Codex: Magic Tool Industrialization
The Magic Guidance Devices or Magic Tools are powerful weapons and equipment that can be activated and directed using a Mage's Mana as a source of fuel. They can be used to support the daily lives of people or their work. Magic Tools were first introduced by the United States of America as a means of closing the gap between the forces of the USA, led by the Illuminati Society, and the traditional Magic Association.
The term itself, Magic Guidance Device or Magic Tool, is a very broad term for many different kinds of machines and devices. One thing in common is that they use the same or a similar type of energy, which is Mana.
The meaning of the existence and advancement of Magic Tools lies in catalyzing human society's evolution and supplementing the lack of Magic Aptitude or boosting the power of the Mages.
That means research and development in Magic Tools are intended to advance and further societal development, so that humans can enjoy a stronger and more fulfilling existence, which has become one of the main goals of the United States of Federal Americas.
The first Magic Tools that were ever created were CADs or the Casting Assistant Devices.
The Casting Assistant Devices were essentially a modern version of traditional Foci, basically replicating the Wands, Staves, Jewelry, and various trinkets that served as Foci. The entire concept of the CADs was developed by DARPA and the Pentagon in cooperation with the Illuminati Society.
The Chief Researcher was Professor Edward Clark, who created the very first design for the Casting Assistant Devices and basically laid down the foundation for the future development of the Magic Guidance Devices.
Over the years, the Magic Tool Research was getting more and more funds from the Federal Government and Illuminati Society, and the first generations of the Magic Tools were introduced by the end of the year 2021.
One of the main reasons behind speeding up the research into the Magic Tools and the upcoming Magic Tool Industrial Revolution was the increasing levels of Mana in Terra.
The Federation decided to bet on either Magic Tool Industrialization or Magic Engineering Industrialization to preserve its place as a global superpower in the new Age, when the existence of Magic would be public.
From there forward, there were five Types of Magic Guidance Devices collectively introduced by the Federation.
1st - Close-Combat Magic Guidance Devices: These Magic Tools are used for close combat. They can use Mana to activate pre-engraved Magic Activation Sequences to unleash Spells that were "Uploaded" into them. Close Combat Magic Guidance Devices have great power as it is proportional to the Mana poured into it, but is often limited by the material from which the Magic Tool is forged.
2nd - Long-Ranged Magic Guidance Devices: Contrary to the Close-Combat Magic Tools that came in the shape of cold weapons, the Long-Ranged Magic Tools came in the shape of guns and firearms of various kinds. To summarize them easily, they are basically firearms and guns, but instead of bullets, they can fire either pure compressed Mana or a pre-uploaded Spell.
3rd - Mounted Magic Guidance Devices: This type of Magic Guidance Device was created by upgrading the Long-Ranged Magic Tools to a bigger size and making them stationary by installing them onto some kind of platform or fortification. They are basically the magical version of the Artillery Platforms, Mortars and similar weapons.
4th - Auxiliary Magic Guidance Devices: Anything that doesn't fit into the previous categories and has mostly auxiliary use. Many of the Auxiliary Magic Guidance Devices could be used for defense, as they are Defensive Magic Tools created to protect the User from the impending attack.
5th - Mechanized Magic Guidance Devices: This is a rather peculiar category of the Magic Guidance Devices, which can be described as a combination of heavy machinery and Magic Engineering. This is a category of Magic Guidance Vehicles, Aircraft, Ships, and other objects that combine Magic Engineering with complex machines.
6th - Fixed Magic Ammunition: This type of Magic Tool is alternatively known as Guidance Artillery Shell or Magic Ammunition. Fixed Magic Ammunition is a category of the Magic Tools category on its own, which focuses on manufacturing missiles or projectiles fired from a turret, other firing mechanisms, or detonated as a bomb.
7th - Casting Assistant Devices: The earliest type of Magic Tools, created as a Magic Tool Version of traditional Foci to help the Mages cast their Magic Spells in the most efficient way. Like the traditional Foci, the Casting Assistant Devices came in various shapes and not all of them could be used in direct combat or to fight with.
8th - Blazer Devices: The Blazer Devices are a more advanced version of the CAD. However, the biggest difference compared to the CAD was that the Blazer Devices were created solely to act as a means of combat and war. All Blazer Devices were created in the form of cold cod weapons. Another huge difference between the traditional CAD and the Blazer Device is that the Blazer Device is bound to the User in a very similar fashion to how Relic is bound to its host.
9th - Special Devices: This is a rather particular category of the Magic Guidance Devices, where basically anything that doesn't fit in any of the previous categories is placed.
Magic Guidance Devices are created by the Magic Engineers, a new Profession that has risen among the Federation. Magic Engineers are not only Mages per se, but it could be anyone who could construct and create Magic Tools.
In recent years, the Federation is putting an enormous amount of resources into cultivating more Magic Engineers to meet the demand for the Magic Guidance Devices that are needed more and more in turbulent times.
The requirements on the Magic Engineers are rather extreme, because not only do the Magic Engineers need to have a sufficient amount of Mana and Mental Strength, but they also need to have extensive knowledge of Engineering, Magic Engineering, and Magic Lore in general.
Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to create the Magic Tools properly.
Magic Engineers are also differentiated by Class. There is direct progression from Class 1 Magic Engineer to the Class 10 Magic Engineer, which is currently the highest recorded Magic Engineer Class in the modern age.
Though there are Class 11 Magic Tools capable of unleashing destruction comparable to that of destroying celestial objects like the entire Moon orbiting Earth, they were created through the collaborative effort of Magic Engineers of the Federation.
Despite the advances that the Terran Federation achieved in Magic Engineering, it's undeniable that the entire Magic Guidance Technology is still very young, and the entire system is not as mature due to a lack of heritage and foundation.
Excerpt from the Book: "Magic Tools and Magic Tool Industrialization of Terra in the Wake of Great Resurgence", written by Dr. Lloyd Asplund, 11th Seat of the Knights of the Round Table and Head of the Department of Magitek of the Illuminati Society.
***
Holton Prime Residence, Somewhere in Pennsylvania
There was a clear Hierarchy among the Relics and Heirlooms that were graded in the same fashion. Aside from the Grades of the Relics and Heirlooms, there are also some special Types of the Relics and Heirlooms.
Possession-Type Relic - This type of Relic is very rare, and they usually possess their Host and try to erase the consciousness of their Host and replace it with their own.
Parasite-Type Relic - It is an extremely rare type of Relic. The only way to take a parasitic relic from its Host is by killing it or taking it by force after an operation that results in the loss of some parts of the body.
Consumable-Type Relic - These Relics have a certain amount of durability that decreases every time they are used. Anybody can use these relics as they do not have a specific owner. When the durability reaches zero, the Relic is destroyed.
Now that he had heard the general situation from George Holton, Yakou needed to find out whether the Heirloom Irene Holton had contracted was Possession-Type or Parasite-Type. This was important, because it would decide the future steps in dealing with the Relic.
Mostly because the Parasite-Type Relics and Heirlooms were far easier to deal with than the Possession-Type.
The worst-case scenario would be, if the Heirloom was Dual-Type or Multi-Type...
There were rare cases in which a single Relic or Heirloom was of multiple types. Even his Heirloom, Crow was one that was a Multi-Type Heirloom. But then again, the Multi-Type Heirlooms were extremely rare and precious, and they were rarely seen in the outside world.
"Where is your sister right now?"
Yakou asked as he was talking with Patriarch Holton about the information that they had managed to gather.
"We managed to put her into artificial sleep with some Spells... It's not the ideal solution, but it lowers the side effects of the Heirloom when she is comatose."
With the help of the Enforcers, they managed to put Irene Holton into a magically induced comatose state, but even that wasn't the perfect solution. In the end, despite the fact that she was in a coma, the power of the Heirloom was still erupting from time to time, but at least, in much bigger intervals and with lesser power.
"Let me take a look at her... perhaps this would be solved pretty quickly."
Yakou said because he was rather confident that he could resolve this, and it ought to be right... and even if not, then with the help of the Divine Authority of the Mímir's Well, he would be able to find a solution to that.
***
Irene Holton was an attractive young woman of average height and build who had long blond hair and blue eyes. She had smooth legs, big breasts, a perky, firm, and supple butt, a slender waist, a small back, and a light but voluptuous body.
She had white and soft skin that looked flawless and soft, while the bridge of her nose and the lines on her face were shining under the spotlight, which made her seem like a sculpture with warmth.
Even when she was sleeping in a deep coma, her appearance was undeniably top-notch in the entire world.
Yakou looked at the slumbering Irene Holton and immediately noticed the weird aura that was enveloping her entire body. It was undeniably the aura of the powerful Heirloom, as Yakou used the All-Seeing Polycoria Eyes of God to scan her entire body, though more focused on the Heirloom itself.
With the Crow's powers that were once again enhanced after he let Crow Predate on the Gjallarhorn, it was rather easy to discern the true nature of the Heirloom that Irene Holton obtained in the auction.
[Name: Hand of Midas
Title: Relic of Misfortune, Relic of Wealth, Bankruptcy Relic
Classification: Heirloom Relic
Rank: SS
Grade: Divine Tool
Type: Possession, Parasite, Curse, Blessing, Symbiosis
*
Abilities: Misfortune Hand, Wealth Hand, Energy Attack, Risk]
Yakou scrutinized the Heirloom, and its information as he visibly cringed because this Heirloom was too problematic. He didn't know if Irene Holton was lucky or unlucky, but one thing was clear...
She was indeed fated with this kind of Heirloom.
In Greek Mythology, Dionysus, the ancient Greek God of wine, promised King Midas that he would grant him a wish. It was to thank him for protecting his tutor. Midas wished that anything that he touched would become gold. Though he thought it was foolish, Dionysus kept his promise.
However, Midas's bliss does not last long. Anything he touched, food or water, turned into gold, starving him. Pitiful Midas begged for his life, and Dionysus showed him the way to take back his wish. If he cleanses himself at the Pactolus River, then he will be cleansed of his wish as well.
The Hand of Midas was originally a hand of gold that brought forth wealth, but that ability ended up turning it into a cursed hand.
[Curse - This is a Curse-Type Heirloom that curses the User with an extremely powerful Curse.]
[Blessing - This is a Blessing-Type Heirloom that curses the User with an extremely powerful Blessing.]
[Symbiosis - This is a Symbiosis-Type Heirloom that acts as a symbiont to the Host.]
This was also the first time that he had seen Curse-Type and Blessing-Type Heirloom... not only did this Heirloom have both attributes of Curse and Blessing, but seeing a Heirloom with even one of these attributes was a rare thing.
The fact that the Hand of Midas possessed both of these attributes meant that the Hand of Midas was really a powerful Heirloom. Well, Divine Tools were Grade of Relics and Heirlooms that were usually created to withstand the might of S-Rank beings and stronger.
At the same time, the Divine Tool Grade Relics and Heirlooms were created to boost the power of beings like Heretic Gods and Campione. For example, for Campione, obtaining Relic or Heirloom below this level was basically worthless... and even if it was a Divine Tool, then it needed to be preferably at least one ranked at the SS-Rank.
If the Heirloom was captured at the S-Rank, then it wouldn't be much help to the Campuione, as it wouldn't be strong enough to bypass the attribute restrictions. With that being done, Yakou looked at the description of the abilities of Hand of Midas, which was the source of all problems for the young Holton heiress.
[Misfortune Hand - It can cause extreme misfortune to anyone within the User's vicinity and cause a financial crisis to the point where even rich people can lose all their wealth instantly. It can also cause people to suffer from severe physical and mental conditions, such as losing their teeth. It can also destroy relics within the User's vicinity and nullify the abilities of any relic within the User's vicinity. This ability was dependent on the User's happiness until the risk was completely satisfied, but can still become berserk on the User's happiest and saddest days, like fire touching oil.]
[Wealth Hand - It can create a variety of money, gold, luxury items, or other objects that are materializations of the concept of wealth. It can also maximize luck and fortune for someone and ensure that one would be protected by the Fortuante and encounter only wealth and prosperity.]
[Energy Attack - It can release/use energy for various attacks, such as creating explosions or firing explosive energy balls. The Heirloom utilizes the Source of the Host together with the ambient Mana in the environment.]
[Risk - It can amplify the User's greed and make him or her do anything to obtain something he or she desired for a while in an unconscious state after a strong use. However, if the User has no desire or completely fulfills his or her greatest desire, the risk will be completely satisfied.]
With a single look at the description of the abilities of Hand of Midas that was done through the All-Seeing Polycoria Eyes of God and Crow's Interference, Yakou instantly knew where the problem lay.
'It's basically as suspected... her Magic and Soul are too weak to support such a powerful and overbearing Heirloom with clashing attributes like Curse and Blessing, which is leading to Wealth Hand and Mifortune Hand activating spontaneously together with Risk and clashing against each other.'
With the All-Seeing Polycoria Eyes of God, he saw how the Heirloom was affecting her and what exactly was happening to her body and Soul. With ocular abilities like his, it wasn't that hard to see what exactly was happening to her.
The more important question was, though...
How to resolve this problem?
Because it was far from easy.
The Grade and Rank of the Heirloom were pretty high, and it was too deeply intertwined in her Soul, so removing the Heirloom was out of the question. At the same time, it was impossible for Crow to Predate the Heirloom, because it would leave her Soul in a seriously injured state.
Not to mention that Yakou wasn't even sure that it would work in the first place because the Hand of Midas was for sure conscious and would fight back. Simultaneously, he didn't want to do anything risky with his own Heirloom because Crow was still in the process of Awakening.
And applying this method could or would damage the Crow, which would jeopardize his awakening efforts for his own Heirloom.
'Crow, is there any method of resolving this? If you could devour at least the outer power of the Heirloom so it would be weakened enough to the point where it wouldn't be capable of automatically releasing its abilities? Theoretically, it could serve as fuel for the further awakening...'
Yakou tried contacting Crow through his consciousness because he had already created a plan that could theoretically work, and it was also pretty straightforward.
At first, he would use Crow's Predation to weaken the Heirloom considerably, to prevent it from using its abilities and affecting the people outside.
He noticed that using Fūinjutsu Seals wasn't realistic, because the Heirloom could actively try fighting the Seals, and then the one to suffer would be the Host of the Heirloom.
No...
[It can be done.]
Hearing the affirmative answer made him internally sigh in relief, because his plan to deal with the Heirloom Hand if Midas was simple afterward. When it was suppressed and its power was weakened, it would create a window for Irene Holton to increase her power.
Most precisely, the strength of her Soul and her Mana Levels.
Once she grew powerful enough, she could start taking control of the Heirloom because most problems stemmed from the fact that she was weak and wasn't capable of controlling powerful Heirlooms like the Hand of Midas.
And then there was also the fact that the Hand of Midas was too overbearing, a Heirloom compared to the other Heirlooms that might have a milder disposition.
"I think that I have some viable solutions for the problem that we have on hand."
Yakou said as he finished the calculation for the treatment that he created, and theoretically, it should solve everything that was wrong with Irene Holton and the Hand of Midas.
"The Heirloom that she contracted is called Hand of Midas, and it's a Divine Tool Graded Heirloom of SS-Rank... that kind that even Campiones would fight to death for a chance to obtain such a Heirloom, so separating it from her Soul is out of the question. The best course of action would be to temporarily weaken the Heirloom and let your sister increase her Levels of Mana and the strength of her Soul as much as possible. That way, she could actually take control of the Hand of Midas."
Yakou then proceeded to explain the intricacies of the plan that he had created and various details to George Holton, because the entire "treatment" would take at least a few months at best.
In the worst case, if Holton Heiress's progress was slow, then it could take even several years, in fact.
Everything would solely depend on her own aptitude for Magic and Arcane, though a lot of those things could be remedied with the usage of advanced Rituals and things that were researched in HIVE.
Despite everything, George Holton admitted that the Hand of Midas was immensely powerful. Heirloom, based on the description that the resident Campione provided, and its abilities were incredibly appealing to the family, like the Holtons.
It was Heirloom that ensured their economic prosperity and destroyed their rivals.
What was even better?
"Depending on her schedule, I can do occasional visits to your residence and oversee her progress, or Miss Holton can visit the Numengard Estate."
Yakou said that because he didn't really have a problem making an effort to help Irene Holton for several reasons.
Even if one wasn't considering the fact that George Holton was one of the Knights of the Round Table, then it was noteworthy to say that Irene Holton was actually a close friend of both Eve and Keira.
All three of them knew each other from their early years, and even the ever-cold and distant Eve Rockefeller and "tomboyish" Keira Clark were very fond of Irene Holton. Mostly because she was the most innocent and kind person that they ever came across, and it was pretty hard to dislike her.
[You can use the Predation on the Hand of Midas, and I will assimilate enough power to leave it in a heavy dormant state.]
Yakou heard Crow speaking once more as the Heirloom in his Soul was rather keen on the idea of Predating on the Hand of Midas. Well... aside from the Gjallarhorn that he encountered when he fought against Heimdallr, Hand of Midas was another similar Heirloom in Grade and Rank.
One could say that it was even more special than the Gjallarhorn in many regards.
Even though the Gjallarhorn was an SSS-Rank Divine Tool Grade Heirloom, the parameters and attributes of the Hand of Midas were far more special. Despite everything, in a certain sense, Gjallarhorn was rather simple and straightforward Heirloom, and it wasn't such a unique piece like Hand of Midas.
Even if the origins of the Gjallarhorn were much deeper than that of the Hand of Midas.
[Heirloom Crow has used Ability Predation on the SS-Rank Divine Tool Grade Heirloom Hand of Midas.]
[Heirloom Crow is Predating on the Aura and Essence of the Hand of Midas.]
[Part of the SS-Rank Divine Tool Grade Heirloom Hand of Midas Essence has been assimilated by the Heirloom Crow.]
[Heirloom Crow's Awakening Progress has been increased by 4%.]
[Heirloom Crow's Awakening Progress has reached 45%.]
The growth of 4% in the Crow's Awakening Process was once again something... the pattern in the Awakening was already set and clear. He needed to feed it the Essence of the powerful or unique Heirlooms for the Crow to awaken compeltely.
Which was rather a daunting task.
Considering the number of Tombs that actually contained Heirloom. And even then, not every Tomb contained Heirloom of usable quality, because most of the Heirlooms that were found in the Tombs throughout the past centuries were barely at the Ascendant Grade.
The Grades of the Relics and Heirlooms were as follows: Antique Grade, Treasure Grade, Artifact Grade, Ascendant Grade, and Divine Tool Grade.
Antique Grade corresponded to the D-Rank, Treasure Grade corresponded to the C-Rank, Artifact Grade corresponded to the B-Rank, and Ascendant Grade corresponded to the A-Rank.
While the Divine Tools were divided into S-Rank to SSS-Rank... though this division of the Divine Tools was something that only Yakou theorized based on the fact that he had seen some S-Ranked and SS-Ranked Relics and Heirlooms.
"Hmmm... this went rather well."
Yakou stated as he used the All-Seeing Polycoria Eyes of God to observe the patient's body and noted that the symptoms had indeed waned considerably. Crow used the Predation on the Hand of Midas and basically assimilated as much of the Heirloom's Essence as possible without harming its Origin and Relic Core.
Relic Core was the Soul of the Relic or Heirloom.
Once destroyed, the Relic will vanish from existence.
With the All-Seeing Polycoria Eyes of God, it was rather easy to observe the changes, and he also saw how her vital energy was returning back to the optimal state and that it would take the Hand of Midas at least half a year to completely recover to its peak.
Which is about six months or so... that could be translated into another four months of time that they would need to increase Irene Holton's Mana and Parameters so she would be in a better state next time.
It was rather questionable what exactly they would be able to achieve in these four months or so of time, but Yakou was confident that he could drag her into the D-Rank Mana Parameter.
That would correspond to the Great Knight or Elite Mage Level.
This would allow her at least to resist some of the side effects of the Heirloom, though it was rather questionable to what exact degree. It would be ideal if she managed to reach the Grand Knight Level or Magister Level, to use the Heirloom, or not be dependent on the Predation of Crow.
"Let me know once she wakes up and recuperates enough to start training... right now, the priority would be to increase the Mana Level of Miss Holton to an acceptable degree so we can start with the other part of the process."
Yakou knew that as long as this weakness was remedied, then it wouldn't be hard to attempt to control the Heirloom Hand of Midas.
At the same time, even if Irene Holton wasn't capable of directly controlling the Hand of Midas even after reaching the necessary Level that Yakou had in mind, then he could devise a method of controlling the Hand of Midas.
The root of all problems was that the Host of the Hand of Midas was just too weak.
As long as she progressed as a Mage, Yakou could work on strengthening her Soul, and then it would be just a matter of time and some minor resources to create a ritual that would forcibly tame the Hand of Midas.
"The entire Holton Family is your huge debtor."
George Holton bowed as he said this because it was a huge thing for the entire Holton Family, which had expended an enormous amount of resources into solving this problem, and asking Campione for help was the last resort after all other options were exhausted.
Being indebted to the Campione was no small matter.
But the Holton Family used and tried every single opinion before they decided to ask Campione for help, and in the end, it was the last option that actually solved the issue for them.
"It's nothing... just send a news report to the Numengard once your younger sister gets better and awakens. We will then speak about the next steps."
Yakou said as he was going to leave the main residence of the Holton Family.
The Holton Family was one of the largest internal factions in the United States of Federal Americas and the Illuminati Society. Their economic power was already rivaling that of the Rockefeller Family in many respects, and they were too valuable to the Society and Federation.
***
United States of Federal America, Virginia, Charlottesville, Numengard Estate, Several Days Later, 12. 2. 2021
For the past several days, Yakou was preparing for Mahoraga's ascension or evolution toward the A-Ranked Parameters.
The Evolution of the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga was something that was his long-term plan, and as he had captured the Divine Beast Gulltoppr, it was going well.
When Yakou realized that the Blood Essence of the Divine Beast Gulltoppr was too strong and too powerful, he decided to create a method that would take only part of the Gulltoppr's Blood Essence for Mahoraga.
There was no need to sacrifice the entire Divine Beast for Mahoraga's evolution.
This time, though, he even had assistants because Keira, Marika, and Eve came to observe the entire process of Mahoraga's evolution toward the higher realm of power.
Mamiya Marika now had some vacation from her work in HIVE... the projects she had been researching in HIVE had reached a stage where they needed only some menial tasks that her subordinates could handle, and there was no need for her to be there personally.
Keira had returned from Canada after crushing the group of Dark Mages that were creating their nest near the newly descended Tomb. Now that she had ascended as Magic Saint, her power had reached an entirely new level, and some paltry Dark Mages were no match for her.
In the end, HIVE welcomed another few tens of new residents, as the prisoner count was growing... especially in this time of need. The increased activity of the Dark Mages in this part of the Federation was certainly worrying, but the Federation was hitting them hard at any suspicion of their activity.
Meanwhile, Eve was someone who spent most of her time at the Numengard Estate to the point where she was already moving to the Numengard Estate from New York City. Even now, much to his annoyance, there were already two full rooms filled with her clothes and shoes of all kinds.
"Now then... the evolution process for Mahoraga would be pretty dangerous, so everyone stay behind the Magic Barrier that is in the safe perimeter."
Yakou said that because there was a slight possibility of an explosion. When there was something experimental happening that wasn't verified, then there was always the possibility of an explosion.
"Every single time that I see that thing, it gives me the creeps..."
Eve muttered as Keira just nodded her head while Marika looked at the Shikigami with utter fascination.
The shikigami itself was a towering, muscular humanoid figure with four wings protruding from its eye sockets and a tail-like appendage extending from the back of its head. Hovering just above this was a large eight-handled wheel that rotates as Mahoraga responds to new stimuli.
Yakou used the All-Seeing Polycoria Eyes of God to check up on the Mahoraga.
[Name: Mahoraga
Title: Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga
Classification: Shikigami
Age: Unknown
Race: Cursed Greater Spirit
*
Parameters:
Mana - A+++
Blood Essence - A+++
Vitality - A++
Physical Strength - A++
Physical Agility - A+
Luck - B+
*
Class: A-Rank
Affiliation: Tsuchimikado Clan, Tsuchimikado Yakou - Shikigami
Armaments: Sword of Extermination
Magic: Imperial-Style Onmyōdō (Fire, Lightning), Hermetic Magic
Uniqueness: Adaptation, Reset
Skills: Master Combatant, Master Strategist, Anti-Mage
Abilities: Incomplete Magic Resistance, Enhanced Spiritual Senses, Enhanced Reflexes, Increased Comprehension Capabilities, Enhanced Battle Instincts, Night Vision, Pain Tolerance]
In the end, through the constant combat and Adapting, the Parameters of the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga grew considerably over the few months. The progress of the 12th Divine Shikigami was very good, as Mahoraga was the only one among the Shikigami that could easily progress through Adaptation.
The Shikigami even gained a new Skill, which was pretty rare, because according to the Lore of the Tsuchimikadoko Clan, it was rare for Mahoraga to obtain a new Skill.
[Anti-Mage - The Skill created based on the Adaptation to the Spells and Magic of the Mages. User of this Skill is an expert in fighting against Magic and killing Mages.]
Breaking the Absolute Boundary was rather challenging, but Mahoraga actually had the best chances to achieve such a thing. Normally, it would require far more than just this ritual, but Yakou was betting on the Adaptation.
And the fact that the Mahoraga already achieved peak A-Ranked Parameters in several aspects of its being. So theoretically, if Mahoraga came into contact with the Blood Essence that was on the S-Rank, then it theoretically should start the chain reaction through Adaptation.
"How would its power compare to the Campione or Heretic God?"
Keira asked because they would soon be creating combatants on the S-Rank according to the classifications that Yakou created. These kinds of parameters were even higher than the legendary Magic Lords and Martial Lords.
"Well... that's rather hard to say, because of the Adaptation and lack of the Divine Authorities, so I would say that in terms of direct destructive prowess, Mahoraga would indeed be inferior to them. Yet... if the Shikigami could continue evolving more and more, gaining complete Magic Resistance toward Mortal Magic and gaining more destructive abilities, then it would be pretty hard to say."
Even Yakou himself didn't know the exact extent of Mahoraga's capabilities; if the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga reached the S-Ranked Parameters, because such a thing never happened, nor did anyone within the Tsuchimiakdo Clan ever predict that something like that could happen.
Even the fact that Mahoraga reached the A-Rank was nothing short of a miracle that happened primarily because Mahoraga's master was Campione. This resulted in Mahoraga Adapting to Yakou's Divine Mana and pushing it's Parameters to the A-Rank and over the time growing to the peak of the A-Rank.
"Nevertheless, it would be another combatant on the S-Rank would be of a great boon to the USFA."
In the modern age, or how it was often called, the Age of Man, it was an age when humanity was at its weakest.
Mostly because in the ancient past, there were even Archmages walking among mankind, Magic Users that could rival Campiones with the sheer might of their Magic in terms of destructiveness and combat prowess.
Though the main reason why the Campiones and Heretic Gods were umathced on the field was due to their Magic Resistance toward the Mortal Magic. Which meant that any Magic that didn't reach the level of High Magic was basically ineffective against the Campione and Heretic Gods.
From what Yakou knew, only a few Archmages in ancient times grasped the arts of the lost High Magic. But sadly, neither of them managed to pass down their legacy, so their Lore and Legacy of the High Magic were lost in the annals of history.
Not even Yakou could recreate the High Magic with all of his knowledge of the Lore and having cheat-like abilities like Divine Authority of the Mímir's Well.
"And it would be a great head start, my dear Eve... All of you should be aware of the conclusions of the Special Magic Resurgence Group of the Magic Association Council that created the Report on the Increasing Density of Magic and Code: Resurgence around the Terra and its comprehensive analysis with the possible effects on the landscape of Terra... and you should know what does it means for the future of our world."
All three of them were aware that the Levels of Mana were increasing in the Terra and what it would mean for the world. Soon enough, the Levels of Mana would increase so much that it would be much easier for Mages to progress, and more and more people with aptitude for Magic would be born.
So having the head start and advantage right away was of paramount importance to the Illuminati Society and Federation.
"That then should explain why someone like Asplund, with a few screws loose in his head, got the position as Head of the Department of the Magic Engineering Research Center and was even named as Knight of the Round Table."
Keira said as Eve visibly cringed at the idea, because Lloyd Asplund was literally the scourge of her entire existence. Since he had been named as the Head of the Magic Engineering Research Center, the expenses went up by 350% and the number of random explosions got multiplied by more than ten.
That man was completely unhinged and did absolutely outrageous experiments... though it was also true that in the terms of Magic Engineering, he was an absolute genius that was cut even above that of Edward Clark.
He even managed to perfect the Echelon III System that Edward Clark created, which was a tremendous achievement, and nowadays, the Echelon III could be used for a prolonged amount of time without any side effects.
On top of that, Asplund even designed some kind of stealth mechanism that was able to hide the presence and usage of the Echelon III from the prying eyes of the other Campiones and Heretic Gods.
"Well, even though he seems to be a bit touched in the head, his insights have accelerated the research carried out in HIVE by an entire decade or even more. Most of the machinery that we are using is being replicated by the Magic Guidance Devices that he had either designed or improved."
Compared to Eve Rockefeller, Marika had a good relationship with Asplund because both of them were genius scientists, and there were some mutual interests and respect. Keira, meanwhile, only cared about what weapons Asplund and his Magic Tool Researcher Center could produce for the Federal Military and Enforcers of the Society.
Other things were not her problem.
"Alright then... I will be going to prepare the array together with Keira. Marika calibrates the Magic Tools and controls everything... we cannot risk the chance of faulty equipment."
They were not using the traditional means today, but there was a good number of the Magic Guidance Devices which were specifically designated to draw on the ambient Mana from the enviroment and insert it back into Mahoraga.
Mainly to supplement the entire process because the entire procedure would consume a tremendous amount of Mana. The process of drawing out the Blood Essence from the Divine Beast Gulltoppr would harm the creature significantly, as they would be drawing a rather high amount of the Blood Essence.
To solve this, Yakou planned to inject a huge amount of Mana that would hasten the Divine Beast's regeneration by a huge degree and basically solve all of the problems for it. At the same time, he planned to do the same thing with Mahoraga during the Shikigami's assimilation of the Gulltoppr's Blood Essence.
Keira, as the Magic Saint Level Mage, was now much stronger than before and her Mana was far higher than it was previously. She also worked hard on the Mana Control skills, which were of paramount importance for any Mage, and with all that considered, she could help Yakou in setting down the Magic Formation.
Obviously, he wouldn't let her handle the core of the Formation, but she could do the more menial tasks that didn't require his personal oversight and where he was confident she could handle them.
As the two of them were working in tandem, it didn't take them that long to actually complete the entire Magic Formation rather quickly. Marika, on the other hand, only checked on the Magic Tools that were brought here from the HIVE, as some of them would also be used for the extraction of the Blood Essence.
And Eve, as the last member of their group, only observed as all of them finished the preparations.
"On my end, everything is done."
Marika was the first to finish her thing, because there were not many Magic Guidance Devices in the first place. So after checking on them and calibrating them to the optimal usage rate, she was finished as the first one.
Though soon after, Yakou and Keira were also done with the Magic Formation, as Yakou ordered Mahoraga to step into the middle of the Magic Formation, which was also called the Eye of the Array.
Or the Formation Heart.
"Alright... everyone please go behind the Magic Barrier... I will be activating the Formation."
Yakou said because the last thing that he wanted was for some unforeseen accidents to happen... though the chances of something like that happening were extremely low, but one can never be sure.
And he was, by his very nature, particularly careful and cautious about everything.
As he said that, Marika went behind the control panel for the Magic Guidance Devices, as she was going to directly participate in the process by controlling the Magic Tools firsthand, while Keira was standing in the center of the secondary Formation Eye.
She was handling the supplementary Magic Array for the Mana Distribution, which was a very important task and something that Yakou added to the process only because he had someone who could do it.
It needed to be someone who had reached the Magic Saint Level, it wouldn't work.
Fortunately, the Divine Beast Gulltoppr was under the heavy suppressive Seals made with the Fūinjutsu as Yakou spent several days crafting those Fūinjutsu Seals. They were works of art, and every single one of them was made with his most powerful and potent Divine Mana.
So restraining one Divine Beast wasn't that hard, and if Yakou periodically reinforced those Fūinjutsu Seals, then it could even become a permanent solution. As the process was started, Yakou controlled the Magic Formation to start extracting the Blood Essence from the Divine Beast.
This was the first time that they were extracting huge amounts of the Blood Essence, so... in a mere moment, the entire room was filled with the oppressive might of the Divine Beast Gulltoppr's Bloodline Power.
Well, in the end, the Gulltoppr's Blood Essence and Vitality were even superior to the average Campione or Heretic God, so it was only logical that it would create such an effect. This was also the first time that Yakou felt the full might of the Gulltoppr's Blood Essence because before, they were using a different method for the extraction.
Usually, Marika and the researchers from the HIVE were using specialized Magic Guidance Devices for the extraction of Blood Essence, as they were drawing only a bit. They didn't need much of its Blood Essence for the experiments, because the Blood Essence of the Gulltoppr was too overpowering.
In the end, even though the Divine Beast was clearly within the range of A-Ranked Parameters, when it came to the Vitality and Blood Essence, it had already crossed the Absolute Boundary.
Yakou needed to properly control the extraction of the Blood Essence as he slowly guided the extracted Blood Essence through the Magic Array toward Mahoraga, as the Greater Cursed Spirit started assimilating it.
Assimilating and Adapting.
Both of those things.
And it went on pretty fast.
The Adaptation of the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga was absolutely frightening, and just after a few doses of the Blood Essence, Mahoraga managed to partially adapt to the Blood Essence of the Divine Beast that crossed the Absolute Boundary.
Marika controlled the Magic Guidance Devices that were doing their job and started supplementing more and more Mana toward Mahoraga, as the 12th Divine Shikigami started absorbing Mana together with the Blood Essence.
Through their connection via the Inherent Onmyōdō Technique - Twelve Divine Shikigami Contract Gates, Yakou felt that Mahoraga had already embarked on a path of further evolution and was breaking through the Absolute Boundary.
The Absolute Boundary was called such, because it not only separated the S-Ranik beings from all the others, but the chances of anything or anyone breaking through the Absolute Boundary were nigh impossible.
This was also supplemented by the number of Archmages who were born in Terra.
Though the entire procedure was still pretty far from being finished, because it would still take some time as Yakou activated the secondary Magic Formation that was being controlled by Keira.
Soon enough, Mana started flowing toward the Divine Beast Gulltoppr, as the Divine Beast started regenerating under the visible eye. After half an hour, there were a few notable changes in Mahoraga, as the Wheel of Mahoraga grew by a bit and the Shikigami's aura grew more...
Deep and powerful.
But even the physical changes were incoming, because several moments later, around twenty minutes later, two additional pairs of arms grew from Mahoraga's back. Currently, the Shikigami looked like a manifestation of Asura with three pairs of arms.
Yakou knew that this would tremendously enhance the combat capabilities of Mahoraga, because not only would these four arms be used for combat, but at the same time, they would allow the Shikigami to cast more Onmyōdō Spells.
Especially the Onmyōdō Spells that require hand-signs would be something Mahoraga could literally start spamming right now. That would be absolute terror on the battlefield and pretty hard to defend against.
[Host's Contracted Shikigami of the Inherent Onmyōdō Technique - Twelve Divine Shikigami Contract Gates Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga has started the process of Evolution.]
[Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga has started breaking through the Absolute Boundary.]
[Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga's Blood Essence and Vitality are increasing to the S-Rank.]
Certainly, with this addition, the entire appearance of Mahoraga grew far more ominous and powerful, because Yakou felt that Mahoraga indeed broke through the Absolute Boundary and reached the S-Rank in some of the parameters.
Soon enough, he started getting notifications from the Crow's Interference about the current state of the Mahoraga and its underlying progress. This was the moment when he started pouring even more Mana into the Mahoraga's body, and Keira was doing the same thing, just with the Divine Beast Gulltoppr.
[Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga has Adapted to the Divine Mana and Divinity of the Divine Beast Gulltoppr.]
Every ounce of the Blood Essence that was flowing into Mahoraga's body contained the Divine properties of the Divine Beast. And with the Adaptation Ability active, Mahoraga started adapting to those Divine Attributes and assimialting them as its own.
At the same time, Yakou was also pouring his own Divine Mana into the Mahoraga's body to speed up this process.
[Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga has started racial evolution from the Greater Cursed Spirit to the Divine Cursed Spirit.]
When the Racial Evolution aspect was finished, it was clear that the entire process was done as the last parts of the Blood Essence and Mana were assembled by Mahoraga in the aftermath of breaking the Absolute Boundary and reaching the S-Ranked Parameters in Blood Essence and Vitality.
He knew that it was only a matter of time, like a matter of several weeks, that it would take Mahoraga to completely adapt and reach the S-Ranked Parameters in other Parameters, primarily in Physical Strength and Agility...
Perhaps in Mana too, in some months.
Maybe even sooner.
"Well, the process is done..."
Yakou muttered as he was very satisfied with the end result of the entire thing and process...
This officially made Mahoraga the very first being in the modern age to break through the Absolute Boundary and reach the S-Ranked Parameters. Of course, considering the current trends and development of all things, it was only a matter of time until more and more people started reaching the higher Levels due to rising levels of Mana around Terra.
Though Yakou seriously doubted that there would be more people breaking the Absolute Boundary through natural means or depending on their own genius in the following decades.
Breaking the Absolute Boundary was something that even the founder of the Tsuchimikado Clan, Abe no Seimei, failed when he attempted to do so. Breaking through the Absolute Boundary without outside help, like Ritual, Heirloom, or something else, was extremely challenging and troublesome.
"Now this thing of yours looks even more dangerous and ominous than before... which is something to behold... I thought that it wouldn't get worse, but now I get even more creeps when looking at it."
Eve Rockefeller was the first one to speak after the entire process was finished, and Yakou went to check on the state of the Divine Beast Gulltoppr, but fortunately, everything was alright with the Divine Beast.
"Fuck that... Its power is something entirely else... can you imagine how deployment of it could change the outcome of the entire war?"
Meanwhile, Keira was fascinated with the power of his Shikigami and the fact that it was so powerful. She already pondered how much useful it would be if she could deploy it in some kind of military conflict.
It could become a game-changer straight away and decide the outcome of the entire war by itself.
Yakou used the All-Seeing Polycoria Eyes of God to check on the Mahoraga and observe the effects of reaching the S-Ranked Parameters.
[Name: Mahoraga
Title: Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga
Classification: Shikigami
Age: Unknown
Race: Divine Cursed Spirit
*
Parameters:
Mana - A+++
Cursed Energy - S+
Blood Essence - S
Vitality - S
Physical Strength - A+++
Physical Agility - A+++
Luck - B+
*
Class: S-Rank
Affiliation: Tsuchimikado Clan, Tsuchimikado Yakou - Shikigami
Armaments: Sword of Extermination
Magic: Imperial-Style Onmyōdō (Fire, Lightning), Hermetic Magic
Uniqueness: Adaptation, Reset, Asura Arms, Anti-Domain Cube, Divine Dimensional Affinity, Curse of Contradiction
Skills: Master Combatant, Master Strategist, Anti-Mage
Abilities: Prison Realm, Pseudo Mortal Magic Resistance, Enhanced Spiritual Senses, Enhanced Reflexes, Increased Comprehension Capabilities, Enhanced Battle Instincts, Night Vision, Pain Tolerance]
Yakoou observed the "Status Screen" as he tended to call the Crow's Interference from time to time to see the changes on Mahoraga. He noted that there were quite a few new abilities on his favorite Divine Shikigami, and even its Source, Cursed Energy, has reached the S-Rank.
Now that the Cursed Energy appeared on the Crow's Interference, it meant that Mahoraga could now consciously use the Cursed Energy Reserves that it possessed. Cursed Energy is a form of Spiritual Energy that leaks from humans as a result of their negative emotions. It makes up the bodies of Cursed Spirits.
Negative emotions such as fear, grief, anger, hatred, and envy are the foundation of cursed energy. These emotions exist to some degree within most humans, and as a result, the vast majority of human beings possess Cursed Energy, or rather, they are generating the Cursed Energy.
In nature, it's really similar to the Spiritrons, but while the Spiritron Energy is just pure and neutral, the Cursed Energy is deeply negative and, in many cases, a corruptive Source. That was the main reason why most people deeply avoided using the Cursed Energy because it could easily lead to a fate that's many times worse than death.
Only some madmen would consciously use the Cursed Energy, and while incorporating the Cursed Energy into Magic Spells or other Arts could increase their power by a tremendous degree, the users were often corrupted by it and either died or were mutated into Cursed Spirits.
'Well, the fact that Mahoraga has now S-Ranked Cursed Energy Parameter means that it can now consciously and willingly use it...'
Previously, the Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General Mahoraga never used the Cursed Energy in an "Active" manner and instead used its vast amounts of Cursed Energy passively.
Mostly through the Cursed Energy Reinforcement, which augments its physical abilities to a much higher level. Defensively, Mahoraga can coat its skin in cursed energy to harden its body and increase its ability to block incoming curse-related attacks. The same application can be used offensively, imbuing physical attacks with cursed energy to increase its destructive power to much higher levels.
[Divine Cursed Spirit - Greater Cursed Spirit that assimilated a large amount of Divinity through Divine Mana and Blood Essence containing the Divine Attributes. This resulted in the evolution of the Greater Cursed Spirit towards the Divine Cursed Spirit, combining the properties of the Curse and Divine.]
Yakou wasn't surprised by the fact that Mahoraga also underwent something akin to a racial evolution and evolved from the Greater Cursed Spirit to the Divine Cursed Spirit. This racial evolution to the Divine Cursed Spirit has shown itself in the abilities that Mahoraga obtained after breaking through the Absolute Boundary.
Primarily, the Anti-Domain Cube, Divine Dimensional Affinity, Curse of Contradiction, and Pseudo Mortal Magic Resistance.
Only the Prison Realm seemed to be an Innate Ability of Mahoraga that he had awakened after reaching the S-Rank.
Now wasting no time, he took a look at the rest of the Abilities and Uniquesses that Mahoraga obtained from this entire thing, as there were quite a few of them, and all of them were broken like the existence of the 12th Divine Shikigami.
[Anti-Domain Cube - Anti-Domain Cube is invoked by a hand sign in which the User interlocks their fingers between one another while extending their arms forward. As implied by its name, it takes the form of a cube-like shield around the User. It neutralizes a Domains and other Domain-like abilities and technique-implemented barriers.]
[Divine Dimensional Affinity - Mahoraga has managed to Adapt to the Pseudo Divine Authority of the Guardian of Bifröst of the Gulltoppr and its Bifröst Energy Remnants in its Blood Essence giving the Shikigami huge Spatial Affinity and Dimensional Affinity.]
[Curse of Contradiction - Curse of Contradiction is a unique Curse based on the properties of Divine and Cursed Energy that would be inflicted on anyone who would deliver "Killing Hit" to Mahoraga. Once the target is cursed with the Curse of Contradiction, the stronger the target and the stronger the target's Blood Essence and Vitality are, the faster they would be burned and devoured by the Curse of Contradiction.]
[Prison Realm - Prison Realm in Unique Ability containing a barrier capable of sealing absolutely anything or anyone inside of a near-inescapable pocket dimension.
Conditions must be met for Prison Realm to activate. In order for the target to be sealed, they must be kept within a four-meter radius for a minute's worth of time within their mind for the cursed object to take hold.
The next stage of sealing involves the mass of flesh transferring to the target's body in a flash, ensnaring them. This renders them immobile and unable to access any of their Source.]
[Pseudo Mortal Magic Resistance - User has Pseudo Magic Resistance towards any and all Mortal Magic that is primarily stemming from the combination of Adaptation and Divine Nature of the Divine Cursed Spirit.]
[Aura Arms - The Shikigami has grown another two pairs of hands, raising the number of hands to six. This allows the Shikigami to cast the Handsign-based Magic much more efficiently and in higher quantity than average Magic Users.]
Yakou checked on all of the abilities that Mahoraga obtained, which were pretty powerful and rather broken, as he expected. As he looked at the 12th Divine Shikigami, Yakou knew that it was only a matter of time until it would have comparable power and status to that of Campione or Heretic God.
Perhaps in the future, he would let Mahoraga have a few rounds with some Heretic God so its Adaptation would do its magic. Still, that was only thought for future endeavors, as right now, even finding Heretic God was just a matter of luck.
And it would need to be that kind of Heretic God that Yakou could actually use for it...
It couldn't be Heretic God, with overly destructive Divine Authority, or Divine Authority that could theoretically bypass the Adaptation and the fight between it and Mahoraga, which would be entirely useless.
That could actually be detrimental to Yakou and his future growth.
"What did your monstrosity obtain this time from the advancement?"
To everyone, it was clear that Mahoraga must have obtained some powerful abilities once the advancement was completed and the Shikigami had evolved. Currently, they could even feel the Divine feelings from the Shikigami.
"Yeah... It's even more broken than it was previously, and some of its abilities are even stronger than the Divine Authorities of Campiones."
Yakou said as he gave out a brief explanation of each ability that Mahoraga obtained, but only really brief ones, as there was no need to go into the deep details. Most of the abilities of Shikigami were of utmost secrecy, and there was still a very small possibility that someone might extract that information from Marika's and Eve's minds.
When it came to Keira, the chances for that were pretty low, mainly because she was already Magic Saint, so the chances for that happening were pretty low, but in the case of Eve and Marika, who were considerably weaker...
The situation was vastly different.
"Dammit... aren't you tempted to try if it could actually become Campione?"
Keira remarked when she heard the summary of abilities that Mahoraga obtained, because it should be possible to kill the Heretic God with the abilities that it had obtained. Yakou was actually stunned to hear that, and for a brief moment, he seriously considered the possibility before he discarded it.
"Nah... it wouldn't really work. I don't really think that Pandora would allow me to artificially create Campione through my Shikigami, as that would, technically speaking, break the entire system and balance between the Campiones that they have been maintaining for so long."
Yakou knew that there was no way that Pandora would actually let him use Mahoraga to kill Heretic God...
Or rahter, even if Mahoraga achieved this feat, because Yakou considered it highly possible, considering the fact that not every Heretic God is powerful, because there are also many weak Heretic Gods, it wouldn't work.
He suspected that in such a case, Pandora wouldn't use The Great Circle Of Usurpation.
Otherwise, it would be too broken if he were already Campione and had a Shikigami who was also Campione.
"Well... that's pretty reasonable, or otherwise there would be Campiones in the past who would do this with their Familiars... or perhaps there even were some Campiones who tried to do this with their Familiars."
Yakou wholeheartedly agreed with what Eve said because it was true. There were bound to be some Campiones in the past who attempted to have their Familiars become Campiones, because it would be a tremendous boost to their power.
For the Mages or basically anyone who used Magic, having a Familiar was like having an extension of their own power. So it wasn't really surprising that some Campiones who cultivated powerful Familiars attempted to have their Campione become Campione by killing the Heretic God.
And there was no doubt that perhaps some of them succeeded in the first part of the plan, with their Familiars successfully killing the Heretic Gods... but the fact that neither of them succeeded in the second part of the plan was testament that Pandora wouldn't let them have their way.
"Are you planning for the other Shikigamis of yours to undergo a similar process and raise their Level?"
Eve asked, because she knew that every single one of the 12 Divine Shikigami of the Tsuchimikado Clan's Inherent Onmyōdō Technique Twelve Divine Shikigami Contract Gates had rather high potential.
Even those who were weakest in terms of talent could be raised to the A-Ranked Parameters at least. All of the Shikigamis that consisted of the Twelve Divine Shikigami Contract Gates Technique were painstakingly collected by several generations of the Patriarchs of the Tsuchimikado Clan.
Even right now, Yakou was confident that 5th Gate the Jade Rabbit Yùtù, 7th Gate the Dark Gold Terrow Claw Bear Xiong Jun, 8th Gate the Demon Fox Hagoromo Gitsune, 10th Gate Tsuchigumo, and 11th Gate the Dark Devilgod Tiger Shen Hu could achieve the evolution with little effort and some resources.
While the rest of the Twelve Divine Shikigami Contract Gates needed just a guiding hand for the cultivation and progression.
"Yes... all of the Twelve Divine Shikigami Contract Gates have potential to reach at least the A-Rank... well, when Abe no Seimei laid the foundation of the Twelve Divine Shikigami Contract Gates Technique for the Tsuchimikado Clan, his idea was to collect subjects for the technique that would have all the potential to reach the level of High-Level Divine Beast. So... the successive Patriarch of the Tsuchimikado Clan chose the successive Shikigami solely based on their potential and not their power. Which is also a reason why some of them are so overpowered, and why some are pretty weak right now compared to the others."
Yakih explained the entire "Lore" behind the creation of the Inherent Onmyōdō Technique of the Tsuchimikado Clan.
Mostly because there was a huge backstory behind the entire Inherent Onmyōdō Technique and its creation.
What was sad, though, was the fact that nobody among the members of the Tsuchimikado Clan achieved the peak of the Technique, or what could be considered the peak of the Twelve Divine Shikigami Contract Gates Technique.
Well, pushing all the Shikigami into the A-Ranked Parameters seemed to be like Mission Impossible, and then again, the Tsuchimikado Clan, like the other factions around the world, was suffering from the lack of Mana Enviroment.
"Well, even at the A-Rank where they would be comparable to the Magic Lords, the Shikigami would be powerful enough to wipe out a few Magic Associations if some factions were especially unlucky."
Eve remarked that, in the current state of all things, the need for the Shikigami to cross the Absolute Boundary wasn't that strong. Right now, it would be far more than enough for Yakou to raise their Parameters to the A-Rank.
Even under most positive assumptions, it would take at least a few decades for a first Magic Lord to be born in Terra, considering the current rate of Mana raising around Terra.
That was far more than enough for the Society and Federation to secure their interests above all else.