Magic Muskets and Magic Bullets

These are firearms and their specialized ammunition used by certain high-ranking individuals and the Central Demon World Army's Hunting Gun Corps. The technology originated when a spy from the intelligence agency—operating covertly within the Kingdom of Poland—took note of new weaponry such as hand cannons, armored wagons, and muskets that had been developed in the human world and first deployed during the Hussite Wars (1419–1434). The spy obtained technical data from Jan Žižka (1360–1424)—a former mercenary and military advisor who led the weapon development—and brought it back to the Demon World (chronologically, this occurred about a century before firearms were introduced to Japan). In the human world, these weapons evolved from muskets—which suffered from poor accuracy and unsuitability for long-range fire—into rifled muskets, and eventually into Minie and Snider rifles. In the Demon World, however, the inherent weaknesses of the design were overcome by harnessing "magic," a power absent from the human world. While upgrades in materials and the shift from lead balls to full-metal-jacket rounds mirror developments in the human world, these weapons differ in two key respects. First, they are constructed using ash wood and "magic-conductive iron" to ensure high magical affinity, much like a magic wand. Second, they utilize specialized "Magic Bullets" (or "Mana Bullets") into which mages from the Magic Bureau have infused the concepts of "Light" and "Darkness" alongside the powers of the four great elements: Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water. Like human-world muskets, the Magic Musket typically holds only a single round. This limitation exists because, with the Magic Musket, the shooter must focus their mental energy and synchronize with the bullet before every shot, making rapid or continuous fire impossible. Every soldier in the Hunting Gun Corps—including their commander, Barbatos—has undergone rigorous training to minimize the interval between shots. While the use of multi-round magazines was considered, the idea was ultimately rejected due to the risk of accidental detonation caused by the magical energy of the loaded rounds resonating and triggering a chain reaction. In any case, since a single "magic bullet" packs enough power to rival mid-level magic, a single shot is deemed sufficient. Incidentally, the Demon World Army does possess a dedicated Magic Corps, but that unit is highly specialized; the Hunting Gun Corps is considered a remarkably useful force because its soldiers can employ magic-like attacks—using specific warheads—without needing innate magical affinity or consuming significant amounts of mana. However, the inherent nature of these muskets makes them ill-suited for close-quarters combat, forcing the troops to rely on sniping and mid-to-long-range support fire—a limitation that remains a source of frustration for Commander Barbatos and his soldiers.