Chapter 447: Interlude - The 13 Seats of The Society
“All information shared in this room is classified and must not be disclosed to the outside. Burn that into your brains.”
Amidst their busy schedules, a figure stood on the podium before the gathered assembly and made that declaration.
“I have many other things to say, but...”
He continued, swallowing the warnings of punishment for information leaks that had surfaced in his mind.
“I’m sure everyone has work to do, so I’ll get straight to the point.”
Skipping all the usual formalities, he began the presentation immediately.
Flash.
Images began to flow across the screen in front of them.
Twelve photographs appeared, depicting figures far removed from anything human.
“There will be no distributed materials, so please commit this to memory. Short notes are permitted, but any pictorial depictions, such as caricatures, are strictly prohibited.”
The man on the podium spoke and stepped aside so the audience could see the screen clearly as he continued.
“Some of you may have already heard, but the Management Bureau has currently formed an alliance with the World Conquest Secret Society—commonly known as 'The Society.'”
Gulp.
As he finished that sentence, the sound of someone swallowing echoed through the room.
It was a small sign of life in the silent chamber. However, the audience showed no further reaction.
“Simultaneously, as proof that they will not betray us, The Society has provided a list of their twelve highest-ranking executives. Through this, our Bureau has obtained information on the leadership of The Society, which we previously could not accurately identify.”
Thud.
The man on the podium—the General Manager of the Integrated Crime Department of the Management Bureau—tapped the screen with his palm and continued.
“Surprisingly, it has been confirmed that among the twelve highest-ranking executives of The Society, the six newly revealed individuals are high-risk entities who have already caused incidents and are already on record with the Bureau.”
As he spoke, six of the faces were brightly highlighted.
It was as if he were telling those who already knew the other six to remember these six as well.
However, the emphasis lasted only a few seconds.
“Now, let’s get to the main point. Currently, The Society is cooperating with the Management Bureau. Mutants belonging to The Society are fighting on the front lines, and they are voluntarily exploring highly Contaminated Zones to provide us with information.”
His voice continued in a flat, level tone.
“However.”
Suddenly, the General Manager’s voice began to rise.
“We know The Society well. They are calculating, despicable, and even devious. We do not know how long they will remain on our side, and even if this incident concludes favorably, The Society will undoubtedly turn hostile toward the Bureau again and carry out acts of sabotage.”
As if in agreement, the people in the room gave short nods.
“Therefore, to better understand our future enemies, we will share information regarding the executives of The Society here. Make sure you sear this into your minds.”
With those final words, the General Manager remained motionless and silent for about twenty seconds, as if giving them time to collect their thoughts.
“Now, let us begin. First, we will discuss the six newly revealed individuals.”
Flash.
The screen changed along with his words.
“Kukururu. Master of Metal.”
Appearing on the screen with those words was a small fairy.
Compared to surrounding objects, her height was approximately 40 to 50 cm.
The being, who had an androgynous appearance with pink skin and a pearl-like bob cut, wore clothes with a white base and blue patterns reminiscent of flower petals.
On her head were blue horns intricately intertwined, beautiful enough to be mistaken for a crown.
On her back, she possessed three pairs of white wings with blue patterns that brought to mind sharp blades.
“She is the leader of the Steel Fairy Race, a species naturally attuned to metal and gifted in Mechanical Engineering. Their technology is at a level where they can create computing devices equivalent to a standard CPU using only gears, excluding all electronics.”
He continued his explanation calmly, but there was something missing from his description.
The fact that those 'gears' were actually components so precise they could not be examined by the human eye.
And more importantly, the true meaning behind the mention of being 'attuned to metal.'
The fact that she could easily manufacture insane alloys that boasted higher hardness and strength than high-end alloys, were highly corrosion-resistant, and yet were incredibly light.
A brief explanation of Kukururu’s abilities followed.
“The incident caused by this entity was extremely simple.”
He was about to speak of the incident that had set them against the Management Bureau.
“Whew.”
But before that, a short sigh escaped his lips.
Everyone reading the data on the screen could guess the reason for that sigh.
“...Should you ever come into contact with that race, please ensure you never utter words like, ‘It’s just metal materials engineering.’”
A simple slip of the tongue.
While they were part of a Research Institute under the Management Bureau, those words had slipped out during an argument with other researchers.
Kukururu had politely requested the researcher to retract the statement, but when the request was ignored repeatedly...
She immediately swung her wings, severed the researcher’s hand, and led her kin in an escape from the laboratory.
And it was confirmed that obstacles like thick metal walls were of no use against their escape.
They vanished from the laboratory, cutting through everything as easily as a hot knife through butter.
When the explanation ended, several scoffs erupted from the audience, and some wore bitter smiles.
Then, the presentation moved to the next slide.
“Shamania. The Blind Seer.”
The entity revealed with the name looked like an ordinary monk at first glance.
A being wrapped in red and white cloth, eyes closed in perpetual prayer.
However, those with keen eyes noticed that he was different from an ordinary monk.
“It isn’t obvious at a glance, but he is an android. An artificial human.”
As if to prove those words, Shamania’s joints were recessed and spherical.
Joints that looked as if marbles had been embedded in them.
However, other than that, he looked exactly like a human.
“Shamania’s initial observed measurements placed him as a D-Rank Mutant. Thus, he was assigned as a standard target for Free Subjugation, but...”
The Hero who went out for that Free Subjugation was defeated all too easily.
The Hero didn't die, but despite the power gap being several-fold, they were defeated without being able to do a single thing.
Upon victory, Shamania increased his amount of power.
A being that grows stronger the more he wins.
However, there was something even more terrifying than such a special ability.
“As a fact discovered through later analysis of combat footage, it is speculated that Shamania possesses an additional ability.”
With those words, the explanation began.
Shamania always takes an evasive stance one step before an attack begins.
By the time a unit dispatched to eliminate Shamania arrives, Shamania has already left to avoid meeting them.
After confirming Shamania’s location through various methods, a special forces unit launched a surprise attack via Spatial Teleportation, but only a single paper note remained at the site.
“The note read: ‘I am merely a seeker looking for a path where everyone can live. Therefore, I would appreciate it if you did not interfere.’ Because of this, it is currently speculated that Shamania possesses an unprecedentedly wide-range and precise Future Foresight.”
After that explanation ended.
“Iiiii Iiii. Colorful Paper.”
When the name was revealed, a silence fell over the room.
A silence born from the thought that he might have misread the name.
“...It is said there is a pronunciation issue that we do not understand. Therefore, there was a request to call it E-Seven if we ever have to address it.”
Simultaneously, its appearance was revealed.
Contrary to the simple name, it was a creature with a considerably complex appearance.
Overall, it had a human form, but its back was adorned with wings shaped like torn curtains, its legs were twisted with reverse joints, and its arms were about 20% longer than a normal human's, with deeper grooves between the fingers.
However, all of that was overshadowed by its most significant characteristic.
“It’s difficult to tell from the photograph, but this entity has had one dimensional element removed. In other words, the E-Seven in that photo has no thickness.”
An explanation of Iiiii Iiii’s abilities followed.
An explanation mixed with technical jargon.
Depending on which of the seven colors is excluded from its body, it can ignore position, direction, holes, volume, time, rotation angle, and one unknown physical concept.
However, since E-Seven is an object that exists normally in reality, ignoring those things doesn't mean it disappears from the world or moves; even while that power is being ignored, the individual can still normally influence the outside world.
“...As for its personality, I’ll put it bluntly. It is a pacifist.”
At that explanation, the people in the room tilted their heads in confusion.
“However, the initial encounter went poorly, making it a problematic case.”
With that explanation, the General Manager on the podium flipped the screen.
There, spread across a plain, was a dark painting of a city that looked as if it had been drawn using only black paint.
“This image is not an actual painting, but a city where people lived. However, when E-Seven arrived in this world, it was being chased by someone from the Otherworld and had fully deployed its abilities to protect itself. The city within the power’s range was transformed like that in an instant.”
When the explanation ended, the screen flickered briefly, showing a photograph of a normal city.
“E-Seven immediately realized the gravity of the situation, deactivated its ability, and fled, but the city residents, faced with a phenomenon they couldn't understand, suffered from mental disorders for months. Furthermore, several machines completely ceased to function, resulting in massive property losses.”
A list of losses scrolled rapidly along with his words.
“This information was delivered along with a message containing the instructions on how to pronounce E-Seven's name, and that message included an apology and a request not to look for it.”
And the Management Bureau postponed the search for Iiiii Iiii.
Because it was infinitely difficult to capture E-Seven, who existed outside the laws of physics, using ordinary observation equipment.
“Zen Ju-rung. No codename.”
The person in the photo accompanying the name was an ordinary woman.
Her knee-length ponytail was distinctive, but other than that, she had no standout physical features.
However, beyond her appearance, there was a definitely characteristic element.
A magnificent spear decorated with jade, twice her height.
“The individual currently holding the spear was originally a Martial Artist-type Hero. She was an ordinary Hero far removed from being a villain, but during the course of her story, she encountered that spear used by her final adversary and was mentally dominated by it.”
Simultaneously, her power from her days as a Hero was projected onto the screen. Nothing special—a slightly skilled Martial Artist who used a sword.
“Based on the data alone, she was an unremarkable Hero, but perhaps she had a talent for the spear, or perhaps the spear had the ability to enhance the owner’s power. The moment she gripped the spear, she displayed A-Rank top-tier physical abilities. She then stormed a certain building, killed the majority of the people partying there, and fled.”
The victim list revealed with those words contained shocking details.
Her parents, the master who raised her. Data showing that she had murdered all the local dignitaries and politicians attending the party with them, killed their subordinates as well, and then fled.
“The reason the spear committed such atrocities is speculated to be an attempt to break the Main Body’s spirit. Whether it actually worked or not, Ju-rung, who was originally a Hero, subsequently became widely known as a villain.”
Thus, the introduction of the former Hero and current Society executive ended.
“Odio. Cloud of Hatred.”
A haze appeared on the screen.
A collection of black mist that might look like a person at a glance.
However, floating there without limbs and emitting only a glow from its eyes, it was a form that could not be called human.
“Odio’s abilities have not been accurately identified yet. It is merely known that as a mist-type lifeform, it has no physical influence in its normal state, and when physical influence is required, it condenses strongly to take a human shape.”
With those words, the glowing photo behind the General Manager changed.
To a scene of a building-sized black giant swinging its fist and smashing a building.
“However, through the incidents that occur whenever this entity is observed, the direction of its ability has been mostly interpreted.”
Photos flowed across the screen.
Riots, conflicts, and bloodshed.
“In places where Odio appears, large-scale riots or incidents equivalent to civil wars occur. Furthermore, incidents that clearly showed signs of early resolution rapidly worsen until they become unmanageable.”
Simultaneously, a video that seemed to have been taken from a distance began to play.
A video showing citizens peacefully continuing a protest.
No problems were visible in the video, but as time passed and black clouds gathered in the sky, the atmosphere began to change drastically.
The protest turned violent, and the protesters displayed aggressive tendencies, picking up weapons or swinging their fists.
The protest gradually became contagious, sweeping through the entire city, and in the final stage where the protest intensified, the black mist gathered to become a massive giant.
The giant exercised its power, striking down both those caught in the bloodlust and those trying to stop it, before vanishing beyond the sky.
“Based on this, the analysis team speculates that Odio possesses a wide-range mental manipulation ability that induces violence and hatred in people, and can exercise power based on those emotions.”
Along with the explanation of Odio’s ability, the regions where Odio had appeared were briefly marked on a map.
After enough time had passed for them to remember it.
“Locria. Meat Carver.”
Next came the explanation of Locria.
Her abilities, appearance, and even her racial characteristics.
When that explanation ended, the General Manager took a deep breath and flipped the screen.
“From here on is information on the executives who were originally confirmed to belong to The Society.”
After speaking quickly, he continued the explanation.
Zandred. Drug Doc.
A Dog-kin Beastman. Other than a broken fang, there are no special features to distinguish him from others.
However, there is a characteristic ingrained in his body that can be distinguished the moment one gets close.
A pungent smell of formalin. And, the smell of a strange concoction permeated within it.
Specializing in pharmaceutical compounding, he can manufacture ordinary drugs, but through special combinations, he can also prepare medicines that produce magical effects.
As an example of a magical drug compounded by Zandred, a drug that transcends death was introduced to the audience.
A drug that forcibly maintains a grip on life through continuous administration, even if the body is undergoing decomposition, as long as the subject’s consciousness remains.
Zandred himself has completed the verification of this as a recipient of the drug.
Zandred was apprehended in a large European city while pouring large quantities of drugs into a septic tank, claiming the water was contaminated.
The drug contained addictive and hallucinogenic properties, as well as effects that remain difficult for human technology to grasp even today.
Zandred, who had weak physical abilities, was unable to break his restraints and committed suicide by swallowing a pill while being transported to a special prison. It seemed the case was closed, but...
During an autopsy for research purposes, he regained consciousness and fled. He subsequently joined The Society.
Blur. Shadow Raven.
A grim-faced female entity with only an upper body and no legs, surrounded by numerous bird-shaped shadows.
She is capable of duplicating non-living objects, and in addition, possesses a special property called Causality Severing. This ability is speculated to be a species-wide trait rather than an individual one.
When this ability is manifested, it becomes impossible to change or backtrace the phenomenon designated as the result by the subject.
However, since it is not an absolute fixation, it is possible to release the fixation by consuming a massive amount of power. But if one is unaware that something has been fixed, it is easy to pass by without knowing, making it highly dangerous.
In her first encounter with the Management Bureau, Blur fixed an entire Bureau branch, seized various unidentified objects and Mutants under transport, and fled. It took a week to liberate that branch.
Seini. Dimensionist.
A Mutant in the form of a translucent boy. He moves by floating several centimeters off the ground while emitting light.
The Bureau speculates that he can perform almost any action involving spatial abilities, including opening holes to the Otherworld.
Records of his misdeeds using these abilities are too numerous to list here, but among them, his habit of disassembling living humans and leaving them behind is famous.
Since the duration isn't very long after the user leaves, there aren't many fatalities, but many personnel have been left with trauma or plummeted morale after witnessing the sight.
He is wanted for infiltrating key Bureau locations to steal specific items or release sealed Mutants.
Liger. Gwon-ho.
A tiger-type beastman Mutant. A pure physical fighter who uses Martial Artist-type abilities.
Unlike a typical member of The Society, he has a strong tendency to ask for his opponent's name and tries to minimize injury—a pure Martial Artist personality.
Perhaps because of that, he tends to fight according to his opponent's strength, so records of him showing his full power using all his physical enhancements are rare. However, he is the possessor of power capable of toppling a building with a single punch when his full strength is unleashed.
He recently appeared at the Martial Alliance and demonstrated that power.
Quilp. Umbra Rat.
An assassin in the form of a rat beastman. There are very few records of sightings.
An unstoppable assassin who has assassinated or incapacitated numerous targets.
“And finally, Al’shel. Octomundus.”
Tension filled the air.
“As you well know, he is a notorious O-Rank Mutant. And since this entity appeared, The Society’s plans have become more sophisticated and their influence has grown.”
Starting with those words, numerous records related to Al’shel began to appear on the screen.
All the figures indicated just how terrifying an existence Al’shel was.
“This concludes the most basic information, including newly revealed facts about The Society’s executives. Now, from here, we will discuss their appearance patterns and the resulting countermeasures...”
The meeting continued.
“...In the past, The Society once distributed effective medicines and painkillers for humans on the front lines. The effects were good, but a slight dependency was discovered...”
It went on.
“...Experimental results showed that the dependency was lower compared to drugs with similar efficacy. However, since many argued that if they could make such a drug, they should also be able to eliminate the side effects, it was defined as a terrorist act by The Society to collapse the front lines through the distribution of narcotics...”
It continued.
* * *
“So, what’s wrong with Quilp?”
“They say his back pain flared up.”
Oh dear.