Alright, here's the next chapter, hope everyone is staying safe out there. And I hope boredom isn't driving you all to insane, like it is me. I've honestly never wanted to go to work more than I do right now. I pray to the six hundred and sixty-six gods of the abyss that this shit passes soon so we can go back to making fun of Florida man and his weekly shenanigans.
Broken Angel: Rising Demon
Chapter 19: A Promising Start.
-Riley's Home, London. August 20th 1999-
"Merlin?" Riley and Kushina responded in unison, sharing a look of surprise with each other. Riley allowed the wards to part slightly, opening a way forward for the strange man. As soon as she did, he was able to see them and immediately took notice of Artoria.
"My king! Hello!" Merlin greeted cheerfully, advancing forward only to be halted as Artoria leveled a stern and authoritative glare at him.
"Where have you been you troublesome magus?" Artoria demanded, earning a nervous laugh from the man.
"I got myself into a bit of bind." He began with another nervous chuckle.
"You often do. What changed?" Artoria pressed.
"Well this time, the bind was a bit more literal and I was unable to get out. I was trapped in a tower that stretched upwards forever. I've been there for quite a long time, as it seems. But then, suddenly just a few days ago, I awoke from a nap to find myself back in Britain. With no memory of how I got here." Merlin explained.
"You just awoke here after being imprisoned for fifteen hundred years?" Artoria responded, eyeing the man with a pinning stare.
"Fifteen hundred years? Wow. It truly has been a long time. And yet here you stand, still alive." Merlin noted with curiosity, approaching and then circling her, examining her like some sort of oddity. Artoria simply stared straight ahead, her gaze still hard, and showing no signs that she was at all confused by his actions.
"I fell in battle, as you showed me I would. But before my death, I was saved by the Shinigami. In return for allowing my soul to join with death when I finally passed, he offered to bring me here to serve a god." Artoria responded.
"To serve a god?" Merlin replied with a curious look. Artoria gestured towards Riley in response, causing him to turn his gaze towards the demoness. The strange half-demon examined Riley with his amethyst eyes, taking in her demonic features, the gray skin, the pointed ears, her tails and hair, before finally settling on her eyes. He found himself staring quite intently into her eyes, basking in the power that radiated from them.
"I don't think that's a god, your grace." Merlin noted after a moment, earning a sigh from Artoria, and a chuckle from Riley.
"I'm not a god, just like you're not a man." Riley stated, allowing her pupils to become slitted and her eyes to turn red.
Merlin stared at her for a moment, before slowly turning his gaze to Artoria and whispering to her, "I think she might be a monster."
Kushina and Riley both let out a chuckle at that, while Artoria simply sighed again.
"Be careful how you address her, Merlin. That is my bride you speak of." Artoria commanded, causing Merlin to tense up at that.
"Yo-Your bride?" He questioned, glancing between the two.
"Yes. Lady Riley is my good friend, and she is a powerful ally. Marrying her will help to solidify my claim to the throne of England." Artoria responded, her attitude remaining cool and detached, as if she had dealt with his antics for so long that she was now immune to his actions.
Merlin stared at her for a long moment as a smile crept across his face.
Artoria's irritation was visible as Merlin let out a musical laugh.
"In this day and age, mankind is less resistant to the idea of a woman as a ruler, so you can't have chosen her because you're still hiding your gender. That must mean you actually like this bride of yours!" Merlin accused, smirking at her, as Artoria let out an irritated sigh.
"Troublesome mage." Artoria muttered, as she kept her composure. So rarely did Merlin manage to truly annoy her anymore, and she would not allow him to once again get under her skin.
"Hey whats not to like, my daughter is a great match." Kushina challenged indignantly.
"I most certainly am." Riley agreed, draping an arm around Artoria. The action caused her to wince as she knew that Merlin would tease her for it, but she did not pull away, or try to brush off the affectionate gesture, which in truth meant a great deal to her.
One of the things Artoria loved most about Riley was that Riley actually saw her, for her. She didn't see the precise, machine-like king that couldn't be moved, nor did she see the battle-hardened knight, draped in chivalry and honor. What Riley saw was Artoria, the person. A combination of both those things, layered over what had once been a sparkling and joyful young woman, who dreamed of being a knight.
This was a part of Artoria that had long since withered away, buried under her responsibilities as a knight and a king. She only hoped that Riley would continue to see her as such, even when the burdens of this new crown, were laid upon her.
"Before my departure from these lands, I had offered a silent prayer. It was something I never dreamed would come true, but I had hoped it would help you none the less. A prayer that you would find some measure of happiness in the world. Despite what I say now, and will probably say later, I am happy that you have found someone to love. Love is a beautiful and dangerous thing, and it will bring with it, its own curses that will hinder your rule, but I believe in you, as I always have." Merlin stated after a moment, earning a smile and a nod of acceptance from Artoria.
"I am happy to see you again, my old friend. I have missed you." Artoria responded to the old magus.
"So, you've once again put forth a claim for the throne of England? Perhaps we should talk. I had kept an eye on the world from my prison, but I think I've missed a few things." Merlin noted, earning a nod of agreement from Artoria. She then turned her gaze towards Riley, who offered a nod.
"We'll be back in a moment mother. Could you go and wake the others. I think they'll want to hear this?" Riley asked Kushina, earning a nod from the woman in the process.
"Lady Riley will take us to her pocket dimension so we can talk." Artoria informed Merlin whom nodded and eyed Riley with curiosity as she offered him her hand.
He took it after a moment, as Artoria took the other, and Riley drew them into Kamui.
She followed after them, but quickly wandered off to let them have a moment to themselves.
Merlin took a short time to examine the pocket dimension, his gaze passing over the physically impossible landscape, the towering trees and titanic mountains that pierced the heavens. The dim fiery glow of a setting sun bathed the landscape in an eerie orange, and the black clouds in the sky further added to the ominous feel of the place.
"Before we begin, explain this." Artoria commanded, drawing forth the Caliburn look-alike.
"That looks like Caliburn. Where did you get it?" Merlin inquired as he eyed the sword.
"It appeared by some sort of summoning ritual within the Wizengamot meeting chamber here in Britain. It appeared mere moments after I proclaimed myself as the new monarch." Artoria explained to him.
"Well it appears to be Caliburn. The sword has reappeared, though I don't know how. After it was broken, it was laid to rest. The sword shouldn't be here, much like myself, and yet it is." Merlin mused as he sat on a rock, and adopted a thoughtful look.
"I see. Alright then, what are you doing here?" Artoria asked after a few moments of quiet reflection.
"Well… the last thing I remember I was watching some humans busy feeding cheetahs in a zoo. Than all of a sudden everything went black, and suddenly I woke up on the beach. This was a few days ago. I wandered around, and learned that I was in Britain, and I even saw how witches and wizards were busy helping people recover from some sort of attack. I came across a newspaper and saw that it had been nearly twenty years since the moment I had last viewed before I awoke. So I was either unconscious, or in an otherwise restricted state for nearly two decades, before I awoke." Merlin explained to her.
"Do you remember what day it was that you last saw?" Artoria inquired.
"It was October tenth, about twenty years ago." Merlin answered.
"You went to sleep on the day that Riley was born." Artoria noted, earning a curious look from her old teacher.
"The Grim Reaper called her a god, and you agreed to serve her, why is that? What about her is so special?" Merlin questioned her.
"While you were watching humanity, did you eyes ever fall upon the Elemental Nations? A place of powerful magic, and Shinobi?" Artoria asked.
"No. I've never heard of such a place." Merlin admitted.
"So your gaze couldn't pierce through the barrier around the continent? Interesting. Well… perhaps I should start at the beginning. Riley is descended from the Sage of Six Paths, a progenitor of magic in humans. Over three thousand years ago, this man spread magic to a vast majority of the human race, and is regarded by many as the father of magic." Artoria began, earning a nod from Merlin.
"Him, I have heard of. This was before my time, but three thousand years ago was around the time magic really began to flourish in humans. Before then, it remained quite restricted to those with special gifts, or bloodline traits. You usually had to be descended from a god or something like that to have magic in those days." Merlin noted with a chuckle as he motioned for her to continue.
"Well, as I said, Riley is his descendant. She managed to awaken his bloodline ability, the legendary Rinnegan. The magicals I know, call them the Eyes of God, and according to Riley, awakening those eyes grants the person a degree of divinity. What that truly means, I'm not sure, but at the very least the owner of those eyes becomes godlike, and is granted eternal life, if they so choose." Artoria continued.
"So those eyes of hers were the eyes of god?" Merlin asked.
"The ripple pattern, denotes the Rinnegan. The black tomoe that encircle her pupil indicates that her eyes have ascended beyond the Rinnegan to a more advanced state. She refers to her eyes as the Rinne Sharingan. Literally meaning the Saṃsāra Copy-Wheel eye. Those eyes alone grant her godlike powers beyond imagining. However… she is also the vessel of a powerful archdemon. A being that once made up part of the raw power of the Tree of Life. The Sage sealed away the power of the tree when it became corrupted and later separated it into nine pieces. The strongest of those pieces was sealed into her when she was born. The same day you slipped into darkness." Artoria explained to him, earning a calculating look from the old magus.
"I see. So a god, with the power of an archdemon. I guess the Grim Reaper wasn't exaggerating. I think I can see why you would choose her as your betrothed. With that much power, she would be quite the useful ally to have." Merlin noted.
"She is also politically powerful here in Britain, with many allies. We are also close, close enough that I feel comfortable sharing in the responsibility of ruling with her." Artoira admitted.
"I see. So, after everything you went through, why now put forth your claim to the Throne? You could just live a normal life, free of such responsibilities and hardships." Merlin inquired.
"That had been my intention. I had no desire for the throne any longer, nor did I see it as my duty to lead these people. I would protect them when it was needed, and I would offer my strength when it was required, but my time had come and gone. Then we were attacked by an army of vampires. The royal family that ruled this nation well, lost their lives to those devilish fiends. Britain was without a leader, without a guiding hand. It was Riley who put forth my name for consideration by the magical populace. The lords of and ladies of Magical Britain cheered my name, and looked to me for guidance. Despite my wishes, it had now become my duty once more. I could not refuse. My people needed me, needed a leader, needed a monarch. So I accepted the call to action, and when I did, Caliburn reappeared, unbroken. The stone that held it, held the words, 'Let this sword rest in Magic's heart until the Once and Future King arises to claim it. Let the one who pulleth this sword be forever known as the rightwise ruler of all England.'" Artoria answered, earning a thoughtful look from the old magus.
"Well that is curious. I am sorry you were put in this position, but it sounds like you were always meant for it. At least you wont be alone this time. You have found someone to carry that burden with you." Merlin responded after a moment, giving her a pleasant smile as he did.
"I have accepted it. I will do my duty, and I will lead these people to the best of my abilities, but I wont do I alone. Riley put my name forth, and as the one whom I love, it seems only right that she share in this responsibility." Artoria replied, causing Merlin's smile to grow at her admittance to her feelings.
"You've grown quite a bit since last we spoke. Less guarded and more free, like you were as a child and a young woman. Well, I do not know what challenges lay before you, but know that I am here for you, and if you'll have me, I would like to offer my service to you once more." Merlin offered to her.
"I accept your offer and welcome your return to my side. I still have much to learn, of that I have never held any doubt. And I believe your strength, knowledge, and wisdom, may be necessary to ensure the safety and security of not only Britain, but the entire world." Artoria responded, her words causing Merlin's smile to falter. The way Artoria's visage hardened and darkened, let him know that something ominous lay on the horizon.
"What troubles you?" Merlin inquired.
"You always held the gift of prophecy. We now stand at the precipice of two world shattering predictions. One vague and possibly unlikely. The other we've seen evidence of happening. Neither is good for us. The former was a vision had by one of Riley's mates, a seeress. She saw a vision of a great flood that would drown millions, of ice being destroyed. We have no idea what else this prophecy involves or when it could possibly occur, but it troubles Riley. The other prophecy involves an attack from an Archdevil, and our world falling to the Dark Realms. The Archdevil responsible for the attack, has made several appearances through his showings of power. He used his strength to turn a city of worshipers to stone, mimicking the fate of mankind in the vision, and we also faced his army during a recent war, and were able to turn them back. Now we believe he plans to continue his assault on the Earth. Two prophecies, both pointing towards devastation." Artoria explained.
Merlin was silent as he listened to her, taking in these two prophecies and gauging their validity. The first was unlikely, as no other proof had been found to point towards those events occurring, but the second seemed far more plausible if the Archdevil had already been encountered. An Archdevil was an interesting threat. A being with perfect control over it's magic yet their power ranged from being planetary threats, to being capable of laying siege to entire dimensions. Their only equals were Gods Archfiends, Archangels, and Archdemons. If Artoria was still concerned about this entity, despite having a goddess as a lover, than it most likely went past just a planetary threat. Meaning it was a powerful, and ancient Archdevil. Not a foe, easily bested. They had time, power, and patience, in abundance. Fighting one would be a difficult task, even with a god on their side.
"How much time do you think we have before this second prophecy comes true?" Merlin inquired.
"In it, Riley was seen along with her mates. This prophecy was had by two different seers. Which further affirms it's validity. The second seer to see it was also Luna. In it she described seeing Riley with her mates, and these mates were all of a certain age. Late twenties, to early thirties. However, the issue presents itself in that each one of them had been made into Riley's paths. Riley herself, due to the Rinnegan, has access to an ability that allows her to infuse a piece of her power into bodies. These 'paths' can then utilize said powers, and act as a sort of extension of Riley. Due to her godly nature, these paths are most likely also immortal. So… anywhere from a few years, to centuries." Artoria explained, earning a nod of understanding from Merlin.
"Hmm… well, I guess that mean that now, more than ever, my assistance is needed. I will do what I can to help us avoid this catastrophe. Perhaps it's best we get started?" Merlin responded after several long moments of thought.
"Yes, I agree." Artoria stated as she turned her gaze over to the forest of trees and nodded her head. With incredible speed, something landed in Artoria's shadow and stepped out from behind her.
Merlin blinked a few times, impressed by the show of speed. If nothing else, Riley was definitely one of the fastest individuals he'd ever seen.
Riley stood next to Artoria and eyed Merlin for a moment. She then offered him a smirk, "So you'll be helping us out then?"
"Yes. Considering it's the whole world we're talking about here, I would be remiss in my duties to my own self-preservation if I simply chose to ignore this threat." Merlin responded with a smirk matching her own.
"So you told him about our demonic issue?" Riley inquired, glancing at Artoria, and earning a nod in response. "Well that's good. We need to begin preparing for this event. I've seen more than enough to convince me that even if the prophecy itself isn't true, the chance of us coming into further contact with this Archdevil is enough that we should be prepared."
"I agree. No matter how powerful you may be, an Archdevil is an opponent beyond most others. We must prepare ourselves, and ensure we are not so easy a target. In my experience, the only thing such dark entities care about more than their power is their lives. If you present an actual threat to their existence, chances are good they'll leave you alone." Merlin offered up, earning a nod of agreement from Riley.
"Yeah. Given the power I possess, I'm worried that there's more to this devil's intentions then just conquering a world. Why don't we head back, and I'll introduce you to the family, and we can have this conversation in full?" Riley offered. Artoria and Merlin both nodded at that, so Riley took them out of Kamui and brought them back to her house where Riley's family members were already up and gathering in the kitchen.
Introducing the ancient magus to them was a surprise to be sure, though they were far less shocked then other would most likely be. Considering how often ancient entities, reincarnates, demons, and gods, got involved in their daily lives, it was definitely becoming just an uncommon occurrence to run into one, rather than an impossibility.
Hashirama, Madara, Kushina, Sirius, Kaguya, Tobirama, Izuna, and those of Riley's children who lived with her, all gathered around in the kitchen to discuss what was going on and what they knew about the current situation and the possible future. Riley's mates were also awoken and brought down, and Luna was asked to explain in detail everything she remembered about both prophetic visions.
The more reactive reactions, came the following day when Artoria introduced Merlin to Lucius and the Round Table. Learning about King Arthur's return was one thing, now adding on the return of the legendary Magus of Flowers, and the knights of the Round Table were more convinced then ever that supporting Artoria would be taking the country places.
Where those places were was still up for debate, but they were most certainly headed away from where they'd been.
-August 25th 1999-
Over the course of the next few days, the strength of the new magical kingdom began to grow. Riley made a personal trip to the Elemental Nations to inform the various village leaders about what had happened out in the rest of the world.
The first place she visited was Suna, to let Gaia know that she might want to brace for a storm. With the Fall of the Statute, it was only a matter of time before someone let the muggle world know about the location of the Elemental Nations and how to get there.
Riley also explained the situation in regards to their change in government, with Artoria being chosen as the new Queen, and rallying magical Britain behind her. She also offered, if a bit begrudgingly that Artoria had also asked Riley to marry her, meaning that Riley would have a very strong tie to the magical monarchy, which altered the perimeters of their marriage alliance, and despite Riley dreading the responsibility she might be saddled with, she knew that Gaia, and Yugito both needed to know this as it did alter the fundamentals of their alliance.
Though Riley suspected that neither village would be upset to hear this. They had originally tied themselves to a national hero, now they would be tying themselves to, at the very least, the Queen's Concubine.
Gaia accepted the information and offered to help however she could. After Riley's departure she immediately called a council meeting, things were going to change and they needed to be prepared for when the hammer fell.
Riley's next trip was to meet with the Raikage and Yugito. Again she explained what had happened to Britain and in regards to the Statute of Secrecy and expressed her concern for what would happen when the muggle world decided to try and investigate the Elemental Nations.
Riley was even more cautious in letting the Raikage know that she was now Artoria's betrothed, knowing full well that his council would be ecstatic to hear that. Riley did spend a few minutes with Yugito before she departed, sharing her thoughts with future wife as they discussed what these changes could possibly mean for them. Before departing she gave Yugito a kiss and promised her she'd come visit again before Yugito was sent to Sunagakure.
Afterwards Riley swung by Kirikagure and informed the Mizukage about what had happened, and once that was done she went the Hidden Sky village to let her allies there know about what had happened as well.
With their allies in the Elemental Nations now brought up to speed on the state of things in the world, Riley returned to Britain to continue aiding her fiance in cleaning up the mess there.
With Riley taking a more upfront role in aiding the people of England, she had taken to once again hiding her demonic features in their entirety. She hid her pointed ears, and gray skin, making herself appear completely human. The only traits that gave away her true nature were her tails which she kept wrapped around her waist, and her wings which she kept shaped as a long jacket.
Arguments aplenty were had as the muggles began to recover from the shock of magic's reveal, and the attack on London. People were quick to notice how it appeared that the magicals were taking control of the situation and people began whispering about some sort of coup.
These fears were exacerbated by the military seemingly siding with the magicals. Due to the strong connections the Round Table had with the military, it was easy for them to get control over it. Many of the members of the Convention of Twelve, were former military men, as Generals, or Admirals, their words carried a lot of weight amongst their peers, and with their aid, the military was quickly falling under the direction of the Round Table, and thus under Artoria's control.
This led many in the country to begin suspecting a military coup as the army began to enforce marshal law in places all over the nation to ensure that order was maintained during the collapse in government.
During this time Artoria began having meetings with various military leaders, gaining further support from her allies as she worked on uniting the nation.
-London, England. August 27th 1999-
"We could be looking at riots if people's fears aren't assuaged soon." A High ranking Air Marshal in the Royal Air Force, spoke with a friend of his on the Round Table.
"There are interviews set up for the coming days to help spread information to the public. We need to get the media on our side, to help settle the populace." Rob Walsh, responded as he lit a cigarette and took a drag from it.
"Yeah settle them." The Air Marshal responded as he pierced his old friend with a look.
"You want to say something, go ahead and say it?" Walsh stated, a smirk touching at his lips as he took another drag.
"The Magical populace has elected their own ruler and that ruler is establishing control over the entire country. The military in it's entire seems to just be going along with it, and I suspect you and your pals in that organization have a part to play in it." The Air Marshal began.
"You'd be correct in your assumption old friend." Rob Walsh responded.
"My question is why? Why support a magical regime. Are they worried we cannot rebuild on our own? Are they afraid of what will happen now that their secret is out?" The Air Marshal pressed with a look of concern.
"I think so. But then again, I don't blame them for being worried. The magicals are outnumber vastly by non-magical people." Walsh responded with a dark chuckle.
"Then why support them? Why support the minority, and possibly earn the wrath of the majority?" The Air Marshal pressed.
"Power." Rob Walsh responded, leaning forward in his chair and eyeing his old friend.
"Power? What do you mean by that?" The Air Marshal inquired.
"The magical populace are the minority but they hold more power then the rest of the world. And I mean in specific, magical Britain. What would you say if I told you we have at our disposal a weapon that could destroy entire continents? What would you say if I told you we had a tool that could bring the freshly dead, back to life? What if I told you we had in our possession, the most powerful magical warrior in the world? A woman who can fell entire armies with her powers. A woman who carries an aspect of god. A woman, who is now set to be married to the magical queen, ensuring their dominance, in the magical world. You ask why we're supporting them? My answer is that it's 1945, and the atomic bomb was just dropped. Power unlike anything we've ever seen, was just put on display, and the whole world now holds it's breath. We're walking into a new arms race, my friend, and we've got the head start. We either seize the moment, or we allow ourselves to be crushed by it." Rob Walsh responded, staring directly at his long time friend.
The Air Marshal stared back, visible surprise, confusion, and concern danced across his face, as he took in what was said. After a moment he slowly nodded and sat back in his chair. He knew his friend wasn't one for bullshit, which meant that he must be telling the truth. What then, did that mean for rest of the world?
-London, England. August 28th 1999-
Riley sat on her couch watching the tv. Sat next to her snuggled into her side was Fleur, opposite Fleur was Kaede, both of whom leaned against Riley. Sitting on the floor by Riley's feet was Luna, whom was also watching the television with great interest.
Standing or sitting elsewhere around the room were other members of Riley's family, all watching the television waiting for Draco's next interview to start. Over the last few days, speculation had been running rampant across the media with some accusing the magicals of trying to take over and benefit off of the recent attack, others were demanding answers and the like. Elsewhere in the world, other magical organizations were working with their various governments to slowly reveal themselves to their muggle counterparts. This slow, and careful reveal meant that magical Britain was one of the few organizations in the world where one could actually find information on magic, so these interviews were highly televised, and often shown across the world.
Various national leaders, both magical and muggle would be watching this interview as they had the first one.
Riley most certainly did not envy her best friend the task ahead. This time, the hard questions would be asked, and Draco may be called upon to defend the actions of the magical world, Riley wished him luck in that regard, and kept her focus on the television, eager to see this play out.
-News Station, London-
Draco Malfoy sat quietly as he waited patiently for the interview to start. Aside from the host, Oliver, Draco would once again be speaking with Natalie, David, as well as two additional panelists. One was a medical professional, a biologist named Hugh, and the other was an economist named Julia.
Draco was well aware that this time around it would be just him as the center of questioning. All five of these people were here as representatives from different fields to hammer him with questions about the magical world and what their reveal would mean for the rest of the planet. A reporter, a government official, a military man, a doctor, and a businesswoman.
This would definitely be interesting.
Draco kept his gaze down and continued to reflect as he heard Oliver begin to speak, he introduced the segment and began to introduce the group. Draco offered a quiet acknowledgment as he the cameras passed over him, but otherwise remained quiet as the panel began talking about the recent events.
Just like before Draco allowed them a few moments to speak on what they knew and get out their own points and speculations before the farce was swept away and this whole thing became directed at him.
They spent the first two or three minutes discussing recent events such as the magicals providing healing to the sick or injured in hospitals to those that allow it.
Draco let out a small chuckle as the biologist explained that doctors were concerned about treatments being administered to their patients. The use of magic and or potions to cure various sicknesses, diseases and injuries wasn't exactly regulated, and while the magicals weren't forcing their treatment onto people, doctors were concerned that their could be outlying conditions or concerns involved in these 'undocumented' treatments.
Draco allowed them to continue, knowing full well that someone, probably one of the producers of this program intended to press him and press him hard. They were going to get out some of the things they were concerned about, in an attempt to find some sort of 'gotcha' moment, that they could use to get a grip on the magical world. Something they could use as a talking point, that would allow them to filter in their own agenda. Right now, they didn't know enough and could only speculate and watch. Once they had information, they could then begin to work it in a way that allowed them to get their points across or paint the story how they saw fit.
Draco allowed them to continue, keeping all of their talking points in mind, as he formulated his responses to them.
"There's also the effect of these 'spells' used in law enforcement. We've seen cases already of magicals using their powers to paralyze people, rendering them unable to move. What are the side effects of doing that to the body? Does anyone even know?" Hugh stated aloud, earning a nod of agreement from Natalie and Julia.
"Well why don't we turn to the man with the answers? Mr. Malfoy, how do we know what side effects these spells may have on a person? What testing is done to ensure that there are no adverse reactions or long-term adverse changes to a person's body?" Oliver inquired, finally drawing Draco into the conversation.
"Well first and foremost I must express that the use of potions and magic are two entirely different things. Potions studies are carried out under close observation from experts and medical professionals. And many potion recipes are centuries old, having undergone use for longer than all of use combined, have been alive. I think we can all agree that an elixir that cures a cough, that has worked for centuries without producing any adverse effects, is not going to hurt anyone. New potions designs are made every day and they are tested thoroughly before entering a medical facility for primary use. Individuals are free to seek out private care, and in those cases, they take whatever risks they feel they must, but on a professional level, all of our medicines are tested, just as yours are. As for spells… well spells don't cause adverse side effects." Draco explained to them.
"But how do you know they don't? If you don't test them, how can you know the body's reaction to using these strange magics on a person. The human body is sensitive to such changes to the natural order of things, for example using magic to completely paralyze a person, doing that in our world without magic has significant risk, what makes you believe that magic doesn't hold the same risks?" Hugh pressed.
"I'm assuming since you reference law enforcement when you brought up paralyze, that you're either referring to the Stunning Spell, otherwise known as Stupefy, or you are referring to the Full Body-Bind Curse, also called Petrificus Totalus. Both of these spells are widely used in magical law enforcement and in dueling all over the world. In every magical state, you'll find that they use these spells or variations of them. Stupefy, renders a person unconscious, while Petrificus Totalus, freezes the body in place, paralyzing them. Though I have to emphasize in the latter's case when I say paralyze I mean their body is frozen in place, they cannot move from their position, not that they've gone limb, like someone who has suffered an injury causing bodily paralysis. Again, both of these spells are widely used and have been used for centuries and have caused no adverse side-effects in the victim of said spells. They are widely regarded as very humane and safe to use to subdue criminals, as they are both painless. These spells trigger a magical state in the victim. In the case of a stunner, it simply knocks them unconscious, though without the injury usually associated with unconsciousness. The person isn't harmed, and in most cases, awakens feeling nothing wrong at all. In the case of the Full Body-Bind Curse, the person in rendered completely immobile, though their senses are fully operational. They can see, hear, smell, feel, and even think. Both of these spells will wear off over time, and can be immediately undone by counter-spells or potions. I can assure you that given their longevity, these spells are the preferred method of dealing with criminals without the need to cause bodily harm." Draco explained to them all, taking pleasure in getting the chance to flex his knowledge about spells. He knew Hermione would be watching him, and would definitely take him to task if he made any errors.
"So spells can't cause negative side effects is what you're telling us?" Oliver continued the line of questioning as the others dissected Draco's reply.
"Of course certain spells and magics can cause negative effects to a person, or even unintentional effects to a person. For instance, spells that cause an extreme amount of mental stress, or spells that cause bodily harm, can and will have lasting effects on a person's body. Most spells used by law enforcement and healers are tried and true, test spells that have a long history. I can't speak for home brew magic. I can't speak for spells that people develop on their own and haven't submitted to testing or shared with others. I can only speak on publicly known spells, and I can assure you, that just short of an extremely violent confrontation, hazardous magics wouldn't be used again your average criminals, and experimental spells or potions wouldn't be given to a person without their consent. I can assure you that the use of a taser is far more detrimental to a person's well being, then any sort of stunning spell." Draco answered, earning a nod from Oliver, while the others wrote things down in their notes.
"But there are magics that can cause such lasting damage to a person. For instance the Aurors, the magical law enforcement group have access to… 'weaponized' spells?" David inquired, leaning forward in his seat as he eyed Draco curiously.
"Combat Spells, Elemental Magic, Dark Arts, Ninjutsu, all are what we would classify as 'battle magic'. Such spells have largely fallen into disuse since we've gone into hiding, and have only begun to reemerge with the Fourth Great Ninja War. We do have access to spells that are designed for conflict, and are meant to be used in actual combat. Such spells are generally only known by the Aurors, and very recently, they've come into heavy use by the Cysgodol Legion, our magical military. These spells are designed for combat between magicals, and thus often come with adverse effects. For instance you could image the difference between the two levels of magic as the difference between a taser and an assault rifle. We have access to both as a form of offense and defense in the face of threats." Draco responded.
"What about the stories I've been hearing of a ranking system for these spells. I've heard a few rumors that magical rank their spells based on destructiveness." David pressed, earning curious looks from everyone present.
"The ranking system you're referring to came out of the Elemental Nations decades ago. I think I should correct you by explaining that this ranking system isn't 'just' used to measure destructive power in a spell, but rather the impact of the spell, or the individual in the ranking system." Draco answered his question, finishing by taking a sip of water as he awaited the followup.
"Fair enough, but what about the rumors I've heard of so-called S-Ranked spells? Powers that can supposedly destroy entire cities?" David asked, earning surprised looks from many of his fellows, who shared dumbfounded glances with each other before turning their attention onto Draco.
Draco let out a sign at that, he could almost hear the entire magical world collectively cringe as that question was asked. It was the equivalent of talking about the weather and then immediately asking a nation about it's nuclear arsenal. Draco knew this would eventually come up, and he had been briefed on what he could say and what he couldn't, he had just expected it to take a lot longer to finally become a talking point.
"I think we're all curious to hear about this. Are you able to confirm that the magical world has access to spells that can cause such damage?" Oliver pressed, his producers, speaking into his earpiece the whole time pressing him to continue this line of questioning.
"Alright, where to start. I guess the best way to answer that question is to say that yes, such magics do exist. Magic is the fundamental force from which all other forces came to be. By our understanding, it predates, time, space, life, death, reality, existence. Basically everything that is, came from magic. It is the driving force that birthed all other forces of the universe, which is why in some cases, in can easily break the rules of reality. Magic is power. That is something you all need to comprehend to understand what you're dealing with here. It's a power unlike anything else, and we magicals hold such a tiny sliver of it, and even after all these years, can still barely grasp the forces at our control." Draco began to explain to them all.
"Now, as for such dangerous spells. Well what's you've most likely heard of are S-Ranked abilities. To properly understand, allow me to explain the ranking system. It was developed in the Elemental Nations to gauge the level of threat or power involved in a person, mission, or a spell. It starts at E-Rank, which is the lowest level. E-Rank is a civilian. A regular untrained person, no threat, no greater issue. D-Rank is someone like a soldier, they have training, skill, abilities that normal people don't. C-Rank, would be something like an armored vehicle, dangerous, deadly, powerful. B-Rank would be a fighter jet. Capable of a great deal of destruction. A-Rank would be a tank brigade, or a wing of bombers, capable of massive destruction. S-Rank would be a nuclear bomb. That is how these ranks would compare to what you see in the non-magical world." Draco explained to the five of them, and to all of the people watching.
"And there are 'people' that fall into these higher ranks?" Julia inquired.
"There are. As I said, these ranks mean different things depending on what's being ranked. If it's a missions, it's the level of importance or danger. If it's a person it's their power, or their threat level. If it's a spell, then it's the power behind the spell, or it's effect. Not every S-Ranked spell blows up a city. We'd all be dead if that was the case. For example, there exists barrier ninjutsu, capable of creating shields that can encompass an entire city. These shields cause no one harm, and can defend against attack from all angles, their size, and the power required to create them, makes them S-Ranked. As for S-Ranked individuals, they are in a league, all their own. To be considered S-Rank, is to be among the strongest in the known world. At any given time there is probably around thirty or so S-Ranked individuals on the planet. Individuals of this caliber are often regarded as deterrent towards conflict. Their abilities in battle, often mean that they can often stand as the reason why whole nations avoid fighting with each other. At the moment, Britain itself has a number of S-Ranked individuals in her service. These men and women are some of the strongest combatants in the known world." Draco explained.
"What kind of oversight is done to ensure that individuals like this don't cause trouble. I mean if they're as strong as you say, then how are they stopped if they decide to strikeout for themselves or switch sides?" Natalie inquired.
"As I noted, the ranking when it comes to people is tied to a general threat level, or specific level of ability, not to every single characteristic of these people. They can still be beaten in battle by skilled opponents of a lesser rank, who work together and utilize their own skill sets to bring them down. If one such individual goes rogue, they are generally hunted down by their homeland. People who reach this level of power are often held in high enough regard to be privy to many great secrets of their people, and thus, when they betray said people, they are hunted down and killed. No matter how powerful a person is, alone they can be overwhelmed. An organization of S-Ranked criminals known as the Akatsuki helped to aid our enemies in the Fourth Great Shinobi World War. Thanks to the skills and abilities of our soldiers, we survived against them, and over half of the organization was destroyed during the war by Lady Riley, including both of it's leaders. Those that survive to this day are hunted down, and hounded everywhere they go. When it comes to such criminals, we take them very seriously and deal with them accordingly." Draco offered as an explanation, earning surprise from everyone across from him.
"This same lady Riley who taught you? She brought down have of this organization of S-Ranked combatants?" Oliver inquired after a moment of silence.
"She did. A Ten man organization, she brought down four of them during the war, one defected their organization and joined us, one was killed in the final battle, one was killed by our hunters after the war, and the remaining three are still at large, being searched for throughout the Elemental Nations. Lady Riley is descended from a powerful heritage and is recognized as one of only four individuals in our history to ever hold the rank of double S-Ranked." Draco responded.
"Double S-Ranked? So there's a rank higher than S?" Oliver asked.
"Yeah. It was unofficial up until a few short years ago. It is only bestowed on individuals who's power so far exceeds that of even S-Ranked combatants, that there is no other choice but to set them in a category all their own. The first two individuals to ever hold the rank were given it posthumously. The first was Hashirama Senju, and the second was Madara Uchiha. Lady Riley's Great-Grandfather, and Grandfather, respectively. The third to be given the rank was Minato Namikaze, the Hidden Leaf Village's famed 'Yellow Flash'. It was said that he was so incredibly fast that he cut down an entire battalion of shinobi, in the blink of an eye. He was so fast that all that was seen of the event, was a yellow flash of light. He was the first to be given this rank while alive, and the nations adopted a 'flee on sight' policy in regards to him. It was thought that his like was only ever seen once in a hundred generations, but he would soon be surpassed by his daughter, Lady Riley. She was officially recognized as double S-Ranked after defeating the Angel of Carnage that destroyed Konohagakure and killed Minato Namikaze. Her victory there, earned her the moniker of the 'Hero of the Burning Leaf'." Draco explained to them all.
He knew it wouldn't be long before people started asking questions about Riley. Her presence in the magical world was too vast to go ignored, so it was best to start explaining the enigma that was Riley before the woman herself was forced into a position to have to speak for herself. Riley would definitely not take too kindly to people over analyzing her lifestyle or her family.
"Sounds like a family of incredibly powerful people." Oliver noted slowly, taking in the words of his producers as he did. "Now, the 'Angel of Carnage', what is that?"
"If you recall a few years ago, the incidents surrounding a winged humanoid, and the deaths of criminals throughout the world, that being was the Angel of Carnage. It appeared not long before those attacks began and eventually it destroyed one of our allies in the Elemental Nations. The angel was defeated by Lady Riley with the held of survivors from it's attack. The creature was sealed away, though it later escaped, and was subsequently resealed, to ensure that it couldn't cause such destruction again. And before you ask, no I don't know if it really was an angel, or if it just called itself that." Draco answered.
"So it's gone now?" Oliver asked.
"Yes, it's been sealed away, hopefully to never see the light of day again." Draco responded.
"What can you tell us about this Elemental Nations? You've brought it up a few times now." Julia inquired.
"The Elemental Nations is a continent hidden by a magical barrier. The continent itself is roughly the size of Europe, and is inhabited by non-magical people, as well as magicals we call Shinobi. As the name implies the various nations are named after certain elements, for example, the Land of Wind, or the Land of Lightning." Draco explained.
"And they recently had a 'world war'?" Oliver carried on the line questioning.
"Yes. Due to the lands being mostly cut off from the outside world, the average citizens don't really know about the world beyond their borders. So when most the various nations get involved in a large scale conflict, they consider it a world war. They've had four now, in their recent history. And before you ask, I wont be revealing their location on this program. That is for someone much higher up then myself to disclose." Draco answered, and made sure to emphasize that while happy to explain about magic or various events, he wasn't just going to tell them sensitive information. While he was sure that the surrounding countries knew about the Elemental Nations, he wasn't going to be the one to reveal it's position to the entire world.
"Fair enough. Well I've got one final question for you before we rap up, with the information you've provided, we've done a bit of research and found that these two strange events line up with the Fourth Great Shinobi War. We would like to know, just what we're seeing here." Oliver questioned directing everyone's attention to a nearby monitor where video played.
The first was rather low quality but it showed someone filming the sky, when suddenly a beam of light shot across it. The second video was far cleaner and looked professional. It was observing the sky, and showed a massive sphere of energy form in the air, swelling in size until it was as large as the moon. The video continued for several moments to show the massive sphere collapsing in on itself and vanishing from sight.
Draco knew exactly what he was seeing. These images were taken from Riley's battle with the Ten-Tails. The outpouring of magic in that battle had caused massive storms to swell up all over the world. Three category five hurricanes had appeared in the ocean simultaneously due to the influx of power, luckily none of them made landfall. But on top of the hurricanes, many places around the world were suddenly struck by intense storm cells that seemingly came from nowhere. Draco knew that people would eventually demand answer for this.
"What we're seeing these monitors is a very distant view of the final battle of the Fourth Great Shinobi War. The leader of the Akatsuki organization summoned a powerful monster to try and defeat us, but he efforts were halted by Lady Riley, with aid from Queen Artoria. The beast was successfully defeated before it could further cause harm and the Akatsuki leader was killed." Draco responded passively.
Oliver stared at him for several long moments before offering a nod.
The interview ended from there, with Draco quickly departing. It was about to get much louder out in the world he just knew, he could only hope that everyone was ready for this.
-London, England. August 29th 1999-
Riley sat atop a building overlooking the city below, in the streets small groups of people congregated below, some going about their lives, some on the look out. Since the reveal of magic, many people had taken to rampant speculation, what was magic, what wasn't magic, who was secretly a witch or wizard, who was working for them, who knew, and who didn't? All questions that people were being consumed by.
Riley could feel the unease in these people. That fear and uncertainty that hounded their every step. It was a concerning state for the world to be in, though it was contrasted strongly by Artoria's party. Those that traveled with her, those that walked in her presence, the aura of the greatly Queen was a sight to behold and it moved people.
The time was soon to come to introduce her to the populace, to have Artoria speak to them directly and begin to uplift them and unite them. Right now she was focused on trouble spots, dealing with those that were causing trouble. Right now the biggest issue was making sure the military fell in line. If the soldiers were on their side, then the citizens would soon follow. To the average person, soldiers were often seen as heroic, and that was strongly put on display as the men and women of the military worked alongside the magicals and first-responders to restore order and keep everything moving. They made sure people kept working, they made sure that anarchy was kept from the streets, they made sure that the world kept turning and by starting there, it would ensure that people were moved to join them and support their cause.
Riley knew that people would come to their side, power and safety would entice them to come.
With a sigh, Riley rose to her feet and leaped down to the street below. Her sudden appearance drew the gaze of many as she walked down the sidewalk, ignoring their questioning gazes, and cautious glances.
Riley moved down the street casually keeping her eyes open for anyone who may need her help. It was task she wasn't alone in doing. If she wasn't with her mates, training, or working with Artoria, Riley would often be found out and about, usually with Kakashi wandering the streets and offering their time to anyone who needed it.
Kakashi's usual tardiness stemmed from his inability to refuse someone in need. If a person needed help with something, Kakashi always offered his aid. He was a good guy in that way, and because of that, people often excused his absence because they knew he was helping someone.
Riley had taken to going with him since the attack, and they would just offer their help if someone needed it. It was an awkward thing at first, especially considering in this day and age, strangers so rarely just offered to help with the simple things, but it was who Kakashi was and it was how he honored the memory of his fallen friends by helping people.
Kakashi wasn't here at the moment, but that wouldn't stop Riley was carrying out the ritual. She just walked down the street, offering her assistance to anyone who seemed to need it, for such simple tasks as helping them load their cars with groceries to helping a man with a flat tire, to even helping an old lady across the street.
While Riley offered her aid, she constantly kept her eyes peeled for the reporters that would soon learn who she was, and begin to follow her. She intended to make a very good impression, not only as a heroic and powerful warriors, but a kind and caring woman.
She knew this would definitely get to the press and she wanted to do whatever she could to boost the people's perception of magicals.
It was as she was walking that she came across a man and woman comforting a small child. This little girl looked to be their daughter. They had a dog with them that sat next to the three letting out small whimpers, obviously upset at the child's dismay. The group sat at the edge of a burned out field where once a park had been. The entire park had been consumed by flames, most likely during Millennium's opening bombardment of the city.
"Are you alright?" Riley inquired to the three, earning the parents' attention.
Both of them were dumbstruck before they could respond, mesmerized by Riley's eyes. It took them several long moments to pull their eyes away from hers and actually answer the question.
"It's our daughter. She used to love this park. We came here every weekend before the attack. We tried telling her it was gone, but she didn't understand. We had to come here and show her, but I didn't think it would be this bad." The Father explained, as the child continued to cry, saddened by the loss of a place that obviously meant a lot to her.
Riley was silent for a moment as she passed her gaze out over the barren and burned land. After a few seconds and idea struck and she glanced around looking for some aid. Her eyes fell on a small collection of police officers gathered about twenty yards away.
"Wait here for a moment, okay." Riley stated to the family as she walked over to the officers.
"Hey can I get you help?" Riley inquired to them as she approached.
The four individuals, three men and a woman, all turned to her in unison and were startled by the look of her eyes.
"What seems to be the problem?" The female officer asked first, finally pulling her gaze away from Riley's eyes.
"I need everyone to stand away from the park land. Can you order everyone off of it for a few minutes?" Riley inquired.
"Why?" One of the male officers asked.
"I'm going to rebuild it." Riley answered, turning her gaze back out to the ravaged lands.
"Rebuild it? You mean the whole park?" The female officer asked as Riley stepped away from them.
"Yep." Riley responded as she cracked her knuckle and approached the edge of the park.
The officers shared a look amongst each other but quickly did as Riley asked, calling for all those that wandered around on the burned land to step off of it.
People were slow to respond but once everyone was out of the way, Riley placed her hands together. Silence filled the air for several long moments before she slammed her palm into the dirt and released a torrent of focused magic into the land.
From the epicenter of her hand, grass exploded outward, rushing across the burned landscape, covering the area in mere moments.
Cries of amazement rushed up from the crowd as Riley directed her magic further causing tree to erupt from the ground and grow to respectable heights. Within minutes the barren land was restored to something resembling an actual park.
As an added touch, Riley used her magic to form benches out of Wood Style for people to sit in, placing them around the park. She then used earth style to churn up the ground creating stone footpaths that passed throughout the park. All of this accomplished with Riley's senses and her Byakugan to actually visualize the creation of this landscape.
The whole process took at most five minutes, with Riley rising to her feet and cracking her neck as she let out a content sigh. She then turned to the spectators and gestured to the land with a smile.
Cheers went up from the crowd as people voiced their pleasure at the sight. People offered her their thanks and cheered for her as they began to disperse into the park, to take in the new sight.
"Who are you?" One of the police officers asked her.
"Riley. Riley Uchiwa." Riley responded offering the man a smile before turned her gaze out to find the smiling faces of the family she'd spoken to before. The little girl was now wide eyed and amazed at the sight and was eagerly pulling her parents into the park.
Riley offered the parents a nod when they glanced in her direction which they returned with teary smiles.
Riley quickly vanished from sight, hopping up to a nearby roof.
"That was a nice thing to do." Kurama noted.
"It helps get my point across that we're not the enemy. We're here to help. And on top of that… if one day I am to build a paradise, I'll need some practice in making places that people actually want to be. This seems like the perfect place to start." Riley replied.
"No complaints from me. This place could use a bit more green after all it's been through. Maybe go find Hashirama and you two go on a gardening spree and give this city some of it's color back?" Kurama suggested.
"Great idea. I think I know what I'm doing for the rest of the day." Riley thought to herself, as she vanished in a flash. She would seek out her great-grandfather and spend the day rebuilding the parks and replanting any damaged trees. Doing so would help restore a bit of life to the city and fill the people with hope.
And filling them with hope, would open their minds to siding with the magical regime and giving rise to a true magical nation of the modern age.
-London, England. August 31st 1999-
Cheers went up from the crowd as Artoria finished her speech. Swearing safety, stability, and prosperity to the people of London. Through the hard work of the magical populace, the people closest to their actions were being won over in droves by their contributions. Magical healing, magical protection, magical reconstruction, all of it was helping people rebuild their lives.
Magicals could be found everywhere throughout the city. At construction sights they would use their magic to levitate materials that were needed up to high-rise buildings. Magical healers had taken the burden off of medical professionals, allowing people to receive the help they needed at an expeditious rate.
Aurors worked with local police in and around London to help catch criminals, the Legion worked with the military to help people feel safe and secure during this time. Everything that could be done, was being done by the magicals, and it was lifting their reputation quite quickly. Despite the unease the media was displaying.
Riley stood by Artoria's side wearing a proud smile and beaming at her soon-to-be mate. Her grandfathers stood near, as did Minister Malfoy, Itachi, and Merlin. All in all, the magicals had done well to provide a unified front to everyone.
Things were progressing smoothly though an issue had been raised just today, that Riley was now dreading. The media wanted an interview with her, and Artoria thought it was a good idea. Now Riley was going to have to speak to those vultures and most likely take the hardest questions to date. No doubt by the time that interview rolled around, some of their dirty laundry would begin to come out, and Riley was not looking forward to being the person to have to answer for some of the stupid crap people got up to.
Still, Artoria had insisted that it was for the best, so Riley agreed. No matter how much she dreaded having to endure answering to these people on live television she would endure it, if only for the sake of their plans. Slowly but surely, Britain was falling under their control.
-To be continued-
Alright there you go guys, hope everyone is still doing well, and I hope my 'essential employee' gang is staying safe out there. Things are beginning to build up, and we'll get a good look at the other nations reactions to these developments in the following chapters. Can't wait, until then.