Chapter 1
The institute of medical science were bad news, this rumor had been going on in Tokyo university for a long time. Whenever someone brought this up against a member of said institute, high chance that he or she would burst into tears.
To their defense, they were not bad news, really. But as the old saying went, birds of a feather flock together. As long as they share the same institute as the infamous Otonashi Kazuya, they would always be looked with disdain and contempt by their peers.
Otonashi Kazuya, mad scientist, pervert and a weirdo, infamous for his unusual attractions to the occult, forced students and co workers into buying his 'enchanted' trinkets and the likes as an attempt to acquire more funds for his hobby and frequently got into fights as a result. Not only this didn't stop him, but it only served to nurtured him into the best fighter on campus. Why he haven't been expelled despite the fervent voice of everybody remains a mystery till this day. Knowing him, it wouldn't surprised anybody if he blackmailed the boards of directors.
That Otonashi Kazuya was currently banging on a door in the woman dormitory, trying his best to take a peek inside the room through the crack of the door: "Open the door! Ruri! I know you are in there!"
From the other side of the door came a high pitched voice, no doubt panicking due to the sudden visit: "You can't come in! Not allowed! Just... give me two minutes! Then we'll go out and have whatever talk you want!"
"I do not dare to waste the precious time of Ruri-sama. I'll just go in, say a few words then leave."
Heard that, the woman in the room became even more panicked: "Definitely can't! I will kill you if you go in!"
"Why are you so stingy?!I'll just get a quick peek, alright? Just a really quick peek!"
"In your dream! Knowing you, after getting a peek you'd definitely want to touch."
"Shame on you, Shiba Ruri. As a proud alchemist, how could you use crude word such as 'touch'? It called 'examining with a researcher's own two hands'. That being said, it not like you lost anything by letting me touch. Maybe I could offer some expert advice and analysis on the matter even."
"Nonsense! I'll just get a baby if you touch me."
"Haven't you learn anything in biology class? Flat chested girls won't get pregnant."
Just after Kazuya said that, the door flung open, hitting him squarely in the face. As he was trying to recover, a small figure charged straight into his chest. The tackle sent him flying.
The blonde woman quickly closed her door shut, her finger pressed the magic circle at the handle several times, following a strangle rule and rhythm. Some small devices appeared in the corners of the room, coating the wall around them with some strange substance. After the room had been sealed, an orange light ran across the wall. Making sure that Kazuya couldn't break through multiple layers of defense that boasted both top notched physical and magical defense with plenty of preparation himself, Ruri continued to dress herself hastily.
Kazuya did not wait long until the door were opened again, with Ruri looked at him with the eyes one would use to look at a criminal: "I can't be careless with you for even a moment."
She was wearing a blue top and black skirt, her delicate features under the short hair that was dyed blonde were forming a wry smile, as she looked at her close friend while the latter stared at her less than ideal asset.
Shiba Ruri, another researcher in the medical science institute, also an alchemist. She specialized in transmuting materials, making magic potions and creating animated golems. Because Kazuya was also researching human metabolism for the creation of flesh dolls, they got along well and often share their research with each other. Furthermore, Ruri focused on the technical aspect of things while Kazuya took a more spiritual approach, so their findings complement each other's.
"So, what bring you over today?" Ruri asked.
"A letter just came from Khuiten Peak. I need your assistance."
Ruri's eyes flashed after hearing the name 'Khuiten Peak'. She nodded without hesitation: "Just tell me how."
Otonashi Kazuya was a shaman. Neither him nor his late mother knew where shamanism originated from, but it was an art rarely practiced outside of Mongolia, no, outside of the Tavan Bogd mountain range. Even if it was the case, the shaman used to forbid anyone who were not a child of the meadow from learning shamanism. Kazuya didn't know exactly what made one a 'child of the meadow', since he had been in Japan, his father's hometown, his whole life, but that didn't stop him from practicing the art. His mother used to say he would understand when he got older, and personally, even though he felt that he had made a lot of progress as a shaman and as a person, the answer still eluded him. Nevertheless, shamanism had served him well, so he would like to think that it approved a quarter like him to be a proper 'child of the meadow'.
For the shamans, Khuiten Peak was their home. Even his mother couldn't contain her longing when she told him about her memories there. Of course, as for Kazuya, there was no way he could see a place he hadn't seen for himself as such. He just knew it existed, that was it. And he thought the people of Khuiten Peak was also the same, there was no reason for them to knew about someone like him in a faraway land, practicing shamanism at his own pace.
They did, apparently, if the letter called for aid this morning was proof enough.
"So, in other words, they are anticipating a flood at multiple locations and want you to help?" Ruri asked.
"Essentially. There aren't enough shaman practitioners already, and only a small portion of them are able to leave Khuiten Peak. Normally I wouldn't care, but they threw away their pride and ask me for help protecting normal citizens, so I accept."
"And where do I come in?"
"I can use totems to set up multiple wards, but there are no way these thing alone can stand against natural disaster. I need another layer of defense."
"I see, you want me to use alchemy to fix the damaged parts of the dam constantly, and my golems will be able to provides help in physical labor."
Kazuya nodded.
"When do we leave?"
"The flood is expected to come roughly around three weeks from now. The more preparation we have by then the better. Will you be able to finish your preparation by tomorrow?"
"No problem."
With that, Kazuya left the room. He had his own preparations to made. The shamans main method of using magic was through totems. Not only they took a lot of time to set up properly, they also hard to crafted and inconvenience to traveled around with. For Kazuya, crafting something simple like ward totems should had a pretty high success rate, but he needed a considerable amount of them, enough to cover a small town, at least.
No wonders more and more people go for other system of magic instead. Kazuya thought bitterly to himself.
The trip to Olgii was uneventful, except for the fact that they were delayed at the airport for about seventeen times, or that was what Kazuya felt like. The security were freaking out over the totems in his luggage. They should be thankful he used woods, not animal bones. He also had a hard time convincing them they were only souvenir, Ruri had not been abducted by some strange cult, and the clown mask he was wearing on the side of his head did not scare those little children around them.
Aside from that little episode, both Kazuya and Ruri enjoyed the trip. The grass meadow that spread to the horizon and the clear blue skies was new experience for both of them. Even though Kazuya frequently heard about it when he were young, seeing it with his own eyes was a whole different matter.
When they arrived, someone was already waiting for them. It was a young woman dressed in long white robe. Her face was definitely pretty, but something about her empty eyes seem off. When she saw Kazuya and Ruri, the woman eyed him for a long while. Specifically, he felt that the woman was focusing on his mask.
Finally taking her eyes off the mask, the woman threw him a package. Inside it were the exact same clothe she had on her.
"Put it on." The woman ordered, her voice sound like something were stuck inside her throat. It was unsettling enough to made Ruri winced. "It will be your identity. When wearing it, you accepted your duty as a shaman, providing help to those who need it and shall not ask of any payment in return."
"It's nice to meet you too. I'm Otonashi Kazuya and this is Shiba Ruri. We've come to help you deal with your flood problem. You're welcome by the way."
The woman didn't even change her expression at that. She just stood there motionlessly. Unable to get anything more out of the conversation, Kazuya reluctantly put the robe on. It was quite baggy.
"Everything you should need to reach your destination are in the bags. If you happens to need anything else, ask the local. It is forbidden for shamans to accept payment for their service, but you are allowed to their goodwill."
"Does all the shaman with mixed blood get this kind of treatment? Or just quarter such as me?" Kazuya frowned. He did not expect a grand welcome, still, this kind behavior was pushing it a little.
"None had ever treated little sis anything less than family just because of her half Japanese blood. And none will treat you differently just because you are a quarter. Blood does not makes you a child of the meadow."
"So is it the shamans tradition to not name herself when asking for help?" Ruri chimed in, her voice sound quite displeased. "Maybe that's the reason there have been less and less of shaman over the years."
For the first time, a light appeared in the woman eyes. Was it anger or something else, Kazuya was not sure, but it was certain that Ruri succeed in sparking something inside of her.
"Very well. I apologize for my bad manner. In my defense, it had been ten years since I last talked to some one." The woman flashed an amused smile. Kazuya noticed that her eyes didn't follow her the movement of her mouth, as if she was controlling them manually and separately. "My name is Tsagaan Ui-Gashuu. Even though this is the first time we meet, I'd assume young Kazuya have heard quite a lot of me from Tsenuu herself."
While Ruri didn't know the significant of that name, Kazuya opened his eyes wide from surprise. The woman was right. He had heard plenty of stories about her.
Tsagaan Ui-Gashuu.
The person that studied under the same teacher as his mother.
The current shaman king.
And the first person that challenged the wrath of the great snow mountain, and survived.
"Nice to meet you, auntie." Kazuya bowed. He had more than enough reason to show her his respect, both personal and as a shaman.
Tsagaan just nodded lightly at him. As usual, Kazuya couldn't read any emotion from her body language, or even from the vibration of her soul. Or perhaps she really treated meeting her nephew no different from greeting a stranger on the street.
"Tsenuu's child, don't you hate me? I was the one who banished your mother."
"Mother always used to say that she was grateful for your actions back then." Kazuya raised his head. "She said if it weren't for you, she would have been marked a traitor and couldn't call the peak her home anymore."
"She was always the most naive amongst us." Tsagaan narrowed her eyes. "Truth of the matter is, after teacher die by my hand, Tsenuu and Khureen's position as his pupil posed a threat to my way to the shaman king position, so I chased them out."
Ruri turned away, trying to hold her laughter while muttered in a barely audible voice: "Tsundere... First a mother that tried to act young and cutesy, now a tsundere aunt? What a family..."
"Sorry about that." Kazuya looked at Ruri with dead eyes.
Maybe hearing about his mother softened her up a bit, as Tsagaan finally showed some faint hint of nostalgia: "When I felt Tsenuu's soul returned to the great cycle, I had fear that her research had been abandoned. I'm glad it wasn't the case, though I see you have changed the design."
"Unlike mother, I know when I'm too old for animal motif masks." Kazuya gestured towards his mask with a wry smile.
"It's true that she couldn't stop once she began talking about animals ever since we were young..."
Tsagaan stopped mid sentence and took a look at her hand. For some reason, it started twitching uncontrollably. Ruri was visibly freaked out by this while Kazuya just eyed it carefully.
"It seem that my time is up. This is goodbye, Tsenuu's child. Remember, as long as you remain a child of the meadow, Khuiten Peak will welcomes you."
As she said that, a blue flame appeared in her hand, then soon spread across her whole body. Even up until most of her skin were burn off and revealed the charred skeleton inside, Tsagaan was still standing up straight. Through the mask, Kazuya could clearly saw it. There was two souls appeared from the body. The first returned to the great cycle and the second was drawn by something, towards Khuiten Peak.
After the souls went away, the body crumbled, turned to ashes, and scattered by the wind.
"That was the most scary exit I've ever seen." Ruri hand was trembling. "Did she really... cremated herself?"
"That was not her." Kazuya answered, his eyes still didn't move from Khuiten Peak direction with a solemn expression.
"What do you mean?"
"The soul was definitely Tsagaan, but the body was not hers."
"You mean, possession?" Ruri instinctively stepped closer to Kazuya. "Shamans can do that?"
"Only she can do that." Kazuya finally looked at Ruri. He smiled, then took her hand. That calmed her down a bit. "I heard that she couldn't leave Khuiten Peak. So she must've possessed somebody whenever she needs to go outside. Remember she said 'it had been ten years since I last talked to some one'? I don't think it's a skill she could use often."
"And why didn't you seem surprise about all that?"
Kazuya nodded: "There is a curse that bound all shaman. A long time ago, Tsagaan evoked the wrath of the mountain and was curse. Others would've die instantly, but she was so strong that even the curst couldn't break her, as long as she remains on the blessing ground of Khuiten Peak. Or so my mother used to say."
"Just another reason to believe that the shamans are all crazy." Ruri tried to stop her shivering by reaching for the map. It wasn't hard to find their destination. "Shall we go?"
The capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, are also as advance as any other megacity in the world. But it seemed like Ruri's impression of Mongolia had stopped at Genghis Khan's ages, or at least she had very strange ideas about how the Mongolians was getting around. Or maybe she was really looking forward to be able to ride a horse. Either way, the look of disappointment on her face when she found the car key was priceless.
But of course, she couldn't keep pouting and staring at the sky for too long. No matter how beautiful the scenery is, it became stale after a while. After Kazuya finished saying sorry for the fourteen times for laughing at her, she finally turned around. Their conversations quickly became animated over small talked.
"Speaking of which, your aunt back then, aside from your mother, she mentioned another name. Do you know who that is?"
"You mean Khureen? I've never see her in person myself." Kazuya recalled the conversation, and nodded. "Khureen-Ulaan Davalgaa, the middle pupil of the three. Speaking of which, her research should be interesting to you."
"Oh, how so?"
"My mother always said she was the most aggressive of the three, and frequently got into fights. Her aim was to create a multi purpose totem, that could grow stronger alongside with her."
Ruri looked at Kazuya silently, urging him to continued.
Kazuya said slowly, trying to organized his thought at the same time: "It's similar to... memory metal I guess. It original state was a small totem that she could carried around, and can transform into sword, spear, bow... or anything that suit her particular need at that moment."
"It sound great on paper..." Ruri shrugged. "But there's no doubt complications every step on the way. First of all, alchemists can't constantly change the shape of something without continuous input, and then it risks breaking apart. Even with the help of magic, humanity haven't progress enough in metallurgy for such a thing to be possible. Beside, what was she thinking, waving a weapon around? A shaman shouldn't be forced into close combat in the first place. If she somehow is, then it couldn't protect her anyhow."
"It precisely that it sound impossible that she wanted to do it. She's a shaman after all." Kazuya glared at Ruri. "What do you suggest she do, waiting for it to fall out of the sky?"
Just as Kazuya said that, a loud sound could be heard from above them. They immediately stopped the car and stepped out. In the sky, there seemed to be something stirring the clouds. With a thundering crash, a black beam of light cut through the clear sky, creating a sharp contrast. But before Kazuya could admire it, he realized it was heading toward them.
When Ruri was still flabbergasted, he quickly jumped and pushed her to the ground. Thankfully, they were able to avoid the crash, and the following heat wave, even though Kazuya was certain that the car and their luggage was not been so lucky.
"Damn... Was we hit by an asteroid or something?" Kazuya still haven't recovered from the blast, but his mind quickly made him focus on Ruri that was still under his body. Even though she had much to desire in certain part, her body softness was still first class. That soft and warm sensation made Kazuya heart skip a few beats. He immediately cleared his mind, and help Ruri got up to her feet.
Regarding this, Ruri was also generous in her reaction. Aside from the crimson that flushed her cheek, she didn't do anything else and appeared calm as usual. Of course, if she was the kind of person that scream and slap the other party for such a reason, she couldn't have been able to became friend with Kazuya in the first place.
Taken by their curiosity, they both moved closer to observe the center of the blast. The blast left a massive hole in the ground, with crack all over. If they were a little closer to the center of the blast, maybe they too would have been sent fly away.
At the center was... a sword stuck into the ground.
Beautiful - that was their first thought. Rather than an instrument to kill, it was more apt to called the sword a work of art. The blade was black, as if it was a piece of the night sky. If Kazuya paid enough attention, he could see there was some thing akin to runes dance along the blade, but he didn't understand what they meant. But more than anything else, it was the feeling of death of the mere presence of the sword.
Even Ruri, who was well versed in ancient language, knitted her eyebrows: "Strange. Forget reading it, I can't even tell what language it is."
"I think I can guess what these words mean." Kazuya said with a low voice, full of confidence. "Whoever pulled out this sword, shall become the true king of Britain... Or something."
He rubbed his hand, walked toward the sword.
"Stop being crazy. You are not king Arthur. More importantly, can't you feel the whisper of death that thing is carrying? It's definitely not something we can touch." Ruri was scared by Kazuya's action, moved in to stop him.
"Calm down. I feel like I have some connection with this sword." Kazuya gestured toward the sky. "Remember, I just said 'waiting for it to fall out of the sky', and next thing we know, a sword fell out of the sky. Right when we were talking about weapons even. This is mostly fate."
Ruri answered in an apathetic voice: "No, it's coincidence."
"... Yeah, I think so too." Kazuya frowned. "Well, experimenting till we get the result is a shaman strong suit."
He pointed toward the sky, scream from the bottom of his lungs: "Come, give me a super beauty with big breast and supermodel legs!"
Just as he said that, another light flashed from above, this time a golden beam of light, in front of Kazuya and Ruri's surprise eyes, actually landed inside the same hole, without creating a blast this time.
Beside a sword, there really was someone. A woman dressed in white, even in her coma, she was still trembled in anguish.
But that was not the most important thing.
Blonde hair that was shinning like the sun, her white dress couldn't conceal her precious legs and her proud chest, her beautiful face, even though in pain, was still regal and divine. And the immense magical power that no human could ever hope to achieved.
"A Heretic God..." It didn't took Ruri a lot of time to understand what the woman in front of her was.
"A super beautie really came down..." Unlike Ruri, Kazuya was also completely shaken up, but for an entirely different reason. Couldn't processed the information going on through his head, all he could do was hitting his chest, slammed his feet into the ground. It took him a good minute later that he regained his ability to speak. "Damn, screw Campiones, I am the real champion!"
"In the name of justice..." He laughed maniacally, screamed at the sky for a second time, with his finger pointed towards Ruri: "Let her breast grow by at least two cup size!"
That said, he stared at Ruri's chest with hopeful eyes, waiting for the breast expansion scene like in the legend. Ruri was also startled by his sudden scream and burst of insanity, but thoughts of expectations were also sprouted from the depth of her mind, which she couldn't seem to be able to got rid of...
Nothing happened.
"What... This is illogical..." Kazuya swallowed his saliva nervously after the awkward silence. "Or is it... I see! Flat chests are scarce, flat chests are also work of art! I'm sorry for belonging to the big breasted camp. I'm sorry for didn't know that the will of the universe like flat chest..."
A gust of wind blew. For the second time in the span of 24 hours, Ruri tackled Kazuya again. This time, borrowing her momentum, she also delivered a splendid roundhouse kick to his stomach, making the rambling shaman bend over like a shrimp. He looked at Ruri with eyes that belonged to a martyr. All he could managed are a few twitches before falling to the ground, completely motionless this time.
Ruri brushed the dirt from her body, without even batting an eyes toward Kazuya, said in a cold voice: "Next time, watch your mouth before you speak. Does your head has nothing beside from breast, you imbecile?"
At the highest point of Khuiten Peak, where the snow was falling all years round, there existed a room made completely out of ice. It was the most secretive and heavily guarded room at this place, with layers upon layers of totems set up by the shaman king herself.
Resided in it was the person that was rumored to be able to match a Campione or a Heretic God if the battle was on Khuiten Peak, the current shaman king Tsagaan Ui-Gashuu. She was strong, she was charismatic, she was dependable. Everything the shamans could look for in a leader, they could saw it in her. Even her presence could calm their worry hearts, in the case of emergency.
The only problem was that she never step outside of her room.
Normally, if you wished for an audience with her, you needed the approvals of at least three highest level shamans, then you had to pass a vote amongst those three and twelve other deacons. Only then you could had a chance of meeting her. Of course the shaman king had the power to allowed or denied the audience.
But today, a small figure just barged straight into the room. As always, Tsagaan was sitting cross-legged, facing the ice wall.
"Don't you get bored, staring at the wall all the time?" The visitor took a casual tone against Tsagaan. "You should go out and see everyone panicking over the Heretic God. It was hilarious."
Tsagaan turned around, only to saw a small girl with fiery red hair tied into twintails. If not for the military uniform she was wearing, with the star insignia on both her shoulders, informing others that she was the lieutenant general of the armed forces, she could've been easily mistaken for a grade schooler. She was also the only one that could snuck into this place, without any shamans on the mountain knowing and bypass all of Tsagaan's wards - Khureen-Ulaan Davalgaa.
"My naive little sister, if you find the actions of others amusing, that only means your training are not enough."
"Did you just call me little?!" Khureen expression changed from happy to anger in less than a second. "I am not a midget!"
Tsagaan sighed: "I don't have anything against your outer appearance. Let me remind you that I was the most senior pupil out of us three."
"Yeah, by a whole three seconds! Why do I have to be called little by you because the old man laid his eyes on you first?! I am not less than you by any mean!"
For the first time, Tsagaan stood up. Even though Khureen was tip-toeing, she didn't even reach Tsagaan chest. Tsagaan swept her fairy like silver hair, answered flatly: "Is this what they said about little sisters are cute when they are a little rebellious? I think I understand it now."
"AARGH! DAMN YOU!"
Khureen was on the verged of tears. In her heart, she wanted nothing more than to used her strength to knock Tsagaan down from her high horse, to show her who was the strongest. But her mind also reminding her about how that story end in the past. She didn't want to be hang up side down again. No. So she tried to change the topic as naturally as possible.
"Okay, so what do you want, calling me here while a Heretic God is strolling around. From the look of it, she had been separated from her Grimoire. This is the best chance for me to kill her."
"My sister, just mindlessly pursuing strength will not make you a better shaman, and it won't let you defeat me."
"Yes, yes. And talking as if you are the old man will not make me listen to everything you say."
Tsagaan sighed: "Do you know why Campiones are also called Illegitimate Children of Epimetheus?"
"Because they are idiots."
"That's right. The stronger we get, the more we realize there are something in this world that can't be change. No matter how strong you are, a stone you throw will always fall down, and you can't make water flow upstream for eternity. You cannot defeat a Heretic God. The stronger we get, the more painfully clear that fact was."
"Isn't giving up before trying against everything shamans stand for?" Khureen stared at Tsagaan.
Tsagaan returned her stare without backing down: "You're not the first to try, and you won't be the last to fail. Shamans don't give up, but we don't reinvent the wheel either."
"And you think Tsenuu's child can? Did you see it in your divination, or you just randomly send her child into certain death?"
Contrary to Khureen who was even more furious than before, Tsagaan just shook her head with a tranquil expression: "There are no way to divine a fate that is intertwined with the Heretic God. But I believe he can do it."
"Why?! I am better at everything than he is. Why would you blindly believe that he would success, while I am certain to fail?"
"Because he is an idiot." For the first time, Tsagaan revealed a smile. "Even knowing he was speaking to his aunt, he didn't stop checking my temporary body out."
"That just made him a pervert." Khureen answered with a dead pan voice.
"Remember, my naive little sister..." Tsagaan muttered. Khureen could see that her mind were no longer here, but some place else. "Those who stood against the wheel are bound to be crushed by it."
Author's Note: This is a slow story with a little bit of AU in it, so I hope I captured your interest with the first chapter focusing on characters and world building rather than the fighting. To those who read until the end, thank you very much.