Vol 2 Chapter 15: The Source of Claw Marks
“Long, long ago, when the world had just been ford—before the birth of True Source, before life erged, and before magic was divided. The concept of ‘world’ had yet to be observed, and endless chaos cradled all things like a swaddling cloth…”
Minutes later, within the research facility that had resud operation, Erald’s voice slowly erged from the mouth of a fairy doll. The slightly distorted electronic tone had clearly been processed, giving her usually lazy voice a bit more weight.
Sitting by the treatnt bed, Veronica stayed silent at first, arms crossed as she glanced sidelong at the doll. But after a few minutes passed and it still hadn’t gotten to the point, she couldn’t help drooping her eyes and saying:
“Can I go now?”
“Wait, why are you trying to leave again? You young ones—why don’t any of you have the patience to listen to your elders tell a proper story?”
The atmosphere of solemnity in the lab instantly fell apart. Clearly annoyed, Erald continued, “What I’m about to share next is a secret of the Kingdom that absolutely no one in the outside world knows. Even soone in my position takes a risk just by saying it out loud. Don’t you think you should co prepared, fully ard with knowledge, to receive such a gift?”
“…All I know is that I’m the one in control here.”
Veronica steadied herself with the bed rail. “And I was dragged here from my post with so half-baked excuse. I’m really not in the mood to keep waiting.”
“Hmm… fair point. Fine, I’ll keep it short then.”
Clearly reluctant, Erald dropped the previous narrative and started a new one. “You still rember the Great Beast Disaster from nineteen years ago, right? The ‘Beast Cores’ you’re holding—those suddenly increased in number during that disaster.”
“‘Increased’?” Veronica imdiately picked out the key word.
“Yes, increased—not ‘appeared.’ In fact, these crystals existed long before that, but back then, there was only one. It was unearthed from the Interrealm and stored in the Royal Court’s treasury.”
The doll nodded, emphasizing the word Veronica had seized upon. “After the Great Beast Disaster, five more were discovered in the Material World, bringing the total count to six.”
“Unfortunately, since the Kingdom had no idea that such materials would appear during the disaster, and most Magical Girls were deployed to the frontlines, three of the newly erged Beast Cores were stolen by rebels from the Interrealm.”
It raised its hand and once again summoned the control panel of the treatnt bed. “As you know, they used those three Beast Cores to found an organization called ‘Black Cinders Dawn,’ and they’ve been active in the Material World ever since.”
That matched the intel Veronica had gotten from Mors.
Although Mors claid that Black Cinders Dawn had originated from magicians within the Material World, not Interrealm figures as Erald described, both versions agreed that their growth was rooted in the Beast Cores.
“So five erged, and three were taken by Black Cinders Dawn. That ans your Kingdom got two of them?”
Veronica, having confird the information aligned, followed up, “And if we include the original one, then the Kingdom should’ve ended up with three Beast Cores.”
“‘Your Kingdom’? Young lady, don’t make give you a lecture on the importance of unity. You should be saying ‘our Kingdom’!”
The doll put its hands on its hips. “But yes, you’re right. After the Great Beast Disaster, our side ended up with three Beast Cores, all stored in the Royal Treasury, guarded primarily by the Court of Finance.”
“So?” Veronica didn’t bother to argue the semantics and pushed the conversation forward. “If the Kingdom already had Beast Cores, why were you so intent on getting the one I had? Why not just apply directly to the Royal Court? If the research institute wanted to study them, I doubt they’d say no.”
“I thought the sa thing at first, young lady. But unfortunately, life doesn’t always go as planned.” Erald sighed deeply.
“The Royal Court denied your request?” Veronica asked, puzzled.
“I bribed so people in the Court of Finance and tried to extract all three Beast Cores. Got caught.” The doll shrugged.
“We usually call that ‘getting what you deserve.’” Veronica said coldly.
“Academic research is a lonely road, young lady. Those bound by rules rarely get to unleash their full potential.”
The doll shook its head. “Anyway, because of that, Her Majesty banned from conducting any further research on the Beast Cores.”
“Of course, everyone knows Her Majesty’s anger doesn’t last forever. Given ti, the ban would eventually beco aningless.”
“Besides, I had other research projects going on back then, so I shelved the idea. I figured I’d just wait ten years and sneak it through later. But just two years later, the whole plan fell apart.”
“Your access to the Beast Cores was permanently revoked?” Veronica asked, resting her chin in her hand.
“I strongly object to your repeated slander, young lady.” Erald sounded irritated. “I hadn’t even thought about the Beast Cores again during those two years. I just asked a few people to see if they could sneak into the treasury guard ranks. But none of my people got in—and then two of the Beast Cores were stolen.”
“Stolen?”
That word made Veronica pause. “From the Royal Court?”
“I know what you’re thinking. The Royal Court has the tightest security in the Kingdom, with the most advanced protective rituals and countless defense systems. So of those rituals were even set up by . There’s no way a common thief could get in there.”
Erald took over the explanation. “But just because the probability is low doesn’t an it’s impossible. If soone like , who understands the Court inside and out, were to plan a heist, I could co up with at least three ways to steal a Beast Core without anyone noticing… Why are you looking at like that? Think it through, young lady—do I look like soone who needs to stoop to petty theft?”
“Who was it that tried to sneak people into the guard ranks?” Veronica narrowed her eyes.
“Let clarify—those are two different things. Yes, I sent people, but I never actually decided to steal anything. You can’t convict soone who had no intent and took no action.”
A faint tongue-click could be heard from the doll’s voice box. “Anyway, soone beat to it and… took the Beast Cores.”
“Didn’t you just say no one could get into the Court?”
“I’m not contradicting myself, young lady. Of course no one got in from outside.” The doll’s tone shifted subtly. “Because the truth is—it was an inside job.”
“…The Court of Finance?”
“Exactly.”
“Who?”
“That’s why this can’t be shared with outsiders, young lady.”
The doll slightly raised its head, its deep-set eyes locking onto Veronica. “Can you guarantee you won’t tell anyone what I’m about to say?”
The air inside the lab suddenly grew heavier—not from any illusion crafted with words or lighting, but from real pressure exerted by Erald’s presence.
She was serious. Veronica realized that.
“…I don’t really have anyone to tell at the mont.”
She spoke slowly. “If there ever cos a day where I absolutely must say sothing, I’ll let you know in advance.”
The doll nodded.
“It was Purple Diamond.”
It said: “Purple Diamond took two Beast Cores and defected from the Kingdom.”
“Purple… Diamond?”
Of course Veronica knew what that na ant.
The Gem Scepters of the Magic Kingdom were all nad after jewels on the Queen’s own staff—Chrysoberyl Cat’s Eye, Pigeon Blood, Erald, Cornflower Blue, and Diamond.
Purple Diamond was the Diamond Scepter, the Magical Girl in charge of the Court of Finance.
Veronica’s first reaction was disbelief. Erald had to be joking.
Because that was just too absurd—a Gem Scepter defecting would be a global scandal.
It’d be like a company’s CEO betraying the company… or the Bureau Director of the Counterasure Bureau defecting. Although, to be fair, even that wasn’t totally impossible. But the Gem Scepters’ bond with the Kingdom was even stronger.
And yet, oddly enough, she’d never heard a word of it.
Sure, she’d already retired by then, so her ignorance made sense. But the rest of the Fangting City Squad had still been active. How had none of them known?
Even after all these years, in her return to the field, Veronica had t countless Magical Girls and fairies—none of whom ntioned the Diamond Scepter being missing.
“Only the Royal Court, the other Gem Scepters, and a few high-ranking Magical Girls in the Court of Finance knew.”
The doll offered a simple explanation. “To fill the Diamond vacancy, Her Majesty issued a rare direct order from the palace, appointing a temporary replacent. It’s still secret for now. The official inauguration will happen at the next Grand Celebration.”
“So… the Gem Scepter just up and defected? And no one did anything?”
Clearly unconvinced, Veronica first questioned, then fell into a strange silence. She suddenly recalled what Erald had originally wanted to talk about.
—“The Claw Mark.”
“You’re saying, the ‘Claw Mark’?” she murmured.
“Looks like you’ve figured it out yourself. That’s right.”
Erald sighed. “The so-called ‘Claw Mark’ is the organization ford by the forr Diamond Scepter, after stealing the Beast Cores and defecting from the Kingdom to evade pursuit.”
“She took with her a large group of Magical Girls who were willing to follow—including many Flower Cards. After fleeing to the Material World, they established so kind of cooperation with Black Cinders Dawn. After years of silence, they’ve now resurfaced under a new identity.”
“To counter the magical power decline caused by exceeding their tenure, the Magical Girls in Claw Mark turned to Ravager powers as a substitute.”
“They abandoned their old aliases, and took on nas inspired by birds and beasts. Their leader—forrly Purple Diamond—gave up her gemstone title and took on a new alias: White Wolf.”
“That’s how Claw Mark ca to be.”
The doll’s paw lightly tapped the bedrail. “And that’s why I began chasing after the Beast Cores again. I want to resu my research.”
“…To deal with Claw Mark?” Veronica asked.
“On the surface, yes. But deeper than that—it’s because I can’t allow there to be any technique within the scope of a Magical Girl’s power that I haven’t mastered.”
Erald’s voice remained lazy, but the tone was resolute. “The magic of Magical Girls and the magic of Ravagers are mutually exclusive—more accurately, antagonistic and corrosive.”
“Magical Girl magic repels and blocks Ravager magic; Ravager magic devours and assimilates Magical Girl magic. They cannot coexist.”
“Why did White Wolf steal the Beast Cores? And why was she able, within just a few years, to develop a thod allowing Magical Girls to wield Ravager powers? Clearly, she gained sothing from those cores.”
“I don’t an to brag, but I’m far more academically capable than a brute like her. If she could master that technique, then there’s no reason I can’t.”
“The difference between us is clearly the Beast Cores.”
“Her tech must be based on them. And in the Magical Girls under Claw Mark, I’ve observed an unprecedented phenonon—they’ve beco ‘artificial Deviants.’”
“They were originally Magical Girls, but their magic base tone has shifted toward the Ravagers. In other words, they’ve beco beings with dual power and identity.”
The doll paused briefly before abruptly shifting the topic:
“And that brings us to why I need to talk to you about that child.”
Veronica blinked at the sudden turn but quickly started thinking it through. A mont later, she understood:
“…Bosetsu?”
Erald’s earlier description of Claw Mark had felt oddly familiar—because not long ago, she’d heard a very similar theory.
She didn’t have to think long—it was from the earlier description of Bai Jingxuan.
Back then, Erald had said Bai Jingxuan’s magic was innately beast-aligned. If she hadn’t been chosen as a Magical Girl, she would’ve been a natural “Beastified One.” But instead, by a twist of fate, she beca a Magical Girl during the Welfare Ho incident.
So, after becoming one… was that the end of it?
Clearly not.
“She’s a born Beastified One. And after becoming a Magical Girl, she’s a born ‘Claw Mark.’”
Erald’s voice was gentle but steady, as if delivering a final judgnt:
“More pure, more complete, closer to the perfected form than even White Wolf herself. A true Claw Mark.”
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