Throne of Bet

[Mogget]

Now that I think about it I see a lot of parallels between the Velber and their makers in Fate, and the Entities and endbringers from Worm. They show up from outside of what we consider normal reality, harvest all intelligent life, destroy the planet, and move on to the next organic life they can find. They even construct living weapons based on past civilizations they destroyed.

 

[regulareader]

Ok, does the existence of multiple powerful magical organizations, means Cauldron control of Earth Bet is fragile?

Click to shrink...

Not fragile, they just don't have the absolute control over the occult side like they do to the normal side of the world.

 

[Nour uchiha]

Not fragile, they just don't have the absolute control over the occult side like they do to the normal side of the world.

Click to shrink...

What evidence do we have to say Cauldron have any control over any of the magical organizations, let alone all, Shards like PTV don't work well against unpredictable, evolving power like magic, especially with it not degrading from the age of the gods too much.

Edit : Huh, didn't notice you're the author

 

[regulareader]

What evidence do we have to say Cauldron have any control over any of the magical organizations, let alone all, Shards like PTV don't work well against unpredictable, evolving power like magic, especially with it not degrading from the age of the gods too much.

Click to shrink...

That will be discusted next chapter.

 

[Salfarc]

Hopefully we get another update soon, would like to see what you have for the Servant event.

 

[Xyl]

Awesome story so far. Keep up the great work!

 

[BiazarKaiser]

Pretty damn good stuff

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Rebecca Costa-Brown (Alexandria) POV:

"What the hell am I looking at?" I asked, reading the section of the book for a third time.

Myrddin and I are at my office, reviewing his meeting with Magus.

He also brought a few books containing information about servants.

"An old tome," Myrddin said drily.

I give Myrddin a flat look.

Myrddin shrugs in response.

"What am I supposed to do with this? I need more than just legends. I need concrete data on how strong a servant can be," I said, annoyed.

"Right now, that's what I have. My contacts are still searching for more information," Myrddin said.

"Why didn't you tell me this was possible?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"You never asked, and, as far as I knew, this isn't even something that was supposed to be possible," Myrddin crosses his arms. "What's gotten into you?"

I pinch my nose in frustration, "Sorry. Work keeps piling up. And there's the Endbringer attack this month," I sighed.

"How are the preparations going?" Myrddin asked.

"Like always. It's a nightmare to organize it," I said with a huff.

Myrddin snaps his fingers, creating a small portal to his left. He retrieves a bottle of whiskey and two cups.

He served a cup and gave it to me.

I drink all of it in one big gulp.

"Easy there. I don't have much left," Myrddin takes a sip.

I snort, "Please. I know you got enough to fill an entire warehouse," I held out my cup.

"That doesn't mean I'm going to share it. This bottle is all you're going to get," Myrddin refills my cup.

"Cheapskate," I said without any heat.

"The youth of these days. No respect for their elders," Myrddin shakes his head in disappointment.

"Look who's finally admitting that he's a fossil," I said with a smirk.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, glitterface," Myrddin said with a shitting eating grin.

"Am I ever going to live that down?" I take a sip.

"Not as long as I'm around," Myrddin said. "I told you not to open that music box, but you said it was fine since you're invincible. You were covered in glitter for a week," he chuckles.

"Why was that box even there?" I grumble.

"Who knows? You know, magi collects all kinds of weird stuff," Myrddin shrugs.

Godamn magic.

Why couldn't it have stayed a fantasy?

It's a never-ending source of migraines.

It's also throwing our plans off track. Contessa has difficulties in pathing magi and all the magical organizations. And we have little to no access to most of them.

The only one we have any influence over is the Hordweardens Guild, thanks to Kurt (Number Man). His idea of collecting magical material from other worlds was a genius move.

That quickly turned him into a VIP client.

And now there's Chaldea to add to the ever-growing list of headaches.

Contessa can't properly path Brockton Bay anymore. The Terminus Project was deemed a failure and scrapped.

It doesn't take a genius to guess whose fault it is.

Where did they come from?

"What would you say our odds are if the worst-case scenario happened?" I asked.

"Abysmal. He summoned some big names," Myrddin takes a sip.

"Like?" I asked.

"Like Medea of Colchis. She studied under the goddess of witchcraft, Hecate. That woman is in a league of her own," Myrddin said.

You've got to be kidding me.

"Then there's Morgan, and I've got a hunch about who she is. And, boy, I hope I'm wrong," Myrddin said.

"Who do you think she is?" I asked.

"Morgan Le Fay," Myrddin said grimly.

"From the King Arthur legends?" I asked, surprised.

"Yep. The most famous witch in the British Isles, and someone you really don't want to make an enemy of," Myrddin said. "But don't just focus on these two. The other servants are also dangerous."

Oh, I'm not ignoring anyone.

I drink my cup, the rest of the whiskey in one big gulp.

"How would you describe their relationship with Magus?" I asked, placing the cup down.

From what Myrddin told me, the servants have free will.

Maybe we could turn some of them to our side.

"From what I saw, it doesn't seem like they listen to him just because he's their contractor. They seem to genuinely care about him. Magus is just one of those people that you get along with easily," Myrddin said.

Great, he's a charismatic leader.

"So, there's no chance of poaching any of the servants," I grunted.

"Not from the ones that are already here. We still have to see the others, but I wouldn't hold my breath," Myrddin said.

"What do we know about their weakness?" I asked.

"Hell if I know," Myrddin shrugs.

"There has to be something in their legends that we can use," I frowned.

"You're thinking about Achilles and his heels. Not every legendary hero has a big neo sign pointing to their weaknesses," Myrddin finishes his drink.

"But there's something we can use, right?" I pressed.

"Of course there is. It's just not going to be cut and dried like you want," Myrddin said.

It never is.

"We need to make a list of possible servants that Chaldea can summon. What are the conditions to become a heroic spirit?" I asked.

The legends only spoke about how legendary heroes were summoned to defeat evil and bring peace to the land. Nothing about how one becomes a heroic spirit.

"From what I could learn from the legends, it's a mix of factors. The most important one, in my opinion, is the impact they had on the world. Take Ushiwakamaru, Cu Chulainn, and Da Vinci, for example. The first two are renowned warriors, while the latter has helped shape the world into what it is," Myrddin said. "They all left a mark on history."

I tap the table, lost in thought.

"That's still thousands of possible candidates," I frown.

"It went from countless to thousands. I'd say that's a good start," Myrddin points it out.

That's true.

"I'm going to have Watchdog work on this list," I said.

"Tell them to focus on the most famous warriors of each country. The legends talk about mighty warriors, and so far, that's a perfect description for the servants who are here. I think Da Vinci is one of the few exceptions; she must be a more 'modern' heroic spirit," Myrddin said.

I hum thoughtfully, "Given who she is, she must have a more supportive role. Perhaps, building mystic codes that Magus and the servants could use."

It's worrying to think what a genius of her caliber can achieve with modern resources.

"I thought the same. There is also the man who invited Kid Win for a collaboration. The only Tesla that comes to mind is Nikola Tesla," Myrddin said.

Another genius that shaped the world.

This just keeps getting more troublesome.

"What about this 'Clock Tower' and 'Mage Association'. Did you find anything about them?" I asked.

"Got nothing. My contacts never even heard of these two," Myrddin said.

"So Magus lied about it. For what purpose?" I asked curiously.

"That's the thing, I didn't get the impression that he was lying. They believed that this Clock Tower and Mage Association existed, but it was Chaldea's first Director who told them that. And from what I was told, he was up to a lot of shady stuff," Myrddin said.

"Okay, but you still can't prove they existed," I said.

"I can't prove they didn't either. They must be hiding from Chaldea or something like that. I certainly wouldn't want them busting down my door and demanding answers," Myrddin said.

More and more questions.

"We need someone on the inside. A liaison between the PRT and Chaldea would be a good start," I interlock my fingers.

"You know, there are many ways we can achieve cooperation between organizations without eventually turning into a disaster. Cause planting a spy in their ranks is a sure way for that to happen," Myrddin said, deadpanned.

"Who said anything about a spy? The liaison will just do their job and report back to me," I said with a smirk.

Myrddin pauses for a moment.

"They won't learn much, definitely nothing critical about the servants or Chaldea as a whole," Myrddin rubs his beard thoughtfully. "But it's sure as hell a lot better than trying to put a spy there."

"The important thing is to have a foot on the door. We can think of the next step once that happens," I said.

"Who could you even suggest to be a liaison? Chaldea wouldn't accept anyone," Myrddin said.

"Tesla seems interested in collaborating with a Tinker, and we have many talented ones in our ranks. And if that doesn't work, we can use monetary incentives or even tinker tech," I said.

Everyone has a price; I just have to find what Chaldea is.

"You want to bribe them," Myrddin raises an eyebrow.

"I prefer to say that both parties will establish a mutually advantageous understanding," I said with a straight face.

Myrddin chuckles, "Chambers would be proud of that one."

Yes, he would.

"By the way, are you going to tell Piggot about the moonlit world?" Myrddin asked.

I sigh, "I don't have a choice; otherwise, she will have to be replaced."

We also need to place protective wards in the ENE branch.

I hope the Hordweardens Guild possesses wards strong enough to work against servants.

"At least, she isn't as bad as Tagg," Myrddin said.

Yes, Piggot is pragmatic enough not to provoke the magical organizations without a good reason.

"Who's the poor soul that's going to tell her? It has to be someone she knows they wouldn't say something so ridiculous, or else she won't believe them," Myrddin said.

"Don't worry about it. She won't doubt the person I sent," I said.

"If you say so," Myrddin shrugs. "All right, I've taken enough of your time already. I will inform you if my contacts find anything," he gets up.

"Hey, would one of your old friends be up for a job?" I asked suddenly.

"Please tell me you don't want to make one of those idiots the liaison," Myrddin groans.

"God no. I want them to work at the ENE branch. We don't have many magi in our ranks to spare," I frown.

If only magi didn't disrupt Contessa's path, we could have had many more within the Protectorate.

Myrddin rubs his chin, "Maybe Grainne or Raimundo might be up for it. I will give them a call later."

"You do that. Now, if you excuse me, I have another appointment," I said.

"See you later," Myrddin walks to the door. "Oh, you can keep the bottle of whiskey," he said before leaving.

I put the bottle inside one of my drawers.

"When did I become such a drinker?" I thought drily.

Oh well, better not make Doctor Mother wait too long.

"Door," I said.

A portal opens to my right.

I walk through it.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Emily Piggot POV:

Renick and I are at my office working on the aftermath of the Empire being gone.

I am reading Armsmaster's report on Coil.

I let out a sigh and pinch the bridge of my nose after reading the report.

"What's the matter?" Renick asked, his eyes still fixed on the tablet in his hands.

"Armsmaster's latest report on Coil. He abandoned his safehouses," I said with a frown.

"Which ones?" Renick looks up.

"All of them," I said. "This means only one thing."

"He's running away," Renick reaches the same conclusion.

"We can't let that happen. Coil's been manipulating everyone for years, and we don't know what he will do once he's out of Brockton," I said.

He had moles on the ABB and Empire, and more tinker tech than we thought.

What else don't we know about?

"Do we have anything to work with?" Renick asked.

"Not yet. Armsmaster and Dragon are still searching for his location. They are also looking for any of his men that we can apprehend. We might get something out of them," I said.

"Coil is going to try to leave as soon as possible. If he takes too long, it will increase the chances of Chaldea taking him down," Renick rubs his chin thoughtfully.

"Yes, they will," I grunted.

"Still don't know how to feel about them?" Renick asked.

"Chaldea is a net positive to this city and a one big migraine to me. Every time we interact with them, we are always the ones on the back foot," I rub my temples. "I hate that."

Already hated when it was like that with the gangs, and now it's with Chaldea.

Let's focus on something else.

"How are things going in Downtown?" I asked.

Renick grabs the tablet, "Velocity, Assault, and Battery are working with the police to expedite the arrest of the remaining Empire grunts. So far, we have taken down eleven safehouses and confiscated everything inside."

"And how many has Chaldea taken down?" I asked.

"About ninety-five percent of them. They only took the money and left everything else to be found by the police," Renick said.

"How much?" I asked.

"We estimate that they took millions," Renick sighs.

Goddamn it.

"Keep an eye out for any large-scale transactions. I doubt Chaldea would make a rookie mistake of spending millions all at once, but you never know," I said.

Renick nods and writes it down on the tablet.

"Who's scheduled for the next Downtown patrol?" I asked.

"That would be...Velocity and Miss Militia," Renick said after checking the schedule.

"Include Assault and Dauntless in the patrol. Have them engage with any servants they encounter, maybe they will pick up on what Chaldea is planning," I said.

"And what will we do if they do find anything?" Renick asked.

That's the question, isn't it?

We've been watching the Docks and, so far, it's completely different from when Lung was in charge. The streets are clean, the buildings are all fixed, no protection money, and no forcible recruitment.

There's some tension, but no one who lives there seems dissatisfied with how Chaldea is running the place.

It stands to reason that they will do the same to Downtown.

There's a reason why they are going so far, but we can't find it.

It can't just be because Magus is generous.

"Perhaps it's necessary to create a small outpost at Downtwon," I said, tapping the desk.

"Are we going to dispute Chaldea's claim over it?" Renick raised an eyebrow.

I shake my head, "We wouldn't win that fight, and if we go after them now, the backlash from the public will be immense. Our image is already in shambles, and pushing this any further will make us only look worse."

The PR team is working overtime in damage control.

"But we also can't keep allowing Chaldea to claim any more territory. At this rate, the majority of Brockton Bay will be under their control," I frown. "It will seem that we're still at Brockton Bay because Chaldea is allowing us to. We can't have that!"

"We don't have enough manpower to occupy the territories," Renick reminds me.

That has been a problem for years.

All of my requests to transfer more capes to my branch were denied. And reinforcements would only be a temporary solution.

"I will make another appeal for more capes to Chief-Director later," I sigh tiredly. "Next on the list."

"We received the first batch of healing potions. It has already been distributed to everyone," Renick said.

That's good.

"Sophia is making a fuss again," Renick frowned.

"What is it this time?" I rub my temples.

That girl is always complaining about something.

"She doesn't want to be transferred to Arcadia," Renick said.

Winslow High was destroyed by Hydra in the attacks he did all over the city.

Clarendon and Immaculata suffered some damage, but nothing that couldn't be easily fixed.

Arcadia was the only school that was left intact.

"Why?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Won't tell me. She just doesn't want to," Renick shrugs.

"It's either Arcadia or Immaculata. And if she continues to complain, console duty for the rest of the year," I said.

I'm so tired of Sophia's nonsense.

Renick nods.

"Rune is being prepared to be transported to Boston. She will be gone in an hour," Renick said.

Right, besides Fenja, Rune is the only other survivor from the last battle with the Empire.

She, Crusader, Victor, and Cricket tried to escape using the tunnels. They came face-to-face with Ushiwakamaru and Cu Chulainn.

"Think she will take the deal and be a probationary member of the Ward's?" Renick asked.

"Who cares. She isn't our problem anymore," I shrug. "Have you located Purity yet?"

"We looked all over the city and got nothing. Dragon believes that she left the city during our last fight with the Empire," Renick said.

Figure as much.

"Warn the other branches. Sooner or later, Purity might return to the cape scene. They need to be ready for her," I said.

"Next is-" my phone started ringing, interrupting Renick.

"One second," I answer the call. "Yes?"

"Ma'am, Legend just arrived at the lobby. He's going up the elevator for your meeting," The receptionist said.

What!?

"I see, thank you," I said, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible.

I end the call.

"Legend is here," I said bluntly.

Renick's eyes widen in surprise. He quickly checks the table to see if there was a meeting that we have forgotten about.

"There is no meeting with him marked in the schedule," Renick said grimly.

I was afraid of that.

"Fucking great. Be prepared for one hell of a tongue lashing from Legend," I pinch my nose.

Renick sighs tiredly.

He rises quickly and moves to stand behind me.

A minute later, there was a knock on my door.

"Come in," I said.

Let's get this over with.

Legends enters the room.

"Director Piggot, Deputy Director Renick," Legends greeted us with an easy-going smile.

He doesn't seem angry or displeased...so why does that make me feel even more nervous?

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Legend," I said politely.

"Legend," Renick said.

"I wasn't aware that there was a meeting marked for today," I said.

Legends chuckles in good nature, "Ah, yes. I do apologize for this, but unpredictable circumstances have forced our hands."

"Would that be related to Chaldea?" I asked.

It has to be.

Legend nods, "It is. Before we talk about them, there's sensitive information that I need to share with you to fully understand the situation."

Renick coughs, "I will leave you two then."

"I don't have a problem with your presence, but it's up to Director Piggot," Legend said, looking at me.

I could hear the question, even if it wasn't spoken: Do you trust him?

"If there's no problem with you, I'd like for Deputy Director Renick to stay," I said.

"Fine with me," Legend nods.

He pulls a small cube from his pocket and presses a button. White lines flare to life across its surface.

"To keep prying eyes from this meeting," Legends explains as he places the cube on my desk.

I raised an eyebrow.

Legend coughed, "The information I need to share is, honestly, hard to believe, so it's better if I show you both what we have in our databanks. May I?" He gestures towards my computer.

"Of course," I step away from it.

Legend works on it for a few seconds.

"Here you go," Legend steps away from it.

Let's see.

...what the hell am I reading?

Scrolling through all the files isn't helping; they only seem to get more and more ridiculous.

I glance at Renick, and he is as shocked as I am.

"What's this?" I asked, shocked.

"Four years after the PRT/Protectorate was founded, Alexandria, Hero, Eidolon, and I were approached by a man. He insisted that magic was real and spoke of a hidden society of magic users. At first, we dismissed him as delusional," Legend said with a weary sigh. "He proved every word."

This is impossible.

Magic is just something that you read in children's storybooks.

This has to be a parahu-

"I can assure you that parahumans have nothing to do with this," Legend said, easily guessing what I was thinking. "We have conducted extensive research and tests and concluded that yes, magic is real."

"How long have these...magical organizations existed?" Renick looks away from my computer.

"Some are older than others. The only one I know for sure is the Arcanum. They were formed around 500 AD," Legend said.

My god.

Wait, that means that Chaldea is also...

I swallow heavily, "Why was I never informed of this?"

"Back then, we weren't sure if you were capable of keeping a cool head or if you would have acted rashly," Legend explains calmly. "Even now, not every Director has been informed of the occult side of the world. Some of them would certainly not be able to hold themselves back."

One name comes to mind.

"Tagg," I said grimly.

His mentality of 'us versus them' would never allow him to tolerate any of these magical organizations. He would charge headfirst into all of them and consequences be dammed.

It would be a disaster.

"Under no circumstances are you two ever to share this information with Director Tagg. Understood?" Legend asked seriously.

Renick and I nodded.

"Do we need to reconsider our stance towards Chaldea and regard them as enemies now?" Renick asked.

"No, you don't. Chief Director wants to create an alliance with Chaldea. We have never come across an organization like theirs, so this might be our best chance," Legend said.

Becoming allies with Chaldea will definitely be beneficial to us.

"Protective wards will be installed in the building as soon as possible," Legend said. "They'll prevent clairvoyancers and anyone else from using magecraft to extract information about this branch. There's also the matter of transferring additional capes to your command."

Oh, so now I get more capes.

It just took some magical organization settling in Brockton Bay.

...what has my life become?

"How many of them will be magi in disguise?" I asked.

"We're still working on it. We never had much success in recruiting magi to our ranks, so we just can't transfer anyone to here," Legend said.

Huh.

"Anymore questions?" Legend asked.

Where do I start?

"Renick, could you grab me a cup of coffee? This is going to be a long meeting," I sigh wearily.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Thomas Calvert (Coil) POV:

I'm at my desk, transferring resources to my other bases.

The phone began to ring, and I answered promptly.

"Boss, we're done loading up the trucks," A mercenary said.

"You know where to go. Wait until I contact you," I said, not looking away from the computer.

"Understood. We will leave in an hour," The mercenary said.

I end the call.

I steady myself with a deep breath before striking the desk with my fist, the blow making it shudder.

Years of careful planning, of manipulating the Empire, ABB, and the PRT/Protectorate, all gone down the drain. All because of some upstart who just happened to get lucky with his power.

Where the hell did Chaldea come from!?

No matter where I look, there isn't any trace of Chaldea ever operating anywhere in the world.

It's like they just appeared out of thin air.

That's impossible!

I also couldn't discover Magus' identity, and Tattletale sold me out. My men saw her being taken to the hotel that Chaldea owns.

I should have killed her a long time ago.

No matter.

I will just hide in one of my bases far away from Brockton Bay and work on how to get back at Magus.

This's far from-

"Going somewhere?" A female voice said in front of me.

Snapping my head towards the voice, my eyes widen in terror.

"Oh god, why's she here!" I thought in horror.

Sitting in front of me is Cauldron's boogyeman.

Contessa.

Her gaze lingers on me, steady and calm, as if she's waiting for words to break the silence.

"You're staying," Contessa said, breaking the silence.

I swallowed, "Chaldea will come for me. It's only a matter of time."

"I know," Contessa said, indifferent to my predicament.

A shiver went down my spine.

I'm going to hate this, aren't I?

"What do you want me to do?" I said with slumped shoulders.

"You're going to gather as much information as possible about Chaldea. And before you say anything, I already checked all of your files you have on them," Contessa said.

...of course she did.

"We're going to send you some help to achieve better results," Contessa said.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"A specialist when it comes to people like Magus," Contessa said.

People like Magus?

He's a parahuman.

What's she talking about?

Contessa gets up.

"My debt-"

"Will be paid when we say it is," Contessa said bluntly. "Door."

A portal opens to her left, and a man walks through it.

A man in his early to mid-thirties stands with quiet confidence; his presence is both ordinary and unsettling. His blonde hair is tousled as though he rarely bothers to tame it. His brown eyes hold a steady, searching gaze, calm, but never quite revealing what lingers behind them. He wears a finely tailored Italian suit, its elegance contrasting with the strange marking inked across his hand, tattoos that make me shudder for some reason.

He gazes at me, and he greets me with a warm smile.

Contessa walks through the portal without saying anything.

"Ah, you must be Monsieur Coil," He said with a slightly French accent.

I nod hesitantly.

"Good! Tell me, where can I put my stuff?" The man asked.

"There's an empty room down the hall," I said. "How should I call you?"

"You can call me...Pierre," Pierre said.

///////////////////////////////////////////////

Please leave a review. It helps me to stay motivated.

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If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.

Or at Ko-fi.com/regulareader.

 

[Kelsier Vin]

Thanks for the chapter! The poor PRT think they know what they're dealing with. They're not ready for multiple noble phantasms popping off

 

[trashtaker]

An exercise in futility

 

[Salfarc]

Getting really interesting here, you cook a quality dish here. Keep it up.

 

[deyu19]

Let's see how Cauldron will fuck it up...