Her eyes were half-lidded, and she kept her breathing steady. Her back was rigid and sweat had beaded on her forehead. She was sitting cross-legged on a cushion with her hands in her lap. Rather than closed in a mudra, her fingers were laced together, and the muscles of her forearms were taunt as she clenched her hands into interlocked fists.

On the ground in front of her was an item he had materialized, a kilogram of [Medium Quality Iron Ingot].

She was staring at the [Ingot] intensely, and in time with her carefully controlled exhalation, the item rose off the ground. It wobbled back and forth in place, rotating slowly, and it jerked upwards in time with her heartbeat only to slowly drift back down.

But she was definitely succeeding at using [Telekinesis] on the Ingot.

But, with a frustrated growl, she lost control and the [Ingot] flipped out of her control, tumbling like it had slipped off her palm and fell towards the ground.

Shirou put the hammer down on the anvil. He had thought about puttering around while Argo practiced, but watching her progress had been distracting enough that he hadn't gotten anything done. Setting the hammer down was simply an act of recognizing that.

"You're doing well." Shirou praised.

"Tch." Argo frowned more deeply as she glanced down to her side, clicking her teeth in frustration. "I don't understand."

Her eyes came up and her frustrated gaze met his eyes, and she continued speaking. "This isn't a normal amount of difficulty. It's like it's harder for me than it is for everyone else." She shook her head. "It's a little painful, watching as other people naturally improve faster than I do."

He looked at the hammer resting on the surface of the anvil, and then turned to sit next to it, half-leaning on the anvil. "There's no need to compare yourself to others. Just progress at your own pace."

She gave him a sour look. "That's impossible. Working as a consultant to help players optimize their builds is my biggest cash cow as an information dealer. It's not just a gut feeling, I also keep track of how fast my clients level up their skills." She shook her head. "It's like… I've got a permanent debuff that only lets me gain a percentage of the JP that other players get."

"JP?" Shirou asked blankly, standing up from the anvil, thinking about pacing around a little bit. That would probably bother Argo, though.

"Job Points." Argo replied, flicking her finger as she absently explained what she meant. "For filling up skill bars, rather than XP for leveling."

So rather than a penalty at gaining battle experience, it was more like she couldn't get as much experience out of practicing her magic.

Shirou sighed as he sat on the ground across from her, before he smiled with sympathy. "That's probably true." He admitted. "Even though you spend an hour carefully creating the [Fake Circuit], it's still basically inferior to the real thing." He shrugged. "Well, with practice, it will at least get more stable, so it's the same each time, rather than having different parameters each time you create it."

Argo grunted sourly. "I kind of guessed that the prana capacity was a little different each time I created it." She unlaced her fingers, resting her hands on her feet as she chewed her lip, thinking, before looking up. "Hey." She said. "If I can make the [Fake Circuit] different, then does that mean I could make it with different elements eventually or something?"

Shirou blinked. He had never even considered deliberately making the Circuit different with each attempt. Certainly Kiritsugu had focused on teaching him to stabilize it so he could make it the same each time. Since creating the Fake Circuit had merely been a means to the ends of performing magecraft, straying from the proscribed path had been discouraged as an unnecessary risk.

"I don't think so." Shirou said, after some consideration. "Since your Element is an innate trait, it's more like a property that's imposed on the Circuit than a feature of it."

He made an uncertain face as he considered it in greater depth, because there was something else that had occurred to him. "However… you might be able to create it with a pre-engraved spell so all you have to do is run Prana through it and the spell would automatically activate." He spoke hesitantly, but it was something that might be possible: to create a Fake Circuit with specialized functions like a Crest. Just like Rin had the Gandr shot carved into the extra Circuits so all she had to do was fill them with prana and pull the trigger to fire the curse, it might be possible to record an aria and image into the Fake Circuit so it could be used automatically.

"Hm." Argo said, grunting. "If I was going to turn myself into a [Vancian Wizard], then I would prefer to do it with more than one spell slot."

It took Shirou a moment to figure out what she meant, but when he did, his eyebrows went up. "Creating more than one Fake Circuit, huh." Shirou shrugged. "Maybe that's possible."

Argo crossed her arms, thinking, before she slapped her thigh. "Well, it's something to try, but for now, I want to try my TK again."

She breathed out, and refocused on the [Medium Quality Iron Ingot]. Once again, she raised it up, and it wobbled in place.

Shirou stood, and she blinked as he walked towards her. "Let's try this." He said, and he reached out, placing his hand against the Ingot, pressing down. "Here," he said. "Like this, I can act as a shock absorber."

"Thanks." She replied, tense as she focused on the Ingot.

With his hand holding it down, rather than her just trying to exactly balance against the downwards force of gravity, he could tell that it was wobbling less, since she was able to focus on getting the amount of force right.

Once it was steadier, Shirou spoke. "So you help other players improve their builds?" He asked.

"I'm trying to focus." Argo muttered back in a distracted voice.

"And I'm trying to distract you." Shirou easily replied. "Try to move the spell into the instinctive part of your mind that lets you stay balanced while standing, rather than trying to do it with your conscious mind." He smiled down at her. "That's why we'll distract your conscious mind with conversation."

"I get it." Argo muttered. "And yes. Players are willing to pay an okay amount of money if it's just a pointer on where some good quests are, but since it's annoying to have to wait in line once they get popular, that usually dries up pretty quick." She grunted, and he leaned forward as the Ingot pulsed up into his palm as her control wobbled.

"Anyway," she continued, "if it's something like coaching towards good builds, then people are naturally willing to pay more for something that will stay with them the whole game, and since I also keep track of what builds are needed, I can also earn matchmaker fees."

Shirou thought about that. "That's really nice." He said, with an honest smile. "Helping people like that… if I could do that much with my swords, then I would be happy."

He almost stumbled as the Ingot abruptly stopped pressing against his palm, but it was only for an instant, before it smoothly pushed up again. Her control was improving.

"That's interesting." Argo said slowly, like she was testing the words before she said them. "So you plan on splitting your time between being a [Front-Liner] and a [Crafter] going forward?" Her voice sped up to her normal talking speed as she regained her confidence. "Yeah, I guess the [Sixth Ranger] hasn't been accomplishing as much since players have gotten used to the game, so you're going to sell fishing rods as a [Trainer] rather than handing out [Fish] as a tutorial gift, is that it?"

Shirou wasn't entirely sure what she meant, but he thought he probably got the gist of it. "That's about right." He agreed.

"Hmm." Argo said. "Can you try letting off the [Ingot] now?" She asked, changing the subject slightly.

Shirou stepped back, letting the Ingot float freely. It wasn't wobbling nearly as much now, although it was slowly rotating in place.

Argo made a pleased noise, looking up at the Ingot that floated between them. Since her head was tilted back, he could clearly see the proud smile on her face.

"Good job." Shirou sincerely praised, smiling in his own delight. He had quit the Archery club for selfish reasons, but this was the first time he'd regretted it at all. Although he had always helped clean up afterwards and would volunteer for maintaining the equipment, he'd never offered to help others practice. Maybe it was arrogant to think he would have been able to teach them anything, but he hadn't even tried. Watching someone improve with his help… it was nice.

"Hmph." Argo said, sharply glancing down towards her side, breaking eye-contact. The Ingot wobbled dangerously, nearly flipping over, before it stabilized. "S-so." She coughed, before speaking confidently. "If you don't mind, then I'll advertise sales for you on a very reasonable commission."

Shirou smiled wryly. "But you'll still charge the customer an information fee to tell them my name, right?"

"Kya ha ha." Argo laughed sharply, sitting up straighter. "Praise me more!" She said, imperiously.

"You're just like Ilya." Shirou muttered.

"Getting compared to her doesn't make me happy at all." Argo muttered darkly. She sighed, letting the Ingot lower to the ground. "Well, if I could keep it steady through that, then I've got it mastered."

She stood up, rolling her neck even though there weren't any vertebrae inside to pop. When she was done, she called up her menu, and started puttering through it. "Hey." She asked.

"Yes?" Shirou calmly replied.

Argo pursued her lips, lowering her head slightly so that her hood covered her eyes, and her hand hesitated over her menu before she started tapping through it again. "I heard a rumor from one of my clients. She wanted to know where to find a trainer for [Omyou Magecraft] and mentioned something interesting."

"Oh? What was it?" Shirou replied. Argo was acting strangely defensive, so he tried to speak gently.

"Supposedly, Ilya claimed to know [Alchemy]." Argo said with a quiet voice. "Was that a lie?"

Shirou sighed. "Since I wasn't there I can't answer your question, but Ilya is a straightforward girl who doesn't deceive people." He had a crooked grin. Ilya was a sheltered girl who even now possessed a surprising amount of innocence. Rather than saying she was too honest, it was more like lies were unnatural to her.

"Yeah, that's one way of putting it." After saying something neutral, Argo shook her head slightly. "Well, let me ask that directly instead. Does Ilya know [Alchemy]?"

Shirou calmly stared at Argo as he considered.

Certainly, something like [Alchemy] hadn't been released inside the game, so from the perspective of the players trapped in [Aincrad], someone that could use it was definitely suspicious.

It would be easy to simply say, "Ilyasviel von Einzbern is an inheritor of the thousand-year tradition of Einzbern Alchemy", but such a flat statement was a red line that would make him an enemy of Mage Association. Since it wouldn't save any lives there was no reason to make them into enemies.

And it wasn't like Argo would believe him. To say something as unbelievable as "Magic is real" wouldn't guarantee Argo's trust. She might believe he was sarcastically antagonizing her, and he would rather have her cooperation. If at all possible, he would prefer not to make her into a collaborator who would be purged by the Enforcers.

No, before that, he had no idea how that guy would react. Before he could even consider handling the Association, first he had to deal with Kayaba Akihiko.

She wasn't even pretending to operate her menu now. Instead, she was standing tensely with her hands clenched into fists at her sides, steadily glaring at him from under her hood. She would definitely not accept his silence.

What could he say that would preserve her trust without answering her question? What could he use of himself?

"You know," Shirou quietly began, "that Ilya and I aren't related by blood, right?"

"Yes." Argo said, nodding her head sharply. "Or rather, that's something Ilya said a few times. Well, I won't discount that it's the self-justification of a brocon that hit the level cap."

Shirou sighed heavily. "That's a really great thing to say." He sighed again, and shook his head. "But no, it's true. Father… I was adopted by dad, and before then, he had been disowned by his wife's family. They raised Ilya. I met her for the first time less than a year ago." Shirou raised his hands, uncertain what he do with them. "After dad died, I promised him that I'd do what he couldn't. So that's why I'm looking after Ilya. She's had a lot of challenges in her life, so if it's at all possible, I'd like to support her."

Argo licked her lips, and then closed her mouth again. "That doesn't quite answer my question."

Shirou smiled. It was a crooked expression, containing a certain amount of exasperation and fatalism. "Ilya's not very good at keeping secrets, so if it's something I can forgive, then I won't challenge it." He felt his smile twitch into something more real, something more savage. "If you're willing to trust me, please do so."

Yes. This wasn't an appropriate time to confront that. He couldn't do anything. His abilities as a hero were still that limited. All he could do was grit his teeth and wait for an opening.

Argo met his gaze, before sighing as she dropped her eyes and looked off to the side. "If you make that kind of face, then I can't do anything but trust it." She muttered petulantly. "Since you've earned it for now, I'll hope you know what you're doing."

"Argo." Shirou said, quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

I I I

There was a knocking on the door, and then it flung open as Kirito bustled in. "Hey!" He said cheerfully, "you two were surprisingly hard to find, you know that?"

Shirou turned, and looked over his shoulder at the boy that had burst into the room.

Argo also turned, resting a hand on her hip, before she dismissed him from her attention, turning back to her practice. She slowly breathed out, raising a hand. Underneath her palm, one of the [Throwing Picks] that was laying on the ground floated up, hovering over the floor.

"Why were we hard to find?" Shirou asked in surprise. "Even then, couldn't you have just sent us a PM for directions?"

Kirito rolled his eyes in an exasperated manner. "You always write the shortest message you possibly can, and Argo has hers set up to auto-reply an away message right now."

The throwing pick glowed bright yellow as the [System Assist] applied a skill to it, and then it launched exactly as if thrown, before plinking against the painting hanging on the wall they had designated as their arbitrary [Target]. Since it was a picture of a bull mob from the second floor, naturally Argo insisted they aim at the literal [Bull's Eye]. Then she turned to address Kirito. "I can't just blow off my clients, but I don't want any interruptions when I'm practicing. That's the obvious solution, Kiribou."

She turned back and pouted at her miss as the [Immortal Object] prompt came up over the wall, her pick falling to the ground.

Kirito's eyes lit up with understanding as he saw what Argo had done, rubbing his chin with an excited look in his eye.

Shirou took his turn, levitating and launching the [Throwing Pick] all in one smooth motion.

The [Immortal Object] prompt came up over the painting again, and Argo glowered at him. He hadn't missed even once since they had figured out how to combine the [Telekinesis] with the [Throwing Skill].

"Why the first floor, anyway?" Kirito asked. "I mean, this is a pretty out-of-the-way place to hang out."

Shirou sighed. "Ilya got in a fight with Liz." He explained, and Argo and Kirito nodded seriously as if that explained everything. Honestly, it really did. Shirou shook his head slightly, gesturing to the nearly forgotten anvil and hammer off to the side. "This is the cheapest [Blacksmithing area] that can be rented, so I've been lying low here."

"Kya ha ha." Argo cut in, laughing. "Shirou can thank me for providing that intel!"

"Yes, yes." Shirou dryly replied. "Thanks for that, Argo-sama."

"That's nice." Kirito said, with the voice of someone who was dismissing it out of hand. Then he placed his hands on his hips and puffed up with a proud smile, saying, "you'll never guess what I found!"

Argo drew out a long hum that expressed her low expectations of whatever Kirito had found before she appropriately guessed. "Your most recent bed-and-breakfast place has a masseuse." She accented her words by launching another [Throwing Pick].

Kirito was prepared, and with a superior grin, flicked the pick he had in his right hand, hitting the [Bull's Eye] directly, before turning to address Argo. "I'll tell you for free: No." Kirito shot back. "Ah, but that does sounds cool, huh?" He sighed. "Man, I hope I can find a place like that someday."

"Hm." Shirou pursed his lips, before he also guessed. "Was it an NPC that sells really delicious food?" Since it was his turn, he absently gestured, launching his own dart. It would have been rude to look away, so he kept his attention on Kirito. He could see the target with his mind anyway, so he didn't need his eyes.

Kirito started at him, glancing over his shoulder in a double-take, before sighing in even deeper depression. "No, that's… no."

Argo raised an eyebrow, glancing from the target back to Shirou with an incredulous look. There was no need to check; Shirou had known it was a hit the instant the pick had fired. Argo turned to address Kirito. "Is it a place that sells [Cool Hats] for cheap?"

But Kirito shook his head, before looking up with a stern expression. "No. And I'm not going to let you guess anymore, because that turned out to be surprisingly depressing."

"Well, what is it, then?" Argo asked, with a slightly testy voice. "And before you shoot back with [100 Col] or whatever, it had better be worth interrupting Argo-nee-chan's precious training time."

Kirito pouted. "You're kind of not fun anymore, Argo."

"What did you find out?" Shirou asked with more patience. It was true that Argo was being a little snappy, but she did have a point. Practicing magecraft was tense, so it was inappropriate for him to interrupt their training just to chat.

But Kirito sighed and crossed his arms, tucking his left hand into his right elbow while he held up his right hand with his pointer finger extended. That body language made Shirou hope Rin was doing well.

"In this [World of Aincrad]," Kirito began in a slightly pompous tone, "there are three [Basic Physical Spells]. Two of these are already known. There's [Reinforcement] which can move the slider bar on a property towards 100%, and there's [Alteration] which adds a completely new property to the item. The third spell, named [Projection] or [Gradation Air] depending on how pompous the NPC trainer is, is supposed to make an item out of nothing." He smirked, and there was a superior glint in his eye as he navigated his menu. "That's just based on what the trainers say because it hasn't been released…" He paused dramatically.

At the same time he decisively tapped a button in his invisible menu, he spoke. "Until today, that is."

Shirou blinked, looking down. Kirito had opened a trade window to share an item with them: the [Spellbook] for [Projection].

Argo smiled, her expression matching Kirito's giddiness, before she glanced up. "Good job, Kiribou." She said, before her sincere smile grew a little sharper. "I suppose even someone like you can accomplish something good if you put your mind to it."

Kirito deflated, slumping in place. "Fine, fine, whatever." He complained, vaguely waving his hand in dismissal of Argo's words. "I don't even care anymore, see if I help you next time."

"Aw," Argo said, with a pout on her lips, "Don't be so sensitive, Kiribou." Her expression softened, as she got a little more serious. "I'm just teasing you after all, nothing more."

Kirito sighed, with a light smile on his lips. "Well, I suppose if it's just teasing, then I can be magnanimous enough to forgive you."

"I want to try it." Shirou suddenly said.

"Hm?" Argo said, head twitching back to face Shirou.

"Projection." Shirou explained to her implicit question. "I want to try it."

Yes. From the beginning, Emiya Shirou wasn't someone that was suited towards adding to what already existed. No matter how much Rin complained about it, he wasn't someone that enjoyed trying to make something better. It was far easier and more obvious for him to simply create something according to his own image in the first place.

He nodded, quickly casting through the menu to check his spell list. Yes, there was [Projection] in the list. There would be no problems.

He breathed out, closing his eyes. It was appropriate. If the [Fake Circuit] was the way he had struggled to prepare himself for magecraft, then [Projection] was that magecraft which he had struggled for.

He felt the tension in his mind, the sensation of the [Spell Assist] like vertigo as he tipped forward to fall through the image into his mind. The Assist was like gravity pulling him forwards as he dove.

So he reached out and created—

[Spell Failure!]

He did not create. The image fractured and broke, like the delicate glass he was holding shattered when he clumsily squeezed too hard and cut his hands as it spilled out on the ground.

He grunted, checking as his HP went down.

"Hm." Kirito said, rubbing his chin. "I guess it's harder than the other two spells were, huh?" He shook his head, before sighing. "Well, maybe it was unrealistic to expect Shirou would always get it on the first try."

"No," Shirou distantly corrected him, "I know what I did wrong."

Yes, of course. He had rushed forward without checking anything. That was his own mistake, for making foolish assumptions.

Because he had tried to do the [Projection] his way.

Starting from the very beginning at the concept of creation and reproducing every possible detail in order: that was the way Emiya Shirou did it. When he had explained as much, hadn't Kiritsugu looked at him like he was crazy and scolded him for wasting all that effort on things far from the core concept? Hadn't Rin told him he was an idiot that was doing things backwards by moving inwards from every possible detail rather than radiating outward from the central tenet?

Shirou nodded to himself, and slowed his breathing, letting his eyes flutter shut.

Because Kiritsugu had said so, he had taken the advice seriously and denied his instincts, and practiced that studiously as well. He felt the precipice of expectation from the [Spell Assist], and let it pull him as he dove forwards in the orthodox manner.

He exhaled as he reached out, closing his hand around the hilt.

He opened his eyes, examining the sword with a critical eye.

"Hmm." Kirito said, leaning forward and scrunching his eyebrows together. "This is really similar to the effect of your [Psychogenesis], isn't it?" He had a curious expression on his face, so Shirou held out the sword so he could examine it more closely. He needed to focus on his next spell anyway.

"Oh?" Argo said, with a tone of mild curiosity.

"My element is [Sword]," Shirou explained distractedly. He prepared himself. However, when the precipice of the [Spell Assist] appeared near his feet, he pushed it away to do things completely on his own.

"Interesting." Argo said with a soft voice, before looking at the sword that Kirito was holding. "Well, are there any differences?"

Yes. Maybe it was something wasteful and inefficient. Maybe it was the wrong approach for an excellent magus. Maybe it was something a first-rate magus like Rin would scorn and something a first-rate magic-user like his father would scoff at. But the way Emiya Shirou had found was the best way for Emiya Shirou. There was no better spell.

"Hm." Kirito said, turning the sword around in his hands. "Well, it's actually a piece of equipment." He pursed his lips as he checked the parameters of the item he was holding. "Pretty good one, too." He glanced over at Shirou. "Hey." He began, turning to Shirou. "I didn't think to check at the time, but are the swords you create with [Psychogenesis] also equipment?"

Shirou ignored him, as he focused on his inner world. "Trace: On." He intoned. Start from the concept of making. Perfectly reproduce the materials and apply every manufacturing process. Accumulate the time and experience. For him there was no better way.

He breathed out, and smiled as he held the sword. "There." He said. "Projection should be at least that much." He nodded as he examined the sword.

"That's…" Kirito muttered, shifting the sword to his left to instinctively reach out.

Shirou naturally handed the sword over to him, and Kirito stared, blinking wide-eyed. He opened his mouth once, before closing it without saying anything. He set the first sword down on his lap, holding the second one so he could access his menu.

He materialized his [Anneal Blade].

"They're the same." Argo muttered.

Shirou nodded decisively. Making the fake indistinguishable from the original was the goal, after all.

"Unreal." Kirito muttered. "The stats and parameters are all exactly the same. No, this one has another one, called [Imaginary Durability]." He looked up. "So, I guess that's the measurement of how long it will last before it breaks, huh?" He glanced down. "Hmm. It hasn't decremented yet, so it should last at least half an hour."

A holographic announcement popped up in front of Shirou, announcing a [Unique Spell].

[Name: Tracing (Accept/Change?)
Description: Manufacture an illusion according to the design parameters held in your mind. Synergy with your Element.
Prerequisites:
Structural Grasp (100)
Projection (10)
Imaginary Blueprints (special requirement)]

"May I?" Argo asked, reaching out. Kirito handed it over. She went through the same process of inspection, before she snorted. "There's another difference." She pointed out. "It's named [Kirito's Anneal Blade]."

Shirou reached up and tapped [Accept]. When he did so, he felt like he had finished rolling up his character in a way he didn't even know was incomplete.

Kirito grimaced. "Yeah, I noticed that."

"So, [Projection] should be capable of this much, huh?" Argo said, glancing at Shirou speculatively, before her eyes wandered over to hold Kirito's gaze for a moment.

Kirito met Argo's glance steadily, and with the smallest possible motion, shrugged expressively. Argo nodded in response to that, before turning back to Shirou. "Well, I guess that pretty well answers the first question, then." She said cryptically.

Kirito cleared his throat. "Going back a little bit." He said. "You were focused on that," he said, pointing at the sword held in Argo's hand, "so please allow me to repeat myself. Are the swords you create with [Psychogenesis] also equipment?"

"No." Shirou quickly replied, shaking his head, before he corrected himself. "Or rather, the ones I created then weren't equippable." He lingered on the last word, almost making it a question rather than a statement, as he considered the implication of that spell description: [Synergy with your Element].

"So, could you create equipment with [Psychogenesis], then?" Kirito asked. "You should try."

Shirou shrugged easily as he agreed. "Okay." He turned inward, imaging the spell.

It was different. Compared to diving into a target and letting the ripples expand into the shape with [Projection], using [Psychogenesis] was more like pouring prana out through a naturally occurring mold. Simply making it the correct way was the best effect.

"Trace: On." Shirou breathed out. This time, rather that reproducing every step with Tracing, or expounding the concept with Projection, he simply followed his instincts as someone with the Sword Element.

It rippled out into existence, a sword that bloomed like a stalk of grass growing out of his palm.

"There." He said, handing the sword to Kirito.

Kirito grinned awkwardly, shuffling around as he juggled his [Anneal Blade] back into his inventory, picked the first Projected sword off his lap with his left hand, and took the sword Shirou had created with [Psychogenesis] in his right hand.

"Hmm." Kirito hummed again, with the same thoughtful frown. "This one is equipment. Its parameters are about where a normal [One-Handed Steel Sword] would be, don't you agree?" He finished with a question, as he handed the sword to Argo. She put the Traced [Kirito's Anneal Blade] on the ground beside her, and reached out to take the one created with Psychogenesis.

Argo grunted as she took the blade, examining it herself. She inspected it, and then nodded her head. "Yeah." She looked up after she spoke, glancing from Shirou to Kirito. "Dead average."

Kirito frowned, pushing his eyebrows together. "So what's the difference between [Psychogenesis] and [Projection] then?"

"Um." Shirou gathered his thoughts, reaching for a way to explain himself. "Well, they're both for turning your prana into something physical. It's more a matter of approach than effect. If Projection is a spell where you use prana as a pen and carefully measure out the lines and angles with a protractor and straight-edge to precisely draw a figure, then Psychogenesis is a spell that uses prana as a brush to express your emotions with calligraphy based on your aesthetic sense only."

"That's a pretty arbitrary way of putting it." Argo objected.

"No, but it makes sense." Kirito added. "If someone with the Earth element just wanted to create a granite statue, they could do it with either [Projection] or [Psychogenesis], right?" He nodded, slowly, as if convincing himself. "They're different, but where they converge, the distinction isn't clear. Magecraft is a spectrum, not discrete phenomena." He shook his head with a self-conscious smile on his face. "We'll have to experiment with that later."

"I wonder if I could make [Throwing Picks] using my Metal Element." Argo mused, tapping her lips.

Kirito grinned. "You're just looking to save ammo costs, aren't you?"

Shirou crossed his arms. "It might be possible." He said, addressing Argo. "And…" He turned to Kirito, considering. "Against those [Slimes], you condensed Ether into something like clay. You might be able to do it as well."

Kirito stared at Shirou for a long moment, with a surprised look on his face, before he smiled. "Well, there's only one way to find out, right?" Kirito asked, before he answered his own question.

"Let's try some stuff."

The three friends got to work.