What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter of "Spirits of Fairies".

Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OCs, Fairy Tail or the Fate series. All rights belong to their respective owners.

Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!


Chapter 9: Aftermath: Recovery, Training, and Home


Where…am I…?

Did I…die?

Is…this the afterlife?

"Not exactly, partner." Charlemagne's voice reached my ears.

If I'm not dead, then…where am I?

"Deep within your subconscious."

I see. How is everyone else? Are they okay?

"They're fine. You saved them. Just like you said. But…" The Saber paused.

What? What is it? Come on, man. Don't keep me in suspense.

"Master, your body is currently in a coma."

Oh.

So…how long have I been-

"Five days." Charlemagne answered.

FIVE DAYS?!

"Well, five days in your subconscious. Remember, time moves differently here."

Okay, how long has it been outside?

"Five minutes."

Oh. Well, that sucks. How long am I gonna be trapped in my head?

"No idea. But, the guys and I have been talking and we think that you should start training physically and mentally." Charlemagne told me.

Training?

"Well, there's going to be moments where you won't be able to call us and you'll probably be fighting alone. So, better to toughen you up and maybe get you to learn some proper magic while we're at it."

Oh, cool! Does that mean I can use Magecraft or make my own Reality Marble?

"Uh, no."

Boooooo!

"Sorry, partner. But the only magic we might be able to teach you is Gradation Air and Reinforcement. Other magic you'll have to learn here." Charlemagne said in amusement.

Man, what a fucking rip-off.

"On the bright side, you won't get your ass kicked as much."

Thanks. I mean it.

"Was that sar-"

YES, IT WAS SARCASM!


(3rd POV)

Meanwhile in the real world, back at the Akane Resort, the members of Fairy Tail that had gone to save Erza all waited with forlorn expressions.

Erza's old friends had decided to leave to make amends but not without a Fairy Tail send-off that had her first family in tears. Charlotte had turned herself in to the proper authorities, the Rune Knights, but not before she made a promise to Erza that she would redeem herself, not only in their eyes, but also in his eyes.

However, Erza and Lucy had remained at the bedside of a comatose Chris, who had been heavily bandaged due to the multitude of wounds that he had suffered throughout the venture in the Tower of Heaven. Natsu, Happy, and Gray gave the two girls the proper space while they tried their best to keep their spirits up. Juvia, being her usual self, stayed around long enough to admire Gray's presence before she left the resort, journeying to parts unknown before she made her way to Magnolia.

A whole week had passed in that time frame.

Ratha, who had been nestled beside his adoptive human father, crooned his grief. Though his species could not speak in the tongue of Man, he conveyed his melancholic emotions in a way only a baby wyvern could do.

A soft hand ran its way gently up and down the baby Rathalos' head. Lucy shared in Ratha's grief, especially when she had seen the full aftermath of what Chris had put his body through. The healers explained that his constant use in his magic had practically drained his energy; not only that but they discovered he had swallowed two small pieces of pure ethernano. Something which should have turned his insides into a liquid mess. And that didn't compare to the injuries he suffered externally and internally.

That's what worried her the most. Lucy had listened to Erza's explanation of the battle with Jellal and the amount of physical damage that Chris had received. It made her feel sick to hear how the young man didn't care if he died or not, so long as he saved someone precious to him.

Brown eyes returned to the sleeping; comatose form of Chris as Lucy ran a hand over his bandaged forehead. "Chris…why would you do this to yourself?" She asked softly, pondering for an answer that she would never receive.

"Still no change?" She heard a voice from behind, causing her to look back. To her mild surprise, it turned out to be Erza.

"Not even a twitch of a finger." Lucy replied as she returned her focus to Chris for a moment before settling on holding Ratha in her arms as the baby wyvern snuggled into his adoptive human mother's embrace. "I'm starting to worry about when he'll wake up."

The red-haired young woman frowned, "It's my fault…" She said quietly. "He's in this condition because of me."

"Erza. No. Don't say that." Lucy said firmly.

"But it is." Erza gritted her teeth. "Because of my weakness… Chris is at death's door. I would never forgive myself if he-"

"Don't you even think about that!" The blonde interjected. "Chris is still fighting in there! I just know it! He never gave up even when he had no magical energy left! He put himself through agony to help not only you but me, Natsu, Gray, and Juvia! He's a member of Fairy Tail! And like everyone else, he's a stubborn guy in the face of danger! So, don't you ever doubt or belittle yourself again. Otherwise…" Lucy began to deflate after speaking her piece. "...otherwise, it makes his recent hardships meaningless."

"Lucy…" Erza frowned before immediately shaking her head, "You're right. Chris never gave up on me and I shall not disgrace his actions by punishing myself. Though when he does wake up…" She smiled softly. "...I'm going to punch him in the face."

Lucy released a watery chuckle, "I'm right there with you, Erza. Still," Her gaze returned to the sleeping young man. "I'll just be glad that he's awake and well."

"Hm…maybe I should get bedridden more often then."

The girls gasped when they noticed that the young man in general was now sitting up, a tired grin present on his face.

"Chris!" Lucy and Erza cried out in surprise while Ratha shot awake from the sudden noise. The baby wyvern noticed his adoptive human father had finally woken up and immediately snuggled up to Chris while crooning happily.

"Hey, bud." Chris said with his grin widening. "I missed you too." He laid a hand on the wyvern's head and began to pet the baby.

"Chris…" Lucy whimpered as she looked at the brunette with tears in her eyes before she lunged forward and hugged him. "I'm so glad that you're awake! I was so worried!"

Chris blinked a few times in confusion before his expression softened as he placed a hand on the blonde girl's back. "It's really good to see you again, Lucy. It's been too long."

Erza raised a brow, "Too long? Chris, it's only been a week."

"I know." Chris replied, surprising the girls. "It's been a week in the physical world but…it's been years in my mind."

Lucy gasped, "Wait, you…you knew you were in a coma?"

"Yep, I knew." Chris shrugged. "It sucked. It really did."

"But…how could you know? The doctors told us you wouldn't be conscious for some time." Erza questioned.

"They told me." Chris said, glancing at his Grail Glove which rested on a cabinet beside the bed he was placed in.

"Huh?" Lucy looked confused but Erza knew who they could be.

"I see. Saber and the others were the ones who told you." The red-haired young woman closed her eyes.

"Yeah, pretty much." The brunette answered as he ran a bandaged hand through his dark brown locks which had grown wild with noticeable curls. "Honestly, I'm glad to be out of there and back here again."

"Why? What happened?" Lucy asked, concerned.

Chris shrugged, "Nothing serious. I just spent all the time that I've been in my head training and learning some stuff."

"Training?" The blonde repeated in confusion.

"Learning what?" Erza inquired, mildly curious.

A smirk appeared on the young man's face before he held out his right arm and spoke, "Trace On." In a split second, a perfect replica of Erza's longsword appeared in Chris's hand, surprising the girls as they stared at this new ability with awe.

"How…" The lone redhead said, shocked.

"Like I said, I trained and learned a few things." He answered before the sword vanished into thin air.

"Could you…tell us how you got them?" Lucy asked.

"Sure, it all started when I finished speaking with Saber…" Chris began recounting his mental years' experience within the confines of his own mind.


(1st POV)

After Saber sent me away, I fell into a different location that caught my attention.

Desolate wasteland.

Giant gears and cogs in the sky.

Thousands of different swords resting in the earth like gravestone markers.

Yep, this is definitely Archer's part of my mindscape.

"He couldn't even get a plant or something?" I pondered aloud.

"Wasn't really big on plants." The sarcastic voice of Archer reached my ears, drawing my attention to the red-garbed Counter Guardian himself. "Tried to though."

"Well, this place is really gloomy. Just saying," I pointed out with a shrug.

"Ignoring my choice of interior decorating, you know why I'm here, yes?" Archer inquired.

"You're here to teach me something that I need to know." I answered.

"Correct. For this part of your training, I will teach you the basics of Magecraft such as Gradation Air and Reinforcement." EMIYA stated. He folded his arms over his chest, "I will warn you; this part of your training is considered the easiest to understand."

Despite my overall anxiety and stress with my upcoming training, I knew that I had to forge onward for my friends in Fairy Tail.

"I'm ready." I told him.

A cynical smirk appeared on the Counter Guardian's face. "Good. Then as the first step in your training…" He gestured behind him to reveal…a valley-sized number of potatoes? "Peel all of these potatoes."

"What?"


[2 Mental Years Later]

For the next two years inside my head, Archer had me doing stuff you would see from the Karate Kid movies. Basic household chores that some would think are dumb until your teacher suddenly attacks you then you react by doing the whole "jacket on, jacket off" routine. There were even times in between sparring sessions that Archer would teach me about cooking, saying that it was a skill I would need to have in the future.

Honestly, he proved to be right about that. I know a few recipes, but the Counter Guardian literally is a God of Cuisine. For some reason, I thought I heard him say something about me getting a skill that would soon be Rank EX, whatever that means.

Over the course of those two years, I eventually learned how to master Reinforcement and Gradation Air to the point that I could copy EMIYA's own brand of Magecraft.

The look on his face when he saw how I projected a pair of Erza's blades was priceless. I wish I had a camera to immortalize that moment.

But Archer wanted to test my Projections and had me spar against him every single day. It was like a Looney Tunes cartoon on rinse and repeat. Get up, work out, spar to the point my body burns from the stress of using Magecraft without proper Magic Circuits, sleep, and repeat.

Those days, I had to make sure the materials and structure of my Projections fit what I intended to summon. Their history and usage via their wielders also gave me useful knowledge on how to utilize them in a fight. Not saying that I'll ever be a master swordsman when I wake up, but the muscle memory will be ingrained in my body that all I'll need is to keep up my exercises whenever I'm not on jobs.

Which is where I'm at right now.

"On your left." Archer inquired as he swung Kanshou at my left, but it turned out to be a feint and I used my own projected longsword to block my right side. "Hm, you managed to stop it."

"I'm beginning to pick up on your movements during a fight." I quipped before slashing up to knock off Bakuya, the force cracking the short sword and sending Archer back a bit.

"Good. You're getting better." Archer nodded in approval with a slight smirk. "But now it's time for to move on to the next level."

"Somehow I dreaded this day would come." I muttered.

"No, you don't." Archer stated.

"You're right, I don't. That kind of talk is for some wimp who thinks he could be me." I remarked with a smirk.

The Counter Guardian returned the gesture, "Well, just so you know, your next teacher will be a great deal tougher than me."

"If I'm going down the list of who I have available, I can only think of two possible candidates."

"Good. You understand that you have a 50-50 shot of staying mentally sane."

"And you're still an asshole." I said, dryly.

"And proud of it." Archer remarked.


When my training with Archer was complete, I got no heads-up on when I would be sent to the next part of my mind. At least, until I found myself in a rather creepy forest that felt far too inhuman for it to be something from Earth.

"Good. Looks like that red bastard didn't break you on the first day." The familiar snarky yet casual manner of a certain blue-garbed spearman caught my attention.

"Huh. So, I was right." I commented, looking at the Hound of Ulster, Cu Chulainn. "You're my next teacher, right?"

"Well, you're in my neck of the woods. Pun not intended." Cu smirked while shouldering his legendary weapon on his shoulder. "Care to guess where we are?"

"Let's see: Creepy atmosphere, dark woods, unnatural chill running down my spine. If I had to take a guess, I would say that this is the Land of Shadows." I answered.

"That's right."

"So basically, we're renting out your teacher's place for the time being." I quipped.

"More like, this is what I'm the most familiar with when it comes to my training." Cu shivered at what I could only guess to be the most painful years of his life.

"So…when do we start?" I asked.

"Oh, your training has already begun." Cu pointed out.

"What? Then what the heck am I supposed to be doing?" I am not psychic; I don't know what goes in these guys' heads.

"Reach the castle and survive." The legendary Irish Hercules gestured to a large castle…way beyond the distance.

"You're joking." I deadpanned. I turned back to look at the Lancer only to blink in surprise when he seemingly vanished.

"I'd start running, kid! I have a perfect memory of this place and all the beasts that roamed it!" Cu's voice echoed in the air.

Just what kind of monsters could he mean? The only thing I remember about the Shadowlands is the fact that they have nothing but…ghosts…and…

Oh, crud.

*WRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!*

OH CRUD!

With that, I started running with no hesitation.


[1 Mental Year Later]

"Ugh… how much longer before I can get out of my mind?" I groaned, almost ready to keel over. This really puts into perspective just how tough this kind of training really is.

Cu had put me through what could only be considered Hell. For instance, when he left me alone, I had to avoid ghosts and wraiths from trying to steal my soul. And let me tell you. It…wasn't…fun. I had to be quick on my feet and adapt to whatever situation I was in, with split second decisions, though some of them nearly cost my life, being too close for comfort.

When I finally arrived at the castle, Cu was waiting and told me to rest since that was my first actual month of training.

A full month? I was about ready to bang my head against the wall.

The eleven months after that had put me through a gauntlet of literal death traps. I had to climb a giant mountain with a house's weight on my back, practice my equilibrium and balance on a tightrope dangling over a bottomless pit, and even go out to hunt a particularly dangerous wraith or monster that gave Cu trouble when he went by Setanta as a kid. The only good outlook from this whole training was that Cu taught me how to use Runic Magecraft.

Overall, if this is the training that Scathach had put the Hound of Ulster through, it's a God forsaken nightmare for a regular human.

"So…had enough?" Cu grinned teasingly.

"Shaddap…" I growled.

"Hey, you had to be put through the wringer one way or another." Cu shrugged.

"Your teacher is the Devil." I said bluntly.

"Oh, don't be like that, what you did was just a warm-up."

"BULLSHIT!" I shouted. THAT was a warm-up?! No! I refuse to believe that!

"I do not lie. But our time is running short so, I'm sending you off to your next teacher. Don't worry, I guarantee that this part of your training is pretty easy." Cu assured me but I didn't feel so assured.

"Yeah…" I deadpanned.


When I arrived at my next destination, I found myself on a bloodstained battlefield with old bronze armor fit for Greek soldiers. So that could only mean…

"Yo." A casual response caught my attention.

Turning around, I was met with the legendary Greek Hero of the Trojan War. "Achilles." I greeted the Rider with a nod. "So, I'm guessing that you're my next trainer."

"That's right."

"It's not something life threatening like Cu's training, is it?" I asked dryly.

"No, no of course not." Rider waved off. "…maybe."

"That's not reassuring."

"Well, look at it this way. You might have actual fun with this training." Achilles said with an upbeat attitude.

"Fine." I sighed. "What am I doing?"

"Oh, easy. Defeat a thousand enemies on your own." Achilles said, nonchalantly.

"Are you out of your mind?!" I exclaimed.

"No, I live in yours." Achilles quipped.

"You son of a-"

"Oh relax, it's not like Iskander when he uses his Noble Phantasm." Achilles said. "I'm not that crazy."

"Uh huh…" Came my deadpanned response.

"Look. Think of it like that…what was it I saw in your memories…" Achilles held his chin, trying to remember then gasped. "Right! Those Warrior games that you like to play!"

So treat it like I'm some superhuman historical figure from an old war that apparently can use elemental powers and vaporize any enemy in my way that is usually in the hundreds of thousands.

No pressure.

"Alright then. Bring them on." I said, hopping up and down to get the blood flowing.

"There you go! Now you have the right attitude!" Achilles grinned, before turning to the piles of bronze armor scattered throughout the desert field. He brought two fingers to his lips and blew.

*PHWEEEEEEEEEEEET!*

"Come on out, boys!" Achilles called out. The moment he said those words. The scattered bronze armor suddenly shook erratically before skeletons popped out of the sand, digging themselves out and putting on said bronze armor and brandishing their weapons.

Okay, undead Greek soldiers. That shouldn't be a problem. Yeah, with the amount of training I got from Archer and Lancer, I should have this in the bag.

"Alright then, have fun!" Achilles chuckled, before jumping out of the way and- HOLY CRAP, they're already charging at me!

"Trace On!" I had already managed to use my Projection to summon up Archer's short swords, Kanshou and Bakuya.

Well, on the other hand, this might actually be entertaining.


[2 Mental Years Later]

I take it all back. This sucks!

The bones of those undead skeletons were tough as diamonds. I couldn't cut crap for the first few weeks of that never-ending torture!

Not only that, but they were also so damn numerous, I couldn't avoid getting hit! Do you know how it feels to get stabbed, slashed, and gutted in your head? Let me tell you: Not fun.

Those days were honestly some of the worst I've ever been through. The reprieve that Achilles would give me after I got killed by the mobs, only worsened it. Even though I couldn't necessarily die in my own head, I still felt the pain. Which sucked.

I fell on my back after finally dealing with those undead skeletons. I then heard footsteps and saw Achilles looking down on me.

"So?" Achilles grinned.

"Screwwwwww…youuuuuu…" I groaned, weakly flipping the bird.

"Ah, chin up. At least you managed to beat them." Achilles assured me with a chuckle.

"I hate you…so much right now…" I groaned.

"Well, think of it like this. What did we learn out of the two years you've been here?" Achilles smirked.

I thought back to the first few weeks of this mental hell. The enemies sent my way were tougher than they were supposed to be. I thought they would've been easy to beat because they were just bones in armor. That mistake cost me every single time. Then I learned how to adapt new tactics and even forced myself to modify my Projections by applying runes to them or adjusting the materials used in their creation to make them harder, sharper, and with better durability.

"From the look on your face, you finally understand what the whole point of this exercise was all about." Achilles said, folding his arms. "In a battle, you can never be too sure about the outcome. Just like with the Tower of Heaven, you were facing a foe that nearly defeated you and there were even moments where you could've died."

"The whole point of this training is to expect the unexpected, right?" I pondered.

"That, and the ability to adapt to the situation. You know my history but there were battles that I still struggled in." The Trojan War hero explained. "Adaptability and expecting the unexpected will help you further down the line."

"Well, thanks for that, Achilles. Even if you did put me through two years of crap." I admitted.

"Yep, though your next teacher will likely drive you up the wall." The Rider smirked.


When I arrived at my next destination, I was surrounded by a field of what looked like violet flowers. Figuring who would likely live in this environment, I came to one conclusion: Merlin.

"Alright, where are you, Caster?" I called out, searching for the Magus of Flowers.

"Up here!" Merlin called back. I looked up and… ahhh dammit, don't tell me I have to fucking climb up the Tower of Avalon with my bare hands and feet!

"Are you coming down?" I asked.

"In a bit. I'm reading right now." Merlin replied with a grin.

"What the hell are you reading?" I pondered.

"You really want to know?"

"Probably not."

"Well then, why don't you join me up here? I have tea and snacks."

"Please tell me that you at least have an elevator…" I said dryly. "Cause I am not climbing your tower with my bare hands and feet then falling halfway."

Merlin hummed, "Maybe, maybe not."

"Give me a straight answer, you dick wizard!" I yelled.

"Figure it out yourself, kid." Merlin said, bemused.

"One of these days, I will find a way to summon Fou and you will not escape his wrath!" I vowed.

"I would actually like to see that." Merlin said in amusement.

You dick trolling wizard…


[6 Mental Months Later]

"Oh, look, you actually made it." Merlin chuckled.

"Fuck you, Merlin…" I groaned in hatred, after crawling over the rail and plopped straight on the floor of his tower, exhausted.

"Well, since you finally made it, I believe it's time to begin your lessons in Magecraft." Merlin said, cheerfully.

"Not when I'm this exhausted, ya prick!" I shouted comically. "I'm starting to wonder how Artoria even tolerates your trolling ass!"

"If you must know, I happen to be quite the fun uncle." Merlin pointed out. "Also, this is your mental world. You still believe this to be your regular human body?"

"Huh?"

"Why do you still feel exhausted? It's simple. Your mind believes this all to be real." Merlin explained.

"Yeah, I don't get it." I admitted.

The half-incubus sighed, "Your brain is still treating your mental conscience as if it were real. This place is technically a dream. An extremely lucid dream."

"Oh." I nodded. "So, you're saying that I should turn off my brain."

"You'd really be dead if you did that." Merlin pointed out.

"WHAT THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THEN?!" I shouted.

"Stop overthinking everything." Merlin stated.

"Huh?" A raised brow was all I had present on my face.

"The problem with the magic of my world, they tend to overthink or oversimplify the basics. There's a lot of rules for it. However, in this world, magic has different fundamental principles and laws. For instance, that pink-haired dragon slayer friend of yours. His branch of magic allows him to use the properties of a fire dragon such as its breath, claws, and scales. Not only that, but his magic also allows him to ingest fire. Something which is practically an impossibility to Magecraft." Merlin explained. "When you acquired the power of Heroic Spirits and began your training, you began treating it as if you were going through an accelerated path fit for a Magus. Let's be honest here: You can never be a magus."

"Because I don't walk with death, or something?" I asked.

"Oh, no. You got that in spades, my friend. You can't go one day without getting yourself in a life-or-death situation." Merlin chuckled. "No, the reason why you can't be considered a Magus is because of your growing bonds with the Fairy Tail guild."

I mean, he has a point. Even though I've watched and read about their adventures, I always dreamed how awesome it would be if I was there right beside them, experiencing those adventures for myself.

"So, does that mean I can't learn Magecraft?" I inquired.

"Yes and no. There are certain branches of Magecraft that I can teach you. However, your body and its magical energy have already adapted to this environment. So, I recommend that you begin learning whatever magic you can in this world." Merlin suggested.

"Hm, it would be cool to learn either Requip or Dragon Slayer Magic." I said to myself.

"Do that when you wake up to those lovely ladies."

"Huh?"

Merlin smiled as he waved his staff and produced an astral projection. There I was. My body was in bandages and unconscious in bed. My eyes widened when I saw Lucy and Erza holding each of my hands. Hoping and praying that I would wake up soon.

"Lucy… Erza…"

"This is your body on day five of your coma." Merlin informed.

"Five days…?" I frowned. Time really does move differently in the dream world.

"Yes. So, the sooner you finish your training here, the better." Merlin stated. "So, what say you? Are you really going to back out, now that you've come this far?"

"What do I have to lose?" I answered with a nod.


[6 Mental Months Later]

"Good. Visualize what you want to build." Merlin said as he watched me while I practiced my control over Gradation Air, Projection, and Reinforcement all at once.

I kept my eyes closed as I visualized what I wanted to materialize in front of me. I visualized the structure, the materials, and the history of what I desired. When the final adjustments were made, I opened my eyes and looked upon what I had created.

The weapon I had forged was a katana but not just any katana. The tsuka had white and dark blue material braided around it, and the tsuba was ovular in shape. It was sheathed in a black scabbard of traditional lacquered wood with several metallic ornaments on the far end.

Taking hold of the katana, I slowly unsheathe the blade, revealing a pure steel luster that pulsed with a deep blue aura.

"Yamato." I spoke the name of the legendary Devil Arm once wielded by one of my favorite video game characters. The history and fighting techniques of the weapon's user flooded my mind but it was still a pale imitation to the real thing.

"So, you finally managed to create your own brand of Magecraft from what you learned, yes?" Merlin smiled knowingly.

"Considering you have Clairvoyance; I think you already knew I would do this." I pointed out, returning the katana to its berth. "And you already know what I want to call it."

"Well, you can't exactly copy Archer's Noble Phantasm since you create more than just swords." The Caster said, amused.

"Yeah, that's true." I shrugged.

"Anyways, you're free to go. Assassin's up next. Just don't get your head cut off."

"…That's not reassuring." I muttered.

"Oh, you'll be fine. Maybe…"

Yup, still a dick trolling wizard…


When I arrived at my next destination, I found myself in what looked like the training ground of Team 7 from Naruto. Is this where Kotarou lives?

"You have arrived."

Hearing the normally quiet ninja speak, I turned to see the red-themed ninja standing in front of me with his arms folded and his eyes hidden by the bangs of his blood red hair.

"So, what exactly am I learning here?" I asked the shinobi.

"Stealth." Assassin said, bluntly.

"Okay, straight to the point." I spoke. He then pointed to a forest just over yonder and… wait, that's the Forest of Death from Naruto. Okay, I see where this is going…

"Let me guess. You go in there; I will try to find and catch you using my stealth." I guessed.

"Something like that." The smirk on the ninja's face sent a chill down my spine. Somehow, I have a feeling this will suck.

With that, he did a hand sign and-

*POOF!*

-ninja vanished.

"Okay… well, no time like the present…" I sighed, before making my way to the Forest of Death.


[Six Mental Months Later]

*THUNK!*

"Ow! Dammit! Not again!" I cursed as another kunai found its way to the center of my forehead. While I'm glad that I won't die in my head, this still hurts like hell!

*THUNK!*

"Ow! Stuck in my ass again!" I cried out.

"You let your guard down." I heard Kotarou's voice.

"I know!" I shouted.

"The idea of stealth is to leave no trace of your presence." The Assassin stated.

Erase my presence…

Easy for him to say, I don't think I've done something like that before. But how do I even do that? It's not like I can use Presence Concealment willy-nilly and-

Wait, this is my mind. I can pretty much do anything in my head without any consequences like it's a lucid dream!


[Six Mental Months Later]

Hiding in the shadows of the trees, I wait for my target. I spot a shade of red landing on the branches of a tree a few yards from me.

"I gotcha…" I muttered, readying a knife I had on me.

Knowing how the shinobi will likely sense danger, I decided for a little…misdirection.

With a quick flick of a knife to the right, the impact rustled leaves, drawing the Assassin's attention…and giving me the opportunity to lunge right at him.

A split second is all I need. Knife at the ready and-

"Not even close." Kotarou said…from behind me.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked, sarcastically, despite the blade pressing against my throat…while a second blade I had forged was pointed right at the Assassin's stomach.

"!" Kotarou looked mildly shocked, before backing away, putting away his kunai. "Well done. You finally pass."

"About damn time…" I sighed, relaxing.

Kotarou backed away and gave me a respectful bow, "With this, I hope you will use the shadows to your advantage in your future battles."

I nodded, returning the gesture, "And I hope to have your aid during those days."


When I arrived at my final destination, I found myself at a lake. No way… this is where the Lady of the Lake resides. This is where Lancelot…

"You've arrived."

I gasped, looking towards the source of the voice and I saw Lancelot…without his helmet. And…he wasn't in his Berserker state. Just what is going on?

"What is the purpose of my training here?" I asked.

"As you have no doubt witnessed, you have begun to gain the power to forge weapons of your own." Lancelot explained while summoning Arondight. "As such, I will train you in the ways of martial combat. By the end of this training, you will inherit the teachings necessary to become a Master of Arms."

Knowing what this will likely entail, I used my own brand of Magecraft to call forth Yamato, entering a makeshift iaijutsu stance.

"I'm ready." I said, firmly.


[3 Mental Years Later]

Day after day, week after week, month after month, Lancelot and I trained without rest.

When I completed my training with one weapon, Lancelot had me switch to a different weapon type. As I learned new weapons, he taught the pros and cons of each one I wielded and gave me tips on how to use said weapon more efficiently.

And it wasn't just utilizing weapons that I learned, Lancelot also taught me his own brand of hand-to-hand combat.

Needless to say, he kicked my ass a lot. No surprise there, considering he is the best knight of the Round Table.

"You've done well for yourself." Lancelot said, putting away his weapon. "There is nothing left for me to teach you."

"Are you sure? That's all?" I asked.

"Hmmmmm…" Lancelot pondered, before looking at the lake. "Perhaps there is one more lesson. Look at this lake that stands before you. Tell me what you see."

I raised a brow then looked down at the water's surface. "I see myself. What exactly am I supposed to see?"

"Indeed, you do see yourself, but I also speak of the current state of the lake. What do you see?"

"It's…calm."

"Correct." Lancelot nodded. "Oftentimes, when we are fixated on one thing, we lose sight of what we are, who we are, and why we do such things to begin with. Thus, our minds are clouded, and chaos follows…that is why you must never lose sight of yourself. The reflection you see before you is your true self. If the water churns and splashes, it distorts and refracts said reflection, thus distorting your identity. There will come a time where you will lose sight of who you are and what really matters, and eventually give in to your madness."

I thought about what the Knight of the Lake was talking about. If I remember correctly, there are going to be events that will likely be…discouraging. Events that could force me to do things that I might regret.

"I understand." I told the Berserker.

"Good. Then you are ready to return to the waking world." Lancelot said, before everything started turning white. "Remember what you've learned, and you will overcome the trials that await you…"

With those words, everything went white.


(3rd POV)

"And that's basically the whole story." Chris answered. "So, now I'm pretty much equipped to face all kinds of threats on my own."

"I… see." Erza muttered, stunned at what she had heard.

"Still…" Lucy sniffled, wiping a few tears. "I'm just…happy…you're alive." She then started sobbing, with eyes closed. "So happy…you're alive…"

"Hey, c'mon now." Chris said, slowly reaching out to wipe Lucy's wet face with his hand. "Tears don't suit a cute girl like you."

Despite the blush on her face, Lucy sniffles a bit and holds the young man's hand in her own. "Jerk. Sweet talking with a girl when she's worried about you?"

"Yeah, I guess that is a bit redundant, considering I'm in bandages." The brunette quipped. "So, what did I miss?"

"We'll tell you later…right now, you need to rest." Erza said.

"Feel like I've rested enough…but that's only my mentality that's rested." Chris said, lying back. "Guess I can't really ignore the doctor's orders."

Lucy and Erza looked at each other, then looked back at Chris. Then once more at each other, before nodding and…laid on the bed with him?

"Uh…" Chris blushed. "Girls? What are you-"

"Just…enjoy it. You earned this…" Lucy mumbled, also blushing.

"Uh…" The brown-haired young man gulped as both girls shuffled closer to him.

"Don't talk…just let it happen." Erza muttered.

"Okay." He replied weakly.

Charlemagne, in spiritual form, watched all of this with a bemused grin. 'Gotta give my partner credit. He at least has a way with the ladies.' He thought then frowned.

His mind drifted back to when Chris had left. To the conversation he had with Caster…


[Flashback]

After sending his Master to Archer's separate mind room, Charlemagne's smile dropped into a frown.

"You didn't tell him?" Looking back, the Saber noticed the materialized figure of Merlin approaching. "For someone who claims to be our Master's partner, you weren't exactly forthcoming with the truth."

"If I had told him, he would've lost all manner of his sanity." Charlemagne admitted.

"But does he not have the right to know of his own health?" Merlin pointed out.

"He does…" Charlemagne grimaced. "But…if we told him what really happened. If we told him-"

"That he died?" Merlin finished.

Charlemagne scowled, looking away with a guilty expression. Seeing as how he wasn't speaking, Merlin continued, "Our dear Master should be dead right now. However, it is only thanks to that thing that we're currently here having this delightful chat."

"Get to the point, Merlin. What is it you're trying to say?" The Emperor of Paladins questioned, irritated.

"Whatever was implanted in our Master's body has firmly rooted itself deep into his soul." Merlin explained. "It is highly likely that he'll essentially have a somewhat immortal body… In theory."

"And?"

"And it is also likely that it is the source of the Master's regeneration and resurrection ability." The Caster said. "Though, I fear, if our Master were to suffer a breaking point, the monster chained in his soul will be unleashed upon this world. And it will cause mayhem unimaginable."

The Saber narrowed his eyes, "What are you saying?"

"We must prepare for the likelihood that the chains we all struggled to forge on this beast might shatter. If such an event were to come to pass…there is only one option, we must take."

Charlemagne's eyes widened in growing horror, "You don't mean…"

"Yes…" Merlin nodded, his smile gone and replaced with a grim frown. "...to end the encroaching catastrophe, Chris Holmes will have to die along with it."


A/N: And that is the end of the chapter.

It took me a few months, but I finally managed to finish it. Sorry about that to all of you who have been waiting patiently for the next chapter. The training montages would have been longer, but I felt that it was time to finish it up.

Someone once asked in a review if Chris would have his own enemies. I guarantee that he definitely will have his own enemies.

Oh, as for what is chained inside of his soul. You guys will find out about that soon enough.

Review and comment on this chapter. Love it, hate it, but just know that you've read it.

Peace out, everyone!