"After the end of World War III, one Era came to an end. And Era of Supernations and magical advancement started." - Unknown Person, the Year 2065
***
One year later, in January of the Year 2065, World War III finally ended. The war conflict took exactly 20 years. The world changed so much during these twenty years that it was almost unrecognizable.
Be it the establishment of the International Magic Association, whose purpose was to prevent the pollution of the Earth beyond what it could recover from through the use of radioactive and nuclear materials used in weapons of mass destruction.
Or be it the Bloody Fall of Dahan in the Year 2062, where Dahan was brought to its knees after a huge slaughter by the Yotsuba Clan.
The world population in the year 2045, when the world war started, was approximately 9 billion. Right now, on New Year's Eve of the year 2065, the population dropped to somewhat under 2,8 billion, which was an extremely significant drop in the world population.
Geographically, the world has changed even more.
First thing, the Japan Imperial Hierarchy now consisted of the territory of original Japan before the end of the war but also obtained Taiwan Island, which was taken from Dahan, Okinawa Island from USNA, and Karafuto Prefecture, which was a huge island bordering New Soviet Union.
These acts exponentially expanded the country's territory, which desperately needed it, as their population casualties were abysmal compared to the rest of the nations, and no fights were waged on their territory.
Great Asian Union absorbed Dahan, and after some time, they also absorbed Mongolia, Bruma, Laos, Vietnam, and the Korean Peninsula and became officially known as the Great Asian Alliance.
The New Soviet Union absorbed Ukraine, Belarus, and several minor countries and created a superpower in the world. Similarly, the USNA was created by the USA and Canada, forming one state and subsequently absorbing Mexico, Panama, and Caribbean countries.
Indo-Persian Federation was created by devouring various countries in Central Asia: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and South Asia: Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
In Europe, the European Union was almost immediately dissolved. At the same time, Germany created its own German nation while also absorbing Denmark, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
France created its own block to weigh out the power of the Germanic Factions as their long rivalry and hostilities erupted once again, and the two factions were at each other's throats.
Britain remained neutral, though they attacked and absorbed Ireland, which became once again part of the United Kingdom.
Three northern countries, namely Finland, Sweden, and Norway, fused together and created a federative monarchy ruled jointly but a council of two kings of Sweden and Norway and the president of Finland.
More than half of the African countries were dissolved, and the majority of Africa turned into a wasteland. Some local warlords started learning battles among themselves in a few territories to create a new nation.
A similar thing happened in South America, where aside from Brazil, South America is divided into small countries where governments do not have much reach beyond their own borders.
In Japan Imperial Hierarchy, many changes have happened throughout the year.
Officially, the Imperial Japanese Army was established as the successor of the National Defense Forces, with several branches. Namely: Imperial Japanese Military, Imperial Japanese Navy, Imperial Japanese Air Force, Imperial Magician Corps, Imperial Enforcement Guard.
Imperial Japanese Military were basically the ground troops, nothing more and nothing less; they, of course, included mechanical brigades with magical machinery and modern magic weapons.
Imperial Japanese Navy was a fleet of Japan that returned to the hegemony of the Pacific after the destruction of Pearl Harbor after the USNA withdrew most of its forces from the pacific ocean.
And thus, the war that took 20 years to end was now part of history.
Peace came, but tensions and grudges between countries were still there, and some were just waiting for an opportunity to strike and start a war anew.
***
In the spring of the year 2068, Yotsuba Village.
The size of the Yotsuba village increased significantly as the Yotsuba Clan continued to improve its foundation in the country. The first thing they did, aside from adopting talented magical orphans, was the recruitment of various reclusive hermits in martial arts or ancient magic users.
As Patriarch of the Yotsuba Clan was also General of the Imperial Enforcement Guard, which was a collection of strongest magicians across Japan that acted as counter-terrorist units, guarded most important places across Japan, or enforced laws when necessary.
Slowly, even works on the Clan Castle were starting, and fortifications of the Valley were also in the process.
Works started last year; one weak point, which was the entrance to the Valley, was reforged and reworked to be an impregnable fortress.
It has been three years till the end of World War III.
Many things have changed from times of war. While in some countries, civil unrest is now like in the Great Asian Alliance; apparently, they find it extremely hard to recover after the Bloody Fall of Dahan.
Yotsuba Clan, together with the Military, practically destroyed the magical foundation of the entire country, which will stagnate the development of the Great Asian Alliance for the next decades.
Countries such as USNA or some European giants were already stabilizing the situation.
Africa turned into a war ground as various Warlords started leading their warbands and territories to battle each other, turning the entire continent into one huge battlefield. What didn't help was the fact that USNA and Japan actively started raiding some weaker countries there for rare magical resources.
Only two countries in the world had a good situation, and that was the U.S.N.A. and the Japan Imperial Hierarchy, though Hierarchy was in a better situation as they didn't suffer many losses during the war compared to the U.S.N.A.
Among the things that changed was that Yotsuba Maya was declared the Heir of the Yotsuba Clan, and Magus Killer Emyia Kiritsugu was announced as her fianceé.
It was clear that with their wedding in the future, the Yotsuba Clan would gain another Strategic-Order Magician.
Currently, deep within the Sakura Valley, which was the name of the Valley deep within the mountain range where the ancestral home of the Yotsuba Clan was located, Kiritsugu was drinking tea with his future father-in-law, Yotsuba Genzou.
"How is your research going on?"
The Patriarch of the Yotsuba Clan was slowly sipping on his team while converting with his future-son-law.
"Steadily."
Kiritsugu answered shortly.
Data on the Artificial Magic Calculation Area are top-notch; replicating results is no problem. With recent war and coup, prisons have enough experimental subjects. In Khaos Brigade, we have around thirty Inborn-Specialized Magicians that now have two magic calculation areas."
His effort in researching the Artificial Magic Calculation Area was mainly due to the knowledge that his children would be Inborn-Specialized Magicians. It was a genetic predisposition that descendants of the Inborn-Specialized Magicians would be one for sure.
Fortunately, Dahan has researched this topic very thoroughly and finely, so they needed only to add minor adjustments. Inborn-Specialized Magicians often had very strong innate Magic if adequately cultivated and trained.
With the addition of Modern Magic to their arsenal, it could be a terrifying combat force.
"What about Perpetual Surgery of Eternal Youth?"
Yotsuba Genzou asked about the other research that was obtained by the Yotsuba Clan during the Bloody Dahan. Jiego Heigu researched something that could prolong the youthful appearance.
"It's a mess. The Magic itself is interesting, but it cannot prolong the lifespan; it just keeps a youthful appearance. But still, we could work with it a bit and maybe create something more out of it. Kunlunfang Institute had full research of it conducted by Jiego Heigu; apparently, he aimed to create a magic that would be able to make one immortal..."
Jiego Heigu was a splendid and genial Magic Researcher and a very ambitious one as he aimed straight at immortality.
"It is unknown if he achieved it, as in the last experiment he conducted when he was still in Dahan, it is mentioned he made a crucial breakthrough or something along those lines."
Emyia Kiritsugu sounded a bit disappointed.
"Hmm... that is good... but now there is still one certain matter that needs to be resolved as soon as possible."
Yotsuba Genzou stated with a grave voice as he looked at his future-son-law.
"What?"
"There exists a certain group of people that have been controlling Japan from shadows for a very long time since Magic has become a common thing. They are a secret organization called the Senate. On the top of the Senate are Four Great Elders, who control many powerful families in Japan or can directly influence them to a big degree."
The Patriarch of the Yotsbua Clan explained before making a slight pause in his speech.
"Their informal leader, Toudou Aoba, is even sponsoring the Yotsuba Clan..."
It was then true that the Yotsuba Clan had some unseen and very powerful backers within the nation.
"But now, it isn't needed anymore. Since the establishment of the Japanese Imperial Hierarchy, Ten Master Clans don't need old sponsors and schemers as now we formally own all power in this state. So, it is time to dispose of the last player on the board."
Yotsuba Genzou stated with a stern voice and murder in his eyes.
"And afterward, Yotsuba can take over the network and resources of the Toudou Family, right?"
Kiritsugu questioned as he slightly opened his eyes.
"Yes. I admit, without the help of His Excellency Toudou Aoba, the current Yotsuba wouldn't exist, but alas, with the establishment of Hierarchy, our position has become too high for the Senate to control like puppets."
Indeed the position of the Yotsuba Clan was very precarious right now.
"Sooner or later, they will decide to take control back. So, we will strike first."
The Senate was long established organization that controlled all of Japan's politics and right now, after the coup, it was time to root them once for all because their power will need to undergo another wave of consolidation.
Only right now, they were vulnerable.
"Here is the list of all known Agents, Affiliates, and puppets of the Senate. Tomorrow, we will start cleaning our garden. It was decided between Clan Heads that what you kill is yours, so we need to destroy as many of those leeches to take over their network and power."
As Kiritsugu looked over it, it seemed that he was preparing to destroy the Senate for a long time already. Even though the Senate created the Yotsuba Clan, someone as powerful and prideful as Yotsuba Genzou wouldn't let himself be a puppet for the interests of another.
"You will assassinate Toudou Aoba himself. Also, bring his body back; we can extract his memories and secure his estate; he is from a very old line of magicians, who knows what knowledge had his family hoarded up over centuries."
Kiritsugu nodded his head in agreement.
Times were changing, and old friends were new enemies today.
Now that Yotsuba had gotten too much power, their old sponsor and protector became their cancer, which needed to be swiftly removed.
"Is Toudou Aoba a Strategic-Order Magician?"
Questioned Kiritsugu carefully, as he wanted to know more about his incoming assassination target.
"To my knowledge, yes, but if he has Strategic-Order Magic, I don't know. Based on the information collected on him, it is highly possible; thus, I would advise you to be careful and dispose of him without a fight if it is possible."
It seemed that Todou Aoba was pretty powerful, but that was to be expected.
Unknown enemies were the worst kind.
Geniue Strategic-Class Magicians had a Strategic-Class Magic in their disposition, or rather they could completely cast a Strategic-Class Spell.
Usually, the qualifications on which the Magicians are divided these days are:
1st Sufficient ability of the Magician to intervene with Eidos.
2nd Psion Capacity and Pushion Manipulation Scale.
3rd Processing Power of the Magic Calculation Area and 4th Sufficient Knowledge over the Spell Model.
Technically, a Magician is considered a Strategic-Class as long as he has fulfilled the first three conditions and can cast even an incomplete Strategic-Class Spell.
Of course, the higher Orders are impossible for the current civilization to reach. Like many other factions, the Yotsuba Clan was researching how to reach Higher Order in the Magician Orders, but to no avail.
The fundamental problem is that the human body is virtually impossible to hold an enormous amount of the Psions and Pushions when it comes to Higher-Order Spells that existed in the world.
From three tests done by three Strategic-Class Magicians, all of them died before they could finish even the first steps in the spell casting.
"I will check up on his mansion and carry out the task in the upcoming week."
Kiritsugu had already started formulating plans on how to assassinate Toudou Aoba.