Afternoon.
Home.
"Shall we, then?" I questioned, sliding on a pair of black aviators. My hands were adorned with white gloves... or rather, Mystic Codes crafted by Medea from earlier.
Medea stood opposite to me, her hooded purple robe in place. Countless magic circles lay dormant beneath the fabric, ready to erupt with tremendous mana at her discretion.
Artoria stood beside us, her combat attire pristine. The armor covered her torso, arms, and legs, shielding her vitals from harm.
My question was met with firm, silent nods from both women.
I proceeded to the garage, my steps halting beside my R1. I cast a glance at its rear seat before looking back at my Servants.
Understanding my unsaid query, Medea quickly interjected.
"Master, you must let me ride with you this time. Since last time, you took Artoria with you." She stated, stepping forward to run her hand appreciatively over R1's rear seat.
"Master... Do not listen to her. Allow me to ride with you, as befo—"
"I cannot show favoritism to one Servant over the other; It would only foster dissatisfaction... Therefore, you will follow in spirit form, Artoria." I cut Saber off, my voice flat and logical.
She did not reply immediately, though her cheeks puffed out imperceptibly in a pout.
I mounted the bike. Medea settled herself behind me with practiced ease, her arms wrapping around my waist and tightening her hold as R1 rumbled to life.
Once comfortable, Medea cast a glance back at Artoria, a smug expression painting her features. In response, Artoria gnashed her teeth in impotent rage.
Unable to endure Medea's gloating any longer, she dematerialized into particles of light.
The garage shutter ground open as R1 pulled out, Artoria trailing invisibly behind.
I adjusted my aviators; they matched my dress code impeccably.
I had my innate sense of aesthetics to thank for that.
...
..
.
Einzbern Forest.
"Have you secured this location, Medea?" I asked while surveying the clearing surrounding us.
Artoria and Medea stood beside me, each preparing for the deadly clash to come.
"Yes, Master. I've laid down eighteen compound boundary fields layered atop one another in this part of the forest. Even an excellent magus would not know what is happening inside." Medea replied, gazing one last time toward her enchanted robe.
"Artoria... and you?" I brought my gaze to the King of Knights, who was stretching her limbs nearby.
"I am ready, Master." she replied instantly, her eyes serious and stance battle-ready.
"Very well then, Medea." I spoke, pulling my aviators down to reveal my blank crimson eyes, the radar-like circle in my irises focusing on her.
She didn't respond verbally. Instead, she activated a seldom-used skill of her own.
[Argon Coin].
A skill which manifested a certain "Golden Fleece" from the legends of Argonauts. It contained the legend: "if thrown on the earth, a dragon will appear." However, Medea did not possess the knowledge nor the expertise to summon a dragon, essentially rendering this skill useless for most.
Keyword... for most.
I walked towards the "Golden Fleece" which had materialized in her hands.
My mind shifted into its highest analytical state, every faculty dedicated to comprehension and deconstruction.
Simultaneously, my deductive instincts sharpened to their utmost, tracing patterns and possibilities from the barest of data.
Alongside them, my capacity for innovation and creation surged forward, ready to synthesize new solutions from disparate information.
Blood began to drip from my eyes as they peered into the crystallization of mysteries related to "Golden Fleece" and its guardian dragon.
[Avalon] rumbled in response, immediately working to heal my brain and mind of the damage caused by looking into the very essence of an ancient mystery.
I pressed on without stopping as blood vessels across my eyes continued to burst. The "Golden Fleece" was analyzed. Methods of summoning shared by Medea were referenced and optimized for ease, components from the Servant summoning ritual integrated into it.
Finally... simulations ran inside my mind.
1, 2, 4 times...
24, 27, 32 times...
52 times.
Done.
After fifty-two continuous attempts and simulations, I finally deduced and created a summoning spell suitable for use with the "Golden Fleece" to summon—or rather, project—a dragon from the Age of Gods.
Medea and Artoria both rushed to my side the moment I finished; Caster cleaned my left cheek with her robe, while Saber cleaned my right cheek with the soft padding of her gauntlet.
"It is done. We can project a dragon to the present for some time now." I ignored their actions, my voice flat as I confirmed our readiness.
We took a brief five-minute break, during which I taught Medea the new summoning spell I had created.
"Master, you created this in such a short time? How?" Medea was shocked after I explained the spell to her. Even a magus from Age of Gods like her was left questioning reality at my feat.
My answer to her question?
"Boring."
She directly took mental and emotional damage at my answer.
It took Medea a moment to compose herself afterwards.
"But, Master. Even with your spell, we will at most be able to summon a projection of the weakest dragonkind. There is no guarantee that the projected dragon will be a True Dragon or merely a half-breed." she noted after some thought.
"It is fine. I can study the dragon's physiology to complete my [Beast Will] spell and optimize it later for better output." I replied, removing my aviators and storing them inside my gloves via the spatial storage magic circles engraved on them.
Spatial storage circles was merely one of the many magic circles engraved onto this Mystic Code.
It made things convenient.
I looked toward Medea, who had thrown the "Golden Fleece" onto ground. She followed by chanting incantations in Divine Words, utilizing my newly created spell.
"Εσύ που κυβερνάς τον ουρανό." [You who rules over the sky.]
An intricate magic circle etched itself into existence beneath her.
"σε παρακαλώ." [I beseech thee.]
Its components were pitch-black, devouring the surrounding light like a black hole.
"Σπάστε τους δεσμούς του παρελθόντος." [Break through bindings of the past.]
Our surroundings began to shake with persistent tremors, silence drowning out everything else.
"Να εκδηλωθεί στο παρόν." [To manifest in the present.]
A silhouette loomed above the magic circle, possessing colossal wings and an enormous form, its height reaching even higher than a four-story building.
"Αφυπνίζω." [Awaken.]
Her final words were followed by a sky-turning, sea-draining pressure toppling towards us.
I looked ahead as a mythical creature from legends materialized in front of me.
My expression remained apathetic.
.
I walked towards it with my hands in my pockets, my question echoing across the clearing.
"Will you be... boring too?"
...
..
.
***
[200 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
[5 chapters ahead on P@tr3on = [email protected]/Not_Aaryan]
...
[Author's Thoughts]
Time has come for Izuru to fight against a dragon and complete his [Beast Will] spell. He had concluded that it was becoming imperative to increase his base strength to even have a chance against other Heroic Spirits.
Dragon vs Ultimate.
It'll be a blast.
Hold tight...
And a huge thanks to all the people who have supported me this month on Patreon. I appreciate you all and would like if any of you communicate with me about what you would expect from me further down the line.
Take care.
...
[Argon Coin]: It is a skill which manifests the Golden Fleece. Basically a very valuable hidden treasure of Colchis, and while there is nothing special about the fleece itself, there is an anecdote that a dragon will appear if it is thrown on the ground. The exact reason isn't known, but it seems people have mixed up the Golden Fleece with the dragon that used to guard it, making the story feel like some kind of satire.
While it is capable of summoning the original Colchis Dragon that guarded it, Caster does not have the knowledge or skill to summon a Phantasmal Beast, so it goes unused during the original Fifth Holy Grail War.