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88.13% Harry Potter: Dimensional Wizard / Chapter 569: The Arcane Emperor

Chapter 569: The Arcane Emperor

Impossible," denied Tohsaka.

"Think about what happened at the end of the war?"

"The Fuyuki City Fire," replied Tohsaka.

"The previous winner, Kiritsugu, realized the truth about the Grail and ordered Saber to destroy it. However, his actions released negative emotions, causing the fire."

Tohsaka could not immediately accept this fact. She walked back and forth, thinking about this news.

"Who would corrupt the Grail?"

"If you think about it carefully, you should be able to figure it out."

After thinking for a moment, Tohsaka asked, "One of the three founding families?" Three families were responsible for setting up the Holy Grail War, so they were the most likely to corrupt it secretly.

"The Einzbern's family, to be exact," added Edward. "They made a pact with Angra Mainyu. Of course, they were not the only cause."

"Angra Mainyu? The person called as the embodiment of All The World's Evil? Why would they do that?"

"They've been obsessed with the Third True Magic and believe such a choice would help."

"These stupid bastards," cursed Tohsaka.

"Language, young lady."

"Sorry. Wait, why am I apologizing? You're not my father."

"You should still show me some respect."

"Whatever." She decided not to swear in front of him again, but she won't admit it. "You said they were not the only ones contributing to the corruption. Who else?"

"Now is not the time to know such a thing."

"You! Do you want me to use the seal."

"Listen to me," Edward said calmly and authoritatively while looking at her directly. "Some truths must be learned at the correct time. Don't act like a child throwing tantrums whenever you don't get what you want."

The corruption of the grail involved a father figure in Tohsaka's life, and once she learned the truth, she wouldn't be able to accept such a fact easily. Her mental instability is not ideal for when he modifies her Magic Circuit.

"I…understand," replied Tohsaka, who walked out of the summoning room and sat down. Edward followed her and let her think for a moment.

"Wait," she suddenly said. "How do you know all of this? Were you a part of the previous Grail?"

"No. I use Divination," explained Edward.

"Divination? That's not one of your skills."

"Rune Magic is an umbrella term to explain that I can do many things with magic."

"I see. That's a great ability since we can know much about our enemies and even predict their movement."

"Of course. With me here, you're guaranteed to win this war."

"Winning the war?" she muttered. She did not have any specific wish for the grail, but she wanted to win the war for one reason: to preserve the rights and honor of the Tohsaka Family.

"Yes, we must win," nodded Tohsaka. "By the way, you never told who you were?"

"I doubt you'll know me, but my name is Edward Bones —"

"Edward Bones? The Arcane Emperor?"

"You…know me?"

"Of course. All magicians know your legend. You're almost as famous as the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh."

Edward had a terrible sense of foreboding, but he remained calm as he asked, "Oh, I wonder what the modern world knows of my life."

"According to records, you gathered magicians and magic from all over the world and created the Arcane Empire — a magical kingdom designated to study and develop magic."

Tohsaka's eyes lit up:

"The books say the time of the Arcane Empire was when magic reached its pinnacle during the Age of the Gods. Although the Arcane Empire only existed for a hundred years, you pushed the development of magic by thousands of years. I could not imagine how wonderful such a period would be. Knowledge was shared and not safeguarded. Every day, countless cutting-edge inventions and magical theories that pushed the boundaries were developed. Such an era is the dream of all magicians."

The corner of Edward's lips twitched. Akasha had given him a myth and legend, but what scared him was that he did not even know when he had learned these things from him.

'You could have at least told me,' complained Edward. He also realized he might have underestimated the power of Akasha; this was not a simple Tier 11 Entity but went beyond it.

"Do you know what happened to my Empire?" asked Edward, trying to get more information.

"Shouldn't you know about this?"

"I just want to know how the world remembers. One of my fears was that all records of my existence and the Empire would be wiped out from history."

Tohsaka nodded as that response made sense.

"It was destroyed," she replied with pity in her eyes. "The Gods did not like how powerful mortals were becoming under your rule, so they banded together to destroy it. The records said you personally slayed dozens of Gods in the final battle, and that day was also called [Gilded Blood Sky] because so much Divine Blood was spilled that the sky turned golden red for seven days."

Tohsaka's voice was slightly raised as she told the story due to excitement. Meanwhile, Edward was not feeling good. The idea that he lost to the Gods irked him to his very soul. Furthermore, he felt Akasha could have given him a skill with the title of [God Slayer].

"Some historians believe the destruction of the Arcane Empire is the main reason for the end of the Age of Gods."

"That's an exaggeration," commented Edward.

"No, they might be right. After that war, the gods' influence further weakened, and all the knowledge scattered from the Arcane Empire contributed to the rise of human civilization."

Edward nodded, albeit slightly distracted. The fact that he had a legend or myth in this world was good and bad news. He could not easily reveal his name to others, as they might recognize his myth and use it against him; in other words, his identity became his weakness, like all Servants.

'After the war, I also need to research this so-called legend to say whether they were just written words or actual events that occurred.'

"So, you're the legendary Arcane Emperor," uttered Tohsaka, looking at him up and down. "Can I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure, but don't expect answers for certain things."

"That's fine," she nodded. "There are rumors you would summon past and future mages to contribute to the Empire. Is that true?"

"Well, I can manipulate space-time and even access parallel worlds, so it's probably true."

"Then, where is my invitation?" she asked directly.

"What can I say? You simply did not meet our requirements."

"You!"

"Don't ask things you know the answer will hurt you."

"Hmph, I won't argue with a dead man."

"Oh, that's harsh."

"Second question: Is the legendary floating city — Netheril — real?" asked Tohsaka. "The thing was labeled as the pinnacle of Human Alchemy — a creation praised even by the best Gods of Forgery, but there are debates on its existence. So, was it real?"

"The pinnacle of humanity, huh?" muttered Edward; that was another phrase that bothered him, but he could not argue against it. His Artificer accomplishments were not the pinnacle in this world as many of God's creations, like the Enuma Elish, surpassed even his floating city.

"It was real," he answered.

"Really? Can I see it?" Her eyes were practically glowing.

"Yes, but not now."

Tohsaka smiled, happy she got to see such a magical wonder.

"Last question: Are the Arcane Runes as wonderful as the books said?"

"My Arcane Rune? They weren't passed down?"

"Sadly, no," she replied. "Rumors have it they were a magical language on par with the Divine Words and could even compare with Primordial Runes. More importantly, they were created to suit humans perfectly. Can you show it to me?"

"Better yet, once this war is over, I'll teach it to you."

"Really?" asked Tohsaka, not hiding her excitement. She quickly calmed down, "Can I even learn?"

Modern magicians cannot learn much ancient magic because of the decline of the supernatural in the world or because of extreme requirements, such as having some divinity.

"The only requirements are to be a mage and have a soul, so there is no need to worry about learning."

"Great." She could not help but be excited at the prospect of learning such powerful magic. With it, she will be able to improve the Tohsaka's Jewel Magecraft and elevate it to a higher level.

"Now that you know who I am, can you trust me to modify your Magic Circuit?"

"Hmm, since you're the Arcane Emperor, it's understandable you could do something like that." Tohsaka gritted her teeth, "Fine, I'll trust you. What should I do?"

—--

[AN: It's very difficult for me to rewatch Fate/Unlimited Blade Works because it reminded me of why I never finished the series in the first place — the protagonist, Shirou Emiya. I hate, disdain, and despise this man. His extreme hero-complex just gets me mad for no reason.]


Chapter 570: New Circuits

"You don't need to do anything specifically," Edward responded. "But I must tell you: the process will be excruciatingly painful."

"Your wording makes the situation even more concerning," said Tohsaka.

"I'm just warning you so you can be prepared."

"I can bear a little bit of pain."

"Little bit of pain?" Edward shook his head. "If we had more time, I could have concocted a pain-relieving potion for you. Better yet, if only I could easily access my inventory, I could get it there. Alas."

"Pain relieving? Couldn't we get something from the hospital or pharmacy?" asked Tohsaka.

"No. The pain is from your soul, so those won't work."

Edward walked back into the summoning room. He erased the summoning circle before slowly drawing one of his own. "Quick question: do you still have the pendant to summon Saber?"

"Hmm? Why are you asking such a question."

"Just answer."

"If you must know, I don't. I gave it to someone who once saved my life."

Edward's mouth twitched. "Oh, who is it?"

"You don't need to know."

"It's Shirou Emiya, isn't it?"

"How do you know? Are you using Divination on me? Stop it; Otherwise, I will use one of my command seals."

Edward ignored her. In the Fate/Stay Night Series, Tohsaka did not give the pendant to Shirou until after she summoned her Servant and saved him from an attack from Lancer. With the pendant, Shirou—the protagonist—could accidentally summon Saber, one of the most potent Servants in the series.

Now, in this strange timeline, he was, Shirou received the pendant earlier. Most likely to ensure he becomes the seventh Servant and also summons Saber.

'The Akasha contains the sum total of all events and possibilities. So, it created a timeline where small things like this are different. Well, that's completely correct since I also have to consider the Arcane Empire.'

Edward finished drawing the rune on the floor while his mind was also thinking about other things.

"Done."

"What should I do?"

"Just step in the middle and embrace yourself."

Tohsaka took a deep breath while muttering under her breath, "It's just a little pain." She walked to the middle and said in a meek voice, "I'm ready." The magic circle immediately lit up, and Tohsaka's screen of agony followed soon.

When she usually used magic, a visual representation of her magic circuits manifested in her body. However, they were not green as usual but dark red. Her body twisted on the ground, and her voice soon became hoarse.

'Little girl, that's the price of rapid power,' thought Edward before looking at the window. The process only lasted thirty minutes, which, in hindsight, is not long. However, for someone suffering unimaginable pain, every second felt like an eternity.

Edward knew the process ended when the soft moaning and groan stopped. He conjured a large cup of water for her, and Tohsaka drowned herself in it.

"Slow down and pace yourself."

"You! I thought I was going to die," she complained.

"I told you it would be painful. It's you who claims it was only a little pain."

Tohsaka was too tired to argue with him. She could only drink water to feel anything in her body. After more than a minute of rehydration, she finally felt better.

"Better?"

Tohsaka nodded.

"In that case, why don't you check your Magic Circuits?"

Her eyes lit up as she activated her magic. The look of shock on her face was palpable.

"108 Magic Circuits!" She genuinely did not know what to say. Most mages are born with less than 20 circuits; anyone above that number can be considered talented. Initially, she had 40 Circuits and was considered an elite in the magical world regarding talents. But now, she could not describe her newfound power and talent.

"It's not a simple 108," added Edward. "I added an additional Magic Veins that ran through your nervous system; it should grant you an additional 12 circuits. It's a shame this is the limit of your genes, and there is no time or essentials to improve you on a genetic level."

"Are you saying that my physical body itself can hold mana?" asked Tohsaka.

"That's right."

She did not know what to say. Was ancient civilization so much more developed than modern times? Why did this ancient magician seem to know more about science than the current era?

"There is no need to underestimate yourself. The weakening of modern mages results from changes in the environment, not the lack of ability," persuaded Edward, as he did not want the little girl to lose confidence in herself.

"Now, ready to try your new power?"

"Of course."

Edward raised his staff to create a barrier that surrounded the room. "Don't hesitate."

Tohsaka did not hesitate. She used all the attack magic she knew, including her family's Jewel Magic.

"I can't believe magic can be so powerful," she yelled. "I believe now I can easily defeat some of the middle-tier Servants. And with the right circumstances, I can face any of them."

"You would be way more powerful if your Mana Control were not so atrocious," said Edward. "It was so bad that it physically hurt."

"Hoho, what a big tone!" she sneered. "Why don't you show me how bad it is?"

"Already allowing the power to get to your head?"

"I just want to know what the most famous magician in the world is capable of."

The battle lasted five minutes, and by the end, Tohsaka was lying on the ground, breathing heavily. She had never fought a more grievous battle. Her opponent would attack the subtle incongruity in the flow of mana, showing her lack of control. She could not cast a single spell in the past five minutes because of the constant interruption.

"You should learn to listen to your elders," smirked Edward.

"I'm not talking to you," yelled Tohsaka.

"Alright, enough playing around. You can learn how to control mana later on. Our primary goal is to discuss our next course of action for the war."

Tohsaka sat up with a serious expression, "Do you have any idea?"

"Our first target should be Lancer or Caster. Personally, I want to deal with Lancer first, but Caster is our greatest enemy."

"Why them?" asked Tohsaka.

"Lancer contained the knowledge of 18 Primordial Runes in his mind, and I'm very interested in getting them," replied Edward with shining eyes, but Tohsaka almost rolled her eyes.

"You never studied the Primordial Runes?"

"Only a few minor ones," he replied, lying without showing any trace. "If I had that piece of knowledge, how could I lose to these damn Gods? Apparently, the thing contained some of the essence of magic. Plus, if we could find his master through him, we might find the rest of the runes."

"I guess I understand why you would be interested," nodded Tohsaka. "By the way, what is Lancelot's identity?"

"Cu Chulainn."

"The Irish Hero and Demigod?"

"The one and only."

"So, his teacher is Scathach?"

"That's right," nodded Edward. "I've always wanted to meet her?"

"Why? Interested?" asked Tohsaka with a weird smile. "Rumor has it she is one of the most beautiful women ever."

"Albeit tempted by her beauty, but it's not the main reason," he explained. "I just think we are alike in many ways: both rulers, powerful enough to kill monsters and gods, and having a passion for teaching the youth."

"It seems you have a lot in common. But wait, how would you meet her? Is she one of the Servants in this war?"

"No, she never died."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, she became immortal and has lived for over 2000 years."

"Immortality is possible?"

"It's not as impressive as you think: keep the body from decaying and nourish the soul appropriately, and you can live long enough to be considered immortal."

"I'm beginning to feel it will be frustrating to talk to you," complained Tohsaka, and Edward shrugged.

"What about Caster? Why is she such a threat?"


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