Chapter 79
"Let the your od naturally flow through the Circuits. If you're forcing them, you're doing it wrong."
Caster sat next to Shirou, two hands on his back as she monitored his progress in using his newly opened Magic Circuits.
Teaching someone who was an absolute amateur at magecraft was challenging, after a long lecture involving the basics of magecraft, it was somewhat easier. After querying him about the magecraft he used and confirming his method of creating artificial Nerve Circuits with him, she proceeded to explain things that most magi knew about since childhood, like Magic Crests, mana, od and formal craft.
Through her lecture, Shirou was able to understand that he lacked the talent and ability to perform most types of magecraft, and instead could focus on learning and using formal craft as his main method of performing magecraft. Formal craft was an almost scientific way of magic established since King Solomon founded the basis of magecraft, and there were even examples that existed before that. To put it simply, it was the usage of rituals and offerings to harness an outside power to perform great acts of magic, in place of the mage's own paltry energy source. However, this process generally required a sacrifice, and depending on the scale of the magecraft, it could be exceedingly heavy.
Unfortunately, the various rituals categorized as formalcraft were all too complicated for Shirou to learn right away, even the most basic ones, so she was forced to teach him what he already knew and could do. In other words, magecraft that relied on his own od, drawing power from the energy within him. To do that though, she first had to activate his own natural Magic Circuits in his body.
"Hmmmm…"
Merlin hadn't really taught her anything about this kind of stuff. She had just naturally had the ability to use her Magic Core when she was born, a gift of her heritage from Uther Pendragon with the blood of the Red Dragon flowing in her veins. After it was certain that she could wield magic, there was never any tutoring regarding how to activate the source of energy, Magic Circuits, from Merlin. He did mention several methods to mess around with them or interfere with their workings though.
"The soul...linking souls to block or replace them...false Circuit implantation...forcing foreign energy through them... ah, that'll probably work."
She came to a conclusion while Shirou sat there waiting, and laid her hands on his bare back, closing her eyes to focus her Magic Core.
"This might hurt a bit, so please bear with it."
"Hm-"
He felt the spit in his mouth slide down his throat as he involuntarily swallowed it. A burning sensation spread through his body, starting from the core to the tips of his fingers and toes. A strange numbness accompanied it, settling in his four limbs. Pain pushed up the back off his spine, distracting his mind until it was all he could think of. If was standing, he would probably have collapsed on the spot without some sheer will. It was just like when he failed in making a Nerve Circuit.
Forcing his mind to stay alert, he managed to not pass out. Behind him, Caster started her explanation.
"Since you already have Magic Circuits in your body from what I detected earlier, all we need to do is activate them. Unfortunately, your body can't recognize them from the years of you using the wrong method to perform magecraft, so we'll have to make your body identify their existence and switch to using them instead of creating one from scratch. It'll be like flipping a switch for magical energy to flow in your body, instead of having to build a switch every time. Except the switch is rusted and stuck from disuse, so we'll have to force it open. I'm doing this right now by pouring as much magical energy as I can into them, which should be enough to jumpstart them. Please don't lose consciousness, or else the energy transfer might go wrong." She needed Shirou to be in sync with her, and if he fainted she would have to start over when he woke up.
"Nghr, o-ok."
He managed to force those words out, breathing in and out like she instructed him to do. It was over after half a minute of agony, Caster's hands retracting from his back as she observed his condition.
The numbness retreated from his body, but the burning sensation remained.
"The energy I inserted into you just now should be cycling inside your Magic Circuits right now, keeping them open until you can trigger them yourself. When you can turn the switch on and off, you will be able to start functioning as a normal magus."
She paused, watching the sweat roll on his back and drip on the tatami mats.
"Though that might take some time to do."
Shirou bent forward as he gritted his teeth, his hands clenched in fists beside him on the floor.
"So...what do...I do now?"
"I think...you just have to get used to it until you're able to turn off the switch. I mean, you'll have to get used to the sensation of your Magic Circuits being on all the time, since that's what you'll have to do if you're using magecraft, whether in research or in combat. When your body gets used to it, it'll be able to switch it off in order to return to a more comfortable, natural state, and after that you'll be able to toggle the switch naturally."
She was going off based on guesswork and what Merlin mentioned, but it was close to the truth. In addition, he had never experienced having his Circuit on all the time, since he immediately shut off his Nerve Circuit after using them. She wanted to help alleviate the pain, but most magi were able to keep their Circuits open for long periods of time, so he would just have to get used to the sensation.
Still, she could help in other ways. She draped a cold, soaked towel on his back to cool down his body as he endured the imaginary flames eating at his body. After the towel became lukewarm, she took out another one from the basin filled with ice and water and replaced it, putting the towel in a basket for washing.
Outside the room, Saber knelt seiza style in one of the rooms reserved for meditation. Kuzuki meditated beside her, having extended the offer to teach her earlier after she expressed curiosity regarding the practice in the temple. There was little noise, their breathing the only sound. Their bodies didn't shift or twitch, locked in position like they were frozen in time.
An hour later, Shirou finally wrestled the pain into submission, the burning dying down it was merely a dull sickness in his body.
"I feel fine now. It hasn't completely gone away, but it just feels like I'm running a mild fever now."
Caster was mildly surprised he had already grasped after such a short time, but perhaps it was to be expected of someone who had endured the pain of turning his nerves into Magic Circuits.
"Really? Then try reinforcing these cups."
Caster put forward a tray of ceramic cups in front of him, the cups rattling on the metal tray.
Shirou took one and focused, pushing his hazy mind to apply what he had learned about strengthening and reinforcement to the fragile ceramic. Bluish lines in grid like patterns lit up on his hands and covered the cup, like luminous lines of paint decorating the outsides.
*Ching*
The cup broke spectacularly, showering the floor in brown and white shards.
"Try again."
Caster said by him, unmoved by the failure. Picking up another of the cups, Shirou did as she said.
Twenty cups later, Shirou stared down at the mountain of shards piled at his feet, his cheeks slightly red.
"As I thought, you're as bad as they get."
Caster's blunt opinion didn't help things either. She still had some hope after the fifth cup, but by the twelfth failure she could already predict how the rest would go. He was simply a magus with no ability at all. Well, maybe it was because he couldn't properly control his Magic Circuits.
"We'll continue tomorrow then, since you can't do anything in this state. Once your body has adjusted, you should be able to do this more easily." As in, succeed at least once.
"...I'm sorry."
He tried to grab the tray of shards and stand up, but his body wobbled before he could even get a firm grasp on the tray. Caster gently pried his hands off it and lent her shoulder to stand up.
"You'll get better as time passes. Though honestly, it will never be at the same level as even an average magus. However, the more you know, the higher chances of survival are, even if it's just by an infinitesimal amount."
Her words didn't do much to console him, but he was glad that at least he wasn't going to be completely useless.
"You can also ask Saber or Kuzuki to train you physically."
Sensing his thoughts about his failure, she thought that perhaps he could also improve himself physically.
"Ah, I'll try to ask them later."
Caster nodded, then supported him with one hand while holding the tray with the other, balancing the two as they left the room.
"For now, let's get some rest first."
All she could do was teach him as much as she knew, and hope he could make use of it in the future.
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This story will be posted on Archive of Our Own after a few days.