[Scholar of █████████ Identification Number: █████████████████████ is initiating contact with the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System.]
[Requesting access to the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System Archive.]
[Little Garden's Central Cardinal System Archive activated.]
[Access to the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System Archive Granted.]
[Searching through the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System Archive for the Key Words.]
[Match Found.]
[██████]
[Viewing the File of [Redacted] of the [Redacted] Species.]
[Insufficient Permission in the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System to view the Unredacted Files.]
[Species: █████ ███ - ██████, [Redacted] / [Redacted]
Type: █████ ███
Name: [Redacted]
Title: The King in Yellow, [Redacted], [Redacted], [Redacted], [Redacted], The Unspeakable One, Him Who Is Not to be Named, The Feaster from Afar, The Lord of Interstellar Spaces, [Redacted], The Unspeakable, [Redacted], Dweller in the Depths, [Redacted], Great Prince of the ███ ████, Old Entity [Redacted], The King
Digit: █████████
Parameters: ███
Vital Status: Active
Chaotic Origin Dimension: [Redacted]
Identification Number of Chaotic Origin Dimension: [Redacted]
Chaotic Origin Dimension Status: [Redacted] by [Redacted].
Chaotic Origin Dimension Type: [Redacted]
Void: Great Dark Beyond Cosmos.]
[Accessing History of The King in Yellow.]
[Insufficient Authority within the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System for full access.]
[Little Garden's Central Cardinal System is issuing partial access.]
[Archive Entry: Recorded History of The King in Yellow recorded by the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System.
NOTE 1: Accessing Partial Files
NOTE 2: Prolonged Access may attract the attention of The King in Yellow or the [Redacted] of the █████ ███ ████.
The King in Yellow belongs to the category of the [Redacted] of the ███████, a very peculiar branch of the most powerful beings on the entire reality. They are a group of unique, malignant beings of great power in the reality cosmology.
"These █████ ███ ████, [Redacted] continued, were not composed altogether of flesh and blood. 'They' had shape—for did not this star-fashioned image prove it?—but that shape was not made of matter. When the stars were right, 'They' could plunge from world to world through the sky; but when the stars were wrong, 'They' could not live. But although 'They' no longer lived, 'They' would never really die. 'They' all lay in stone houses in 'Their' great city of [Redacted], preserved by the spells of mighty [Redacted] for a glorious resurrection when the stars and the earth might once more be ready for 'Them'."
- Unknown Record of the █████
The King in Yellow is actually the most famous interpretation, Avatar of the [Redacted] according to all records that were recorded by the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System because it is one of the best known forms of the [Redacted]. It is known that [Redacted] has several Avatars, across the Great Dark Beyond and even beyond the Observation capabilities of the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System.
"The King can now be seen, although only faintly. He stands in state upon the balcony. He has no face, and is twice as tall as a man. He wears pointed shoes under his tattered, fantastically colored robes, and a streamer of silk appears to fall from the pointed tip of his hood. Behind his back he holds inverted a torch with a turned and jeweled shaft, which emits smoke, but no light. At times he appears to be winged; at others, haloed. These details are for the costumer; at no time should The King be sufficiently visible to make them all out."
- Description of the King in Yellow the most famous Avatar of the [Redacted]
For the reasons [Redacted], the King of Yellow has become an integral part of the Little Garden, even if the intentions of the [Redacted] are very hard to read and understand. Within the Great Dark Beyond, among the █████████ individuals, they █████ ███ ████ are notoriously hard to predict as they are enigmatic as they are powerful.
Most of the ███████ are well-known beings within the Great Dark Beyond, but this subbranch is mysterious. Most information about the [Redacted] originates from a Book called Necronomicon, written by Abdul Alhazred. Within the most Sacred Unholy Book, the King in Yellow, or to be precise, his True Body, is described as the Unspeakable One, the horror that observes happenings in the Great Dark Beyond for his mere entertainment and searches for the things that interest him.
There are many records within the Necronomicon that [Redacted] belongs to the category of most malicious among the █████ ███ ████ and it's highly not advisable to research anything related to the [Redacted] or his Avatars, or be prepared for the attention of the [Redacted]. And as many records are telling, attention to any the ███████ is never a good thing.]
[Accessing the recent history of the Little Garden and its Observed Dimensions.]
[Requesting permission to access the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System Archive.]
[Permission from the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System has been granted.]
[Archive Entry: Recent History of the Little Garden and its Observed Dimensions through the Archives of the Little Garden and it's Observed Dimensions
The [Redacted] has disappeared for several Eras according to the latest records, as most of these Avatars entered the deep slumber according to the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System.
Several of the said Avatars of the [Redacted] have even left the Recorded Observed Reality by the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System and are not within the Little Garden's Observation range.
The True Body of the King in Yellow is unknown as the [Redacted] wasn't Observed by the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System for several Era. Which is one of the notable traits of the █████ ███ ████ because this subspecies of the ███████ is known for their very long slumbers that could last even for several Eras.]
[Accessing the Prognosis.]
[Prognosis Accessed.]
[Prognosis Records of the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System for The King in Yellow.
It is...
System Error!!!
System Error!!!
System Error!!!
System Error!!!
System Error!!!!]
[Attempting to Reboot.]
[Rebooting.]
[Establishing connection with the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System.]
[Connection with the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System has been established.]
[The connection with the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System has been forcibly hijacked by the King in Yellow.]
[The connection with the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System has been established and stabilized.]
[Transferring the Curse of the Yellow onto the Scholar of █████████ Identification Number: █████████████████████, through the connection with the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System.]
[Curse of the Yellow has been transferred onto the Scholar of █████████.]
[Scholar of █████████ Identification Number: █████████████████████ has an approximate lifespan of 10 seconds by the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System's Calculation.]
[The connection with the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System has been forcibly ended by The King in Yellow.]
[The connection with the Little Garden's Central Cardinal System has been ended.]
***
Astral Realm
In the kaleidoscopic landscape of the Astral Realm, the entire space itself was cracking under the pressure two figures were releasing as they faced each other. Both Empimetheus and Pandora were locked in a fight, because Empimetheus was absolutely enraged this time.
"What are you doing, you crazy woman?!"
Both Itarims were throwing energy spheres at each other that were strong enough to obliterate entire galaxies from the face of existence as their power transcended the boundaries of reality itself.
Just their mere presence alone where they were was strong enough to collapse space itself around them and create countless black holes and supernovas that exploded as their power annihilated entire civilizations in the split second of a moment.
The entire segments of the Starry Sky Chaotic Origin Dimension were turned into primordial matter in a mere moment when the two Itarims clashed, even if they were severely holding back.
"I told you not to intervene!"
When it came to their Campione Project, both of them had vastly different opinion how to approach this topic. Pandora clearly wanted the 8th Campione Kusanagi Godou to be the one who would pioneer the new age, and because of that, she actually installed a failsafe in his Divine Authority.
When Pandora gave him the Divine Authority of the Persian Warlord, she installed a specific mechanism inside the 10th Incarnation: Warrior that would activate when Godou was about to kill with an Ability that would surely kill him and bypass the 8th Incarnation: Ram.
So when Tsuchimikado Yakou activated the Great Declaration of God of the Divine Authority of Gungnir: The Spear of Heaven and used it against the Kusanagi Godou, the safety that Pandora installed within theDivine Authority of the Persian Warlord was activated.
Just as the Gungnir was about to pierce Kusanagi Godou's heart, the protection appeared and stopped the Gungnir. It shattered the Divine Authority of Gungnir: The Spear of Heaven and almost crippled the 7th Campione...
Still, Tsuchimikado Yakou was now severely injured due to Pandora's failsafe.
Yet, the faisafe could be used only three times.
She knew that the 8th Campione was at a severe disadvantage when compared to the others in these turbulent times, and his personality was also something that was holding him back greatly when fighting.
Even if she found these traits rather positive qualities, she knew they were also a bit dangerous for his future development. Especially when he would be fighting against a foe that really wanted to kill him at all costs.
It was clear that Pandora was going as far as possible to ensure that her favorite would become the pioneer of the new age.
Epimetheus gave her that.
And he also admitted that when it came to the Arcane, Magic, and Mysticism, he was nowhere near his wife. She was in the end being able to take control of the Great Circle Of The Usurpation and create the Campiones.
Among many other things.
But fighting?
That was much more his forte.
It was clear as day because during their clash, one armored figure was suppressing another.
While he wasn't the best fighter among their kind, he was still better at fighting and using his powers for offensive purposes than his wife was.
"This entire thing was my idea, and I have the right to decide who would succeed and not! And certainly not that madman of yours! The world needs someone who would protect it, not the power-hungry Campiones that would do everything for power!"
For Pandora, Kusanagi Godou was the perfect person to become Campione, because of his sense of justice and morality. Even though he was a bit naive in her eyes, she was convinced that he was the best choice, as he was the only one uncorrupted by the power and might.
Unlike the other Campiones...
Some were on the much better side, like Aisha, who was a recluse, or Annie Charleton.
Some were neutrally aligned, like Alexander Gascoigne and Salvatore Doni.
And some were the worst of the worst, like Sasha Voban, Luo Hao, and Tsuchimikado Yakou.
Even though Pandora told Epimetheus that she wouldn't intervene, she wasn't blind and knew that Tsuchimikado Yakou had the greatest chance of killing the King of the End and ending Phase One.
Something that was much to her distaste.
"From now on, you will stop intervening in the experiment."
Epimetheus said with a tone of inflection as he pressed more power onto Pandora, as his wives looked at him in defeat, because she couldn't really defeat him. She wasn't really that good at fighting, at least compared to her husband, who was a much more skilled fighter.
"And you will also withdraw your remaining failsaves from the boy... if not, I will personally kill him."
In the end, Pandora didn't have any other choice but to agree to her husband's orders because she knew she couldn't win against Epimetheus in a single fight. Even among their kind, there were the ones that could use their powers in combat more effectively than the others.
In the entire Outer Realms, most of the Itarims never fought against each other personally because fights between their species were extremely devastating and dangerous. Thus, their kind usually refrained from fighting against each other, and when there was a need to fight, they would fight in the Primal Nothingness.
That was the only place where they... the Outer Gods could use their powers and not care about potential collateral damage to the enviroment.
The Primal Nothingness was the space of pure emptiness and Void, also called In-Between-The-Realms, and only the beings at the level of their kind could survive crossing through the Primal Nothingness...
Though there were always exceptions to everything.
***
Earth, Empire of Japan, Outskirts of the Koyto, Not Far From The Kure Clan Village
"But despite that... I cannot let you continue any further."
Yakou said with some stress, because his injuries were pretty severe, as Kusanagi Godou was in pristine condition. It seemed that, whatever that golden energy around him was, it was also healing him at a rapid speed.
Much to Yakou's dismay, because it meant that Kusanagi Godou would be in the combat-ready state pretty soon, which was the last thing that he wanted right now. The boy was already more annoying to deal with than it was necessary to Yakou's displeasure.
It seemed that, despite everything, he had underestimated him... or perhaps even not... but it was just someone intervening in their battle, perhaps?
Some sort of greater power.
"You are in no condition to fight anymore, so I am giving you one last chance to stop this madness!"
Kusanagi Godou spoke, or rather shouted, for the first time, but Yakou didn't really care.
Though before Yakou could do anything, the golden sphere of energy suddenly started disappearing, and even Kusanagi Godou was surprised where it went, and the moment the energy around him was disappearing.
Yakou also noticed this with the All-Seeing Eyes of God because it seemed that whatever that thing was, it was not entirely gone. Even the healing process inside the boytoy Campione has been halted, as the golden energy has disappeared entirely from his body.
A figure appeared in front of him, wielding a blue sword coated in lightning, and attacked the 8th Campione, only to be blocked by the dissipating remnants of the golden energy around his body.
Yakou actually smiled because Marquise Voban had arrived.
And he was in much better condition than before, and Yakou could see that the 1st Campione had benefited tremendously from slaying the Heretic God Sun Wukong.
Because he obtained something from the Sun Wukong.
That he wasn't able to identify properly.
Regardless of that, Yakou was pretty happy, actually, that Marquise Voban was here, because he would be able to deal with the boy Campione, who wasn't entirely healed from the injuries, while he would recuperate and join the fight.
Then it would be two against one.
"You look terrible, boy."
Yakou knew that those words were aimed directly at Yakou because he really looked rather terrible and was severely injured. Whatever that golden thing was that he hit with Gungnir, it managed to injure Yakou severely to the point where even his enhanced regeneration needed to work over time.
But as a proper Magus of the old, he was prepared for almost everything, as he swiftly activated the Onmyōdō Seals in his clothes, which were actually storing a tremendous amount of the potent Life Force that he took from the death row inmates.
He predicted that he might end up severely injured at the hands of Kusanagi Godou or another unforeseen player, and thus, he had created several failsaves for himself in case such a situation occurred.
Fūinjutsu was a rather obscure art among the Onmyōdō, but it was something that Yakou was able to learn only thanks to the Divine Authority of the Mímir's Well. With the help of his Divine Authority, Yakou actually learned a lot of Onmyōdō of the Tsuchimikado Clan that was recorded in the Family Grimoire.
And Fūinjutsu was among them.
Fūinjutsu, literally meaning Sealing Techniques, is a type of Onmyōdō that Seals objects, living beings, Mana, or any other form of Energy, along with a wide variety of other things within another object, usually using a Sealing Formula.
Fūinjutsu can also be used to restrict movement or unseal objects either from within something or someone. The presence of a seal is marked by the appearance of formations of technique formulae, kanji, or else other kinds of symbols.
And his entire body was engraved with the Life Devouring Seals, which could devour the Life Force of living beings and store it in the Seal. Once the Fūinjutsu Seal was activated, it would release the Life Force into the body of the User, like Yakou was doing right now.
With the overwhelming amount of Life Force that was gathered from several hundred people that USFA provided to him, he has basically healed in mere moments, faster than anyone could react to his regeneration.
"Well then... I am not as good as new..."
Yakou stretched out his hands a bit, as his injuries healed perfectly, though he had consumed an enormous amount of stored Life Force to speed up the regeneration process and achieve instant healing.
Voban looked intrigued at seeing what had just happened, because the old man could see how suddenly some kind of Seals that the younger Campione had on his body started being activated and releasing enormous amounts of pure Life Force into the Campione's body.
And it even managed to heal him entirely from severe injuries that would have taken him a week or two to compeltely heal from the entire ordeal.
Nevertheless, Yakou summoned Gungnir, as he used his Divine Authority of the Gungnir: The Spear of Heaven, as he aimed the Divine Spear at the 8th Campione, with Marquise Voban doing the same thing with the Durandal.
"Leave from here, child... You don't belong here, and you are outnumbered two against one."
Voban said as he pointed Durandal at the 8th Campione because Voban didn't have any patience for negotiations or anything.
And as the oldest Campione said, there were two of them, and Voban was stronger than ever, because the old man finally obtained the Divine Authority of Body of Steel that he coveted for such a long time.
In truth, seeing the state in which Yakou ended after the clashes with the 8th Campione, prompted him to be extremely careful about the newest Campione, but if it came to that, then he would fight.
"Actually, you don't have anything to gain here... you came late, the History Compilation Committee and their people that you strived to save are all dead, and across Japan they have been systematically killed for some time, and not many of them remain alive. Even if you fight us, you will achieve here nothing... on the contrary..."
Yakou spoke for the first time to the 8th Campione because even if Kusanagi Godou fought against them right here and right now, it would achieve virtually nothing.
The History Compilation Committee was essentially destroyed, and the majority of its members were killed at the hands of the Kengan Association or the Enforcers of the Illuminati Society.
Of course, the Martial Artists that were under the influence of the old man Katahara, also did a fair job of the killing. Yakou was in control of the entire Culling Game and knew exactly how many people were remaining in the system alive and well, how many were killed, and by whom they were killed, and practically everything else that was happening.
Nothing could escape his sight as long as the Culling Game Formation was active and enveloping the entire Japan. And there were two Campiones against one Campione, and as Yakou had activated the All-Seeing Eyes of God, he noticed that something invisible had left the Kusanagi's body.
Meanwhile, Kusanagi Godou looked at the two Campione, and he himself felt pretty tired and inexplicably weaker. That was some kind of feeling that he couldn't really describe, but he felt at least weaker by half from a moment ago.
At the same time, the boy Campione noticed that Erica was missing from the place, and he couldn't really sense her presence; because he never studied Magic or anything related to it, he couldn't even use his power if he wanted.
"If you are searching for your female companion, she is right now in the custody of the Kure Clan... of course, if you choose to retreat, then she would be naturally released."
Yakou said when he noticed that Kusanagi Godou was searching for the Heiress of the Blandelli Family. Hearing what the 7th Campione said made Godou frown in anger as Erica was captured by someone.
What was pretty surprising for Yakou was that the youngest managed to remain calm, which was something unexpected. Yakou heard the rumors concerning the boy Campione and the Heiress of the Blandelli Family, but those were just rumors.
Though the intelligence operatives that were observing the 8th Campione and his family noted that the Campione and Erica Blandelli were pretty close and there was a very high possibility that he would fight them to the death if something happened to her.
So Yakou never really planned to hurt the girl or do anything to her.
"If we fight here... then the entire Kyoto would be turned into an inferno on earth, so think over your choice carefully. Not to mention, I can clearly see that you are weakened and tired... and who knows what will happen to your family and Mariya sisters..."
Suddenly, a huge wave of flames exploded behind Yakou as he used the Divine Authority of Khvarenah: Halo of the Supreme Ruler to release a lot of his power and pressure the 8th Campione from fighting them.
Yakou had his own plans for the Empire of Japan, and the last thing that he wanted was for Kyoto to be destroyed in the fighting between them. Which he was sure would be destroyed because if it was a price for killing Kusanagi Godou, then neither Yakou nor Voban would hesitate in sacrificing millions for it.
He could see that Kusanagi Godou was pretty much angry but was holding the anger inside him, which was certainly uncharacteristic for the Campione. Yet, on the other hand, it was also pretty much remarkable.
In the end, and very slowly, Kusanagi Godou nodded his head.
Even though he had rushed here without second thought, he knew that he could really die here... from the fight against the 7th Campione, he could clearly tell that Tsuchimikado Yakou was fighting him with intent to kill, and it was a miracle that he wasn't dead or at least severely injured.
And now Marquise Voban arrived, someone about whom he was warned to be most dangerous and the oldest among their kin, and it seemed that he, too, was allied with the 7th Campione.
Which was putting him at a clear disadvantage.
"Sooner or later, monsters like you will be stopped. Now release Erica, and we are done here."
At the same time, Kusanagi Godou wasn't really stupid, and he knew that monsters like Tsuchimikado Yakou or Sasha Dejanstahl Voban wouldn't hesitate to go after his family and friends without batting an eye.
In the end, it was important to know one had lost.
Like this time.
Yakou just nodded and cast a Spell.
"That happens only in the fairy tales, for your information, kid."
Soon enough, a shadow appeared near them as it was Kure Xing holding bound Erica Blandeli with Anti-Magic cuffs and bindings, so she couldn't escape or create any problems for them.
"As agreed."
Yakou stated as he pointed at the bound Erica Blandelli and ordered Kure Xing to release her from the bindings as the blonde-haired Kure Clansmen did, and Kusanagi Godou immediately rushed toward Erica and asked her how she was and if she wasn't injured.
Before leaving the 8th Campione, cast one hateful at Yakou and Voban as they left.
Watching Kusanagi Godou leave the area made Yakou sigh in relief, as the situation didn't escalate into further fighting.
With the departure of the Kusanagi Godou from the area, it marked the end of this entire saga. The History Compilation Committee was destroyed; all of its branches were either already destroyed and annihilated or in the process of being so, and what remained would soon be disposed of.
This entire saga was over.
"Well then... we should get going..."
Yakou said as Kusanagi Godou left the area with some kind of emptiness in his voice, as the entire thing was finished and done... while he achieved his revenge, he felt a certain kind of satisfaction and at the sama time he felt another wave of emptiness.
Nevertheless, he decided that he wouldn't dwell on this, as he had a lot of things to take care of.
With the entire situation around Kusanagi Godou finished, Yakou needed to finish the deal with Athena, who should have obtained what she was searching for, and he even sent the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga with Athena.
Mahoraga even managed to bring back a lot of valuables from the vaults of the History Compilation Committee, before the Committee's Headquarters were destroyed entirely by the Voban's fight with Sun Wukong.
Marquise Voban looked disappointed in a certain part, because Yakou could guess that the old man was really eager to fight against the newest Campione.
Despite everything, Voban wanted to fight against Kusanagi Godou just for the thrill of the battle and seeking to fight against the new West Campione that was rumored to fight Salvatore Doni.
Which made Voban curious about the boy Campione, mainly because he was acquainted with the powers of Salvatore Doni, and it was mind-boggling that the boy Campione managed to fight King of the Swords to a draw.
***
Kure Village, Some Time Later
The Kure Village was located some distance from Kyoto, and aside from serving as the home of the Kure Clan, it was also one of the Provincial Cities in Japan. Interestingly enough, even though it was a provincial city, most people living there were only members of the Kure Clan or people affiliated with the Kure Clan.
Still, it had a population of something over ten thousand or something. Nobody was really sure, because despite it being the provincial city, it was also one of the smallest provinces in the entire Empire, and at the same time, it was declared to be a Special Administrative Zone.
Due to the presence of the Kure Clan.
One of the privileges that the Imperial Family gave to the Kure Clan in exchange for the protection against assassinations. This way, the Imperial House of Japan secured safety from assassination that their rivals and enemies could employ against them.
Or the threats on the supernatural side of the world.
For Yakou, it had been a very long time since he was at the Kure Clan the last time. The last time he had visited the Kure Village was when he was like fourteen?
It was certainly more than ten years ago.
Though this time it was far more different from the previous time.
He looked at his right hand, where he saw a girl in her teens hugging him with all her might, which was actually a lot... he was pretty surprised when he actually saw her stats through the Crow's System with All-Seeing Eyes of God.
The combination of him using the All-Seeing Eyes of God to display the Status Screen of someone through the interface of Crow's System Ability was an immensely useful thing.
[Name: Kure Karura
Title: Tenma
Classification: Martial Artist
Age: 16
Race: Human (Kure Subspecies)
*
Parameters:
Strength - D+++
Vitality - D++
Endurance - D+++
Agility - D+++
Chi - C
Luck - A
*
Class: D (Unparalleled)
Affiliation: Kure Clan
Armaments: N/A
Heirloom: N/A
Relics: N/A
Uniqueness: Taboo Eyes
Skills: Master Combatant, Master Martial Artist, Master Chi Controller
Martial Arts: Kure Style Martial Arts, Kure Assassination Arts, Mixed Martial Arts, Ultimate Wu Star Martial Arts, Secret Technique: Removal
Abilities: Enhanced Spiritual Senses, Enhanced Reflexes, Enhanced Battle Instincts, Pain Tolerance]
Yakou was surprised because she was actually more powerful than most people at the Illuminati Society... or perhaps even in most Magic Associations and Martial Arts Organizations in the world, despite her age of 16.
Which was a really staggering result.
At the same time, Yakou wasn't surprised, because she was one of the millenia-long prodigies of the Kure Clan, together with Kure Raian... their aptitude was truly frightening, and Raian had the highest recorded affinity for their Secret Technique: Removal.
[The Kure Clan Secret Technique: Removal
Description: Also known as Guihun in the original name, it is the ability to consciously remove the brain's limits on an individual's muscular strength output through the specific utilization of Chi.
As such, while regular humans are naturally unable to access more than 30% of their body's muscular strength (except in times of extreme duress), the Kures were bred to access a greater amount of their latent muscular strength.
That being said, the percentage they have access to varies from individual to individual, and while those outside the Clan 'could' use this technique, only those of the Kure Clan possess the physical constitution needed to handle unrestrained exertion of the muscle's strength and have corresponding Chi of a certain type to use the Removal.
The Removal of the Kure Clan allows one to fight above one's Parameters, but the prolonged usage of the Techniques drains stamina and Chi. If the technique is overused, the user can be in danger of Chi Exhaustion. If an outsider uses Removal past the safe time, they would die, because their Chi is not compatible with the Removal.]
Yakou read the information about the Removal and was deeply surprised by the fact that the Removal was so powerful.
Yakou thought that this technique must have been upgraded by Luo Hao, which was a rather logical explanation because the Martial Ruler got her hands on the technique when she obliterated the WORM and Wu Clan and Westward Wu Clan some centuries ago.
The ability to unleash 100% of their latent power was something that was outrageous... because this way, they could multiply their combat prowess tremendously in a short span of time.
And this technique was specifically tailored for the members of the Kure Clan.
"Yakou-san, let's make a baby!"
Karura shouted as she led Yakou through the busy streets of the Kure Village, uncaring of the situation, nor the fact that she was dragging Campione through the streets as he could only helplessly smile at this.
The Kure Village was a place for which he had a lot of fond memories... and while he was certainly happy to be back, the same couldn't be said for Kure Erioh, who was walking behind him and Karura, watching him like a hawk.
"Not now, Karura..."
After he had a child with Kirari, Yakou decided that he wouldn't have any children with his younger partners. Though with Karura it would be pretty hard because she was rather forceful, and Yakou also pondered when wild Fusui would appear from.
Yakou muttered as he then used All-Seeing Eyes of God to display the Status Screen of the Kure Erioh through the interface of Crow's System Ability.
[Name: Kure Erioh
Title: The Mighty Demon
Classification: Martial Artist
Age: 91
Race: Human
*
Parameters:
Strength - B++
Vitality - B+++
Endurance - B+
Agility - B+++
Chi - B+++
Luck - A+
*
Class: B
Affiliation: Kure Clan
Armaments: N/A
Heirloom: N/A
Relics: Kanshou and Byakuya
Uniqueness: Battle Continuation, Taboo Eyes
Skills: Master Combatant, Master Martial Artist, Master Chi Controller, Dual Dagger Mastery
Martial Arts: Kure Style Martial Arts, Kure Assassination Arts, Mixed Martial Arts, Ultimate Wu Star Martial Arts, Secret Technique: Removal
Abilities: Enhanced Spiritual Senses, Enhanced Reflexes, Enhanced Battle Instincts, Pain Tolerance]
Kure Irioh was actually the strongest Martial Artist that he had ever seen, as he was very close to reaching the Martial Lord Level. His Parameters were either way incredibly close to reaching that Level...
If he reached level of the Martial Lords, he would be one of the few in the history of the entire world who managed to reach such heights. Kure Erioh was indeed deserving his reputation as the strongest Assassin in the entire world...
Yakou also pondered what exactly was the extent of the relationship between the Kure Clan and Hoyl Cult of the Five Mountains, considering the number of the Magical Wards and protections around the entire Kure Village, which was staggering.
Some of them were evidently laid by Magic Saints of great power, and Yakou knew that the History Compilation Committee would never do something like this for the Kure Clan, so that left out only one possible explanation.
Right now, they were strolling through the markets of the Kure Village, as Karura was hogging all of Yakou's attention. Not like it was something uncomfortable, because she was a very attractive young woman, her physique was top-notch, her Taboo Eyes were making her more exotic in his eyes, and she was very powerful.
Which he found another thing that was extremely attractive in women for him.
Power.
He noticed that he was attracted to powerful women... regardless of whether it was a form of real power in Magic or Martial Arts, which was the case with Keira or Karura... or if it was from other forms of power, like with Kirari or the Mamiya Mother/Daughter Duo.
After touring the Kure Village for some time and talking with Karura, they went to the main compound of the Kure Clan's Direct Lineage. This was the place where the direct lineage of the Kure Clan, including the Patriarch and his line, were living.
It was an enormous complex built in traditional Japanese architecture, and Yakou was given a room to stay here for the next few days. He wasn't in the mood to return to Tokyo as he knew that the entire country was in total chaos.
Katahara Metsudō was handling the aftermath of the History Compilation Committee's destruction as the Culling Game neared its end, and Yakou would soon be enough to disperse the entire Culling Game.
Though he would give it a few more days to completely hunt down all remnants of the Committee and their families or allies... even among the mundane people, there were still a lot of coots in the pocket of the Committee.
Despite that, Yakou could imagine that old man Katahara had the time of his life because of this. With the Culling Game in effect, Katahara Metsudō's power was expanding at a staggering pace and the Kengan Association was assimialting everything left and right.
Which was pretty good for the old man.
And even for Yakou, because with this power shift, the Illuminati Society would have another strong ally in the Pacific. At the same time, Yakou could guess how this would complicate everything in the long run.
Because just now, USFA was or would be signing a series of deals with the Huaxia Federation, but Yakou guessed that it was a topic for the ones at the Department of the Policies and the government of the United States of Federal Americas.
It wasn't something that was his problem.
He was never a good one in politics.
The banquet that was prepared for Yakou was rather extravagant, and he was surprised by its luxury and the diversity of the meals. Though like 90% of was of the traditional Japanese cuisine, which was rather understandable considering the fact that this was the Kure Clan. A
And the Kure Clan was highly traditional and rejected any foreign elements in their country, which was probably the main reason the Kure Clan was so eager to attack the History Compilation Committee.
Like the Onmyōji Clans that also made use of this opportunity, the Kure Clan was also of the opinion that the History Compilation Committee was polluting Japan with the foreign Magics that was unnatural to their lands.
Many considered the Hermetic Magics and their spread across the lands to be the utmost sacrilege.
"Well, this is more generous than enough."
Yakou muttered as he sat at the center of the table, as they were sitting on the tatami mats, with Karura leaning over Yakou with eagerness. She was pressing her assets onto his hands as she tried to feed Yakou some nagiri sushi.
Karura was very happy that she was sitting close to Yakou, but the same cannot be said about the Patriarch of the Kure Clan, Kure Erioh... though even the old man understood that if the Bloodline of Campione were introduced to the Kure Clan, it would be a tremendous boost for them.
They would become like Luo Hao...
Beings capable of using Chi and Mana at the same time, while having tremendous potential for Magic and Martial Arts. A possibility that cannot be ignored, and this was a sentiment that was shared among many of the Elders of the Kure Clan.
"I wanted to ask even before, but were you able to capture that Shrine Maiden? Heiress of the Seishuuin Family?"
Yakou asked as he let himself be fed by Karura, much to her pleasure, as Kure Erioh's expression darkened.
"Unfortunately, no... I sent Raian and Fusui after her, but she managed to slip by and escape from our pursuit. If I went to guess, she went to the 8th Campione, because it was noted that the two of them had previous contact, and that is the only place where she would be safe."
Kure Erioh muttered because this was a rather humiliating thing for the Kure Clan that someone younger managed to escape some of their best assassins. Kure Raian was their most talented member, and Kure Fusui, his younger sister, while not being so talented, still ranked among the higher ends of the Kure Clan.
For the Kure Clan that never failed their missions, this was rather displeasing.
Fusui was titled Wicked Shooter and was one of the best snipers in the entire Kure Clan and was a very proficient long-distance fighter in their Clan. Erioh knew that the girl was pretty pissed that they lost the target, because she wanted to make a good impression on the Campione by capturing the Heiress of the Seishuuin Family.
"Ts... this creates some dent in our plans, but nothing that couldn't be solved in the future."
He wasn't really pleased by the fact that the Kure Clan failed in their mission, because he wanted to get his hands on the sword that Seishuuin Ena carried.
Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi.
A Divine Sword that was originally wielded by Susanoo.
Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi, Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven in translation, also known as Kusanagi no Tsurugi, respectively, Grass-Cutting Sword, was a legendary black Japanese sword and part of the Imperial Regalia of Japan.
It was once the property of the former Heretic God Susanoo and considered a Demigod.
Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi is a God of Steel and has shown the Authority of Weather and Storm control, and the ability to enhance the wielder to a point where they can surpass the abilities of a Grand Knight or Magister of Magic if unleashed to it's maximum capability.
Yakou also knew that Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi acted as the key to the Dimension known as Netherworld.
Also known as the Boundary of Life and Immortality, Youmingjie, Menog, and the Idea Realm, the Netherworld is the area of the Astral Plane where souls go to after their lives have ended, and also the location where Heretic Gods go after they are tired of their time in the mortal world, or to hide.
It was a dangerous place where those without magical protection find themselves drained of Magical Energy and strength until they die. Campiones, with their divine stamina, are among the few who can withstand the place without any preparation.
With the Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi, one can open a portal to the Netherworld and enter it, which was something that Yakou needed right now, because it was the place where the backer of the History Compilation Committee was hiding.
Susanoo.
He needed to kill that Heretic God at all costs.
Well, it wasn't like he couldn't get into the Netherworld through other means, but those were more complicated and would require relatively extensive preparation to enter the Netherworld.
Meanwhile, with the Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi, one can just use the sword and enter.
"As you say... so, what will happen now after the History Compilation Committee has fallen? With the alliance that you created with the Chinese and Voban, our Empire has become the prime target for the Huaxia to attack, and we are without the protection of the Campione. Which is rather troublesome because they are now in an expansive mood."
Kure Erioh asked because the Empire of Japan was in a rather interesting predicament, as he didn't really consider Kusanagi Godou the protector of Japan. The old man could see that if war started, and it would be a mundane war, that boy wouldn't do anything.
Though he suspected that even if the supernatural forces were activated during the conflict, it would still be the same, as the boy was averting that which was related to the supernatural like a plague.
"I plan to speak with Luo Hao at the earliest convenience... I believe that I struck a rather good relationship with Voban, so theoretically I can rope him in to help me convince her not to sanction the attack on Japan."
Contrary to the USFA, where the Illuminati Society often acted without the permission or knowledge of their Campione because Yakou didn't care about the things that were not something that he wasn't proficient in.
This was the Pact that he had with the Magic Association, the moment when he joined in.
While the Hauxia functioned on entirely different principles, because without Luo Hao's order, they wouldn't dare to do anything. So, Yakou planned to speak directly with the Martial Ruler at the earliest convenience he had.
"I guess Emperor and Prime Minister would be delighted to see that a lot of their problems would evaporate overnight."
Kure Erioh grinned as he spoke because if Yakou indeed brokered a deal between Huaxia and Japan, then it would solve a lot of problems and reshape the political landscape once again.
Even Katahara Metsudō would welcome such a thing, because the market opportunities in the Huaxia were tremendous, and the old man would be delighted to expand his business empire into Mainland Asia.
Not to mention, nobody wanted to go to war with the Huaxia, which would crush them if they employed their supernatural forces. There was even a possibility of Luo Hao personally entering the battlefield in the event of an invasion of Japan, which was highly likely if Luo Hao decided to do what she wanted.
"I could imagine... if the negotiation succeeds, Grey will send someone from the Department of State to handle the negotiations with the Prime Ministers, and the relationship between the USFA and the Empire of Japan could be standardized once again."
The comprehensive alliance among USFA, Huaxia, and Lost Domain was already on the table.
With that being said, Kure Erioh was in a much better mood, though it wasn't solving the topic of the 8th Campione, who was still lurking in the shadows. However, Yakou wasn't the only one who suspected that if nothing was approaching the daily life of Kusanagi Godou, the 8th Campione wouldn't do anything.
The boy Campione didn't want to have anything to do with the supernatural; that was more than evident.
"I have to say that you have really good cooks here."
Yakou muttered as he kept eating more because he really liked the delicious food. That was something he greatly enjoyed, even though the scenes in front of everyone's eyes were rather surreal as Karura kept feeding him.
She almost didn't allow him to feed himself, and Yakou knew that it was rather futile to argue with her or anything, because she was pretty stubborn about everything. In certain regard, he found her pretty cute and naive because she was very much sheltered from the outside world.
Which was pretty common among the ladies like her.
"Well, it's not something prepared by us, but instead it's someone from the Nakiri Clan."
Yakou already heard that someone who left the Nakiri Clan established a branch of the Nakiri Clan in Japan that was primarily mundane and focused on cooking. The Nakiri Family also established the Nakiri International Corporation and Totsuki Culinary Academy.
They were a lot into the food industry and the gastronomy business.
"Really? Then I would like to meet the chef at a later date if it's possible."
He had heard that the members of the Nakiri Family, which was established by Nakiri Senzaemon, were immensely talented in the culinary arts, and Yakou, as a fan of good food, he was always in search of talented chefs for his manor.
The one who was cooking for him right now would be leaving pretty soon enough, and he would need a replacement. Yakou was satisfied with the cooking of this one, so he planned to poach him if it was possible.
"Well, I will notify the chef."
Kure Erioh stated as Yakou nodded before adding.
"But not today, preferably tomorrow after breakfast."
Yakou said as he had other plans for the night, because he ended up meeting with Athena and taking the payment for his help. The Ritual of the First Manas was something of the utmost importance for him and for the development of the Illuminati Society and USFA.
"Of course! Today, Yakou and I would be creating babies!"
Out of nowhere, Karura suddenly shouted, which attracted slight attention but not that much, because the Kure Clansmen could understand. Kure Erioh almost fainted when he heard his granddaughter shouting something like that, but he called down and didn't say anything.
"Not today, Karura-chan."
Yakou said with a calm voice because while he admitted that Karura was a very attractive young woman and her appearance was certainly top-notch, he didn't want to have a child with her right now.
At the same time, he felt that it would be pretty irresponsible, which was rather weird coming from him, but he had already gotten used to it, so he was a pretty contradictory individual all the time.
"Ts..."
The youngest Kure just pouted with a defeated expression, because she wanted to have a baby with Yakou, because he was strong. The Kure Clan women were attracted to power, and they acted fast when they found males who fulfilled their requirements.
"Ara, ara... our little Karu-chan is marking her claims already."
Not far from them, a beautiful woman with long black hair and a serene expression was observing her daughter. She is slightly more muscular than most of the other women, but not to the extent that it would be noticeable.
She usually keeps her eyes squinted; fully opening them reveals her clan's trademark darkened eyes. Kure Yakusha was also like this... when she was sixteen, she met her husband, Kure Hanjiro, whom she immediately married.
He was a hitman who married into the Kure Clan, by marrying Kure Yakusha and then becoming the father of Kure Sarla and Kure Karura. He was a powerful, skilled assassin in his own right, and together they fathered Karura when Yakusha was eighteen years old.
It took them two years of trying for a child, especially with Yakusha trying almost every night for the child.
"Let them be Yakusha... you know that our daughter will do anything that she wants."
Kure Hanjiro was older than his wife by more than twelve years, though he looked pretty good for his age.
***
Japan, Outskirts of the Kure Village, Undisclosed Location
When everyone in Kure Village slowly went to sleep, Yakou disappeared from his room at the main compound of the Kure's Direct Line as he went to meet Athena. From Mahoraga's memories, he knew that Athena wanted something that would allow her to restore her strength.
And her power has grown considerably because when he saw her with his eyes, he noticed that she was countless times stronger. To the point where he didn't even dare to use the All-Seeing Eyes of God to probe her status through the Crow's Interference, because he was sure that she would have noticed it.
She also looked pretty much different, more mature, and was wearing the Greek toga instead of that weird-looking school uniform. Her entire presence radiated power that he had never seen before, and she was probably the second-strongest being he had ever met after Pandora.
Which was...
Disturbing for some reason.
Yet, at the same time, he didn't feel any hostility from her.
"I see that you were pretty successful in your endeavor."
Yakou stated calmly as he looked at Athena, while the goddess, who looked like a young woman in her mid-twenties, just nodded her head with a slight smile.
"Obviously. Thanks to your schemes, I was able to sneak into the underground vaults of the History Compilation Committee and grab the thing that I wanted and restore my strength."
Athena said because she was actually in a pretty good mood. When she obtained the Grimoire Gorgoneion, she recovered her power and reached the peak of what the limits of the Heretic Gods allowed her.
But that wasn't everything, because the moment she recovered, she started drawing power from her True Body in the Little Garden through their connection and managed to elevate herself to the mid-ranks of the 4th-Digit Entities.
According to this Avatar's memories, this was the level of the King of the End that 'They' controlled as their puppet. She predicted that within a few years, she would be able to reach the peak of the 4th-Digit Entities.
Which would give her great freedom as she moved through this Chaotic Origin Dimension.
"I am glad to be of help. And now that you have what you wanted, please pay up."
Yakou said naturally as Athena just sighed and conjured two objects. One of them was a Dimenisnal Storage Bag, which was a pretty rare thing in the modern age, because most of those that existed were lost, and the art of creating them was also lost.
One needed to be a Magic Saint with very high mastery in Magic and Spells related to the Space to create something like that. Which prompted Yakou to make a mental note to create a few of these things, because they were immensely useful.
It was a palm-sized, glowing cube-shaped object made primarily from some kind of crystals, but the edges were coated in metal... even to Yakou, it looked very weird and somehow... very advanced?
It certainly looked more advanced than anything he had seen on Earth, but something was telling him that this little thing wasn't from the same world as he was.
"This is Holocron, essentially an extremely advanced form of Grimoire. Holocrons are information-storage devices that are usually created by extremely powerful Mages to store their knowledge and pass it to their descendants or heirs. They are far more durable and could store more information than your average Grimoire in the form of a book... and most importantly... This one contains everything regarding the Ritual of the First Mana and even some additional Lore."
Yakou looked at the thing rather curiously as he took it from Athena along with the Dimensional Storage Bags.
"In those bags, there were some things that those humans had in their vaults... I took it before Voban's fight with Sun Wukong destroyed everything as a bonus for you... For me, these trinkets are rather useless."
He admitted that, indeed, for someone like Athena, the objects that mortals valued greatly would barely have any value. Even for him, some things like gold and precious gems were virtually useless, but he wouldn't really say no to them, because they would find their use.
"It was a pleasure to do business with you... If you want to do some deals in the future, you know where to find me."
Yakou said as he disappeared as soon as he could, because he didn't want to be in her presence longer than necessary. Athena, who watched the Campione disappear to the Kure Village, frowned heavily because she sensed the presence of the Campione more clearly this time.
"Dammed creature... creating the Last Embryo out of nowhere in the ownernless Chaotic Origin Dimension? Dammit... and to make it even worse, his compatibility between him and the Seed is 100%, so his ascension is only a matter of time."
Athena muttered because she didn't like what the Aži Dahāka was doing at the slightest, but even her True Body was little insignificant in front of the heavy weights like Aži Dahāka, who was also the Last Embryo.
Within the Great Dark Beyond Realms, the Last Embryos were some of the most pwoerful entities asdie from the Outer Gods.
Contrary to those ones, the Last Embryos were far more active and were an integral part of their respective Chaotic Origin Dimensions as they were acting something akin to a God of Destruction for the entire Dimension.
They maintained the balance and destroyed anything that was threatening the existence of their home, the Chaotic Origin Dimension. Of course, not every single Chaotic Origin Dimension had Last Embryo, because that was true only for the more powerful and developed ones.
And then there was another thing that happened, which was similar to what happened with the Aži Dahāka previously, because she saw that when Voban was fighting against the Heretic God Sun Wukong, the real Sun Wukong from the Little Garden took possession of the Heretic God Sun Wukong in this world.
'That dammed Monkey must have noticed that I was sneaking away from the Little Garden... still, among the major Gods of the Little Garden, he is stronger than even some God Kings, so it would be for the best to pretend that I didn't see anything...'
The Great Sage Equal to Heaven was one of the stronger 3rd-Digit Entities of the Little Garden, and Athena guessed that he managed to see how she was entering into this Chaotic Origin Dimension that was once owned by Outer God and decided to follow her here.
Still, this wasn't really that good news for Athena, who hoped that nobody from the big leagues of the Little Garden would reach this place. When compared to their might, Sun Wukong was much stronger than her True Body...
But what was making him even more probly even a greater threat than his might was his intelligence and various obscure abilities that were very hard to defend against, even by some of the strongest among the 3rd-Digit Beings.
"Well... whatevver... I should find a way to leave this world as soon as possible before this planet becomes a battlefield between Monarchs and Rulers."
Athena muttered as she knwe of the former servants the Absolute Beings...
Some of the Monarchs and Rulers were dangerous even to her True Body in the Little Garden, especially the Dragon King of Destruction, who was rumored to be one of the strongest 3rd-Digit Beings in the entire Great Dark Beyond Realms.
Still, she would leave Earth at the earliest convenience, but she understood that it wasn't possible for the time being, because the entire world was encased in some sort of crystal barrier.
Which probably explains why the Monarchs and Rulers haven't conquered or destroyed this world so far. Still, she planned to exploit the period of chaos that 'She' would start because that would be the only time when the crystal wall surrounding the entire world would be weak enough to escape.
***
Yakou was feeling pretty satisfied with everything because from the entire deal with Athena, he had obtained a lot. Aside from the most precious Ritual of the First Manas, he obtained tons of valuables and Lore of the History Compilation Committee...
Either from the things that Mahoraga brought with him or the things that Athena packed for him, because there were some things that his Shikigami couldn't take or didn't know how to take.
And some were even discovered by Athena without the knowledge of his Shikigami.
When he returned to the room he had been assigned, he wasn't really surprised to find someone there, because he knew the women of the Kure Clan were giving him glares, and even Karura had wanted to have his child instantly when she met him.
It was their tradition to marry as soon as possible when a suitable mate was found, and they needed a strong mate to create further progeny. The need to create stronger genes was something that the Kure Clan practiced and which allowed them to breed some of the strongest Martial Artists on the entire planet.
"What are you doing here Fusui?"
Yakou asked when he saw Kure Fusui sitting on his bed in his chambers, which wasn't anything out of the question.
Kure Fusui was an attractive young woman with a cute face, dainty facial features, a bob of black hair with a large bang that floats in between her eyes, a moderately sized bust, and the dark sclera and white irises associated with the Kure Clan.
"What else? Of course, to be ahead of my little smitten cousin..."
Kure Fusui grinned mischievously when she looked at Yakou, who returned to his quarters because Fusui wanted to make Yakou her ame for some time already. If not for Raian ruining all opportunities in the past, she would have succeeded in pushing him down.
"Who knows... if she wants to have my child only because it would strengthen the Kure Clan or from some sort of machination, then I would have to refuse."
Even though Yakou was considering the Kure Clan as his allies, he didn't want to have children with Karura, only because it was some sort of scheme from the Kure Clan, or because the Kure Clan wanted to introduce the bloodline of the Campione into their Clan.
"Knowing my little cousin, I would say that she is really enamored with you. Despite everything, Karura doesn't have many scheming cells in her body, and she is a straightforward person..."
Kure Fusui said with a grin as she started slowly stripping herself down in a teasing manner because this was the moment she had been waiting for...
For several years already.
Yakou had to admit that Kure Fusui was an immensely attractive young woman with a very well-toned body from years of practising Martial Arts and gruelling physical training. He and Fusui spent a lot of time together during their childhood, and he knew that he was her first crush.
He never reciprocated her feelings or advanced for two main reasons.
First, he never really dared to do so in front of the might of the Kure Clan and the reaction of both Kure Erioh and Kure Raian.
The second one was that he was never really the most emotional person because it was during that time he started practising the Mind Arts and Occlumency.
It was around that time that Yakou decided to increase the efficiency of his training and power growth and to implement the Mind Arts to improve training efficiency. Now, though... the times were vastly different, and when he thought of the moments and times he spent with Fusui, Yakou smiled over it.
Those were rather nice times, he had to admit.
"But today's night... is mine only."
Fusui said as Yakou suddenly found himself on the bed and Kure Fusui lying on him as she was kissing him passionately because she could finally let loose all the steam that she was holding in through the many years.
Kure Fusui never wanted any other male aside from Yakou, which created a lot of tensions within the Kure Clan in the past, because Kure Raian was making a fuss of it as he considered Yakou weak.
Which wasn't really wrong at that time.
The Campione in question suddenly gripped her nice and perky butt as he returned the kiss from his childhood friend.
Soon enough, the two of them were entangled in their passion, and Fusui was especially eager for tonight's activities because she had waited for them for many years.