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DML (OLD) — C2 (Public)
🕑 Added 2024-06-09 02:53:34 +0000 UTCThe place where I lived didn't snow.
Yet, the cold felt just as biting, if not more.
Was it me? Was it my fault?
Was I the one to blame?
Do this â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– .
Be that â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– .
You should listen to us, â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– .
That won't work â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– .
Why are you so useless, â– â– â– â– â– â– â– â– ?!
"Shut up. All of you. Just shut the fuck up already!"
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The thing about Magecraft was that it had very defined rules, even if said rules were broken on a daily basis by Named characters, they did exist. For example, you couldn't Reinforce yourself past a certain point, or you couldn't put too much Mana in a spell lest the matrix broke and collapsed on itself,…etc.
Today, we learnt those rules didn't apply to me, like at all. "How are you doing this?!"
Understandably, Rin wasn't too thrilled at the result. But, I was getting ahead of myself. To explain how this came to be, we needed to go back half an hour, when Rin was telling the basic principals of Reinforcement. Yes, that Reinforcement– The same one both Rin and Shirou abused constantly in the VN to dodge attacks from literal Demigods and resurrected Heroes.
We, or rather Rin didn't actually plan on teaching me Reinforcement, seeing as the spell must be paired with Structural Gasp to be used safely, but as she was explaining the spell to me, I thought I might be able to bypass it completely with the Game. I admitted, not my best moment, since the attempt ended with me bleeding all over her nice, clean carpet. Good news was, I got a Skill for my trouble.
[Skill Gained: Reinforcement(Active) – Rookie Lv: 1/10]
While considered to be the most difficult Magecraft with the purpose of pushing a basis to the utmost limits, Reinforcement is also the Foundation of all Magecraft. Hence, it is often taught to all children with their Circuits open. Goodie, you are now almost at the same league as literal children! Congrats! Still, it isn't as good as it could be, maybe you can rectify this with enough training?
… I didn't know if this was worth all the naggings I was getting from Rin, but I'd take it.
"Seriously! How reckless can you be?! You could have died, idiot!" It had been twenty minutes, and she was still going strong. The lungs on this kid.
"Rin." I sighed tiredly, feeling as though I had aged over decades. "I knew what I was doing, alright? I asked [Future Calculation] before I did it, the chances of me dying from that attempt wasn't low, but it was an acceptable risk. Beside, look on the bright side, I got a Skill out of it!"
I jumped excitedly, eager to test out my new Skill. Reinforcement, while incredibly important for the Moonlit World, was also considered to be a crude and barbaric method of enacting Mysteries according to Rin. Yeah, it was dumb, especially since I knew how useful it could be once pushed to the limits, as displayed by UBW Rin, Luvia and Shirou him– Well, I guess it's herself now.
But seriously, the fact that most Mages refused to use it due to its low status proved how dumb and shortsighted they all were. Just imagining the sheer embarrassment they would feel when they got their collective butts kicked by me, both literally and figuratively filled me with an intense sense of joy. One I couldn't possibly describe in words. "… Use it."
I glanced at Rin. "Huh?"
"Use your [Future Calculation]. Ask it how likely I am to kick your ass right now." Rin stared at me, eyes unblinking, face stripped of all emotions. Uh-Oh. She didn't look too happy. I backed away as she closed in, menacingly.
"Rin… Rin… Relax. Breath in, out. In, ou–"
*BANG
…
Did she just kabedon'd me? "… Never do that again, you idiot. You could have died."
"Sorry." I scratched my cheek. I wasn't actually apologetic since it was a calculated risk, but it seemed like the right thing to say in this situation. Rin must have felt my insincerity too as she pulled back, combing angrily through her bang. "I'm going to get us some snacks and tea. You! Stay here and clean up the mess you made!"
She didn't even bother to listen to what I had to say, bursting out of the room with her long, brown hair flapping dramatically, like Severus Snape's cape– But with twin tails.
"Well, that could have gone much worse…" I whispered, looking back at the bloodstained carpet. "How the fuck am I supposed to clean this up?"
I looked at the dried bloodstain. Cleaning all that up was going to be a real bitch. "Unless…" I could already feel the lightbulb popping over my head. It's rather unconventional, but the blood was stuck to the carpet, so maybe I could use Reinforcement to get it out? I meant, objects that were Reinforced incorrectly often ended up destroyed, so it could theoretically work. "Hmmm, what are the chances of this working out the way I want?"
54.7888%
"Eh- That's good enough for me." 'Cause there's no Universe where I was getting that shit clean the normal way.
I pulled the whole thing to a nearby bathroom. My Circuits lit up, thrumming with Mana as I touched the carpet and used Reinforcement. I could feel them, those little droplets of blood– Some had dried while Rin and I spoke, some were still in the process of drying. I knew almost instantly that this wouldn't have worked were I to rely on my pathetic Reinforcement alone.
But I had Expert Mana Manipulation. That in itself was a cheat that would have taken me fth in this World, combined that the Game and even the impossible would become possible. I laughed as the droplets began to pop outwards, sending splatters on the porcelain bathtub. "I'm a fucking genius."
[Skill: Reinforcement has Leveled Up!]
And with that, my concentration was broken. Shit. I hastily withdrew my Mana, but it was too late, the carpet exploded in a rain of fabrics and wool. Though the sound had deafened my ears, I could hear frantic footsteps approaching. I looked at the previously spotless bathroom, now covered in what used to be Rin's carpet. "I'm never going to hear the end if this, ain't I…?"
It's not my fault! Future Calculation lied to me!
*BAM
"What is it?! What happened?! I heard something explodin–?!!" Rin stopped dead in her track at the sight of her ruined bathroom.
"I– I can explain?"
"… Living room, NOW!" Welp, while short, this second life was fun at least.
…
"What on this green Earth made you think that was a good idea?" Rin shouted– No, roared.
"Uhmm… [Future Calculation] said it would be fine? The odds were over 50%, I thought I could do it."
"Well, do you still think you could do it?" Now that's a loaded question if I ever heard one.
"I mean, I was distracted by a Notification. If not for that, I think I could've done it perfectly…"
Rin was positively seething at this point, but I stood my grounds, since what I said was indeed the truth. "You-! I've had it with you! You're relying too much on that Skill of yours and it isn't healthy, Leo!"
"But–"
"NO! No buts! You were reckless and nearly died on my carpet. You were bleeding from all of your orifices, Leo. That ability is making you take completely unnecessary risks and I'm DONE with it. You will stop using it without my approval, do you understand?"
That– That would hinder my progress greatly. But at the same time, Rin wasn't wrong, I was getting gains at the cost of my wellbeing, that couldn't be healthy, both physically and mentally. 'What to do…? Maybe [Future Calculation] could help? What are the chances of–?!'
The pain came quick and merciless, I clutched harshly at my head as the sudden 'bout of nausea and vertigo hit me with the force of a eighteen-wheeler. "LEO! Are you alright?! Speak to me!"
"I– Hah– I think you're right, Rin. I do need to stop abusing [Future Calculation]… Scream at me when I get better, aye?" Everything after that was a mess of blurs, though I distinctively remembered puking up blood all over Rin's nicely made bed and clenching my teeth so hard that realistically, they should have cracked. Rin was right, I had been abusing this Skill a tad too much since I got it last week, I really needed to dial it down before it killed me.
'Hindsight is always 20/20, indeed.'
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I was terrified of changes.
Its absoluteness.
Its suddenness.
The fact that one small action could alter the entire course of your life.
I hated it.
I hated it so much that it hurt.
I couldn't handle changes, and now I was the very embodiment of it.
Ironic, how things often played out in Life.
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Kirei launched at me, his bokken raised high as he went for a well-angled, downwards swing, one I just barely avoided as I rolled to the side. Fists clenched, I aimed for his exposed stomach. I was solely disappointed when he leaned back, leaving my attack to gaze his jacket harmlessly. As if to spite me, Kirei vaulted on one hand and sent a kick straight at my head.
I brought my wooden blade up to block, flooding it with my Mana, hoping to Gods it wouldn't break under the strain. It didn't, but as his kick connected, my unstable footing left me flying almost five feet up in the air. Thankfully, I did manage to land on my feet, albeit clumsily. It wasn't exactly a stellar performance on my part, but I saw this as an absolute win, especially since the me of last week would have had neither the strength, the skill, nor the control to do what I just did.
"You have improved again, Prince Leo."
I gripped my bokken, shaking it lightly to alleviate the numbing pain in my wrists as I got into stance and responded drily. "Thank you for noticing, I tried really, really hard."
"I see you have learnt new spells, your tutelage under Rin is going well, I hope?" I wouldn't put it past this guy to have wished for me to fail miserably, either at convincing Rin or just Spellwork in general. He sure didn't appear all that bothered at my bloodied and beaten looks when he came to get me the other day. "It is going well, better than you would have hoped for at least."
"Now, don't be like that, Prince Leo. Why would I ever want my student to fail?" Perhaps if you would stop sounding like a sleazy stock trader for a second, I might actually believe you… Nah, don't quote me on that.
Kirei was a bad teacher, partly due to the holes in his knowledge when it came to Magecraft, seeing as he hadn't gotten to finish his tutelage under the late Tokiomi, and mostly due to his sadism and joy at the sufferings of others. I had seen him smile more than once at the sight of me messing up a Matrix, or me getting the theoretical utterly wrong. Which was good, since it was very telling when he was doing it on purpose, what with all that smiling and posturing.
But, at the same time, I couldn't just figure out everything on my own, hence why Rin's assistance became a necessity.
I glared hatefully at the man. Though there was no signal, there wasn't a real need for one as we both bolted, our bokkens clashing loudly as we seemingly glided away from each other. Kirei was reinforcing his weapon too, but his efficiency and effectiveness was simply higher than me, as his bokken remained unscathed and undamaged, while mine was spotting more than a few hair-thin cracked lines.
It wasn't going to hold up for much longer, I needed to end the fight, I needed to end it quick. I grimaced as I put my right foot back for leverage, my left one bent at a ninety-degree angle, my bokken held with both hands to my waist in preparation to what's to come.
Never in my first life, would I have imagined that one day, I'd be able to use the fictional Sword God Style, but here I was, about to perform the quick-draw technique of said fictional Style. The fact that I got this Skill was pure luck on my part. After doing three Quests back to back, and getting only a negligible amount of Exp and actual dirty underwear in return, me getting my fifth ever spell triggered the Hidden Quest: An Idiot's Guide to Magecraft, which gave me the Sword Style, Exp and the Title: Apprentice Mage.
Created based on the principal and motto 'He Who Strikes First Wins', the Style had a heavy emphasis on speed and aggression, which suited me just fine, since I had always been somewhat short-tempered, even if I tried to deny it at times.
In my first life, my temper was only restrained by the incredibly brittle hold of my morality and the small, yet ever present and absolute threads of the Laws, but I hadn't the need to worry about that any longer, not here, not now.
[Skill: Sword God Style(Semi-Active) – Rookie Lv: 21/25]
[Technique: Longsword Of Silence]
Another thing I had discovered was how different Skills interacted with each other. Swordsmanship was the most basic of basics, it complemented any Sword Styles I had gained, making them easier to master, train and utilize, while Sword Styles were further broken down to smaller techniques without an actual Level to them, and the Skill, which in this case was Sword God Style, could only advance further when I was capable of using its techniques to a certain threshold.
Each Skill had different amount of Levels to each Rank, but they always totaled up to 100 Levels.
Though, there were also Skills like Hell King's Engine, or Future Calculation that either was already at MAX Level, or simply didn't possess a Rank at all. I called those– Unique Skills.
I tightened my grip on the bokken and charged. My hands were steady on the handle, each step I took was short but explosive as I began to reach my maximum velocity. Although the Game called what I was doing Longsword Of Silence, it wasn't, not really. That was a technique that only Advanced Swordsmen of Mushoku, could unleash. In my Game's terms, I needed to be at Veteran Rank to perform it correctly.
Hence, the multitude of holes and mistakes that existed within my execution of the technique. The angle was wrong, the force used wasn't quite right, and even the way I was holding the bokken was all messed up, but they didn't say failure was the mother of success for nothing.
[Skill: Sword God Style(Semi-Active) – Rookie Lv: 21 – 22/25]
The main characteristic of Longsword Of Silence was its lack of noise, a slash that was so fast, even sound couldn't keep up with it. I didn't manage to accomplish that, it wasn't even close, but I did shatter Kirei's weapon at the cost of my own. It wasn't a win, it wasn't a loss either. My legs had seized up and I could feel the blood vessels in my limbs throbbing painfully with adrenaline, but I couldn't help but smirk as I fell on my back, clutching the remains of my broken bokken while wood fragments showered us from above.
"That– That was an interesting thing you just did there." Kirei muttered, his voice emotionless and low.
"Even more interesting that I never taught you it…" The priest said curiously as he looked at me, his face lit up with caution and a strange, perverse sense of joy. I laughingly fired back. "Maybe I'm more special than even you and Gilgamesh thought?"
"Yes, perhaps I've underestimated you." Kirei chuckled, sounding quite sincere for the first since we had met. Damn, he would have made a killer gym-bro, harsh but fair. Real shame he was a Doomsday cultist, otherwise we could have been good friends. "So... Did Gilgamesh say when she was coming back?"
"I wouldn't presume to know what goes on in her Majesty's head, but I doubt she will be back any time soon. She is– Hmm, having fun in China." That sounded rather ominous. Hopefully the Chinese Government didn't do anything to piss her off too much, lest their country ended up on international news as the first country to face the wrath of Gilgamesh.
Though I was sure the Mage Association would disguise the attack as a stray asteroid hitting Earth or something along that line. Hell, with my luck, she would probably be back with a cascade of Mages trying to hunt and experiment on her. A Heroic Spirit being reborn with an actual body was quite unheard of, it's so rare that Future Calculation estimated the chances of it ever happening again within the next 10.000 years was less than 1%.
0.03185555% to be precise.
If I didn't know she could bitch-slap me like a flies, I too would have been tempted to get my hands on her. And not in the fun and sexual way. "Welp, I'm glad she's having fun then." Even if Kirei's idea of fun most likely differed from mine greatly, I didn't think she was apocalyptic just yet. If she was, I would have known, since Kirei would have been jumping up and down in joy. As opposed to right now, where he was only mildly interested.
'Though, maybe not?' I frowned. 'Kirei does enjoy watching people suffer, but isn't his ultimate goal the resurrection and subsequent manifestation of Angra Mainyu…? Haaaah– Trying to keep up with this crazy priest is driving me batshit.'
After the day I went to Rin for help, my life had fallen into a routine of sleeping, eating and training. No entertainment, but watching as my Stats and Skills slowly climbed higher and higher was entertaining enough. Unfortunately, at the rate things were going, it might take me years before my Stats broke out of Unranked, unless I decided to use my Points, which would suck seeing as I had no reliable methods to get Exp and Quests weren't exactly abundant.
Yup, that's right. Not only did I not have Gamer's Mind-Body, I also didn't have a Dungeon to farm in. It was becoming a real problem real soon.
"An… Associate of mine called the other day. He wanted my help in exterminating a certain Dead Apostle who has taken up residence in Japan." Kirei suddenly spoke. I stared at him in confusion. "I wanted to leave this... Opportunity to you. This Dead Apostle doesn't seem that dangerous anyways, and you might be able to build up a reputation and get some experience for your future career.
The rewards promised by the Church and the Association are quite… Hefty as well."
…
Holy shit! Could… Could Kirei read minds? When did he get this ability? Why wasn't I aware of it?! Was it ever mentioned in the source materials? "You don't need to look so surprised." The priest chuckled. "Queen Gilgamesh has tasked me with your education, and you will have problems in the future if you only sparred with me."
Gods–! Why did you have to be such a psychotic bastard, Kirei? We could have had a beautiful friendship! Going out on enthusiastic walks at night, slaughtering the Unholy hordes together! It would have been so much fun! "Where and when…?"
"Last I heard, they should get to Kyoto within a week's time." Kirei pulled from his inner-pocket a plane ticket, a blocky military phone and… Three gleaming Black Keys. Seriously, just how big was this man's pocket? "I've taken the liberty to purchase your plane ticket, along with what I thought you might need for your trip." He spoke, handing me my equipment. My Black Keys were similar to his, but shorter and were made with black, seemingly metallic handle.
I had made up my mind– Kotomine Kirei was best girl, period.
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"What… Exactly are we getting?" I glanced at Rin.
"Well, I'm glad you asked. We're getting you new clothes of course!"
"Yeah… But why?" I was fine with my current outfit. Sure, it made me look like a priest, but it was cool and simple enough. Last I checked, I had over two dozens of this in my closet so I wasn't exactly in a desperate need of new clothes.
Rin clicked her tongue condescendingly. "You're going on an Apostle Hunt. You need clothes, lots of it just in case." Then she glared hatefully at my outfit. "And if you haven't noticed, Church's uniform isn't exactly what you would call casual wear. The thing practically screams attention. You would have stuck out like a sore thumb wearing that."
I pulled on my jacket questioningly. Rin was right, Christianity wasn't big here in Japan, Church's uniforms would make even the average Joe stand out, let alone me. Though from Rin's grumbling, "Men and their stupid sense of fashion…" I had a hunch those weren't the only reasons for our little shopping trip today. I sighed, looking at the sea of people before us, then grabbed her hand. "Hold on tight, don't want to get lost now, do we?"
Not even going to lie, Rin's sputters and blushes were immensely amusing to watch.
…
Shiro didn't know why she needed to get more things. She was fine with what she had, a few T-shirts, two trousers and five pairs of pants, a couple of jackets and outer-clothes for winter were, in her opinion, more than enough until she outgrew them.
But apparently, Fujimura 'Don't-call-me-tiger' Taiga– Her self-appointed sister thought otherwise.
Shiro sighed for the third time that day, staring off into space as Taiga dragged her to every shop in the recently re-opened mall that caught her attention. "Look- Look, Shiro-chan!" The teenager called jokingly, handing her a dress. "Try this on! It will look sooo good on you." She couldn't help but doubt, staring blankly at the hideous pink princess dress that had just one too many frills for her taste.
"Fuji-nee, I'm not wearing that."
"But–!"
"I'm thankful for your… Attention and care, but I will never wear that, even if it's the last thing in my closet."
Taiga dropped her head dramatically as though she had found out the World had collapsed in on itself. Shiro would swear she saw dark clouds surround Taiga's head, but it might just be her imagination. She wouldn't know, it might be real, it might not. Shiro had other more important things on her mind. She had witnessed her father– Kiritsugu do strange things around the house, like lighting water on fire while cooking, destroying the instant water kettle by merely plugging it in…
Or using Magic.
He told her she was seeing things, but seeing things was when you caught a phantom at the corners of your eyes, or saw your reflection do something completely different from what you were doing– Though she supposed if anything of sort ever happened, she might just call a monk just to be sure. But, back to the topic at hand, she was certain she wasn't hallucinating when she caught him with his arm all lit up like a Christmas tree.
It might be the first time, but the one after, and the after that? No, she definitely wasn't hallucinating.
She had asked, begged really, for him to teach her Magic, thinking it would help her save someone in the future. It never worked, but she had a feeling his patience was being worn thin. A few more days and he might break and agree to her request. Absentmindedly, Shiro took another dress offered to her by Taiga, this one was better, much better than the previous pink abomination.
While Shiro couldn't possibly imagine a scenario where she would ever have an use for it. She would take it regardless, if only to end this torturous experience quicker. Ahh– She was hallucinating again. It started with dreams at first, now she saw things everywhere. Souls begging for salvation. Phantom screams that deafened her ears.
For the slightest moment, she thought she saw her savior in a priest outfit walking with another girl, but it couldn't be him. He was dead. He died saving her life. She saw the ruined part of the building drop on top of him, no adult could have survived that, let alone a child her age. She sighed, the doctor said it was PTSD, even prescribed tons of pills for her to take.
They had all been useless so far, but maybe if she increased the dosage, they might work?
…
I felt a gaze at the back of my head, lo and behold, it was the Genderbent memelord herself… What the fuck was she doing here at this hour? Didn't she have school? Wait, didn't Rin? "Are we in a filler episode?"
"Hmmm?" Rin turned to me questioningly. "No, it's nothing. Hey, don't you, like, have school or something?"
Rin grimaced at that. "Schools haven't been re-open. Between the Fire, and the cases of kidnapping done by Caster's master, most people have been keeping their children in the houses. The parents are most vocal about the whole thing. I can't really blame them, they don't know the perpetrator is dead." Ah, right, I almost forgot about the whole serial killer being chosen as a master thing that happened in the Fourth Wath
Trying to force kids to school now was going to have disastrous consequences for the local authorities. Seriously, the parents would rescrea
I shook my head. When I was watching the shows, or re-playing the VN, I never wondered about the after-effects the War would have on the City and its residents. It just never came up, but actually being here, I could tell people were afraid and tired.
It's likely why there were so many people in the mall on a Thursday afternoon, most were simply searching for that semblance of normalcy in their lives, entertaining themselves in a desperate attempt to distract them from the current situation. Things seemed just as usual, felt like it too, but if you looked hard enough, you would find several signs that pointed to the opposite.
Missing kids posters hung on street lamps and boards, the cautious and suspicious looks people were sending each other, the harsh and scathing words traded by stressed out residents. It was hard to watch, even harder to experience. The air was suffocated with thick tension and directionless resentment.
"This… This is just sad." So this was how it felt to live in the middle of a warzone.
"Yeah, it is. Hopefully things will be back to normal soon, now that the Grail War has ended." Rin said optimistically, but the look on her face told a different story. Things wouldn't just magically return to before the War, already, several families near the Church and the Tohsaka's mansion had moved to live in different cities. It would take years for things to go back to the way it was.
Years this City simply didn't have, what with the dreaded Fifth Grail War that would take place a mere decade later.
"Urggh… Enough with these depressing talks!" Rin slapped her cheeks, pulling me with her as she increased her pace.
Minutes later, we stood at the door of a beautifully decorated shop, behind the glass were several mannequins that wore expensive suits. Now, I wasn't the most fashionable person, never had and likely never would, but even I could appreciate the efforts and care that were put into these outfits. They weren't just suits, they were arts embodying the artist's spirit. I wouldn't have any problem wearing one of these, but…
"Rin… I'm an orphan."
"Yes, you've mentioned that."
"You don't see the problem with me shopping here?"
"No? What? Do you not like it? I could take you somewhere else." Note this down kids, never go shopping with a rich person, you would only embarrass yourself.
"Rin, I'm an orphan, which means I have no money. The measly amount of allowance I'm given is so little that I probably can't afford the buttons on one of these suits even if I saved up for a year."
Rin looked thoughtful at that. "Well, let's consider this a gift for my apprentice then?"
"I'm not taking your money, Rin." Gods knew she would regret it in the future.
"You don't have to be shy about it. If you want, you can pay me back later." I wanted to refuse, I did! But those were some very cool-looking suits… And honestly? Nobody had treated me this good before, not even my parents. It felt wrong to refuse her good-will.
"… Thank you. Really. I promise I'll pay you back." My eyes were a bit misty, but it was just dust, I swear!
"Humph! I just don't want my apprentice to look like a homeless priest all the times! Don't think too much into it!" Rin blushed cutely, her twin tails flailing as she dragged me inside the shop. "Of course, Rin-sensei is the best!" I laughed, ducking just as she tried to bop me over the head.
"S-Shut up and get in already!"
…
We ended up spending nearly an hour there. The suits were surprisingly much cheaper than I expected, probably because it was an independent business and didn't belong to a large company. It was still obscenely expensive though, the money we spent there made my heart bleed. We did get into trouble with the place, since we both were kids, but nothing a little Compulsion couldn't handle.
By the end, Rin picked out 10 whole sets for me. Four black, three red, two grey, a single set of royal blue and white each. They all had unique designs that put them apart, but they were all beautiful. She wanted to get me shoes too, but I was fine with my Church one. She didn't have to waste any more money on me.
"I gotta protect her…"
"What's that?"
"No, nothing. I was just thinking how many Apostle Hunts I'd have to take part in to pay you back."
"… You don't have to. Just– Just stay safe, okay?"
Yup, I definitely gotta protect this girl.
