𝑬𝑴𝑷𝑰𝑹𝑬 𝑶𝑭 𝑮𝑶𝑳𝑫 ⇢ Gojo Satoru

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐗𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈 - 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘

MAGIC AND HUMANS – mortals, as they were often referred to by those who considered themselves superior – were two forces that rarely mixed these days. One born of power, and the other born of life, united by a thin thread of fate. The only exception to this fundamental rule that many consider to be the truth itself were sorcerers.

Mortals imbued with the ability to heal, the power to manipulate the same strings that The Maker had once pulled to create the world, shift between the empty spaces of reality.

Very little was known about the emergence of sorcery. Of magic itself. Whether it came from humans like the Curses that had been plaguing the world for far longer or if they came from somewhere else, somewhere beyond human understanding.

But here's the thing about magic; it lingered.

Sometimes it was in an abandoned and decrepit room made of vines and roots in a nameless forest. Sometimes it was in the remains of a powerful sorceress fused to the ground she once consecrated. Sometimes it was through the bones and blood of the sorcerers themselves.

And sometimes – most of the time – it was in The Magistrate.

Léa Dubois sighed, putting aside her load of paperwork and interlocking her hands in front of her as the door opened, the gold ring she wore in her finger catching the moonlight momentarily before it flashed golden again. It was a relic of the old times, one of the many artifacts the museum had recovered from the later days of the Edo Period. Some would call it cultural appropriation; a Frenchwoman wearing an invaluable piece of jewellery that did not belong to her lineage, but the society of sorcery was not bound by these mortal rules.

Precedence was of little to no importance in the world of magic, spells and sorcery. The only thing that mattered was power, which is why Léa was currently sitting in one of the many unused rooms of the Japanese History department at the British Museum.

The door opened and the silence Madame Dubois had been enjoying until then was promptly interrupted, the familiar scent of fresh blood and sweat inundating the small office as Kinzoku Asahi entered. The man looked well for someone in his late fifties who should have died at least a hundred times over, sorcery had been kind to him. Then again, he'd always been kind to it in return

The self-proclaimed King of Sorcerers didn't bother with a greeting, plopping himself down in the leather armchair with a fairly unbothered expression, that usual carefree smile he was so well known for making an appearance once again. It was odd, seeing him in age-appropriate clothes instead of the traditional cultural wardrobe he was used to, but that kind of garments would have caught the attention of the security guard at the entrance, and that was exactly the kind of incident he was looking to avoid.

Traveling between Japan and Britain was not particularly easy, even for someone as skilled as him. Slipping through the cracks of time and reality had become a straining activity, the marks he bore on his arms red and inflamed, the gold pouring out a mere glittering aura around him.

He looked like an angel.

But Léa knew just how deceiving looks could be, so she cleared her throat nervously and tapped her heeled foot against the Persian carpet.

"You came." She said simply, she too forgoing any formalities and pursing her lips when he laughed.

"You doubted me, my friend?"

There was something oddly threatening in his words, yet neither his tone nor position had changed. He was just sitting there, leaning back against the chair with his head tipped back, black hair covered in specks of gold and what looked like fresh blood. It was always blood with him.

"I don't know what to think anymore." Léa admitted, the first honest words she'd spoken in the last decade leaving her lips just as easily as all the lies she'd spewed since then. "Though, I'm sure you know why I called."

The Kinzoku adjusted himself, expression shifting slightly as his eyes fell on the woman in front of him. Léa Dubois was a good-looking woman, her brown hair pulled up in an almost perfect bun, the red lipstick making her lips look both thin and smooth, the blue suit she wore giving off professional vibes while the lace top reminded her just the kind of woman she was.

"Keisuke isn't the first to die, is he?" Asahi started, his voice hard and sharp even as it trailed of when Léa quirked her brow, her expression darkening.

"No, he is not." She spoke, each syllable feeling like a stab wound as Asahi bit his lower lip and regretted his hasty words.

The woman slid a folder across the table, the familiar crest of The Magistrate printed atop it in all its gloriousness.

"There have been several similar incidents in the past three months. The death toll is a total of thirteen high-ranking sorcerers, although the number could rise since some of them are still unaccounted for." Léa clarified, her voice just as poignant and accusing as the stare she was currently sending his way.

Asahi smiled, eyes twitching at the familiar gaze.

"I take it this isn't your doing, seeing as you've all but accused me."

Not that the Kinzoku could blame her, it wouldn't be the first time he went on a rampage, killing whomever he pleased – or whomever was foolish enough to challenge him, though the occurrence was becoming rarer these days, especially with everyone too busy fussing over the return of his cursed child.

"No, The Magistrate has nothing to do with this, not that the tree couldn't do with some..." She paused, as if looking for the right word. "Pruning."

Asahi huffed. Pruning was certainly a nice word, far better than the culling Léa had led for the past decade, cutting out any clans unwilling to bow down to her rule.

"So, if this isn't your doing nor mine, I assume there is a new player in the game." She paused, lip darting out to lick the remnants of Chanel Coco.

"If you're suggesting Mikazuki is behind this, I urge you to think again. She does not have the wits nor the resilience necessary to pull such a stunt. The amount of planning such a large attack entails is well beyond her means."

Truth to be told, Asahi wasn't as sure about the statement as he should have. Since her return, his daughter had been everything but her past self, the woman had changed so much he could barely recognize her. Then again, the Kinzoku didn't have anyone to blame but himself for that particular fact.

"And yet, she is the one I am most suspicious of." She scrunched her nose. "Keep your child on a leash, or I will be forced to take action." Léa scoffed. "And, believe me, you will not be pleased by how I plan on handling her."