The Excel Ritual (エクセルの儀式 Ekuseru no Gishiki) is a supernatural technique invented by the ancient Egyptian priest, Horus’ Banished Disiciple, that, when performed correctly, allows the practitioner to ascend to a higher state of being, destroying the barrier between their conscious and unconscious minds and allowing for the perception and manipulation of psychic energy.
The ritual is performed by stabbing oneself in the forehead with the Ascension Blade (昇天刃). The blade is specifically designed to cleave through flesh and bone, leaving as minimal an impact as possible on the integrity of brain tissue. The knife must be fully inserted up to the hilt in order to reach and pierce the pineal gland, allowing uniting the once-disparate conscious and unconscious mind.
Initiation
If done successfully, the practitioner experiences a sudden surge of temporary enlightenment, as their mind is flooded with the vast knowledge of the universe. Their soul is then transported to the Further Plane, as a connection with The Eye is established. In reality, the body will remain frozen in place. If failed at this stage, the injury from the blade will likely severe vital brain tissue and lead to instant death.
The user is not aware of this stage taking place. In the further plane, the Eye gazes down upon the soul and establishes a connection, opening a Third Eye in the centre of their forehead. What follows next is a battle of wills, as the Eye attempts to subjugate the soul with its own boundless psychic energy. If the soul is able to withstand the barrage for a given time, they are judged to have the potential and succeed. They are then delivered back to reality and are immediately aware of their own psychic energy, and that of their surroundings, becoming a Psyche User.
Failure
If the soul is overwhelmed by the Eye’s influence, the Third Eye will take root in the centre of the brain and expand outwards, consuming the entire mind and warping the body into a hulking feral mutant, known as a Reject. Beyond this point, the individual can no longer be considered human.
Incomplete Ritual
The Ascension Blade was shattered into two equal halves long before the present conflict, and can no longer properly conduct the ritual. When attempted in this state, an incomplete ritual will be carried out. Here, the practitioners soul cannot form a connection with The Eye by themselves, and must first make a contract with an intermediary, known as a Further Spirit. This is an inheritance contract, which binds the practitioner to their spirit and forces them to coexist in the Further Plane in exchange for the practitioner excelling. Instead of developing their own, the practitioner inherits their further spirits’ and cultivates it into their own.
- Achieve enlightenment through acquisition of perspective, intensive introspection and developing one’s skill with their Specialty to its maximum potential. Only by understanding the true self can the user truly ascend.
- Unify the Ascension Blade and pierce the Third Eye with it a second time. This will forcefully override the contract and subjugate the Further Spirit, the user taking all and achieving totality.
Bloodline
Due to the strong psychic bond that exists between blood relatives, succeeding in the ritual will send a substantial ripple through the cognitive world and awaken the pineal gland in direct family members as well (parents, siblings, children). Family members excelled by this process will propagate the ripple, potentially leading to a chain. Rejection isn’t possible via this process, as there is no direct activation of the gland or connection with the Eye. If the soul isn’t able to excel, simply nothing will happen.
XCEL 