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Some Important Background Information
Mana
After being summoned to another world, Suimei noticed that mana still existed. Mana is the source of mystical power, and it naturally exists in the atmosphere“Hey, Suimei, doesn’t this situation… How do I put it…? Doesn’t it seem awfully familiar?”
“Yup. The light novel Mizuki lent me the other day definitely went something like this.”
“Thought so. This feels like the kind of setup where you’re suddenly summoned to another world and asked to defeat a Demon Lord. Or something like that.”
“Nope, not doing it. I’m not even considering that a joke right now.”
Suimei grimaced like his stomach was in pain. Reiji’s expression was riddled with complex emotions, but he managed a somewhat dry laugh.
“Hahaha… But you know, even though I know it’s impossible, I dunno… I kinda feel like that’s what’s going on.”
“Reiji, are you being serious right now?”
“Mm.”
“Hey, don’t just nod and ‘mm’ me…”
Exasperated by Reiji’s simple nod and deduction, Suimei averted his gaze for a moment and began to use magicka to analyze their surroundings without letting Reiji catch on. As things stood, he wasn’t fully willing to buy in to such a fantastical straight-out-of-a-book scenario, but if they truly were in another world, something about the place should be different enough for him to tell.
Though it was impromptu, Suimei prepared his spell and started processing the information it gathered for him. Gravity here was normal, and there was no major difference in the composition of the air. It was insignificant enough to think that they’d just been transported to a different locale. However…
The mana is thick here… Is it because of this room?
Mana, otherwise known as aetheric, was the source of mystical power that existed naturally in the atmosphere, and it was particularly dense here. Such density was comparable to that found right on top of ley lines in the earth or within holy temples and circles.-Volume 1, Chapter 1
“Yup. The light novel Mizuki lent me the other day definitely went something like this.”
“Thought so. This feels like the kind of setup where you’re suddenly summoned to another world and asked to defeat a Demon Lord. Or something like that.”
“Nope, not doing it. I’m not even considering that a joke right now.”
Suimei grimaced like his stomach was in pain. Reiji’s expression was riddled with complex emotions, but he managed a somewhat dry laugh.
“Hahaha… But you know, even though I know it’s impossible, I dunno… I kinda feel like that’s what’s going on.”
“Reiji, are you being serious right now?”
“Mm.”
“Hey, don’t just nod and ‘mm’ me…”
Exasperated by Reiji’s simple nod and deduction, Suimei averted his gaze for a moment and began to use magicka to analyze their surroundings without letting Reiji catch on. As things stood, he wasn’t fully willing to buy in to such a fantastical straight-out-of-a-book scenario, but if they truly were in another world, something about the place should be different enough for him to tell.
Though it was impromptu, Suimei prepared his spell and started processing the information it gathered for him. Gravity here was normal, and there was no major difference in the composition of the air. It was insignificant enough to think that they’d just been transported to a different locale. However…
The mana is thick here… Is it because of this room?
Mana, otherwise known as aetheric, was the source of mystical power that existed naturally in the atmosphere, and it was particularly dense here. Such density was comparable to that found right on top of ley lines in the earth or within holy temples and circles.-Volume 1, Chapter 1
An interesting thing is that Gods are beings which are composed of aetheric, in other words mana
On this evening, there were two points that Suimei kept in mind as he dealt with the core of the incidents once more.
This would be the third time he had an encounter with the culprit after dark. The first thing he kept in mind was that he now knew the identity of said culprit. The second was that the two of them would be alone this time.
Right now, neither Felmenia nor Lefille were present. For the sake of persuading Liliana, he’d asked them to refrain from tagging along this time. If they had her outnumbered, it was possible she’d try and run away.
“No way... How...?”
Presumably because he’d completely defended against her powerful dark magic attack, he could hear a childishly bewildered voice slip her lips.
The magicka he’d used was defensive magicka. A spell from the charm engraved into the belt of the goddess of the moon, Diana of Ephesus. Gods were, so to speak, existences whose bodies were composed of substances closely resembling the astral, aetheric, and the like. And since this was a charm to protect a god, it was effective against attacks which targeted the astral body. Aski, kataski, lix, tetrax, damnameneus, aision. Darkness, brightness, earth, the year, the sun, and reason. With those words, malice in the higher dimension was blocked by their power. Normally, it was magicka that was rarely used. So infrequently, in fact, that it could be said that it was never used in respectable fights between fellow magicians.-Volume 3, Chapter 4
This would be the third time he had an encounter with the culprit after dark. The first thing he kept in mind was that he now knew the identity of said culprit. The second was that the two of them would be alone this time.
Right now, neither Felmenia nor Lefille were present. For the sake of persuading Liliana, he’d asked them to refrain from tagging along this time. If they had her outnumbered, it was possible she’d try and run away.
“No way... How...?”
Presumably because he’d completely defended against her powerful dark magic attack, he could hear a childishly bewildered voice slip her lips.
The magicka he’d used was defensive magicka. A spell from the charm engraved into the belt of the goddess of the moon, Diana of Ephesus. Gods were, so to speak, existences whose bodies were composed of substances closely resembling the astral, aetheric, and the like. And since this was a charm to protect a god, it was effective against attacks which targeted the astral body. Aski, kataski, lix, tetrax, damnameneus, aision. Darkness, brightness, earth, the year, the sun, and reason. With those words, malice in the higher dimension was blocked by their power. Normally, it was magicka that was rarely used. So infrequently, in fact, that it could be said that it was never used in respectable fights between fellow magicians.-Volume 3, Chapter 4
Magic is inherent to the universe, and therefore to all intelligent life that inhabited it. We know mana is something that is around in multiple parallel/separate worlds so this does make sense, I will dive into this some more later on.
“Magic, you say? Did you teach him?”
“No, sire. I have taught him nothing.”
“Then what? Did another court mage?”
“No, sire. I believe that Suimei-dono was somehow able to use magic from the very beginning.”
The king had been hesitant and puzzled so far, but with those words, he now looked outright baffled. Felmenia had expected as much.
“Felmenia, I have been told that magic does not exist in the world the hero hails from. The hero himself said that they had technology in its place, and that magic was a mere fantasy to them.”
“I understand, Your Majesty. I have personally spoken to the hero on that matter, but nevertheless, I can say with certainty that Suimei-dono can use magic.”
“Are you saying that the hero lied?”
“No, there is absolutely nothing to suggest that, Your Majesty.”
Reiji hadn’t lied. She could say that definitively. Reiji’s aptitude as a mage was quite high, but when it came to the fundamental knowledge of magic, it could be said that he had absolutely none at all. The king also seemed ready to trust in Reiji’s honesty.
“Yes, I believe in him myself. However…”
“You wish to know why there is an inconsistency with Reiji-dono’s statement and Suimei-dono’s ability, correct?”
“Indeed. Either that young man personally requested that his power be concealed beforehand, or the hero is not even cognizant of the fact that magic does actually exist in the world he’s from. How mysterious.”
Even the king was puzzled over this. Magic was a technology in its own right. Even here in this world, it was able to protect people and improve their quality of life. Magic was inherent to the universe, and therefore to all intelligent life that inhabited it. Humans were unable to sever their bond with it any more than they could with their own history.-Volume 1, Chapter 2
“No, sire. I have taught him nothing.”
“Then what? Did another court mage?”
“No, sire. I believe that Suimei-dono was somehow able to use magic from the very beginning.”
The king had been hesitant and puzzled so far, but with those words, he now looked outright baffled. Felmenia had expected as much.
“Felmenia, I have been told that magic does not exist in the world the hero hails from. The hero himself said that they had technology in its place, and that magic was a mere fantasy to them.”
“I understand, Your Majesty. I have personally spoken to the hero on that matter, but nevertheless, I can say with certainty that Suimei-dono can use magic.”
“Are you saying that the hero lied?”
“No, there is absolutely nothing to suggest that, Your Majesty.”
Reiji hadn’t lied. She could say that definitively. Reiji’s aptitude as a mage was quite high, but when it came to the fundamental knowledge of magic, it could be said that he had absolutely none at all. The king also seemed ready to trust in Reiji’s honesty.
“Yes, I believe in him myself. However…”
“You wish to know why there is an inconsistency with Reiji-dono’s statement and Suimei-dono’s ability, correct?”
“Indeed. Either that young man personally requested that his power be concealed beforehand, or the hero is not even cognizant of the fact that magic does actually exist in the world he’s from. How mysterious.”
Even the king was puzzled over this. Magic was a technology in its own right. Even here in this world, it was able to protect people and improve their quality of life. Magic was inherent to the universe, and therefore to all intelligent life that inhabited it. Humans were unable to sever their bond with it any more than they could with their own history.-Volume 1, Chapter 2
The Elements
I made a whole blog discussing various aspects of the series cosmology years ago. To restate some things; the Elements are a wide concept that envelops the world, while existing outside of it, in the astral plane which contains all creation.
When Suimei and co went back to Suimei's world, Felmenia who is from the isekai world could still use magic from the Elements
“Actually, speaking of... Menia, can you use it here?”
“A moment, please... Yes, it appears to work!”
“That so? Okay, then can you use that one spell you used to cast?”
Suimei urged Felmenia to demonstrate her magic, which immediately put Hatsumi in quite a fluster.
“H-Hang on! You’re planning on using magicka here?!”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it. It’ll be fine as long as we do it on this property.”
“You’re telling me no one’s going to notice you using magicka here?”
“Yup. I mean, if that wasn’t the case, don’t you think you would’ve found out about it way sooner?”
“...Don’t go performing weird rituals right next to my house.”
“We’re not some cult, damn it. It’s just part of our job as magicians.”
“Well, um, here I go... Truth Flare!”
Felmenia incanted her keywords in a casual tone and activated her spell on the spot. It was only a small invocation, allowing the chant to be omitted. A magicka circle... obviously didn’t show up. Felmenia had cast Truth Flare, a magic spell she’d used in her world before Suimei taught her the ways of magicka.
Nevertheless, a white flame—one just a little hotter than a regular one—danced in the air and illuminated the garden of the Yakagi mansion. The flowers hiding in the dark of night revealed their beautiful colors, and the world around them was suddenly far more vivid than before.
Any normal person would have been in awe of such a mystical and beautiful scene, but what came out of Hydemary’s mouth sounded much closer to disappointment.
“Mm, yeah. It’s kind of... questionable. It seems there’s something mediating with it from the outside, though?”
“It’s a phenomenon of lower-class spirits called the Elements. They’re what’s mediating with the spell.”
“A phenomenon is?”
“It happens, right? You know, that. The law of parallel worlds theory.”-Volume 9, Chapter 1
“A moment, please... Yes, it appears to work!”
“That so? Okay, then can you use that one spell you used to cast?”
Suimei urged Felmenia to demonstrate her magic, which immediately put Hatsumi in quite a fluster.
“H-Hang on! You’re planning on using magicka here?!”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it. It’ll be fine as long as we do it on this property.”
“You’re telling me no one’s going to notice you using magicka here?”
“Yup. I mean, if that wasn’t the case, don’t you think you would’ve found out about it way sooner?”
“...Don’t go performing weird rituals right next to my house.”
“We’re not some cult, damn it. It’s just part of our job as magicians.”
“Well, um, here I go... Truth Flare!”
Felmenia incanted her keywords in a casual tone and activated her spell on the spot. It was only a small invocation, allowing the chant to be omitted. A magicka circle... obviously didn’t show up. Felmenia had cast Truth Flare, a magic spell she’d used in her world before Suimei taught her the ways of magicka.
Nevertheless, a white flame—one just a little hotter than a regular one—danced in the air and illuminated the garden of the Yakagi mansion. The flowers hiding in the dark of night revealed their beautiful colors, and the world around them was suddenly far more vivid than before.
Any normal person would have been in awe of such a mystical and beautiful scene, but what came out of Hydemary’s mouth sounded much closer to disappointment.
“Mm, yeah. It’s kind of... questionable. It seems there’s something mediating with it from the outside, though?”
“It’s a phenomenon of lower-class spirits called the Elements. They’re what’s mediating with the spell.”
“A phenomenon is?”
“It happens, right? You know, that. The law of parallel worlds theory.”-Volume 9, Chapter 1
However it is stated to be weaker than it was before, just like how Suimei's magic was weaker in the isekai world
To a magician, the word “mysteries” generally encompassed all that was mystical in nature. This included, for example, the wonders and monsters of Japan. It could be used as an umbrella term for magicka, mana, and the laws of the world, et cetera—anything and everything mystical.
“In any event,” Suimei sighed as he turned to Felmenia. “It’s even weaker over here, huh?”
“Now that you mention it... Yes, it seems to be. It really doesn’t possess its usual power.”
The white flame that Felmenia had created was lacking destructive power for the mana it used. In essence, the amount of heat it emitted wasn’t particularly high. Contemplating the reason for this...
It’s just like what happened to me, huh?
It dawned on Suimei that this was similar to how he’d been unable to bring about his full power in the other world. Magicka utilizing the laws of this world lost its power there; and so too did magicka utilizing the laws of that world lose its power here. It was like how a radio would get staticky when moved too far away from the source of its signal. And that static, so to speak, prevented spells from manifesting at their full power.-Volume 9,Chapter 1
“In any event,” Suimei sighed as he turned to Felmenia. “It’s even weaker over here, huh?”
“Now that you mention it... Yes, it seems to be. It really doesn’t possess its usual power.”
The white flame that Felmenia had created was lacking destructive power for the mana it used. In essence, the amount of heat it emitted wasn’t particularly high. Contemplating the reason for this...
It’s just like what happened to me, huh?
It dawned on Suimei that this was similar to how he’d been unable to bring about his full power in the other world. Magicka utilizing the laws of this world lost its power there; and so too did magicka utilizing the laws of that world lose its power here. It was like how a radio would get staticky when moved too far away from the source of its signal. And that static, so to speak, prevented spells from manifesting at their full power.-Volume 9,Chapter 1
To me, this all makes sense since we know The Elements exist within the astral plane which contains all creation, it makes perfect sense its power will still be useable in a different world from the one where it comes from/controls
Magicians
In my blog I go over the differences between a Mage and a Magician. A summary of that: is mages have to appeal to the Elements to use magic, meanwhile magicians don't, they can manipulate various systems/laws like the Elements to use magic.
I want to add another quote to this; below it is said that Magicians use their own power and the power of their surroundings (which obviously means mana) to discover the laws of all creation and turn that into magic
She looked up. The apparition that Suimei had struck with magicka was now crumbling to pieces. The most impressive of her magic hadn’t even scathed the beast, but it was cut down instantly by Suimei’s magicka—an unthinkable feat with the knowledge of this world.
Their battle in the Garden of the White Wall, flying through the air, the phenomenon known as an apparition, techniques to combine various magicka into one. Everything that she had witnessed was like an experience right out of a dream.
“This is… This is what a mage can do…?”
Watching Suimei from behind as he drew closer to the apparition, she unwittingly muttered to herself again.
“So this is magic?”
Not by means of just chanting, not by means of the power of the Elements, but by using one’s own power and the power of their surroundings to discover the laws of all creation and turn that into magic. That was the magic of Yakagi Suimei’s world—no, it’s magicka.
If these were also the mysteries that humans could hold… The place that she was in, the people she competed against, he ones she gained victory over—this world was very small after all, wasn’t it? Had everything up until this moment been a mere triviality?
Suddenly, Suimei turned around. There was neither exasperation nor fearlessness in his face. If one were to speak figuratively, it was the face of a man that did not need challenging.
“Didn’t I tell you already? I’m a scholar of the mysteries. The objective of the mages of this world may just be to cast strong magic by simply chanting a spell, but we are different. The objective of the magicians of my world is to unravel all the laws of the universe and make ourselves omnipotent. Yes, so that we can surpass any and everything. The fundamental way we think is different from you mages.”-Volume 1, Chapter 4
Their battle in the Garden of the White Wall, flying through the air, the phenomenon known as an apparition, techniques to combine various magicka into one. Everything that she had witnessed was like an experience right out of a dream.
“This is… This is what a mage can do…?”
Watching Suimei from behind as he drew closer to the apparition, she unwittingly muttered to herself again.
“So this is magic?”
Not by means of just chanting, not by means of the power of the Elements, but by using one’s own power and the power of their surroundings to discover the laws of all creation and turn that into magic. That was the magic of Yakagi Suimei’s world—no, it’s magicka.
If these were also the mysteries that humans could hold… The place that she was in, the people she competed against, he ones she gained victory over—this world was very small after all, wasn’t it? Had everything up until this moment been a mere triviality?
Suddenly, Suimei turned around. There was neither exasperation nor fearlessness in his face. If one were to speak figuratively, it was the face of a man that did not need challenging.
“Didn’t I tell you already? I’m a scholar of the mysteries. The objective of the mages of this world may just be to cast strong magic by simply chanting a spell, but we are different. The objective of the magicians of my world is to unravel all the laws of the universe and make ourselves omnipotent. Yes, so that we can surpass any and everything. The fundamental way we think is different from you mages.”-Volume 1, Chapter 4
Pull this all together Mages use The Elements, meanwhile Magicians study and manipulate the laws of creation, and aren't just limited to 1 law such as the Elements. I bring this up because supposing the Astral Plane is indeed 1-A, Magicians being able to manipulate laws from that plane, could be problematic, but I have explained how mana and magic is an inherent thing to humanity, so don't think this is an issue.
Outerversal Astral Plane
Plato's Theory of Forms
Magicians are scholar's of the mysteries, they study and manipulate the laws of creation. As it turns out none other than Plato is mentioned to have investigated existence itself and created the foundations for magicka
On a certain day shortly after Sebastian Kran summoned the apparition, Suimei was in his room receiving a lesson from Felmenia about the magic in this other world.
“Then the so-called main point of magic here begins with sensing the Elements… That’s what they say, right?”
“That is correct. If one properly brings to mind the heat one feels when warmed by fire or the cool sensation of touching water, the Elements will lend their assistance!”
Felmenia tightly clenched her fist, apparently filled with enthusiasm on the topic. She was talking as if she believed without a doubt that the way that she had explained things was the one and only truth. However, from Suimei’s perspective, it was still horribly insufficient. In his world, even in its simplest, most reductive form, the art of magicka was treated and talked about with a high level of rationality. Felmenia’s explanation just now, on the contrary, addressed nothing but the mystical side of things. Moreover, the most important part of what he wanted to know was unclear and vague. Based on what she’d said, magic sounded like it relied entirely on an individual’s intuition.
If this is the norm for teaching magic in this world, then I guess it’s no wonder development would stagnate, huh?
The idea of depending exclusively on sensation made a mockery of theory. Granted, to be fair, these people’s approach wasn’t wholly misguided. These “Elements” of theirs had been revered throughout the ages, and venerating their mysticism was essentially part of the magical process for them. That was how things had ended up this way. But while it was true that sensation was important to magicka, relying on it alone was problematic.
Thinking on the grand scale of things, it really showcased how remarkable the natural philosophers of Ancient Greece were. In an age where such concepts were elusive and yet to be understood, the likes of Plato, Aristotle, and Empedocles thoroughly investigated existence itself and created the foundations for magicka.-Volume 1, Felmenia Side Story 1
“Then the so-called main point of magic here begins with sensing the Elements… That’s what they say, right?”
“That is correct. If one properly brings to mind the heat one feels when warmed by fire or the cool sensation of touching water, the Elements will lend their assistance!”
Felmenia tightly clenched her fist, apparently filled with enthusiasm on the topic. She was talking as if she believed without a doubt that the way that she had explained things was the one and only truth. However, from Suimei’s perspective, it was still horribly insufficient. In his world, even in its simplest, most reductive form, the art of magicka was treated and talked about with a high level of rationality. Felmenia’s explanation just now, on the contrary, addressed nothing but the mystical side of things. Moreover, the most important part of what he wanted to know was unclear and vague. Based on what she’d said, magic sounded like it relied entirely on an individual’s intuition.
If this is the norm for teaching magic in this world, then I guess it’s no wonder development would stagnate, huh?
The idea of depending exclusively on sensation made a mockery of theory. Granted, to be fair, these people’s approach wasn’t wholly misguided. These “Elements” of theirs had been revered throughout the ages, and venerating their mysticism was essentially part of the magical process for them. That was how things had ended up this way. But while it was true that sensation was important to magicka, relying on it alone was problematic.
Thinking on the grand scale of things, it really showcased how remarkable the natural philosophers of Ancient Greece were. In an age where such concepts were elusive and yet to be understood, the likes of Plato, Aristotle, and Empedocles thoroughly investigated existence itself and created the foundations for magicka.-Volume 1, Felmenia Side Story 1
The world operates on Plato's theory of forms, which says that the world is nothing more than a flimsy existence, it is just just a pseudo-projection of reality, what we see are representations of forms, and not the forms themselves. Individuals are perceived by their characteristics as if drawn on paper
“Now then, where should I start? Let’s see... In the world I’m from, there’s this idea that everything we humans see is essentially just a pseudo-projection of reality. The objects we behold are representations of forms, their true essences. This notion is called the theory of forms.” “The theory of forms?” “That’s right.” “Er, so everything I see is...” Suimei nodded, and Lefille began musing over his explanation in her head. In a world that had little such philosophy, it seemed to be a very difficult idea for her to process. He tried to think of a way to simplify it. “Well, for example, the me that you see right now is being visually projected into your brain via your eyes. Much the same way, your other sensory organs are perceiving information on me, an object.” “Then if you’re an object, you’re a manifestation of an essence—a form? In other words, that essence isn’t necessarily what I’m seeing... Is that what you mean?” “Roughly, yeah.” “But by that logic, if people are just representations of some greater ideal, wouldn’t we all look the same?” “Since no one is perfect—since no object perfectly embodies its form—we each look a little different. We’re imperfect in our own ways, inherently giving us individual characteristics that, when perceived, make us distinguishable. That’s why you and I don’t look the same, and it’s why none of these trees, stones, or buildings are exactly the same either.” “I suppose I can understand how this applies to naturally born creatures. All living beings have a soul, after all. But how can it be true for manmade things? Do people not create things in the likeness of their own ideas and forms?” “Yes and no. When people create things, they’re creating objects, not forms. You might think, ‘Yeah, hey, I’m gonna do something like this,’ but what you’re doing is giving an object individual characteristics like I was talking about before. Humans may conceptualize forms, sure, but once you bring that form into being, it’s not the form itself, but a representation of it.” “So when we give substance to things, we’re just making a manifestation of these forms?” “That’s right.” Suimei answered Lefille with a nod. It seemed that she was managing to digest some of what he was talking about, but then her face turned grim and she questioned him more. “But Suimei-kun, if our existences are truly explained by this theory, then is not everything we do in vain? It would mean that individuals are arbitrarily perceived just by their characteristics as if drawn on paper!” Her comparison to being drawn on paper was quite apt. It encapsulated the whole idea, astonishingly so. It was a very natural conclusion to come to after being exposed to the theory for the first time. “Yep. Everything about the world we live in—including us who inhabit it—is essentially that kind of flimsy existence. Your vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch... All those really convey to you is a kind of deception.”-Volume 3, Chapter 1
The Astral Plane
As explained in my blog, the astral plane is a place with no substance nor form, It's nature is entirely dependent on who is observing it. It is like being in the dark of the ocean depths and a blindingly bright light at the same time. It is the home of Gods, and contains all creation, who can bend it to their whims.
It contains all creation including concepts, whether its the faceless, or the gods themselves, which are conceptual beings.
In short this realm is logically where the "forms" spoken of by Plato would be, and Gods have control over this realm of forms.
Gods are Beyond Distance and Fantasy
Kalavinka is a being from the astral plane, it is described as an higher order ego. The land its from, in other words the astral plane is described as being in the heavens beyond the distance, and beyond fantasy
“Whaaat?!”
The two mages were bewildered by the rapid change, and the man in black spoke up as if to inform them of what was happening.
“Beyond the land that we live in, in the heavens beyond the distance... In the lands of paradise, there is a being known as Kalavinka with the head of a human and the body of a bird. The absolute beauty of its voice, that excellent bird-like voice, is extolled as peerless. To a scholar of the mysteries, it is a voice that is heard from the emission of a higher order ego when they advance to the next level as a human. It is considered as a kind of revelation.”
“You punk!”
“Speaking of more incomprehensible things...!”
“This magicka is something that manifests the hum of a being that exists beyond fantasy: Kalavinka. In general, the emission of a higher order ego can only be brought on by a high-ranking magician. In fact, you have to be a high-ranking magician to hear Kalavinka’s hum. If an inexperienced magician bore witness to such a thing... Well, what do you think would happen?”
Behind that inquisitive manner of speech was not a provocative tone. When the mages looked closely, the man in black had eyes that were tainted in a deep crimson as if they were burning. This was Suimei Yakagi. It was as if he was gazing at an enemy he could never forgive. What shined beneath those eyes was a strong will and indignation.
“Samadhi kalpa devana gara.”
[Thou shalt listen to the eternal voice of the lotus.]
“Sh-Shit!”
“Oh wind! Thou art the power of eternity! Become a—”
Before that humming voice could continue, the mages caught on to his dangerously increasing strength and began to move. However, it was far too late.-Volume 4, Chapter 2
The two mages were bewildered by the rapid change, and the man in black spoke up as if to inform them of what was happening.
“Beyond the land that we live in, in the heavens beyond the distance... In the lands of paradise, there is a being known as Kalavinka with the head of a human and the body of a bird. The absolute beauty of its voice, that excellent bird-like voice, is extolled as peerless. To a scholar of the mysteries, it is a voice that is heard from the emission of a higher order ego when they advance to the next level as a human. It is considered as a kind of revelation.”
“You punk!”
“Speaking of more incomprehensible things...!”
“This magicka is something that manifests the hum of a being that exists beyond fantasy: Kalavinka. In general, the emission of a higher order ego can only be brought on by a high-ranking magician. In fact, you have to be a high-ranking magician to hear Kalavinka’s hum. If an inexperienced magician bore witness to such a thing... Well, what do you think would happen?”
Behind that inquisitive manner of speech was not a provocative tone. When the mages looked closely, the man in black had eyes that were tainted in a deep crimson as if they were burning. This was Suimei Yakagi. It was as if he was gazing at an enemy he could never forgive. What shined beneath those eyes was a strong will and indignation.
“Samadhi kalpa devana gara.”
[Thou shalt listen to the eternal voice of the lotus.]
“Sh-Shit!”
“Oh wind! Thou art the power of eternity! Become a—”
Before that humming voice could continue, the mages caught on to his dangerously increasing strength and began to move. However, it was far too late.-Volume 4, Chapter 2
It's also interesting to note that the very chapter where the astral plane is explained to be formless, contain all creation etc is titled "Far, Far Away, Beyond the Distance" (Volume 9, Prologue)
Being beyond fantasy from a google search just seems to mean being beyond what one can imagine/what one thought possible, meanwhile beyond the distance seems to mean being beyond a specific point or limit. Idk if this all really means anything besides the astral is a place that's beyond what humans can imagine, but thought it was worth putting in here.
Potential Issues With Outerversal
God's Can't Enter the Lower Plane Without Humans
The existence of Gods, Spirits have been denied in modern world by science. Basically they only come into the world when humans name them, otherwise they just chill in the astral plane
It was very likely that in his world, the power that she manifested was known as telesma, a form of spiritual power. It was completely different from mana or aetheric. Its power came from spirits, beings like angels and devils. As such, it could easily surpass what ordinary humans were capable of. It was classified as a higher order power, but its destructive potential wasn’t the only reason it earned that distinction. Roughly speaking, it was a power that existed on an entirely different plane from physical and magickal strength. It was practically unfathomable. It was a ridiculous power that could interfere with anything in existence.
Did she transform into a spirit? But Lefille is human… No, wait… If that’s not it, then were her body and soul part spirit to begin with…?
In her current state, Lefille wasn’t just borrowing the power of spirits. No matter how he looked at it, she was directly manifesting the power of a spirit. That was why Suimei was unable to compose himself. According to what he knew, it was absolutely impossible for a spirit to manifest in the physical realm like that.
In the modern world Suimei was from, the beings classified as spirits—angels, devils, gods, and even evil gods—had been supplanted by the rapid development of science. Their existence had essentially been denied. In ancient times, such spirits came into being simply by being named. They existed on another plane, and came into this world when they were called. In the rare cases that they went unnamed, they remained rulers of their own plane.
To harness a spirit’s power, one would have to wield a special technique to communicate with it and form a contract. And even after doing so, they would be able to manifest only a small portion of its power. So for Suimei to see this girl unleashing such power completely uninhibited, he was utterly shocked.
If he had to make a guess, in order for her physical form to be firmly rooted in this plane and still wield such power, she would have to be half human and half spirit. It was extremely unusual. Even though it made sense logically, it was practically unbelievable. Yet something inside of him was telling him that had to be it.-Volume 2, Chapter 3
Did she transform into a spirit? But Lefille is human… No, wait… If that’s not it, then were her body and soul part spirit to begin with…?
In her current state, Lefille wasn’t just borrowing the power of spirits. No matter how he looked at it, she was directly manifesting the power of a spirit. That was why Suimei was unable to compose himself. According to what he knew, it was absolutely impossible for a spirit to manifest in the physical realm like that.
In the modern world Suimei was from, the beings classified as spirits—angels, devils, gods, and even evil gods—had been supplanted by the rapid development of science. Their existence had essentially been denied. In ancient times, such spirits came into being simply by being named. They existed on another plane, and came into this world when they were called. In the rare cases that they went unnamed, they remained rulers of their own plane.
To harness a spirit’s power, one would have to wield a special technique to communicate with it and form a contract. And even after doing so, they would be able to manifest only a small portion of its power. So for Suimei to see this girl unleashing such power completely uninhibited, he was utterly shocked.
If he had to make a guess, in order for her physical form to be firmly rooted in this plane and still wield such power, she would have to be half human and half spirit. It was extremely unusual. Even though it made sense logically, it was practically unbelievable. Yet something inside of him was telling him that had to be it.-Volume 2, Chapter 3
Spirits and Gods are explained to be from the astral plane
“Oh? A theory? Sounds interesting.”
“Do you wanna hear it?”
“You’ve piqued my curiosity.”
So she said, but giggled at the thought of how seriously he was taking this. But at the same time, she thought it was commendable. She did expect to hear something interesting, but she didn’t really seem to be expecting him to be able to figure anything out.
“Alright. Well, to start with, I’ll have to follow up on this Evil God thing…”
Suimei thought of the devils and angels of his world when he thought of spirits, but fundamentally, spirits were just figments of the astral plane that transmitted powers, similar to gods. They were given names when summoned, and only then did they actually manifest as devils and the like. In the other worlds, spirits were generally sorts of vague existences with power, but no real form or figure. But gods, including the gods of this world, were likely of a higher order than spirits. They weren’t vague or abstract existences like spirits, but genuine beings with clear directionality in their will and immense power. In other words, the existence known as the Evil God would be―
“The Evil God in the valley between the worlds—in other words, the astral plane—desires to fill this world with chaos. Even now, it’s watching vigilantly for an opportunity to do so from the astral plane. However, since its existence is anchored there, unlike back when it quarreled with your goddess long ago, it can’t interfere directly with this world. That’s why, in its stead, the demons who act as its servants are moved by its will. They’re loaned power for their faith and are now trying to drive the world into chaos.”-Volume 2, Part 3
“Do you wanna hear it?”
“You’ve piqued my curiosity.”
So she said, but giggled at the thought of how seriously he was taking this. But at the same time, she thought it was commendable. She did expect to hear something interesting, but she didn’t really seem to be expecting him to be able to figure anything out.
“Alright. Well, to start with, I’ll have to follow up on this Evil God thing…”
Suimei thought of the devils and angels of his world when he thought of spirits, but fundamentally, spirits were just figments of the astral plane that transmitted powers, similar to gods. They were given names when summoned, and only then did they actually manifest as devils and the like. In the other worlds, spirits were generally sorts of vague existences with power, but no real form or figure. But gods, including the gods of this world, were likely of a higher order than spirits. They weren’t vague or abstract existences like spirits, but genuine beings with clear directionality in their will and immense power. In other words, the existence known as the Evil God would be―
“The Evil God in the valley between the worlds—in other words, the astral plane—desires to fill this world with chaos. Even now, it’s watching vigilantly for an opportunity to do so from the astral plane. However, since its existence is anchored there, unlike back when it quarreled with your goddess long ago, it can’t interfere directly with this world. That’s why, in its stead, the demons who act as its servants are moved by its will. They’re loaned power for their faith and are now trying to drive the world into chaos.”-Volume 2, Part 3
It is further stated that Gods exist within the astral plane and can only indirectly interfere with the world. They have to appeal to the beings within the world, the more followers they have, the more they can intervene in the world
“In short, the problem is the Evil God’s capacity to intervene in this world. The beings we refer to as deities inhabit a different plane of existence, and are fundamentally unable to interfere with this one. That’s why they have to appeal to beings of this realm and have them act as agents. Well, there’s the exception of doing something like the hero summoning, but generally speaking, interfering in other worlds requires an indirect approach. For example, in the case where a deity wants to take over the world for themselves, they’d have to take the roundabout path of getting their hands on a large population of beings who sympathize with them. Followers, if you will. Like what the demons are to the Evil God.” After taking a short pause, Suimei continued his explanation in his own way. “They can either whisper to people in their dreams to brainwash them, or conceive fallen children. Either way, a deity is able to increase the number of pawns under their control. And when the number of people seeking a deity’s power increases, their grip around this world tightens. It increases their ability to interfere here. When that happens, the deity can share its power with even more people... and bring more people under their control. And once they gain even more followers...” “Hmph... A cycle begins, right?” Hearing Rumeya groan, Suimei returned a nod. “That’s right. That’s why, as long as so many demons exist in this world, their god’s power will remain unchanged. So, effectually, the only way to bring about a resolution would be to do something about the Evil God itself. That, or decimate its followers until its ability to interfere in this world is no longer a threat. Basically, we’d need to kill a whole lot of demons. That said, going up against the Evil God directly would be, without a doubt, madness.”-Volume 5, Chapter 1
To summarize all this, Gods can't interfere with the world without the existence of humanity. This ties into the next thing I will get into
The Mysteries Can't Exist Without Humans
The mysteries, which would include the gods,spirits etc can't exist without intelligent life, they only exist because intelligent life believes in them
“What? Is that true?”
“Yeah. It’s a somewhat complicated topic, but… As a preamble, when it comes to the mystical and mystical locations—in other words, places where mana exists—there’s a way of thinking that says that such places exist exactly because intelligent beings believe that the mysteries in those places are mysteries. For something of an example, when it comes to creepy places, you can sense and recognize them using something other than your five senses, right?”
“Certainly. But that’s true for everyone, is it not?”
“That’s right. In short, all humans are able to sense such locations of power. Call it a sixth sense. And being able to sense that irregularity―in other words, the mysteries—means that the mystical exists there.”
“But even if people don’t sense it, mysterious spaces would still exist, no?”
It was just as she said. Those places were always there whether people were or not. It seemed very straightforward in that sense. However, from the point of view of mysticology, it was a little different.
“That’s not quite right. If nobody believed a place to be mysterious, it would hold no power as a mystical location. If there were no people, there would be nobody to decisively determine that the mysteries exist there.”
Lefille’s face grew cuter and cuter as she grew more and more pensive.
“Hmm…”
“You look like you’re not convinced.”
“Obviously. It’s strange to say that if nobody was around, then those sorts of spaces wouldn’t exist, after all. Anyway, what connection does this have to do with our talks about mana?”
“The fact that the mysteries are there means that humans are cognizant of those mysteries. And it means acknowledging that there are places that possess a higher degree of mystical power than others. Are we good up to this point?”
“Yeah.”
“So that means that something exists to accumulate the mysteries in that place. In order for that to happen, there needs to be an outside primary factor. However, just as I said before, mystical locations do not exist unless an intelligent lifeform observes them. That means, that by necessity, an intelligent lifeform would be that primary factor.”
“Can you assert that?”
“In order for the mysteries to be observed, there absolutely has to be an intelligent being present. And witnessing and being around these things leads to an accumulation of power that all intelligent life is capable of simply because it is intelligent and can therefore witness and observe such things.”
“And that’s… mana, right?”
“That’s right. So essentially, the ability to perceive the mysterious—the ability to think—is inherently accompanied by the accumulation of mana. There’s no way that it wouldn’t be. Since a location of power is always in a state where it is being observed, that proves the existence of the observer.”-Volume 2, Epilogue
“Yeah. It’s a somewhat complicated topic, but… As a preamble, when it comes to the mystical and mystical locations—in other words, places where mana exists—there’s a way of thinking that says that such places exist exactly because intelligent beings believe that the mysteries in those places are mysteries. For something of an example, when it comes to creepy places, you can sense and recognize them using something other than your five senses, right?”
“Certainly. But that’s true for everyone, is it not?”
“That’s right. In short, all humans are able to sense such locations of power. Call it a sixth sense. And being able to sense that irregularity―in other words, the mysteries—means that the mystical exists there.”
“But even if people don’t sense it, mysterious spaces would still exist, no?”
It was just as she said. Those places were always there whether people were or not. It seemed very straightforward in that sense. However, from the point of view of mysticology, it was a little different.
“That’s not quite right. If nobody believed a place to be mysterious, it would hold no power as a mystical location. If there were no people, there would be nobody to decisively determine that the mysteries exist there.”
Lefille’s face grew cuter and cuter as she grew more and more pensive.
“Hmm…”
“You look like you’re not convinced.”
“Obviously. It’s strange to say that if nobody was around, then those sorts of spaces wouldn’t exist, after all. Anyway, what connection does this have to do with our talks about mana?”
“The fact that the mysteries are there means that humans are cognizant of those mysteries. And it means acknowledging that there are places that possess a higher degree of mystical power than others. Are we good up to this point?”
“Yeah.”
“So that means that something exists to accumulate the mysteries in that place. In order for that to happen, there needs to be an outside primary factor. However, just as I said before, mystical locations do not exist unless an intelligent lifeform observes them. That means, that by necessity, an intelligent lifeform would be that primary factor.”
“Can you assert that?”
“In order for the mysteries to be observed, there absolutely has to be an intelligent being present. And witnessing and being around these things leads to an accumulation of power that all intelligent life is capable of simply because it is intelligent and can therefore witness and observe such things.”
“And that’s… mana, right?”
“That’s right. So essentially, the ability to perceive the mysterious—the ability to think—is inherently accompanied by the accumulation of mana. There’s no way that it wouldn’t be. Since a location of power is always in a state where it is being observed, that proves the existence of the observer.”-Volume 2, Epilogue
All intelligent life, inherently has mana, which is the source of the mystical power, and the mysteries only exist because humans believe they are mysteries.
Humans Create Gods
A continuation of what I just talked about, it's basically explained that humans are the ones that arbitrarily grant astral powers vessels and then stereotype them as gods, basically "Gods" are just masses of power, and humans then grant that power, vessels, and call them Gods
“Suimei-dono, when you said someone’s trying to summon a god... Do you mean a god that this world believes in?”
“Er, well, that’s where things get complicated. It’s probably a god they created themselves.”
“Bwuh? A god... they created?”
“Think of a cult. When starting up a new religion, you have to make your own god, right? You know... What kind of god are they? What kind of blessing does one receive for earning their favor? That kinda thing.”
Suimei paused there, flashing a rather empty smile.
“In truth, there are no real gods in this world.”
“What?”
“Huh?”
“Let me clarify. When I say ‘divinity,’ I’m generally referring to a colorless power of high mystical grade from the astral plane. And, frankly, there’s no way something like an omnipotent god exists there. Basically, humans are the ones that arbitrarily grant astral powers vessels and then stereotype them as gods and whatnot. That’s what divinity really is.”
Lefille in particular furrowed her brows over Suimei’s explanation.
“If that’s truly the case, wouldn’t it mean Alshuna isn’t a real goddess either?”
“That depends on your personal take on the matter. There are, of course, powers that can manifest of their own will. High-ranking spirits and devils, for example. By intervening directly with the world, they end up becoming a part of it. And as the world matures and faith in them accumulates, they’re exalted into the status of divinity. That’s probably Alshuna’s deal. Fundamentally, such beings aren’t omnipotent, so whether or not you can call them gods really depends on your definition of a god.”
“Mrgh...”
Lefille clearly had complex feelings on the subject of Alshuna’s goddesship. But in broad terms, there were two kinds of godhood: the vast, omnipotent kind ascribed to the likes of the Judeo-Christian God, and the specific, role-based kind ascribed to the various gods of Eastern pantheons. The very fact that Alshuna and the Evil God were vying for control of a single game board proved they weren’t the omnipotent kind.
“We’ve gotten a little off track here. The long and short of it is that these guys made up their own god, are summoning a colorless power from the astral plane, providing it a vessel of their own accord, and doing whatever they want with it without reporting to a supervisory authority.”-Volume 9, Chapter 4
“Er, well, that’s where things get complicated. It’s probably a god they created themselves.”
“Bwuh? A god... they created?”
“Think of a cult. When starting up a new religion, you have to make your own god, right? You know... What kind of god are they? What kind of blessing does one receive for earning their favor? That kinda thing.”
Suimei paused there, flashing a rather empty smile.
“In truth, there are no real gods in this world.”
“What?”
“Huh?”
“Let me clarify. When I say ‘divinity,’ I’m generally referring to a colorless power of high mystical grade from the astral plane. And, frankly, there’s no way something like an omnipotent god exists there. Basically, humans are the ones that arbitrarily grant astral powers vessels and then stereotype them as gods and whatnot. That’s what divinity really is.”
Lefille in particular furrowed her brows over Suimei’s explanation.
“If that’s truly the case, wouldn’t it mean Alshuna isn’t a real goddess either?”
“That depends on your personal take on the matter. There are, of course, powers that can manifest of their own will. High-ranking spirits and devils, for example. By intervening directly with the world, they end up becoming a part of it. And as the world matures and faith in them accumulates, they’re exalted into the status of divinity. That’s probably Alshuna’s deal. Fundamentally, such beings aren’t omnipotent, so whether or not you can call them gods really depends on your definition of a god.”
“Mrgh...”
Lefille clearly had complex feelings on the subject of Alshuna’s goddesship. But in broad terms, there were two kinds of godhood: the vast, omnipotent kind ascribed to the likes of the Judeo-Christian God, and the specific, role-based kind ascribed to the various gods of Eastern pantheons. The very fact that Alshuna and the Evil God were vying for control of a single game board proved they weren’t the omnipotent kind.
“We’ve gotten a little off track here. The long and short of it is that these guys made up their own god, are summoning a colorless power from the astral plane, providing it a vessel of their own accord, and doing whatever they want with it without reporting to a supervisory authority.”-Volume 9, Chapter 4
When trying to create a God, humans find people and drill in to them, faith in the existence of the God
“We’ve gotten a little off track here. The long and short of it is that these guys made up their own god, are summoning a colorless power from the astral plane, providing it a vessel of their own accord, and doing whatever they want with it without reporting to a supervisory authority.”
“But... A god they made up, huh?”
“That’s the scary part here. What kind of god they summon is up to them. We don’t know exactly what’ll show up. It might even be something powerful enough to destroy the world. The bigger the scale of the summoning spell and the more mana used as an offering, the closer the result will be to what they were hoping for. It’s nothing to sneeze at.”
“Suimei-dono, will it really be so easy? It would seem to me that this sort of thing would be quite difficult from a technical perspective.”
“How exactly... is it done?”
“Step one is to find people with a lot of mana and really drill some faith into them. Faith in the existence of the god they’re trying to summon, mind you. By doing that, even without a massive number of zealous believers, they’ll at least be able to summon something. It’s a ton of work and takes a ton of effort, but you can tell these people are committed based on the progress they’ve achieved since the enforcement request was leaked.”
“But how do they drill faith in...? Oh!”
Felmenia clapped her hands together in exclamation, and Liliana gave voice to the answer she’d just realized.
“Drugs... right?”
“Right. By putting the people they’ve gathered into a deep trance, they can bring them close to a state of pure faith. Then, once everything’s in place, all that’s left is the ritual.”-Volume 9, Chapter 4
“But... A god they made up, huh?”
“That’s the scary part here. What kind of god they summon is up to them. We don’t know exactly what’ll show up. It might even be something powerful enough to destroy the world. The bigger the scale of the summoning spell and the more mana used as an offering, the closer the result will be to what they were hoping for. It’s nothing to sneeze at.”
“Suimei-dono, will it really be so easy? It would seem to me that this sort of thing would be quite difficult from a technical perspective.”
“How exactly... is it done?”
“Step one is to find people with a lot of mana and really drill some faith into them. Faith in the existence of the god they’re trying to summon, mind you. By doing that, even without a massive number of zealous believers, they’ll at least be able to summon something. It’s a ton of work and takes a ton of effort, but you can tell these people are committed based on the progress they’ve achieved since the enforcement request was leaked.”
“But how do they drill faith in...? Oh!”
Felmenia clapped her hands together in exclamation, and Liliana gave voice to the answer she’d just realized.
“Drugs... right?”
“Right. By putting the people they’ve gathered into a deep trance, they can bring them close to a state of pure faith. Then, once everything’s in place, all that’s left is the ritual.”-Volume 9, Chapter 4
This lines up with what I already posted about Gods just chilling in the astral plane, and come into the world when humans name them. So this is all to say "Gods" really are just power that resides in the astral plane, and only become what we know of as "Gods" when humans name them, so basically imo you can say humans give them their identity, without humanity Gods wouldn't be Gods, they would just be power in the astral plane
The Astral Plane is Higher Dimensional
To block an attack from Liliana's dark magic, which uses the malice within the Elements, Suimei uses a charm from a God, and it's stated that malice from a higher dimension was blocked
On this evening, there were two points that Suimei kept in mind as he dealt with the core of the incidents once more.
This would be the third time he had an encounter with the culprit after dark. The first thing he kept in mind was that he now knew the identity of said culprit. The second was that the two of them would be alone this time.
Right now, neither Felmenia nor Lefille were present. For the sake of persuading Liliana, he’d asked them to refrain from tagging along this time. If they had her outnumbered, it was possible she’d try and run away.
“No way... How...?”
Presumably because he’d completely defended against her powerful dark magic attack, he could hear a childishly bewildered voice slip her lips.
The magicka he’d used was defensive magicka. A spell from the charm engraved into the belt of the goddess of the moon, Diana of Ephesus. Gods were, so to speak, existences whose bodies were composed of substances closely resembling the astral, aetheric, and the like. And since this was a charm to protect a god, it was effective against attacks which targeted the astral body. Aski, kataski, lix, tetrax, damnameneus, aision. Darkness, brightness, earth, the year, the sun, and reason. With those words, malice in the higher dimension was blocked by their power. Normally, it was magicka that was rarely used. So infrequently, in fact, that it could be said that it was never used in respectable fights between fellow magicians.-Volume 3, Chapter 4
This would be the third time he had an encounter with the culprit after dark. The first thing he kept in mind was that he now knew the identity of said culprit. The second was that the two of them would be alone this time.
Right now, neither Felmenia nor Lefille were present. For the sake of persuading Liliana, he’d asked them to refrain from tagging along this time. If they had her outnumbered, it was possible she’d try and run away.
“No way... How...?”
Presumably because he’d completely defended against her powerful dark magic attack, he could hear a childishly bewildered voice slip her lips.
The magicka he’d used was defensive magicka. A spell from the charm engraved into the belt of the goddess of the moon, Diana of Ephesus. Gods were, so to speak, existences whose bodies were composed of substances closely resembling the astral, aetheric, and the like. And since this was a charm to protect a god, it was effective against attacks which targeted the astral body. Aski, kataski, lix, tetrax, damnameneus, aision. Darkness, brightness, earth, the year, the sun, and reason. With those words, malice in the higher dimension was blocked by their power. Normally, it was magicka that was rarely used. So infrequently, in fact, that it could be said that it was never used in respectable fights between fellow magicians.-Volume 3, Chapter 4
So basically since the Elements exists in the astral plane, this would mean the astral plane is a higher dimension. Would this be an anti-feat with the astral plane being 1-A? Not necessarily since I have seen a few verse which are 1-A, which mention higher dimensions, but maybe I am wrong here
The Crux of the Matter
If a 1-A being is influenced by a non-1-A being such as gaining an identity due to the faith/belief of the non-1-A being, does this disprove that the supposedly 1-A being is 1-A? And the answer to this Idk, which is why this needs to be discussed.
The fact that Gods can't interfere in the lower plane without humans might also be problematic, but humans in this verse are special so if Gods being dependent on humans for their identity isn't a problem, don't think this would be an issue either.
But lets see how this goes.
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