Fair warning, this turned out to be quite a dialogue and exposition heavy chapter. Also I seem to have missed out on giving an update schedule, so here it is. I currently am planning on posting a new chapter if this fic once every two weeks, on either day day of the weekend. Note that this is something subject to change, depending on my real world schedule. Now getting to the review Answers:-

Harris Hussain, The embodiment of Weirdness, Gwynx, FateBurn, Yay-man , Gilgamesh50:- Thank you all kindly for your encouraging words, I'm really glad you liked the previous chapter! Hope you enjoy this one as well!

FieldTested:- One Skill to rule them all— The greatest power-up available in this world! High jumps being a sure-shot way to achieve this rare Skill!

Hakuorofan7, RoseToxin3802, JackL1795, Zet4, xXwolfsterXx644:- Funny thing is that I had absolutely no plans regarding Merlin when I had imagined how the story would be going forward, but as I was researching for the first segment of Chapter 5, I got a little... sidetracked. And the next thing I know, I'm knee-deep in the Fate Wiki reading up on Merlin lore and she's refusing to leave my head unless I add her into the story somehow. Strange, how sometimes characters do something so unexpected that I as the author never could have readied myself for. As for the sword... well depending on how much you know of our resident prankster Flower Magus, the ensuing developments might shock you or make you go "Classic Merlin!".

Xian0451:- Huehehehehehehehehe—!

Jeanken95:- Thanks a lot, your encouraging words mean a lot to me! And yeah, OP protagonists are a personal pet peeve of mine– Especially when they are given all the power from the get-go without having to work for it in the least. Ritsuka will get stronger, but I want that development to feel like it's well earned and not handed to him on a silver platter.

GodOfDeathAndUndeath:- Is Heracles actually the most misunderstood best wingman ever? And yeah, Mashu and Protag-kun are really trying to one-up each other on who can do the better self-sacrifice. As for Merlin and Caliburn... Huehehehehehehehehe—! (2) Also, thanks for pointing out that typo with the sword titles, I appreciate the assist!

Rhoris:- Thanks for all the lore, really appreciate you taking the time to letting me know more about that stuff! Also about the Magic Circuits atrophy, the cause of them getting damaged and needing Olga's help to heal was because of the reckless way our MC used them, not cause they were dormant for such a long time. Think of it like pulling a muscle by over-exerting that particular muscle, and increase the severity by a few dozen times. Just because you can pull the trigger doesn't mean you can handle the recoil, you get what I'm saying?

TheMist33:- Huehehehehehehehehe—! (3)

Pannenkoekenrage:- Mashu is under the (frankly stupid) assumption that Ritsu is only nice to hear because he does not know the truth about her origins, and hopes that knowing that she's a Designer Baby and hence not truly human will finally convince him to leave her behind. Unfortunately for her though, she's greatly underestimated just how stubborn her Senpai can be about the people he has classified as a important to him!

As for matters regarding Merlin and Caliburn, you'd think that by now I would have grown tired of ominously laughing to escape from potentially giving away spoilers, but its honestly fun every time! Huehehehehehehehehe—! (4) Also, thanks for the recommendation, it was a fun fic to read. If you're aware of any other such fics, please don't feel shy about recommending then to me, I'd love to check them out!

Super Saiai:- Heh, yeah, that's going to be fun to write. Man, I really gotta get the Chaldeans in on the action soon, thanks for the reminder!

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Also, I declare "Fate/Grand Order Soundtrack: Shikisai ~The Time of Parting Hath Come~" as the official Protag-kun theme. Feel free to play it whenever he's doing something badass! And now without further ado— Please read on and enjoy!


My heart races as my legs move on their own, and before my mind can fully catch up and comprehend what I am seeing; I find myself standing at the apex of the small hill. Staring down at the Sword which emits a radiant, warm light that should be too bright to face with naked eyes. But instead, I find myself transfixed, unable to tear my eyes away from the awe-inspiring brilliance of the sight before me.

... Beautiful.

That was the only thought that occupied my brain, as I simply stared at the glowing blade. Yet, the word felt inadequate and seemed more like an insult when used to describe what lay in front of me. The magnificent golden Sword, with a royal blue hilt attached to a crescent-shaped guard adorned with gold and rubies. Small motes of light were constantly being released from the blade and were circling it like fireflies before fading away and allowing new ones to take their place. It's warm and gentle golden light illuminated the surroundings in a pleasing manner, contrasting well with the darkness and the luminous flowers. Like the moon shining brilliantly in the starry night sky.

A weapon for war it was not. No, it was something much greater than that. It's purpose is much more noble. For the regal sword was not the symbol of an ordinary warrior, but that of a worthy King.

I don't know how long I simply stood there and stared at the blade. How long I basked in the sword's radiant light. It could have been seconds, minutes, hours - I lost all grasp of time as I watched the mesmerizing sight in front of me. Until my trance is abruptly broken by a sudden voice coming from next to me.

"Yeeeea~~! I-It's not like I want to be pulled out by your ~strong~ arms or anything—! ...BAKA!"

"..." Once.

"..." Twice.

"..." Thrice.

Three times I blink, before letting out a sigh and rubbing the bridge of my nose; Before finally turning to my right and karate-chopping the white-haired tittering magus standing next to me none-too-gently.

*WHACK!* "Ouch!"

Her pouting face was honestly quite cute as she kneeled down and looked up at me while grasping the top of her head. "Mooooooou...! Disgraceful! Dishonourable! Scandalous! What kind of man raises a hand on a woman!? On a distinguished lady magus such as I!?"

"Where's this lady you speak of, I'd really like to meet her right about now," I deadpan with an impassive look and raised eyebrow, ignoring Merlin's affronted gasp and following pout. "All I see is a gremlin who doesn't know the value of a good inner monologue! I was having a moment there, and your ill-timed comment completely ruined it!"

Your crocodile tears don't fool me woman, and neither does your otherworldly beauty! Begone, temptress! Thou art nothing compared to the pure innocence of my Kouhai! You don't even hold a candle to the cuteness of Mashu, keep your (admittedly kinda adorable) pouting face to yourself!

"Ruin the moment? Did I now~? I'm sorry Fu–ji–ma–ru–kyun! I never was good at reading the room, being only half human and all. Succubi are known to be quite ditzy, you know; it's part of our charm— Te-he~~!"

" 'Te-he', my ass! Don't think you're getting off the hook that easily by deliberately acting cutesy and stretching out the syllables of my name - Get over here and repent!"

"Owowowow! Stop pulling my ears; They're sensitive~! ... Ahh~~!" Merlin groans out the words in a low husky voice, her face twisting into an expression that is somehow a mixture of pain and pleasure.

"Oi, stop enjoying this, you perverted prankster!" I yell out while fighting the blush that's trying to creep up onto my face as Merlin moans in response to my attacks. In response, I pinch and twist her long ears harder... but that just makes her release louder indecent sounds as she erotically wriggles in my grasp, causing her substantial chest to prominently jiggle even through her robe. Don't tell me this pervert's not wearing a—

No, Ritsuka! I let release Merlin's ears from my grasp (my body definitely did not heat up in response to the throaty exhale she released at my action of letting go) to bring my hands together and slap myself simultaneously on both of my cheeks. Down that rabbit-hole depravity lies. Don't swoop down to this degenerate's level; Keep your little Ritsu under control! Think of pure thoughts; Drop-kick away my impure thoughts chibi Assassin-chan and Fou! There's more important things to focus on right now, like the glowing magic sword two feet behind you!

In the time it took to get my thoughts under control, it appears that Merlin calmed herself down as well. Now she looked at me with a half-glare half-pout as she whimpers out while rubbing her now-red ears:- "You need to be more delicate with your words and actions, Fujimaru-kun, otherwise you might end up hurting some poor maidens feelings one day! You gave me some terrible flashbacks there— Even Artoria never bullied me that hard after I chose to spice up our sword-practice with random point-blank mana blasts!"

"I'll be sure to keep those words in mind when I'm talking to such a maiden. With you however, I will talk how you deserve to be talked to!" Letting out a second sigh, I turn back to face the sword. Damn it, the mystique of the moment is completely ruined now! "Siiiiigh, I suppose it's some consolation to know that I'm not the only one to have fallen prey to your twisted nature over the years. Is it really surprising that you got trapped in a whole parallel dimension with a personality like yours...?"

"Hey now!" Merlin puffs up her cheeks and crosses her hands, looking for all intents and purposes like an albino chipmunk. Kawaii... "As a foolishly great man once said:- 'Just because you are correct, doesn't mean that you are right.' So take that!"

I somehow stagger while standing, looking at the magus's stupid grin. "Don't quote stuff out of context that makes no sense in the current conversation! Also, you haven't answered me yet. Why did you go ahead and do... that? That weird bit with the sword!?"

She had the gall to look genuinely confused at my question, as she tilted her head slightly and brought her index finger to her lip as if pondering deeply on my words. "What, you don't like the tsundere archetype or something? That's pretty surprising, considering how chummy you were being with the stargazer girlie!"

"That's not the point! Also, how the hell do you even know about that?!"

"[Clairvoyance: The Eyes Which See through the World] is quite a nifty little skill to have, Fujimaru-kun~! It's wonderful to be able to spy–*ahem* keep polite watch on enemies and allies alike—without anyone being the wiser! Fufufu~~"

Giggling merrily while casually admitting to a felony and being a professional-level peeping tom. Sasuga, Merlin-chan, you really are deserving of the [Grand] title... the title of Grand Pervert!

But before I could voice my thoughts out loud and maybe give her another round of ear-pulling as a punishment, she skipped away from my range (Nani?! It's evolving!) before continuing. "So you are telling me that you don't appreciate such clever wordplay and alliteration of the classic trope of the 'tsundere sword'!?"

"This is the first time I'm hearing of such a weird trope! What kind of strange media are you consuming while stuck in that tower of yours!?"

With a smile that was much too innocent to be genuine, she answered cheerfully. "Human dreams, of course!"

"... That doesn't sound too ba— wait a moment, didn't you say you were part Succubus or something?"

The sweetness of her smile increased a notch at my words, which just made her look more dangerous. "Fufu~ You're correct; I may have mentioned that in passing. Are you asking about that for any... particular reason, Fujimaru-kun?"

"Correct me if I am wrong... but I am guessing that most of the dreams you chose to spy on ("Politely watch over, keep the terminology straight please!"), were not the kind of dreams you talk about in polite company?"

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"... Heh~"

Her cheeky smirk spoke volumes that no words of hers could have ever conveyed. And in response I simply groaned (over)dramatically as I fell to my knees and prayed to Fou and his fluffiness to save me from this deviant temptress.

Apparently my antics were too much for the magus to beat as well, as she let out a decidedly unlady-like snort before doubling over into full body-shaking laughter. And even after all the shit I gave Merlin— when my gaze locked onto her smiling eyes, I couldn't help but flush as I felt my heart skip a beat. Because, holy crap, does she really look gorgeous right now, with such a joyous smile on her face as she seemingly laughs without a care in the world. Standing out in this musical garden like a flower in full bloom— The most beautiful yet lonely blossom that only grows at the end of the world.

"Hahahah~~! Okay, okay! It's been decades since I last laughed that hard, *fhew*!" Letting out a sigh, the Magus of Flowers finally straightened up. As she wiped away a singular tear that seemed to have rolled down her cheek, she smiled brightly at me. Her grin was slightly crooked, I noticed. Absolutely breathtaking, I once again found myself thinking as I made note of that small imperfection that just seemed to add to Merlin's charms as she continued speaking.

"Actually, speaking about the white bunny, do you know what are the three main components that make up a person?"

"Huh?" At first, I thought I had misheard her because of how distracted I was just looking at her, but asking her to clarify led to repeating the same question that I had heard the first time. Voicing my confusion, I ask:- "How are those two topics related?"

Merlin's only answer was flashing me with a smile that managed to pull off both mysterious and infuriating at the same time. "Giving you all the answers now will just end up putting unnecessary stress on your mind. You need to come to your own conclusions, Fujimaru-kun; For now, just trust me when I say that this information is going to come in handy later. So will you humor me for just a moment more, before we address the elephant in the room... or rather the Sword in the Stone?"

"... Haah, you are a pervert and a prankster of the highest order, but you have helped me so far. So sure, I'm willing to listen to you for now. So educate me, Merlin-sensei, what are these components that make up a person?"

"Yosh~! Thank you for your patience, Fujimaru-kun, it's been a while since I've acted as a teacher, so please bear with me if I'm a little rusty!"

Honestly, I wouldn't really mind if her 'lesson' ends up not going that great; It would honestly have been worth it to have seen such unfiltered glee and excitement on Merlin's face at the prospect of acting as a 'Sensei'. Not that I'm gonna admit to it out loud, from what I've seen fo far, giving her ego a boost is possibly the last thing that I should be doing if I want to keep a grasp on my sanity!


"Now there are three parts that make up a human:- The Mind, the Body and the Soul. Each has its own role to play, and they are all equally important in their own way. They all need to work in harmony for a person to be truly alive." Merlin begins, her tone actually turning a little serious. Guess this really is important stuff that she wants me to know about. Why though...? But I don't question it, choosing to trust her (for now) and focus fully on her words as she continues her lecture.

"The Body; which houses the physical concept of a person. The Mind; to use a modern comparison to make you understand better, acts as the computer behind the body and houses the thoughts and feelings of the person. Beyond that, the final and arguably the most important part, the Soul; which acts as a container and blueprint of the person. You with me so far, Fujimaru-kun?"

Seeing me nod, Merlin begins speaking again. "The Soul, in particular, is considered the most vital part because it is the closest thing to 'a person's being'. Having a Soul means to have an identity, a concept that is them, to have meaning in the World. It is the very consciousness of a person, something that cannot be created by man. Homonculi are considered sub-humans for this very reason; The lack of a True Soul. There are exceptions to the rule, of course. The Einzberns have, or rather had taken great steps towards replicating a True Soul through their experiments with Ether Clumps and hundreds of years of Ancient Alchemy backing up their quest to reproduce the Soul of their founder and relearn the miracle of the Third Magic that they had discovered during the Age of Gods and subsequently lost at the advent of the Age of Man. But it is still beyond the reach of any mortal magus... well in the current timeline, at least! Now making a—"

"Wait, wait, wait!" I interrupt her with a raised hand as I stare into her confused eyes with my shocked ones. "Don't just casually gloss over stuff like that; The hell do you mean in the current timeline!?"

I mean, I know that different dimensions and stuff must exist— My existence and the Gamer System are literal proof of that, my fragmented knowledge of this world that I had played as a game in my previous life adding to the surety of the fact that this is not my original life. But for Merlin, a being of this 'game' world to mention something like that...

"Ah, Fujimaru-kun, you don't want to ask me that question if you want this to be a short lecture! I'm afraid I won't be able to stop myself, and you'll be stuck with me until you grow a full beard if I start talking about the [Second Magic: Kaleidoscope], parallel dimensions, and the exploits of ol' Zelretch right now! So please, let's stay on topic for now, kay~?"

"... Damn you, you shitty magus, all I'm getting from this lesson is a bunch of questions and absolutely no answers to my current problems!"

"Now, now, Fujimaru-kun, don't grumble— You'll be heaping me with praise one day when you manage to apply this stuff in the near future!" Saying that, Merlin goes back into teacher mode and into the flow of the lesson, apparently having no issues continuing where she left off in spite of my sudden interruption. "Back to the lecture now, as I was saying; Creating an artificial body is simple enough, as proven by you humans for a long time now, Golems, Automatons and Homunculi being some of the more well known examples that you will recognize at the moment. And with the growth of artificial intelligence and the like, you humans are getting closer and closer to deciphering all the secrets and intricacies of the Mind. And after that it will only be a matter of time before you can replicate it— Hell, without the literal apocalypse breaking out I'm sure that in a few years Scarred Red would have cracked the code and perfected her Puppet Magecraft! A-Ah, if you ever come across her, please don't call her that or mention that I did so; She'll kill the both of us thirteen times over at the least!"

That catches my attention, as I make a sound my confusion at her (rather concerning) words. "Huh? Aren't you like super powerful though, being from the Age of Gods and stuff? Should a modern human mage really pose a problem for you?"

"I am flattered by the faith you put in me, Fujimaru-kun, but trust me on this one. As someone who specializes in survival and running away, Disgraced Crimson and her sister, Blue, are not people you can just casually mess with! They are some of the few humans still alive with the capability of fighting Servants directly, mano-e-mano style. I've heard rumors that even the White Princess of the True Ancestors chose to avoid fighting Blue when given the chance. You know you are facing a troublesome individual when even Archetype: Earth hesitates to engage them in combat! Tell me, Fujimaru-kun, do you really want to mess with someone who's been nicknamed "Human Missile Launcher"!?

"... You make valid points, Merlin-Sensei. I have no idea what an archetype or true ancestor is, but it sounds sufficiently end-boss enough. I withdraw my previous queries. Hell, if anyone asks, I had fallen asleep for those final few sentences and have no recollection of what you may have said!"

"That's a good boy! Yosh, yosh~ Let Onee-san praise you for your smartness~~!" I attempt to dodge her hand but fail once again— falling prey to the female magus's head-pats. I grumble and squirm the whole while as I try to escape the giggling Merlin's grasp, but she's got a surprisingly firm grip on my head without it actually hurting me. Is this karma finally catching up, for all I've done to Mashu? Truly, the World works in mysterious ways to keep the scales balanced ...

"Oh~~! You have such soft hair, Fujimaru-kun, just like Cath Palug's tail! I might just get tempted to keep you here forever to pet you to my heart's content..."

"Please don't; my schedule is pretty packed at the moment. I've got stuff to do— Greece's greatest hero to defeat, Kouhais to save, Directors to tease; You know the gist of it." I deadpan as finally give up trying to escape and just sigh and accept my fate... I-It's not like I'm enjoying this or anything! I'd rather be chased once again and be forced to listen to another sermon from Zayd about Gilgamesh's greatness than accept this disrespect!

"Fufu~ I'm just teasing, just teasing! No need to worry your pretty and soft head over jokes like this! Also I'm glad to see you haven't lost your optimism yet, you're gonna need that positive thinking for what comes after this fun dream finally ends." Finally having had her full of my head, Merlin let's go and hops back... I-I am only touching my head to f-fix my hair! It's not like I already miss her comforting and affection touch or anything! And I'm certainly not blushing for having been called pretty... I'm not!

"Enough playing for now, though; For now, it's quiz time! Ding~Ding~Ding~! Tell me, one and only contestant Fujimaru-kun, what is it that grants Magecraft much of its power?"

"Something tells me that you're going to explain it no matter what I answer," I say with a grin. It's honesty quite adorable, how quickly she got into the teaching bit, and how much fun she seems to be having from this quote-on-quote lesson. As I had said to Mashu, there's something inherently satisfying about listening to someone speaking at length about a topic they are passionate about; and it's clear to me how much Merlin seems to like teaching. And I choose not to keep that observation to myself. "You look like you're having fun."

"Fufu~ Yes, I am!" Merlin exclaimed with almost childlike excitement while giving a little hop of joy, which made her... assets jiggle quite prominently. I harden my will (only my will, mind you) and force myself to not break eye contact. Knowing what I know of her, I honestly can't tell if that was deliberate or not!

But then her expression turned coy, and alarm bells immediately began ringing in my head. But my reaction was too late, as Merlin leaned in, and I found myself standing perfectly straight as she whispered huskily into my ear. "But don't be cheeky with me now, Fujimaru-kun... You don't want Sensei to personally punish you now... Right~~~?"

I find my eyes unconsciously shift to her full lips and trail further downwards towards her chest region. I suddenly find my throat to be very dry, and I gulp at the sight of her full features straining against her pristine white robe. Finally I manage to tear my eyes upwards and hold eye contact with the half-succubus, who has been observing me for the last minute and has been thoroughly enjoying herself the whole while; Judging by the amused glint in her lavender eyes. Huh... I never realized just how long her white eyelashes actually are, until now that is. With our faces only inches apart... I find my hands moving before I realize what I am doing, as my right palm cups her left cheek.

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... Soft.

That's the only sensation that I feel at the moment—that softness and the heat around my cheeks as I stare into Merlin's half-hooded eyes. We look into each other's eyes for who knows how long, and gradually, before I realize it, both of us are breathing deeply. And as the magus of flower's face tilts ever so slightly forward, I also make my move... by using my hand that is resting on her face and using my thumb and forefinger to pinch her cheek. Hard.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"... And that is how it feels to have a build-up to a moment, and see it get ruined before your very eyes! Take that, you shitty magus, where is your 'te-he' now, huh!? Now suffer for the sake of my amusement! Hahahahah~!"

The only answer I get in return is Merlin's yelps of pain and garbled pleas of mercy; In response to which I simply grin, and bring my other hand to second cheek and twist my fingers and pull even harder on both of her cheeks. And at the moment, to my ears, her sounds of agony sound sweeter than any melody I have ever heard in my entire life. And as I bask in the enjoyment of Merlin's suffering, I only have a single extra thought that runs through my very pleased mind... I hope this doesn't awaken anything in me.


"Mooooou...! Fujimaru-kun is a jerk! A bully! A sadist! A stick in the mud! A Lancelot! A ba—"

"Hai, hai, we have established how much of a jackass I am— Calm down now Merlin-chan, we've got a lesson to continue!" Let's not mention the fact that the only reason I probably managed to resist the urges that had almost overtaken me moments ago was due to my Partner Skill that I got from Mashu; [Blessing of the Shield]. Good job, Mashu, protecting your Senpai from suspiciously seductive individuals even in my dreams! You truly are the best kouhai ever!

"No! Merlin-sensei is mad now! How dare you trample on my pride as a succubus that casually!? If this incident gets public, I'll become a laughing stock amongst all Phantasmal Species! No more lessons for Fuji-baka-maru-kun! Hmph!"

"..." But then again, with this pouting Magus in front of me throwing a tantrum being the only person I can rely on for help, I suppose I should do something to appease her. *Siiiigh* I am so going to regret this. "... I'll allow another minute of head-pats to make up for it."

"Ten!"

"Five," I focus on Merlin with my most deadpan look possible. Oi, Oi, at least try to stay in character, your supposed anger immediately vanished at the prospect of playing with my hair! "And that's my final offer, take it or leave it."

"Deal! Now get your cute head and soft hair over here, Fufufu~!"

... I really can't tell if dealing with Merlin is stupidly simple or exceedingly infuriating.

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"Hehehe... No matter how much you try to pretend, Fujimaru-kun, in the end your smile betrays you true feelings~~"

... Maybe it does. At the end of the day, I suppose that if the interaction between two parties ends with smiles on both their faces, maybe it was not such a bad interaction after all. It really is that simple, huh? Talking with Merlin is... fun, and she has caused me to smile, even with all the teasing, and flirting, and lack of self awareness on her part— I suppose a part of me really has been genuinely enjoying this time I am spending with her. So I suppose a little compromise on my end is a fair cost to see the beautiful smile on her face.

... It's not like I'm enjoying the head-pats or anything obviously, I'm only enduring them for the sake of equivalent exchange! B-Believe it!


Almost fifteen minutes later, we finally get back on topic - A thoroughly satisfied Merlin, sporting a giant, content grin; and a completely defeated me, with my cheeks sporting a shade of pink not that far off from Mashu's hair.

"The answer to my previous question, Fujimaru-kun, is the power of the unknown; That is what increases the potency of Magecraft. It is influenced so much by the 'sense of mystery', that the very term 'Mystery' became another idiom for Thaumaturgy itself! It's the reason Magecraft was so powerful and so much easier to use during the Age of the Gods; without the progression of science to help clear things up for humanity, the World was shrouded in Mystery and it was an age of superstition and irrational beliefs that powered magic to an unimaginable extent. And that is why the Five True Magics all fall under the category of [Sorcery]; Magecraft that cannot be defined by the laws of humans or replicated while following the rules set by the World."

"And that is why the Soul is considered the most important aspect of a person, for it falls under the realm of True Magic as its workings are still mostly unknown to humans. It holds memories—everything someone has experienced in life from beginning to end, which it absorbs via a process similar to osmosis from the Mind. It is a record for everything. A soul is someone's totality, marked onto the world. It is also what dissipates first when someone dies. In relation to the mind, the soul serves two purposes. First, it acts as a container, holding the mind within it. Second, it defines the identity that the mind will conform to. In other words, your mind acts as 'Fujimaru Ritsuka' because it is housed in your soul. The mind naturally takes the shape that the soul suggests, and upon death, when the soul leaves the body, the mind is also shed and quickly disperses into random, unimportant calculations."

"The mages of Chaldea however, found a loophole to exploit; and we're able to extract the Soul from the Body and move it without complications into Singularities— You ingenious humans truly never fail to entertain me! Like in a dream, where your Soul, or consciousness, can move around without affecting your Body in the confines of the Mind - the wonders of properly mixing technology and magecraft have achieved the same, but in the real world instead of the just the subconsciousness of humans! Rayshifting, as the phenomenon has been coined by modern mages, is the process of converting a person's soul into raw data in the form of Spritons, extracting it from the body while keeping the confines of the Mind and its many calculations intact, and projecting into a different time and space. But you need the right aptitude for it to work perfectly, and not fry your brain from the strain, and for your Body to accept your Soul back into it without any complications!"

"That's right, the Rayshift Aptitude is not just something present in the Body, but in the Mind as well. That is why there are only forty eight you Master Candidates in this world, which contains more than six billion humans, as simply checking one criteria in this two-step equation does not make you eligible to be able to Rayshift. Think about it, Fujimaru-kun, with so many top-of-the-line mages present in Chaldeas, there must be many with a single aptitude who would end up bitter and disappointed at not being able to Rayshift right...?"

Strangely, Merlin stops briefly after saying those words and sends me a pointed look, as if trying to see if I realized something. I suppose I get what she's trying to tell me, but why is she focusing on this part-?

But apparently having found what she was looking for, she abruptly starts again:- "But I suppose I am going off on an unrelated tangent there. Let's get back to the main topic; When I say that the Soul records everything from the beginning, I do not mean from the birth of that person - I mean from the very beginning of their existence, from when that piece of Soul separated from the Swirl of the Root and incarnated into the Waking World."

"... What?"

"I suppose this might come as new information to you, Fujimaru-kun, bear with me as I try to explain it as simply as I can! All things that exists in the universe come from and return to the Root. The Root, or Akasha as it was dubbed in many ancient cultures, releases concepts that take material form. While humans are naturally born from sexual reproduction, every new-born child is but a concept that once slipped from the Root. This is an Origin, a latent driving force that exists within all living individuals."

My ears perk up at the mention of 'Origin', as I am immediately reminded of the Notification that I had read during and that which I had vowed to look into later after the Rayshift. I suppose that time is now; This is something I need to know, to better understand exactly what happened to me and my soul after the explosion at Chaldea.

"All Origins are abstract, such that Mages are barely able to characterize them with words alone. The concepts of Origins are fascinating in that they characterize all of mankind as unique existences, despite sharing the commonality of being human. A romanticized statement such as 'that man is deaf incarnate', can actually serve as a literal definition! And the Origin being the identity of the Soul, stays constant throughout it's reincarnations. For example, a person with the Origin of 'Consumption', might have been a great carnivorous predator in their previous life! The extent to which one's Origin affects one's daily life has everything to do with how much one has Awakened to their Origin. And I believe you are aware of something of that sort happening within you, isn't that right, Fujimaru-kun?"

My eyes widen with shock at Merlin's words, and her casual admission of having knowledge of my circumstances that she has no way of knowing. "H-How do you know that!?"

Merlin simply smirks at my dumbfounded expression, as she proceeds to explain. "Dreams are my domain, Fujimaru-kun, and currently we are in a landscape made entirely of that stuff, with your soul bare and completely open for me to check out! And from what I've observed so far in our interactions— I'm absolutely sure that you have partially Awakened to your Origin. Congratulations are in order, I suppose, it's quite a rare feat that you have managed to accomplish here!"

"Then—" My mind swims at the implications and is filled to the brim with possibilities. Now that I have gotten confirmation about this, with a super powerful magus like Merlin on my side to help me out... "Then can you tell me what exactly my Origin is; and if I can use it's powers to help my friends!?"

"I can make a pretty accurate guess with the information at hand, but I'm afraid I am not yet a hundred percent certain. And I would like to share my speculation with you; But I've made a point to not make assumptions and share half-conformations with allies any more— I'm pretty sure neither Mordred, nor Vivian, have yet to forgive me for that time the headstrong knight almost drowned in that Lake..."

"Merlin!" I interrupt her words sharply and focus on him with my most serious gaze. "That sounds like a super entertaining story— one for another time. Please focus right now... Please help me. Can... Can I help my companions survive, out in the Walking World against Berserker with the help of my awakened Origin?!"

"Partially Awakened, Fujimaru-kun." Merlin smoothly gets back on topic, apparently not bothered by me sudden outburst. I would apologise to her later, but for now I need answers; Olga and Mashu are counting on me. "The distinction is an important one to make. And while the Origin is capable of granting a person great power... I am afraid that it would still not be enough to win in your current situation."

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"... Moooou, let me finish, Fujimaru-kun!" Merlin exclaims as my disappointment must have shown clear on my face from the information she imparted. "Don't look at me with such a crestfallen expression, you're making me feel like I kicked an especially cute puppy or something! With your partially Awakened Origin you might not be able to win alone... but who's say which way the tides might turn with a Magus like me on your side~?"

"Wha— IF THAT IS THE CASE, SAY SO EARLIER!"

"Fufufu~ Hai, hai, I'll be sure to keep that in mind! Now listen to me some more, Fujimaru-kun, my lesson on Origins is still not completed. For some, most perhaps, the Origin forever remains dormant. It may take shape in a quirk if the personality, a general alignment or affinity. For others, the Origin is far more present, perhaps granting individuals unique talents that defy their humanity. Despite this, one thing remains certain. If a person is Awakened to their Origin, they will most certainly be unable to stray from it. At this stage, the Origin can and will consume one's very nature. The autonomy of consciousness takes a back seat, as the Origin guides one like an instinct or compulsions. To get back to my previous example, the person with an Awakened Origin of 'Consumption' will never be fulfilled even after the heartiest if meals; they will forever be cursed to consume whatever they can to satiate their never ending hunger. Your Origin is no where near that dangerous, if you have yet to feel any such compulsions from your partially Awakened state, but even I cannot predict how it might change you after it fully Awakens. So while you will gain great power, it will come at an equally great cost. Are you still willing to take such a risk, for the small chance of sav—"

"Yes."

... Merlin stares at me in surprise for a few seconds, before letting out a snort and shaking her head. "No hesitation at all; you didn't even wait for me to finish my question! With a mentality like that, it's no wonder why Alaya passed on [Hope of the World] to you! It really is a fitting Thaumaturgical Attribute for you to posses."

"... I'm sorry, I possess the what of the what now!?"

"Fufufu~" Oi, this gag of Merlin merrily laughing after dropping a bombshell of information on top of me is getting really old by now you know! "Now, now, Fujimaru-kun, I will feel bad to monetize all of your ignorance like this; I should save some things for the Mages back at Chaldea to explain! The more important part to focus on right now is this:- I currently have the capability to completely Awaken your Origin, and it has everything to do with that little thingie right over there."

Saying so, Merlin points directly behind me, and I turn— Only to see her finger pointed right at the magnificent glowing Sword in the Stone.

"Caliburn." The name finally comes to me out of nowhere, as I whisper out the name to myself in awe. In a louder voice I continue speaking, turing a questioning gaze towards Merlin as ai do so. "You want me to pull out and wield Caliburn - The same sword that was pulled out by King Arthur?"

The Magus of Flowers looks at me with a serene and wise smile, looking every bit like the mature mentor she was supposed to be... before covering her face with her hand and snorting out a laugh that completely shattered that illusion and my pride. "Hah~! Wielding Caliburn, of course not! At your current strength, a single strike of the Sword of Selection will cause both your arms to vaporise before you even manage to complete half of the swing! Fufufu~~!"

"Stop laughing you shitty magus, and explain what the hell am I supposed to do with that sword then!"

"Why, I thought that was obvious! You already got it the first time, you're supposed to pull it out of course!"

"Wha—!? But you just said–"

"If you used the sword in combat, you will be unable to handle or utilise it's power. But Caliburn is not a weapon that I forged for battle. Originally, at its core it is a sword for the sake of selecting the King. Its "Anti-Unit" classification does not refer to the enemy, but instead point to the one who shall have ownership over it from now on. And in this case I want it to be you, Fujimura Ritsuka, to be the one to pull out this esteemed sword."

"... Huh?" No way. This is another one of Merlin's silly pranks right...? But there is no sense if levity on Merlin's face, for once the emotions on her her face show complete seriousness. This– This is– "N-No way... I am not a king! H-How can I pull out..."

My words weakly trail off as I am unable to complete my sentence, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out what I meant to say. And Merlin continues speaking in the same uncharacteristic weighty tone. "But I am not asking you to be a King here. The act of pulling out, or recieving, or being chosen by a Sword is also synonymous with being a Hero."

"[Noble Phantasms] are 'crystallized Mysteries', powerful armaments made using human imagination as their core, and are the weapons and/or abilities owned by Heroic Spirits. As humanity's illusions, they embody the ultimate Mysteries of a hero as symbols of their existence through historical fact and anecdotes. Now Conceptual weapons, are magical items that often have an accumulated history and cause more than physical interference as they execute a certain built-in Concept, a predetermined phenomenon. And seeing as Origins are also Concepts that are engraved onto the Soul, you can probably guess where I am going with this particular lesson, right Fujimaru-kun."

The worst thing is that Merlin is right. I can guess what role she is going to have the Sword of Selection perform here. From what she's explained so far... "Caliburn has the Concept of 'Choosing someone worthy to be a King or Hero', right? And becoming a Hero means more often than not to gain or unlock some kind of power from within... like my own Origin."

"DING DING DING~~~! Fujimaru-kun gets full marks!" Merlin claps her hands with glee, as I feel sick in my stomach. "I am glad to see that you have been paying proper attention to my lesson! Indeed, though differing in appearance, renewed weapons hold similar true natures or concepts for their creation, and souls. As with the progression of Merodach, Gram, and Caliburn, all carrying the 'foundation of the sacred right to select the king', each cycle of transmigration causes the weapon to become weaker. The Caliburn you see in front of you is not the original, but rather an imitation that I created with the use of my [Item Construction] Skill, not as a weapon to be wielded, but rather as a symbol of accepting my help in unlocking your Origin and choosing to walk the path of a saviour."

"... Can I just get an ordinary sword instead?"

"Fufu~ That would honestly be easier for me to handle as well. I would have liked to teach you a bit of swordsmanship but I'm afraid that just a simple weapon is not going to cut it right now."

"... Aren't you a mage though?"

"A good teacher is someone whose student is eager to learn from them. A great teacher is the one, who is equally willing to learn from her student as well! You don't mentor the King of Knights for so many years without picking up a thing or two in the process., Fujimaru-kun. And I was a official Knight of the Round Table you know, the title's not just for show, you know. I'd even go so far as to say that I prefer a good ol' sword -ight to a magic duel, as I have a tendency of biting my tongue in the middle of high-speed incantations!"

"... I really am not surprised about that last part, you know."

"I'm not your typical Magus, Fujimaru-kun, that is part of my appeal~! ... But I am afraid I cannot let you stall any longer. Now tell me, Fujimaru Ritsuka... Do you want to be a Hero?"

The answer comes to me as naturally as breathing, and I say it without holding anything back; My completely true feelings in this matter with no filter or censoring present:-

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"Fuck no!"


This chapter was not originally meant to be a fully lore/dialogue focused chapter and was going to have more action sprinkled in, but I never really got a chance to place it in a natural way. So instead of rewriting the structure to add it in, I'm choosing to release this chapter as it is. Feedback is appreciated, do you like this, or would you prefer more of a mix of action and dialogue in the next chapters? How are you liking the character of Merlin so far? And also, can anyone tell me what's the deal with Zelretch in the Grand Order timeline? Where the hell is this op ass fucker in the middle of the end of the world!?

Also, if you are getting fed up with this dream world crap, good news for you! Next chapter we finally return to the place of action and do... well you'll see exactly what insane stuff Protag-kun has planned to do. So I hope you stick around for that!

Please leave a review sharing your thoughts, it would mean the world to me; it's what motivates us writers to write more. Thanks for reading so far and hope you enjoyed it - Adios!