A.N. (2/24/23) - Here's the first promised Friday release chapter.
Atlas (6) - Projection
"You're distracted."
"Huh?" Rin paused to blink at her opponent. "Sorry, what was that?"
Winter lowered her weapon. "I said that you're distracted. Normally, your movements are more dynamic than this. When compared to your performance last week, it is clear that you are lagging today."
The two of them were alone together in one of the training rooms based at Atlas Academy. Once Rin had finished hanging out with Terra, she eventually made her way to meet with her usual sparring partner. Since Winter was one of the few people who knew about Rin and her past exploits, the two got along well enough once they had the opportunity to interact over the past few months.
Eventually, one of them proposed that they should spar with one another. Rin could not recall exactly who asked first, but since then, both would meet once a week to train together. At first, they would use the public training grounds, but those occasions usually drew the attention of a large crowd of students. The appeal of watching two attractive girls trying to beat one another was quite strong, and the unwanted gazes from spectators made it difficult for them to get in the right mood. In the end, Winter used her authority to borrow a private training room for them to use from then on.
It was an unexpected friendship that she never expected to form with the other woman, but Rin was fine with it.
"Ugh, sorry."
"It's fine." She sighed. "Maybe it would be best if we took a break. We've already been sparring for over an hour."
"No, hold on. I'll try to clear my head and do better this time. How about one more match before we call it for the day?"
"Hmm, if you say so."
After saying that, Winter once again raised her blade and held it in a mid-level position. Her gaze sharpened as she prepared herself for the upcoming conflict.
Rin readied her weapon as well, a practice sword that she made a while back to assist with amplifying her magical energy. Although it was a tool that better functioned as a wand than a blade, it could still be used in close combat. Since the only magecraft she was allowed to use in this match was reinforcement, it was preferable to have a weapon on hand. After all, the goal was not to defeat Winter but to gain experience.
Focussing, she created the image of her own heart in her mind.
-Start-
"—Anfang."
She winced. Not for the first time, she slipped up and used a different command spell to rouse her magical energy. It was a habit that she tried to break but always ended up failing to do so in the end. Was it due to a change in her mental state, or did the incident several months ago prevent her from correcting this?
Either way, magical energy flooded her entire body until it was strengthened to its limits. In her current state, her physical abilities equaled the older and more trained Winter despite their age difference. That was mainly due to her attributes of conversion and reinforcement, where both were versatile affinities suited to pouring magical energy into any container to transform it.
Despite that, there was still a clear advantage that Winter held over her.
Practically speaking, she was using magecraft to directly enhance the parameters of her body. While that included muscle strength and agility, one issue reinforcement had trouble improving was stamina. Since stamina was the body's ability to sustain physical effort for a long time, it would be natural to assume that a better physique would be able to deal with physical stress and exertion. However, performing body reinforcement meant physically and mentally taxing oneself anyway, so improved physical parameters did not offset this issue much. That was why having a better base physique helped in reinforcement since the strain of using magecraft was lessened as a result.
The difference between her and Winter was that there was no such 'strain' for Aura users. Using Aura in itself wasn't taxing, and exhaustion was mainly due to physical exertion during battle. If given a reason, it was because Aura was more natural while magecraft was unnatural. At least, that was what she had been able to determine thus far from her experiments on Aura.
Not that a single test subject makes a good sample size for study.
But that was why they were sparring. Whether one used Aura or magical energy, knowing how to use it mattered. Depending on the skill and talent of the user, one could lower the impact on their overall stamina over time until there was barely any toll on their reserves. Energy control was a key factor in this, and the best way to achieve optimal usage was through trial and error.
Put simply, practice makes perfect.
"It seems that you are prepared." Winter shifted in place. "Then I shall make the first move."
She disappeared.
From experience, Rin knew that Winter would start with a swift direct attack. Reinforced sight caught her approaching figure right as the sabre thrust toward her direction, and Rin immediately reacted by bringing up her weapon. The resulting clash produced sparks as their blades met, and Rin swayed to one side to deflect the sabre past her body.
Still, Winter kept her balance as her body twirled in the air to deal another attack. The slash had the advantage of reach and trapping the foe from taking a step back. Again, Rin managed to block the blade at the last second, but the force behind the strike almost caused her to lose her footing. Now that Winter was in range, the two exchanged multiple blows so that a series of clacks and cracks rang throughout the room.
In terms of speed, Rin was nimbler than the other woman. But Winter was taller than her, had a longer reach and stride, and was more skilled with the blade. Had she taken advantage of the length of her weapon, Winter would have been able to land more blows on her opponent. The only reason she did not do so was that past spars taught her that Rin would simply retreat if she tried. Thus, the two were caught in this deadlock until one of them slipped. But at this rate, it would be Rin who would exhaust herself first.
Realizing this, Rin lunged and Winter deflected the attack.
However, she noticed that the other woman did not counter right away. Normally, a failed move like that would have resulted in a counterattack immediately afterward. But today, Rin managed to dodge almost a full second before Winter was able to react. It was still a close swing, but one that she could avoid.
The two broke apart and stared at one another.
"Hm." Winter pointed her sword to the floor. "Since this is our last match anyway, why not make things interesting? How about neither of us hold back from now and go all out for the next few minutes?"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." She nodded. "My Semblance against your unique set of abilities. If this is a matter of cost, I can reimburse you for any Dust used today. I understand that your style of fighting is quite expensive."
"No, I'm fine. Not all of my abilities rely on Dust. I can handle myself."
"Very well, if you insist."
Rin agreed to her proposal because she didn't see a problem with it. In fact, this was a perfect opportunity for Rin to practice a few of her newest spells. Since four months ago, she rarely used them after they first manifested. But if she wanted to understand her Projection magecraft, then utilizing it during combat might bring new insight into their origins.
-Start-
"—Anfang."
She flipped the formless switch inside of her. Opposite of her, Winter also prepared herself as she stabbed her blade into the ground, creating a white glowing glyph underneath her.
-Project Dust-
"—Pseudo-Jewels."
-Circulate the Five Elements-
"—Five Stars in Revolution!"
The air grew oppressive as both of them began building up their strength. Frigid winds swirled around Winter while several twinkling lights formed before Rin. Lifting a hand, she used her mystic code as a conduit to control her magecraft. Although Rin practiced this thaumaturgy before, it would be the second time she used it against another person in battle.
"Guh—kuu!"
Pain rang through her body as she continued the process of turning illusions into reality.
Blue, Red, Yellow, Green, White.
Her hair began to float upward as excess magical energy seeped into them. Without her usual ribbon, which acted as a form of mystic code to limit her magical energy, it was easy for a phenomenon like this to occur. It was a trade-off for her mystic eye since she needed her magecraft to flow freely if she wished to control it better. But because of that, whenever she used large amounts of magical energy, it resulted in this unusual aesthetic during such situations.
-Multiplex Polarization Technique-
"—Multi-Layered Polarization Spell Protocol."
-Assimilate Dream Sequence-
"—Dreamwalking Connect."
Dozens of small white Nevermores started circling Winter as she completed her technique. Not only that, but something began to emerge beneath her as the older woman began to bring forth a new summon. If Rin didn't hurry soon, she was going to be attacked before her spell finished.
-Mine Hands Hold Many Mirrors-
"—Mirror Realm Domain, Generate."
At that last incantation, Rin felt something shift deep inside of her.
"Take this!"
Winter rode on top of a Greem variant Manticore while her flock of Nevermore plunged at Rin from above. At the same time, the older woman produced several ice missiles to launch in her direction. Seeing that, the projected Dust circled Rin's blade like a rotary slot of a revolver as she activated her first spell.
-Attune the Tools, Five of Rubies-
"—Tuning Disclose, Dust Number Five."
-Burn Down to Cinders-
"—Scarlet Flames!"
Even for such a short time, Rin could feel her body overheating due to the side effects of her magecraft. But the results were immediate as a wave of fire enveloped the training grounds, melting the ice missiles and burning away the Nevermore summons. And although Winter was able to block most of the damage with her Aura, it was clear that she struggled through the heatwave.
"Kuh—gahhhhh!"
But Rin realized that she made a mistake. Her Projection magecraft was still unskilled, the Dust used to activate the spell protocol already breaking apart as she was unable to manifest the inherent mystery properly. An unpleasant sound broke out as Rin's arm became sticky from blood. The cause was due to nerves and blood vessels failing from her circuits using magecraft she was unaccustomed to.
Winter was still charging at her with her mount, and Rin couldn't lift her disabled arm to use her weapon. Only the fact that her sleeve hid her injuries did her opponent not realize that Rin was hurt. Already, she was using healing magecraft to fix the damage, but there was not enough time for her arm to recover in time to defend herself.
All she could do was use her other arm instead.
-Finn Shot-
"—Gandr."
The left arm that carried the Magic Crest of the Tohsaka family. A record of gathered knowledge ready for her to access at any moment. It was basically magic shorthand, where procedures and incantations were unnecessary. Using it, multiple Gandr shots materialized in front of her within seconds.
And yet, she was not finished.
-Project Dust-
"—Pseudo-Jewels."
-Seventh Sixth Fifth-
"—Seven, Six, Five,"
-Glass Bouquet Flourish and Boast-
"—Mirror, Flower, In Full Bloom."
Once again, she used Projection magecraft to attune her magecraft into something else. Taking that power, she created a lens that shifted its thaumaturgic meaning.
The spell exploded into a myriad of colors as the Gandr shots changed into magic bullets with an output that far surpassed its previous state. Firing them, she made sure to only target the Manticore Greem as the projectiles flooded the enemy straight on. After all, if even one of those bullets grazed Winter, the woman would be unable to resist the effects of the powerful curse and fall into a coma. Even if that happened though, Rin would provide immediate treatment if worse came to worst.
But it seems that her worries were unfounded. Jumping off at the last second, the death of her summoned mount didn't even faze Winter as she brandished her blade toward Rin. A glyph suddenly appeared behind her, causing her speed to accelerate at the last second and catching Rin off guard. Rin froze as she felt the cold touch of metal against the skin of her neck, the blade positioned so that it would be difficult to move.
"It's my victory."
Agreeing, Rin smiled and immediately applied an illusion to hide her injuries before raising her left arm for a handshake. "Guess you're getting used to my tricks," she said. "It's harder to score a win against you now."
Winter sighed. "It's a shame that these bouts of ours aren't going to be as common anymore. Since my father insists that he wants to repair relations with me, I'll be busy working with him more often."
"General Ironwood mentioned something like that."
"On the bright side, I'll be able to spend more time with my brother and sister." She smiled. "The two of them are around your age. Since you will be joining me tomorrow, I wish to introduce you to them."
"He mentioned that too. Anything I should expect?"
"Nothing much. I've written letters to them about you, but only minor things like how the two of us are working closely together. I did mention your role as one of the assistant researchers of Doctor Polendina, so they might ask you questions about that."
"And I'll only be meeting your siblings?"
Her smile turned brittle. "I don't believe it would be pleasant for you to meet with either my father or mother. I doubt the latter will attend anyway, and the former will be too busy meeting with others far more 'benefitting his status'. Sadly, that means I'll also have to meet them since General Ironwood assigned me as my father's temporary attendant."
"My condolences."
"Thank you. I also heard that you'll be attending with a guest. While it's been a while, I do faintly recall meeting your roommate a few months ago during the Argus incident."
"Terra is one of Pietro's assistants though, so my cover story might not hold up if questioned deeply."
"Doctor Polendina leads multiple teams, so it would not be out of place that the two of you would not interact when working for the same man. Just lead the conversation away from unsafe topics if you wish. If you want, why not discuss some theories on Dust with my sister? I'm sure that the two of you would find more in common if you both discuss a subject you're familiar with."
"I'll brush up on my homework then."
"Good. Your unique ability to 'project' Dust is a fascinating conversation starter. I have to admit that some of the explanations you gave me in the past flew over my head. Something about attuning your Aura into elemental energy to mimic Dust effects?"
"Close enough."
Rin wasn't sure exactly how much Winter knew about her abilities. General Ironwood made it clear that she was involved somewhat with the conspiracy regarding the Maidens, but whether that translated to informing her about magecraft was something she was unclear about. If asked by anyone else, she would usually claim that her Semblance was related to the conversion of energy and leave it at that. Most of the time, that was enough since most huntsmen did not reveal how their Semblances worked to others easily anyway.
"But look at the time." Winter glanced at a nearby digital clock. "I have to meet with the Ace-Ops soon to coordinate for tomorrow. At this rate, I'll be returning home close to midnight before my work is done."
"I don't envy you. Well, I'll be returning to my dorm for now. Have a nice day, Winter."
"And you as well."
Once she left the room and saw that nobody was around, she dropped the illusion and held up her blood-soaked hand with a grimace.
"This looks like it will take a few gems to fully heal. I guess Projection isn't something I should rely on in a fight until I learn how to handle it properly."
She wasn't a freak of nature like Shirou Emiya, who was able to develop his abilities to absurd levels due to extenuating circumstances. No, it would take her months or years of refinement before she could master her version of Projection magecraft, especially since she was working from scratch. After all, her thaumaturgic attribute of conversion was practically antithetical to Projection, since she was better suited to working with magical energy in containers rather than making objects out of only magic power.
"Better take it easy tomorrow. Hopefully, meeting with Amoncio won't cause any trouble with so many people around."
This chapter reintroduced the Pseudo-Edelsteine technique that Rin gained a while back. Since I've been reading more stuff from The Adventures of Lord El-Melloi, there are a lot of new things about Rin that's revealed that might show up in this story.
The past few chapters have mostly been about Rin interacting with specific characters, such as the Ace-Ops, Ironwood, Terra, and now Winter. Next time, it will be the Happy Huntresses that will gain a spotlight. But if you haven't noticed by now, there's a certain red-haired huntress that's been missing for a while. I'll eventually bring up what's going on with Pyrrha soon, but just note that her role in this arc will mostly be a minor one.
