The One Above The Heavens Chapter 16 Alt POV's (Patreon)

She was torn... And Lorelei Barthomeloi, the Queen of the Clock Tower did not at all appreciate being confused nor torn about anything.

On one hand. Ninety percent of all blood-sucking monsters, filth, studies of dark magecraft, and their users were obliterated in the course of a couple of minutes.

On the other hand however. The fucking world itself knew the supernatural was real when nine minature suns formed around the main one and even half a world away in Europe and where the sun wasn't shining upon the world, night turned into day for a few minutes.

No amount of spellcraft, magecraft, and rituals could wipe the memories entire half of a world of the people who had seen the latest Campione kill a literal fucking god who had been drinking from the Leylines for the last several centuries and was going to destroy the whole world in literally the next couple weeks!

Already they had people calming the common people with 'scientific' announcements saying the sun had an outburst of solar flares but many with such a conclusive sight rightfully didn't believe such lies.

And fucking Zeltretch just laughed! He just laughed saying that another strong supporter of the current Human Order was exactly what we needed! 

But what was the threat to the Human Order!? Atlas had the Seven Sin, world-destroying weapons... The Mages Association had tools and weapons taken from the very gods themselves and sealed away that could be used. What great threat was worth the veil of the Moonlight world being drawn back.

"Lady Barthomeloi, I bring important news." One of her Hounds spoke as he quickly came into her office and stood at attention.

"Speak," Lorelei said calmly not showing an ounce of the distress she was feeling as she would never show a moment of weakness outwardly.

Her hound placed a fist upon his heart as he spoke quickly. "Although some minor riots have broken out across major population centers, the world itself isn't in any true turmoil besides various religious organizations making claims that their own heralds will come to match Japan's Jade Emperor." 

Lorelei took a breath and then gave a slight hum before she said slowly. "That is good that the normal human's aren't causing much of a fuss... But what truly matters is the influx of a god's divinity leaking into the world with its slaying. Will the Reverse Side of the World come closer and bring magic back to the world? Or will the slaying of a true God by a Campione further push magic and Magecraft away from humanity."

The hound didn't speak... He didn't dare voice his thoughts in front of his queen whose actions would decide the lives of thousands of mages, and millions of other humans lives at her will.

But the Hound HAD to announce another piece of news. He swallowed and spoke. "Lady Barthomeloi there is more news I am afraid... News of an event that was suppressed from your ears." 

The Queen of the Clock Tower's eyes snapped to his and her Od filled the air with a cloying weight that left him almost breathless as she spoke slowly. "And what event is this?"

The hound knowing his mistress's temper and hatred of bullshit, spoke clearly and concisely knowing he wouldn't be harmed by the Queen as he had done no wrong.

"My lady, the Meluastea Family, using their authority as the Dean of the Mineralogy department mobilized Enforcers to steal the Rhinegold treasure from the mercenaries and the Servant Cu Chulainn. Those men were employed by the Jade Emperor to destroy the Einzbern family once he took in their heiress as his disciple."

The hound took a breath as his queen's face became like stone as he continued to speak. "The, Jade Emperor who offered authentic Zhenren or Xian pills of longevity for the Rhinegold was very... Cross with the Mages Association, and I am afraid that, the Rhinegold has in turn... Been stolen directly from the vaults of the Meluastea families holding."

There was a moment of silence that was only broken as Lorelei took a deep breath. And then with a steady... Calm voice, she asked. "And the Jade Emperor... Did he break into the Mage Association to take his treasure back? Or was it that rat the Black Prince Alec? Did the Jade Emperor say anything at all?"

There was a moment of silence before the hound slowly shook his head and said more quietly. "No... There was no note from the Black Prince, nor did the Jade Emperor say anything about taking it back. At the scene of the theft however, were a large amount of slightly magical flowers."

The hound took a breath and then continued. "As for the Jade Emperor... He is still rather furious with the Mages Association according to the Japenese History Compilation Committee, and he has made a decree that as he works to open a new zone equal in magical potency as the Wandering Sea, The Tomb of Albion, and other sites touching upon the Age of the Gods in magical potency."

The man who had slain dozens of lesser Dead Apostles, swallowed before he finished his words. "The Jade Emperor swore that no member of our people would be allowed to enter his kingdom of Japan and especially the divine mountain of Kunlun."

The Queen of the Mages Assosiation's face twitched at the slap to the face such an ordainment was. The Mages Association was the face of all human magical practitioners in the world, the force that whether it be Heretic Gods, True Magicians, or even Campione. All respected them to an extent.

No other force dared to announce to the world that they were not welcome!

So now Lorelei Barthomeloi was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Does she admit to the fault of the Meluastea family's actions in acquiring a powerful treasure that rightfully belonged to the association with the value it could provide for mages in the years to come. Which would alienate her from the powerful families within the Mages Association.

Or does she wait to see the value of this supposed 'divine mountain' and the Campione's plan to bring the Age of the Gods worth of mana to Japan. Before testing the Campione or even trying to bully him into compliance or at least forming a working relationship with the Mages Association.

-

"Ughhhh! You big meanie! You gave me a sunburn!" A voice screamed as she hid within the deep crust of the earth to avoid the lingering holy sunlight that coated the surface of Japan in particular.

Arceuid Brunstrud was all but crying as she painfully picked the charred flesh from her form that had been burnt as she was wandering the world to look for that bastard Roa who had awakened back into the world.

And then as she was looking through a city to find traces of him... A huge flash of light followed by the worst burning feeling crossed over her form leaving her horribly burned and now... "Ugh! Jake Bariss, I am so mad at you!" Arceuid muttered to herself as she healed within the deep earth.

Using her status as a True Ancestor and nature spirit to heal via Gaea's direct energy as she rested near a leyline that was outputting a good deal of power for her to absorb.

But the thing was. Although Arceuid wasn't actually that mad at Jake for burning her... She was A-ok with that honestly! As she could feel that even Roa got burned even worse. She could feel that annoying bitch Altrouge had also gotten burned with Primate Murder getting all his fur burned away!

So all in all... If she had to get a bad sunburn, that she should heal from in the next couple of days. While like seventy-five percent of all the Dead Apostles in the world were obliterated and the rest were forced into recovery for the next few years if not decades.

"I can live with such a scoreboard... Plus it will make Roa have to keep still and recover so I can find that bastard." Arcueid muttered before a thought struck her.

With her connection to Gaea as a nature spirit, she could use the terminals of Gaea to gather information. And already she knew from the battles the new Jade Emperor was strong in power along with having many devious tricks and enchanted tools.

If he could seal a god for a while to land powerful blows... Who is to say maybe his divine authorities didn't have a way to permanently kill that rat Michael Roa Valdamjong?

So the White Princess forced herself to sleep. Sleep to quickly recover from her wounds, as Jake Bariss the Jade Emperor owed her a debt for burning her. Even if she would have happily been burnt to kill off so many Dead Apostles.

-

Standing atop the tallest point of the Five Elements Peaks in China, the sound of a fan snapping shut filled the air as the Ruler of the Martial Realm stared out towards the east as the nine suns of Yi were dragged down to the mortal world.

"My little brother has shown much promise... Slaying a true god, and having such power that his nature as the Jade Emperor goes beyond the authorities he has stripped from the Jade Emperor." 

Luo Cuilian, or more commonly known as Luo Hao was proud of her little brother. Sure she was disgruntled at how he managed to slay the god who even defeated her! Her the peak of martial will in the mortal world.

But she was a magnanimous senior sister, she would not bully her younger brother who was clearly busy dealing with a manifested evil god in his backyard. 

"Now... The real question is when the rightful Emperor of China will return, it's disgusting that he is merely remaining on the frontier of the empire." Luo Hao muttered unknowing and uncaring of the billions of people who wouldn't quite accept Japan being part of China itself.

Over the last few weeks Luo Hao had considered many things, and she was well aware that she was stretched thin in covering mainland China alone from the supernatural threats that would well up in its untamed mountains to say nothing of the far corners of the western parts of Asia.

And it wasn't a matter of rulership either. Luo Hao was a proud woman who wouldn't bend her head her the heavens or earth, but the man above the heavens? An equal who had slain that which laid herself low? 

It did not rankle her pride one bit at differing from the mortal Jade Emperor due to one simple reason. Her little brother Yuhuang Yudi knew the secrets of Zhenren and Xian Alchemy that had been lost for multiple millennia at this point to say nothing of how his cultivation was even higher than hers!

He who had only been a practitioner for mere weeks had progressed even further than she had in two centuries! It was obvious that his place was to be here in China to bring back the Martial World of old!

But it would not be so easy. Luo Hao breathed in the purple mist of the Five Elements Mountains and she stared out towards the east as her hands made fists. "Even still. I look forward to seeing how you handle yourself against my skills little brother." Luo Hao muttered as her head tilted to the side as she could feel one of her many disciples climbing her mountain to obviously give a message of the information she already knew.