I own none of the works that may appear in this piece of fanfiction.

A sullen apprehension cut through the air.

A moment of dull quietness spread which seemingly suppressed all sounds as the chamber itself froze because of the sharp tension which permeated the very air itself as self-fashioned titans faced each other with normal men caught in between. Words need not be spoken to portray the trepidation and fear that pervaded the atmosphere.

The most unfortunate were humans caught in between, normal men if Lelouch was correctly reading the state of mana inside them. They knelt before him, his mere presence given birth from his unnatural temperament overwhelming their natural instinct and freezing them in place.

They were lambs awaiting slaughter, caught between their almighty masters with powers unknown and the homunculus created by a being who transcended the gods themselves. They thought about the future and realized it was enshrouded by darkness. They felt dread. They felt fear.

Lelouch glanced at them and they bowed even lower, hands quivering even as the cold gaze of what at that moment seemed to be death itself froze them in place before his gaze turned towards the group of men who had just entered the chambers where he had awoken.

Sorcerers and Magicians— Lelouch instantly understood, his face emotionless even as he discretely glanced at them with covert inquisitiveness, taking particular note to not let his interest show. The mana inside of them was faint, a thin whisp of power so very unremarkable that he would have thought them to be almost harmless had he not known any better. But then again, he had stood before the likes of Aleister Crowley, and compared to such monsters— these humans no matter how strong would always appear weak to him.

Lelouch understood that he was almost disenchanted, his sense of what he considered the norm was distorted beyond measure but he also knew that magicians, regardless of how unremarkable they may appear to be, would always remain dangerous.

"Ho?" One of the hooded men spoke out loud, after a single moment of impasse. "What is this? A functional homunculus preserved in such a place with such perfection. This is quite unexpected."

They all glanced at him, eyes narrowing in a cold repulsive gaze devoid of any emotion almost as if they were looking at an interesting subject to be experimented upon rather than a fellow human. Moving as one, the group of mages walked forward, passing rows upon rows of men who were bowing low before them. The apprehension coming from the bowing men, obviously servants of some sort, were palpable and the magicians remained aloof obviously used to such behaviour.

The way of magic was unknown to him and just by taking a cursory glance, Lelouch could tell that he was out of his depth here.

Lelouch could feel the heavy attention focused on him, he instinctively knew what they were thinking. Searing him with their derision and laughing at the idea that the doll before them could even gaze upon them in such a way as if he was somehow their equal instead of a mere experiment.

One would think that that would be a little much to assume from a couple of stares…but Lelouch knew what those looks felt like, he knew them at an intrinsic level.

They were levelled upon him all the time, once. And he could never forget them, no matter how much someone tried to hide their complete disregard for his humanity.

Even a lifetime before through the ordeal of his mother's death, his sister's injury, and his father's denunciation, Lelouch had gained the most important insight up till that point in his life—that the protected existence he led was an illusion. That the palace, with its crystal fountains and luscious gardens and smiling servants and atriums filled with butterflies and songbirds was no paradise, but a coliseum, where lions and men prowled and plotted to set upon and tear him to pieces, as they had recently done with the two people dearest to him in the world.

There was no help coming, no one left to protect him aside from himself, a lone King without any pieces against a board full of foes, every route cut off, and all the audience waiting for his final turn before the inevitable checkmate.

"No, this is no homunculus." spoke another clad with a curious tone that was laced with a subtle reprimand aimed at his own apparent comrade. "Only True Miracles can protect such an intimation of mankind from the wheels of time. This tomb has been sealed for centuries and eons, and that path of magic has been lost since the dawn of the world itself. Anything organic would have turned to dust a long time ago.."

He was correct in a wrapped sense, this vast chamber had apparently been sealed for centuries as far as Lelouch could tell, and there was no conventional magic capable of preserving human life for so long. Such a venture fell into the realm of True Miracles, the highest class of magic which surpassed all human sorcery and all current sciences which actualized an impossible phenomenon that could not be reproduced, even if given an infinite amount of time and resources.

The complete preservation of life was certainly not amongst them, but Lelouch could understand this ignorance. It was not exactly an ordinary study, and the unawareness of these modern magicians was certainly working in his favour.

"A product of the bounded field that protects this temple then." added another, deep in thought as he gazed at Lelouch curiously. "A human-shaped interface created to act as a bridge interpreter between the user and the Temple…"

"Or perhaps this may be an actual spirit…" another interjected, "An imprint of the past yet to fade or a phantom bound to this world via external intervention."

All of them once again glanced at him as one, and Lelouch had to suppress the revulsion that rose inside of him as he was once again examined as if he were an object. But he stood unmoving, standing gracefully despite the piercing eyes of a few wannabe lions and an accompanying pack of hyenas.

"Is this really so important that we must waste our precious time contemplating the origins of what seems to be an artificial man?" The mage at the front frowned and turned towards his companions. "We cannot bear being distracted here by a mere remanent. We must not forget our objective, the true treasure yet remains ahead."

Everyone turned towards the mage in question at but made no move to refute what he had said. A murmur arose as some turned towards Lelouch, whispering something to their immediate companion with a few sneers that soon fell quiet.

Lelouch never looked up, keeping his eyes on the floor, the very image of a wayward humbled into submission by his master and repenting his transgressions even as his mind raced over what he had heard. Judging from what the man had mentioned about their objective…

"The treasury is in Ashlakdite." He spoke, his amethyst eyes focused on the man in front who had just now reprimanded this entire party.

Judging from the way others mages held themselves around him, Lelouch could deduce that this man was the leader of this troupe. There was a certain arrogance in his tone, the kind that could only be found in true nobles he was more than acquainted with.

The leader furrowed his brows at the sudden sound of his voice.

The eyes of the mages immediately widened and immediately snapped towards his direction at the sound of his voice. They stopped talking and instantly quietened down, even as the ordinary men below bowed even lower, trembling all the while.

"Ashlakdite…" He spoke after a moment, turning towards Lelouch only after taking his time to measure his words. "What exactly do you mean?"

"The treasure of Solomon that you seek is at Ashlakdite." Lelouch told them the location of the treasury for the second time, making sure to keep his voice emotionless.

In truth, he had just said a distorted, mashed, name of whatever words came to his mind at that moment. It was a random word, one that seemed incoherent and strange even to his own ears. How was he supposed to know where the treasury of Solomon's Temple was?

Moreover, honesty was the farthest thing in his mind truth be told. He was focused on his own survival and was more than prepared to say anything that came to his mind, no matter how unintelligible or idiotic, in order to seize the interest that might ensure his safety.

"Ashla… Ashlak…Ashlakdite…" One of them muttered, trying to pronounce the random word he had just heard. "The damn pronunciation is strange and the word structure sounds completely foreign!"

"Do you not know of it?" Lelouch asked, turning towards the speaker. "Here, I shall write it down."

Offering to write it down, he raised his hand and wrote on the air itself— a useful trick that he had learned when deciphering grimoires. He did not have any visible tools to write with, but there was pure mana running in the air around him. It was the greater magical energy found in the atmosphere of the world, the breath of the planet permeating nature produced by the world through a network of Ley Lines.

Manipulating this ever-present power and concentrating it on the tip of his finger, Lelouch smoothly wrote the word in the empty air itself—

በझिግዕ ॡैदॄ ም

The first word was in the native Britannian that only those in the original world knew and the second was in High Enoch, a language he had learned from the Holy Guardian Angel Aiwass.

Lelouch subtly glanced at them from the corner of his eyes to see the reaction, he had to take careful note of their actions considering the rough plan he had in mind.

"Hey, I need some light. Bring that flashlight closer and turn up its intensity."

At the leader's command, one of the magicians rummaged through his pockets, and soon a beam of white light illuminated the entire chamber with its radiance. It was a flashlight, but it almost resembled the sort he had seen in his Britannia rather than those he had grown accustomed to in London.

Just as Lelouch's gaze was drawn to the flashlight these strangers had used, the magicians were all drawn toward the words Lelouch had inscribed upon empty air. An unknown language was an unparalleled allure to these mages who sought the mysteries of the world.

"I have no idea…" One of them whispered, before turning towards his companion. "Were there ever letters shaped like this?"

They turned towards each other and started whispering, completely ignoring Lelouch and the humans kneeling around them in a display of carelessness that almost left him dumbfounded. Just from this, Lelouch was able to infer that these magi were not professionals but rather simple researchers who had never stepped foot outside their workshops.

"None of us here are professional etymologists." One of them stated, stepping forward to examine the fading inscription. "But the fact is languages and words have an influence on a created phenomenon cannot be denied. I can sense such an influence here."

Another whispered, "Even the shape of characters seems to be completely unique."

The magicians made a commotion as they gathered around what the inscription Lelouch had created.

Lelouch had deciphered numerous grimoires by now. He understood the principles of the language and knew how one would go around when trying to decipher a linguistic code. It was an art he was versed in, though he had never imagined he would use it in such a situation.

He had grown intimate with the way a generic magician would approach a piece of conundrum based on etymology, which was why he was absolutely certain that none of these fools here would be able to comprehend what he had written.

How did he know this? Because he had written that piece of text using a random amalgamation of completely foreign languages, most of which should have been completely unknown to these magicians.

"It is natural for you to not comprehend these words, for this is the script of fell demons that lay beyond mortal. In order to completely secure his treasury, Solomon used these inscriptions to seal his treasure."

There was a pause at his words as if the magi found it hard to believe what he had just said.

"Demons?"

The existence taken by daemons or demons was in essence indistinguishable from that of a being of a higher order that inhabits a separate sphere of existence. The very concept of daemons was generally treated by humanity as the greatest of obstacles, yet some view them as necessary evils. So as God is to omniscience and omnipotence, so as daemons as an existence are to human awareness and impotence. They are to humans as an abyss that lies within arm's reach, yet decisively beyond comprehension

Lelouch suppressed the smirk which threatened to grace his lips as he saw the dumbfounded looks on the faces of these magicians. The usage of such heavy words had enraptured these men as intended.

"Indeed." He mechanically nodded, "The vault would not open to those who do not understand the language and this simply is but one of the numerous defences that protect the Temple, the others would not be so easy to bypass."

"So according to you, we, uh…" One of the magicians at the back hesitated, as if unsure about how to address him, "Need to understand this language to open the vault?"

"Indeed, that and much more."

"Hmmm."

The magician who apparently lead this group furrowed his brows and turned towards his companions with a small frown on his face.

No sound reached him, but Lelouch knew that these magicians were clearly communicating under the cover of what seemed to be a basic people-clearing field.

— Right now, these people were most probably contemplating the benefits his continued breaths would bring, they were probably considering if simply murdering him in cold blood would bring them any harm. Yet, Lelouch watched them all without any emotion.

They might have promised to spare his life if he prostrated himself and begged for mercy. But Lelouch knew that would have been a big fat lie, he could tell the true nature of someone just from observing them and these magicians were colder than even the cruellest of tyrants.

So accordingly, he had to give them a reason to keep him alive.

"We have considered the information recently presented to us." The leader turned towards him when their conversation was finished, the other falling quietly in line behind him. "And in lieu of recent revelations, I wish to propose a fair trade— information and assistance in exchange for safety and protection."

The magicians had fallen for his trap nicely.

"I think we can be good friends." The magician smiled amicably, or at the very least tried doing so. "As a start, I want to know why did you freely reveal this interesting piece of information and where is this Ashlakdite, exactly?"

Lelouch nodded at the mage, inwardly rejoicing at his decision even as he elegantly let his hand rest on his chest and bowed his head in a curtsey so perfect, so elegant that it left them all seemingly mesmerized. He would play along with their theories for now.

"I am helping you because this was what I was meant to do. The star of knowledge shined when I was created, and so my purpose is revelation. I am the system that exists as the sole simple guide of this temple— the automata known as L.L."

His amethyst eyes flashed, unbidden the image of a pious man making a deal with the devil flashed through his mind even as the magicians subconsciously gulped, a cold shiver of trepidation ran through their backs because of reasons unknown.

"As for your other question, the passage to the treasury is located where I was originally at. This very chamber leads to the treasury which countless men have sought."

His words seem to placate the group of magicians, and the one who had put forth the theory of Lelouch being a human-shaped interface for the bounded fields of this Temple even grinned in triumph, the arrogance of his posture increasing even as his partners all discretely glanced at him.

It was only natural, after all these were men who had devoted themselves to supernatural research. They were simple humans who tried to rationalize actual miracles through human logic using simple magic. They were the kind of men who would start grasping at any explanation they could find when faced with a confusing problem.

"This chamber?" The leader continued, "There was nothing here when we last checked."

"That is not so." Lelouch answered, "This chamber is protected by a peerless bounded field which would only cease its function when it receives an authorized command ordering it to do so. There exists a secret passage which enshrouded by that bounded field."

His words seemingly struck a chord in the heart of the magicians, and their indecision clearly wavered as they glanced at each other with helpless eyes. Their woeful attempts to hide their true thoughts were downright pitiful in Lelouch's humble opinion, though he could understand why they tried.

"A bounded field hiding a secret passage..." The leader muttered sharing the indecision that had seemingly struck his subordinates, and Lelouch almost thought that his ruse had been unsuccessful when the magician seemingly shook his head in a trance. But then he looked at Lelouch and grinned, the gears inside his head turning almost audibly as his lips parting in a wicked grin that stretched across his entire mouth. "It seems that I may yet have need of your support. Come with us."

The group of mages moved forward as one following their leader as he walked towards the deeper depths of the chamber Lelouch inside which had woken in.

These men seemingly had no idea about the protections guarding this treasure they sought, and neither did they appear to know where exactly it was located. Lelouch was lucky since he had no idea where it could possibly be either.

If they had told him to lead them to the treasury immediately, he probably would have been murdered on the spot a moment. Fortunately, he was given enough time to gather himself.

In other words, it meant that if he had been caught lying to them then he really would have been in a fatal situation. These people were not joking around. But he had passed the initial crisis.

To live or to die. That was the question.

Lelouch barely got past the first obstacle.

By any means, he had to stay alive.

"Aiwass, I assume that you have already secured the means through which I can survive this but even so, I need information. I need everything you know about this Temple."

The group of magicians continued to walk through the chamber Lelouch was in, walking behind Lelouch as he led them through the darkness.

"Is he really speaking the truth…?"

"Yeah. We are not some groups of thieves. We should just try to remove the bounded fields protecting the Temple instead of wasting time and depending upon an artificial interface to search for the treasure…"

"I don't know about you guys, but I agree with the leader. Nothing bad about getting a bit more assistance…"

"Moreover, this guide or whatever he actually is would make a wonderful research specimen would he not? It would be a waste if we do not study him closely."

Lelouch could hear the magicians talking up ahead, with no regard to the fact that he could hear their conversation just as well.

Lelouch did not care about the fact that they were talking about him, he had known that he could become the subject of much controversy and suspicion regardless of how his ploy played out but he wished that they would at the very least speak in a tone he could not hear.

It was not that hard. They had all the arrogance of the Britannian nobles he so despised, yet they possessed none of their manners.

Moreover, he had long learned that these magicians who had unexpectedly broken into the chamber his body was located in were particularly competent either, not that he particularly wished them to be.

They radiated the naivety of amateurs— the fact that they had been forced to hire a group of normal humans as guides and then proceeded to scare so thoroughly showed how thoughtlessly they acted. Lelouch could tell that this was the very first time they had embarked on such a venture, and he was all the more fortunate for it.

The blades of their resolve were jagged and their movements screamed of carelessness.

"Dear guide, it seems my comrades are a bit impatient." One of the magicians who was following Lelouch informed him with a mocking snicker.

"I apologize." Lelouch emotionlessly stated, purposely trying to sound as mechanical as he could be. "I shall try harder to walk faster but this cannot be rushed."

"A nice and fast response. That's good."

He was talking to him as if Lelouch were his inferior and the same sense of disgust once again rose inside of him.

Lelouch had now decided. He would definitely destroy that proud face of his. He shall drag this man's face in the mud before plunging him into despair. He would not go easy on him even if he begged for mercy later. Look forward to it, arrogant mage.

"It seems that my companions are suspicious that you are trying to trick us." The leader spoke, walking closer as he noticed the conversation. "We magicians can't help it, caution comes naturally to use which is why they suspect that you are purposely stalling for time..."

"That is not feasible." Lelouch immediately responded, as if he were stating a fact. "Deception was not programmed into me. The probability of a sudden betrayal is in fact infinitesimal."

They visibly relaxed at his words, the fact that he completely denied the very possibility of betrayal seemed to have placated the mages for now. But he knew that the respite was only temporary, it was getting increasingly clear that these magicians were becoming increasingly impatient.

Everything he had said was a lie.

An absolute lie.

There was no advantage he would gain from telling them the truth. Lelouch knew these men were probably prepared to deal with him at the moment they had seen him. They only sheathed their weapons because they wanted something from the treasury.

However, no human could dislike convenience, especially such magicians whose pride and arrogance clouded their rationality. People who resembled the wretched nobles from his world were the easiest to manipulate in that retrospect.

"I apologize for the inconvenience. But we must continue moving towards the vault without any further delay."

But despite his words, the magicians did not increase their pace nor did they even acknowledge his words. But Lelouch knew how alluring certain words were.

There was a saying that says the scariest animal on Earth were humans, but Lelouch thought the opposite. Humans were the animals that he felt most reassured with.

He could not trick a bear and if he encountered a wild leopard then the least a weakling like him could do was get killed.

But humans…

Humans could be deceived.

Through a performance, one could play with the hearts of others and though he did not wish to admit it, Lelouch was born with a talent to deceive people. Personally, he did not think it was a desirable skill.

But circumstances said otherwise.

If these adventurers had not threatened his life. If they had approached him with a bit more sincerity…

Then perhaps he would not have had to bare his fangs.

"Everyone— please consider this seriously. If take too much time, other interested groups may catch up to us." Lelouch began his performance with those words

"What?"

"As you all know, there is not a single magician alive who could resist the allure of Solomon's inheritance. As much as it may appear to be an empty temple from the outside, it has been placed under the observation of interested powers for a long time now, as is natural. The fact it has been breached recently must not have escaped the notice of factions who have a vested interest in such affairs. It must have surely alerted them by now. This may trouble you all but please do not disregard my warnings…"

The groups of magi gave each other unsettled looks at his words, his words leaving a subtle reminder that shook them all. The implications…

There had been no apparent protections guarding this temple other than the bounded fields which apparently remained inert for all intends and purposes unless somebody actively interfered with their functions. However, there existed something far more dangerous than any mechanical guards and ruthless monsters could ever be.

Other humans…

"Damn it. I had not considered that." A magician cursed.

"Not good. This is not good…" another muttered, "We just entered the Temple and you're now telling me that we now have to compete with other magicians. Don't joke with me."

"There's no certainty that other magicians would come after us but I can't deny it either." The leader whispered.

A venomous seed of panic had already been planted into them. They had taken his falsehoods seriously, far more seriously than he had expected.

"Everyone."

Lelouch spoke in a calm voice, unhindered by the panic. Their gazes were naturally drawn to him as his charisma stole their attention.

"How about making our way to the vault first? There is not a lot of time and we can discuss such things while moving. It is better not to waste our lead."

In their mind, he was required to open the treasure vault and that gave them a reason to keep him by their side. Furthermore, Lelouch was able to reassure them, however minutely.

That subconsciously gave them the false impression that he was on their side. Circumstances were currently favourable. However, two problems remained.

The first problem was the fact that Lelouch had no idea whether this treasure even existed at all. As soon as they found out that he had lied, they would murder him. The second problem was the fact that he had to rid of this group of magicians.

If he could not solve these two problems then his fate would yet remain uncertain. Lelouch led these mages with such dark thoughts festering in his mind and they too followed him nary a whisper, subdued and alerted by the prospect of an enemy chasing after them.

If anything, the quietness made the walk much more pleasant and he was finally able to calmly concentrate on the knowledge Aiwass had whispered to him. He appreciated the calm— the layout of the Temple was strange and navigating this chamber was akin to walking through a city-sized maze.

The chamber was much much larger than he could have ever imagined, apparently full of unseen treasures that would turn kings green with envy. Yet a forlorn sense of doom hung above them, as claws of darkness threatened to plunge themselves into the minds of his companions, temporary ones if his plan worked.

Which was why he did not speak even as they reached the end of the chamber. Instead, he simply followed what Aiwass had told him, and calmly touched the marble wall before him.

A simple action, that opened up the fabled treasury of Solomon himself.

The treasury of Solomon was a miserable wreck and the subsequent displeasure was clearly apparent on the face of each magician that had followed him, and Lelouch did not need his exceptional observation to deduce what they must have been experiencing.

It was one of those times one felt a sense of loss, even though they did not have something in the first place. But Lelouch would be a hypocrite to think lesser of them for it, for he too had been struck by it before— a sense of loss for something he never had.

"Is there really treasure here?" growled the leader as he turned towards him, anger was written all over his face but try as he might he could not perfectly mask the disappointment that accompanied.

Lelouch did not immediately answer, his sharp eyes observing the man for a tense moment even as his companions shuffled behind him in growing agitation and nervously.

"Of course." Lelouch slowly stated, his amethyst glancing at all the magicians. "Trees that are slow to grow sometimes bear the sweetest fruit. Impatience is the enemy here."

Turning around to face the space that had been opened by his previous actions, Lelouch gazed at the small opening that had appeared before him— a small gap barely large enough to house a man that was barely visible against the vast walls of the chamber he had woken up in.

This chamber looked as if it had been plundered many times already, something Lelouch could easily imagine considering the infamy of its creator. It was completely barren and abandoned.

It was hard to imagine that there was a treasure vault in this mess, but life had a penchant for betraying expectations as Lelouch had more than once learned in his life.

He closed his eyes, feeling the hum of potent mana in the air that whispered songs of power into his ears. It tried to lure him with false promises of strength and temptations of might with which he would be able to complete his ideals. It was mana, pure and unadulterated that responded to his call.

"Hurry up and open up this Ashlakdite or whatever." The leader prompted, his impatience apparent, "We do not have much time"

Lelouch simply nodded. "Yes. Do not worry, this should soon be over."

His delicate brows furrowed and his step wavered for a moment as he purposely sighed, making sure to exaggerate the moment. The core point of this act was to obtain sympathy and observe the reactions. If he borrowed another person's shoulder here, then there was a chance that they might see him as annoying.

The mages barely reacted, only a single of them frowned but the other remained unmoving. Even so, Lelouch could see that they were concerned if only because of the fact that he was the only lead they had.

He went to the open space, making sure to exaggerate his moments.

"Everyone, it is here."

"Oh?" The leader spoke, unable to hide the surprise that flashed through his eyes, "All I see before me is a wall and I cannot see anything else."

"There is a carving inside which is visible only to authorized administrators. If an intruder were to place his hand on that carving and use a certain evocation, then the vault would open."

Lelouch lied seamlessly without missing a beat.

The group of magi had intrigued expressions on their faces.

"Oh…"

The word Solomon held an irresistible allure for all those who walked upon the path of mystery. How could it not when it stood as the symbol of one who had achieved perfection in an aspect that eluded magicians even today after a thousand and more years had passed?

The fact that this group of magicians for all its arrogance was scavenging the abandoned tomb of a man long dead told Lelouch all he needed to know. The majority of these men most probably grew up hearing legends of Solomon. If he were to tell them that this was magic woven by Solomon, then they would simply nod with an amazed look.

"I apologize for the trouble, but please move ten steps away from me." Lelouch requested.

"Why?"

"Only somebody blessed with a given authority can freely command the bounded fields protecting the vault. They would never reveal what is stored inside if the purity of the space is stained by an outsider's presence. If a mistake were to happen, a defensive mechanism could activate and you may get hurt."

"A defensive mechanism, you say…"

Lelouch glanced back at them, saying words that were sure to make them hesitate "In the worst-case scenario, the treasures inside could be sealed forever."

The faces of the magi immediately turned grave.

As if he had just threatened to take away the very air from these humans-turned-money grubbers, the effect was instant. Following his instructions, all men stood in a line and backed off.

One step. Another step.

The group of magi collectively took exactly ten steps in tandem, movements perfectly synchronized.

"Ten steps, just like you asked." The leader proudly stated, his eyes shining with barely veiled arrogance.

Lelouch: "…"

These magi were sincere in useless places. Lelouch was struck with wonder since by some chance he seemed to have met humans who reminded him awfully of Tamaki— incompetent and needlessly proud…

"That's exactly ten steps, no more and no less. It is all but certain that you all would not be affected by the magic at that range. Well done."

Lelouch turned his back towards them and faced the empty space that had opened before he declared. "I shall now begin casting the spell!"

Obviously, there was no carving inside that space. Even the assumption that there was a treasure here was a blatant lie.

Taking in a deep breath and as seriously as Lelouch could, he kneeled before the space that had opened and tentatively reach out with his hand to seek the source— the origin of the mana that was bearing down upon the chamber.

Lelouch felt it before he saw it. Its tempting power washed over him the force of a heavenly tribulation of thunder, suppressing all the mana in its room with its overbearing presence.

It was a single golden ring.

After a moment of pause, Lelouch tentatively reached out with its hand and picked up the golden band before he held it up. It looked to be made of pure and shining gold.

Lelouch had heard about the rings of power that often appeared in the annals of history, each held its own proper gem but not so this one. It was round and unadorned almost as if it were one of the simpler rings.

But it was round, so perfectly round in a way, he had never thought man-made objects could be. It was plain but did not show a scratch or sign of wear, losing neither its beauty nor its shape.

Lelouch did not hesitate, he wore it without delay.

"Activate…"

He simply thought and the mana around him surged.

The leader of the mages was startled as he sensed the mana surge. His eyes widened and his instincts blared, even as he took a step backward in alarm.

But white light engulfed him before he could even scream, stopping him before he could even speak.

It took a moment for his senses to come about. Before him, just inches away from his eyes was a book, floating above the marble floor of the chamber. He dumbly stared back at his startled face that was reflected on its surface for a few moments before he gathered his wits about him and tried to remember what had just happened.

"Amazing..." The words slipped past his lips, as he stared in disbelief at it. How could something like this possibly exist?

He could feel the power radiating from it, far more than anything he had ever seen before, yet it was not oppression or overwhelming rather it simply existed. It was simply magic without peer, without equal. He took a step backward in shock.

Thud

His back thumped against something slender and cold as he leaned backward without meaning to. He turned around to look at what he had run into and found himself looking at another book. Before he could so much as examine it, he caught sight of another planted into the ground next to it, and another next to that one, and still another after that.

Original Grimoires… He realized.

They rose out of the ground like tombs of a grave, standing tall, proud, and ever vigil under the rays of their own radiance. Each one was an unparalleled masterpiece, a peerless work describing unparalleled magecraft.

Wars have been fought for such priceless books, entire lineages were brought to their knees by their strength, and history had been rewritten time and again by the ones who wielded them. Kings who owned mountains of gold would look upon their owners with envy.

It was simply…

Lelouch glanced at the magician, each staring at the Original Grimoires that had been summoned by him. They all stood mesmerized and stunned as if they were priests who had witnessed a revelation by God himself, beggars who had witnessed the glory of emperors for the first time in their life.

Lelouch was not surprised, for this was the true Treasury of Solomon. The dream of countless magi, many had died for the right to hold even a single one of these noble treasures. Magicians had journeyed the globe to battle devils and demons alike to prove worthy of one.

This was the true treasure of the great king of magic renowned for his wisdom who had laid the foundations of modern sorcery with his own two hands, the human blessed by God himself who had tamed even the demons of Hell.

But he did not share their amazement. The treasure did not surprise him as much as it would have under normal circumstances. He had waited long enough. It was time to proceed forth with his performance.

"Everyone." Lelouch opened his mouth.

"I apologize for the intervention, but I have something to tell you all."

"Hm?" The leader hummed, not able to draw his eye away from the treasure before him. "Oh, what is it?"

Their response was half-hearted. Each magus was occupied with the world that had opened up before the. Some of them so lost that they simply stood with their mouths wide open.

Then he spoke the lie that would doom them all. "Just now, a party of sorcerers has invaded this Temple."

The chapter was confusing, I know. But Lelouch would execute his plan in the next chapter, these mages while unnamed would be quite relevant later on. For now, he has merely tricked them into thinking that he is a human-shaped interface guarding the Temple.

Yes, Lelouch used sorcery to basically draw in empty air, magic is just hard for him not completely impossible. Also, I used the term bounded field because wards in To Aru have no common name, but specific barriers have been called fields before such as people-clearing fields. I just made a broader term by borrowing Nasuverse terminology since I like it.

True Miracles is also a term inspired by Nasuverse that I made up. It was never outright namedropped but it certainly exists in To Aru- the perfect resurrection of the dead is one and reaching to other Worlds is another. They are things that are absolutely impossible under current systems of magic and science and to create them one has to make another system entirely.

Magic Gods can resurrect the dead but they have to destroy the universe and create another one to do that but at that point, they are not exactly resurrecting the dead but rather creating a perfect replica- a fact that caused both Aleister and Othinus much despair. Even Magic Gods cannot travel to another world despite their wishes as it is outright impossible even for the big bads of To Aru. Sadly true immortality is actually possible, but these magicians are ignorant and weak which is why they think that it is a True Miracle, you guys have to remember that for an average magician absurdities such as Magic Gods and Aiwass are fictional.

The Original Grimoires is a trick and it would be explained later.

Also, Lelouch is a master of bullshitting, his exact plan would unfold in the next chapter which was inspired by Dungeon Defense...

Thanks for reading.