Chapter 66: Karasuma Renya
Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, far from the clamor of the continents, isolated from the collapsing world, lay an island. It was not a deserted wasteland. On the contrary, at the island's heart stood a testament to modern technology.
It was a fortress, a fusion of classical aesthetics and cutting-edge defensive fortifications. Smooth alloy walls reflected the cold light of the sea. A sophisticated, omnipresent surveillance system vigilantly scanned everything in the vicinity.
This was Karasuma Renya's final sanctuary. And it was the throne from which he observed and attempted to control the entire chessboard of the world.
The control room in the fortress's deepest sanctum was dimly lit. Only the countless monitors, flickering with a ghostly blue light, illuminated the figure seated in the central chair.
Karasuma Renya. His ancient face was a roadmap of wrinkles, but deep within his cloudy eyes, a sharp and ambitious light still gleamed.
He quietly watched the images transmitted to his screens. Burning cities. Panicked crowds. Twisted Witch Labyrinths. His expression was as placid as ever. Everything before him was merely a small, expected ripple in his grand design.
He had been playing this game of chess for a very long time. Long enough to forget the mortal concepts of aging, sickness, and death.
Initially, all he sought was what every wealthy and powerful person dreamed of: immortality. He had poured the vast fortune he had accumulated over half a century into this pursuit. He gathered the world's most brilliant minds and its most unhinged madmen to conduct all manner of forbidden experiments. He stopped at nothing.
Some initial results did indeed slow his aging, even allowing him to continue living under the guise of being "dead." These results, in turn, attracted politicians and oligarchs from various nations who also feared death. They invested enormous sums into his work for even the slightest chance of extending their own lives. A den of vipers, their interests intertwined. This was how his organization had managed to infiltrate every corner of the world, becoming a colossal shadow lurking beneath civilization.
He had thought he would continue down this path until he had completely deciphered the code of life and become an eternal being.
Until the day… Gin brought back an unbelievable piece of intelligence.
A small, white creature. One that Gin was completely unable to kill. It called itself Kyubey, and it could grant any wish.
Karasuma Renya sensed something extraordinary. He mobilized the full power of his organization to conduct countless observations and tests. He even sacrificed a few of his more "loyal" subordinates, having them make contracts with Kyubey to become his guinea pigs.
He spoke with Kyubey personally, using the cunning and wisdom honed over a century to carefully extract information.
Soul Gems. Magic. Corruption. Witches. Grief Seeds. Karmic Destiny.
A completely new system of cosmic law slowly unfolded before him, one built upon the foundation of "emotional energy."
Immortality? Once he understood the true nature of the Soul Gem, the ultimate goal that had plagued him his entire life suddenly seemed… rather tasteless.
He, Karasuma Renya, had founded a global shadow organization and led it for nearly a hundred years. He was confident that the "Karmic Destiny" he personally carried was unimaginably vast. As long as he didn't carelessly use magic that could corrupt him, he could even discard his physical shell entirely for a more "energy-efficient" vessel. By simply maintaining his consciousness, he could perhaps achieve… something close to true eternity.
He was confident of this. But what was the point of merely existing?
When he stood at a higher dimension, viewing himself as a future god looking down upon the world he once struggled in, he no longer saw the struggles of insignificant individuals, but the plight of an entire civilization.
Humanity. Such a contradictory and selfish species. They possessed unparalleled wisdom and creativity, yet they wasted their precious resources on endless suspicion, on technological barriers, on meaningless internal friction. A world-changing technology could be shelved due to the self-interest of a nation, a corporation, or even an individual, causing countless other teams to reinvent the wheel, going nowhere. They were trapped by their own limitations. They had the potential to break through the heavens, but they were content to fight and scheme in their own tiny space.
Without external pressure, they would likely be trapped on this little blue planet forever, until their resources were depleted or they destroyed themselves in their next foolish war.
But Karasuma Renya did not want to stop there. Immortality was no longer his goal. He saw a much grander, much "nobler" objective. He would forcibly break the vicious, flawed cycle of human civilization. He would lead this foolish but promising race to achieve an unprecedented leap forward, all through his wish.
And so, the Black Organization's objective quietly shifted. It was no longer just about power, wealth, and so-called eternal life. It was now "for the continuation and transcendence of human civilization."
This goal was grander, and far more deceptive. It was cleverly packaged and disseminated throughout the world by media pundits, academics, and thought leaders that the organization had infiltrated or controlled, all under the guise of "foresight," "concern," and "warning."
"The effective integration of resources."
"The elimination of national barriers."
"Jointly responding to unknown threats."
"A community with a shared future for mankind."
These slogans sounded noble. They attracted many extreme idealists who saw no other way forward. They were captivated by this grand narrative and became the new blood of the organization's expansion, believing they were on the right side of history.
Of course, Karasuma Renya knew that to achieve such a great objective, certain "necessary sacrifices" were unavoidable. There were too many humans. They were too difficult to manage. They consumed too many resources. To lead such a massive population to transcendence required careful control of the karmic burden. Though he had absolute confidence in his own Karmic Destiny, it was still a necessary precaution.
And so, the "Great Purge"—or "The Cleansing"—began. The population would be culled to what he deemed a "manageable" level. Opponents would be eliminated. Vested interests would be eliminated. And all the "baggage" that couldn't keep up with the times would be eliminated.
The existence of Magical Girls and Witches was a heaven-sent tool. He ordered his subordinates to take the contracted girls who had already been exploited to their limits, their magic nearly gone, and deploy them as "corruption bombs" across the world. They would eliminate his political enemies and create widespread panic. At the same time, he authorized the leak of the truth—that a Magical Girl's final fate is to become a Witch—and used the media to incite hatred and division, turning the people against their former heroes. This would drive even more girls into despair, causing them to transform into new Witches and become another part of his "Purge."
When the old world had burned to ashes in chaos and despair, his organization would emerge as its savior, integrate the remaining forces, and lead the chosen "new humanity" into the beautiful sea of stars.
As for this planet, ravaged by Witches? It was nothing more than an abandoned cradle. They could discard it at any time and travel to any suitable planet in the universe to build a new… "interstellar civilization."
What a perfect plan. What a grand vision.
Karasuma Renya was lost in his own design, a faint smile even touching his lips.
Until…
Red alerts instantly flooded every screen in the control room.