Author's Note: A lot of this crosses over with the Mahou Tsukai no Yoru—or Witch on the Holy Night—timeline. I'm not 100% sure about the dates in that story if only because 'near the end of the Showa period' doesn't quite line up with 'November-December 1989'. There are also shades of events leading into Kara no Kyoukai here.
Chapter 3: Magical Teachers
December 5, 1994
Ahnenerbe
Texture 1986A—Unlimited World Works
7:29 AM
'It takes a village to raise a child'. A saying that, while true, was rapidly fading from memory in various parts of the modern world. Mages in particular discarded this notion for the sake of secrecy, isolating their children as much as possible until they were old enough for higher education in a cesspool of political intrigue and murder. It was one of many reasons the very culture had turned sociopathic over the centuries.
The Fuyuki Faction discarded this notion. They had built up enough mutual trust and seen enough of the dark side of the magical world to seek strength in each other and raise their now close-knit children together. Said children, immensely gifted in their own ways, needed that collective support to truly shine and deal with the struggles that would surely follow them. The fact that a number of superhuman heroes were part of this group only helped matters. The problem was figuring out how to best utilize their skills and distribute the duties of education. After all, it was hard enough to homeschool a child or two to meet a certain minimum standard. It was far more complicated to school a larger number of children to a higher level.
Waver and Irisviel were seated at a table in Ahnenerbe that was covered in papers both printed and hand-written. A laptop and portable printer that had been copied from Kiritsugu's own were on the table with a spreadsheet application that noted the adults' strengths and weaknesses in teaching their available disciplines. While there was ample help to be had, it was chaotic and full of holes in the magical curriculum Merlin could handle a sizable chunk of the broader curriculum, but the kids were going to spread out over at least two different levels of competence and learning speed. Possibly three. Everyone else who had experience with teaching was either already teaching at the Clock Tower or was best utilized teaching their own specialty of Magecraft to a smaller number of applicable students. Waver's head was resting on the table in tired exasperation, the student still recovering from his Magic Circuit upgrade.
Irisviel spoke to Waver in an attempt to help him see the brighter side of things. "It could be worse. Iskandar could have dragged you with him to the Balkans."
Waver looked up from his position at the woman. Since he knew that she didn't have a mean bone in her body, the halfhearted glare was all he could ever muster at her. "Please don't joke about that. Between the Grail War, the rebuilding, catching up in the Clock Tower classes I've missed, reading ahead enough to help Lord Tohsaka plan for future classes in the El-Melloi Classroom, other student aide duties, and this? I'm at risk of burning out. Being a little wealthy from helping restore those buildings doesn't mean I don't need a vacation."
Irisviel could understand that. Waver was just barely an adult in Britannia, not yet an adult in Japan, and had low stamina even for a human. In fact, he didn't even really owe the kids anything. Waver was volunteering his time. "I'm sorry, but time is of the essence here. We have only been able to get the kids out of their schools until the start of the next term in April. Shirou is out because of the attack on him by Caster, Rin for the destruction of her home and imminent 'arm surgery' for the Tohsaka Magic Crest transfer, Sakura because she was already kept out of classes for 'ill health', Shinji because he came home from another country to find his family gone, Illya because she has to study for placement tests, Tachie because she lost her family and home, and Gray because of her own complex situation. We have only a few months to set up a new support system for them and mesh it with their normal lives. Things will be far more stable by April, I'm sure. We may even see a few improvements by January!"
Waver's expression was one of hopelessness, which made Irisviel pity the busy student even more. They really were trying to find others to help! Zelretch and Natalia had a meeting today with a person with solid Clock Tower training who might be able to manage, but she was another part-timer best suited to helping Irisviel train Shirou in creating human bodies and smoothing over things with the Clock Tower given recent events. Another was considered, but that was also a Shirou-specific teacher who had remnants of the First Magic in their Magecraft...they just needed one or two people with a well-rounded education who could commit to training the kids full-time!
Meanwhile, at the next table over, Shirou stared at the unresponsive metal maid who lay on the table at which they were seated. Artoria watched him as he poked the cheek of the most recent version of Kayneth's Mystic Code that his Texture had recorded. Artemis and Ereshkigal were also seated there.
"Be careful, Shirou," Artoria warned. "Mercury is poisonous. You know what it did to the owner of this Mystic Code...though I don't know why it looks like a woman."
"Don't worry, Artoria!" Artemis exclaimed. "It's not made of Mercury anymore! I convinced Shirou to Recursively Grasp some nanomachines made of Orichalcum from my time as a spaceship. They're not poisonous or corrosive, and I can control them if things go badly! Of course, he only had an initial functional yield of 28.6% because of errors replicating billions of objects of that scale, but I just had the good nanomachines eat the bad ones and replicate more of themselves from the resources!"
Shirou pouted harder at realizing just how bad he was at making so many tiny complicated things perfect at once. It was probably because they were alien and hard to understand at first, even with his Mystic Eyes.
Picking up on this, Artoria smiled and put a hand on Shirou's shoulder. "Don't worry, Shirou. You just need practice and to stay confident. Zelretch has said that Magic is different from Magecraft and that belief and imagination are more important than reason or truth. You will get there, okay? It's good to find something difficult and measurable to test your skills against."
Shirou looked at Artoria and smiled in gratitude at the vote of confidence. "Thanks, Saber. You're right! I won't give up. I'll just keep practicing until I get it!" Artoria smiled back at Shirou warmly, prompting a moment of shyness on his part that coaxed him to hurry and change the topic. "A-as for why it looks like this...a different version of Professor Velvet had an adopted sister who wanted a maid and wasn't as good at controlling the Mystic Code as the old Lord El-Melloi, so he helped make her into this. She needs a soul inside her to work, so this one won't turn on...but I had an idea to help Miss Sola-Ui!"
"She wants nothing to do with it though," Ereshkigal said sadly. "This the same Mystic Code that killed her. There is trauma involved here. Besides, I don't want to risk corrupting her soul on an unknown. It is best to employ the one that Iskandar can bring back later if something goes wrong." Waver was confused as to what she meant by that as she pulled out one of her Spirit Cages, this one holding the 'small' Servant pulled from the Lesser Grail that had yet to be identified. The Divine Spirit carefully held it up to the Mystic Code's torso and allowed Shirou's modifications to take hold. The nanomachines allowed the cage with the soul inside to sink into the silvery form...at which point the entity began to morph and flow out of the maid outfit along the surface of the table. A spherical Orichalcum core consisting of the cage and its interfacing hardware prevented it from going full liquid, but that was the price of shielding the soul from any as-of-yet unknown side effects.
The gleaming metal started to shift and take on a male human shape, even approximating the rough appearance of hair and clothing. An application of wind Magecraft allowed the emulation of vocal cords, even if the sound was expected to be distorted. Though still looking inhuman, the future Professor Velvet from Iskandar's Reality Marble was embodied once more. He sat up on the table, noting a rather stunned Waver Velvet.
A metallic voice emerged from the Professor's lips. "...not bad, Shirou. A solid B grade. This could easily become an A with further refinement. Thank you." The Professor was by no means surprised by his reanimation as he slid off of the table and onto his feet.
"Oh! So after Iskandar summoned you and you faded away, you entered the Lesser Grail? I suppose you did have to go somewhere..." Irisviel realized.
Professor Velvet acknowledged Irisviel's observation with a response. "Yes. We wouldn't collectively provide anywhere close to a true Servant's worth of energy even if all of the members of Rider's army within his Reality Marble were absorbed by the Grail, but we are absorbed as Servants regardless. If Rider were to repeatedly summon and lose his Reality Marble roughly a hundred times, that might be a different story." Professor Velvet walked over to the table with Waver and Irisviel before having a seat, immediately starting to take over Waver's workload.
"W-wait, what are you doi—" he protested before being interrupted.
"Don't complain about finally getting a break. I'm just completing my side of the time loop and have ample time to educate the children anyway. Besides, it's far less work than trying to effectively utilize the ancient warriors and modern Greek soldiers inside Rider's Reality Marble in the same operations. This will probably be a vacation for me. I still expect you to assist now and then to gain experience and maintain an awareness of their education level, though." Professor Velvet efficiently got to work planning while Waver tried to come to terms with the idea that his future self considered this absolute mess a 'vacation'. The younger version appreciated the help since it would let him rest and focus on supporting Tokiomi at the Clock Tower, but just what sort of life did his future have in store?
Future site of Garan no Dou
Mifune City, Japan
7:48 AM
Touko Aozaki took a drag from her cigarette as she looked at the structure she sought to buy. The building had been abandoned mid-construction when Japan's real estate bubble burst in the early 1990s, much like so many other ill-timed construction efforts. Mifune City was full of neglected places and corners where one could do illegal things, run shady businesses, or otherwise stay out of the sight of the Mage's Association. The families in charge of this area were in decline and some had left the Magical world completely. Few new people wanted to come in and manage Mifune with her volatile sister Aoko as the Second Owner in Misaki the next town over. This site in particular had a leyline running under it, looked like a common eyesore that didn't stand out amongst the rest, and was built recently enough to be structurally sound. This made it an ideal place for someone like her who was hiding from the Mage's Association.
Who would have thought that making herself a brand new body with which to crash her sister's Christmas party and steal her booze would be worthy of a Sealing Designation? To be fair though, it was a very good body. That was the whole problem.
Not regretting messing with Aoko as much as how she did it, she stepped onto the property for the eight AM appointment with her realtor...who she found already waiting for her. Natalie Ambrose was someone whom Touko preferred dealing with. The woman was willing to deal with Sealing Designees who were at least 'moral enough' and received their Designations for stupid or political reasons. She had warned Touko of her own imminent Sealing Designation in advance somehow and arranged for the safe transfer of a good portion of her wealth before it could take place. The Mage's Association was still looking for the mole, but Natalie had a solid alibi at the time. Natalie was also willing to accept things other than money in exchange for services. More than once Touko had purchased some fantastic historical item while engaging in her vices that turned out to be broken or had its enchantments fade, only for Natalie to arrange a trade or purchase that kept Touko afloat. Sometimes she would even ask Touko to watch for items and pay the woman a finder's fee if successful. Natalie even kept Touko supplied with their mutually preferred brand of cigarettes, though Natalie had been forced to give up smoking a few years before they met.
Oh, Touko didn't think that Natalie did it purely out of the kindness of her heart. She was a businesswoman with a level of success that Touko could only dream of. No, Touko knew that Natalie was somehow extracting value from the interactions in one way or another. If Touko could only find out how...
"Natalie, thanks for coming to show me the property today," Touko said to the ex-mercenary.
"Not at all, Touko," Natalie responded. "I know it's a bit early, but did you want to get started?"
"Sure, let's see what this place has to offer." With those words from Touko, the tour began...and it was an odd one. Not only did they discuss the typical details of the space one might expect like square footage and its condition, but other matters entirely like how the space was ideal for a large Workshop or how it had a leyline under it. The abandoned appearance and lack of foot traffic were presented as pros rather than the cons they would usually be.
They were soon in an office where construction had officially finished, but it still held signs of related clutter. Touko was impressed. "Not bad, but I'm not sure about the asking price. The real estate market is still bad and it's a fixer-upper in ways. I'd like some padding against my future losses and costs in exchange for taking this one off your hands. That and the people who usually want this sort of place are chased away by Misaki Town's Second Owner by mere reputation." Touko didn't really expect to get less than the asking price here, but she did like to haggle.
"And whose fault is that, Ms. Aozaki? Should I reward you for causing the scene five years ago that caused people to fear being anywhere near Misaki Town in the first place?" Natalia asked with humor, making Touko laugh. The battle she had with her sister over access to the Fifth True Magic was the reason Aoko had become as powerful and infamous as she was. Touko had attacked, and her little sister had taken on the Fifth Magic to bring the hammer down in response.
"True enough. Is there anything that can be done to sweeten the deal?" Touko asked.
Natalie pondered something for a moment before deciding to speak candidly. "Touko...there is a larger offer I have for you that extends past just this building. If anything, this building would be among the smallest details in the agreement."
Touko raised her eyebrow at Natalie before prompting her to continue with a circular motion of the cigarette between her fingers.
"...I'm sure you're aware of the events of the recent Grail War and the death of Lord Eulyphis' daughter, Sola-Ui? And that her soul was recovered along with the body? Well, if you manage to make a new body for her and revive her safely, Lord Eulyphis and Lord Tohsaka will back the re-evaluation of your Sealing Designation with the assistance of the Wizard Marshal. Regardless of whether the effort to remove your Sealing Designation fails or succeeds, you would still obtain full ownership of this building plus ten years of tax and insurance." Natalie's words made Touko freeze.
That...was an extremely good deal.
"There is also something else going on that opened up a second offer. It's important enough for Zelretch to bribe you with something absolutely massive for you to sign a geas and lend your support," Natalie said to the woman, setting off red flags. Getting too involved with Zelretch was hardly a good idea.
"I don't know if I—" Touko said, but she was interrupted.
"Just listen to him. You won't regret it. Not only does accepting the role have opportunities to test and advance your own Magecraft, but the ability to visit Parallel Worlds will wipe away one of your biggest regrets." Natalie's emphasis on these words made Touko ponder for a moment before her brilliant mind realized the implications.
Touko started to chuckle...and then laugh openly. "He's willing to promise me that? Just what the hell kind of conspiracy does he have going on?"
Natalie smiled. "Nothing bad, but you'd have to sign a non-disclosure geas to find out. You know how these games work. This is a big one that people shouldn't be allowed to stick their noses in for some years yet. I can't really say much more, but it comes with added protections and benefits for you."
"Meaning there's a risk to warrant them," Touko interpreted with a sigh. "...given that it's the Wizard Marshal, I'm sure he could have rounded me up or trapped me in his games at any time. If he was courteous enough to ask, I'll listen to him at least."
"And I thank you for that consideration," a male voice called out while opening the door and walking inside. Touko took off her glasses and glared at the Second Magician for several moments, then at Natalie. Was this a setup? She found that Natalie looked quite angry as she stared at the man as well.
"Wizard Marshal, I asked you to stay back and respect her space until I could ask her. Why are you in my building?" Natalie inquired, convincing Touko that this wasn't a betrayal. It was just Zelretch being Zelretch.
"Don't worry, Natalia. I'm just installing a smaller link to Ahnenerbe like the one I set up in Kirkwall. Once she agrees, she'll be able to enter and leave the building through Ahnenerbe instead of using this building's front door. It will also allow rapid transit to Fuyuki, London, and even Kirkwall if we ever unlock that access point for her. She shouldn't need any of that except for convenience, but it's still added security and would also let her student in more easily." Zelretch beamed widely.
"S-Student? Ooooh no. I'm not giving away my Magecraft to some random brat!" Touko exclaimed, pointing her cigarette at Zelretch for emphasis and half-ready to write a rune in the air.
"The geas, Wizard Marshal?" Natalie, now dubbed Natalia, insisted.
"Yeah...there shouldn't be much need for it though. Once she knows what's going on, she'll leap at the opportunity." Zelretch handed a magical non-disclosure form to Touko, who carefully read it after putting her glasses back on. Thankfully, she found it to be quite standard on the surface. The wanted woman ran the gamut of checks to make sure there was nothing shady or hidden.
"So...'Natalia', is it?" Touko inquired.
Natalia glared at Zelretch for his loose tongue. "Natalia Kaminski, retired mercenary and descendant of Merlin. I had to drop out of sight in '82 to comply with one of his predictions. I can use my name again as of the end of the Grail War, but I might stay retired from the business except for the occasional job to stay fresh. There's always some rogue Magus out there that needs to be taken out for doing something stupid. Present company not included."
"Kaminski? I've been dealing with the Magus Killer's old master? You could've taken me out any number of times, couldn't you?" Touko asked in surprise while she signed the geas. It glowed red as it took hold and bound the involved parties to its terms. "Congratulations to your boy for finally taking out Prelati. I know firsthand how hard it is to make him stay down."
Natalia smiled at the good-natured comment. "You killed him too, huh? Well, Kiritsugu had the benefit of anti-thaumaturgy Noble Phantasms altered into bullets and some special instructions from Morgan le Fay on how to make the death stick this time. As for targeting you—you weren't guilty of any more than a relatively tame Magus succession crisis restricted largely to your family's territory, party crashing, and stealing your sister's alcohol."
Touko gave a snort of amusement as she took a final drag from her cigarette before putting it out in an ashtray the construction crew left behind. "So, I've signed the geas. What kind of conspiracy is this?"
Zelretch gave a wide grin. "Why, a conspiracy to train an eight-year-old practitioner of the First True Magic for as long as we can keep his existence a secret from the politicians at the Clock Tower."
Touko's eyes widened and she paused. "Wait...wait. The First popped up again? Where and when?"
"Fuyuki City, last month. The Fourth Holy Grail War woke him up," Natalia responded. "Zelretch and Merlin have been pulling the strings to bring it back for centuries."
Touko couldn't help but groan. "Two True Magics in Japan, less than five years apart...is there just something in the leylines or the water here? I'm guessing you want me to keep the kid from becoming a monster like Aoko."
Zelretch grinned. "Oh, firepower is not something the boy will be found lacking in. Not with the Noble Phantasms he can replicate and use from the Grail War. It's a good thing he prefers cooking to combat and lacks anything resembling a malicious mentality. The main thing he needs to learn from you is control and anatomy so he can use his powers to heal, improve, or even synthesize replacement flesh on demand. Not through your Magecraft, but his own Magic."
Touko's eyes widened as certain connections formed in her mind. "Wait, 'replicate'...that story about something duplicating the Tohsaka and El-Melloi Magic Crests that you lot fed the Clock Tower was to hide him, wasn't it?"
Natalia confirmed this with a nod. "That's right. You could arrange for him to repair things for you or provide components to study on the side, but expect his parents and Lord Tohsaka to be wary of his being taken advantage of."
Touko sighed...this was insane. She thought the Fifth was broken, but the First was just as bad in a different way. If Alice realized that the heir to her ancestor Yumina was alive and awake, she was going to take a personal interest. And Aoko...she must never know that there's a child Magician in Japan. She might try to teach the kid something. "I want my responsibilities clearly defined here."
Zelretch nodded, finding that reasonable. "While he can copy flesh, Shirou knows little about pain management or other nuances. He isn't yet skilled enough to perfectly manipulate the smallest structures of the brain necessary to preserve the mind, either. You will teach him anatomy alongside his adopted mother, refine his control to a serviceable standard, teach him how to transplant the soul, and other concepts of your Magecraft with the understanding that he will apply that knowledge through the First True Magic where possible. That will prevent the deterioration of your Magecraft. You will help him and Lord Tohsaka's younger daughter learn to control and fine-tune their Mystic Eyes. You will teach a group of children including Shirou about Runes. You will keep secret every sensitive detail you learn about the group unless told otherwise, with the exception of honest efforts to recruit Alice Kuonji, and you will not act out against them in any way unless the situation truly calls for it. You will act in a manner appropriate for a teacher sharing responsibility for a magical child. You will allow him the use of a section of your workshop and a forge for his own work."
That covered her obligations, so Zelretch started to discuss the benefits next. "In exchange, I will open the door to the Fifth True Magic for you. It is also possible for you to obtain a copy of the Aozaki family crest, but you would be best served to obtain a copy made by the First Magic to absolutely guarantee a lack of deterioration. It is also a certainty that you will repeatedly encounter opportunities during the course of your duties that will give you access to knowledge, wealth, or research materials typically beyond your reach—including more Primordial Runes. Deals regarding such things would have to be discussed separately at the appropriate time with the appropriate parties. You will also have access to Ahnenerbe's VIP area, allowing you to escape from pursuers and flee to different cities, continents, or even Worldlines provided something hasn't happened that ethically warrants your capture by the pursuing force."
These words seemed to be too good to be true, but Zelretch was serious when stating these terms and didn't carry a joking tone. The man made deals and stuck by them. There was also the simple fact that he could report her or send her to the Clock Tower for imprisonment if he wanted. Even if the prize hadn't been the Fifth Magic, this was still a deal she couldn't pass up for multiple reasons—her own survival included. "...Well, you've got me over a barrel, so I don't really have much choice, do I?"
Zelretch smiled cheekily at the woman. "If it helps, just guide him to your library and he will memorize the contents of every book at a single glance. At that point, it will mostly be question and answer sessions plus practical work. It will go far more quickly."
Touko's voice took on a somewhat irritated expression. "Thanks for the warning. No keeping my most sensitive tomes here for the time being, then. So, how are we going to proceed?" Zelretch held up two contracts. One for making a new body for Sola-Ui and another for her to be a teacher. After these were signed, Zelretch rolled them up and put them away.
"Follow me and bring your shoes and coats. We will use the Ahnenerbe access point for this." Zelretch led the two women out of the office and toward a nearby room that he had re-appropriated. The cloaked wizard opened the door and stepped through, Natalia and Touko following suit. They found themselves in the Ahnenerbe of Mifune City during a busy shift. The hour of the day seemed off as well. People were outside celebrating, it was snowing a bit, and there was a festive atmosphere. Zelretch paid the people as little mind as possible as the trio moved through the restaurant and stepped outside. He seemed almost cold and focused, though not malicious. It was as if he was doing something distasteful that he simply wanted to be over and done with.
"We'll take a taxi to Misaki Town. We'll find what we're looking for there." Not protesting the old man's words, they walked down the street and eventually called a taxi. They rode in silence, but the radio playing in the taxi got Touko's attention.
"Hello, everyone! This is Radio Mifune getting ready to say goodbye to the first year of the Heisei era! Goodbye 1989, hello 1990! We wish you a happy December 31st and celebrate the end of the decade with all the best hits of the '80s! Next up is 1984's Plastic Love by Mariya Takeuchi!"
Touko bit her lip as the music began to play, feeling a cold sensation in her very core. When Natalia hinted at the idea that Parallel World hopping would allow her to resolve her greatest regret, Touko suspected something like this. Each Worldline could only tap into a specific path to the Root once, but this restriction did not seem to cross Worldlines. She could theoretically go to a Worldline where the path to the Fifth True Magic was not used yet, claim it there, and return home with the ability. Two Fifth Magicians could then live in the same Worldline. Each Magician had their own independent link to the Root, so two Magicians sharing the same True Magic in this way would not suffer a reduction in power in the same way as if they shared the same Magecraft. It was a trick that made Zelretch a potential Kingmaker, but he didn't use it lightly...in fact, she wondered how many other people even realized he could do it at all. The issue was that Touko knew this date to be very shortly after her fight with Aoko, and the taxi just pulled up to an area that Touko knew well. Zelretch instructed them to get out and paid the taxi to wait.
"I'll be here waiting for you, then. Happy New Year!" The cab driver said, before rolling up his window and enjoying a cup of hot coffee he poured from his thermos. Given that Zelretch had just paid him the equivalent of a week's wages to take a break, he was more than happy to wait even on New Year's Eve.
The group walked off, trudging across the snow and through a fading Bounded Field—one Touko remembered setting up during her fight with her sister. And then, in front of an abandoned school building she remembered losing her final battle to Aoko at, she saw mangled corpses. A dark-haired young woman with a complexion much like a doll. A young man whose body seemed to take a massive amount of punishment before failing him. A girl with once-long hair who had her head torn cleanly from her body. And a woman looking exactly like Touko herself minus a few years. The other entity that Touko remembered was here that night, Lugh Beowolf, was nowhere to be seen.
"T-This is..." Touko uttered in shock.
"A Worldline destined for pruning. I won't bore you with the details since the conflict itself went a bit differently, but you and your sister both died rather than either of you attaining the Fifth Magic. Furthermore, in this particular Worldline, Touko Aozaki was needed to restore a certain degree of function and mobility to Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald's body in the Fourth Holy Grail War. Her lack of presence precipitated a chain of alternate events that led to a corrupted Grail being activated in the worst way possible and this Worldline eventually being pruned." Zelretch's demeanor earlier now made sense. He was ignoring the happiness and hope of people he knew were going to be killed or erased.
Touko exhaled as she came to terms with this truth. "...I would ask if there's a way to save it, but it'd just be one more world among the many that you'd have to keep an eye on, right?"
"That's right," Zelretch conveyed. "A number of Worldlines exist solely because I made the mistake of meddling in my youth and subsequently had to take responsibility for them. It's impossible to save them all, nor should we. There are a few of me running around, but not enough to go looking for extra Worldlines to manage."
"Except ours," Natalia observed.
Zelretch gave a chuckle. "Well, yours is a bit abnormal for a few reasons. It's still able to survive, but there are all kinds of fascinating changes just under the surface...it's a breath of fresh air with unique possibilities." The Second Magician got to work, starting to check Alice's corpse for her Ploy Kickshaw and other implements descended from the First Magic. Not to steal them, but to ensure that the tools were in his personal history for Shirou to Recursively Grasp just in case he couldn't recruit the descendant of the First Magician to teach Shirou in his native Worldline. Touko, meanwhile, inspected her younger sister's corpse. Aoko had died with an expression of shock etched onto her decapitated head, much to Touko's discomfort.
Would winning five years ago have been worth this?
"...still...this could become another Worldline where Shirou retains the First Magic. Alice could use her Ploys' Bounded Fields to hide him from Gaia until he was trained up. That could make it worthwhile. I suppose my future apprentice could look over this one as a sort of training world if some miracle were to happen. It isn't as if pushing the burden onto the future is without precedent at times like this," Zelretch said cheekily, referring to Aoko's reckless use of what could qualify as Entropy Magic.
An idea forming in her mind, Touko shifted her attention to Aoko's arm and ultimately managed to connect to the Magic Crest implanted into it. She employed her ability to use Magic Crests externally to control it, able to do so after Aoko's death through her own natural compatibility with the Aozaki Crest. She then accessed the key—the spark within the Crest that would open the door to the Root hidden under this land.
"Hear me, [-].
I declare."
The third word spoken was a complete and impossible silence that filled the world. Spoken Nothingness that called upon the Root. Focusing her power as a complex cyan Magic Circle appeared beneath her, segments counter-rotated faster and faster against each other until some of the snow beneath her feet was replaced with green grass. Electrical discharge threatened to paralyze her body as the World fought back...but it was with weakened strength, for the World was already doomed to erasure. A white light appeared as she fought through the pain, knowing that her version of Aoko had taken on far worse and endured. She gritted her teeth. Touko was not as well-suited to this Magic as her sister, but she could use what she saw Aoko do as a supplemental guide.
"By the name Blue, I speak for order. Hear me."
A red figure of the Counter Force tried to dissuade her by conveying an instinctive understanding that if she pressed onward, she wouldn't quite be human anymore. But that was fine. She was a Magus. This was what she dedicated her life to. The birthright that she thought had been forever stolen from her was hers to claim.
"All is not sane, yet all shall be right."
In a flash of light, time began to flow backward. The seasons and years cycled backward around the group...1988...87...86...85...faster and faster they went until suddenly a critical mass was reached in 1979. There was no sea of white flowers or grandiose night sky as when Aoko did it—that seemed to be more a personal connection with either her or the boy whose time she borrowed—but the deed was done just the same.
"Five Timeless Words: Order has fallen to Ruin."
The Magic finally solidified into her soul, tied to her very being. She was tired. It was not like Aoko's manifestation, but Touko claimed what she had long sought...the Fifth True Magic. The four former corpses on the ground then began to wake. Four trees in the nearby forest, their time exchanged for that of the victims', fell apart in a mess of slashes and the early stages of decay.
"W-what?" The younger Touko inquired as she woke. "Beo?"
"So Beowulf killed you all in this Worldline before running off? I guess I never knew how close to death I was walking. But that's the Magus lifestyle, I suppose." Touko said as she lit a cigarette and took a drag from it. She was now disconnected from Aoko's Magic Crest, no longer needing it. It was once again undisturbed in Aoko's healed arm.
"T-Two of you?" Aoko asked angrily as she prepared to attack with her uncoordinated and strained body, but the smoking Touko didn't act aggressively. The insanely strong boy and the doll-like girl just seemed confused.
"Don't bother," Touko said to Aoko as the latter prepared to fight. "You idiots died and doomed the Worldline to pruning because one of you still had a job to do. I was offered a deal by Zelretch to take the Fifth Magic you left abandoned here, used the Fifth to take the moments of your death plus the time you spent as corpses, and attached that time to some trees in the forest. They took the damage for you." Indeed, it was a better use of the power than just shoving the burden far into the future like her Worldline's Aoko did. Maybe she'd fix that on returning to her Worldline.
"Time spent as...what's the date? Did I miss any school?" Aoko asked in concern that this would become a hassle.
"Death and a doomed Worldline, and that's your concern, Aoko? Did you get any training about the Kaleidoscope or Parallel Worlds?" The younger Touko asked in frustration.
"I have only had a year to work with her, Touko. There were other priorities," Alice explained quietly.
"Tch..." the indigenous Touko clicked her teeth, but couldn't refute that.
"For you? It's December 31st, 1989. I'm from the December 5th, 1994 of an alternate future where we all didn't die horribly," The older Touko explained to Aoko. "Anyway, my World will have two Fifth Magicians and yours will have none, but your world might just live to see 1995 if you stop trying to kill each other. Consider it your idiot tax, and none of you currently have the strength to fight me on this."
She then looked to her younger self. "Younger me, if Aoko pulls a stupid and bans you from Misaki Town for ten years, don't show off that project to circumvent it and sneak back in. It earned us a Sealing Designation that wasn't worth the stolen alcohol," Younger Touko almost flinched at the news while Aoko gave the two Touko a funny look. "And if Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald or his fiancée ask you to some healing job in November 1994, then for the sake of your World not being culled, do it and milk him of every yen you can before he gets himself killed. Got it? Good. Bye." None of the assembled had the strength to stop Touko when she walked away. Touko felt that leaving them exhausted from their last fight was just a good idea to avoid retaliation.
Partway back to the cab, Touko was caught up to by Natalia. "...things like this are part of the reason I don't want to turn you in. You're a traditional Magus, capable of cruelty, but you're not outright evil."
Touko grumbled. "Let's just get out of here. I want to open a bottle of wine and get so drunk that I forget about the last hour."
They returned to the cab, waited a few minutes for Zelretch who had held back to give the group more tips to find this Worldline's Shirou and survive past the mid-90s, and then they rode to Mifune where they made sure to celebrate the New Year before returning home. Zelretch was a lot less inclined to restrain himself now that this Worldline had a shot at survival, while Touko focused on getting plastered.
Bohemia Inn
Prague, Czech Kingdom/Kingdom of Bohemia
4:07 AM Local Time (Central European Time)
(12:07 PM Japan Standard Time)
Aoko slept semi-uncomfortably in the bed of her hotel room. It wasn't a particularly bad room, but it was by no means the great deal she thought it would be. The wandering Fifth Magician thought she was getting a great deal on an upscale hotel room in the Grand Hotel Bohemia, but arrived to find this cheap inn that overcharged travelers who were tricked by the language barrier. The service wasn't horrible, but it was hardly worth the price.
The rest she had wasn't a particularly good one to begin with, and it was interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone—an expensive piece of technology that was nonetheless essential in her line of work. Groggily waking up and taking the phone from the bedside table into her hand, she verified the time by way of the digital clock on the bedside table. The irritated woman answered the call, resisting the urge to chuck the phone at the wall.
"Whoever you are, it's just past four in the morning where I am. This had better be good."
"Alive...good. Alive." Her sister's drunken words hit Aoko's awareness as they came out of the phone. Aoko wanted to shout at her sister for waking her up, but the words themselves and their tone gave her enough pause to maintain a minimum level of civility.
"Touko? Aaaand you're drunk. Great...why are you drunk? Isn't it noon over in Japan? Did you run off to a different country?" Aoko asked, only partly interested.
"No, in Japan. Just...tried to forget our fight," Touko grumbled through the phone.
Aoko sighed, collecting her minimal self-restraint as she flicked some of her hair out of her eyes. "That was your own fault and you know it. What was I supposed to do, roll over and die for you?" Aoko asked with a small amount of venom in her voice.
"You did die!" Touko's sudden shout surprised Aoko as she began to blabber on. "Beo killed us all! You, me, Alice, that *hic* boy toy of yours...I held your severed head in my hands, Aoko! The look frozen on your face...I got the Fifth...brought you all back...but was it *hic* worth it? Was it?"
The Fifth Magician paused at the contradictory mess that came out of her sister's mouth and the flash of regret at the end. Had being given a Sealing Designation messed her up this badly? "Hey, Touko...nee-san," Aoko struggled with the now unfamiliar term of address. "None of that happened, alright? I won, you lost, and we all went on living. It was just a dream. Get some sleep and sober up, alright?"
"...zzzz..." was the sound that came out the other end of the phone after a few moments. Aoko restrained her irritation at the light snoring and hung up the call.
"Typical. The one time she listens to me and she still manages to make me angry..." In spite of her frustration, the Fifth Magician felt a little concerned now. If Touko was regretting what happened before while getting drunk in the middle of the day, maybe she should do something...no. Alice should do something. They were supposed to be friends, right?
"Don't say I never did anything for you, Touko." Aoko dialed Alice's number to foist the problem onto someone else while feeling a slight reduction of dislike toward her older sister.
December 6, 1994
Kuonji Residence
Misaki Town, Japan
9:26 AM
Touko got out of the taxi in her disguise as a black-haired and brown-eyed lady in a fashionable business suit. It was, oddly, the same taxi she had ridden in the alternate timeline with the very same driver. He was still listening to Radio Mifune as well. At least he was polite enough.
On exiting the taxi and walking toward Alice's home, she felt herself crossing a Bounded Field that checked for hostile intentions as well as one that checked for known people. She was ultimately allowed in without fuss, much to her surprise. The Puppet Master approached the front door and knocked. When Alice answered the door, Touko jokingly said, "Avon calling~"
Alice's expression did not so much as budge. She instead opened the door to let Touko inside, only speaking after closing the door behind them. "You call that a disguise, Touko? An Avon Lady? Do we even have those in Japan?"
Touko smiled rather darkly. "Do you really think most Enforcers or Magi with ties to the Clock Tower would think about the differences in culture enough to realize that? Besides, my Sealing Designation is going to be contested soon anyway. Two Clock Tower Lords and Zelretch himself are on board if I build a new body for one of their daughters. Hey, where's your little friend? I thought you two were living the harem life with that boy. Soujuurou, was it?"
Alice didn't rise to the bait. "He went to the mountains to train. If he spends too long in civilization and retains too much of a sense of self, he loses strength. We believe it has something to do with the concept of Mushin. To retain what strength he has, he has to maintain a balance and keep hold of what made him special to begin with." That made sense to Touko. The boy was strong enough to hurt Beo in part because he lacked a human's common sense. If he needed a base level of being 'inhuman' to maintain that strength, isolating himself for long periods might do it. "It is good news about the Sealing Designation review, but fails to explain why you drunk-called Aoko talking about how you had the Fifth Magic and were panicking about killing us. She wanted me to talk with you about that if I ever ran into you," Alice said, making Touko tense up a bit before she sighed. Of course Aoko would call about that. When Touko remembered what she'd done, she was mortified.
"Zelretch paid me a visit yesterday and offered a second deal to me. It's pretty lengthy, but the basic idea is that I help train some kids in my skills and Runes among some other things and non-disclosure stuff. In exchange, I got a chance at the Fifth Magic." Alice was skeptical of this, but Touko kept going. "It turns out that since I couldn't get the Magic here, he could shuffle me off to some to-be-pruned Worldline where we all died and I could pick it up there. So that's exactly what we did. I wound up back at New Year's Eve five years ago and saw all our mangled corpses in front of that schoolhouse. Aoko's head was slashed clean off. I think Beo went crazy or something and lost the ability to tell friend from foe, so he just killed everyone before running off. I got the Fifth Magic, swapped out all our dead selves' time as mangled corpses for the time of some trees in the area, and that fixed that. They were alive again and could work to fix their Worldline before it got culled. It turns out that it's something my younger self had to survive until last month to pull off. Then we came home, I got drunk, called Aoko, passed out, woke up, fixed some Fifth Magic mishaps that Aoko did in this Worldline shoving sections of time recklessly into the future, and then came here."
"A happy ending for everyone except you and maybe the other Magic-less Touko. Seeing Aoko like that disturbed you," Alice observed.
"...a few years on the run changes your perspective on some things, Alice. I also have what I set out for now. The birthright I dedicated years of my life to getting. And when I finally saw the real price for 'winning', I guess it just wasn't worth it." Touko didn't want to admit to much more than that.
Alice still seemed to be skeptical. "Can you prove you have the Fifth? This all still seems unlikely."
Touko pondered the matter. She'd have to rewind time or fix something most Magecraft couldn't fix. After some thought, she came to a decision. "...Alice, there should be a small grave for a mother cat and her kittens that got into the engine of Dad's car a little while before I left home the first time. Aoko buried them there sometime in '81 or '82. Damn, was it really that long ago?" Touko uttered with some mild surprise before collecting her thoughts again. "If you've got some trees you don't mind dying, shrinking, or at least getting some branches trimmed off, I can use those to try something..."
Alice had a rough idea of what Touko intended and found that to be quite an impressive test. Within half an hour, several feline skeletons had been extracted from the ground, cleansed with Magecraft, and brought into the house in a large bird cage that was usually used for one of Alice's spells. "I marked several trees by tying ribbons onto their trunks. The worst one is the one closest to the house that has branches looming over the roof and roots threatening to penetrate the basement walls."
Touko briefly stepped outside, looked at the tree in question, and did some mental calculations. It was doable. "Alright...you want proof? Here's something Magecraft just can't do." Focusing her energies, Aoko began the same chant as before.
"Hear me, [-]."
"I declare."
"By the name Blue, I speak for order. Hear me."
"All is not sane, yet all shall be right."
"Five Timeless Words: Order has fallen to Ruin."
She was still reliant on the Aria, but the Magic came more smoothly and she didn't even need the Aozaki Crest to pull it off. The familiar cyan light filled the room and branches hovering over the roof of the house turned to dust as the price to be paid. Then some of the roots. Collective decades of time fell away from the animal corpses in front of Touko, but she focused on carefully controlling the power. It wouldn't do to rewind the cats too far.
When the Cyan light faded, a wide-eyed Alice was greeted by the sight of a sleeping mother cat and her kittens inside the bird cage. Whole, breathing, alive. The tree had also been turned to dust. She then looked to Touko, who smiled smugly. "So, believe me now?" Touko asked.
Alice gave a very subtle nod in response. "Yes...but what children are worth training to the point where the payment is the Fifth Magic?"
Touko took out a pack of cigarettes to smoke while she spoke, but Alice's look shifted to one of mild disapproval. Touko put the cigarettes away in mild irritation. "According to Zelretch? One of them is an eight-year-old boy who developed the First Magic last month during Fuyuki's Grail War." It was to Alice's credit that her expression did not change further beyond a slight dilation of the pupils. "He needs to learn how to make bodies to transfer souls into, and I'm supposed to help teach him skills that can be parsed through his Magic. The idea is to train him and keep him secret for as long as possible so the Clock Tower doesn't ruin his development. Since you're the previous First Magician's descendant and bearer of what's left of her knowledge, I was asked to try recruiting you too. Otherwise, I would be forbidden by geas from even telling you about the boy."
Alice was more than a bit surprised by this development. She took in a slightly deeper breath than usual at the news to center herself. An heir. The heir to her ancestor's Magic was found. Furthermore, he was found young and being protected from the Clock Tower by two other Magicians. The situation was about as good as could be hoped for, at least on the surface. The implication that he awoke during a Grail War implied that he had been in some sort of danger. "When do I meet him?"
"He was injured in the Grail War, but was rapidly healed. The injury is being used as an excuse to keep him out of school for the rest of the term, though. I'll meet him and his Servant at the Ahnenerbe in Mifune City on Friday. Bringing you along would be fine. You might see a Wizard Marshall and a newly minted Clock Tower Lord from Japan, so come well-dressed." Touko teased.
"...Will you be trying to revive your friend Uvall-san with the Fifth? You might be able to gain Lord Animusphere's support to repeal your Sealing Designation that way." Alice asked. This made Touko's expression shift into one of surprise.
"Lev? He died?" The man was one of her friends from her time at the Clock Tower. A young genius who was barely a teenager at the time she attended.
"I guess your Sealing Designation delays how quickly you get information by a few days. A Servant named Gilgamesh appeared inside the Clock Tower's defenses a few days ago and simply cut him down right in front of Lord Animusphere. He said it was because Uvall-san was possessed by one of the demons of Solomon and was a threat to humanity. The source seemed to be an anchor of sorts in the core of his Magic Crest, but the Clock Tower's people were not yet sure if there was more to it. Gilgamesh also implied that Uvall-san was not the only one who had to die." Alice spoke carefully, her words making Touko think.
"Meaning that there might be seventy-one more corpses by the time all is said and done, focusing on the most ancient and powerful of Magic Crests or Crests derived from the Cores of the originals. The Clock Tower nobility must be in an absolute panic to save their own skins," Touko realized. The woman took on a predatory grin. "Now that is an opportunity, isn't it? It might be best to let them simmer a bit though. Maybe see if I can get my Sealing Designation repealed without revealing the Fifth Magic just yet..."
Indeed, she was promised opportunities galore by Zelretch. It was best to wait on her planning until after she had a clearer idea of just what was in her grasp.
December 9, 1994
Ahnenerbe
Mifune City
9:24 AM
It was with mild trepidation that Touko stepped through the link between the business she had named Garan no Dou and Ahnenerbe once more. To most, it was just a coffee shop and restaurant. To those on the magical side, it was the Second Magician's personal domain.
Touko strongly suspected that Alice was already here for the meeting. Witches had a connection to the First Magic tied to their very nature as descendants of Yumina, who was the previous First Magician and the first Witch. She strongly suspected some supernatural link between the boy and his future teacher. What she didn't expect was to see Alice speaking in a relaxed manner with Hinako Akuta from the Clock Tower's Department of Botany while holding a child who looked exactly like a young Alice in her lap. The little girl was speaking to a child whom Touko Aozaki recognized as the newly discovered Grand Duchess Gray Pendragon, who herself was holding a puppy. A little corgi, if she wasn't mistaken. She couldn't be the First Magician though. She was six years old at most, not eight.
"Oh yeah, you weren't around when Alice Jr. showed up, were you?" A familiar voice drew Touko from her contemplation. Leaning against her a wall was Aoko herself, her redshifted hair as lively a color as ever. "She was a real surprise. You haven't really stuck around much since you went to the Clock Tower in '87, so you missed the rugrat coming into the world."
"Aoko," Alice said sternly, "behave yourself."
Aoko clicked her tongue and rubbed the back of her head in mild irritation at her implication being shot down. "...fiiiine. Touko, meet Nursery Rhyme. She's Alice's Caster-class Servant from the 1991 Tokyo Subcategory Holy Grail War that they held in Shinjuku. It started a few months after you last saw us. Someone ran off with the War's Saber-class Servant. The people running the War were trying to compensate for the loss by stealing from Misaki Town's leylines to replace him with another Servant for the ritual."
"No regrets. Saber's a friend I didn't want to risk losing," Yu Mei-ren said without remorse.
Aoko only shrugged at Yu Mei-ren's comment. She didn't really see anything wrong with the Elemental's actions. "We summoned Junior here with the stolen energy, raided the Grail War, anchored her to Misaki Town's leylines, and sold the busted Grail to the Department of Astromancy when they came looking into things. We're pretty sure Alice could sustain Junior on her own energy alone, but there's no reason to risk it if we don't have to. It's not like we're using the land's power for any other reason right now."
"You neglected to mention how the Grail got broken, Aoko," Alice commented.
Aoko defended herself. "I was fighting Berserker! Collateral damage was unavoidable!"
"You hit it with Berserker's head, Auntie Aoko," Nursery Rhyme clarified to no surprise from Touko. "Besides, humans aren't supposed to fight Servants in Grail Wars anyway...didn't you know that?" Nursery Rhyme innocently inquired. What did ultimately surprise Touko was when a number of other people in the room promptly looked toward a little boy in the room who had the decency to look somewhat sheepish.
"Yes, Shirou. Didn't you know that?" An impossibly attractive woman with purple hair wearing what Touko identified as Mystic Eye Killers asked in a teasing manner. Notably, they were a pair of Touko's own design.
"Maybe it's just a Magician thing?" Ereshkigal tried to suggest. Sadly, the Servants who had lived through the Fifth Holy Grail War knew better. He would still have challenged Mordred either way. He was just like that sometimes. This version of him was better, but still a little reckless.
Aoko couldn't help but smugly preen in her feelings of vindication while Touko groaned, "Great, another redheaded battle maniac for a Magician. And they told me you liked cooking more than fighting...Aoko, are you sure you didn't have a kid in '87 that I don't know about? You're impulsive enough to have made that sort of teenage mistake." Aoko sputtered in slight indignation at her sister's insinuation.
Zelretch couldn't help but chuckle at the interaction. The dynamic just naturally provided entertainment unbidden. "Now, now. Shirou does prefer peace to fighting. He just tends to go all in when the time comes and neglects to ask for help. His friends and family here are working on that."
"...I'm Shirou Enjou, Master of Saber and the First Magician. It's nice to meet you, Aozaki-sensei," Shirou said while standing and giving a bit of a bow to Touko. "Are the others also my teachers?"
"Well it's good that you can introduce yourself properly," Touko said with a bit of a smile. "I'm Touko Aozaki. I'll be teaching you Anatomy, Familiar Magecraft, Puppet Magecraft, Runecraft, and possibly some other things. I recently tapped into the Fifth Magic, but you'll find my application is a bit less reckless than my little sister's. Alice might become your teacher since she has knowledge that was handed down from her ancestor, the previous First Magician. I haven't heard her agree yet, though. And Aoko...doesn't really have the capacity to teach anything but destruction. She's overspecialized in causing massive amounts of damage." Touko's words made Aoko's eyes narrow.
"That's very important, though." These words came from a petite, white-haired girl in a periwinkle gothic lolita dress. Touko noted the presence of Mélusine Albion of all people, someone else she remembered from her time at the Clock Tower who wasn't to be messed with lightly. Overwhelming firepower was simply a default state of being for the woman.
She and Aoko could not be allowed to become friends.
Alice looked at the child who was supposedly the First Magician and decided to have him do the same thing she made Touko do. "Enjou-kun, was it?" The girl gently stood and set Nursery Rhyme down on the chair. She then turned toward Shirou and gave a curtsy. "I am Alice Kuonji, a descendant of the previous First Magician and this generation's Witch. I would teach the Yumina system of Magecraft, which carries echoes of that which you claim to be heir to. Before that, I would request that you show me an application of your Magic so I might know for certain of your standing."
Shirou blinked, finding that request to be completely reasonable. He looked at Alice and activated his Mystic Eyes—their golden color not unobserved by the newcomers—before he started to call his energy together and made a box appear in a flash of cyan-colored light. Puzzled, Alice stepped forward and opened the box to find that it was full of a certain Mystic Code that she, Touko, and Aoko all knew well. "There are...at least two dozen here..." Alice said in surprise.
Aoko whistled. "It would have taken two months' pay at a part-time job to make just one of those. Before the economy tanked. He just willed them into being?"
"What are those?" Artoria asked, speaking for the first time from her position next to Shirou.
Alice recovered from her mild surprise and began to inspect the objects. She could feel the familiar power from them and saw no flaws in their construction. "Diddle Diddle. Disposable Mystic Codes that can summon and animate objects. They also double the effect of my Magecraft under the right conditions but I have to remake them with every use. How did you learn to make them?"
Shirou hesitated to admit it to strangers, but Zelretch gave him a nod. The boy thus chose to trust them. They were probably going to be his teachers, after all. "I figured out how to do a better form of Structural Grasping that includes reading the history of what I Grasp. It was so I could use an even better form of Projection called Tracing, but the First Magic can be used instead. I can even Grasp things inside the history of other things I've Grasped with something called Recursive Grasping, so I saw these in your history and made copies. My Mystic Eyes and Magic let me do it without the normal reduction in rank that happens with each step. I also store my memories of what I scan inside my Reality Marble, so I can just...make more whenever I want. I never forget what I've seen."
Alice's eyes narrowed slightly. "So you can see something, make copies of it and anything it has been in contact with ad infinitum, and remember how to make those copies forever?"
"Yeah, except souls. That's what the First Magic is supposed to do, right?" Shirou inquired uncertainly. Their surprise seemed strange to him. Was he messing up like his past self did with the nerve circuits?
"You have an infinite items and money glitch," Aoko bluntly said with a measure of envy.
"...not entirely, Enjou-kun," Alice said while ignoring Aoko's interpretation. "The First Magic can make things that do not exist real, or change the properties of existing objects, but the power is not just physical. Even concepts can be altered. Reality can become overwritten with fantasy. The idea of being able to scan existing things is something you are mixing with the First Magic to turn it into a sort of factory. You are definitely using the First, though. The idea that you have a Reality Marble—considering that one of my most powerful remnants of the First involves using a Bounded Field to alter reality—is unlikely to be a coincidence."
"So I'm using the First Magic wrong?" Shirou muttered in worry.
Alice disagreed with this assessment. "No, you use it in the way you know how with what tools you have. You simply have yet to learn what else to do with it. That would be why you need me as a teacher." The woman then straightened into a formal position and spoke much like Tokiomi did when doing something serious and official. "I, Alice Kuonji, accept you as my latest student in the Yumina system of Magecraft and the remnants of the First Magic," Alice clarified, confirming her acceptance of the role. "I also have some Ploys that were made by Yumina herself. You might be able to...'Recursively Grasp' lost knowledge from her through them. You seem to be able to recover lost truths as well as make ideals and fantasies real. That does not come from the First Magic alone."
Professor Velvet smiled at this revelation. "Hmm...doesn't that also mean he can Recursively Grasp the memories of Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern hidden inside Einzbern homunculi and obtain aspects of the Third? Or Grasp Zelretch for aspects of the Second? Or the Aozaki for aspects of the Fifth?"
Zelretch sighed. "Aspects and knowledge, perhaps. The affinity to use it? That's another question entirely." The old man didn't say much more on that point.
Touko Aozaki derailed any potential conversation by strolling up to Professor Velvet and looking over his metal body. He walked around the man and took stock of his come. "Interesting...a new method of Automata construction that bypasses the reason for the discipline's decline...what metal was used as a base? Mercury?"
Professor Velvet gave a brief nod. "Initially, yes, but Shirou's Recursive Grasping has allowed for the use of Orichalcum nanomachines from the Age of Gods."
Touko froze where she stood, going over the words she had just heard for several seconds, before wordlessly getting out a cigarette and starting to smoke. She was going to take this kid all over the place. Every museum, every auction, even the Mystic Eyes Train when he was older. This kid was going to become a living library of every rare material that she could lay before his eyes. And what about the Magic Crests she had? Could they be modified by him for her to use internally or for her creations? The potential was incalculable. Only after taking several drags of the cigarette did she fully collect herself and conclude her thoughts with the words, "...when do we start?"
Author's Notes: I honestly don't know if my interpretation of Soujuurou Shizuki's situation is canon. I am also not sure how much he would contribute to the story if included, or even how much contact he even has with Aoko and Alice after high school, so I left him out of things and tried to come up with a plausible reason to do so. I am also unsure of whether Aoko's hair is permanently red or not. If not, maybe assume she's borrowed 5 years of time from somewhere so she's just as strong now as she was against Touko last time.