Excerpts from the Chapter: On the topic of Path of Magic and Path of Martial Arts
Since ancient times, the Path of Magic and the Path of Martial Arts have been the two building blocks of human civilization. They were the Paths to the Extraordinary from the Ordinary, and the reason why humanity prevailed and survived till now.
Both Paths are fundamentally different as they use different Sources. The Source is the term to name what makes them truly extraordinary above the non-supernatural concepts.
It's harder to determine which Path is actually stronger than the other, because both of them have their own advantages and disadvantages that have developed over time. Even though it is generally accepted that the number of Martial Grandmasters outnumber Magisters and Grand Knights more than 6:1.
Let's speak about the Martial Arts as the first topic of discussion. Path of the Martial Arts is considered by many to be much easier than that of Magic, primarily because almost everyone can become a Martial Artist as long as they have sufficient talent for the Path itself.
In the current age, the Martial Arts are flourishing like never before, which is mostly attributed to the existence of 2nd Campione Luo Hao. Initially, a Martial Artist who reached the Martial Lord Level, beyond the limit of what humans could achieve with their own effort and racial limitations.
She also reached the limits of her own Martial Arts and thus went to challenge Heretic God to fight. Till today, nobody knows what happened, aside from the fact that Her Majesty Luo Hao was victorious in the battle and became Campione. Since that, the Path of the Martial Arts flourished like never before.
The first thing she did was to create a Path forward for her followers, Martial Artists, and to develop many Chi Manipulation Techniques and Exercises, which greatly increased the number of higher-ranked Martial Artists worldwide.
While previously there were more Great Knights and Senior Mages than Martial Masters, over time the cards have turned, and there are incomparably more Martial Masters. In the world of Martial Arts, Martial Ruler Luo Hao holds an unprecedented position in the hearts of all Martial Artists because she opened the Path Forward.
Something no Campione had done before for anyone.
Generally speaking, the Path of the Martial Arts is easier to get on compared to that of the Magic Path. Mostly because to become a Mage, one needed to be Mage by Blood, no matter how thin.
The Lineage was everything to the Mages.
Sometimes, of course, people become 1st-Generation Mages due to two reasons. First one, is that they managed to awaken Magic due to external circumstances, the second one, they managed to awaken Magic by being in direct contact with Mana.
Either way, the basic requirement is that they need to have the Mana itself in their Genome, meaning one of their ancestors at some point must have been a Mage. Of course, the 1st-Generation Mages are usually weak without any strengthening and conditioning, as most only achieve F-Rank in their lifetime.
When comparing the combat capabilities, it's true that the Mages hold higher advantages in combat because of their versatility in combat and a wide range of Spells that 99% won't be able to properly defend against due to their lack of External Usage of Chi.
Everything is fair by the Laws of Heaven, and thus the Martial Artists, while having much stronger physical bodies, lack the ability to create "Energy Attacks" through their Chi, or rather, to use Chi outside of their bodies.
Meanwhile, the Mages often are lacking in the spectre of strength of their physiques and physical strength, as most, even the Knights themselves, are only temporarily strengthening their physical attributes with Mana.
From my own research, it would be rather unfair to compare these two Paths, as both of them have their weaknesses and strengths. It's undeniable that if Mage and Martial Artist fought in single combat, then if nothing unforeseen happens, the Martial Artist would probably win.
Of course, if the Mage could take control of the battlefield right from the start, then the result of the fight would be exactly opposite. We can conclude that everything depends on the circumstances of the concrete fight.
One of the most common arguments from the side of Mages is that the Martial Path is inferior because it cannot unleash the level of destruction like the Magic Path can. Which is certainly true to a great degree.
If we compare Martial Saint and Magic Saint... the difference couldn't be wider.
Magic Saints could cast spells that could obliterate entire cities from the map... if they can cast them uninterrupted, because casting such powerful spells requires absolute concentration even from someone as powerful as a Magic Saint. The strongest and most destructive spells of the Magic Saints are even stronger than Nuclear Weapons.
On the other hand, the Martial Saints lack such capabilities, and their own destructive prowess is comparable to that of Great Knights and Great Mages. Yet, the physical capabilities of Martial Saints allow them to withstand terrifying levels of punishment, often so much that Magic Saints couldn't even dream of such capabilities.
This situation, though, changes if the Martial Saints learned the application of Chi on the External Basis. Their destructive prowess would skyrocket through the moon, but the number of Martial Saints who mastered the External Application of Chi could be counted almost on one hand.
Most of the experienced Mages also know that during the fight between Mage and Martial Artists of the same level, it's of the utmost importance to create distance between the two and maintain it.
If the distance between the two combatants is closed, then the Martial Arts would have tremendous and devastating effects due to their strong physical bodies and deadly efficiency in hand-to-hand combat.
Some of the more experienced Mages would deal with their enemies even before the fight begins, as they would prepare traps or pre-cast spells inscribed into the Foci that could be released instantaneously.
- Book: Paths of Power and their Sources by Tsuchimikado Yakou, the 7th Campione Ten'nō no Onmyōji of Iluminati Society, 13th Seat of the Knights of the Round Table, and Head of Department of the Forbidden Arts of the Illuminati Society.
***
"Ts... I agree. As long as you help me obtain the item that I desire, I will give you everything that I know about the Ritual of First Manas."
Only when he heard that she agreed to his price, he relaxed a bit, but still not entirely, because she was still Heretic God. Trust between their kind was something totally unheard of.
Almost.
"I will contact you when the time is right."
With that being said, the Heretic Goddess disappeared entirely through a method that he could really perceive. Which meant that she came rather well prepared for the meeting and also accounted for the possibility that it could devolve into a fight.
If he were to guess, as Heretic Goddess that was hiding in the mortal world for too long, she must have collected a fair share of treasures, Relics, and perhaps even some heirlooms. Yakou knew that she was using something like that as her backup.
Obviously, she wouldn't be that kind of stupid to appear before the Campione just like that, even if the Campione was unaware of her weakened status. For the Campione, generally speaking, the appearance of the Heretic God was an opportunity to become stronger.
Not many would decline the opportunity that was presented to them, much less speak when they found out that the Heretic God was drastically weakened.
Still, Yakou couldn't help but certainly admire her resolve.
He knew that she wanted to recover her power... otherwise, she wouldn't risk this way, and it seemed that she was in such dire straits because she needed to resort to working together with Campione.
Though he predicted that if he wasn't in the equation, she would have come up with another plan that would achieve the same result. Shwas, in the end, the Goddess of War Strategy and Wisdom, something like that, was a small feat for her.
Yet, during the entire time, there was an uncanny feeling in the air that he had...
Like the last time when he fought against Aži Dahāka, yet he found it pretty weird, because Athena was much weaker, and she was severely weakened compared to Aži Dahāka.
However, he couldn't dismiss that feeling, because his instincts had never gotten him wrong and never failed him till now.
'Both Athena and Aži Dahāka had the same feeling... unlike the Heretic Gods that I met before... There was something in their Aura that was making them very different from that of Odin or Quetzalcōātl...'
He couldn't really place the feeling...
Troublesome thing, really.
There was something unique about the Heretic Gods he met that wasn't letting him be at ease, as they were far more different from the rest.
He decided to stop thinking about it for the time being, because it won't be of any help to him, but rather to put some energy into scheming. With Athena on the chessboard, it seemed that some strategies would need to be seriously adjusted because it was a new variable.
Yakou generally didn't really like adding variables to the table, because variables could be unpredictable and affect the entire plan.
Not something that he really enjoyed.
Obviously, he would need to go with Eve toward that area, because she was a pretty apt schemer, most probably even better than he was when it comes to things like this.
Yakou knew that it wouldn't take long before Voban lost his patience with everyone and would go directly to Japan. Clearly, the old man wasn't the most patient around, or most likely, he didn't really care about Campione, who vehemently denied the existence of his relationship with the Supernatural.
He himself predicted that it would happen around the end of November or perhaps the start of December of this year, which would be the time to act. Voban was pretty arrogant, according to all records, but that was to be expected given that he was the oldest Campione in the current generation and more than four centuries old.
The number of Divine Authorities that he must have collected should be very high, and the experience that he had eclipsed all other Campiones. Perhaps sans Luo Hao, as she was a very special case among the Campiones due to her Martial Art backround.
She was essentially a combat prodigy on a level never seen before.
If not, she wouldn't be able to say Campione.
Yakou knew that Luo Hao was someone who reached the mythical Martial Lord Level in the Chi Source, according to the rumors, if they were to be believed. That was something that he didn't really know, but he did indeed know that among all other Campiones who killed Heretic Gods, her own was special.
Most killed Heretic Gods through sheer luck.
It was like a rule already.
Be it Voban, Madame Aisha, Alec, John Pluto Smith, Salvatore Doni, Tsuchimikado Yakou, or Kusanagi Godou... luck was the deciding factor in slaying the Heretic God.
Yet for Luo Hao, it wasn't.
Her Martial Arts and Chi were already so powerful before that she could fight beings on the level of Divine Ancestors on equal ground. Obviously, when she went to challenge the Heretic God, the Martial Ruler did so for a single reason.
Achieve a higher level or perish.
"She would also come... if Sun Wukong gets unsealed, she would come... not my problem, my aim is Susanoo and not Sun Wukong. Not to mention, the Monkey King's Path is not compatible with my own."
Yakou wasn't interested in killing Sun Wukong, because the only useful Divine Authority that he could obtain from him was the Divine Authority of Body of Steel, which he already possessed from Odin.
Not to mention, if he desired to end Sun Wukong, it would put him into direct opposition with Martial Ruler Luo Hao, someone whom he wanted to have as an ally.
Right now, as he had already obtained a certain balance of the Divine Authorities, he was searching for only the ones that were complementary to each other. He didn't really want to have too many of the Divine Authorities that were all over the place and were random.
That was the combat style of Marquise Voban, who had the highest count of Divine Authorities and thus an absolutely unpredictable combat style. Meanwhile, Luo Hao, for example, was on a very similar path to Yakou and sought only complementary Divine Authorities...
Preferably ones that were suitable for her Martial Arts.
***
Japan, Tokyo, Undisclosed Location, Around the Same Time
Amakasu Tōma was one of the few Executives of the History Compilation Committee, and within the Committee itself, he was head of the Department of Political Affairs, which basically handled the politics within the Magic Association as well as those toward the outside world.
It was rare for someone like him to rise through the ranks and reach the Executive Level position, as those positions were typically and solely filled by the members of the Four Families that created the History Compilation Committee.
Seishuuin Family, Kuhoutsuka Family, Renjou Family, and Sayanomiya Family were rather strict when it came to the important positions of power within their Association, because they wanted to centralize power in their own hands.
Still, sometimes someone like him from a relatively common backround managed to rise through the ranks of the Association because he was very good at his job. Now, with his recent feat of managing to secure the backing of 8th Campione, his position within the Committee rose once again.
Still...
The past months were an absolute horror and a mess.
Especially right now... here in the Association, where everyone was nervous, heck, because of the threat that was hanging over their neck.
He didn't know whose brilliant idea it was to send a delegation to the 7th Campione led by the patriarch of the Renjou Family. If he had known about it, he would have protested such a stupid decision based on his own analysis of the Tsuchimikado Yakou.
Tsuchimikado Yakou was pretty famous in the moonlit society of Asia before he became Campione, though the fact that it was him was publicized only lately, or rahter, it was discovered only lately when he became Campione.
Previously, he was known by his mercenary code name: Deathstroke.
He was a very good mercenary, reliable, and always completed the mission. Those who worked with him on a close basis said that he worked like an emotionless machine who only cared about the completion of the mission and nothing more.
Which certainly was true.
He often worked for people others avoided and was closely aligned with the Momobami Clan, the Mamiya Conglomerate, and the Kengan Association through his unclear relationship with Katahara Metsudō.
Amakasu Tōma knew of the Momobami Clan and the Mamiya Conglomerate, as they were deeply tied to Japan's underworld and its criminal activities. Mamiya Conglomerate was also famous across the entire world for another reason.
Genetic Research.
Not even the History Compilation Committee knew what the Mamiyas were researching in their laboratories, due to extensive protections in place and the fact that their labs were almost nonstop overseen by Martial Saint.
Deathstroke also took requests from the History Compilation Committee, but his fees were usually much higher than average. Though now it made rather sense... he wanted their resources.
"Everything is going to fuck."
Even though he didn't usually swear or even smoke, today he was doing both.
"Here you are, Department Head."
He turned around as he saw the red-headed young woman with green eyes, who was wearing male clothes as she carried some stacks of papers.
"What's this time, Kaoru-kun? Anything exploding right under our noses?"
Sayanomiya Kaoru, Heiress of the Sayanomiya Family, and one of the contenders for the position of leader of the History Compilation Committee. Each family had one prime candidate for the position of the Committee's Chairman, and Sayanomiya Kaoru was the prime candidate of the Sayanomiya Family and the strongest of the candidates.
She was currently acting as the General Manager of his department as a means of gathering experiences, and because his department was the one that had the most contact with the outside world, it was pretty busy.
Always.
"Maybe. Depending on how you see it."
She replied with that typical mischievous voice that he leaned to hate, because the girl was almost never serious in anything.
"Then get it out... it couldn't get worse than this."
He said as he puffed out another circle of smoke, as they were standing on the rooftop of one of the countless skyscrapers in Tokyo.
"Well... we received a message from Mr. Hayami... according to his informants, several hours ago, the headquarters of the Dainippon Bank was visited by Eve Rockefeller and an unknown man of Japanese origin wearing a kimono... here is the photo."
She then passed him the photo as he really felt the need to curse his luck right now, because it seemed that things could really get worse.
"Katahara... again... did you manage to dig up the information that I wanted?"
The current political situation of Japan was more problematic than it seemed at first glance. Because of the inherent distance of the Magical Families, the History Compilation didn't have such a good grasp on all the reasons of the Japan Empire like the previous overlords had.
After the fall of the Tsuchimikado Clan, the seclusion of the Nakiri Clan, and the Souma Clan, the History Compilation Committee basically took over the Magical side of things. But perhaps they looked down on non-Mages too much, or for some other reason, their presence in the mundane sector was small.
This was something that he knew firsthand, as he was from a non-Magical lineage. He instead belonged to the "Squibs". This term refers to a non-Magical person born into a lineage that was sired by a Mage.
It wasn't really that uncommon that the Genes of Mages also spread toward the No-Majs, when it capped the people who carried the Magic Gene were termed as Squibs, as their Magic Gene wasn't activated, and they were not capable of Magic.
Yet, along those lines, sometimes a full-fledged Mage with everything needed to be a Mage was born in that Lineage, which was also the case of Amakasu Tōma. He knew the arrogance of the old Magic Lineages firsthand and how much they tended to look down on the No-Majs.
Which was a mistake.
Because now, several factions rose due to that... factions that they can't deal with like they could have if they controlled the important segments of the industry and mundane politics.
"Yes. According to information we obtained from Mr. Hayama and our own networks, we learned that Katahara Metsudō indeed adopted a magical orphan, who was around 9 or 10 years old. The information is rather incomplete, aside from the fact that he was called Kanoh Muzan, who disappeared around the time when Deathstroke started being active, and coincidentally, all the first jobs of Deathstroke were for the Katahara Metsudō and Dainippon Bank. Yet we cannot be entirely sure because there are no photos of 'Kanoh Muzan' to compare to that of Tsuchimikado Yakou and Mercenary Deathstroke, who wore a mask most of the time or used Magic to conceal his face in an illusion."
Despite this, the investigations of the History Compilation Committee were approximately 80% that 7th Campione was Deathstroke, which was the worst possible outcome. It was a very popular theory in certain circles that many supported, that Deathstroke must have been some orphan that Metsudō picked up and trained him up while discovering his Magic talent.
But no one could prove that there was any connection between Katahara Metsudō and Deathstroke, even though there was confirmed proof that Deathstroke was actually Tsuchimikado Yakou, the last of the direct line of the Tsuchimikado Clan.
This was basically confirmed when he was attacked by Odin in August and became the Campione, as Deathstroke often worked for the Momobami Clan, and even that day, he was acting as the Magical Security Bodyguard for the Clan Head, Momobami Kirari.
"Well, this is it... We need to really come up with a strategy on how to counter Katahara, or else this won't end well."
Even though Amakasu Tōma stated that, he didn't have even the faintest idea of how to achieve that. Now, it seemed that taking the Executive-Level position of the History Compilation Committee wasn't really the best choice in the world.
"That would be challenging... we have practically no allies on the home ground aside from a select few, but they are only allies out of necessity. That mad old man has done a rather good job in allying everything against us."
Amakasu Tōma wasn't really pleased with her almost nonchalant attitude about this, because these were rather dangerous waters already.
"Do you really need to be so lax about everything, Kaoru-kun?"
He was already tired from the Heiress of the Sayanomiya Family, because she was constantly either making jokes about everything or was taking everything pretty lightly. Though, at least on the bright side, she was very good in her job, so there was at least something positive about her.
"I dunno... There is nothing really much we can do. Onmyōji Clans hate us to the core for being a polluting element in Japan and they worship Ten'nō no Onmyōji like a God already. The Nakiri and Souma Clans are showing signs of resurfacing, and according to the latest news, Nakiri Sanzaemon has been reinstated as an Elder in the Nakiri Clan. And the Souma Clan, despite the very existence of the Committee, views us as traitors. And the last faction in Japan is the very one that wants to swallow us as a whole, as they had with the other rivals in the Underground Martial Art Industry."
Even though she was carefree and non-caring for most of the time, Sayanomiya Kaoru had a very good understanding of the current situation of the History Compilation Committee and where it stood.
Even without the threat of the 7th Campione Ten'nō no Onmyōji, the threat from the Kengan Association, specifically from Katahara Metsudō, was no small matter.
"If Rockefeller Heiress was here... it means that 7th Campione, who is indeed Deathstroke, is also Kanoh Muzan, which means... that our two biggest problems on the domestic scale are officially one giant problem."
Kengan Association alone was already a tremendous problem for the History Compilation Committee, mainly because of the quality of Martial Artists, their number, and their strengths.
Kanoh Agito alone was able to cripple one of the Committee's Magic Saints during the fight, and then there was another threat.
The Kure Clan.
With their takeover and partial destruction of the old world order, the Committee made more enemies than they could count, but due to secrecy over the Mages and Knights in Japan, they could easily suppress the dissent.
At the same time, they had their two Magic Saints and other trump cards.
But now, Katahara Metsudō created that monstrosity of his, cultivated tons of powerful Martial Artists, and lured even more to the country, which was now balancing the scales a little too much.
"If you want my honest opinion, boss, I would say that it was a mistake attacking the Tsuchimikado Clan during the height of World War II."
Amakasu Tōma couldn't help but nod at hearing her words, because she was right.
"Are you aware why the Four Families resorted to such a move?"
Even though he was an Executive within the History Compilation Committee, he personally didn't know the reason why the Four Families decided to collectively attack the Tsuchimikado Clan at the end of World War II.
It was rather a mystery for the most part, as the agreed-upon version that was most accepted was that it was all a matter of play for power. Nobody really delved into the theories about why they attacked, because such behavior was really something many would have expected.
The magical side of the world was cruel.
Success was built on the destruction of friends and foes alike.
The Tsuchimikado Clan, severely weakened from the war, was the perfect target for anyone else who wanted to rise on the ladder. Initially, even he himself didn't think much of it, attributing it to the typical noble infighting that was all around the world.
Nothing special.
Yet over time, he started suspecting that there was something deeper going on.
"I don't know really everything, but according to some Elders, their main reason was to stop Tsuchimikado Yakou from conducting the Taizan Fukun Ritual and becoming Campione. If he succeeded, then Japan would most probably have a new Supreme King who would also take the mantle of the Emperor."
As he heard that, Amakasu Tōma felt two things. One was shocked, and one was understanding... obviously, aside from a certain degree of confusion because he didn't really know what the Taizan Fukun Ritual was.
But he suspected that it was something dangerous.
"You are not overly surprised."
It wasn't a question, more like a statement that she said.
"No."
He puffed out more smoke as he digested the information that she said to him, as he understood that this was most probably something that wasn't supposed to be known even to the Executives of the History Compilation Committee.
"According to everything that I read about Tsuchimikado Yakou, he was an absolutely prodigious Onmyōji who was said to be the reincarnation of Abe no Semei... but this part is just the rumors. Yet, it's a fact that Abe no Semei perished in his attempt to become Campione, and Tsuchimikado Yakou also wanted to reach the Campione level... I wouldn't be even surprised if the entire thing with the war was manipulated by the Onmyōji Clans so they could achieve this feat."
Amakasu Tōma understood that the Tsuchimikados also pursued a greater level of power.
Perhaps inspired by the tale of Martial Ruler Luo Hao.
Martial Lord, who succeeded in killing the Heretic God and becoming Campione, and he could understand the thinking of Tsuchimikado Yakou, who was Magic Lord according to the few records that mentioned his precise power, would want to repeat the same thing.
Unfortunately for them, contrary to Luo Hao, he apparently failed.
Or else the entire world would have looked very different.
"I don't know much... this is only something that my Elders would tell me, and it's mainly a result of the pieces that I managed to patch up together through my own investigation."
Sayanomiya Kaoru said as she herself was investigating this entire thing, but couldn't really get into it. Most of the information was held only by the Elders and Patriarch, and she was told only something a bit more than the Executives of the History Compilation Committee.
And even that was because she was Heiress Apparent of the Sayanomiya Family.
"Now back to the topic... If the Rockefellers use the resources of the Society and ally with the Dainippon Bank, they could effectively block our finances and strangle us dry."
Kengan Association has since been taken over by Katahara Metsudō, and now, every member of the Association is particularly protected by their fighters on a daily basis, as it has become some sort of tradition.
This also made the first method that the History Compilation Committee would have used, the assassination, rather obsolete because the Martial Artists were rather ill-suited targets for the assassination attempts.
Not to mention...
It was rather shameful, but in the Committee, the number of Mages and Knights who could carry out assassination missions perfectly was extremely low, as most of those people would rather go by and join the Kure Clan.
***
United States of America, Virginia, Charlottesville, Numengard Estate
Miroslava Honebami had to admit that life in the Numengard Estate was...
Partially living hell and partially paradise.
Though she would lean more toward the living hell part.
Even though she didn't really have much to do at this place, she could do most of it as she wished.
She rather enjoyed all the free time; the training facilities were top-notch here because they were for the Campione, and she was even allowed to learn from the lore that was stored in the Numengard Estate.
She also underwent the Magical Aptitude Test to see if she had aptitude for the Magic; unfortunately, the result was negative. Which wasn't really that much surprising, because if she had Magic and was a Mage, perhaps she wouldn't be in such a position like this right now.
Still, Miroslava was assigned a Martial Arts teacher who taught her how to use Chi and also taught her Martial Arts.
Yet...
Life in the manor had its price.
The worst thing was that she was the personal property of the Campione and his...
Lover or soon-to-be lovers, as according to her Mistress, the number has now been expanded from just to three overall. Which meant that there would be two more people who would torment her on a daily basis... perhaps.
There wasn't any time for peace on her mind, because every moment she could be raped by Campione, with her Mistress sometimes joining for the fun. It became worse, though, with Kirari's mood swings, as she got easily irritated and she took out her frustration either on her or on Midari.
She couldn't count how many times she had been raped already by Yakou, who was a very sadistic master during sex, and her Mistress wasn't any better.
Arguably, she was far worse than Yakou...
With them, though, she was relegated to nothing more than a toy for his enjoyment, as he took her any time he wished and how he wished.
She didn't dare to say no or refuse him.
Kirari would punish her as she had the last time before Yakou left to fight in the current war.
She shuddered from fear just by thinking about it, but at the same time, she felt indescribable arousal at the thought... when she was bound in that contraption... being fucked by that machine for several days straight and only being fed her Master's and Mistress's various liquids.
Miroslava couldn't help but fantasize about it, as she lay on her bed, covered in the bedsheets.
Because Yakou was out of the household, she was more or less safe, because at least now she wasn't being constantly raped and humiliated... only when her Mistress was in the mood for some enjoyment, but that was it.
Since Kirari became the Clan Head, the internal stability of the Momobami Clan wasn't really the best one around, and several of the Branch Families of the Clan wanted to take the crown from her head.
It was a rather ironic situation, because many Elders of the Momobami Clan supported Kirari becoming Clan Head at such a young age, because they wanted to control her or to usurp greater powers for themselves, which they wouldn't normally have.
But...
Kirari wasn't stupid and decided to rule the Clan like she wanted, which drew out criticism and even open insubordination from some of the Branches.
The Honebami Branch was also prominent among them, and they were one of the strongest critics of the current Clan Head. Not many were satisfied with the fact that Kirari became the Clan Head without the standart procedures, as technically speaking, she had usurped the seat of Clan Head.
Miroslava knew that this was payback from the Kirari's side after she cleaned the house.
After the Clan Head became pregnant with Campione's child, the entire dissent within the Momobami Clan was cleaned out by the Enforcers of the Illuminati Society that Tsuchimikado Yakou sent to Kirari.
The entire ordeal was swift and brutal, as several Elders were outright killed, many order-in-classmen too, and even heads of the Branch Families were killed in some cases. The overall death count was more than fifty people, while another hundred or so were punished in other ways until the dissent within the Momobami Clan was no more.
And she was used as a peace offering by the Honebami Branch to Kirari and, by extension, to the Campione, as an apology for daring to stir up trouble. There was nothing much that they could do, as even some Branches were entirely destroyed with all of their members executed for treason.
This led to her current situation, where she was used as a living sex toy for Campione and all of his perverted, disgusting, and sadistic tendencies. Yet such was how the things functioned within the Momobami Clan...
The winners took it all, while the losers either died or wished that they were dead. At least Miroslava was alive... even though she occasionally hoped that she wasn't, as sometimes even death would be better than falling into the hands of someone psychotic like Momobami Kirari.
She hated Kirari with passion deep inside, because of the things that she had done to her, how she treated her like a toy, and the more she looked at her body...
More disgusted and humiliated, she became.
During their first intercourse, where her Clan Head offered her to the Campione as the new sex slave, not only was she really brutally raped, but she was also drugged with aphrodisiacs, and she was then stamped with those Magical Crests like some livestock.
Kirari had her entire body covered with several tattoos, mostly words like "Momobami Cumdumpster" on her right thigh and "Certified Toilet" on her left thigh. Even her huge breasts were stamped with several tattoos, on her left breast upper part, words "Piss Whore" and on the right breast upper part, "Cumslut".
The only saving grace was that those stamps could be made invisible... though it wasn't really much of use, because Kirari liked to see her like that, especially if there were other people looking at her humiliated form.
Her 'beloved' Clan Head also had her nipples pierced and was considered a more body modification on her, which would make her a much better slave. Yet, Miroslava also felt helpless and in despair, because there was nothing that she could do about her current situation.
She couldn't even hope to escape, because those disgusting and humiliating tattoos also functioned as a Magic Seal that was tracking her movements, location, and could also forcibly take control of her body if needed.
Courtesy of the Campione, skilled in the Magic.
It was rather ironic, because if Kirari lost the power struggle within the Clan, she would have ended up in a similar situation or dead. Miroslava knew that women of the Clan ended in the most terrible and horrific ways, men were usually only extensively tortured and killed...
Kirari was only lucky because if the tables turned, she made a mistake or didn't meet Yakou, then it was possible that she would be disposed of and sold as a sex slave to be in a similar position to Miroslava right now.
Deep inside, Miroslava was at least grateful for the fact that she was only having sex with humans... with Kirari's tendencies, she could have ended as a plaything for her horses or some other animals.
It wouldn't be the first time that her Mistress did something like that, and she knew very well that it wouldn't be the last time, since some unfortunate soul would meet such... horrific end.
Especially since Kirari started hanging around that repulsive woman named Mamiya Marie, another one of the Campione's lovers, apparently, who was even more deranged than Kirari and enjoyed people being sexually tortured in the worst way imaginable.
Life in the Momobami Clan was a cruel one... It was a life of constant struggle, backstabbing, and infighting that was never-ending. Every moment, everyone was scheming against everyone and trying to get higher in the Clan's hierarchy.
Though that was now coming to the end, because now, there was only one voice in the Clan, and that was Kirari's. She didn't tolerate any infighting or internal conflicts that would lead to the weakening of the Clan, as she now had all the power needed to rebuild it in her own vision.
As she looked out the window of her prison, she wondered what it would be like to have a normal life.
"Miroslava, where are you? Your Mistresses need their toilet and also someone to pleasure them..."
As soon as she heard Kirari's voice, her body instinctively shuddered from a mixture of fear and arousal as she automatically stood from her bed and, in her naked, debased glory, went to do her duty.
Like she would do for the rest of her life, with no other choice or perspective for freedom.
The moment they lost the struggle for leadership, her fate was decided.
Her Elders even told her that she should be grateful for having the opportunity to be the sex slave of Campione.
"I am coming, Mistress."
She answered, unbeknownst with a little too eagerness than one would have anticipated.
She adjusted her accessories and took all her clothes off because Kirari hated it when Miroslava wore clothes, as according to her, "sex slaves don't need anything aside from accessories and toys", and then another part of Miroslava's life as a cumdumbster and human toilet began.
***
Russian Federation, Siberia, Undisclosed Location
Siberia, also known as Asian Russia, is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east.
For more than two hundred years, or so, Siberia was home to the oldest Campione, 1st one, Sasha Dejanstahl Voban, together with the Vampires and Werewolves that were his servants.
The place that Voban was calling his home was a huge subterranean complex that was inhabited by several Vampire Covens and Werewolf Clans that pledged their allegiance to him.
In the middle of the entire subterranean complex, there was an enormous castle-like structure named Castle Greymoor that was home ot the Marquise Voban and his entire faction that had formed around him over the past decades and centuries.
Voban has the appearance of a man in his later years with silver hair that was trimmed shortly and bristled around the back of his head. He had emerald-colored eyes and wore a grey business suit with a white shirt and black tie, and a high-collared grey long coat.
He was in good health because he looked to be in his fifties, yet his skin was smooth like he was in his twenties, and he had the air of a predator around him.
Born in the first half of the eighteenth century in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in the territory that would become modern Hungary, Voban probably didn't have a single relative from birth. He lived his life by moving from place to place for ten years, struggling daily just to survive, until one day, he killed a Heretic God in his mid-teens, becoming a Campione.
A few years later, he attacked the castle of the local Marquis and usurped his title and dominion, but grew tired of it and abandoned it, though he is still referred to as Marquis even now.
Over the years, he found out several Vampire Covens and Werewolf Tribes that he brought under his control due to the Divine Authority that was used to create both species in the world, which was also in his hands.
Vampires and Werewolves were created by the Heretic Gods, and at a later date, more were created by Voban himself. As the population grew, he moved to Siberia approximately two centuries ago, where he settled in a huge subterranean area where they constructed an enormous City.
The Nightingale.
Marquise Voban was sitting on his throne and reading a letter.
It was a very special letter as it was one written by one of his fellow Campiones.
More precisely, one of the younglings, in Voban's opinion, the 7th one.
"I bid you a greeting, Your Majesty, 1st Camione Sasha Dejanstahl Voban.
In my name, as 7th Campione Tsuchimikado Yakou, it's my honor to greet you as the most senior among the Campiones. It is my honor as junior Campione to greet the senior Campione of over four centuries and countless Heretic Gods who fall by Your blade.
With this gesture, I would be delighted to extend an offer for Your Majesty that contains an opportunity for You to slay not one, but two Heretic Gods according to your wishes through our alliance.
I am aware that Your Majesty is gathering Hime-Mikos for the Heretic God Summoning Ritual, and most of them are located either in China or Japan, but all things considered, going to China would mean confronting Martial Ruler, while Japan is a much safer bet. As Your Majesty is surely aware, the History Compilation Committee, as the dominant Magic Association in all of Japan, controls and rules over the Hime-Mikos, and they managed to trick the 8th Campione Kusanagi Godou into giving them his protection.
While I wouldn't dare to question the senior's power, the History Compilation Committee has some trump cards that are able to deal with the Campione to a certain degree, which could seriously affect the fight with the 8th Campione. As you are aware, this little one has some history with the History Compilation Committee, and we share a common enemy in this one.
I have no desire to any of the Heretic Gods that the History Compilation Committee has sealed or possess Summong Catalyst toward, as I only desire their complete destruction and death. I am willing to swear and sing the Geass Contract by Pandora's sight that I leave the sealed Heretic Gods for Your Majesty as a form of goodwill for our cooperation.
If Your Majesty is interested in the alliance, you know where to find me.
PS. Don't underestimate the History Compilation Committee. They are being supported by Heretic God Sussanoo from the shadows, and they have managed to seal at least one another Heretic God aside from possessing means of Sealing Heretic Gods and Campiones.
PPS. The Illuminati Society would also be delighted to establish a diplomatic relationship with the Lost Domain. I am aware that Your Majesty is rather reluctant, but the times are changing, and even the Martial Rulers are becoming more and more active with their involvement in the mundane matters.
Respectfully,
Tsuchimikado Yakou the Ten'nō no Onmyōji, King of the Illuminati Society, 13th Seat of the Knights of the Round Table and Head of the Department of Forbidden Arts of the Illuminati Society."
Voban actually read the letter two times, not missing every single word, before he laughed out loud at the entire thing, because it was finally getting interesting. In his four centuries, he slew many Heretic Gods, fought many Campiones, and even saw some of his kin fall to the Heretic Gods or disappear with no trace.
He was the oldest Campione and bored with most of the things that were in the world, because there was nothing really new that the world could offer him.
The only desire is to battle worthy opponents such as Heretic Gods and other Campiones, and gain more Divine Authorities. He was also someone who realized that their raw strength was capped at a certain level and there wasn't really much to do in order to improve their raw power.
The only way to get stronger was to get more Divine Authorities and preferably hope to get some Divine Authority that gave a boost to the basic parameters like strength and speed... but the number of such Divine Authorities was low.
If it wasn't for that annoying boy Doni, he would be in possession of such Divine Authority, the Divine Authority of Body of Steel. This was very well documented, Divine Authority that was able to raise the basic parameters of the Campione.
Unfortunately for him, that blood sword-obsessed bastard stole the kill from him.
"Well, at least, this one is much more polite with proper respect toward the older generation..."
Marquise Voban seriously considered the proposal to work together in Japan in the near future. He knew that the History Complication Committee had some trump cards in their hands, something that he had heard or discovered on his own through the years.
He admitted that this, coupled with the fact that they obtained the patronage of the 8th Campione, was making things problematic. His primary focus on Japan was for two reasons.
The first was to obtain enough Hime-Mikos for the Heretic God Summoning Ritual that would summon the Heretic God whose Divine Authority was perfectly suited for him.
The second was for Sun Wukong. One of the Steel Gods who possessed the Divine Authority of Steel Body, the sole Divine Authority that he wanted and needed to obtain at any cost.
"I will need to meet with the boy personally."
Voban also found it pretty ironic that someone whose family the History Compilation Committee destroyed has now become Campione and was hell-bent on destroying them.
Not to mention, he thought that this would be the first time in a good hundred or two hundred years sicne any Campiones worked together. Despite everything, Voban was rather curious about the 8th Campione who managed to fight that brat Doni to a draw.
This signalled that the boy's Divine Authority was very powerful, because, notwithstanding his personal stance, Salvatore Doni was a formidable opponent. His swordsmanship was almost unparalleled across the entire Europe, and his Divine Authorities were oddly fitting his combat style.
"I wonder if the 8th one would be any stronger to fight... and I wonder how those idiots managed to trick Campione into extending protection to them and becoming their Patron."
The oldest Campione thought it over for some time before he decided to ask for some information.
"Styriche!"
He shouted as if from shadows, and an elderly man clad in a butler's uniform appeared almost instantly. He was pale as a sheet of paper, with crimson red eyes and grey hair, though he had a rather bloody aura around his entire person.
"I am awaiting your command, My Lord Marquise."
Styriche was a Vampire, actually one of the strongest ones in the world, that was created by a long-forgotten Heretic God who had Divine Authority over the Blood and Moon, creating a new species that would conquer the world for him.
Unfortunately for the Heretic God, he was killed by Campione.
Yet his creations survived the death of their creators, and certainly, they thrived.
"Find everything on the current political situation in Japan, and especially on the 8th Campione and 7th Campione. You have one hour. Dismissed."
Voban then waved his right hand, as the Styriche disappeared into the shadows to carry out the mission assigned by his King. Marquise Voban wasn't the one who taught the faults, but a mission like this was pretty easy for someone on the level of an ancient Vampire.
In terms of Magic, Styriche was on the level of a Magic Saint, but at the same time, his physical body was as strong as a Martial Saint. Vampires were literally an overpowered species, but that was given as they were created from the Divine Authority and gods know what else to be the tools of war for the Campione.
Not even twenty minutes later, Styriche reappeared and presented a complete report on the situation in Japan and everything they had on the 7th Campione Tsuchimikado Yakou and the 8th Campione Kusanagi Godou.
Voban immediately started reading, as he went through the documents at staggering speed, and the more he read, the more entertained and baffled he became.
"So the Martial Artists in that country already got that powerful? It seems that the influence of that man or woman is no joke and is spreading... but that's only logical. Compared to the Magic, there is little that you need to practise Martial Arts and practically everyone could become one, yet..."
He witnessed the rise of the Martial Artists personally, as their status underwent an overhelming change and a staggering rise over the past two centuries since Luo Hao became Campione and began polishing this Path.
"What's this?!"
When he started reading collected information about the 8th Campione, and the more he read, the more bewildered he was about it.
"Bring me real information! This is something that someone clearly made up, you fool!"
He threw the binder at his butler, because he thought that someone must have done their job pretty poorly. Everything that was written in there was total bullshit, as it was impossible that Campione, like that, existed.
"With my utmost respect, My Lord, everything that is written there about the 8th Campione is true. Confirmed by our own spies within the History Compilation Committee and also from the independent sources across the world. It's indeed true that the 8th Campione is refusing to have anything to do with the Magic Side of the world and is still attending High School while avoiding the supernatural like a plague."
As the old vampire said that, Marquise Sasha Dejanstahl Voban was frozen in his spot for several minutes before his brain rebooted. Over the more than four hundred years of his long life, he saw a lot...
But this was something entirely new that he had never seen before.
Campione denying the very existence of Magic.
Who was also willingly subjecting himself to the laws of the mortals.
Voban, as someone who was more than four centuries old, didn't have any regard for the mortals or their petty laws, as they were not powerful enough to force the beings of great powers into submission.
Another thing that he was rather curious about was the 7th Campione.
He knew that the 7th was scheming something and even using the Heretic Gods as bait for him to agree to the alliance. Well, for the old man, this was pretty interesting, because there were not already many things in the world that could actually surprise him.
And this was indeed very surprising.
And what was surprising was entertaining.
He loved entertaining things.
And he felt that this would be very entertaining once again.
***
Tokyo Metropolitan Area, Main Estate of the Nakiri Family
The Nakiri Family Compound was a traditional Japanese Noble Compound.
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.
Especially with the mess that was happening around the world recently.
The place was swarming with guards, fortified positions, watch guards, and even the newest technological innovations, which were put into practice to protect the Nakiri 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.
Senzaemon Nakiri was a highly respected culinary expert in the world. He was the Director of Tōtsuki Culinary Academy and also the Head of the Nakiri Conglomerate, which controlled around 60% of the food-related industries in Japan and approximately 25% in the entire Southeast Asia.
Yet, before he was everything this, he was an ordinary descendant of the Nakiri Clan.
He wasn't particularly talented in the arts of the Onmyōdō, but he wasn't also bad... he was just a pretty average talented descendant of the Nakiri Clan. Which still meant that his talent and future accomplishments would be much higher than those of the commoner Onmyōji.
In his youth, he wasn't really satisfied with the situation in the Clan. In the aftermath of World War II and the fall of the Tsuchimikado Clan, the traditional Onmyōdō Clans of Japan retreated into deep seclusion, knowing they were not in a position to act openly.
Even if they wanted, there wasn't really much that they could do... if the strongest one among them had fallen.
He wasn't really content with staying cooped up in that mountain for the rest of his life, and thus, one day he sneaked out and escaped. The initial start was rather rough, but overall, he managed to get by, and with some knowledge of Magic on his side, he managed to survive.
It was rather fortunate that the History Compilation Committee wasn't really actively fighting against the other Onmyōdō Clans.
Over time, he discovered his passion for cooking, and somehow that grew to the point where he built a business empire in Japan.
"Are you sure you want to do this, nephew?"
Nakiri Senzaemon looked at the middle-aged man with blonde hair, who appeared to have his hair slicked back and a long bang in front of his forehead that extended in front of his left eye.
It was Nakiri Ōryū, the current Patriarch of the Nakiri Clan, the one in the Onmyōdō Clan, not the Nakiri Family that was established by Senzaemon after he was technically expelled from the Nakiri Clan because he left the Clan Grounds despite the seclusion.
Yet, some time ago, his nephew, Nakiri Ōryū, visited him personally and informed him that the orders of his grandfather, Senzaemon's father, were annulled, and he came back to invite him to the Clan and offered him the position of Elder.
Nakiri Ōryū was the son of Senazaemon's elder brother, and they all came from the Main Family of the Nakiri Clan.
Even though Senzaemon hesitated for some time, he could see that the world was changing and that they needed to seek support. Even though the Nakiri Family had a decent relationship with Katahara Metsudō and membership in the Kengan Association, it wasn't that kind of support that he wanted.
At the same time, when he secretly tested the aptitudes of his granddaughters for Magic, it was pretty unfortunate that they were not really the highest.
"We don't really have much choice. We Onmyōdō Clans stood together when these bastards with their Hermetic Magic arrived nd started pushing us back, but with the fall of the Tsuchimikado Clan in the war, we were forced to hide. Dairenji Clan is technically non-existent, Tsuchimikado Clan has barely a few members, and Souma Clan is in the same situation as us... With the appearance of His Majesty, many Elders within our Clans are pushing for coming out of seclusion. Like really strongly pushing for coming out."
Nakiri Ōryū was also one of the supporters of the resurgence of their Clans, because now it was finally their time. With the forces of the History Compilation Committee tied up by the appearance of Campione and the Kengan Association, which was rebuilt by Katahara Metsudō, it was finally their time to take back what belonged to them.
The Onmyōdō Clans in Japan harbored a deep hatred for the Japanese Hermetic Magic Users. Primarily because the Hermetic Magic wasn't something native to Japan, as it was brought by the Europeans many centuries ago, and due to that, it spread fast.
Contrary to the Innate Magics and other branches of Magic like Onmyōdō, the Hermetic Magic had much more lax requirements for usage and learning. This created a situation in which many more people could become Mages through Hermetic Magic, leading to friction with the traditional Onmyōdō Clans.
In the end, they were fighting constantly for the resources.
The traditional Onmyōdō Clans saw the families of the History Compilation Committee as upstarts who had a bit of Magic blood in them and were jumping far above their station.
"So... what do you want?"
Since he had decided to accept the proposal from his nephew, he was prepared to do some other things. Even though he spent most of his life as a chef and businessman, he was a fairly powerful Onmyōji and Great Knight who trained extensively in the martial arts.
He knew that something was brewing on the horizon, and it wasn't really anything good.
"Meeting the Chairman Katahara that we want to ally with the Kengan Association and Katahara Family. The Nakiri Clan also speaks for the Souma Clan on this matter."
Both the Nakiri Clan and the Souma Clan were strongly united, and the Souma Clan gave the Nakiris all rights to negotiate in their place. The key to that was Katahara Metsudō, because he was the Chairman of the Kengan Association, the only faction in Japan that could stand on the same level as the History Compilation Committee.
Nakiri Senzaemon had extensive dealings with the Katahara, and the two could be considered somewhat friends.
"That is easy. Though it's rather interesting... because I heard that several hours ago, he met with the Heiress of the Rockefellers and someone whom you would recognize... Tsuchimikado Yasazumi has returned to Japan and walked through the streets of Tokyo in broad daylight."
Nakiri Ōryū's eyes narrowed at hearing that, because Tsuchimikado Yasazumi was someone from the same generation as him, and they could be considered friends.
He was also one of the remaining direct lines of the Tsuchimikado Clan's Main family, as all other members of the Main family were killed by the forces of the History Compilation Committee.
"This means that they are plotting something... interesting. How fast can you arrange a meeting with Chairman Katahara?"
Even though the Nakiri Clan had been in seclusion for a long time, they were still very much aware of the development in the outside world and what was happening, and they were also aware of how hegemonic the Kengan Association had become.
"Fast. That old coot is free for most of the part and would never pass a good season of scheming against people."
Katahara Metsudō was older by a good thirty-five years or so. Though the old man Katahara had usually too much free time on his hands, and even when he was the Chairman of the Dainippon Bank and Kengan Association, it wasn't really a problem to arrange the meeting with him.
When the Nakiri Corporation was established, it was supported by Dainippon Bank, and thanks to Katahara Metsudō's connections, it expanded so quickly and grew so large that it even swallowed the Tōtsuki Academy.
Which was older than the Nakiri Corporation by a good few decades.
Nakiri Ōryū was satisfied with the answer because the faster they acted, the better for their Clans.
"Then can I count on securing two spots for the Grand Purification Baptism Ceremony?"
Senzaemon asked as his nephew nodded as the spots in the Grand Purification Baptism Ceremony was somethiung that he wanted to secure. But not for himself, as he already undertook one in his youth, but for his son and daughter.
The Grand Purification Baptism Ceremony was a special ritual that was used by the Onmyōji Clans to raise the innate talent of their younger clansmen. The results varied, and if one was lucky, they could obtain tremendous benefits from the ritual and also the blessing of their Patron Divine Beasts.
"The ritual would take place in one year when we gather all resources... with the seclusion of the Clan, the resources are scarce, but once we resurface, this would all be remedied."
The years of seclusion have certainly taken some degree of burden on the Clans as they were forced to limit their activities outside due to the threat of the History Compilation Committee.
"That's all that I ask for. I will now go and call old Katahara... if you present him enough benefits, I don't think that he will refuse the cooperation. It's like an open secret at this point in time that he wants to swallow the History Compilation Committee as well. Well, with his power base and strong alliance with the Kure Clan... I don't think it's an impossible idea."
Due to his friendship with Katahara Metsudō, he was very well aware of the powers in the place and knew how dangerous they could be. Everyone was playing the great game for power, and some were more successful and better at it than others.