Desconhecido, p.1
Desconhecido, page 1
By: Satou Tsutomu
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Table of Contents 17
Credits 18
List of Illustrations 19
Keywords 21
Colored Illustrations 22
Chapter 1 24
Chapter 2 45
Chapter 3 82
Chapter 4 93
Chapter 5 110
Chapter 6 132
Chapter 7 142
Chapter 8 161
Chapter 9 182
Afterword 202
Credits
Original Work
Author: Satou Tsutomu
Illustrations: Kana Ishida
English Translation Team
Translation: Aehein
Edit: Lord_Odin
Format: Blakegriffin89
Proofreading: lumi; MasterZero
Image editing and Special Thanks: Vova92
List of Illustrations
● Front Cover
● Cover Page
● Title Page
● Character Introduction #1
● Character Introduction #2
● Character Introduction #3
● Character Introduction #4
● Character Introduction #5
● Glossary #1
● Glossary #2
● Glossary #3
● Glossary #4
● Glossary #5
● Glossary #6
● Glossary #7
● Glossary #8
● The International Situation
● Keywords
● Colored Illustration #1
● Colored Illustration #2
● B&W Illustration #1
● B&W Illustration #2
● B&W Illustration #3
● B&W Illustration #4
● B&W Illustration #5
● B&W Illustration #6
● Back Cover Chibi Characters
Colored Illustrations
Chapter 1
[Key(s)]
Lake Tudakul in Uzbekistan, Central Asia, is where the small octagonal stone tablet "Compass," which was excavated from Mt. Shasta in the western part of North America, led to. It is here where new artifacts were found, of which appear to be related to Shambhala.
The name Shambhala refers to a kingdom of legend described in the Tibetan Buddhist scripture "Kalachakra Tantra." Known originally as a utopia in Hindu literature, the legend of Shambhala from Tibetan Buddhism is more commonly known throughout the world. The Shambhala sought by Western mystics was derived from a self-interpretation of Tibetan Buddhism, and is often equated to the fictional underground world "Agartha," which was created in the latter half of the 19th century.
As is often the case with myths of this nature, the versions of Shambhala in Hindu mythology and in Tibetan Buddhism are almost diametrically opposed in some respects. While the Hindu version narrates how the hero king Kalki will bring about an orderly utopia by restoring the correct caste system, the Tibetan Buddhist scriptures claim that the virtuous monarch, Kalki, will do away with the caste system and establish a kingdom where all people are equal.
It extends further, with some legends stating that Shambhala King Kalki will mobilize an invincible legion commanding powerful weapons to win the war to end all wars. And it's said that a certain lunatic dictator of the mid-twentieth century may have caught on to this idea and embarked on a quest for Shambhala in search of these weapons.
In a way, Tatsuya's group's current quest for Shambhala's ruins was the result of a series of coincidences. They did not aspire for global domination with superweapons like the two infamous dictators of the 20th century, nor did they seek for any "truth" like the mystics.
It was to protect the image of magicians in society by preventing it from falling into the hands of the mageist criminal group from the American West Coast, FAIR, the same ones who attempted to steal the Artificial Relics from them. This FAIR discovered a map likely leading to Shambhala, and unearthed a magical relic, the "Compass," which is also likely to point to the above-mentioned.
After they carried out a terrorist attack using the power of a magical relic, they decided to reach the Shambhala's ruins first to prevent further incidents like that one from happening, and also to satisfy their curiosity on the magic involved.
At this point of their search they have now obtained a new relic, a white disk-shaped stone. In size, it was about two times larger than the [Compass]. And it held a perfect disk shape, with no signs of attrition of time whatsoever, despite being found underwater amidst a cliff of sand and gravel. In fact, there are no scratches or damage on the surface, minute or large. At a glance, its composition didn't stray far from ordinary stone.
That said, the surface of this newfound artifact was not perfectly smooth. Although there were no signs of abrasion, there are reliefs carved on the faces. On one face, the design matches that of the eight-petaled lotus flower.
The relief on the other side is that of three small circles adjacent to each other enclosed by a large circle. This design, of three adjacent circles in a triangular fashion with the encompassing larger circle is oddly reminiscent, or in fact, similar to what is known today as the "Banner of Peace," the symbol of the Roerich Pact, the International Treaty on the Protection of Artistic and Scientific Institutions and Historic Monuments, which was signed in 1935.
However, Tatsuya did not believe that this small disk was a twentieth century or later piece of work.
The figure that lends the name to this pact, Nikolai Konstantinovich Rerikh, or Nicholas Roerich in the German reading, is known besides his artistic and cultural endeavors as an enthusiastic pursuer of Shambhala. A fact not as well known about him in the public as his artistic and cultural endeavors, is that his efforts is regarded by those who attempt to solve the mysteries around Shambhala as the closest a westerner has come to Shambhala in the twentieth century.
Which brings us to the "Banner of Peace" that is displayed in the Roerich Memorial, which the person himself claimed was taken from a symbol that had existed since ancient times. As a matter of fact, the three adjacent circles design can also be found in Japan, such as deep inside the Ise Grand shrine, as well as in the remains of Izumo Taisha shrine.
Such collateral evidence aside, Tatsuya had other reasons to believe that this small disk was an artifact related to Shambhala. Said disk would float slightly when placed on top of the "Compass" with the relief face down and having psions poured into it. Not only that but also it starts to move in a certain fixed direction. When he demonstrated this to Miyuki and Lina, neither of them could help but agree that the disk could not be a 20th-century design, and that the symbols on the disk could have been passed down since ancient times.
◇ ◇ ◇
The four of them, Tatsuya, Miyuki, Lina, with the addition of Hanabishi Hyougo, decided on "Key" to designate the white stone disk. It was Lina's idea, saying it was the "key to solving the mystery," after it had now led them to the Samanid Mausoleum, a historic landmark located in the western part of downtown Bukhara.
Though said it "led", the object hardly guided them in a straight line. While driving around the city in the camper they borrowed from Chandrasekhar, they had to use their "Compass" and "Key" three times before pinpointing this place on the map.
"…So many people!"
Lina complained annoyed after they stepped out of the camper and spent 30 minutes walking around the Samanid Mausoleum.
"We're on a famous tourist spot, there isn't much we can do."
Despite the acknowledgement, it was quite apparent Miyuki was fed up as well.
Objectively speaking, the crowd was much lighter than the ones they are used to seeing in downtown Tokyo. But, with the bustling atmosphere of all kinds of tourists, the area was saturated with psions all around, making detecting anything magical difficult.
For Miyuki and Lina, who tried to search for any sign of relics by sharpening their senses, it was as if being shrouded in a fog. Their discomfort wasn't entirely without reason.
"Tatsuya, what about the [Compass] and the [Key]? No response?"
"It's far too weak to rely on."
"Ah, yeah…"
Lina looks up at the sky with a deflated expression on her face. The clear blue stretching overhead is in stark contrast to the atmosphere hanging over her mind. Though the sky is not entirely cloudless, you could find a single white cloud drifting across the sky as if in sheer defiance against Lina's nerves.
"But it has a reaction, even if not significant. Which means we have to take our time and walk around until we get one."
"Take our time…"
Lina repeated Tatsuya's additional remark, her shoulders slumping, the expression on her face dropping even more dejected.
"…Tatsuya-sama. Which one is reacting more, the [Compass] or the [Key]?"
Miyuki's objective was more to distract the disheartened Lina than out of curiosity. It wasn't as if having one react more than the other would be of much value.
"Which one?"
But it was on Tatsuya that the question had the most intriguing effect.
He took out the [Compass] and the [Key] from his left and right pockets, respectively.
He has been keeping them separately to reduce the possibility of an unwanted effect due to unexpected interaction. As for why they were left bare, in the pockets, was simply out of convenience, so that they could be used at any time.
Holding the [Compass] in his right hand and the [Key] in his left, Tatsuya stood motionless for a couple of seconds.
"…The [Key], I think."
There was then a slight frown as he gave the answer to Miyuki's question.
"Tatsuya-sama."
At the same time, a note of warning came in the voice of Hyougo.
"Understood."
Tatsuya replied with a whisper, avoiding any action, such as nodding, that could be seen from the crowd nearby.
Miyuki didn't show any signs of surprise or worry, and naturally lined up next to Tatsuya.
"What is it?"
Then Tatsuya asked with a casual expression.
Someone was looking for us.
"For us!?"
Like Miyuki, Lina who had been closely listening to Tatsuya's answer, involuntarily raised her voice. For much that Lina stood on par with Miyuki in terms of magic combat, she still left much to be desired in giving a good poker face, polite smile, or anything involving putting up a good front.
"You and Miyuki both really stand out."
"You ladies are both very beautiful, after all."
Needless to say, both Tatsuya and Hyougo chose to go with this kind of flattery remark in order to cover for Lina's breach of their camouflage.
Were this said to Lina in her usual form, it would surely invite even more stares. However, at present, Miyuki and Lina's usual features have been replaced by that of two moderately attractive women. The previous praises of "outstanding beauty" would certainly fall as pure flattery on the ears of third-parties.
"O-oh, please. Don't exaggerate."
They spared Lina and just took that shy blurt reply of hers as her own way of following up with their remarks.
Tatsuya made sure to close his arm around Miyuki's waist just to avoid it all seeming like a pickup act.
"It was more like the relics were the target of attention than us."
Tatsuya adds on to his previous answer in a hushed voice. With his voice so close to her ear, Miyuki eyes widen in reflex, but she manages to keep her voice from escaping.
"The Relics? The [Key] and the [Compass], you mean!?"
Miyuki, like Tatsuya, spoke in a low voice, but her tone still overflowed with astonishment. She nevertheless kept it subdued under her bashful act, as if she had just been fed a compliment.
"I should add too that I got the impression that they seemed to know about the relics."
"…Who could they possibly be?”
Lina and Miyuki have their appearances altered through [Parade], as stated earlier. Similarly, Tatsuya is made unrecognizable by his perception inhibiting magic [Aidoneus]. It could very well be an increased vigilance against foreigners given the current tensions at the border.
Even then, there are plenty of foreign tourists besides Tatsuya and company. One would then be led to wonder about why they are being watched in particular, maybe their disguises have been seen through somehow.
But if it is the "relics" that are drawing the attention, then that narrows down the nature of those monitoring them. Either they are also looking for Shambhala, like Tatsuya's group, or they are from a camp that interferes with the search for it. It would be one or the other. Either way, they almost certainly must have knowledge about Shambhala.
"They are probably involved. That's convenient."
"Tatsuya-sama…?"
The smile on Tatsuya's face couldn't be described as particularly benign, leaving Miyuki to stare at him quizzically.
The thought that crossed his mind was hardly a mystery, also neither did it fall in any sort of twisted idea. It simply aligned favorably with their interests, as he so said.
Right now, they severely lack information. Although their aim is clearly set on the ruins of Shambhala, there is still no concrete proof that the relics that sparked their quest are really related to it. Even coming to Bukhara was not based on any solid evidence, it was merely because the magic effect of the relics pointed them to this place.
Now that they are there, they encounter someone who is really interested in the relics that they found in the course of their search. They focused on a black small stone with only a seemingly well-formed shape and a white pebble with only a commonplace design inscribed on it at a glance. Being the one who discovered them, Tatsuya knows those are relics, but what about them? With that in mind, Tatsuya's deduction, that they must know what these are for, or at least have some idea of what these are, wasn't too far-fetched.
However, it would've been poor form to directly follow that deduction with a strategy to wrest the missing information from someone who they weren't sure could be either their friend or foe. Someone like Miyuki, who aspires to be a "model of goodness," would find it challenging to measure up to such a standard. .
"Hyougo-san, is there any less crowded place in these ruins?"
Tatsuya's question brought a simultaneous look of confusion to both Miyuki and Lina's faces. The Samanid Mausoleum, where they are, is a well-known international tourist attraction. There are so many tourists walking around left and right at the present moment that it'd be hard to believe that there is any "less crowded” place around.
"Hm, let me see. I did in fact hear once of a patch of grass over there that tourists generally don't go."
Hyougo's response added to the girls' surprise.
"That's weird."
"I think so too."
Lina whispers, to which Miyuki echoes in her low voice.
The fact that, near a tourist attraction where so many people come and go, there is a particular spot where no one goes near. If there is really such a place, the two of them suspected that there might be a non-natural force at work there.
"Shall I go ahead and take a look to confirm it?"
"No, let's head on like this."
Tatsuya presses onward, ignoring the concerns of Miyuki and Lina. He chose to move the situation despite the risks with the uncertainty. He came to the conclusion that he wouldn't get any more clues by just walking in the dark. So, if it's necessary to provoke someone, even if they are not sure where the person aligns with, so be it.
It was unclear if the spot mentioned was still on the grounds of the Samanid Mausoleum, nevertheless, the green tract of land was a short distance away from the mausoleum, and it was certainly deserted. Tatsuya entered it without a second thought. Miyuki and Lina made no attempt to stop him as they themselves followed behind.
No more than ten steps into the grass field, something unusual happened.
"Tatsuya-sama!?"
"Tatsuya, what is…"
The scenery all around suddenly changed.
"Is this a mirage? I can tell it's not an illusion created by manipulating the light where we look. Miyuki, what do you see?"
"White… is this snow? No, it looks like… salt?"
"And you Lina?"
"Probably the same for me. I guess this is salt… it looks like a white desert stretching over here."
"Do you see the same thing, Hyougo-san?"
"Yes. What I see should be about the same."
After hearing from everyone, Tatsuya nodded in understanding.
"So everyone sees the same thing… Regardless of magical power, with visions vivid as this, it doesn't seem to be your ordinary illusion."
"Tatsuya-sama, are you also trapped in this illusion!?"
Miyuki asked, concerned with clear shock.
She knew full well that Tatsuya was not all immune to illusions. She heard him recount in numerous occasions how time and time again Yakumo's illusions tormented him during their practices, and how because of it he almost lost in the one time they two met in an actual battle.
At the same time, she also knows that Tatsuya has a high resistance to mind-interference magic.
His mind; his spirit has an extremely strong outer shell. Tatsuya's innate magic [Regrowth] has made him experience pain worth of hundreds of people, far too much pain a human being would feel during all their lifetime. No, at this point, it could be equivalent to thousands of lifetimes' worth. Among these, which were, without question, many severe and fatal.
Being unable to die from the pain, all Tatsuya could do was endure it. As a result, he unintentionally gained a level of mental fortitude that no ascetic practitioner could ever hope to achieve.
