User blog:Raja-Ulat/MGE: Of the Order and other Human Factions

 Monster Girl Encyclopaedia – Of the Order and Other Human Factions 

Disclaimer: This is a mockumentary-style fanfiction of Monster Girl Encyclopaedia which will probably, if not likely, contain materials that will not comply with canon (original creator is Kenkou Cross). As such, I have nothing to earn from it and only wish that this story done well enough to be well-received. A word of advice, please check out Monster Girl Encyclopaedia Wiki for canon information before reading this story.

As one person once commented that we know more about the culinary situation of the Demon Realms of Monster Girl Encyclopaedia than the Order based on already-translated materials, I took the liberty to try and implement my own personal interpretations of the Order as well as other human factions (including fan-made ones).

Without further ado, time for the fanfiction to begin!

''' Introduction '''

Greeting, readers, I am the writer of “Monster Girl Encyclopaedia: Rebirth of Lescatie”, whose main goal is to explore the world and discover its truths not unlike that of the famous, or infamous if you despise monster girls which are also known as mamono, “Wandering Scholar”. As an admittedly keen reader of the Wandering Scholar’s works, I had noted that his writings thus far have little to no information of human factions, most likely because his works focus more on mamono and their lifestyles. As I have personally spoken to the people that live in Aphrodia, including the fallen heroines and the two unlikely heroes of Aphrodia, it seems only fitting that I try to fill in the said gaps in information by using the information that they had graciously given to me in addition to more current information which I know of including unconfirmed rumours.

Without further ado, I will now introduce the human factions starting with the Order:

''' A Basic Idea about the Order '''

The Order is a religious human faction dedicated to the Gods of Heaven which are led by none other than the Chief God herself, the supposed creator of our world. Bearing the responsibility to uphold the will and teachings of the Chief God, the Order dedicates itself to defending humanity from threats including the mamono of the current Demon Lord, Lilith. Needless to say, their religious devotion would make them exceptionally antagonistic towards the Demon Lord and even mamono who are not affiliated with her especially with their maxim which encourages the extermination of monsters.

''' Of Soldiers and Heroes of the Order '''

No war can be fought without an army and the Order’s current war against the Demon Lord, Lilith, is no exception. Even the mightiest of their heroes, who are capable of taking down entire squads if not armies on their own, can only do so much on their own. As such, every major nation which is loyal to the Order is expected to have an army of their own, preferably with heroes to lead them. In the case of small towns and villages, it is not uncommon for able-bodied men and women to be conscripted as militia when needed.

 Common Soldiers:

Humans who wish to fight for the Order and yet are not blessed by the Gods to become heroes make up the bulk of their armies. These common soldiers include the following:

Footmen are one of the most common and basic of soldiers who wield melee weapons such as swords and war-hammers. They also often carry shields which grant added protection although some would forego the shields in favour of wielding two-handed weapons or dual-wielding. In addition, footmen sometimes carry small side-arms such as daggers so that they would be less vulnerable when they lose their primary weapons.

Spearmen are another basic group of soldiers who carry spears, lances or halberds. Just as common as footmen, spearmen serve a similar function although their weapons have the advantage of longer melee attack range, which is especially useful for tight defensive formations, at the cost of being more vulnerable to enemies that can get past their extended attack range. On the other hand, it is easy to train even a humble farmer how to point a long pointed stick at an incoming enemy and thrust it forward in an attempt to impale the said enemy so the majority of militia are spearman rather than footmen. It should be noted that spearmen do sometimes carry swords or daggers as a side-arm for close-quarter combat while other spearmen carry shields to increase their defensive abilities.

Bowmen are basic ranged soldiers who use various kinds of bows including longbows, short bows, and crossbows. As arrows can be tipped with poisons, it is possible for just a single arrow to take down a mamono. However, mamono are notoriously hardy so the most one could hope for is to knock them out rather than kill them with poison. Most bow-wielding hunters and village watchmen can be conscripted as bowmen-militia. Needless to say, they are not suited for melee combat unless they have melee weapons of their own with a sufficient level of combat skill.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Uncommon Soldiers:

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Unlike common soldiers, uncommon soldiers are fewer in number as they have received specialized training which makes them more capable of combating against the enemies of the Order or are more experienced in combat. In addition, they are at least one step closer to being eligible of receiving the blessings of the gods to become heroes although it is possible for even a common soldier or a mere conscript to be immediately promoted instead if his or her potential is deemed as worthy of promotion. Uncommon soldiers include the following:

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Rouges, often known as assassins, are a group of agile fighters who specialize in stealth, using a combination of melee and throwing weapons, preparing traps, and gathering information. Needless of say, they are well-suited to get behind enemy lines undetected and inflict as much damage to the enemy army as they can before escaping. They are also well-suited to attack unwary or distracted mamono who are paying more attention to more conspicuous opponents. Rogues may sometimes carry crossbows, especially foldable types which can be folded into a more compact form, wear pieces of protective armour that contains hidden weapons such as knives, or use more exotic weapons such as chakrams and katars. Especially skilled rogues are known as Elite Assassins or Shadow Rogues.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Knights are a specialized group of footmen who had received additional training, survived enough campaigns or had committed exceptional heroic deeds to be worthy of promotion. Usually wearing better gear, they often act as leaders for common soldiers. If deemed especially devout in the tenets of the Order, knights can be further promoted into Holy Knights, sometimes known as Chaplains or Templars, who not only act as the spiritual leaders for common soldiers but also act on behalf of the Order’s inquisition to find and capture anyone suspected of heresy. Another type of specialized knight would be the Knight-Commanders who are skilled strategists.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Lancers are a specialized group of spearmen who had received additional training, survived enough campaigns or had committed exceptional heroic deeds to be worthy of promotion. Usually designated as guards or horsemen, lancers are usually entrusted with defences and flanking manoeuvres. In addition, lancers can act as leaders for common soldiers, especially for spearmen. If deemed especially skilled, Lancers can be promoted as Elite Guards who are entrusted to defend their leaders including nobility and royal families.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Archers are bowmen who have received additional training and better equipment, including light armour. Usually acting as guards and watchmen, archers often act as superiors to ordinary bowmen. There are also a group of specialized archers known as Rangers who are exceptionally skilled in making use of the surrounding environment to their advantage, especially natural environments. Although Rangers normally only act as leaders to bowmen and archers, they are able to not only lead them to favourable positions to shoot at enemies but can also lead patrols across untamed terrain to allow early detection of incoming enemy threats. It should be noted that most Elves are Rangers. There are also rumours that some archers are forgoing agility in favour of carrying heavier crossbow-based weaponry known as Heavy-Crossbows.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Mages are people who are skilled in the ways of sorcery and can cast spells to either protect their allies or to bring destruction upon their enemies. Needless to say, they are an invaluable part of the Order’s armies, especially against enemy spell-casters. In addition, the term “Magical Girls” is used to help differentiate young girls who are mages of the Order from the infamous Witches of the Black Sabbath. Particularly powerful mages can be promoted into Arch-Mages who can cast even more powerful spells or Battle Mages who possess martial skill. On a side note, Knights can become Battle Mages by learning sorcery.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Priests, sometimes known as clerics, are devout followers of the Order who, like mages, can wield magic. However, their spells are mostly used to protect and support their allies although they can wield unique types of holy magic which will harm or at least disable a mamono. The kinds of specialities that a priest may possess would largely depend on which god the priest is worshiping directly, although the Order does state that all Gods are ultimately subservient to the Chief God. Especially powerful priests can be promoted to become High Priests who can cast even more powerful spells or Paladins who possess martial skill. Priests, High Priests and Paladins can act on behalf of the Order’s inquisition to find and capture anyone suspected of heresy as well as act as spiritual leaders for the common soldiers. On a side note, knights and Holy Knights can become Paladins by learning how to cast holy magic.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Marksmen, a recent addition to the forces of the Order, are a group of soldiers who wield gunpowder weapons such as rifles and pistols. Needless to say, training is required to enable the reloading, maintenance and repair of the said weapons but, as gunpowder weapons have been proven to be relatively easy to wield since all that is needed is to point a gunpowder weapon at an enemy and pull the trigger, although reloading the said weapons is an issue at the present moment, there may come a day when marksmen become common soldiers including conscripted militia. On the other hand, improvements in both the production and the quality of the gunpowder weapons would be needed to make it happen. On a side note, most gunpowder weapons can have bladed bayonets added to enable melee combat, assuming that marksmen do not carry separate melee weapons of their own. Especially devout marksmen have been known to be promoted into specialized Witch Hunters who, like Holy Knights, act on behalf of the Order’s inquisition to find and capture anyone suspected of heresy. Other types of skilled marksmen include gunslingers for those who specialize with pistols and riflemen for those who are specialized with rifles. There are even rumours of particularly strong-bodied marksmen who carry what can be described as small cannons known as “Bombardiers” and mages who use enchanted gunpowder weapons known as “Spell Gunners”. There are also rumours of mages and priests working together to produce magic-enchanted bullets which even common marksmen can use to combat against mamono as long as they do not run out of the said bullets.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Heroes:

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Deemed as the elite soldiers of the Order, heroes come in various classes including knights, mages, lancers and so forth. While there are no heroic marksmen yet, mostly because marksmen are a recent addition to the forces of the Order, there is a growing possibility that the time will come when a marksman will be promoted into a hero. Regardless, all heroes are known to possess exceptional combat prowess and exceptional resistance to the effects of Demonic Energy. Heroes can either lead entire armies or lead a small team of elite heroes to combat.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">It should be noted that Valkyries and other combat-skilled angels who act on behalf of the gods of Heaven are also considered as heroes as well, albeit of divine origins.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Combat 

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">While it is accepted that mamono are stronger than humans in general, it is also accepted that a well-organized human army or team with suitable strategies can vanquish a disorganized horde of mamono or even singular powerful mamono such as Dragons. That is not counting the inclusion of heroes and exceptionally skilled human combatants who can easily take on most mamono on their own. In addition, some armies of the Order are known to actually summon angels from Heaven to help them defeat their enemies.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">On the other hand, if a horde of mamono can be organized into a united combat unit led by competent leaders, it is generally accepted that they would be much harder to defeat than a disorganized horde. If the army has a mixture of mamono from different races, the difficulty in defeating them would generally increase, sometimes exponentially. One of the more popular examples of this is the skirmishes between the mamono armies of Aphrodia against the armies of the Order. Another example would be when a team of experienced heroes once tried to invade a Demon Realm only to be thoroughly trounced when they entered a seemingly abandoned mining town which was inhabited by Kobolds and Large Mice who were willing to work together as a coherent unit to defeat them so that they can claim the men as prospective husbands, and gladly took advantage of the fact that the said heroes were underestimating them and their teamwork.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">However, with the invention of gunpowder weapons, human armies have become more dangerous than before, a danger which will only grow as humans create more advanced gunpowder weapons, find more efficient ways to create gunpowder weapons, and create combat machines and vehicles which will allow them fight against mamono on more even terms. On the flip side, mamono are learning how to adapt to these weapons, machines and vehicles, especially Gremlins who are generally skilled in technology. I can only pray that the conflict between the Order and the Demon Lord will not lead to the creation of powerful weapons capable of indiscriminately decimating entire nations.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">''' Inquisition of the Order '''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Unlike the monsters of the past era, mamono of the current era are more willing to live peacefully amongst humans as long as they are not antagonized. This in turn made people who are not zealous adherent of the Order increasingly more tolerant and accepting towards mamono in general. As being friendly with mamono is deemed as a sin by the Order, it would be no surprise that the inquisition of the Order would hunt down anyone who is suspected of committing such heresy. Unforgivingly strict and harsh, probably even more so than in the past before the current Demon Lord took over, they would sooner execute innocents than allow even a single heretic to escape from their grasp. Not surprisingly, many people fear and resent the inquisition as not even nobles would spared from their wrath once suspected of heresy. The fact that the inquisition is generally skilled in torture and interrogation only makes them even more infamous. Ironically enough, the actions and infamy of the inquisition may be the reason why more and more human communities and factions are rejecting the Order.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The inquisition is especially intolerant towards the Black Sabbath and the followers of the Fallen God, so much so that some would even forsake their actual assignments to hunt them down. The Black Sabbath and the followers of the Fallen God in turn would cooperate with one another so that their members will not be captured and executed, if not worse, by the Inquisition.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">''' Allied and Neutral Groups '''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">While the soldiers and heroes of the Order are generally faithful to the Chief God, these groups are either not completely devout to her or have a separate set of beliefs. These groups include the following:

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Zipangu Monster Slayers

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Although Zipangu is a land well-known for the generally peaceful interactions between humans and most kinds of mamono, Monster Slayers are a group of humans from Zipangu who are specialized in combating against mamono. While most groups are content to simply repel the attacks of more aggressive mamono, such as an unmarried Ushi-Oni, others are more extreme as they would attack even non-aggressive and married mamono. Reasons for the extremists vary, including the understandable fear of human extinction due to the increasing numbers of alluring female monsters who cannot give birth to human children, the more xenophobic reasoning that human-mamono couples are a crime against nature, and simple greed.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Unlike the armies of the Order, Monster Slayers usually act in smaller groups of well-trained warriors or sorcerers including samurais, monks, and priests. Samurais are the Zipangu equivalent to knights and lancers. Although Zipangu priests are worshippers of faith much like their Order equivalents, they do not worship the Chief God and have their own methods of sorcery which includes the use of paper talismans. Zipangu monks, a unique group of warriors who specialize in using their bare hands or using certain blunt weaponry such as staves, nunchakus and tonfas, are warriors who have supposedly trained their own bodies to be strong enough to break boulders with their bare hands, to receive a punch from even an Oni without flinching, to move as swiftly as any Kunoichi, and to be able to effortlessly throw an Ushi-Oni off her many feet by using turning her own physical prowess against her. That is not to say that the other types of Monster Slayers are any less powerful though as samurai are reputedly capable of slicing through even steel armour with their famous katanas or nagatinas. Naturally, any Monster Slayer who can achieve such incredible feats is deemed as a hero-class despite not receiving the blessings of the Chief God.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">There are rumours of a growing amount of interaction and cooperation between the Extremist Monster Slayers of Zipangu and the Order as they both wish to fight against mamono and win. A time may come when both factions unite as an alliance to defeat the Demon Lord and her allies, although they would have to learn to accept or at least tolerate their respective differences in faith and culture to actually make it work.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Neo-Ninjas

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">A specialized anti-mamono faction from Zipangu, many of the ninjas of the current age which are also known as neo-ninjas are in conflict against the Kunoichi of the current age. While mostly men, there are female neo-ninjas although they do not wish to be called Kunoichi to avoid confusion with their mamono counterparts. As for why many of the ninjas of the current age oppose the Kunoichi, it is believed that their ancestors refused to accept the Kunoichi as one of their own as they had become monsters due to the corrupting influence of Demonic Energy. As such, they chose leave “Shinobi no Sato”, which is currently the home village of many Kunoichi, in exile rather than continue coexisting peacefully with them alongside with their most accepting brethren. Considering the fact that Elves and Dwarves who are not affected by Demonic Energy are nearing extinction, their fears of being completely replaced by Kunoichi are not completely unfounded. The fact that Kunoichi are more interested in finding suitable husbands and forming families with them rather than serve their hidden village as unfeeling tools to the death only makes the ninjas of the current age, most likely descendants and successors of those who believe that ninjas are meant to be unfeeling murderous tools of war and conflict, reject them even more.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Although there is no official word that they are allied with the Order, there is a chance that they are in fact allies already as they both would not doubt benefit from wiping out the Kunoichi of Zipangu. The fact that most neo-ninjas become extremist Monster Slayers only makes the prospect of an alliance with the Order all the more likely despite differences in culture and faith.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Dragon Knights

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Once loyal to the Order of the Chief God, Dragon Knights of the current age are a neutral faction as their valued mounts are all mamono. Although the Order no longer fully trusts them, they are willing to hire them as powerful mercenaries. The fact that Dragon Knights are usually married to their “mounts”, thereby making them less vulnerable to mamono attacks, makes them potentially very useful for the Order. However, an increasing number of Dragon Knights are choosing to side with mamono-friendly nations and even Demon Realm nations as they no longer wish to harm mamono or slay the Demon Lord.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Due to the increasing number of Dragon Knights who are more willing to ally themselves with the Demon Lord, however indirectly it may be, which is most likely due to being bonded with their “mounts”, there may come a time when the Order will lose their support entirely.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Techanus Town

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Techanus is a port town founded by a man named Michael Coxen who wished to help humanity by creating superior technology, including technology which does not require magic to work wonders. Raised by a family of toy-makers and possessing a strong desire for knowledge and creating inventions, Michael was able to gather a group of like-minded individuals to form their own research society. With the approval of the Order that does not see their intentions and methods as heretical, Michael was able to get additional funding and research materials for his projects in return of providing successful results to the Order so that they can be potentially used to combat against the mamono. Over time, and with better funding, Michael and his research society was able to eventually form their own port town which is now acknowledged as the centre of technological research for the Order if not the entire world. While the researchers ultimately wish to create technology which can function without the aid of magic, they are not above accepting mages who wish to help them produce magic-powered or magic-crafted inventions.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">It is thanks to them that the Order had recently been able to acquire guns for their marksmen, deploy sky-ships which are basically ships refitted with hot-air balloons, and even magic-powered carriages which can be fitted with armour and weapons. Needless to say, the Demon Lord is interested in their works and may one day decide to invade it to claim its technology.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">On a side note, Techanus is a recently-built town within Order territory which only started construction after the town of Aphrodia was fully-built and converted into a Bright Green Demon Realm.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Pure Elemental Covenanters

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">A mostly antagonistic group, Pure Elemental Covenanters do not approve of the use of pure elementals for war and conflict, something which the Order would demand from them. On the other hand, they are also in conflict against covenanters who approve of Demonic Elementals so a time may come when they will begrudgingly offer their services to the Order who would no doubt be willing to help them destroy Demonic Elementals which are also mamono.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Various Mercenary Groups

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Bands of human warriors or rogues who would fight for the highest bidder, the Order usually hire them to bolster their own forces. As such bands may include criminals and the like, it is not uncommon for the Order to send them to dangerous missions or use them as cannon fodder to reduce the casualties of their more loyal soldiers. As most mercenary groups have little complaint as long as the pay is worthwhile and that the payment is honoured, there is little reason to believe that the status quo will change anytime soon.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">''' Unconfirmed Groups '''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Unlike the previous factions, these groups are considered unconfirmed and may not even exist. However, rumours and theories of them do abound which is why I decided to write about them based on what I have heard of them:

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Paragons

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">An experimental army, Paragons are basically artificial heroes who possess abilities comparable to that of a hero without needing the blessings of the gods. Rumoured methods used to create them vary but they generally involve using powerful magic potions, Zipangu acupuncture, runic tattoos, and extreme physical training. While it is certainly possible that the Order, and any other human army or military faction for that matter, would be interested in creating an army of hero-like soldiers, we have yet to see such armies being publically present.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">One theory why such armies are not commonly or publically present is because it is difficult to create Paragons thus making it impossible to deploy armies of them at the present moment. Another reason is that the methods used by Paragons are in fact heretical and is thus unaccepted by the Order, at least in public. The third reason is that the Paragons are in fact flawed such as developing an addiction to the potions used to create them, being mentally insane, developing physical deformities, and suffering from accelerated aging. Of course, there is the simple reality that if heroes can be seduced by mamono to turn against the Order, Paragons would most certainly be no less vulnerable to such weaknesses.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Zealots

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">A militarized group of religious fanatics of the Order, zealots are supposedly incapable of being seduced by mamono due to feeling nothing but complete utter apathy if not rage and disgust towards anything which possesses Demonic Energy. According to rumours, their inability to love mamono is so strong that even a Lilim cannot hope to seduce them. Even prolonged exposure to Demonic Energy will not affect them which mean that a female Zealot can theoretically walk right into the Royal Demon Realm itself and come out of it unchanged. Reasons for this supposed immunity vary although more popular theories include brain-washing, use of mind-altering potions, and even lobotomy.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Usually comprised of men, as women are still vulnerable to monsterization into lewd mamono, mainly due to parasite-type mamono, Zealots would have become a well-known army of elite soldiers rather than just a rumoured army of fanatics if they had been truly perfected to fight against the current Demon Lord. As for whatever imperfections they may possess, assuming that the Order does have Zealots, more popular theories include their inability to receive blessings from the Chief God, their inability to love anyone along with whatever psychological problems which could arise from having such a condition, their complete inability to stop themselves from killing mamono regardless of given orders or even karmic repercussions, and their tendency to become insane.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">While the Order is rumoured to have Zealots, that does not means that it is impossible for other factions to possess their own variants of Zealots. One of the more likely factions would be the Neo-Ninjas of Zipangu who believe that ninjas should be unfeeling tools. Also, it would not be surprising from a military standpoint if the Order is somehow creating Zealot Paragons who are not only incapable of being seduced by mamono but also possess abilities comparable to that of heroes.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Machine Cult

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">A rumoured group of fanatics from Techanus, they believe that the flesh is fallible and that it is only by replacing flesh with technology can humanity achieve greatness. Possessing exceptional skill in technology, mainly in the creation and grafting of prosthetics, the Machine Cult is supposedly tolerated by the Order as their projects bring the promise of creating an army of mechanized soldiers with abilities superior to that of ordinary soldiers. In fact, it is widely believed that the Machine Cult is heavily involved in the creation of Paragons and Zealots as well as the creation of various rumoured military inventions such as multi-barrelled guns which can shoot repeatedly without the need for magic, mechanized suits of armour which grant increased fighting abilities, advanced combat weapons such as transforming weapons, and even automated machines made in the likeness of humans or animals.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Hell Knights

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">It is an accepted fact of life that at least some heroes and soldiers of the Order are put off by the idea of actually harming a non-aggressive mamono due to being virtuous by nature. It is also an accepted fact of life that there are some humans who are so heartlessly vile and cruel that even the mamono would be disgusted with them to the point that they would sooner die as virgins than mate with them. Therefore, it is not surprising that people who dislike or distrust the Order would come up with the theory of the Order keeping an army of criminals who would willingly serve them in return of not being executed for their crimes. Another popular theory is that the army is made out of experimental rejects from the Order’s various projects, including projects to create Zealots and Paragons, who can still fight against mamono even if they can no longer live amongst normal humans.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Often nicknamed as the Hell Knights, they are only sent to missions that the Order would not entrust to their own armies or even common mercenaries due to possible political repercussions. While allowed to do as they please, which involves murder, pillage and rape, they are essentially expendable and are not even publically acknowledged as an army of the Order, thus allowing the Order to deny having anything to do with their horrific atrocities should they fail to eliminate any witnesses. While the existence of such an army is not yet confirmed, and may not even exist since the gods of Heaven would no doubt reject them as well as anyone who would allow them to commit their atrocities, it would be expected of the Order to vehemently deny having such an army regardless of the actual truth.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Demon Slayers

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Unlike common mercenaries, Demon Slayers are a human faction dedicated to killing mamono rather than profit. However, they are not affiliated with the Order, at least not officially, as they are supposedly willing to use methods which would be deemed as heretical by the Order. One of the more popular, if admittedly outlandish, theories behind their heretical actions is that they implant mamono body parts into men, who are more resistant to monsterization than women, so that they can gain greater combat abilities comparable to that of mamono or even heroes. A more plausible theory is that they are not actual heretics but are simply embittered towards the Order and the gods of Heaven, thus making them refuse to work together with them even if they share the same goal of exterminating mamono. Supposedly uncaring of how much harm or damage they are causing when hunting down mamono, Demon Slayers would raze entire villages if it would allow them to kill even a single mamono.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">On the other hand, there are theories that the Demon Slayers are in fact the more extreme members of the Order’s inquisition which are not officially accepted as proper members of the Order to prevent political repercussions, or members of the said faction which went rogue when they felt that the current methods used by the Order are deemed as “too soft”. Regardless, these theories are only mere rumours unless proven to be true.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Brotherhood of Assassins

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">A group of exceptionally deadly assassins, the Brotherhood of Assassins is supposedly a secret society dedicated to ensure peace, namely by protecting humanity from not only monsters but also corrupt human rulers who would seek to enslave them, and would often act as the shadowed allies of the Order during the era of the past Demon Lords. However, recent rumours claim that their idea of peace have changed as they are currently rumoured to believe that a peaceful coexistence with mamono is possible, a belief which grew after the founding of Aphrodia. If the rumours are correct, then it would only be a matter of time before some of them will choose to side with mamono-friendly communities in opposition of the Order.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"> Illuminati

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">A secret human faction that opposes the Order, they supposedly refuse to believe in the Chief God. While reasons for their opposition varies, including the possibility that they accept the reality that the Chief God has in fact been responsible for the creation of monsters and the previous Demon Lords, it goes without saying that they would deemed as heretics of the Order. On the other hand, it is rumoured that the Illuminati are also against the mamono as they wish for absolute human supremacy over the world independent of both the Demon Lord and the Chief God. It is also believed that the Machine Cult and even the Demon Slayers are in fact working on behalf of the Illuminati, although this belief is only a rumour so far.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">''' Economics '''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Although the Order despises mamono as a whole, even they are not entirely above using products produced from mamono and the Demon Realms. These products include weapons and armour made by Dwarves and Cyclops, Mandragora roots, and even Weresheep wool. One reason why such items can be traded in nations which are loyal to the Order is because they are admittedly useful and allow their soldiers to earn an income by selling whatever useful item that they can obtain from slaying mamono or invading Demon Realms. On the other hand such products are often heavily taxed, if not outright banned, and various laws were placed to prevent widespread distribution of the said products so that the common followers of the Order would not become more tolerant towards mamono.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">The Order is also ever watchful for Gyoubu Danuki who would often sell products which can cause monsterization in women while assuming human disguises. In addition, the Order begrudgingly uses the scents of various kinds of mamono so that their ships, including trade vessels, will not be sunk by sea-dwelling mamono or storms created by Poseidon, the goddess of the sea who defected from the gods of Heaven, herself.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">''' Technology '''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Ever since Techanus Town, also known as the Machine Town, was built, the technological advances of human communities who are loyal to the Order had started to increase at an accelerating rate. Coincidentally, it was also around the time when the town was built when Gremlins were first sighted.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">As of now, the level of technology which the Order possesses includes various machines powered by steam, clockwork or magic, gunpowder weapons, and vehicles which can fly. There are even rumours of the people in Techanus Town seeking a way to somehow harness Demonic Energy into a useful form of magical energy so that they can create a powerful defence against the Demon Lord and her minions. If their endeavours are successful, the tide of conflict between the Order and the Demon Lord will certainly shift towards the Order’s favour. On the other hand, their research is potentially very risky as Demonic Energy is known to transform even inanimate statues into living mamono. It would not be impossible to assume that a machine which specifically feeds on Demonic Energy to function may end up somehow changing into a mamono of some sort, something which the Order would no doubt wish to avoid at all costs. In addition, the process of converting Demonic Energy into a safer form of magical energy must be perfected to avoid corruption.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">While machines which run on Demonic Energy has yet to be openly used, machines which run on normal human Spiritual Energy, which I must emphasize is not extracted in a sexual way unlike mamono, is becoming increasingly common. Men are generally more resistant to monsterization than women even when depleted of Spiritual Energy so it would not be surprising that most of the magic-powered weapons and machines created in Techanus Town would be used by male soldiers of the Order to combat against mamono.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Although the town does provide great promise in the field of advancing technology, it does produce a large amount of waste products which can be hazardous to human health and the surrounding environment. In addition, there are rumours of secret experiments being done in Techanus Town which the Order may not approve of, at least not publically. One such research is the rumoured creation of a “Spell-Jammer” which can theoretically block the use of all forms of magic and even repel Demonic Energy but is believed to also block communication of the gods with their followers, something which the Order would no doubt disapprove.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">''' In Conclusion '''

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">While the Order may not be winning against the forces of the Demon Lord and may in fact be losing in a conflict of attrition, it is also apparent that the Order is taking steps to turn the tides of conflict into their favour, steps which may be becoming more and more desperate and perhaps even be heretical as time passes. Although humanity has every right to defend itself from the threat of extinction, even though the Demon Lord is supposedly trying her best to overcome the issue by becoming powerful enough to enable her mamono to bear both male human offspring and female mamono offspring, it would be a tragic irony when humanity forgets what it means to be human in the process. The irony will only be all the more poignant if humanity somehow becomes even more inhuman than the very monsters they are combating against.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">So until next time, dear readers…

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">---

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Author Notes:

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">And there you have it, a fanwork which explains a few things about the Order and other human factions based on my own personal thoughts. What are your opinions about them? Please provide feedback and thank you.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Extra Note:

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Bits and pieces of the info are inspired by Warhammer (mainly projects Zealot and Paragon as well as the Machine Cult), Berserk (mainly the Hell Knights), Naruto (mainly the Neo-Ninjas), and Assassin’s Creed (mainly the Brotherhood of Assassins).