Chương 35: Vol 2. Chapter 13. Plans and Invitations…
"I think it's time we checked in on the girls," I said while pointedly looking at Mom and Artoria, who had been sparring for the past few minutes.
Artoria merely lowered her Shinai, while Mom held her guard and turned her head to look at me, her face held a mix of resignation and bitterness. "One more bout," she begged petulantly.
I didn't need to respond, as Artoria shook her head, before walking over to the sword rack. "No, we've been at this for long enough, and I believe Irisviel is probably wondering what is taking so long," she explained calmly, while placing the Shinai on the practice sword rack.
Mom seemed to deflate, before breaking her stance and walking over to the same rack, and placing her own practice sword there while shooting me a dirty look.
I gracefully ignored it, and walked over to the exit door. "On the topic of contact, do you or Irisviel have a phone that you could use to reach me?" I asked Artoria, while opening the door for the two ladies.
Mom briskly walked past me, heading for the living room, while Artoria slowly walked past me, allowing me to exit the room, and close the door behind me.
"Irisviel has a phone, she will be our point of contact," she remarked while slightly turning her head to look at me.
"As long as it works," I commented with a shrug.
Quickly we reached the living room, where we observed two chattering women that had moved to sit on a couch by the fireplace.
The white haired homunculus turned her head at our sudden entrance, and quickly stood up. "You three took your time, did anything come of it?" She asked with interest, while gently patting down her skirt.
Artoria took a step forwards, and gave a crisp nod. "We have come to a mutual agreement regarding aid. I shall come over from time to time to train them, and in return Alistair will provide me with assistance against Berserker," she said the last part while gesturing at me.
I gave a small nod, before pulling out my phone. "If it wouldn't be too much to ask, but may I have your number?" I asked calmly.
Vivian quickly covered her mouth, and gave the fakest of shocked intakes in existence, before pointing at me. "Asking for another woman's number in front of me? At least have the decency to do it behind my back," she huffed in dissatisfaction.
I didn't even rise to the barb, while Mom gave a low chuckle while slightly shaking her head, while I extended the phone in Irisviel's direction.
Irisviel got a smug look, before tentatively receiving the phone. "Who am I to decline such a generous offer," she snarked, while idly glancing at Vivian.
Apparently Morgan had sunk her claws into the homunculus while we weren't looking…
She quickly tapped the display, and added her information into the contact lists, simultaneously sending herself a text message, allowing her to add myself to her own device.
With a satisfied smile, Irisviel placed the phone into my outstretched hand, which I promptly placed in my trouser pocket, before giving her a small smile.
"Thank you," I remarked kindly, with a slight smile.
She returned it, before giving a small sigh. "I'm sorry, but Artoria and I will be needing to leave as quickly as possible, as we dropped everything to come here. So home is in a mess currently," she explained with a hint of regret.
Makes sense… Morgan had littered their entire backyard with bird corpses, so I can understand the sentiment.
Mom chimed in somewhat bitterly. "A shame, but I am thankful for the visit."
Irisviel turned her head to look at Mom, and gave a small nod of her head. "No problem, I'm happy that something good came from it," she explained happily.
Stepping closer, Mom gestured towards the door. "I'll show the two of you out, sounds good?" She asked with a smile, causing the two to nod.
"Farewell for now, Alistair, and it was nice meeting you as well, Vivian," Artoria said with a straight face, while giving a slight nod.
I nodded back to her. "See you soon, Artoria," I remarked.
Vivian, from her seated position on the couch, gave a small wave to the Servant. "Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day," she said in turn while giving a blinding smile.
Artoria gave another nod, before turning to walk out of the room.
Irisviel gave a small wave as well. "Nice to see you all, and we'll keep in touch," she said mischievously while pointing at us, while giving a teasing wink.
"Bye-bye!" Vivian said, while waving.
"See you soon," I remarked dryly, while giving a small wave.
Smiling to herself, Irisviel headed towards the exit, followed by my Mother, who guided the two out.
With the room empty, I walked over to Vivian, and sat myself down on the couch.
{What now?} I probed though Morgan's Servant link.
{I think you should head on over, and perhaps try out Mana Burst for a bit. I have a few things I'd like to test out, so we can do some research for a while, or at least until there are signs of activity with the other Servants..} Morgan proposed.
Mulling it over for a bit, I agreed, after all, it was for the best that I put Mana Burst to the test, while it was still fresh in my mind. Lest I do something stupid, and blow up a limb, due to not remembering how to execute the skill properly…
{Sounds good, I'll come up with an excuse to leave.} I replied calmly.
After all, Morgan had laid the foundations for the excuse already.
Vivian beside me placed her arm over my shoulders, and started fiddling with my hair, just as Mom entered the room.
Hearing her footsteps, the two of us fixed her with a mildly annoyed look, as if her entering the room had ruined the atmosphere.
She stopped in her tracks, and looked rather sheepish. "Umm, should I have stayed out a bit longer?" She asked hesitantly.
"Yes," I lied with ease, and Mom's expression seemed to twitch.
Standing up, Vivian mirrored my actions, and we walked away from the couch. "I think we'll return to what we were doing earlier," I remarked dryly.
The words made Mom's mood improve easily, before suddenly walking over to me, and grasping my forearm. "A moment please," she said while glancing at Vivian. "I just need a word with my son, just go back home, he'll be back in a moment."
Vivian merely raised a brow, and a sly smile spread over her face before shrugging. "Sure, I'll just get ready in the meantime," she remarked with a hint of teasing.
I watched as Vivian left the room, before Mom released her grip.
She fixed me with a serious expression, while looking me dead in the eyes. "Make sure not to use protection," she stated resolutely.
I blinked.
"Excuse you?" I remarked reflexively.
Mom's expression didn't change. "You heard what I said," and her gaze sharpened. "Don't use any contraceptives," she said with equal seriousness, and I subconsciously placed a hand in front of my face, and massaged my eyebrows.
I sucked in a deep breath, before slowly releasing it. "Why the sudden interest? And before you say grandkids, I swear to God, I will ensure that you don't get any for another decade," I threatened.
Mom didn't waver, and she merely shook her head. "I will not deny that what you just mentioned isn't eighty… maybe ninety percent of the reason, but there are only two… temporarily three, Pendragons, and I'd love to have the chance to see the family grow, unlike my own parents."
I removed the hand covering my face, and fixed Mom with a flat look. "Did you just use my dead grandparents in an attempt to guilt trip me?" I questioned dryly.
Mom's expression didn't change, and she gave a crisp nod. "Did it work?"
"No," I said flatly, before stepping past her and headed towards the exit. "I'm leaving."
"I'll get you something nice if you give me good news in a few weeks time," Mom yelled from behind me.
I decided to ignore her comment, as I left through the door.
A few moments later, I had left the house, and found myself in the neighboring house.
Quickly, I walked over to the dojo, aka the workshop, and gave the door a knock.
Just as my fist had finished rapping the door, it swung open, revealing Morgan floating absentmindedly in the air, while tinkering with something.
"Thinking of expanding the family?" Morgan said slyly while turning her head to look at me.
"Heard that, did you?" I remarked dismissively, while slightly shaking my head.
"Try not to get your hopes up too much, as I have other things on my itinerary," I snarked back, before looking away from the witch, and I walked over to the practice sword rack and picked one up.
I heard a very un-lady-like snort from Morgan, the sound almost made me turn my head, but I was even more interested in trying my new skill out.
Moving further into the room, I raised the sword in a rudimentary stance.
Mana Burst was somewhat similar to Reinforcement, as in that it is a form of enhancement, but taken to an extreme.
Say that you have ten units of Od, and use reinforcement to increase your arm strength, there will be a cost of one Od a minute to keep up the enhancement safely, where you can put in more to increase the strength, at the cost of hurting your body.
Mana Burst however, has a simpler application, as if you have ten units of Od and wish to increase your arm strength, simply pump all ten units in one movement.
Logically it should give ten times the damage of using reinforcement for a minute, however, due to the short timespan, it acts in a similar way, to where you wont get burnt if you swipe your hands through a flame, while reinforcement is hovering your hand above the flame, and slowly lowering your hand.
Naturally, you have to expend those ten units of Od in a unique way, or else you will basically flash fry whatever part of your body you are using it on, as it is extremely unsafe. But with Artoria showing each 'level' of Mana Burst that she was capable of, I now know what 'pathways' to take so as to not burn, or blow up my limbs.
Slowly, I accumulate the lowest amount of Od the required to perform Mana Burst in my arms, before reinforcing the practice sword for good measure.
Taking a step forwards, I stimulated all the accumulated Od, and my arms swung down with blinding speed.
Air dispersed, causing small gusts of wind to cascade around in the dojo, and I felt a slight numbness in my wrist after performing such a move.
Letting go of the swords with one of my hands, I massaged my wrist, and felt the discomfort quickly vanish.
"I still find the use of that skill distasteful," Morgan interrupted my testing, causing me to turn and look at her floating form.
"Care to elaborate?" I probed.
She gave a disgruntled huff. "While it is a useful skill," she stated factually, but her voice suddenly became annoyed. "it just reminds me of how it was Artoria's only application of her Magic Core… it was such a waste…"
Her opinion was fair, justified even, but seeing as for me to even utilize the 'E' Rank version of Mana Burst, I had to output the equivalent of sixty medium quality circuits worth of Od, I can understand why it was not a commonly used skill…
Looking away from Morgan, I placed my free hand back on the sword, before almost doubling the amount of Od in my arms that I had used before.
I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the practice sword steady in my hands.
Doubling the amount of Od in my arms compared to the last attempt, I prepared to execute a 'D' ranked Mana Burst.
The air around me seemed to thicken as I concentrated, the ambient mana reacting to the sudden increase of Od in the vicinity.
"Careful not to overdo it," Morgan's voice floated from behind me, laced with a hint of amusement.
"I need to know my limits," I retorted, focusing intently.
Gathering the energy, I felt it surge through my muscles—a tingling sensation that was both exhilarating and slightly uncomfortable.
With a swift motion, I swung the sword downward.
A sharp crack echoed through the dojo as the blade sliced through the air, leaving a faint trail of shimmering energy in its wake.
The force of the swing sent a gust of wind rippling outward, rustling the loose fabrics hanging on the walls.
A mild ache pulsed in my wrists, but it was manageable. I flexed my fingers, shaking off the residual numbness.
"Not bad," Morgan remarked, hovering gracefully a few feet above the ground. "But you're tensing up. Relax your grip next time."
"Easy for you to say," I muttered, rolling my shoulders to release the tension.
"Perhaps. But if you intend to use the higher ranks of Mana Burst, you'll need to heed my advice," she explained light heartedly.
I sighed, knowing she was right. "Fine. But I'm still going to try and take it a step further."
She gave a low hum. "Ambitious, aren't we?"
Ignoring her teasing, I centered myself again.
This time, I channeled even more Od, feeling the energy swell within me like a rising tide. The sensation was more intense—a throbbing warmth that bordered on discomfort.
I executed the swing, and the impact was immediate. A shockwave burst forth, rattling the windows and sending a sharp pain jolting up my arms. I winced, staggering back a step.
"Alistair," Morgan's tone shifted to one of concern. "You're pushing yourself."
"I'm fine," I insisted, though my arms throbbed in protest.
She descended to the floor, her veil seemingly scrutinizing me. "Mana Burst is not something you should rush. Your body isn't accustomed to handling that much energy yet."
"Which is why I need to practice," I countered, though I couldn't ignore the strain I was feeling.
She sighed softly. "Very well. But proceed with caution."
Stubbornness getting the better of me, I decided to attempt a 'B' ranked Mana Burst. Gathering a substantial amount of Od—more than I'd ever channeled before—I felt my heartbeat quicken.
The energy coursed through me like liquid fire, searing and potent.
As I swung the sword, a torrent of power erupted.
The very air seemed to crackle, and a deafening boom resonated throughout the dojo.
The backlash was brutal.
Agonizing pain shot through my limbs; it felt as if my muscles were tearing, my bones creaking under the immense pressure.
I gasped, dropping the sword as I fell to one knee.
"Alistair!" Morgan exclaimed, rushing to my side.
I struggled to catch my breath, every inhale sharp and painful. "That... might have been a bit much," I admitted through gritted teeth.
She knelt beside me, a mixture of irritation and genuine concern lacing her tone. "You're reckless. Pushing beyond your limits won't do you any good if you end up incapacitated."
"I had to see what I could handle," I replied, though the throbbing pain made me question my judgment.
"There's a difference between testing your limits and shattering them," she chastised.
Morgan placed a hand on my chest, and I felt a tingling sensation spread over my body, soothing the muscles I had just abused, causing me to release a sigh of appreciation.
Morgan removed her hand almost as quickly as she had placed it on my chest, before taking a step back.
Taking a moment to steady myself, I slowly rose to my feet.
The pain was subsiding, but a lingering soreness remained. I retrieved the fallen practice sword, gripping it lightly.
"Perhaps you're right," I conceded. "Jumping ahead was foolish."
She crossed her arms, giving me a pointed look. "Glad you finally see reason."
I managed a wry smile. "So, any suggestions on how to improve without nearly breaking myself?"
Her expression softened slightly. "Mana Burst isn't just about raw power. It's about control and efficiency. You need to harmonize the energy with your body's natural flow."
"Easier said than done," I remarked.
"Which is why you should focus on mastering each rank before attempting the next. Build a solid foundation," she advised.
I nodded thoughtfully. "Start with perfecting the 'D' rank, then gradually work my way up."
"Exactly. Patience, Alistair. It's a virtue you could stand to embrace," she teased lightly.
"Coming from you, that's rich," I shot back with a smirk.
Morgan's eyes glinted with a hint of amusement beneath her veil. "Perhaps irony is lost on neither of us," she retorted softly.
I gave the practice sword another small swing, before placing it back on the rack with a sigh.
The soreness in my arms was a reminder of my overzealous attempts with Mana Burst. Maybe patience really was a virtue I needed to work on.
"Well, since we're done here, what's next on the agenda?" I asked, rolling my shoulders to ease the tension.
Morgan floated gracefully towards one of the workbenches cluttered with arcane instruments and half-finished projects. "There is a matter we need to discuss," she began, her tone shifting to a more serious note.
I raised an eyebrow. "Sounds ominous."
She glanced at me, her expression unreadable. "It's about Irisviel and the Grail."
Ah, that. I had been wondering when we'd circle back to that particular issue. "Right," I said slowly. "Were you able to figure out if we could extract the core of the Lesser Grail from her?"
Morgan shook her head. "I've analyzed the blood sample I obtained from her yesterday, and the scans I performed on her as Vivian while you were distracting Artoria and your Mother."
I leaned against the wall, crossing my arms. "And your findings?"
"The core is not something that can be simply extracted," she stated flatly. "It's intertwined with her very essence. The Einzberns designed her that way to ensure the Grail's manifestation."
I frowned. "So you're saying it's impossible?"
"Not impossible," she corrected, "but highly impractical with the resources and time we have. Any attempt to remove the core would likely result in her death or, at best, leave her in a vegetative state."
I rubbed my temples, I felt that my hopes of allowing Illyasviel a happy childhood with a proper family dim. "There's got to be another way. What if we use a high-level spiritual surgery to separate the core from her soul?"
Morgan gave a slight shake of her head. "Her soul and the core are fused on a fundamental level. Traditional magecraft won't suffice."
"Could we create an artificial vessel to transfer the core into? Maybe another homunculus?" I suggested.
She sighed softly. "Even if we had the means to create such a vessel—which we don't—the process of transferring the core is beyond complex. The risk of failure is immense, and the consequences could be catastrophic."
"Catastrophic how?" I probed.
"The Grail could become unstable," Morgan explained. "It might not manifest at all, or worse, Angra Mainyu might make his appearance early if we are not carful."
I grimaced at the thought. "Alright, so transferring the core is out. What about suppressing it? Preventing it from fully integrating with her?"
Morgan considered this. "Temporary suppression might be possible, but it would only delay the inevitable. And prolonged suppression could harm her even more."
I began pacing, my mind racing for alternatives. "Maybe we could just let it manifest..." I mused
Morgan tilted her head, as if silently prompting me to continue.
"Wait," I stopped, frowning slightly. "What if we let the Grail manifest but in a controlled environment? Could we then separate Irisviel from the Grail afterwards?"
The witch let out a approving hum at my statement. "Now you're thinking along the right lines."
I narrowed my eyes at her. "You sound far to unsurprised, had you already considered this angle?"
"I may have," she admitted coyly. "Allowing the Grail to manifest within a properly constructed bounded field could give me the opportunity to intervene."
I crossed my arms. "And how exactly do we save Irisviel in this scenario?"
Morgan gave a scoff, as if it was the most obvious question in the world. "By transferring her consciousness into a superior replica of her body. One free from the taint of the Grail."
I blinked. "You can do that?"
She tilted her head. "I am the Witch of Albion, after all. Crafting a homunculus superior to the Einzberns' creations is well within my capabilities, especially when I have her DNA."
I let out a low whistle. "Modest as always."
She ignored the jab. "The process would involve capturing her soul at the moment the Grail fully manifests. It's a delicate operation, but feasible."
I rubbed my chin thoughtfully. "What are the risks?"
"Naturally, the remaining Servants will rush to the area, and there's always a margin for error," she conceded. "But with precise timing and preparation, we can minimize them."
I sighed. "I don't like the idea of using her as bait."
"It's not bait," Morgan corrected. "It's utilizing the unavoidable to our advantage."
"Semantics," I muttered.
She stepped closer, her gaze piercing. "Alistair, sometimes we must make difficult choices for the greater good."
I gave her a dry look, especially after quoting a senile old man. "I'd just prefer if we could extract it in a less... risky way," I intoned wryly.
"Believe me," she said calmly, "if there were an easier path, I would suggest it."
I took a deep breath. "Alright. Let's say we go through with this plan. What do we need to make it work?"
"First, we need to prepare the vessel for her new body," Morgan began. "I'll need time to construct it, but with the data I've gathered from her, it should be perfect."
"Perfect, huh?" I mused. "And the controlled environment?"
"I can set up a bounded field strong enough to contain the Grail's energy. It will prevent any unwanted interference."
I bobbed my head from side to side.
"Might I assume we'll just have 'Caster' kidnap Irisviel when she's close to turning into the Grail?" I asked with a hint of curiosity.
Morgan tapped her chin, probably smiling evilly under her veil.
"An excellent suggestion, we'll go with that one... meaning we only have to figure out when her body starts to give out on her," Morgan commented with interest.
I nodded. "Alright. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Morgan glanced towards the window, the fading light casting long shadows across the dojo floor. "Time is of the essence. I'll begin preparations immediately."
"Do you need any help?" I offered.
She gave me a sidelong look. "Unless you've suddenly become proficient in high-level homunculus creation, I think I can manage."
"Fair enough," I chuckled. "Then I'll focus on Mana Burst for the next hour or two."
Just as I was about to pick up the practice sword again, a soft glow illuminated the corner of the dojo.
Morgan's scrying orb floated gracefully towards us, its surface swirling with a green light.
"Seems something interesting is afoot," Morgan mused, her eyes fixed on the orb.
I stepped closer, peering into the orb's depths.
The mist within cleared to reveal Iskandar standing boldly in front of the Tohsaka estate.
He was hefting an enormous wine barrel over one shoulder, a broad grin plastered across his face.
Beside him stood Waver, looking as though he'd rather be anywhere else.
I raised an eyebrow. "What's that idiot doing now?"
Morgan smirked slightly. "Making social calls, it appears."
We watched as Iskandar cupped his free hand around his mouth, shouting up at the silent mansion. "Archer! I know you're in there! Come out and join me for a grand feast at Saber's place!"
Waver tugged anxiously at Rider's cloak. "Rider, this isn't a good idea. Let's just go!"
"Nonsense, boy!" Iskandar boomed, flicking Waver on the forehead with a massive finger. "A king must be hospitable! It's unbecoming to hide behind walls."
The following seconds of silence was telling, and I was surprised that Gil hadn't peppered Rider with swords after a comment like that.
Waver nervously rubbed his forehead, grumbling. "He's not even answering. Let's not antagonize him."
Iskandar laughed heartily. "If he chooses to ignore an invitation for a gathering of kings, then that's his loss!"
I couldn't help but shake my head. "He's either incredibly brave or incredibly foolish."
"Perhaps a bit of both," Morgan replied, a hint of amusement in her tone.
Iskandar continued his one-sided conversation with the empty façade of the Tohsaka estate, extolling the virtues of shared wine and stories of conquest. Waver looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.
"Do you think Archer will actually respond?" I wondered aloud.
Morgan hummed thoughtfully. "Gilgamesh isn't known for his patience. This could get interesting."
After a few more moments of fruitless shouting, Iskandar shrugged and turned away. "Very well! If you change your mind, you know where to find us!" He began to walk off, still carrying the barrel, with a dejected Waver trailing behind.
I glanced over at Morgan, who was already looking at me.
"Well," she said smoothly, "I suppose our evening plans have been made."
A wry smile tugged at my lips. "Seems we have a banquet to crash."
"Indeed," she agreed. "It would be impolite to not invite ourselves after such a harsh rejection from Gilgamesh."
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109 Hours, 44 Minutes And 23 Seconds Until Zero
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A/N
Welcome back, my reader Overlords, please add this to your library and give me some comments, stones and Reviews, as it would be much appreciated.
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