Phase 19: The World of Immortals
Around 15,000 years ago, back when humanity was still evolving and lived in the caverns. What is known from the time period is through human research in the modern day. However, Earth wasn't the only planet flourishing with life and many different species. There were lifeforms residing in the other planets found in the solar system, including the great sun that brings light to everything.
Those lifeforms were beyond the comprehension of humans. They could exist for much longer than a human can, had overwhelming powers, and their forms were dissimilar to anything found on Earth. Yes, any human would have considered those lifeforms as something out of their plane of existence. "Gods" was the only appropriate word for mortals to describe them.
However, something had happened. For some reason long forgotten, the otherworldly lifeforms couldn't reside in their native planets anymore. There was only one planet in the solar system where they could inhabit; Earth. The lifeforms descended from the heavens of the blue planet and spread all over the globe to find a way to adapt to that unfamiliar environment, all for the sake of not disappearing.
Before long, the lifeforms from the heavens came into contact with the primitive form of humanity.
That was the beginning of the era which is now known as the Age of the Gods.
"Touta-kun, are you paying attention to what I am saying?"
Kuromaru glared at Touta who was staring at her with a spaced-out expression.
The boy with spiky ebony brown hair and the girl with long raven black hair worn in a right side ponytail were currently at the shore of the island where the youkai inn Fairyland Hall was located. It was early in the morning, but apparently it was already past 7 AM since Touta and Kuromaru were wearing their waiter uniforms. For some reason, Kuromaru was wearing big round glasses, even though her left eye was covered by her bangs like usual. Her red bird shikigami Asama was sitting on Kuromaru's shoulder like usual, except there was a small square academic cap on the shikigami's head.
In Kuromaru's right hand, she was holding a rod that was using to point at the digital board that was floating behind her. Said digital board had drawings that illustrated planet Earth, the solar system, and creatures that looked out of a fantasy interacting with cavemen.
Kuromaru sighed as she placed her hands on her waist. "Honestly, Touta-kun. You were the one who kept insisting you wanted to partake in my research. Would you please try to listen carefully to the explanation of the basics?"
Touta was sitting cross-legged on one of the couches placed on the shore. He crossed his arms as he stared at the digital board with a very serious expression. He squinted his eyes and placed the left fingers of his left hand on his chin.
"Damn, Kurou-rin. Your drawings are great! Any picture I make looks like a bunch of shaky lines and circles. As expected of my partner, you keep showing me you're awesome!"
Kuromaru's cheeks flushed. "T-Touta-kun, you are not getting away with flattery here! Were you listening to what I just explained?"
"My bad. It was a little hard to pay attention to the board when Kurou-rin meganekko version is so adorable. Glasses are really the trademark of the main heroine."
"Touta-kun!" Kuromaru yelled with a beet red face.
"Calm down. I did listen enough to get the main idea," Touta serenely waved his hand. "To sum it up, all deities that show up in mythology are actually aliens that invaded Earth thousands of years ago. Way to merge fantasy with sci-fi."
"Aliens, you say," Kuromaru grimaced. "Well, I suppose that is a name you can give those like us. 'Gods', 'deities', 'celestials', 'kami'… To tell the truth, those in my tribe were never fond of the terms humans gave the beings of the Age of the Gods. Although if we had to settle for one, that would be messengers of heaven."
"It's still very amazing, Kurou-rin! First, you're a tsundere miko with swords and paper charms that throw fire. Then, you're a crow god. Now, you're the descendant of an ancient alien race from a lost civilization in the sun. To think my heroine would have such an extensive profile. Not that I'm complaining."
*pow*
Kuromaru gave a soft hit to Touta's head with her stick.
"It is not the moment for your silly jokes, Touta-kun. Take this more seriously, please. What I'm telling you is crucial history long lost to modern civilization."
"Alright, alright," Touta held out his palms to make Kuromaru relax. "So… You had told me your tribe, the Yatagarasu, were servants of this sun goddess Amaterasu-" Touta paused when he saw Kuromaru glaring at him. "-oomikami-sama."
"That is correct. The tale I learned from my mentor and the previous head of the tribe goes like this," Using a transparent clay-like object, Kuromaru began drawing on the digital board again. "In the original worlds, or other planets as you in the mainland call them, there were the beings that mortals would call 'gods' with the power to channelize the energy of their world. Amaterasu-oomikami-sama was one of them. Those 'gods' had the power to create other beings from their nearly infinite power. That is how my race, the Yata no Karasu, came to be."
"Ooohh! So cool," Touta's eyes were sparkling. He shook his head to get focused again. "Wait, if you're solar aliens, then you're not actual crows, are you?"
"We are not, at least not like the crows you know on this world," Kuromaru shrugged. "From what I heard from my mentor, my race was originally giant masses of solar energy. After abandoning the sun, my ancestors assumed a shape that resembled something from this world and that just happened to be a crow, do not know why exactly. And like I said before, we took this humanlike form after the Age of the Gods ended and races from that era like my people were forced to stay connected to this world's ley lines to not disappear."
"I think I'm getting it, Kurou-rin," Touta nodded. "In that case, the name Yata no Karasu doesn't really suit you guys anymore if you look completely human. Although, I'm happy for that given how divinely beautiful Kurou-rin is."
"You are wrong, Touta-kun."
Kuromaru walked towards another of the couches in the shore. A pile of books was gathered there.
"You're being modest again, Kurou-rin," Touta smirked. "I have never met someone as pretty-"
Touta was interrupted by a book thrown at his face.
"The Yata no Karasu do not look entirely human," Kuromaru stated.
Touta grabbed the book to pull it away from his face. In the pages of the book, he saw the pictures of what looked like a person wearing traditional Japanese garments. The person in the illustration appeared to be human, but in their back, there were four wings. Two of those wings were black and the other two were white.
"This is…!"
"That is an illustration of a Yata no Karasu after the Age of the Gods. We may have assumed a more human form, but we are still the crows of the sun. That title is still shown by the wings in the back of my people. Our physical forms look like human babies the moment we are born. As the Yata no Karasu grows, their spiritual power does too, causing wings to sprout," she clenched her fist and bit her lip. "That is how it is supposed to be."
"Ehhh…"
Kuromaru raised an eyebrow when she saw Touta staring at the page with wide eyes.
"Touta-kun, is something the matter?"
Touta went back to reality. "Ah, nothing. It's just… does everyone in the Yatagarasu have white wings?"
"Yes, they do," Kuromaru answered.
"Is that so…" Touta mumbled. However, his eyes were still focused on the white wings on the page.
Kuromaru deeply frowned. "Alright, what is happening, Touta-kun? You're not acting like yourself."
"Ah, sorry," Touta made a 'silly me' gesture. "It's just that seeing this got me back thinking about Setsuna-ma."
"The Shinmei-ryuu swordswoman Konoe Setsuna-dono?"
"Yeah," Touta affirmed with a smile. "You see, Setsuna-ma is a half-crow demon, but instead of black wings, she has white ones. So, that's why…"
"Uh?" Kuromaru now looked quite surprised.
"Kurou-rin?"
"Oh, excuse me. I just did not expect to hear that," Kuromaru shook her hands a bit nervously. "I heard this from my mentor, too. Japan's ley lines are affected by sustaining the existence of us Yata no Karasu that are beings made of solar energy. Spiritual energy similar to my people's links into the country's atmosphere and can be absorbed by lower crow demihumans. Because of that, there are cases were a pure white crow demon appears… To think one of your mothers was an example of those."
"Are white wings in crow demihumans something that special?" Touta asked.
Kuromaru nodded. "White wings are the symbol of my people's high spiritual power and the solar energy flowing in their bodies. That is for a regular Yata no Karasu. Those in the Hinosaka head family like the head chief Kinsuke and the head miko Kuroha have black and golden wings instead."
"Really?" Touta stood up from the couch and smiled enthusiastically. "Of course, if you're crows, you must have wings like Setsuna-ma! How did I not realize that before? Why did you hide this from me?"
"It's not that I was hiding it," Kuromaru crossed her arms as she averted her eyes. "It's more like I did not want to talk about it," she added in her mind.
"Then, what are you waiting for?" Touta said with an excited expression.
"Uh?" Kuromaru frowned in confusion.
Touta spread his arms widely. "Let me see them! Your wings!"
Kuromaru's eyes went blank. Her hands were shaking a bit.
"You say they're black and golden, right? Your wings must be super beautiful, Kurou-rin! Like an angel or a godde-"
"I do not have them," Kuromaru said, her voice devoid of emotion. Her lips twisted as her facial expression darkened.
Touta lowered his arms and blinked. "Wha-?"
"I do not have them," Kuromaru repeated simply. She turned her face to the side as she placed her left hand on her right upper arm. "The black and golden wings of the Hinosaka family… They never grew for me."
"Never grew?" the ends of Touta's eyebrows lowered. "How come?"
"I do not know," Kuromaru was still looking away. She deliberately didn't let Touta look at her face-to-face. "The previous Kinsuke-sama said it was because I was born with such a low spiritual power. I was told my body… is defective," she lowered her face. "A disgrace to all Yata no Karasu."
Touta's eyes went wide when he heard Kuromaru say those words. Seeing her clearly pained expression, he felt a rush of anger overcome him.
"STOP SHITTING ME!"
Kuromaru was shocked by Touta's sudden outburst. She took a step back and the bird shikigami Asama made a small jump on Kuromaru's shoulder.
"Touta-kun, why are you angry?"
Touta was still shaking with rage. His gritted teeth made his vampire fangs very noticeable. He spoke in a very low tone. "That face… Those words…! Quit them now!"
Kuromaru didn't understand what was happening with Touta. "W-What do you mean, Touta-kun?"
Without warning, Touta grabbed Kuromaru's shoulders, forcing her to look at him in the eye. His eyes were sharp and intimidating, totally different from his usual round, soft-looking eyes.
"Don't you ever call yourself 'defective' or 'disgrace' again! You understand?"
Seeing Touta looking at her with such severe eyes and hearing him using such an angry voice, Kuromaru felt paralyzed. This didn't feel like the cheery Touta she had grown used to.
"I-I understand," Kuromaru said with a bit of hesitation.
When he saw Kuromaru's frightened eyes, Touta's anger finally began to subside. Like if he was just realizing what he was doing.
"Sorry, Kurou-rin" Touta pulled his arms away from Kuromaru's shoulders. "I don't know what took over me. I," he put his left hand behind his head. "I just got pissed when I heard you say that."
"N-No, Touta-kun… Um," the ends of Kuromaru's eyes lowered, but her lips formed a small, slightly sad smile. "…Thank you."
"Hah hah. Should I leave ya two alone for a while?"
"WHA-!?"
The two young immortals jumped from the shock. They turned in direction of the voice. It was then that they saw an auburn-haired man wearing a suit and a long coat sitting on the couch, right next to the spot where Touta had been a moment ago.
"Jinbei-jiisan!" Touta said the man's name in surprise.
"The Wakasa pervert," Kuromaru's eyes behind her glasses were glaring at Jinbei. "As usual, you appear out of nowhere."
Jinbei smiled nostalgically as he placed his hands behind his head. "Ah, hearin' about events from 15,000 years ago does make me feel like my 1,350 years don't make me that old..."
Kuromaru took off the round glasses. "Since when exactly you were listening there?"
"Since ya two started your study session," Jinbei make a cocky smirk and winked.
"What?!" Kuromaru exclaimed.
"C-Come on, Jinbei-jiisan. How could you be sitting right next to me without me noticing?"
Jinbei made a smug grin. He stood up from the couch and made a single step towards the two teenagers dressed as waiters. Then, without warning…
"Eh?" Touta and Kuromaru said in unison.
Jinbei had vanished. The two teenagers kept looking around wondering where did Jinbei go. After a couple of seconds. Both felt a strong, manly hand patting their heads.
"What?!" Touta and Kuromaru spoke in unison again.
When the two looked ahead of them, they saw Jinbei standing right in front of them. He had reappeared just as abruptly as he had disappeared.
"Heh heh," Jinbei made a peace sign. "How's that? It's a special technique of mine."
"Wow," Touta's eyes widened.
Kuromaru's expression was a combination of confusion and distrust. "An invisibility magic spell?"
"No," Touta denied. "If it was magic, my brain would have analyzed it. It didn't pick up any signs of magic nor ki."
Kuromaru couldn't believe that. "In that case, what was…?"
"That's a secret," Jinbei placed his index finger in front of his mouth. "It's a trick that lets me sneak around without gettin' caught by Gengorou. I do need to be careful to keep it up. Because the moment others can see me-"
*click*
Touta and Kuromaru just stared emotionlessly as Gengorou pressed his gun against the back of Jinbei's head.
"This happens," Jinbei finished without losing his casual smile.
"Jinbei-san, here you are," Gengorou spoke formally. "I have been looking all over for you. Those people are coming today. The leader of our branch must not be absent. Not for the third time in a row."
"I know, Gengorou," Jinbei sighed. "Will ya hold back from trying to kill me today, then?"
"I will try to keep my killing intent at fifty percent until the meeting is over," Gengorou said in deadpan. Jinbei wasn't pleased with that answer.
"Um, Gengorou-dono," Kuromaru timidly lifted a hand. "Who are 'those people' you just mentioned?"
Gengorou adjusted his glasses before answering. "Touta-kun, did you not tell Kuromaru-kun about the meeting of UQ Holder?"
"Ah ha ha," Touta looked embarrassed as he laughed. "I forgot, sorry."
Kuromaru threw an annoyed look at her not quite responsible work sempai.
Gengorou lowered his gun pointing at the back of Jinbei's head. "Very well, you three come with me. I will explain you about the meeting of immortals on the way, Kuromaru-kun."
"Meeting of immortals?" Kuromaru tilted her head.
Jinbei and Gengorou made their way back to the complex of Fairyland Hall. Just to make sure the sneaky leader wouldn't run off again, Gengorou had tied Jinbei up with a rope using a technique of Hojōjutsu that kept Jinbei's hands bound at the back. Gengorou had knotted the other end of the rope to his right hand so he could drag Jinbei along.
"This looks like a slave driver dragging someone he's about to sell," Touta and Kuromaru mentally commented on the scene in front of them as the pair followed behind them in one of the open Japanese corridors of the inn.
The two adult men had been discussing something between them since they left the shore. Since they assumed they were talking about something important, Touta and Kuromaru decided to not interrupt them. From what they could hear, they didn't get much of the conversation anyway.
Yet, Kuromaru looked quite uneasy. She had been like that since Jinbei appeared at the shore. And it got worse when her bird shikigami Asama randomly decided to rest on Jinbei's shoulder instead of Kuromaru's or Touta's head as usual. As typical of the bird shikigami, she showed her affection by biting Jinbei's ear with her beak. The man didn't seem to mind, though.
"Hey, what's up with the sullen face, Kurou-rin?" Touta whispered to her.
"Ah, no," Kuromaru replied, but her eyes were still staring suspiciously at Jinbei who had Asama on his shoulder. "It is just… Asama normally doesn't get so close to other people, less those who are not of my tribe."
"Really?" Touta raised an eyebrow. "But Nagano is always making a nest out of my head."
"Yes, but in that case, I have sort of accepted that things are just weird when it comes to you, Touta-kun," Kuromaru shrugged.
"Am I supposed to take that as a compliment or not?"
Kuromaru didn't bother to answer Touta's question and redirected the subject. "This man, Shishido Jinbei, has been giving off a very fishy aura since I first met him."
"Well, that's natural, Kurou-rin. Jinbei-jiisan became ageless after eating a fish person. Him stinking of tuna is a side-effect, from what I heard."
"T-That is not what I meant, Touta-kun," Kuromaru grimaced. "But now that you mention it, there is something about his smell that causes this unusual feeling in me…"
"Like what? Does the strong scent of tobacco make you want to throw up too? Believe me, it's several times worse for the sensitive nose of a vampire," Touta waved his hand in front of his nose.
"No," Kuromaru's eyes were still set on Jinbei's back. She made a strangely soft expression, apparently unconsciously. "Whenever he isn't smoking like now, that man has a strangely familiar scent… It is nostalgic somehow."
"What the hell?" Touta looked at Kuromaru like if she was talking crazy. Seeing that tender look in her eyes as she stared at Jinbei's back caused a very unpleasant feeling in Touta's chest. "Should I start rubbing myself with the tuna of the kitchen? Gengorou-san would kill me again if I did that, but if Kurou-rin is into it…"
"Kuromaru-kun," Gengorou finally addressed one of the teenagers. "Can you please tell me what you remember that I told you about our supernatural organization?"
Kuromaru's body stiffened. "Y-Yes, Gengorou-dono!" she answered loud and clearly.
"Why are you responding like a soldier to their commander?" Touta deadpanned.
Kuromaru reassumed her answer to Gengorou. "This complex is one of the many branches that compose the international organization Mythica Conjunctio. Each branch contains members of supernatural beings of the respective nation. Such as it can be seen in this House of Youkai."
"Very well, Kuromaru-kun," Gengorou nodded. "But you omitted the most important detail for today. That is every branch has a division of immortals such as our UQ Holder."
Kuromaru gasped with a look of utter shock in her eyes. "I-I apologize, Gengorou-dono!"
Gengorou closed his eyes and adjusted his glasses. "Do not worry, Kuromaru-kun. Something so minor is not deserving of a disciplinary session."
Kuromaru sighed in relief.
"Anyway, why are we revising the setting exposition now?" Touta asked.
Jinbei answered this time. "Because, today some immortals are comin' here! From England, in fact."
"Oh, really?" Kuromaru was slightly surprised.
"Yes," Gengorou affirmed. "The immortal divisions from all the international branches hold a meeting every two years. However, the Japanese immortal branch must meet with the one of England every few months. Therefore, it is important that you grow used to this, Kuromaru-kun."
"Umm," Kuromaru placed her finger in front of her lips. "Why only those two branches must meet more frequently?"
"Because they're the two leadin' ones in the world right now," Jinbei said.
Gengorou continued the explanation. "The Japanese branch is the most important of all because it's located in Mahora Magicus City, the place where the World Tree is located. Therefore, it is our job to oversee the safety of the magic monument that maintains the Reflection Dimension in the sky. Meanwhile, the branch of England is the most organized and influential one in the West. Thanks to their connection to the biggest magic academy found in their country, they have formed three academies specialized for humans and non-human races. The headmasters of each of those academies are some of the oldest immortals in Mythica Conjunctio."
"Even older than Jinbei-jiisan?!" Touta asked. He was even more inversed in the exposition than Kuromaru by now.
"Yup. Some of 'em make my 1,350 years look like a regular number."
"Had no idea of any of that. Awesome," Touta's eyes were sparkling.
"Touta-kun, you have been in this organization for four years before me. How can this be your first time hearing this?" Kuromaru gave him a sneering look.
"Heh heh," Touta scratched his head. "I did know about the England branch and all that. I'm just surprised there's older fossils than Jinbei-jiisan. After all, I'm not a true UQ Holder so I don't know much about other immortals besides Jinbei-jiisan, Gengorou-san and Ikkuu-san."
"I see. That makes sense, I suppose," Kuromaru said.
"Although, Eva-baasan did tell me a bit about other immortals she personally knows, mainly a female one. She's the headmaster of one of those magic academies in England, from what Eva-baasan told me."
"What're ya sayin', Touta," Jinbei said. "Ya do know an immortal from England. Or did gettin' ripped in pieces by him damage yar memory?"
"Don't remind me of that guy!" Touta yelled.
"Wait, what?" Kuromaru could only ask. That sounded like a story that called her interest.
Touta got an extremely annoyed look in his face. As if he was going through a very bad memory. "It's a long story, Kurou-rin. I'll tell you later after the meeting is over," he sighed. "Luckily, that guy doesn't come here normally. Only seen him two times in these four years."
"Yet, it looks like that was enough to leave quite some impact in Touta-kun," Kuromaru commented in her mind.
Gengorou stopped walking. "The explanation is over. Now..."
Gengourou opened a big shoji door and revealed one of the largest Japanese-style rooms in the Fairyland Hall inn. There was a long wooden table at the center and Zabuton cushions for people to sit.
"Touta-kun," Gengorou addressed the boy. "You know the meeting room must be impeccable."
"Roger that, sir," Touta made a sailor salute.
Touta ran all over the meeting room at such high speed his afterimages made it look like there were ten of him arranging the room. After less than five minutes, the Japanese-style meeting room was sparkling like a top-class suite.
Kuromaru's jaw nearly dropped. "Touta's cleaning skills really are amazing."
Knowing he managed to impress Kuromaru, Touta got a new burst of confidence. "Huh huh, of course, Kurou-rin! There might no one who can do housework better and faster than me in all of Japan."
Gengorou patted Touta in the back. "You did a good job, but save trying to show off in front of Kuromaru-kun for later. The meeting will start in about an hour. Go prepare the tea and snack buffet."
Touta nodded with a smile. "Yes, yes. Understood, boss."
"Heya! I'm the boss around here!" Jinbei protested.
"Oh, yeah," Touta said with indifference. "Sorry about that Jinbei-jiisan. It's easy to forget that detail when all you ever do is slacking off and go missing for months."
When Touta turned, he saw Jinbei had already sat at one of the Zabuton cushions. He began slamming his palm on the long table like an impatient customer at a bar.
"Anyway, bring the sake, Touta!"
Touta and Kuromaru blinked in disconcert. Just a couple of minutes ago, Jinbei's arms were restrained by the rope Gengorou tied him up with. At that moment, Gengorou looked at said rope he was holding with his right hand and just noticed the other end was neatly untied.
"Are you an escape artist?" the three younger immortals delivered a tsukkomi at their leader.
"Forget that," Jinbei waved his hand. "Bring the sake now, Touta!"
Touta raised an eyebrow as he made a sarcastic grin. "So that you throw up and pass out in the middle of a meeting again? Not a chance, geezer."
Jinbei let out a disappointed 'Aww' as Touta left the shining meeting room and headed to the kitchen. Kuromaru was about to follow behind Touta, but was stopped when Gengorou grabbed her by the shoulder.
"Hold on, Kuromaru-kun," Gengorou intercepted. "I think you should stay here. After all, your presence is essential to today's meeting."
"Eh," Kuromaru frowned. "Why is that?"
To her surprise, Jinbei patted her head. "'Cause yar the first Yata no Karasu to show up in 400 years. That's big news!"
"What," Kuromaru slapped Jinbei's hand away. "I-I thought we were going to leave that information for the immortals here…"
Gengorou bowed his head slightly. "My apologies, Kuromaru-kun. However, we are obligated to let England's division of immortals of when we find and take in a new immortal. Especially if it's one as rare as you."
"Oh, well," Kuromaru sighed. "I suppose it cannot be helped, then."
Gengorou softly patted her shoulder. "Still, this information is classified for this meeting. You can be assured that no one else here or other branches will know the truth about you. Unless you officially join UQ Holder, that is."
"I-I understand. Everything is fine, in that case," Kuromaru made a small smile although the ends of her eyebrows were lowered."Although, I do not think I can do much besides introducing myself to those Western immortals. The Yata no Karasu do not get deeply involved with anything or anyone in the mainland."
"That I understand," Gengorou crossed his arms and nodded. "However, there's a few of them who might want to have a long talk with you. After all, you're not the only remnant of the Age of the Gods we have in our organization currently."
Kuromaru's eyes widened slightly. "You mean… I may be about to meet someone similar to my kind?"
Jinbei and Gengorou walked through the bridge that connected the island of Fairyland Hall to the much bigger Library Island. A few meters behind them, Kuromaru was quietly following the two immortal men. In the meantime, Kuromaru's mind wandered.
"Immortals from England… I do wonder what kind of immortals are there… Remember to stay calm, me. I always get easily nervous when meeting new people. But today I will be representing the Yata no Karasu for this meeting. Keep a dignified stance! Dignified!" Kuromaru slapped her own cheeks to keep herself calm. Kuromaru subconsciously looked around as if expecting someone to be near her. "Ahh… How long does it take to prepare that snack buffet? At times like this, having Touta-kun around so he can make one of his silly jokes would take some pressure off this situation…"
"Gengorou, I greet you. I see you managed to bring Jinbei today. You have my congratulations."
Kuromaru heard a masculine voice she had never heard before.
In front of the library building, there was a man of about the same height as Gengorou. His physical appearance was fairly young; in his mid-twenties at the oldest. He had short black hair, dark skin and was dressed in black western-style clothes and a red coat.
Jinbei patted the dark-skinned man on the shoulder as if he was greeting a good friend. "Yo, Juuzou. How long has it been? A year?"
"It would be less if you showed to the meetings more frequently," the dark-skinned man spoke. "And I told you that I currently go by Shimas."
In contrast with Jinbei's informal behavior, Gengorou bowed his head. "Welcome to Fairyland Hall once again, Shimas-san. From what I see, you are the only one who came today too."
"Oh, about that. The others are usually busy but," Shimas made a pause when he spotted the black-haired girl in waiter uniform standing nearby. Even though his face was expressionless, his eyes widened slightly when he took a look at her face. "This child… Could this one be-?"
"That's right, Juuzou," Jinbei smirked. "This is the Yata no Karasu we talked ya about."
Even though she had told herself to stay calm, Kuromaru was already sweating from the nerves. "G-Greetings," she said a bit too loudly. "My name is Hinosaka Kuromaru. As you must have heard, I am a Yata no Karasu. My race are the only kami with corporeal form left in Japan."
Shimas stepped forward and leaned forward to see Kuromaru eye-to-eye. "A Yatagarasu… Even with the way the world is now, I had not expected the Japanese branch would have a real kami joining them."
"Ah, no," Kuromaru waved her hand in denial. "I am just obligated to work here because of a debt. There were these large machines in the city and I sort of destroyed them and a part of the city," she shook her head. No need to go into details about how she ended up there. "It is a long story. In conclusion, I have not joined the division of immortals."
"I see," Shimas simply said. From the looks of it, he wasn't the expressive or talkative type.
"U-Um," Kuromaru did her best to continue the conversation. "But you are a member of the immortal division in England, Shimas-dono."
"Yes," Shimas nodded. "I am the second ranking immortal in Athanasia."
"Athanasia?" Kuromaru tilted her head.
"That's the name of their branch's immortal division," Gengorou clarified. "Every immortal division has a different name according to their nation. UQ Holder is our name because UQ sounds like 'yuukyuu' (eternity)."
"Eh," Kuromaru's eyes turned to the side. "A name like Athanasia sounds more like a group many would take more seriously compared to UQ Whatever, if you ask me." She commented on her mind before speaking again. "T-Then, Shimas-dono. May I ask what kind of immortal are you?"
Shimas was meditative for a second before answering. "I will give you a demonstration."
From his right pocket, Shimas brought out a small piece of copper. After lifting his red coat, he revealed a leather book. It was tied to the left side of his waist by a then chain. Shimas took the book into his left hand and opened it. The letters written on the book started glowing.
Kuromaru stared in awe at what happened before her eyes. The piece of copper in Shimas' right hand was changing shape. It moved as if it had turned liquid. The copper continued morphing until it transformed into a beautiful rose. Shimas offered the copper flower to Kuromaru who accepted it by slowly taking it into her hands.
"This is the power of my alchemy," Shimas said.
Kuromaru carefully examined the copper rose she had just been given. "Alchemy… I did not know there were still those who practiced that nowadays. My people told me magic had completely taken over the hidden side of the Western world."
"That was true," Shimas affirmed. "Things have started to change since magic became public. I took that chance to bring the study of alchemy back after centuries. Currently, I am the headmaster of the only alchemy academy in England and the entire world."
From the look in Kuromaru's eyes, she was genuinely impressed by what she heard. "Then, that means you are a human who became immortal through alchemy. To tell the truth, my people did not believe that was possible. They said the most mortals could achieve through those means was extending their lifespan for a few decades."
"I am proof that is was possible." Shimas was still expressionless, but he still gave off his aura of pride.
"Ya bet," Jinbei intercepted the conversation. "Juuzou here has lived even longer than me!"
"Jinbei, I go by Shimas, now…" Shimas said in deadpan.
"That is a surprise," Kuromaru said with a shy smile. "Alchemy must be much more powerful than what my people believed…"
For a second, Kuromaru thought she saw Shimas making a smile. Even if an ironic one. "Of course, alchemy still isn't a power that can match that of beings from the Age of the Gods. I may be second in rank at Athanasia, but the two immortals below me are many times more powerful than I could ever be."
"Really," Kuromaru raised her eyebrows in surprise. "What kind of immortals are they?" her lips tightened. "Could be…?"
"Yes. The third rank… He's-"
The surroundings became pitch black. A dark mass that resembled shadows rose from the ground and encased the entire Library Island like a dome. Soon, the sky was completely blocked by the mysterious dark mantle.
To bring light in the darkness, Kuromaru brought out one of her paper charms from her pockets and used it to create a flame.
"What is the world-?! Could this be an enemy attack? More debt collectors?!"
Kuromaru was running around the dark space. She was expecting something bad would jump at her and the immortal men of the meeting. Meanwhile, Jinbei, Gengorou and Shimas looked perfectly calm.
"It is something way worse, I am afraid," Shimas said while his face and voice were still emotionless.
"So, he is joining the meeting today. That's rare," Gengorou commented, sounding indifferent.
"Fashionably late. That's so like him," Jinbei rolled his eyes while he picked his nose.
"Who in the world is he?!" Kuromaru demanded to know.
"AH HA HA HA HA HA!"
The atmosphere was filled by the echo of a high-sounding and haughty laughter. A giant spotlight created from a gap in the dome made of darkness illuminated the top of the library building.
"WHO AM I, YOU ASK? NOT KNOWING THE MOST VALUABLE SPECIMEN IN THE PLANET IS PITIABLE!"
Someone was standing at the rooftop of the library. From the physical appearance, he didn't look that tall. In fact, he had the appearance of a teenager boy; at most one or two years older than Touta's eternal fourteen years. A complete contrast with the bombastic voice that announced his presence.
The boy's fashion sense perceived from his outfit was quite… peculiar. Similar to the alchemist Shimas, the boy was wearing black clothes with pants and a long coat, except the design was clearly military with golden decorations and buttons. On top of his head, there was a black fedora hat and beneath it, one could see blond hair almost reaching the shoulders. Possibly the most distinct feature of the costume was the glittery glove covering the right hand.
Normally, that boy would be the kind of person Kuromaru would label a weirdo she could never take seriously. However, the abysmally dark aura that Kuromaru sensed from that boy shocked her to the core. "You are…?! It can't be…!"
The boy on the rooftop made a haughty grin. Next, the dome of darkness encasing Library Island disappeared. No, instead the darkness had changed its shape. Hundreds of dark lances were floating around the island. And they were all targeting Kuromaru.
Kuromaru didn't try to run away nor she gave a step back. Yet, sweat was running down her face as her eyes stared at the dark lances. "What is the meaning of this? I was told this was a mere meeting."
The blond boy was looking Kuromaru from above with a smug expression. "That is for the fake immortals that came after the fall of the gods. You are a Yata no Karasu, aren't you? Then you must have already realized what I am! How about we test the comparison of power between our races a little?"
"Hey," Shimas rose his voice for the first time. "Even for you this is going too far, energy vampire."
"Silence, third-rated pseudoscientist! If this oversized bird is really descended from the Age of the Gods, this should not kill her! At least, not too much! You three should stay at least twenty meters away if you don't want me to kill insects like you by accident."
"I understand," Kuromaru said firmly. "I shall never decline an opportunity to prove the supreme power of the solar crow race. Especially against a creature of darkness," she said the last part with a touch of disdain.
"Jinbei-san…" Gengorou was about to pull out a weapon from his magic storage, but Jinbei grabbed his shoulder. From the strangely serious look in Jinbei's face, Gengorou could tell he was saying to not intervene. This was Kuromaru's challenge.
As if answering that statement, the shikigami Asama took off flying from Jinbei's shoulder and reached her owner side.
"Asama, my sword."
Kuromaru's tsurugi sword came out of Asama's chest jewel and the shikigami changed back to her paper crane form. Kuromaru grabbed the sword handle and pulled out several paper charms from her pocket.
The Yata no Karasu miko threw a defying glare at the boy that had been called an energy vampire. The boy's smug grin widened as he swung his arm. As if obeying a command, the hundreds of black lances floating around the island rained down on Kuromaru at high speed.
*BAAM*
The sound of a huge collision was heard even miles away from Library Island. Back in the meeting room in Fairyland Hall, Touta stopped preparing the buffet of fruits and snacks. Thanks to his sensitive vampire hearing, he knew that alarming sound came from Library Island, where his fellow Japanese immortals had gone to receive the Western immortals. Touta's mind became filled with one thought.
"Kurou-rin…!"
Back at Library Island, the big curtain of smoke caused by the collision made impossible to tell what had happened. The last thing anyone had seen was the black lances falling down right above Kuromaru. Could she be….?
The blond boy who had thrown down the lances kept looking down at the scene from the rooftop of the great library. For a second, it appeared like his eyes showed a hint of disillusionment. That was until the smoke finally cleared. His expression changed back to his smug smirk.
"I see you are undoubtedly a sun crow."
The hundreds of black lances had all been stopped by five giant magic shields shaped like sun symbols. Each shield was protecting Kuromaru in every direction; both sides, the front, the back and above. Standing at the center of the large shields, Kuromaru had made her left hand into a mudra and held her tsurugi sword in front of her as she recited a chant. Soon, the black lances that were colliding against the sun shields broke and disappeared in the air.
All the lances were gone, Kuromaru took a moment to gasp for air. It was obvious the technique she just used left her exhausted, but she would never allow herself to let her enemy see her weak. Even though she was sweating and panting, she didn't lose her defiant glare.
*clap* *clap*
The blond boy in military clothes was clapping his hands as he slowly floated down from the roof of the library.
"Not bad, Yata no Karasu. After so many centuries, I had thought your race's techniques against god-class shadow magic would have gotten rusty. Looks like that's not the case, not entirely."
Kuromaru didn't let her guard down. She got into battle stance with her sword and papers charms on her hands.
"Are we… going to continue?"
The blond boy didn't say anything. He only made the arrogant smile that seemed to be his default expression. Then, the shadow that the boy's body made on the ground expanded. It resembled a black vortex that rapidly absorbed the boy.
"I believe we shouldn't. This prestigious library could turn into ruins in a matter of seconds."
Kuromaru wasn't sure when it happened. Just a microsecond after the boy had disappeared in his own shadow, he had reappeared right on Kuromaru's left side. The boy's fingers were playing with some of Kuromaru's loose raven black hair.
"And it would leave a bad taste in my mouth to mangle such beautiful creature," the boy's fingers entangled Kuromaru's hair and he got it closer to his lips, as if attempting to kiss it.
"Do not touch me so easily!" Kuromaru swung her sword at the blond boy.
The blond boy didn't bother to move and dodge Kuromaru's sword. His upper body was cut in two. Yet, there was no blood. Instead, a strange dark matter came out of the slashed parts of the torso. The black substance reattached the two halves of the boy's upper body in less than a second.
"Then, it is true," Kuromaru said between gritted teeth. "You are one of those shadow fiends created by one of the first 'gods' that came to this world."
"Shadow fiend?" the blond boy's eyes narrowed, but he didn't lose the smugness in his face. "I would like to avoid such crude terms between us, Yata no Karasu. As one of the last remnants of the Age of the Gods, we should act more dignifiedly. I know you think that," he said as his grin widened.
Kuromaru's glare intensified. "You…!"
"Kurou-rin!"
Touta's voice called. The boy in waiter uniform had just crossed the bridge connecting Fairyland Hall to Library Island. From the looks of it, he had run enough to be a little out of air. When he saw the blond boy, Touta's eyes looked like he had seen the worst surprise of all.
"The Noble?! What the hell-?!"
"Oh, look who's here. The bat that those ignorant call a vampire," the blond boy said with a hint of mockery.
Touta only looked somewhat annoyed at the 'greeting.' When he noticed the close distance between the blond boy and Kuromaru, Touta's eyes became filled with rage. "Did you do something to that person?!"
"Nothing that concerns a janitor like you," the blond boy waved his hand dismissively. "I was just doing part of my individual job as a member of Athanasia. I needed to verify if this Yata no Karasu really possesses god-class power before moving on to our exclusive meeting."
"Exclusive meeting?" Kuromaru held the blade of her sword in front of the blond boy's throat. "I have not heard anything about that. And why should I have to that with you of all people."
"Oh, yes," the blond boy tilted his head. "I have yet to properly introduce myself."
The blond boy gave two steps forward. His neck passed right through Kuromaru's blade, yet there were no signs of blood or injury. Only a thin black circle around the boy's neck that vanished in an instant. The boy took off his fedora hat and made a courtly bow in front of Kuromaru.
"I am the third in rank at the immortal division of England, Athanasia. I am also the one in charge of overseeing any matter related to the Age of the Gods since I am the only immortal who lived in that lost time period. As you must have figured out, I am an Edimmu; an emotion vampire. My name is Nikitis Laps."