I pressed Avalon against my chest. It dissolved into golden particles, integrating seamlessly into my being.
Click.
My magic circuits deactivated. The emerald geometric grids across my skin receded, vanishing completely. Not even a wisp of mana remained.
"Medea. Compile all data on Shirou Emiya. Determine how he came into contact with an artifact like Avalon."
I spoke flatly, exiting the classroom without a backward glance.
Shirou Emiya was a mild curiosity... nothing more. He was intriguing, perhaps, but ultimately predictable.
Far more interesting was Medea. A variable capable of betrayal at any moment.
Even against me.
Subjecting her to life threatening situations would be a fascinating experiment. I needed to observe whether she would choose to betray me to ensure her own survival... or face death with defiance.
Whatever her choice, the outcome would be engrossing.
Because what she would choose... is unknown to me.
...
..
.
After school.
Home.
I prepared a mouthwatering spread. The [Ultimate Cook] talent had ensnared Medea completely.
My eyes glanced at her. She sat at the dining table, wiping her purple lips repeatedly in anticipation, her eyes fixed on the dishes with undisguised yearning.
Her gaze remained locked onto the plate as I set down a serving of fish and chips, accompanied by roasted chicken wings.
I took my seat and watched her eat with ravenous intensity. A flush of joy spreading across her face.
Joy, huh?
I wonder how that feels.
I understand the biological mechanics—dopamine, oxytocin, the neurochemical pathways responsible for the sensation.
But experiencing it myself?
It would probably be boring.
She finished the meal in moments. Her expression settling into contentment, and a newfound spark lit her eyes whenever she looked at me.
It was the look one might give a personal five-star chef, expecting a daily rotation of mouthwatering dishes.
Fine.
Even animals require incentives to perform. I will treat this as necessary maintenance...feeding her to ensure she remains motivated to give her all in the Holy Grail War.
If it compels her to show me something... unpredictable... then the effort is justified.
I granted her exactly five minutes of rest afterwards.
"So... Medea, have you discovered any clues related to Shirou Emiya and Avalon?"
Medea rested her chin on her hand, studying me with a thoughtful expression.
"Master, I've sent my familiars to investigate Shirou Emiya and his background. He was apparently adopted by a foreign magus named Kiritsugu Emiya after the Fuyuki fire incident ten years ago."
She paused before continuing.
"That Kiritsugu Emiya was famous some years ago as the 'Magus Killer.' And his Emiya family was known for their time magecraft."
I held up a hand, halting her mid-sentence.
"How did you acquire so much information on them so quickly?"
The timeline didn't align with standard reconnaissance methods.
"Oh, that!" Medea brought her other hand to her lips, tapping softly against them in a gesture of feigned innocence. "I simply captured a rogue magus passing through Fuyuki and had him... cough up... everything he knew about Kiritsugu and the local history. Tehee~."
I stared at her, expressionless.
"Did you learn that gesture from television?"
"Yes, Master. Isn't that the fashion nowadays?" Medea tilted her head, genuinely curious.
I possessed the [Ultimate Fashionista] talent. Her words weren't incorrect, and yet...
"You're grounded."
My voice was flat.
"Eh? Ehhh!? EHHHH!?"
Medea's voice rose in incredulity, her composure shattering entirely.
...
..
.
Fuyuki Cemetery.
Late night.
The cemetery lay abandoned. Not a single soul nearby. Moonlight cast long shadows between the weathered headstones.
"So... why are we here again, Master?" Medea asked, a tinge of disbelief colouring her voice.
I stood before a grave marked with the epitaph of Kiritsugu Emiya.
"How many times must I tell you, Medea?" I replied, my expression unchanging. "You informed me earlier that Kiritsugu likely died with the Emiya family's magic crest still intact. Within that crest lies the research of progressive heads of the Emiya lineage on time magecraft."
A faint glint of interest was shining inside my crimson eyes.
My hands gripped the shovel. A moment later, I began to dig into Kiritsugu's grave with expert movements. I possessed the [Ultimate Grave Robber] talent, after all.
"Time magecraft... I hope it won't be boring."
I spoke to the air, my focus entirely on the task before me.
Medea watched my actions with mounting shock.
She... the legendary Witch of Colchis... was now grave robbing alongside her Master.
I ignored her reaction and continued my work.
So what if I was grave robbing?
It was worth every second if I could find something unknown.
My body moved with fluid grace. I probably looked like a veteran who had robbed countless graves from my actions alone.
Pull up. Push down. Throw soil aside.
I cycled through these motions without pause.
Medea's shock eventually gave way to weary acceptance as she came to terms with reality.
"Master... you always say that you have every so-called 'Ultimates' in existence, right?" Her voice grew animated, a new idea sparking in her mind. "You should have something like an [Ultimate Prince] talent, right? I'll get your work done and even preserve the Emiya magic crest with extra care... if you act like a prince for a day."
Her cheeks flushed red beneath her hooded robe, enthusiasm barely contained.
"Hm?"
I glanced at her for a moment. I did indeed possess an [Ultimate Prince] talent.
My mind calculated the time it would take me to complete the work alone versus the time it would take Medea to finish it using her magic.
Indeed. She could accomplish this in moments.
Acting like a prince, huh?
Very well...
"Alright."
I stopped my shovel mid motion.
Medea squealed inwardly.
Having a Master like this was a dream for every Servant. He could cook. He could fight. He could act like another person altogether—all while being supremely talented in magecraft.
And... there were still many things she didn't know about her Master.
Kyaaaa~
...
..
.
Five minutes later.
"Master... the Emiya family crest appears to be missing crucial parts of its structure. And the magic crest itself has degraded due to age."
Medea held a broken crest above her palm, its glow barely illuminating the darkness.
"I expected as much. With your knowledge and experience...along with my [Ultimate Analyst] and [Ultimate Detective] talents, we should be able to deduce the contents of the whole crest in due time."
I spoke without emotional fluctuation. My prediction about its current state were spot on.
Boring.
"But Master... why do you even want this useless crest?" Medea asked, genuine incomprehension in her voice.
I tilted my head toward the starless sky.
"Medea... tell me. If you were attacked by a holy sword, what would you do?"
"What about ten holy swords? Fifty?"
Yes... my [Ultimate Analyst] and [Ultimate Detective] had already deduced the surface workings of that golden-haired man's ability now that I possessed fundamental knowledge of magecraft.
That man had opened a golden portal to bring out Caladbolg.
He was not even remotely serious at that time.
So... what if he could throw tens? Hundreds? Thousands of weapons similar to Caladbolg at me?
How would I survive?
How would I fight back?
How would I show him... [Ultimate Despair]?
...
My mind answered in response.
...
What existed beyond every legendary sword?
What existed beyond every weapon?
What existed beyond every attack?
Time.
...
That conclusion showed me the way forward.
...
This was my first project towards transcending the legends of this world.
Hence... I name it.
Project: Endless.
...
..
.
***
[300 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
[5 chapters ahead on P@tr3on = [email protected]/Not_Aaryan]
...
[Author's Thoughts]
Our man Kiritsugu would be rolling in his grave. People were flirting while digging his grave.
Wuuu... Wuuu... I feel for you my man, Kiritsugu.
May you rest in peace after they're done with your grave.
...
[UltimateFashionishta]: Junko Enoshima's Talent. As a professional in fashion, Izuru has already decided that a black suit and long hair is the best image for him.
[Ultimate Prince]: He'll be your prince, plain and simple.
[Ultimate Grave Robber]: An OC talent I created. It makes him unrivalled in grave robbing. Professional grave robbers would kiss the ground he walks on if they ever saw him mid grave robbing.
...
Note:
Izuru had lost his emotions during the surgery at Hope's Peak academy to gain every [Ultimate] in existence.