Eugenics.
It was an organization that had cast aside the shackles of ethics to reach the very essence of magic. Yet, few knew the full extent of its reach.
Even among those affiliated with Eugenics, most were merely provided with research facilities or had their Magic Areas forcibly expanded through surgical procedures—the Dark Triad System. Those who grasped the organization's true purpose were a select few.
"Ray White has apparently secured his advancement to the finals without issue."
"So it seems."
The conversation took place in the basement of a certain facility.
It was a dim, poorly ventilated space. Lighting was kept to a bare minimum; not a single ray of natural sunlight reached these depths.
Two figures occupied the room: a man and a woman. The man was dressed in a jet-black suit, a mountain of documents piled high on the desk before him.
Brushing his shoulder-length, snow-white hair back, he glanced over the files the woman had presented.
"Based on an analysis of his performance thus far, he appears to be returning to his prime."
"...Indeed, it would seem so. I happened to cross paths with him today, and he truly is a fine specimen."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I intended to observe him from a distance, but we happened to run into each other. I cannot help but feel a sense of destiny with him."
"I see. Then, allow me to continue the report on his current status."
"Please."
The woman, like the man, wore a suit and a pair of square-framed glasses with thin rims. Her appearance alone projected a sharp intelligence.
Of course, one cannot measure a person's intellect by appearance alone, but in her case, her capabilities were exceptional. As a researcher, she possessed a level of brilliance that matched her outward composure.
"He has defeated Helena Grady, the Grim Reaper, and Paratrogo—Gluttony. There is no doubt that his abilities are returning."
"It appears his Overheat is not a mere manifestation of magical instability."
"Your insight remains as sharp as ever. We have conducted extensive research on subjects by forcibly inducing Overheat, but his case is fundamentally different."
"In that case, the core of the issue is indeed—Akasha."
Akasha.
Its existence was definitively confirmed four years ago. It was the domain Ray White reached during the final battle of the Far East Campaign.
It was said that a sorcerer who reached that domain could command every form of magic in existence. Some scholars even proposed that all magic was originally stored within Akasha itself.
Magic was not something one created.
It was something stored within Akasha that a sorcerer merely drew out.
Therefore, a sorcerer's true skill depended entirely on the depth of their interference with Akasha.
That was the conclusion reached by the upper echelons of Eugenics.
High-level sorcerers were intuitively aware of this fact. It was not a matter of logic, but a sensation; the more one used magic, the more they felt as though they were drawing power from an external source.
It was said that Code Theory was effectively the cipher—the Code—required to extract magic from Akasha.
In fact, it was whispered that the scholar who originally proposed Code Theory chose that name precisely because they understood this fundamental truth.
"I wish to obtain Ray White's Engram, but that will likely prove quite difficult."
"Yes. Ray White is surrounded by far too many high-level sorcerers. Among them, Lydia Ainsworth and Lieselotte Eden are particularly troublesome."
"The former Ice Sword and Fiction, I see."
"Fiction will be especially problematic. While Lydia Ainsworth was an existence who once touched Akasha, her current capacity has dwindled significantly from her prime. Lieselotte Eden, however, remains an enigma with unmeasured potential."
"The Seven Grand Sorcerers... the cycle is nearing its end, isn't it?"
"Yes. The next cycle should arrive shortly. Currently, Amelia Rose is considered the prime candidate for the next generation."
The woman pulled out a document and handed it to him.
The file summarized Amelia's unique capabilities.
Butterfly Effect.
Unlike Lieselotte, her power to interfere with causality was incredibly potent. She could connect causalities or sever them at will.
Her ability to manipulate the very concept of causality made her a magnificent subject for research.
"Butterfly Effect. Her ability truly is marvelous. I would like to investigate her as well."
"While she still struggles with control, her ability to interfere with causality alone likely surpasses even Fiction's. She will likely reach the level of the Seven Grand Sorcerers by the time she enters her twenties."
"Not just Amelia Rose—there have been many students manifesting Origin Magic recently. It seems that hypothesis was correct after all."
"With Ray White as the starting point, a new magic revolution is taking place. There is no doubt about it."
The upper echelons of Eugenics had concluded as much.
The existence known as Ray White was the catalyst, causing the sorcerers around him to awaken to even greater abilities.
This was a fact that Lydia and the others were desperately trying to conceal.
There was no doubt that Lydia had enrolled Ray in the academy out of a genuine desire for him to find happiness. However, there was a secondary objective—a hidden agenda that Ray knew nothing about.
The only ones privy to this were Lydia, Abby, Carol, Lise, and other high-ranking sorcerers within the Magic Association, including several of the Seven Grand Sorcerers.
However, the reach of Eugenics had already extended deep into the Magic Association. For that reason, Eugenics also possessed intelligence regarding Ray White.
In truth, even without that intel, Eugenics understood that he was a singular existence.
He was likely the most perfected sorcerer in the long history of magic...
"Amelia Rose. Ariane Algren. Rebecca Bradley. His influence on those three seems quite significant."
"Regarding Rebecca Bradley, though her abilities as a Saint have been sealed, she will likely be able to control that power by her twenties. Ariane Algren also shows signs of awakening."
"It seems the other side is raising the next generation of sorcerers to counter us. I thought they were nothing but incompetents clinging to bloodline elitism... but I suppose Lydia Ainsworth's achievements truly are great."
He tapped his index finger against the documents on the desk.
Lydia was the first to openly challenge bloodline elitism. Strictly speaking, there had been voices of doubt before, but they had always been suppressed by the nobility.
Lydia was a genius who had become the youngest Seven Grand Sorcerer in history.
Precisely because of her status, even as a commoner, her words carried immense weight.
Because of her, the world began to understand that a sorcerer's value was not determined solely by lineage, but that acquired talent was equally vital.
Eugenics was an organization founded by researchers who were similarly fed up with the limitations of bloodline elitism. For that reason, they were far more advanced in their fields than mainstream scholars.
Their findings were reflected in advancements like the Dark Triad System.
But Lydia had appeared as the ultimate counter-argument. From her, Ray White had emerged, and with him as the catalyst, even more exceptional sorcerers were appearing.
For Eugenics, the urge to dissect Ray's Engram was likely bordering on an obsession.
"What shall we do about intervening in the tournament? Preparations are complete."
"No. We'll pass this time. They will have prepared countermeasures, just as they did at the Magics Chevalier. Besides, there are six of the Seven Grand Sorcerers gathered there. Even for us, an intervention would be foolhardy."
Ice Sword, Scorching, Illusion, Absolute Blade, Fiction, and Dual Wings—all six were currently in the same vicinity.
While the Seven Grand Sorcerers were usually scattered across the globe, the Magic Association had specifically arranged for them to converge.
The fact that Lydia and Lise were there was not merely because they wanted to watch Ray.
The Seven Grand Sorcerers had assembled with the singular purpose of ensuring the tournament's security.
"Now then, I wonder how he will fight. I shall look forward to it."
The man grinned.
His expression was that of a child anticipating a long-awaited treat.
The true emergence of Eugenics had yet to reach its zenith.
But it was only a matter of time before their path crossed with Ray’s—that much was certain.