"Hey, Reiko, may I ask you something?" Envy raised her hand, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. A shiver danced down Daniel's spine – a mixture of apprehension and something he couldn't quite place.
"By all means, Lady Envy," Reiko replied with a respectful bow. Her voice was still melodious, but now carried a hint of amusement that mirrored Envy's own. "It would be my pleasure to answer any inquiries you may have."
"Can you fight? Do you use a sword?" Envy asked, her amusement evident.
Reiko's smile widened slightly. "Indeed, Lady Envy. While I possess combat training, my weapon of choice in my former life was the naginata. Ancestral tradition and all," she explained with a light chuckle. "Though I am more than willing to learn the intricacies of a blade should the need arise."
Envy's grin stretched wider as she turned to Daniel. "See? I told you, you have a warrior girl fetish. How many of these ladies are under your care now? Come on, Danny, admit it! Take it like a man!" Her playful jabs sent another tremor through Daniel.
"Hahahaha!" A booming laugh erupted from Lust, the only one with the audacity to find humor after Dupont's revelation. "So, Magitek, that's your type, huh? HAHAHAHA!"
Daniel's cheeks flushed with a mix of annoyance and a subtle defensiveness that wasn't lost on Envy. Seeing her beloved squirm under Lust's crude humor, Greed's own amusement quickly curdled into annoyance.
"Didn't we agree on decorum, Lust?" Greed's voice cut through the laughter, a subtle reminder of her power within the group. "If you can't manage to behave yourself, I'll not force you. The same as I will not force your new film budget to pass next year."
Lust's smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a mask of subservience. "My apologies, Lady Greed," she bowed deeply.
"If you have enough entertainment, can you get back to the topic?" Daniel said, a little annoyed at the teasing he got from Envy.
"Ah, sorry, sorry, I got carried away a little," Envy quickly apologized, though her tone remained carefree. "So, where were we? Ah yes, Sessho-Seki. Do you have anything to add, Reiko? I believe Daniel called you out for a reason," Envy asked the ghost girl.
"Yes, Lady Envy," Reiko replied. "I believe what the Hightower is talking about is the Sessho-Seki, which is actually in Naha State."
"Hold on," Greed interjected, brow furrowed in concentration. "Isn't there a Sessho-Seki in Hojo Clan Province? The one everyone knows about?"
"The Sessho-Seki in Sagami Province is, of course, a fake one," Reiko explained. "It's there for everyone to see, serving as a decoy to divert attention from any followers of Tamamo-No-Mae who are still hiding in Japanese society and around the world. The real one is in Naha State, and it's also a closely guarded secret.
I believe the last people who knew where the real one is should already be dead, likely during the Boshin War."
Envy let out a long sigh before explaining further. "I understand your frustration, Daniel, but trust me, battling Golden Scale is a fool's errand. He's not the strongest mage, but he's arguably the most irritating one you'll ever meet. You see," she leaned forward, her voice dropping to a low murmur, "Golden Scale's soul is bound to the Hightower Law itself.
A conceptual entity like that can't be destroyed. Even if you leveled the entire Hightower, as long as a single mage remembers the Law, Golden Scale will always come back."
"And to top it all off," Envy continued, her voice barely above a whisper, "his Origin Element is Reality."
The revelation weighed heavily in the air, casting a profound impact on those gathered at the feast table. Such information was typically closely guarded within the Hightower's inner circle. The implications were staggering – a mage capable of manipulating reality itself. It was no surprise that Golden Scale could hold the position of a Grand Councilor with authority over the Hightower law.
"He has Reality as his Origin Element!?" Dupont's voice boomed across the room, laced with a mixture of shock and dread.
The revelation sent shivers down everyone's spines, except for Daniel. The Reality Origin Element was a legend, a power whispered about in hushed tones, spoken of with a reverence bordering on fear. Someone who could manipulate the very fabric of reality was a force to be reckoned with.
This is the ability that is closest to the creation of god in the legend!
"Yes, it's true," Envy confirmed, a grave expression etched on her face. All of the guests seemed to shrink back as if fearing the very air around them.
"Then... Aunt Envy," Greed interjected, her voice laced with curiosity "if his Origin Element is Reality, then why isn't he the most powerful mage around? Are you more powerful than him?"
Envy offered a tight smile. "In a direct confrontation, I have no doubt I could overpower him. But as I said, killing him is impossible."
"You see," she continued, her voice dropping to a low murmur, "Golden Scale's Origin Element is a double-edged sword. While it grants him immense power, it also renders his existence incredibly unstable. His very presence in this reality is a constant struggle against potential disintegration. Binding himself to the Hightower Law was a desperate measure to secure his own existence. Think of it as a kind of anchor tethering him to this plane."
"And the robe he always wears?" Greed, asked. "Is it also a product to counter his... condition?" She leaned over with curiosity.
Envy nodded grimly. "Indeed. The robe is heavily enchanted with reality-reinforcing properties. Without it, his body would likely crumble under the strain of his own power."
"Then, if I were to destroy his robe, I wouldn't need to do anything else, right? He would immediately disintegrate out of existence," Daniel questioned.
"In theory, yes," Envy replied, "But don't forget that he bound his soul to the Hightower law. Sooner or later, he will come back. He always will."