Magician in Type-Moon

Page 312

Faced with Matou Ike's calm words, the yakuza boss's expression visibly twisted.

"These are all low-grade things, I'm so sorry to have embarrassed you..."

She sighed.

Whether in the West or the East, so-called festivals inevitably involve rituals with incantations.

Therefore, the entity that controls all of this must also be shrouded in mystery and darkness.

That is somewhat different from thought magic, but there are also some similarities.

Matou Ike narrowed his eyes, paused, and spoke again.

"This can't be considered something low-class. The family that manages the shrine's festivals has a certain foundation. After all, this is the only mystery that can be put into practice in reality, and it still has a considerable base in the local area."

Matou Ike had a pretty good grasp of how traditional Japanese magic works.

Japanese magic, while similar in that it generates magic through magic circuits, does not rely on magic bases and magic formulas, but rather on extracting the power of "a god worshipped by a certain organization" through which a contract has been formed.

This magic trick is extremely fake.

Although what they did was small in scale, it was actually equivalent to magic in the age of gods—using divine power to determine the outcome and then using incantations to amplify that outcome, which was exactly the opposite of their technique.

The organization's concept of "sharing" a part of God among all its members is similar in this respect to the idea of ​​"sharing" in the thought magic of mainland China.

Of course, the actual mystery is much more complex, but the general direction is correct.

Matouchi's search was not in the wrong direction, so this family really does have that thing.

Ye Jie Zhu Yin smiled faintly, finding it difficult to respond to Matou Chi's straightforward words.

After all, it would be a terrible thing to rashly dismantle the magic system of another family in front of them.

Of course, that politeness only exists when there is reciprocity.

Zhu Yin gave a slight, bitter smile.

"They really saw right through us..."

“Then you should know what I need from coming here, right?” Matou Ike nodded in reply. “Your family must possess something like a divine body, right?”

"That's true. After being suddenly notified by the Ryougi family, we understood most of the situation. However, what you need is not currently in our possession..."

Ye Jie Zhu Yin answered frankly, stood up, and took a uniquely shaped Noh mask from the wall covered with masks.

Upon hearing this, Matou Ikeya understood why the old woman in front of him remained so calm even after learning his purpose.

"It's truly a pity, Lord Hidden One."

Ye Jie Zhu Yin spoke again.

"Although our Night Calamity family would very much like to contribute to your plan, there is really nothing we can do about this."

The meaning behind her words was obvious to any normal person.

Her unspoken message was clearly a perfunctory one.

But the truth is probably no different from what the old woman said.

"This uniquely Japanese magic is connected to fragments of the gods. Is this the magic of your Night Robbery family?"

Matou Ike simply watched her quietly.

Ye Jie Zhu Yin looked around the room, which was entirely made of darkness, and slowly spoke.

"That's right. Our magic is based on gods—that is, divine bodies, fragments of ancient gods. The formal name is Divine Organ Forging."

She paused and continued:

"However, as you know, the ancient mystery has been worn away in modern times. We are long ago the losers abandoned by the times. No matter how precious the legacy left behind is, it will only rot if left unattended."

That's right.

Modern magic is completely different from that of the divine era.

Because magic from the Age of Gods is no longer suitable for the modern world for various reasons. This is the rule that magicians must accept, an unshakeable rule, and it should be so.

"That really is a reason I've heard somewhere before. You're not suggesting that because of this, you want to follow the example of other exorcist families and fade out of the mysterious stage, especially in this stage where the mysterious are clearly on the rise?"

Matou Ike looked at the mask in Yoru Akane's hand; it was a "Strange Old Body," representing a god in his twilight years.

Is this a sign of weakness? Or is it an admission that it's ready to withdraw from the mysterious side?

Instead of answering Matou Ike's question, Akane continued from where she left off:

"Therefore, we need a special method to preserve the divine bodies. Each organization has a different method. First of all, there are currently eight divine bodies in Japan... You, who are very close to the Clock Tower, should know about this, right?"

Matou Ike nodded, signaling her to continue.

"In our Night Raiders family, the cursed objects we use for preservation are called black cabinets."

"Oh? That black cabinet, does it refer to humans? It sounds like something like a magic crest."

Matou Ike chimed in.

Zhu Yin gently opened her eyes, glanced at Matou Ike, and continued:

"That's exactly right. This is how the Night Calamity family preserves their divine bodies. They transplant the divine body into someone with the aptitude. The recipient then becomes the Black Cabinet."

So that's how it is. Matou Ike now understands why the main color scheme of this magic family is black.

In Japan, the coffin used to store the deceased is called a "shiki," and the image of death is represented by black, which is likely derived from the yin aspect of the two polarities.

No wonder they're distant relatives...

For the placement of the body of God—a coffin for the preservation of the body of God.

"So what happened to the person you used to preserve the divine body?" Matou Ike tilted her head and looked at Yoru Akane. "You're not going to tell me that something related to the Yoru family's status could be lost, are you?"

After a few seconds, Ye Jie Zhu Yin nodded.

"As you said."

Matou Ike couldn't help but laugh; it was actually true. She didn't stop until a while later.

"But it seems to me that your Nightfall family is a bit too calm. This doesn't seem like those Western magic families that have lost their 'source imprint'. It's not like you really want to abandon the mystical, is it?"

How could this be? Of course it's impossible. Although that's what the old woman meant, the neatly arranged wall of masks and the mirror behind it that exudes a mysterious luster...

This would negate the possibility, even though there is no trace of magic flowing through it. Other magicians might not be able to make that judgment.

However, Matouike's Mystic Eyes of Deconstruction will not overlook these mysterious things.

"Because the person who kidnapped the child carries the aura of foreign magic," said Ye Jie Zhu Yin.

"Although Japan's magic organizations are closely united, they are not very large. They are far smaller than the Clock Tower and the Spiral Mansion. We want to get the kidnapped children back, but if we step on the tail of some big tiger at that time, it will be beyond our ability to handle."

Oh? Matou Ike only became truly interested at this moment, as he had not received any relevant information about this matter from the El-Melloi family.

So, is it a magical organization other than the Clock Tower? Or perhaps a faction within the Clock Tower that can remain hidden from the sight of other monarchical families?

In any case, it's estimated to be quite large.

Matouchi looked at Yoruichi with great interest and said:

"If you were just a foreign magician, you probably wouldn't have compromised to the point of contacting me... So, that means you already have a general understanding of the organization that kidnaps magicians, right?"

"Yes, of course you'd ask, and you're absolutely right..."

Not wanting to waste any more time, Ye Jie Zhu Yin revealed the name of the organization.

"Baldanders".

As expected, this was the name that Matou Ike had guessed in his heart.

After all, if there is any large-scale magic organization in the world that would not change its research direction after the "Boundary Recording Belts" have appeared in the present world one after another, then it is only that group of magicians who have survived from the Age of Gods to the present.

After all, in their eyes, magic in the Age of Gods was supreme, while magic after the Western calendar was child's play.

These clock towers are, in fact, in a state of Cold War.

It is the oldest known magic organization.

"So you think you can't compete with them and me for this product that rightfully belongs to your family?"

Matou Ike spoke again.

In contrast, Ye Jie made no attempt to hide his distress, saying:

"Yes, the world is changing too fast. Although our family only stands on this land, we are still more or less aware of the outside world."

She continued:

"The Clock Tower has already demonstrated its power as one of the three major magical organizations. I've heard about all the magical families that have been wiped out recently, and as for the Wandering Sea, which shares the same origin..."

Is it like the Sword of Damocles hanging over one's head...?

Matouchi could quite understand the old woman's feelings.

To be fair, the Clock Tower has certainly been in the spotlight over the past few years.

The amount of looting and fighting among magicians is greater than that of the past hundred years combined.

This even led some small-scale magic organizations to consider abandoning their sacred sites and finding a secluded place to live in seclusion.

Webber Velvet —

It can only be said that he is indeed a man who inherited the mantle of the Conqueror King. As long as there is an opportunity to start a war, this guy will never let it pass.

He won't rashly say that to me next time we meet, will he?

"—Matou-kun, I love war..."

Matouchi shook his head, interrupting this association, ever since the Imaginary Tree began to grow.

He would sometimes inexplicably think of other things, and his thoughts would become too jumpy.

He refocused his attention, looked at the upright-sitting Ye Jie Zhu Yin before him, and slowly spoke:

"In that case, I understand. If there are any further questions, I will come to visit again. I just hope that our next meeting will be as peaceful as this one."

After leaving those words, Matou Ike raised his head and slowly looked up at the ceiling, as if he had sensed something.

The next moment, his body turned into a ball of spiritual light and disappeared into the dark mansion without leaving a trace.

Meanwhile, Akane frowned as she watched Matou Ike disappear before her eyes.

After a moment, she turned her gaze to the wall covered with masks.