highest leadership, the Knights of the Round, but also some of the Executives of the Society.
If they could get into the services of the Campione, then it would tremendously boost their political and personal powers. From the active Campiones, the 1st Sasha Dejanstahl Voban didn't have anyone under him, and he also didn't take anyone, aside from some Vampire Covens and Werewolf Tribes in the Balkans that were his direct vassals.
2nd Campione Luo Hao created her own faction, named Holy Mountain, which was a paradise for martial artists and Daoists. Though she was based in China, she had little dealings with the Chinese Republic, aside from some mutual help here and there.
3rd Campione Madam Aisha was unknown, and she didn't wish to involve herself in other mortal matters aside from overseeing her territory of India. It was, though, noted that she had a very good relationship with the Indian Magical Coalition, which consisted of all Magic Users in India.
4th Campione Black Prince Alec was based in Great Britain, though he created a rather rough organization, the Royal Arsenal, which was just a bunch of glorified thieves, like their leader.
5th Campione John Pluto Smith was a very sore spot for the United States. Like, very, very sore spot, because it was clear that John Pluto Smith was someone from the states, yet... the man was obsessed with cosplaying as a hero and had zero interest in taking someone under them and was totally unusable for the government of the USA and the Illuminati Society.
6th Campione Salvatore Doni ruled Italy and its Knight Orders, the Seven Sisters, which were seven Knight Orders stylized as Mage Associations that were under the service of Salvatore Doni.
And now...
There was the 7th Campione.
Tsuchimikado Yakou.
From the once prestigious Tsuchimikado Family, before it was destroyed by the families of the History Compilation Committee, which was the ruling Mage Association of Japan. Hearing this, many people looked at the situation with an unprecedented amount of optimism.
"So, it has been confirmed. Seventh Campione has been born in Washington, DC., just three hours ago, and due to a very particular background of the Campione, it presents us with an opportunity like never before."
Johann Faust opened the meeting as he looked over the people who were present.
Most of them were the Seat Holders at the Round Table, and aside from them, even a few Executives of the Illuminati were present, mainly powerful Mages, Knights, important politicians, businessmen, and others involved in the Illuminati.
2nd Seat, Jacob Grey. Grand Knight and current president of the United States of America.
3rd Seat, Eve Rockefeller, Heiress of the Rockefeller Family, CEO of several companies owned by the Rockefellers, and a very powerful Mage.
4th Seat, George Holton, heir of the Holton Family, one of the most powerful families in the United States, and CEO of the Holton Corporation. A rich and influential Catholic family who had the political and economic power to even destroy the many nations due to how they have a vast amount of economic influence and societal connections. It was a noble household that had originated in England and crossed over to the US in the past. Their wealth was built on finance, but their reach extended to other businesses as well.
5th Seat, Keira Clark, General in the United States Army, General of the Magic Corps Regiment. A project of the Illuminati Society and the US to create a proper fighting force of the Mage Soldiers.
6th Seat, Thomas Andre, one of the most powerful human Mage Knights who reached the limits of humanity. Just from the appearance, he was walking hull of muscles and power was literally radiating from his very own being. Though despite his tough looks, he was a man who deeply valued camaraderie and comradeship.
7th Seat, Dairenji Shidou, an Onmyōji from Japan, who led there a criminal organization once in the past, the Twin Horn Syndicate, before it was destroyed by the History Compilation Committee, before the "Professor" escaped Japan.
"Soon enough, the news of the new Supreme King will spread over the world, and everyone will want to get into his graces."
While the Illuminati Society wasn't the largest of the Mage Associations out there, it was one of the strongest due to the power of the families within the Association that consisted of it.
"I would like to say something."
Suddenly, one of the people sitting around the round table spoke as everyone looked at him.
"Considering the history of the newest Campione with the History Compilation Committee, we can safely conclude that he won't return to Japan, or at least, he won't be affiliated with Japan, which opens us a window of opportunity. Not to mention, I once met the Campione when he was still an ordinary Mage, around the time when the Committee issued an arrest warrant for me."
The one who spoke was Dairenji Shidou, who was... originally from Japan, where he still had the status of wanted criminal by the History Compiliation Committee.
"And? What do you think of him?"
This time, it was a young-looking woman with short blonde hair and yellow eyes.
Eve Rockefeller, the Heiress of the Rockefeller Family. Even though the Rockefellers were not Mages, at least, generally not Mages, they were among the most prestigious members of the Illuminati Society.
"Dangerous, cunning, paranoid by a great deal... also someone who is immensely talented in the arts of the Onmyōdo and Magic, because he is a late bloomer, he started learning Magic only when he was around 17?... But he still managed to reach very high mastery over the Magic and Onmyōdo in seven years, enough to become a Great Knight or an Elite Magician. If not for the lack of Magic Foundation and access to higher knowledge, I don't doubt that he would be Magister by this time or Grand Knight... or both... Not to mention, it was Tsuchimikado Yakou who caught me and afterwards, allowed me to leave Japan. So we can certainly believe that he won't have any positive feelings toward the History Compilation Committee, and if we approach this station correctly, he would obtain allegiance of the Illuminati Society."
Dairenji Shidou, as the former head of the Twin Horn Syndicate and number one wanted criminal, had the honor to meet with Tsuchimikado Yakou, approximately 3 years ago, when he was escaping from Japan.
Unfortunately, his escape wasn't going well, ubecae he was discovered and captured by the young descendant of the Tsuchimikado Clan, but as soon as Yakou learned who he captured, much to Shidou's surprise, he released him.
Not only that, he also helped him evade the Mages and Knights of the History Compilation Committee and leave the country. Dairenji Shidou knew very well why Tsuchimikado Yakou did so, and he understood the motives of the new Campione.
"Well... that's good for us. With this being said, I think that we have a very solid chance in offering our allegiance to the newest Campione with the positive response. As the 7th Seat stated, we are dealing with someone as cunning and scheming as experienced politicians, so I propose that we approach as bluntly as possible."
The one who spoke was the 2nd Seat of the Knights of the Round Table, Jacob Grey.
The current president of the United States of America. He was a rather, very ordinary-looking middle-aged man with grey hair and blue eyes. From the members of the Knights of the Round Table, he was politically the most experienced and played a very important role in shaping politics.
"I was thinking the same thing. He is pretty experienced at reading people and his own experiences with the Mage Associations, and I would bet that he has a good deal of distrust of them... attempting to lie or manipulate him would do us no good. And it seems that after the failure with John Pluto Smith, the Society cannot allow the second failure."
The 1st Seat, Johann Faust, was someone who understood the personality of John Pluto Smith very well, and he knew that even if the USA had two Campiones, unless it would be coming from Tsuchimikado Yakou, they would maximally ignore each other.
"Do we know the identity of the Heretic God who was slain?"
One of the people who were not sitting behind the table asked. The ones that were present were not only the Knights of the Round Table but also members of the Executive Board and the Executives of the Illuminati Society.
The Executive Board was the collection of the most influential, powerful, wise and overall important people within the Society.
"Yes, we have identified the Heretic God as God King Odin."
As the 1st Seat of the Round Faust, answered, several people blinked in confusion, which soon turned into fright and partial happiness.
Odin was the God King of Asgard and Chief God of the Nordic Pantheon. Aside from being the God King and Chief God, he was also God of Magic, Wisdom, Combat, War, Conquest, and many other Domains were attributed to this particular God.
From the Heretic Gods, he would certainly belong to the category of the strongest Gods out there. On top of this, he was also a God of Steel.
Gods of Steel are those gods who embody the sword, their myths and legends containing veiled references to forging or tempering a sword. Many of them, such as Siegfried, Achilles, and Sun Wukong, share a characteristic of having skin of extreme durability, through immersion in fire or liquids such as water or blood, and harken to the methods for forging a sword.
They generally play the part of heroes and war gods, and often are noted for slaying snakes or dragons, such as Susanoo's slaying of the Yamato No Orochi, Perseus' slaying of Medusa, or Siegfried's slaying of the dragon Fafnir.
Gods of Steel were extremely difficult to kill, because all of them had the Steel Body, which meant that they were able to ignore most of the Physical and Magical attacks that would be otherwise able to injure even other Campiones or Heretic Gods.
"So he managed to kill such a powerful Heretic God right from the start? That will make him even more dangerous for us... especially if he manages to get more than just the Authority from the Hero King."
Among the Campiones, there were slight distinctions between stronger and weaker, depending on the Divine Authorities that they had usurped from the Heretic Gods they killed.
Sometimes, during very rare cases, Campione didn't inherit just one Authority or several Authorities from the Heretic God they had slain. Sometimes, they inherited the full Inheritance of the Heretic God, and in that way, they also got the personality traits of the Heretic Gods.
"Well then... the course of action is clear. We need to select someone who will talk with the Campione after he wakes up."
Suddenly, the eyes of the entire room turned to only two people.
One of them was Thomas Andre.
He was an extremely large and muscular man with long blond hair, red eyes, a toothy smile, an overgrown blonde goatee, and black tattoos. He was dressed in a Hawaiian shirt, sunglasses, beach shorts, and sandals.
Another person was Keira Clark.
She was a stern-looking woman, with purlish black hair and dark eyes, wearing a military uniform with five stars on it, signifying her status as a 5-Star General in the United States Army. Despite her very "unfriendly" look, she had a certain charm around her.
Only the two of them were the definition of bluntness and didn't have that kind of "scammer" air around them like the experienced politicians had.
***
Private Hospital Ward in the Headquarters of the Illuminati Society, Location Unknown
The private ward in the Illuminati Society was the epitome of luxury.
The bedroom for nobility exuded opulence and refinement, featuring a grand four-poster bed with rich velvet or silk drapery, surrounded by intricately carved wooden furniture like a vanity, writing desk, and chaise lounge.
The walls are covered in deep-toned, patterned wallpaper with gilded accents, while heavy drapes frame tall windows, layered over sheer curtains. Plush rugs or carpets cover polished wooden floors, and the room is softly illuminated by a crystal chandelier and ornate wall sconces.
Decorative elements such as porcelain vases, gilded mirrors, lace-trimmed linens, and fresh flowers complete the room's air of elegance and aristocratic comfort.
On the bed, the newest Campione, the 7th Godslayer, Tsuchimikado Yakou, was sleeping soundly. Suddenly, he started slowly opening his eyes, as he looked around him and noticed that he was in a very unfamiliar environment.
"I am still alive..."
He looked around the room and confirmed that he was indeed somewhere that wasn't entirely familiar, and most probably, he was transported here by the Mage Association that found him, as he had lost consciousness partially the moment he killed the Heretic God.
Suddenly, he stopped his thoughts as he focused on that one particular thing.
Yeah...
He had indeed killed Heretic God.
It seemed that his last-ditch effort had worked.
Because he was feeling better than at any other time.
He became Campione.
He was perfectly healed, and his wounds from the fight were nowhere to be seen. Not to mention, he was feeling far better than he had ever felt, and his Magic Energy was overflowing in his body.
Yakou used the All-Seeing Eyes of God on him as he managed to display the changes about his body. He didn't remember the meeting with Pandora, though, which was noted to be common among all Campiones.
Nobody managed to remember the meetings with Pandora, as they would forget everything after the Rite was completed.
[Name: Tsuchimikado Yakou
Classification: Onmyōji, Mage, Campione
Age: 25
Race: Human
*
Parameters:
Strength - S+
Vitality- S+
Endurance - S+
Agility - S+
Magical Energy - S+
Luck - A+
*
Class: S-Rank
Affiliation: Tsuchimikado Clan
Armaments: N/A
Onmyōdo Innate Spell: Gram Demolition
Magic: Imperial-Style Onmyōdo (Fire, Lightning)
Uniqueness: All-Seeing Eyes of God, Immortality (Ageless)
Skills: Master Combatant, Master Strategist, Master Staffmanship
Abilities: Magic Resistance (Mortal), Enhanced Spiritual Senses, Increased Comprehensive Capabilities, Enhanced Battle Instincts,
Divine Authorities:
1st Heretic God - Odin
Steel Body - Embodyment of the living steel. All physical and magical attacks are lowered by 90%. Only applies to the attacks with no Anti-Steel properties. The effect is lowered on the Divine Authorities.
Gungnir: The Spear of Heaven - One can call up the Gungnir, the Spear of the God King of Aesir, Odin. Chant: "I call on thee, the Great Declaration of God, the Spear of Heaven, answer my call and destroy my enemies!"
Mímir's Well - Allows the user to drink from the Well of Urd. As long as the user drinks from Mímir's Well, he will be able to comprehend and learn any knowledge he wants. Can be used only once per day.
Shikigami: N/A
Familiars: Huginn and Munnin]
He wasn't really surprised by the growth in his parameters, because the Campiones were monsters in human skin. Their casual punches had enough physical strength to crack apart an entire mountain, and their Magical Energy was unparalleled.
What surprised him more was that he managed to obtain not one, but three Divine Authorities from killing Odin.
This was something that was unheard of in the modern age, because the last time when Campione obtained more than one Divine Authority from killing a Heretic God was around one thousand years ago by Arthur Pendragon.
The first Divine Authority was the one that was the most surprising, because the Steel Body and its variant Divine Authorities were generally considered as the strongest ones and most sought after.
They were passive Divine Authorities that made the body of Campione even more durable and stronger than on average to the point where even other Heretic Gods, Campiones, and similarly strong beings would have problems injuring them.
Yakou remembered that some time ago, Marquise Sasha Dejanstahl Voban, who was also the oldest Campione living till today, gathered around one hundred Witches and Hime-Miko to conduct a Heretic God Summoning Ritual to summon a Steel God Siegfried.
He wanted to obtain the Divine Authority of the Body of Steel.
Unfortunately for the oddest Campione... just as he was about to kill the Heretic God, another Campione appeared, Salvatore Doni, and killed Siegfried instead and even managed to obtain the Divine Authority of Body of Steel.
This enraged Marquise Voban to no end, and the two of them fought at the place, destroying large swaths of the region.
The second Divine Authority was something that pleased him immensely, because it was Divine Authority to summon Gungnir, the Spear of Heaven, personal weapon of Odin and one of the most famous and powerful Divine Weapons in the mythos.
Then there was the third Divine Authority that was probably the most intriguing, especially for a Mage like him...
Well of Mímir.
Allows the user to drink from the Well of Urd. As long as the user drinks from Mímir's Well, he will be able to comprehend and learn any knowledge he wants.
This was something that was immensely tempting for a Mage like him, because with this, his progression as a Mage would be tremendously faster. On average, Mages and even Knights needed to spend a lot of time to properly comprehend Spells, Magic, and Theoretical Knowledge.
Yet with the Divine Authority like this...
The need for the long hours of study and comprehension was instantly erased.
Yakou knew that Campiones looked down on the Magic.
He understood the reason.
Why learn something when you were completely immune to all Mortal Magic.
Yet, Yakou disagreed.
He viewed Magic as another tool of his; in fact, he thought that Campione's Magic was one of the most powerful weapons in their arsenal.
As he was thinking about his powers, suddenly he sensed a rather powerful Magical signature that would be at least on the level of the Grand Knights or Magisters of Magic. He knew that it must be someone from the Mage Association that brought him here and if he had to bet, he would say that they would want to pledge their allegiance to him.
For the Mage Association, having a backup of Campione was something akin to the ultimate goal.
However, not every Campione liked to have some underlings or the Mage Association under them.
Yakou knew that from all of them, only Luo Hao was rather serious about developing the Holy Cult, the Mage Association.
Salvatore Doni treated the Seven Sisters as nothing more than a tool to collect information on the Heretic Gods. Black Prince Alec, the same thing as Doni, though he was more interested in collecting interesting objects.
Marquise Voban had only some Werewolves and Vampires in his service.
Madam Aisha and John Pluto Smith were without any faction or affiliation aside from themselves.
As the doors opened, Yakou saw a rather attractive woman in her thirties, though what was surprising was her aura, because she was certainly one of the most powerful human Mages that he had seen.
She wore a military uniform of the United States Army, though he knew that she was certainly a member of the Illuminati Society. Yakou, like any proper Mage and member of the Supernatural Side of the World, memorized all notable Mage Associations in the world.
The Illuminati Society was one of the most powerful and diverse, and they were most intertwined with the Mundane Side of the World. This made them a very interesting Mage Association because they also had many ordinary people as their members, and they operated primarily within the United States of America.
"Congratulations on your victory and ascension, Your Majesty."
The woman stated to Yakou as she congratulated the new Supreme King of the Magic World.
"You can skip these useless and awkward formalities... It's clear that you are really terrible at that."
Tsuchimikado Yakou said as he could clearly see that the woman who was speaking to him was... acting, and she was a very bad actor, and because he wasn't in the mood for any theatre, he outright told her to speak plainly.
He himself wasn't really a fan of all this...
Speaking about nothing.
It was pretty annoying, truth to be told.
"Well then, if you allow me to speak plainly, Your Majesty."
The demeanor around the woman changed, as she looked far more relaxed than before, as she stepped forward to his bed.
"The Illuminati Society would be honored to pledge their allegiance to you. As you know, we strived to obtain the backing of the Campione, but unfortunately, the only Campione to ever be born in the United States, John Plut Smith, is... not the most approachable person around. Due to the background checks, many members of the Society believe that Your Majesty won't be accepting settling in Japan, so the Illuminati Society and the United States of America would be delighted to welcome you as our Supreme King."
As expected, once she got the permission, she spoke as straightforwardly as possible, but Yakou appreciated it.
If there was one Mage Association that had basically merged with the state in which they primarily operated, it was the Illuminati Society and the United States of America. The second one would be the History Compilation Committee, but not even they were so intertwined with mundane Japan like the Illuminati Society.
It was not like he would have admitted it to the woman outright, but she was very right in her assumptions that he wouldn't return to Japan. Even though he was Japanese, he wasn't interested in taking over as the Supreme King of Japan.
Mainly due to the grievances between his Clan and the Families of the History Compilation Committee. He was also very interested in having some Mage Association under him.
Yakou was aware that the Mage Association was aiming to use him for their own goals and to push their own agenda, but the same thing could be said about him. He, too, wanted to use the Mage Association for his own agenda.
Not to mention...
Yakou wasn't some random naive kid who could be manipulated by anyone like they wished.
And obtaining allegiance to the powerful Mage Association, which also controlled the most powerful nation on the planet, at least on the mundane side of the world. It would be much easier to procure things that he would need, such as knowledge, and also having many underlings below him, which also sounded pretty good.
Having such a powerful Mage Association under him would be a tremendous boost for his own ambitions as he wanted to gather even more Magical knowledge and Lore across the world, and he wouldn't be able to do that alone.
Nor was he even keen on doing something like that alone, because he was rather lazy for that.
Of course, he could go from one Mage Association and demand access to their Lore, but he seriously doubted that they would be able to refuse Campione. Most probably not, because the Mage Association wouldn't dare to do so, yet it was also pretty troublesome and problematic to go from the Mage Association to the Mage Association.
"I have some conditions."
Seeing that Yakou wasn't refusing outright made General Clark grin a bit because it seemed that they were finally on the right path. John Pluto Smith didn't even want to hear about something like that, before he disappeared in his hero persona and their even suffered some losses at that.
"I want an official position within the Illuminati Society... almost all Campiones just give patronage to the Mage Association and have some symbiotic relationship with them, that's not for me. I want to have full, direct, and complete access to the internal politics and decision-making of the Association."
Yakou didn't want to be just on the sidelines and act as just a patron for the Mage Association; he wanted to be a direct part of its structure and government. He wanted to be a direct part of having real political power, not just power that stemmed from his status as Campione.
This way, he knew that he would be able to influence the Mage Association much more while at the same time, he would be able to integrate himself as part of the Mage Association, which otherwise wouldn't be possible.
"I also want most obviously full access to the resources of the Illuminati Society and everything around it, including complete access to Lore, Vaults, Treasuries, and all ongoing plans and things that the Illuminati Society is doing or owns."
Hearing the conditions that Yakou was proposing made Keira Clark think over it, because they were... unprecedented and unusual. Usually, even if the Campiones took allegiance of some Mage Association, they never really interfered much in their government or what they were doing.
It would be most prudent to say that they had some sort of symbiotic relationship here, the Campione would slay Heretic Gods that appeared in the mentioned country and defend the most crucial interests or their very own existence of the Mage Association.
On the other hand, the Mage Association would handle the tasks issued by the Campiones, and that was all.
Despite the fact that she wasn't really interested in the political matters, as she was in initiating wars and exploiting weaker countries for their resources, she understood very well that these conditions would be...
Mind-boggling and also very harsh.
At the same time, from a pure strategic view... they were perfect.
Because with a few words, if they wanted to pledge their allegiance to the Campione, they would need to accept the direct membership of the Campione in the Mage Association as one of their members.
Technically speaking...
There were not many cases when something like this happened, as both Black Prince Alec and Martial Ruler Luo Ho were founders of their respective Mage Associations, Royal Arsenal, and Holy Cult of the Five Mountains.
Usually, the Campione only played a "patronage role" or founded their own Mage Associations.
So this approach would be for the first time.
"The Illuminati Society would be honored to pledge their allegiance and welcome Your Majesty among our ranks."
Keira Clark, as one of the Seats of the Knights of the Round Table, represented the highest authority of the Illuminati Societ,y while at the same time, she already had the agreement of the entire Association to agree to whatever the new Supreme King wanted.
And in fact...
Even though these conditions would scrape a few feathers, they were far better than anyone would have thought.
Many would be disappointed because this would essentially eliminate any possible subtle manipulation of the Campione, which many Mage Associations revelled in, but at the same time, it was far more advantageous for them in the long run.
This way, the newest Devil King would view the Illuminati Society as his own.
"Excellent. Let's have a pleasant cooperation."
***
In the Magical World, the ascension of a new Devil King was always a very big thing that created waves. In the first place, there were not many Campiones, and every single one of them was a walking calamity.
Due to their overwhelming destructive prowess and resistance towards the Mortal Magic, they were basically the antithesis of the Mages and Mage Knights, who couldn't even injure them a bit.
Mortal couldn't even hope to fight against Campione or the Heretic God.
The ones that became Campione were...
One could say blessed by Luck.
Only through luck could they have slain the Heretic God.
Mages Associations, various governments of the world that were aware of the Magic Side of the World, powerful families, business groups, or basically the elites of the elites, all received the news soon enough through their information channels.
Campione was born in the United States of America, in Washington, D.C., who slayed a Heretic God and became the 7th Campione.
The surprising part of the news was that the person who slew Heretic God wasn't American, but rather Japanese Mage, Tsuchimikado Yakou.
Shortly afterwards, another news was released to the world, that the Illuminati Society that ruled the United States of America pledged their allegiance to the newest Campione and that Tsuchimikado Yakou had joined the Mage Association and became their leader.
Many of the Mage Associations realized that they were changing with the appearance of the new Campione, though many were interested in how the show would unfold.
Especially the possible conflict between John Pluto Smith and Tsuchimikado Yakou.
***
Outskirts of Tokyo
A traditional Japanese compound used by noble clans was a grand estate combining elegance with strategic defense. At its center stood the main mansion, or shinden, built in shoin-zukuri style, featuring tatami rooms, sliding doors, and verandas.
Surrounding structures included entrance halls, armories, and study rooms. Defensive elements such as stone walls, moats, watchtowers, and heavily guarded gates provided security.
Even though this compound was more than two hundred years old, the structure wasn't changed, and all of the defensive features were not only left as they were, but they were enhanced tremendously.
The place was swarming with guards, fortified positions, watch guards, and even the newest technological innovations, which were put into practice to protect the Momobami Family Compound.
The compound featured landscaped gardens with ponds, rock arrangements, and teahouses for tea ceremonies. Soldier quarters and servant residences lined the outer areas, while dojos provided space for martial training.
The Momobami Clan Compound also housed a private Shinto shrine and a Buddhist temple for spiritual practices. It was not like the members of the clansmen were too religious; it was still a cultural part of Japanese culture.
Within the compound's inner room, a very beautiful, very light-skinned woman was sitting in an empty room. She was of average height and had long gray hair that she wore in two knotted rings with ribbons entwined in them, as well as squared bangs that had cheek-length locks on either side.
Her eyes were blue, and she had a matching blue lipstick and blue painted nails. She wore a black kimono with her family crest on the back and two on the sides. It was decorated with a floral print on the lower half, with a matching obi and white tabi.
"Well... it seems that with this, I have lost a bodyguard."
She muttered as several people around her cringed a bit.
"Never mind, we need to think of the approach to this new situation."
The young woman who was sitting in the middle of the traditional Japanese room was Kirari Momobami, the Clan Head of the Momobami Clan. Around here were the prominent Elders of the various branches of the family, and together they had a very interesting yet very serious topic of discussion.
The name Tsuchimikado Yakou wasn't foreign to the Momobami Clan, because he was one of the Mages, a powerful mage who was willing to do some really shady and dirty things as long as he was paid.
Most of the Mages who were taking various jobs from the non-Mages were usually various dropouts or ones without any background, because Mages generally considered it far beneath them to mingle with normal humans.
While Mages who were of considerable power and willing to do these jobs existed, they were very, very rare.
For the Momobami Clan, having one of them on their payroll was part of their good luck because Tsuchimikado Yakou was one of them. Though he never really used his surname, he was using just his name, Yakou, when dealing with the outside world.
Probably aside from Kirari, nobody knew that he was descended from the Tsuchimikado Clan.
Even though Momobami belonged to the wealthiest groups in Japan and their ranking in the world wouldn't be low either, as their criminal syndicate was operating across the whole world, they were still just normal humans.
They were not Mages.
While money moved the world, they were nothing in front of absolute power.
"I think this is an unprecedented opportunity for the Momobami Clan."
The girl started speaking as everyone turned their eyes to her.
We know that the Illuminati Society and by extension the USA has gained Campione... even though of Japanese origin, everyone should be aware of the history of the Tsuchimikado Clan with Seishuuin Family and the Kuhoutsuka Family. I propose that we join the Illuminati. Knowing Yakou, he wouldn't refuse."
She said that, as suddenly, several of the elders became somewhat...
Nervous.
They understood that this was rather one huge gamble with the fate of the Momobami Clan.
Despite everything, they realized where they stood and that even a weaker Mage Association would be able to wipe them out entirely. If the news spread that the Momobami Clan wanted to join the newest Campione, then it was unclear what the reaction of the Seishuuin Family and the Kuhoutsuka Family would be.
Even though the Momobami Clan was a non-mage family, their influence and power over the Japanese economy were undeniable. Their control of the Japanese criminal underworld was absolute, and they were also the ones who held sway over a large part of the Asian economy.
Many of these Elders realized that the History Compilation Committee wouldn't allow them to freely join the American Mage Association.
It was a gamble with their very own lives and their entire existence.
"It's not like we want to doubt your words, Clan Head. But this is madness... if something happens, the History Compilation Committee will wipe us out completely, despite the losses they would suffer in the process..."
One of the Elders of the Momobami Clan stated with a grave voice.
"What kind of assurances do we have on the table that this would succeed?"
Suddenly, the room quieted down as everyone looked once more at the young girl sitting in the middle of the room.
"Certainly he wouldn't reject the request of the mother of his child?"