The Mixed-Blood Families that appeared in the Type-Moon Worldview, with the Tohno Family as an example, were not only major modern conglomerates but also the Sect Masters of subordinate branch families such as Kugamine, Zakuma, and Tozaki. Their influence was unquestionably vast.
Those mixed-blood clan members who inherited nonhuman blood often awakened powerful strength and unique supernatural abilities. The purer their bloodline, the stronger they were. Of course, there were also cases where their bloodline was so diluted that they were no different from ordinary people.
But mixed bloods were only one part of the Type-Moon Worldview.
What Emiya did not know was that compared to the Type-Moon Worldview, where immortals, gods, demons, and monsters ran rampant, the Dragon World was far simpler. Whether paranormal powers, superhuman abilities, witchcraft, divine authority, or anything else, their essence was all derived from dragon abilities. All human families and organizations with supernatural powers were also composed of mixed bloods, with virtually no exceptions.
"Damn, they're basically mutants from American comics! And their powers can be inherited by the whole family!" Old Tang was filled with envy after hearing the explanation. "Brother, you think I get so lucky on every mission because I might awaken some ability too?"
Shirou Emiya poured cold water on him irritably. "Great power often comes with risks. While mixed blood grants people great strength, it also makes human moral values fragile. When nonhuman blood becomes stronger than human blood, an 'Inversion Impulse' appears."
"In short, a human becomes an 'oni'!"
Wa Lord seemed to have become interested in Emiya. "Interesting. Is that what you Eastern Japanese mixed bloods call those out-of-control people—'oni'?"
Shirou Emiya was surprised. Wasn't it different on Wa Lord's side?
...Right. A name like Wa Lord clearly had a Shenzhou style to it, and the Oni Race was, after all, a unique product of Japanese folklore.
According to the Fate/Grand Order setting, Shuten-doji, the Oni King of Mt. Oe, also possessed another side with divinity—Divine Spirit Ibuki-doji. Ibuki-Douji was the child of Yamata no Orochi, which meant that the origin of oni bloodlines was very likely Yamata no Orochi.
And Shenzhou mixed bloods could not possibly have mingled with oni blood or Yamata no Orochi blood. The most likely possibility was...
"Vast and mighty Huaxia, where dragons bring auspice; for thousands of years, this has never changed." Even through the screen, one could practically taste the pride in Wa Lord's voice. "The bloodline of true dragons is the legitimate lineage of Shenzhou."
That made so much sense!
Shenzhou truly had a deep inheritance of dragon culture, and dragons were also the nation's totem. Even the emperors of feudal society called themselves the "True Dragon Son of Heaven." If there were no dragon mixed bloods involved, it really would not make sense!
Shirou Emiya silently snarked to himself. Could this be the mixed-blood clan worldview that Tsukihime 2 would expand upon in the future?
"Back to the topic, boy. Which Eastern Japanese Mixed-Blood Family do you come from?" Wa Lord's tone became old-fashioned and authoritative.
"...I'm actually of Chinese descent. I'm not a mixed blood, just a half-baked Magus."
"Oh, so your ancestors emigrated there?"
Shirou Emiya said, "Yeah, yeah, exactly." That was right. His ancestors—meaning his previous life. Nothing wrong with that.
"A Magus? A performer of Western parlor tricks?"
Shirou Emiya frowned. He remembered that Shenzhou in the Type-Moon Worldview also used magecraft, but its system was completely different from Western Magecraft and involved things like Thought Plates. The specific setting details were sparse.
As for the Western Magecraft system, he could explain that. First, one had to create Magic Circuits within the body—internal pseudo-nerves spread throughout the body—which were used to draw magical energy from the planet's Greater Source, Mana, and convert the body's own Lesser Source, its life force, Od, into magical energy to power all kinds of spells.
As for spells, Emiya only knew relatively basic Reinforcement and Projection. The less basic ones were, in the Type-Moon Worldview, basically all passed down within families.
Wa Lord, however, was intensely interested. "Hahaha, fascinating, fascinating! This concept of 'circuits' bears quite a resemblance to meridians!"
Emiya immediately clapped his hands in appreciation. That made sense! Taoism's Internal Alchemy Theory also had cultivation methods such as "Refining Essence into Qi."
The "essence" in that referred to the essence of heaven and earth and the essence of the human body. It was the same thing as the planetary energy/Greater Source and human life force/Lesser Source spoken of in Western Magecraft!
The two began an enthusiastic discussion about their respective "cultivation systems," and the chat interface's atmosphere instantly turned into something out of a cultivation novel.
Only Old Tang, who had just begun learning Chinese, was left staring blankly at the messages.
What was "circulating qi and regulated breathing"? What were "the union of qi and spirit" and "cultivating nature and life together"? What the hell were they talking about? He had even pulled up Google Translate, so why could he still not understand any of it?
Xiangyang, Shenzhou. Tang City.
This was a local palace built in the ancient style of the Tang Dynasty, with upturned eaves and pointed roof corners. Its wooden pillars were thick, its beams interlocked, and colorful lanterns hung from its four corners, illuminating the elaborate and exquisite auspicious dragon-and-phoenix patterns, water-and-cloud motifs, and other designs along the walls. Under the fluorescent glow of the lights, countless people dressed in Tang Dynasty robes stood in two lines, waiting like imposing and solemn generals before the hall.
At the center of the great hall, a beautiful little girl who looked like an immortal sat before a computer.
The little girl wore a magnificent Tang dress with an extraordinarily long trailing hem. Her long hair hung loose, her face was free of makeup, and her cheeks were small and round. Her brows and eyes were picturesque, while her skin seemed almost translucent.
Not far away, a lean young man in a Tang suit stood quietly in attendance, his expression calm.
"Zhou Yuxuan, do you think this boy's theory of 'circuits' is real or false?"
The little girl spoke first, her voice clear and bright.
The lean young man, Zhou Yuxuan, bowed respectfully and replied.
"Reporting to Wa Lord, this man's claims resemble Qigong theory. Ji Kang's Treatise on Nourishing Life once said, 'Regulate one's breath and inhale qi, ingesting qi to nourish the body.' However, after the Tang and Song Dynasties, the theory of ingesting qi was proven false. The Internal Alchemy Method may cultivate one's temperament, but hoping to improve one's cultivation through it is likely wishful thinking."
"Rather than pondering Internal Alchemy Taoism, one would be better off studying Mantra Magic, Artifact Forging, and Talisman Drawing."
Shenzhou's so-called "Mantra Technique" was known in the West as "Word Spirits." It was a special ability possessed by mixed bloods with dragon bloodlines in this world. Word Spirits were released by using Dragon Script and Dragon Language to drive the elements, an inheritance originating from the domain of dragons.
Another dragon inheritance was called alchemy. In the Western mixed-blood world, it gave rise to fields such as refining the Philosopher's Stone and Alchemical Weapons, while in Shenzhou it likewise gave rise to Pill Refining and Artifact Forging.
As for the cultivation of magical energy or refining qi that Shirou Emiya had mentioned, it did not originally exist in this world. Mixed bloods with dragon bloodlines generally preferred to make use of the advantages brought by their bloodlines or study how to refine and enhance those bloodlines.
There was simply no such thing as growing stronger through cultivation. Rather than count on that, one might as well hope to become stronger by bathing in dragon blood like Siegfried, or enhance one's bloodline with things like Dragon Fetal Blood and Evolution Potions. Even Elixirs of Longevity could only be refined using dragon blood.
"Heh, so you've wholeheartedly taken the side of the External Alchemy School." Wa Lord chuckled. "But what if... it's real?"
Zhou Yuxuan was astonished. "Wa Lord believes it is real?"
"Do you know of Western alchemy? Recently, young people studying abroad at Cassell returned with rumors that Cassell College was proposing something called the Nibelungen Project. It could implant Alchemical Matrices resembling Daoist Runes throughout the human body, steadily improving one's bloodline." Wa Lord spoke of the rumors, her gaze flickering.
Zhou Yuxuan seemed to recall something. "The Chen Family's younger members seem to have said something similar. Could these Magic Circuits be those Alchemical Matrices? So it actually exists?"
At the mention of the Chen Family, a subtle look of disgust surfaced in Wa Lord's eyes.
"Whether it is real or not, one test will tell."
Before you continue